Ancestral Lineage-Chapter 108: In-laws (2).

"I guess I’m the only one left for Ethan." Percival said in a casual tone like all this was just another one of his normal family leader works.

"Personally, I’m very happy to have a Smith marrying my daughter but Clara has, you can say a lot of suitors, just at the others have suitors. You’ve already fought one, that idiot’s son, Leon. But there are more and unlike these senile old men here, I won’t give you my daughter for free."

""Oi!""

His tone changed abruptly, gaining a very serious edge to it that caused chills down Ethan’s spine.

"I can sense that you’ve already marked her and as much as it pains me, I will let it slide. But I don’t care about what or who you are. Whether you’ve marked her or not, I don’t give fuck about it. You will have to prove yourself that you can take responsibility for her. You will battle all her suitors. The strongest takes her." Archibold stated but inwardly, he was scrutinizing the boy to see how he will react to this.

"I see. Does Clara have a say in this? She’s the prize after all." Ethan stated calmly.

"You can say her opinion matters but I’m still her father. Her protection is my priority." Archibold said calmly.

"How many suitors does she have?"

"Five suitors."

"What if I don’t partake in this little game?"

"Why?"

"Because they are all beneath me."

"Mm? What makes you think that? There is a 100-year-old incubus demon, an elf, a werewolf, a vampire and a human. Is it because you are the heir to the Smiths or something else entirely?" Archibold still kept the calm facade but inwardly he was smiling in acknowledgement. ’Just the final push. Let’s see what he has.’

"If that’s what you are relying on, your background, then I’m afraid you can’t have Clara. I have ways to remove your mark from her. As for her virginity, it can’t be reversed but we will make do with that." Archibold said casually, like he had already decided the final verdict.

Ethan stared hard at the man for what felt like years. The room was deathly silent as everyone waited for Ethan’s next move. Clara had wanted to dive in, but Ethan stopped her. He didn’t know what Clara’s dad wanted. Of all the men here, he was the most troublesome. And he still had that calm smile on his face. This man was as sly as a fox. But Ethan knew what to do. He just needed confirmation.

’Mother.’ Ethan established a telepathic link with his mom.

’Baby boy?’

’I’m going to stop holding everything back. Are these people trustworthy?’

’It is very difficult to answer but let’s just say, they are all doting parents who wouldn’t want anything to happen to their children and more precisely, they wouldn’t want to be the cause of that. What do you want to do?’

’I’m going to release this facade and show my true appearance and aura.’

’I love the sound of that. Go on.’

’Okay.’

Ethan heaved a sigh of relief as he turned his gaze back to Archibold.

"I’m suppose Clara’s suitors are going to fight at full power?" Ethan asked with a calm gaze.

"Yes. They wouldn’t be holding back." Archibold replied, curious as to what Ethan was planning.

"Do you think they are ready to face this?" Ethan said with a smirk as his aura exploded.

"What..."

His hair grew longer in the span of seconds, his red eyes turned a full blood red. His pale skin further paled, becoming white. Red vein-like tattoos appeared around his arms. His aura formed a huge crimson beast whose features couldn’t be seen except for its glowing crimson eyes.

This time, they were all filled with dread, even Madeleine. It was like Ethan was the personification of dread. His handsome face twisted into a large smile as he stared eye-to-eye into Archibold’s eyes.

"Haha! Hahaha! Hahahahahahahaha! I love it! You win, young heir!" Archibold roared in laughter causing Ethan to look around in confusion.

"Son. Undo this. We don’t want girls in heat here." Madeleine said as she pointed towards Carmen, Clara, Harley, Lisa and Andriel who had flushed faces.

"Okay!" Ethan exclaimed as held in his aura and re-tweaked his appearance. Others felt dread when he was in his real form, vampires would probably feel servitude, his subordinates felt proud and empowered but the girls he marked only saw him as a sexy and handsome vampire who they would do anything just to get a taste of him.

"So?" Ethan asked in eagerness and nervousness.

"You pass. Clara is yours but you must finish off Leon one way or the other. That brat is becoming something."

"You mean..."

"No. Just find your own way to deal with him."

"Okay. I know what to do."

"Good. Your turn Jasper."

...

"All I can say is that, go for it!" Jasper said causing everyone to look at him with dry gazes.

"Uh... okay. Thanks." Trevor was at a dilemma on how to proceed.

"Father. You can call me that."

"Alright, father."

Now everyone looked like they wanted to strangle him. Even the other women were holding his wife back from bashing his head in. The way Jasper put on a serious expression and released a bit of his aura, just to motivate his son-in-law to be, was too much to take in. He had played them all for nothing and he didn’t even realize it.

"Now that this is done, let’s have some refreshments. I’ve already accepted the girls so there’s no need." Madeleine said while beckoning David to bring in refreshments. David was like the butler of the house.

Very soon, refreshments were served and they all dug in while making small talk, mostly teasing the girls in love.

...

"Are we certain this outing will provide the opportunity we need?"

"Yes. The route has already been confirmed. He’ll pass through the forest’s edge. It’s isolated, with minimal security. It’s the perfect location for the beast’s awakening."

"And you’re confident the beast will obey? It’s been dormant for centuries. Even legends warn against tampering with its slumber." Enjoy new stories from novelbuddy

"It won’t need to obey. Waking it will be enough. Its wrath will be indiscriminate. Chaos is its nature, destruction its instinct."

A pause. The air in the room felt heavy with tension, the silence amplifying the weight of their plan.

"Fine. But how do you ensure it reaches him specifically? What if it strays? The forest is vast."

"It won’t stray." The voice was cold, calculating. "We’ve prepared the bait. A fragment from its original binding—a lure of sorts. When placed near him, the beast will be drawn like a moth to a flame. All we need is for it to sense the fragment."

"And the others? He won’t be alone."

"Collateral damage." A scoff followed. "Do you care for them? The plan isn’t about precision. Let it rampage. The more chaos, the better. It will mask our involvement. By the time anyone investigates, the trail will lead to nature’s fury—not us."

"Still, there’s risk. Ethan isn’t ordinary. If he survives—"

"He won’t." The voice was sharp, cutting through the doubt like a blade. "You’ve seen what that beast can do. Even those who are strong can’t face it unscathed. Ethan is a child compared to it. He won’t survive."

A soft chuckle broke the tension. "Bold words. Let’s hope they don’t come back to bite us. But… I admit, I like the sound of it. Watching him struggle, realizing he’s powerless. His end will be a message, loud and clear."

"And if, by some miracle, he does survive?"

"Then Plan B." A cold detached tone. "We’ve arranged contingencies. Poison in the air, traps along the path. If the beast doesn’t finish him, we will."

"Good." A sharp inhale, then a low exhale. "And the timing? When do we move?"

"At dawn. The beast’s containment will break at first light. By the time they’re in position, it will already be awake… and furious."

A murmur of approval swept through the group.

"Then it’s settled. We move forward."

"One last thing." A quieter, more hesitant voice spoke. "Are we prepared for the fallout? If this fails—if anyone links it back to us—"

"It won’t fail." The voice was icy, brooking no argument. "We’ve covered every angle. If anyone questions it, the beast’s awakening will look like an accident. A tragic, uncontrollable force of nature."

Silence returned, heavy and foreboding.

"Fine. Let’s proceed. For the sake of our future, Ethan must fall."

"Agreed. No turning back now."

The faint sound of chairs shifting echoed in the room, followed by footsteps retreating into the darkness. The air remained still, charged with the weight of their sinister resolve.

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...

Oblivious to this, Ethan was chilling with his in-laws to be in his mother’s home, unaware of the impending doom about to befall him. Something that might change him. Whether in a good way or bad way, only the future will tell.