The first block

"You're awake now?" that cold voice, Keito would know that voice anywhere. That was the voice that had accompanied him in the worst and best moments of his previous life and made his heart skip a beat.

He waited for his heart to react to that voice but nothing happened.

Maybe he was too tired right now to react or maybe it was his disbelief at hearing that voice once again that made his reaction different this time.

'Or maybe you're just in denial about your feelings' Keito mentally shut down his connection with his wolf for a while, wanting to enjoy this dream for a little longer. The wolf would only protest all his choices and nag at him.

The king finally opened his eyes and locked eyes with the owner of that crimson gaze and he froze because it was Jess - his Jess with her royal hairdo done just right and her gaze still as sharp as he remembered it being.

"Am I dreaming of you being here? It's a nice dream after all" Keito's voice has a sleepy and dreamy tone to hit, one he did not feel inside but one he knew would come once he was awake and this dream faded away.

And saw the hand that was coming to hit his head and he waited for the dream to end at that very moment.

But the pain felt real and it caused him to clutch his head out of reflex and shock. It felt far too real now.

"Wake up, you have a kingdom to run in the future. I can't believe you were stupid to get yourself magically poisoned" the female huffed, her eyes staring at him accusingly and he allowed her.

One could not normally look at him like this without losing something important in the process but this was his beloved Jess, the love of his life so he could make an exception of her.

Then her words registered in his mind and he felt the fog clear away from his senses.

"Rule a kingdom? Isn't the nation run by a government nowadays?" he asked her and got a flat look in return. He was not what he had said wrong to make her look like 'that' at him. Surely, it was what he had asked of her?

"The physician said that your mind was not harmed as a result of the magic poisoning but looked like he was wrong after all or have you always been such a big idiot? Don't tell me it was the hit I just gave you now?" The female made a mock action of horror but he knew she was not sorry.

She was never sorry and that was what he liked about her - her self confidence and assurance. He was sure that his wolf would have a thing or two to say about it all but he had locked him out for now.

"I'm sorry to worry you but did you say magic poisoning? When did that happen?" Keito asked because even if this was an illusion made by magic, he was sure that he had never been magically poisoned.

No one could get that close to him for that to happen and even if they did, he was far too powerful for their meagre magic to make a dent on his own.

"You don't remember? You lost control and when the physician tried to check you over, you reacted violently and had traces of foreign magic inside you. We're still trying to find the culprit behind all this" the female was trying to be discreet about what she told him, he could read it in her very body language.

He had been married to her once and knew her inside out, so he could tell that she was hiding things from him. Things she would not tell him as long as she believed that it was alright. Even he could not force those words out of her.

But he could not picture anything from just her words and his distorted memories. He needed help from someone who actually knew what happened to him - his wolf.

He almost groaned at letting that thing out again but his curiosity won over and he finally broke down the barrier.

'Finally, you came around and I see you still have this thing around you' his wolf's tone was biting, as it always was about Jess. Why couldn't his wolf just like her as he did? But that was not important right now.

'I need to know what happened back there. Do you remember?' Kaito was not sure how much the wolf would be able to recall, but the insulted huff that he got, as a result, made him aware that the wolf was not happy at his doubt.

'They tried to take omega's magic away from us. We did not like that at all and retaliated. That warmth and comfort are ours, MINE' and there went his wolf, in his own world and fantasies.

He felt much more comfortable to let him be now that he was not a distraction and once again turned toward the female who seemed to be waiting for his answer.

"I remember enough of it to matter. You said that you were looking for the culprit behind all this? Have you found someone?" Keito asked, more than aware of who the culprit was.

"Not yet, but we are looking" the female seemed to be getting irritated at his questions, her mouth pulled down in a frown now and he allowed her to calm down a little.

The royal physician was at fault but he could not very well say it because who would believe that he had allowed any foreign magic inside him at his own will. He had been much too aloof for that in his last life.

So the most likely culprit will be Noah who was likely a child at this time. Has he met him yet? He was not sure of his own exact age or when he met Noah in his past life. Was the omega still here masquerading as a beta?

Was he his current Noah or the one in the past? He had too many questions which could only be answered once the other was found, but maybe he could ask. The other was not too far from him once he had been taken into his service and everyone knew of him.

Especially Jess whose family had presented him as a gift.

"By the way, where is Noah?" he saw those lovely crimson eyes narrow at his words and he quickly ran them through again inside his head. He was not sure he had said anything wrong at all.

"Who's this Noah you speak of? A lover perhaps?" the female asked, her tone cold and he felt surprised at that.

Was she jealous? She had never been jealous before, her position at his side way too secure and he knew he should feel happy at that.

The feeling did not come - yet. But he was sure it would come once the shock of everything settled down enough for him to process it all.

"He's a servant I saved from the slave market? Or your family did and I allowed him to work in the palace? I'm not too clear on it but he's a servant here - longish white hair and bluish-purple eyes" Keito informed and if a little fondness slipped inside his voice, he did not notice.

After all, Noah had been a friend and he had wronged him greatly. This was something he had already regretted.

'Will make it up to him' his wolf came around this time, now out of his imaginary zone and Keito agreed with him.

The female, however, seemed to stiff a little more at his words, her eyes narrowing a little and her voice a little cold.

"I'm afraid you are mistaken since there is no servant like that in the royal palace. Besides, white hair is a curse of the foxes and you know it. No servant like that would be allowed so near the royal family" that was an old superstition, one Kaito was more than aware of.

The older times told the tale of the dragons who gave their power to the wolves and the phoenix who bestowed it to the foxes to create harmony in this world.

But the fox had been treacherous and war broke out. Heartbroke, the phoenix had cursed the fox clan which caused them to be wiped out and mark the remaining people with distinctive colouring.

But this was a fairy tale without much truth after all. Foxes were foxes after all, and it was a coincidence that Noah matched those traits. After all, he had never seen other foxes before in his life.

Was Noah even a fox at this time? Or had it been something that had happened after his death? He was so clueless that it was not funny.

"It's just a myth, Jess, you don't need to take it so seriously. But I really need to find a kid with such a description soon since I have plans for him" Keito knew what to say to make the others believe his words and he knew the second she fell into his words.

That night, a silent patrol was sent outside to check for a white-haired slave kid who was not found.