ă€ŠMy Long Lost Mateă€‹


 Chapter -1 - Greetings

    Hello, everyone!

    I''m the author of My Long Lost Mate, winterdaisy55.

    First of all, I want to thank you all for being here and giving my book a chance. You being here, gave me huge support and motivation to keep on writing my dreams. So thank you all for that! :D

    A little warning though, English is not my first language. So you may find some grammar/vocab errors throughout the book. If you are willing to be so kind as to point out my mistakes, I will make sure to fix them right away. It will be very much appreciated.

    And as this is my first book, there is a lot that I''m still lacking in terms of writing. So any constructive criticisms are welcomed.

    I hope you will enjoy reading this book as much as I enjoyed writing it!

    Without any further ado, let the journey begin!

    p.s: I will update a new chapter every 2-3 days, but it may differ depending on my availabilities.

 Chapter 1 - Escape

    I woke up in a room surrounded by darkness. It was very quiet, and the only sound I could hear was my own breathing. I tried to move my body, but sharp pain quickly washed over me. I ?r??n?d and leaned my back to the wall. Now that I was conscious, my eyes started to get used to the darkness and I could finally see my surroundings.

    The only thing around was a bloody whip and a chair. I sighed knowing that I was back here again. I am back in the room that I was very familiar with, the torturing room. I closed my eyes trying to ease the pain that I felt all over my body and snapped my eyes open when the door creaked, showing a figure of a woman who I despised so much. Fiona, my stepmother.

    "Are you finally awake, Violet?" She gave me a hideous smile that sent shudders to my body.

    "Why are you doing this to me?" I asked, trying to not sound pitiful but that''s exactly how I sound.

    "What? I''m not doing anything to you. It''s your father who hit you, don''t blame me, darling," she had that sickly sweet voice that made me want to puke every time I heard it. It took everything in me to not throw up every time she uttered out a word. Not to mention when every word she said was nothing but gibberish to me.

    "You are the one who convinced my dad to do this to me."

    "I only said a few encouraging words and your dad is the one who decides to acts on it," a wicked smile spread across her face and I grimaced by the sight of it. I wholeheartedly hate everything about this woman.

    "If you hate me so much, why don''t you just kill me now?"

    "Oh, honey, trust me, I really want to. But now is not the time. I will kill you when the time comes. For now, you will just have to stay here, okay?" With that, she went upstairs, leaving me all alone again in the room.

    I sighed and water started to fill my eyes causing my vision to be even more blurry than before. I have been to this room so many times that I have lost count of it. I didn''t even know the reason why I was here all this time. All I know was Fiona whispered a couple of words to my dad and he started to drag me underground back to this very room.

    What exactly went wrong between me and my father, I wonder? We were so happy before, and I was so loved. They loved me, and it was also the same for me. But it all changed when my mom died, and the wicked woman came into my life.

    Only a few days after Fiona moved into my house, my dad who was once kind and loving started to become abusive, and he always looked at me with a very evident sign of hatred on his face. We never really shared any word with each other ever since. The only words we shared were when I begged him to stop hitting me which obviously he didn''t care about. He changed.

    Time always went by fast whenever I was reminiscing memories of my past. It was because there were so many bad things to remember that it went by fast. Though I hated almost every single memory I have in my mind, I kept thinking about it as there was nothing else to think about when half of my life was full of those memories. After several long hours staring into nothing but darkness, my mind started to drift off to dreamland unconsciously, bringing me back to the memory of that cursed day.

    "Violet, run!" My mom shouted at me, and I looked at her as if she was crazy.

    "No! I''m not leaving you here!" I told her causing my mom to frowned and let out a frustrated shout.

    "Violet, please run! I can''t hold them much longer!" She said, swinging a stick that could easily be broken by the werewolves in front. She cried out a few curses to the werewolves, angering them so that they will focus on her.

    "B-but! IˇŞ" before I could complete my sentence, I was cut off by my mom.

    "RUN!"

    I wiped my tears away and turned around to the other directions away from my mom and the werewolves. I let out a cry and ran like crazy. I ran for God knows how long and stumbled over the rocks on the ground. A little whimper went out of my small mouth and I held back my tears while trying to not make any sound.

    "What will happen to my mom? I left her with three werewolves! I don''t want to lose my mom," I said to myself and stifled yet another tear.

    "It''s all my fault! If only I didn''t ask my mom to teach me how to hunt this wouldn''t have happened," I kept thinking such thoughts in my head which only allowed tears to descended down to my cheeks like a waterfall. It was such a hard time for an eight years old child to bear alone.

    I walked again for a couple of minutes and heard a rustling in the bushes. This made me stop in my tracks and alarmed all of the senses in my body. Please not again!! I tried to muster my courage and turned around. As I turned my body around meekly, I saw another wolf in front of me. It carried a very strong aura that I couldn''t stand. It looked like the wolves that I saw back with my mom, but a lot bigger. Its red eyes stared deep into my green eyes which were now very puffy from all the tears that came out from it. The shock of seeing yet another wolf made me fall back to the ground.

    "A-are you going to kill me?" I asked the wolf with a shaky voice, " Your friends hurt my mom! What else do you want from me?!"

    The wolf stared at me and started to step closer which at the same time made me move my body further away. After coming closer to only five steps away from me, it lowered its body as if asking me to climb up to its body. I stared back at it for a good couple of minutes and it started to nudge my body, clearly feeling impatient.

    "W-what? Do you want me to get on your back?" I asked and the wolf nodded its head up and down indicating yes. "Why? Will you kill me if I don''t get on your back?"

    I didn''t know what he will do to me if I do what it asked me to. It could bring me to its packhouse and made a party to eat me! What should I do? But if he wanted to kill me then he would probably do that the moment he saw me. Maybe he was a good werewolf and not like the wolves before. Should I go with him? Or should I not? I let out a frustrated groan but was met with a little irritated growl from the wolf.

    "O-okay. P-please don''t hurt me," I climbed up to the wolf slowly and it immediately started to run from the spot we were standing at before.

    The run was very quiet as I didn''t dare to make any sound. As we ran, fatigue that my little body didn''t feel before started to hit me like a wave. Even if I didn''t want to fall asleep, my eyes threatened to close, and I eventually fell asleep on top of the wolf''s back. It was one of the most terrifying sleep I have ever had. It was unknown to me whether I will be able to open my eyes again or not.

    I fluttered my eyes open when I heard the metal door creaked open for the second time and the yellowish lights from the wall torch entered, making the underground room that was once dark to be a bit brighter.

    "Miss Violet, please wake up!" I heard someone whispering my name, sounding very anxious.

    I glanced towards the door and saw a lady in her 40s with her brown hair tied in a neat ponytail. Familiar with the new presence in the cold room, I asked, "Anna? What are you doing here?"

    She was the maid who took care of me even from when my mom was alive. She was the only one in this house who didn''t treat me badly ever since my mom died. I was genuinely surprised to see her presence in this underground room which was banned from everyone in the house except for my dad and Fiona.

    "The sir and madam are away right now and the only people who are in the house are the guards and some maids. This is your chance to escape this house," she said while stifling her tears, "I can''t see you like this any longer, miss. I will help you escape from this house even if I will lose my life."

    My eyes started to water after hearing Anna''s words, "You will also come with me, right?" I asked her as I forced my body to stand.

    "No, miss. You have to go by yourself. I will be here to distract the guards and other maids. I will give you an opening so you can go out."

    I stared at her wide-eyed, shocked to hear her answer. She placed her index finger vertically over her lips, then pulled me upstairs slowly while tiptoeing.

    "But they will torture you for letting me out! They won''t even think twice to kill you!" I whispered, not wanting to attract people''s attention.

    Anna turned around and held my shoulders with both of her hands, "I told you before, miss. I will help you escape even if it will cost me my life," she stated, "So please go somewhere safe from them and promise me to never come back, okay? That is how you can repay me."

    No matter what I said to convince her to come with me, she wouldn''t change her decision after she set her mind to it. I hugged Anna and let my tears fall to my cheeks, "I will help you out of this place."

    Anna smiled after hearing my words and we walked out of my house sneakily trying to not draw any attention from the guards and the maids. It was close to midnight and there were only a few guards and maids who were still awake so we easily snuck out of the house without anyone knowing.

    After finally escaping the house, Anna let go of my hand and smiled at me, "Please don''t come back," at the same time she said it, tears fell on both sides of her face.

    "Thank you, Anna. I will never forget what you did to me all this time. You are the mother figure that I needed ever since I lost my mom," I hugged her tightly.

    "You''re also the perfect daughter that I''ve always dreamed of," Anna hugged me back and then, walked back into the house. I stared at her retreating figure for a good few minutes before turning my own back away from the house.

    I started to run, far-far away from the house. After running for a certain distance, I heard someone shout from the direction behind me. It was then followed by a few more footsteps. Guessing from the sound of the footsteps, there were probably around three to four people running behind me.

    "Hey! There you are! Don''t even think to run away! Come back here!"

    Hearing that, I started to panic and ran faster. What do I do? I think it was the guards from the house. My body shivered to the thoughts of coming back to that house. I ran from the people behind me and didn''t dare to look behind at them. I ran crazily, not minding the stare from the few people who were still on the street. The dress that ran until the length of my ankle didn''t do justice to all the running that I was doing and it was fortunate enough that I didn''t trip on it.

    After a few minutes of running, the footsteps of those chasing behind me could no longer be heard. Making sure that they weren''t still after me, I turned my head around hastily. Fortunately, there was no sign of my pursuers.

    Just as I turned back around towards the direction I was headed to, I bumped into someone. Are they not behind me, but in front of me?! I panicked, but the impact from the bump sent me falling backward. I peeked my eyes up slowly, nervously looked for what I had just bumped into. As I raised my head, I saw a tall man with jet black hair staring down at me with his red eyes. He looked very surprised to see the state I was in. Well, anyone would be just as surprised if they looked at my bloody state, moreover, the ragged dress that I was wearing. He must''ve thought that I was a runaway slave that was chased by the silly guards.

    He opened his mouth to say something but was cut off by the shouting from the guards that chased me before. "Oh! Thank you for catching that little troublemaker. Please give her back to us," said one of the guards while panting for air.

    Not knowing what to do, I frantically held the man''s hand and pleaded, "Please save me! They are going to hurt me! I don''t want to go back!"

    The man first looked at me for a couple of seconds, then to the guards, "Go," he said to the guards grimly, before helping me stand on my feet. "What?" asked the guards, confused by the man''s words.

    "I said go... before I kill you," he threatened. I was hiding behind the man''s back and couldn''t see his face, but my guts told me that he meant his words.

    The guards looked surprised by his words but quickly recover from them and instead, started to challenge the man, "We won''t go before you hand us that girl."

    The man sighed and said, "I warned you." After that, the man let go of my hand and turned my body around, "Don''t look," he said before starting to walk towards the guards.

    Every step he took exuded confidence, and he was not the least scared of the guards who were armed with swords when he himself got nothing but his b?r? hands.

    I closed my eyes even with my back towards them and heard one of the guards scream trying to attack the man. No longer after, the only sound that I could hear was something like... bones breaking.

    A few moments later, it was completely silent. Was he finished? The silence was soon broken by footsteps that I ?ssumed were getting closer to where I was. Is this the footsteps of the man or the guards? That was the question that popped up in my mind.

    I was ready to run, but before I could proceed to do just that, two strong arms grip both of my shoulders, turning my body around. I nervously opened my eyes to found a pair of red eyes staring softly at me.

    "Are you okay?"

 Chapter 2 - Mate

    "And that concludes our meeting today," one of the Alpha from the other pack said, and people one by one started to leave the room until it was completely empty.

    "Man, that''s a long-ass meeting," said Andrew, my Beta, while stretching his arms up. He is my second in command, but I kind of regret the decision of choosing him over someone else.

    "Don''t ask me to come to this kind of meeting anymore," I said, annoyed by how long the meeting went on. It went on for about 6 hours, and we still got nothing about the rogues that were attacking our lands.

    "Well, Alpha Luke, you are our Supreme Alpha so you are obviously needed," he said in a sarcastic tone, also rolling his eyes.

    "Just give me a summary of the meeting. I have other important things to do rather than sitting around in this kind of useless shit."

    We have been attacked by rogues for months, and we still didn''t know where are they coming from. They can be easily defeated by our warriors, but they were targetting civilians. This caused great damage to our kind and we need to stop this. There were attacks from everywhere and it''s obvious there is someone behind it. There is someone who is controlling all the rogues.

    Rogues are not usually controlled by others, but one thing that made me sure of it is their attacking patterns all look the same. Every victim that we found has a missing hearts, but their bodies are in pretty good condition, no wound is found in other parts of their bodies except their ?h?st. It''s like they were all killed by one swift attack on their ?h?st. We can guess that their main purpose in attacking these people was to take their hearts. But why would rogues need werewolf''s hearts?

    Just when I stepped my feet outside of the building, a very intoxicating scent lingered in the air. The scent made the wolf inside me perked its head up and started to get anxious. It was very faint, but not too faint until my heightened sense couldn''t smell it.

    "Follow the scent," my wolf said, no, I mean, ordered. He seemed very intrigued by this scent that it made him pace around when all he used to do was laying on his back.

    Even without him telling me to follow it, I was going to do just the same. I wanted to know what and where this scent came from. I breathe in harder to smell the scent, using all my senses to focus on it. After guessing which direction the smell is coming from, my feet immediately started to walk towards it.

    "Where are you going?" asked Andrew after realizing I was walking in the opposite direction from the packhouse.

    "You go back first," I replied without actually answering his question.

    I was getting more and more eager to find the source of this intoxicating scent so I unconsciously speed up my pace. What kind of scent is this? I''ve never been so intrigued by anything as much as this scent intrigued me. Whatever it is, it must be something that I''ve never encountered or had before.

    I made a few more turns here and there, and then... I finally saw it. The source of the intoxicating scent. It came from a girl, who currently was running in my direction. Her long brown hair cascade down to her waist, gracefully bouncing every time she took a step. The moment my eyes fell on her, I felt my body came to a halt. It was like every inch of my body was focused on the girl in front of me and nothing else matters.

    I was so mesmerized by her that I didn''t notice that she was going to bump into me. I snapped out of it when our bodies collided with each other. The little connection we had sent sparks all over my body, something that I''ve never felt before. She fell because of the impact, and when she looked up at me, that''s when I realized.

    "She is it," I heard my wolf said with the most excited voice I have ever heard from him.

    I know. My long lost mate.

    She was... the most beautiful girl I have ever laid my eyes on. Never have I seen anything or anyone as wonderful as her. Her long wavy brown hair that covered her small body and her jade green eyes melted me when she stared back at me. The empty shells that I had in my heart before, now felt full just after I looked at her. It felt like all the happiness in the world came to me right at this moment and filled my body with it. My heart was filled with happiness and bursting with joy. It was one of the best feelings I have ever felt in my life.

    I was so captivated by her beauty that I didn''t even realize that her body was covered with bruises, and her dress was splattered with blood. A frown appeared on my face after realizing the state she was in. The happiness that I felt before soon changed to rage. Who the hell dared to do this to my mate? I swear I will kill the fu?k?n? bastard who dare to hurt her. I opened my mouth to ask what happened to her but was cut off by someone''s voice.

    "Oh! Thank you for catching that little troublemaker. Please give her back to us," so that''s the answer to my question.

    I felt another spark in my body when she grabbed my hand and pleaded to me, "Please save me! They are going to hurt me! I don''t want to go back!"

    I looked at her and my heart hurts when I saw her frightened expression. I didn''t want her to look at me killing these people in front of us and made her even more scared. I looked at them and said grimly, "Go."

    "What?" asked the pompous looking man. Humans, always making me repeat my words twice.

    "I said go... before I kill you," I was holding back the urge to kill them because I don''t want my newly found mate to be scared of me. Don''t let me kill in front of my mate.

    They looked taken aback by my words but then decided to challenge me, one of the men said, "We won''t go before you hand us that girl," such a foolish sentence that came out of his mouth.

    These fu?k?n? bastards. Maybe they have a non-existent brain to dare to challenge me. I was going to send my mate to the packhouse first before killing them. I was being kind for once and let them live a couple of hours longer but they stupidly declined my offer.

    "I warned you," guess I can''t help it then. I just need to make it fast and simple.

    I let go of my mate''s hand unwillingly and turned her body around so that she won''t have to see the gruesome event that is yet to happen, "Don''t look," I said, then turned towards the people who were chasing after my mate. No one is allowed to chase after my mate.

    I walked to them and one of them started to attack, holding up his sword. I swiftly dodged his attack and quickly snapped his head to the side causing it to stay in a way it''s not supposed to be. Looking at their friend who was now laying on the ground lifelessly, the other two people looked at me with a look of horror on their faces and froze. I use this moment to do just the same to both of them, not wanting to spend any more seconds dealing with these bunch of ???kroaches.

    Finished dealing with the men, I turned towards my mate and quickly went to her. I held both of her shoulders, causing her to open her eyes. I was immediately drawn towards a pair of jade green eyes that were staring right back at me.

    "Are you okay?" I asked softly.

    She was surprised by the sudden touch but then her eyes soften when she looked at me and said, "Yes."

    It was a complete lie because right after she said it, her body felt weak and her legs couldn''t bear the weight of her own body. I quickly caught her before she fell to the ground. She fainted.

    ...

    After we arrived at the packhouse, I quickly mind-linked the pack doctor to come to the room next to mine. We need to tend to my mate''s body and treat her wound before anything worse happens to her.

    I saw Andrew in the hall and his eyes widened when he saw me holding a girl in my arms, "Who is she?" he asked. But before I could give him my answer, he seemed to have found his own answer and gave me a knowing look, "Luna."

    I nodded to him and went inside the room. I placed my mate slowly on the bed, just in time when someone knocked on the door. "Alpha, I''m here," said Ronald, my most trusted pack doctor.

    "Come."

    He came in and immediately started to check on my mate''s wound and condition. After a few minutes of examining her, he stood up and explained,

    "It seems that she was beaten very badly with a whip. There are a few old scars on her body that are covered by new wounds. Thankfully, her new wounds are not too deep to leave scars on it. I think a few of her bones also have been broken before, but it''s all healed now.

    "Other than that she is fine. We just need to treat her wound for a few weeks and she will be fully healed. Also, she is malnourished. We have to make sure that she rests well and is eating well. I will prescribe a balm for her wounds."

    I nodded and thanked him, "Thank you, you may leave now." I sat on the chair next to her bed and stared at my mate who was now sleeping soundly. She looked very much like an angel that made me wonder why did someone hurt her? I doubt she did something bad to make people do this to her.

    "Who the hell did this to you?" I ?r??n?d, frustrated by her condition. If only I met her sooner, she won''t have this many bruises and scars on her body. The thought of her being beaten made my eyes slightly water. It has been 8 years since the actual meeting should have occurred. Most of the werewolves found their mates at the age of sixteen and I still haven''t found mine until the age of twenty-four.

    That made me wonder for years why haven''t we meet each other? I was scared that I will never see her for the rest of my life and I always thought about how wonderful it must be to be able to meet my mate, the one destined to me by the Moon Goddess. I was made for her and she was made for me. We were meant for each other.

    Now that I have met her, I know how wonderful the feeling of meeting my mate, and I don''t ever want to forget this feeling till the end of my time. I will cherish her, and give her all the love that I could ever give to her. Hell, I will even die for her.

    She was the best thing that has ever happened to me. The other half of my life, and the source of my happiness. The only one who could complete my life. I breathed in her heavenly scent that was floating in the room and soon fell asleep beside her.

    Tomorrow will be a good day, waking up to my love beside me.

 Chapter 3 - Who are you?

    I woke up feeling sore on my neck after falling asleep on an uncomfortable chair for a night. I didn''t even realize I was drifting off to sleep while staring at my mate. I opened my eyes and the first thing that I saw was the goddess-like mate of mine, staring right at me. So this was how it felt to see my mate first thing in the morning. I could get used to this.

    I swear I could hear my heart beats a little faster than it usually did after I saw her and I didn''t hate it at all. Every morning from now on will be a wonderful one if I got to see this sight every time I wake up.

    "Good morning," I said while smiling at my mate. She didn''t say anything but only stare at me with her two gorgeous eyes, "Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Luke, and you are?"

    Still, silence. I stared back at her and I could say that we looked like we are in the middle of a staring contest. Not that I''m complaining, I could do this forever but I wanted to know the name of my mate who I have always long for. I wonder what kind of name will fit her beauty?

    "Violet," she said with a tiny voice that sounded like music to my ears. It is indeed a beautiful name.

    My wolf started to stir inside me, clearly happy to know the name of the woman who we adore so much. I have only met her for less than a day and I already felt like I was the happiest man alive. I couldn''t imagine how happy I will be to spend the rest of my life with her. It will be a very blessed life.

    "Violet," I repeated, her name rolled just right from my mouth and I smiled, happy that I now know the name of my mate. "How are you feeling?" I asked, worried about her condition but it was another silence that came after my question.

    She looked like she was thinking about what kind of answer should she say to my question or whether she should answer the query, "Not very well," she finally answered, still staring at me.

    "I will ask my most trusted doctor to check up on you every day, so don''t worry, you will be fine," I ?ssured her, "You must be hungry."

    I mind-linked my chef to bring her breakfast to the room, not forgetting to ask him for the best quality of food for her to eat. Right after I contacted him, Andrew''s voice was heard in my mind, "Alpha, there''s another rogues attack in our territory."

    I let out a heavy sigh after hearing what he said. Those fu?k?n? rogues. I just wanted to spend time with my mate, why couldn''t they let a man do that?

    "I''m sorry, but I have some urgent matters to attend to. Will you be okay by yourself?" I inquired, though I was unwilling to leave her alone in the room. It will be better if I could stay longer.

    She nodded at me, so I reluctantly stood up to leave the room. Before leaving the room, I heard my mate said, "Thank you for helping me yesterday."

    I couldn''t help but have a smile spread widely on my face, "Anytime." I can do anything to help you for the rest of my life, Violet, I thought in my mind.

    ...

    After the man left the room, I took this time to admire the room I was in. It was very big and opulently decorated but not too excessively done. The bed I was lying at was also very posh looking, with an elaborate mahogany headboard stuck to the wall behind it.

    The wall was painted with the color of soft gold, and a few pendant lights throughout the room exude an elegant ambiance around this place. The window beside my bedside table showed only a view of an empty green field. The way this room was decorated showed that it belonged to someone who was very luxurious.

    My dad was a successful businessman who had a lot of money and power but my room from back in the days could never compare to this one. Even the bathroom was bigger than my old room. I wonder how big this place actually was.

    One thing that caught my eyes in this room was the portrait of a woman that was hanging on the wall. She had her blonde hair up in a tight bun and looked very sophisticated. She held her chin up and her blue eyes were fixed at the window beside my bed. I was mesmerized by her beauty. I continued to stare at her for a couple of minutes and was startled when I saw her eyes moved towards me. It was staring back at me.

    My breath hitched after seeing her eyes fixed on me and not on the window beside me. I rubbed both of my eyes and looked back at the portrait but now her eyes were fixed back at the window. I exhaled the breath I was holding before, feeling relieved that it was only my imagination. Maybe I was still too tired after all the things that happened yesterday.

    I felt weird being in a place I''m not familiar with, but on second thought, it was better for me to stay in a place I was unfamiliar with rather than the one I was accustomed to. I wandered around the room and stopped when I saw my reflection on the mirror of the dressing table. I finally realized I was wearing a different dress from yesterday and my body was cleansed of the dirt that was stuck on me after days of not bathing. The ragged dress that I previously wore was replaced by a dress of high-quality material, it was soft to the skin and rather comfortable despite how elegantly decorated it is.

    Though my dad had a lot of money, he never spent it on me and also never gave me beautiful dresses women my age used to wear. When other women wear colorful dresses that were adorned with elegant laces and patterns, what I was used to wearing was a dull and rough dress, sometimes torn. It seems that the man who helped me yesterday was one of those rich aristocrats looking at the place I was in, and the dress that I was wearing.

    I shifted my attention from my reflection on the mirror to the door when someone knocked on it, "Excuse me, miss. My name is Bob, and I''m the head chef of this house. I am here to bring breakfast to you by the order of Master Luke," said the man just outside the room, "May I come in?"

    "Uhh, yes," I said, unsure of my answer. The man walked in, bowed to me, then proceed to put the tray of food he was holding on one of the tables that were in the room.

    "Please enjoy," he said, "I will come back and collect the plates later. Do you have anything you need, miss?"

    "Do you... have any spare clothes?" I asked him in a small voice, not sure whether I could ask him for such things, "Can I take a bath here?"

    I ?ssumed someone cleaned my body, but I wanted a bath because I still felt dirty. Dirt and dried blood clung to my body for days without being able to be cleansed, it must have been hard for anyone who helped me to take those off from my body. I wanted to make sure all parts of my body is now cleansed off them.

    "Of course, miss. I will send someone to bring you the clothes and prepare the bath for you," he said while bowing his head down again.

    "Thank you," I thanked him, receiving a nod as a reply before he left the room.

    I didn''t feel hungry before, but after looking at the food in front of me, the hunger that I have been holding for two days started to resurface causing my stomach to growl loudly. So I sat down and started to dig in.

    As I ate, I couldn''t help but think about where I should go after this. I was rather lucky to encounter someone who was kind enough to lend me their room for the night but I can''t stay here forever. I didn''t really have anywhere to go but I also didn''t want to go back to my dad''s house. Right! What will happen to Anna?

    She was caught helping me escape the house yesterday. She is going to get killed! I need to help her, but how? I couldn''t possibly go back there or else all the efforts that I did yesterday will go to waste. What should I do? Should I ask for help from Sir Luke? But I didn''t know him. I couldn''t trust just anyone even if he helped me yesterday. I didn''t know if he has any certain motive for helping me out yesterday.

    I kept searching for someone in my head who could possibly help me out but no one crossed my mind. I didn''t really have any friends because I was practically locked up inside the house since I was eight. Yesterday night was the first time I have stepped out of the house after being locked up for nine years straight.

    "Thank you for bringing me the spare clothes but you don''t have to prepare the bath for me. I can do it myself," I said, uncomfortable with the service she provided me.

    The girl glanced at me but kept on doing what she was doing before, "It''s my job to do so," she said while smiling at me. Hearing how she insisted on doing her job, I simply nodded and let her do what she wanted to do.

    After she left the room, I went to the bathroom and slipped out of my dress. I let my body fall to the bathtub, making the water rise against me. I felt my body relaxed after soaking in the hot water, the fatigue that I had in my body slowly drift out of me.

    Feeling a little drowsy after the relaxing bath, I decided to sleep again on the bouncy and comfy bed. My consciousness soon ebbed, and my mind went into a free fall, swirled by the bits of memories that I had.

    "Violet, let me introduce her to you. She is Fiona, and she will be your mother from now on," I heard my dad said to me with a stern voice.

    "Hi, sweetie," a woman with long dark hair said to me with a smile.

    I was still feeling sad after the loss of my mom and clearly was not in the mood for someone new in my life so I just ignored her. My dad, unhappy with how I acted started to shout,

    "Why didn''t you answer her? You insolent child!" He slapped me. He slapped me so hard that it made me stumble backward. I was so shocked that my dad hit me for the first time in my life. I looked at him with a look of disbelief,

    "Why did you slapped me?" I asked, dumbfounded by what just happened.

    "Because you didn''t respect your mother!" He replied with an angry voice. He slapped me because I ignored a stranger who he brought all of a sudden, saying that she will be my mom when she is not? How could he be on her side and not mine? I was his daughter first before she is his new wife!

    "She is not my mother!! My mom is Emily and not her! I will never accept her as my mother!!" I retorted with a voice as loud as my dad''s.

    "Yes, and she is dead! And you know why she is dead? It''s because of you!" He replied, slapping me for the second time with a bigger force than before. The slap caused me to fall to the ground and I looked up at him with tears blurring my vision. That''s when I saw it. I saw my dad with a look I have never seen on his face before. It was a look of pure hatred and disgust.

    "Darling, don''t be so hard on her," Fiona said with a concerned face while touching one of his shoulders.

    "She needs to be taught a lesson. I have spoiled her too much all this time," after saying that, he grabbed my wrist roughly and started dragging me towards the underground room I never knew we had. He shoved me inside making me fall hard into the floor.

    "Bring me the whip," he said to the guard standing behind him.

    My eyes widened and I looked at him with a baffled look. Why is he being like this? He was not the dad I used to know. It''s like he was a different person. The person in front of me is no longer my dad, but a cruel and cold-hearted man.

    After a couple of long hours being in the underground room, my body felt numb and I didn''t have any energy left to move my body. The floor where I was lying was flooded with my blood. I didn''t know humans have this much blood on them. Guess I lost most of them.

    "Do you acknowledge her as your mother now?" asked my dad while pointing to the woman beside her.

    "Never," I said weakly, knowing that the consequences of my word will be painful.

    "S-Stop! Please stop! It hurts!" I screamed at my dad with the little energy I had left in my body. But he never stopped until all I see was darkness.

    "Violet! Violet! Wake up!" I heard someone calling me, continuously shaking my body for me to wake up. I opened my eyes to find myself in someone''s embrace. I looked up to see the same man who helped me escape yesterday.

    "Are you okay?" he asked with a worried look evident on his face. He held me with both of his arms, making me feel oddly safe, "You were screaming in your sleep."

    "I''m okay," I said while pushing my body away from him. I''m used to this kind of dream.

    "Nightmares?" he asked while wiping the beads of sweat that was forming on my forehead.

    I nodded at him. I glanced at the window beside my bed and noticed the sun was already missing from the sky and was replaced by the moon. That means it has been a day since I escaped from the house. I couldn''t stop thinking about the thousands of bad things that could possibly happen to Anna.

    Should I ask for his help? I pondered for a few minutes then decided to just ask for his help because I didn''t have any other choice. I need to help her as fast as possible.

    "Can you help me?" I asked him and his face immediately lit up making me question his reaction.

    "Yes, I can. I can do anything for you."

 Chapter 4 - I met a wolf today

    After explaining about Anna''s situation to Luke last night, he unexpectedly agreed to help but with the condition that I stay in the house. It was not a hard thing to do so I quickly agreed to his condition. Besides, I couldn''t really go back to the house even if I needed to get Anna out of there. It will basically be like a suicide plan for me.

    "Violet, are you awake?" I heard a man asked outside the door.

    "Yes," I replied.

    "Can I come in?" he asked politely.

    I opened the door to let the man standing in front of my room inside. Luke smiled and came in while holding a tray of food.

    "Let''s eat breakfast."

    I didn''t know why he wanted to eat breakfast with me but I complied anyway. He has been oddly nice to me and I didn''t really know how to react to his kindness. Should I be wary of him or should I trust him?

    "Do you want me to show you around the house?" he asked after finishing his food, "You must be bored staying in the room all day."

    My head perked up after hearing his question. I have been curious to see what kind of house I was staying at but not sure whether I could go out of this room or not.

    "Can I?" I asked with a small voice that sounded big in this quiet room.

    "Of course," he smiled, "Let''s go."

    ...

    As I expected, this house was enormous. I have never seen a house this big. It looked more like a castle than a normal house.

    "There isn''t anyone around here besides some servants so you can do anything you want," I heard him say.

    Luke followed my gaze and stared at the same view I was looking at, "Uhh, my family always liked to live in the woods because it''s a lot more peaceful here than in the city," he explained with a slightly awkward voice while scratching the back of his neck.

    I nodded and continued to walk down the long corridor with him. At the end of the corridor, I saw a tall blonde man with his eyes fixed on me.

    "Andrew," said Luke, "What are you doing here?" he asked with a seemingly irritated voice.

    The man walked in my direction, "You must be Violet. My name is Andrew and I''m his bet¨C I mean, best friend," he said to me without answering Luke''s question.

    "What are you doing here?" he asked again.

    "Just wanted to see your m¨C" before he could finish his sentence, Luke glared at him causing him to stop.

    "To see your condition," he smiled, "You looked like you were in a pretty bad shape when you came here so I''m a little worried," he gazed at me after blurting his words as if waiting for me to answer.

    "....I''m better now," I shortly replied just because he was expecting an answer from me.

    Why are they so nice to me? They didn''t even know me. It felt weird to be treated this nicely after all this time. All the people that I met here treated me nicely that it''s weird. Are people usually this nice? The people I knew before were all cold to me and looked at me like I was a piece of dirt. They all treated me as if I was worthless and not worth their time.

    "Now that you see her you can leave," Luke bossed, furrowing his brows together.

    "I want to but sadly there''s something that I need to tell you," Luke let out a heavy sigh as they looked at each other as if they were talking with their eyes.

    "Seems like there is a certain someone who doesn''t like me interrupting your walk so I will leave first," said Andrew, courteously bowing to me before leaving.

    Andrew walked away from us leaving only me and Luke in this empty house. I walked awkwardly beside Luke not sure what should I say to him. I was not used to talking to other people as I never really interacted with others. I always kept my thoughts to myself that now it has become hard for me to open up to someone else or to start a conversation with others.

    "Are you uncomfortable around me?" Luke inquired, breaking the heavy silence between us.

    I glanced at him and saw him looking down at me with a sad face, "It''s not that... I''m just not used to being with others," I replied as I fiddled with my fingers.

    "Then maybe I can help you to be more comfortable interacting with others," he said, "Will you hate it if I come to meet you every day?"

    It''s not like I hate being around him, but truthfully, I''m more comfortable alone. What should I say?

    "...No," I decided to lie, after a couple of seconds thinking about my answer. I guess it would be rude to say that I hate being around him when he just saved my life last night.

    "Great," he grinned widely after hearing my answer, "Then I will come to see you every day."

    "Do you like to read?" I nodded at his question and he smiled, "I can recommend you some of my favorite books some time later if you like," he said, "All the books here are mine so you can read them all to your likings."

    "Thank you," I said as walked along the bookshelves, looking for any books that piqued my interest.

    He glanced at his wristwatch and frowned, "I need to go to work. You can stay here if you want."

    I nodded, and the man soon left the library. I looked around the place and finally found some books I was interested in so I took them to the table and read for the rest of the afternoon. Being too immersed in reading the books, I didn''t realize that a lot of time had passed by. I glanced at the clock on the wall and noticed that it''s been about five hours since I stayed here. I decided to walk outside of the house because I felt a bit stuffy.

    I stepped out of the house, feeling the cool breeze hit me. I was walking around the field when I noticed some kind of light coming from the forest. I didn''t know why, but I have this kind of weird feeling that attracted me to the forest. It was like pulling me to go inside.

    I walked towards the forest and something caught my eyes. A blue flower. The strange light that I saw before came from this flower. I didn''t know what kind of flower it is but I have a strong urge to touch it. I reached out my hand to touch the flower but a loud growl startled me, stopping me from touching the blue flower.

    I glanced to my left to find a huge wolf glaring at me. I was surprised to see a wolf here. It has black fur and red eyes. It looked so much like the wolf that helped me when I was little except the wolf that helped me before had a more greyish fur than this one. The wolf''s big body towered over me but didn''t really give out a scary feeling like the wolf I met nine years ago.

    I didn''t know from where this courage came from that made me step closer to him and said, "You look so much like him."

    The wolf also stepped closer to me but I didn''t move away. He suddenly started to rub his head to my hand as if asking me to stroke his head. I stroked his head and he started to howl a little to show his contentment. The wolf that was supposed to look scary before now looked as cute as a puppy.

    I laughed at his behavior and stroked his head harder. He slumped his body to the ground and I sat beside him. "You are not as scary as you look," I said while staring at him. His red eyes stared back at me affectionately just like a puppy staring at its owner. He moved his head towards mine and stopped a few inches away from me.

    He stared at me for a certain amount of time then touched my lips with his own. I was taken aback by it but soon laughed at him, "It''s my first time being kissed by a wolf," I confessed to the wolf.

    Hearing that, he stood up abruptly and turned away from me. "What''s wrong?" I asked, confused by his sudden movement. I moved towards the wolf to look at his face but he moved his head away from me again. It went on for a few times before I finally quizzed the wolf, "Are you shy because you kissed me?"

    The wolf looked at me sheepishly and nodded his head. A burst of laughter escaped my lips after I saw his response, "You are so cute," I said while laughing. He growled softly after hearing my words as if telling me ''I''m not cute'' but it made him even cuter than before.

    The wolf then looked up to the sky, noticing that it was getting darker. He nudged his head to my back softly, pushing my body for me to walk, "Do you want me to go back?"

    He nodded his head and I followed his lead. He led me back to the house and stopped at the edge of the forest. I looked back at him before asking, "Can I see you again?"

    He stared at me then nodded his head, placing a smile on my face. "See you tomorrow," I nodded in approval, then went inside the house¨C I mean, castle.

    The little encounter that I had before lifted up my mood and I couldn''t wait to see the wolf again tomorrow. I was supposed to be scared of wolves because of the incident involving my mom but I didn''t know why I''m attracted to the wolf from before. I wonder who that wolf is? How will he look like when he shifted back to his human form?

    I knew there are werewolves living alongside humans. They live together with humans but hides their true form. We couldn''t really differentiate the difference between humans and werewolves so that was why not many humans know about them. Only werewolves could recognize their own kind.

    I ambled to my room and prepared hot water for me to bathe in. I opened the closet to see that it was now filled with a bunch of new clothes. There was a different kind of clothing ranging from party dresses to sleepwear. Is this supposed to be mine? I looked around and noticed there were also a bunch of jewelries in the rack. I did ask for some clothes to wear but I didn''t ask for this many of them. I think all the clothing here could be used to dress a whole village.

    It was making me felt a little uncomfortable as I was staying here for free and received such great service from them. And it''s not like I''m going to stay here forever. I need to leave eventually.

    I chose a simple sleepwear and quickly showered my self. After I finished, I ate dinner that was already served for me in my room and tried to sleep after but I couldn''t seem to fall asleep. I turned my body around the bed a few times and just decided to walk around the house. I was so deep in my thoughts that I didn''t notice someone behind me.

    "Can''t sleep?" I heard a man''s voice behind me. His sudden presence surprised me and I let out a little yelp. I turned around and saw Luke behind me, "Sorry, I didn''t mean to surprise you," he chuckled.

    "It''s fine," I ?ssured, glancing at the man. He stared at me for a few seconds before moving his gaze away. His cheeks suddenly turned a bit reddish as if he had just remembered something embarrassing. "Are you sick, sir? Your face is a little red," I was not really if I could call him by his name because everyone here called him ''Master Luke''.

    "Huh? N-no. I''m just a bit hot," he said while walking a step ahead of me. What is he talking about? The night air was very chilly that it made me regret not wearing thicker clothes out. He stopped in his tracks and turned his body to me, wrapping the jacket he was wearing around my body, "You shouldn''t dress thinly at this time of the day. You will catch a cold."

    His actions took me by surprise but I thanked him for his kind gesture as I was feeling cold.

    "Violet?" he called out, to which I replied, "Yes?"

    "If you went to the forest, make sure to stay away from the blue flower that emitted strange light. It''s poisonous. It attracts people to touch it and the moment you touch it," He stopped for a few seconds then added, "You could die of poisoning. Everyone who lives here knows about it so we stay away from it. You know, just in case you got bored and decided to take a walk to the surrounding forest."

    I was surprised to hear his explanation about the blue flower that I encountered before. So I almost died? Was that why the wolf growled at me, to stop me from touching the flower as it was poisonous? "Why are there such flowers around here?" I inquired, curious as to why such dangerous plants were not uprooted.

    "A witch planted it here," he replied after staying quiet for a few seconds, giving me the answer to the question but ultimately rising a new one. Witch? I thought witches were gone from this world. They were hunted down a few centuries ago and no witch was seen after. At least that was what my mom told me.

    "I thought they were gone?" I asked, and the man looked at me as if I just breathe fire from my mouth.

    "You know about witches?" he queried, and I nodded to answer. "Most of them are gone, but there are still a few of them in this world. Witches are immune to the flower''s poison so my family asked a witch to plant the flower to protect us from intruders. Only the people who live here know about them so it''s pretty effective to get rid of unwanted people," he explained calmly.

    "Am I allowed to enter the forest?"

    "Why do you want to go there?"

    "I want to meet a friend," I smiled, reminiscing the memory of meeting the wolf from this evening.

    "Do you... like your friend?" he asked, asking as if he knew who I was talking about.

    "Of course, he''s a very cute friend. I''m excited to see him again."

    "He likes you too," I heard him mumble with a small voice but I couldn''t really hear what he was saying.

    "What did you say?"

    "Nothing," he smiled, "But promise me to only go to the forest when you are meeting your friend, okay? You never know what''s waiting for you inside the forest. It can be very dangerous," he said in a serious tone.

    "Okay."

    He nodded his head, satisfied by my answer, "Let''s go back to your room. It''s getting late," he then escorted me back to my room while humming to a song, bouncing in his every step like an overjoyed kid.

 Chapter 5 - A slap to the cheek

    "This cake is perfect, Bob," I squealed a little as I ate the last bite of my chocolate cake.

    Bob appeared to be the best cook or should I say baker I''ve ever met in my life. The chef back in my house couldn''t even compare to Bob''s skill. I usually would only keep my thoughts to myself but this... this cake tastes way too heavenly and I need to voice my appreciation. I couldn''t thank Bob enough for bringing this cake into my life.

    Bob sent me a proud smile and offered, "Do you want me to bring one more cake, miss?"

    "I would love to," I felt my cheeks blushed a little at my gluttony, "But if I eat one more cake today I''m afraid my stomach will burst," I said, receiving a small chuckle from Bob for his reply.

    I sighed while I looked up at the bright sky. The sun was shining bright that it pierced through my eyes, and the birds were flying freely up in the continent. How would it feel to live like those birds, I wonder? To live free from all the burdens this world gave you, to just live a life I wanted to live, away from all my worries. I couldn''t believe I was jealous of birds.

    What should I do now? I mentally face-palmed myself. I didn''t have any home to go back to, nor any friends who could possibly help me out of this mess I''m in. I''m lucky enough to meet Sir Luke who let me stayed in his house for free. But I can''t stay here forever. What would my mom do if she were in my shoes? I pondered in silence for another minute, then suddenly, memories about my mom flashed through my mind.

    "Violet, remember, if you are in any sort of trouble, come here," my mom said, giving a pointed look towards the small hut in front of us, "They will offer you the help you need."

    "But who are they?" I asked my mom while looking up at her with my innocent face.

    "Someone who loves you, and will be glad to bring you to safety," she smiled.

    That''s it! How can I forget about this? My mom told me about me being in danger and coming to that hut to seek help. I frowned after remembering where that hut was located in. It was located in the middle of the forest where those wolves killed my mom. How am I supposed to go there? And I''m not sure whether the hut is still there or not. Or who exactly is inside. I silently ?r??n?d. But hey, it''s still better than nothing. At least now I know where I''m headed to.

    I stood up, immediately starting to walk to the library. Now, I''m leaving in two days. Most of my injuries were already healed because of the treatment Luke''s doctor gave me so I will be okay. Maybe I need to ask for some knives to protect myself if anything comes out in the forest, not that I''m confident with my skills.

    I opened the library door and started searching for some books about self-defense and martial arts. Maybe I can teach myself a little self-defense and some basic knowledge about how to fight through these books. I have only been beaten by someone, not fighting with someone so I''m a little clueless about how to fight or defend myself.

    I scrolled through the bookshelves and found a book called ''Read This To Be A Good Fighter''. The title didn''t sound very convincing but I took it anyway. I sighed because the things written inside didn''t really help as it''s mostly useless.

    "What are you doing?" I heard someone asked in a very amused voice.

    Surprised and very embarrassed by someone''s sudden presence, I turned my body around and found Andrew leaning his body to the library''s door while giving me his lopsided grin. I must have looked like a complete idiot punching and elbowing the harmless air.

    "H-how long have you been here?" I asked, feeling my face reddens as the times goes by.

    "Long enough to see you elbowing the air," he smirked.

    I turned around towards the book I was holding, "You should have made some noise."

    "Then I wouldn''t have caught you acting like an adorable dork," he said while laughing. I sent him a glare but let him away because I can''t look at him in the eyes for long without feeling blood rushing to my cheeks from embarrassment.

    "Are you practicing self-defense?" he walked inside, closing the door behind him. I nodded to his question and another question came from him, "Why?" He asked, taking a book from the bookshelf uninterestedly.

    "Because I need it," I responded curtly.

    "We can protect you here," he placed the book back into the shelf and giving me all his attention, "But I suppose it will be good if you could defend yourself too. Anyway, you can''t possibly learn anything from the books. You need to experience it."

    "Experience what?" I asked, oblivious to what he said.

    "The fight, the real situation?"

    "But I did learn something from this book," I said while holding up the book I have been reading.

    He laughed the moment he read the title, "You really think you can be a good fighter after reading this book? How cute." I snorted at his reaction. I knew the title sounds weird. "I will ask Luke if you can learn how to fight later if you want to," he said, still holding his laughter.

    I frowned after hearing what he said, "Why do I need to have his permission to learn something?"

    He opened his mouth to say something but quickly closed it back. Then he opened his mouth again and said, "Well, maybe because you are going to train on his grounds?"

    "Oh," I nodded, agreeing to what he said. I looked up to the clock on the wall and my face lit up realizing it''s close to five in the evening now, "I need to go," I announced before leaving Andrew alone without hearing his response.

    I walked towards the forest where I met the wolf yesterday and looked around to find nothing. My smile immediately disappeared from my face with the thoughts of not meeting him today. I sat down and leaned my back to the tree, waiting for him to come out. After a few minutes, I heard rustling in the bushes. I turned towards the bushes and saw the black wolf I was waiting for.

    "Wolfie! You are here!" I hugged him, and the wolf stopped on his track, "Thank you for coming again," I smiled, releasing my hold on his huge body.

    The wolf slumped his body beside me and put his head on my ??p. I couldn''t resist to not pet his head so I did, "You know, meeting you may be the happiest moment I had in a while. I just met you yesterday, and yet, I feel closer to you than the people I have known for a long time."

    He perked one of his ears up as if telling me he was listening to me. It''s weird but I felt like I can open myself to him. I felt comfortable sharing my worries that I have kept to myself all this time with him.

    "After my mom was killed, everything went downhill for me," I smiled sourly, "I was tortured almost every day by my own dad, I had to endure how people treated me as if I was worthless, and I also had to hear a lot of painful words from people I don''t even know."

    Wolfie raised his head up and stared at me deeply. It was like he wanted me to share my pain with him. His deep red eyes looked like it was filled with tears and I also felt myself tearing up, "It''s okay. It''s all in the past now. All I need to do is to stay away from my family and I will be fine," I said, "Maybe."

    A single drop of tear rolled down my cheeks and he licked the tears away from me making me chuckle, "Stop, it tickles."

    I wonder why am I comfortable talking about my past to him? This was the first time I had talked about it to someone else. I knew he was not only an animal, but he could also shift to a human. But why do I feel like I could trust him? I could be comfortable with him if he stayed in his wolf form, but I didn''t think I will like it if he shifts back to his human form. Maybe we will be fine if we stayed this way.

    "Wolfie, I don''t know if you have any thoughts about letting me know who you are in your human form, but if you do have it, can you please keep that to yourself?" I asked him, causing him to look at me with a surprised look.

    "I know about werewolves," I smiled, "I am happy enough being with you like this. But I don''t know if I will be comfortable talking to you in your human form just like now. I know you will be just as sweet as you are right now but, humans... kind of scares me. And I don''t know if I will ever be able to open up to someone else. I don''t know if I could trust anyone else but me."

    He nodded his head, but let out a little whimper to show his sadness, "I''m sorry for being selfish, wolfie," I softly pecked him on top of his head.

    Should I tell him I''m leaving in two days? But on second thought, maybe I should just say it tomorrow. I have told him enough sad things today and I didn''t want him to be even sadder than he already is. "I''m going back now, wolfie. You should go back to your home too," I said while petting his head for one last time.

    He stood up, nudging me to go first. I walked away from him and I could feel his stare piercing through my back until I went safely inside the house. Before getting inside the house, I waved my hands to him, and he soon walked back into the woods.

    I strode down the hall, heading to my room while also hoping I would find the comfort of my bed. I pressed the doorknob to open it but my hand was snatched from the door by someone else''s roughly.

    "Who the hell are you?" A woman asked me while pressing her fingernails deep into my flesh, causing me to squint my eyes due to the pain.

    "Ow! Can you please let go of me? You are hurting me!" I pleaded the woman to let go of me but she instead pressed her nails deeper into my flesh which let blood to ooze out, staining the marble floor I was standing at.

    "I said who the hell are you!" She shouted, "How dare you ignore my question?! And you even dare to order me to do something?!" Before I could even answer her, she slapped me with all her might on my left cheek causing me to stumble backward. She yanked my hair roughly and said, "How dare you lowly human sneak into this house?! I need to teach you some lessons so that you will not dare to try to do such a stupid thing!"

    "I didn''t sneak in!" I defended myself, annoyed about the situation I was in.

    "Look at you! Who told you to talk back to me?!" She growled loudly, giving me another slap on my cheek.

    What the hell?! I just wanted to lie comfortably in my bed but what is this?! Feeling mad and unfair at her sudden attacks, I yanked her hair back and slapped her cheek with every ounce of energy I had.

    "Ow!!" She sent me a death glare and shouted, "This bitch!"

    Just when she tried to hit me one more time, a loud scream was heard. This time, it wasn''t the sickly high-pitched scream I heard before, but it was a heavy and powerful scream. It carried so much power that shook the whole house and made me shuddered at the voice.

    "DENISE!! LET GO OF THAT HAND RIGHT NOW!!" His voice roared loudly, causing everyone in the house to quickly run to the scene. A few gasps left their mouths, but they didn''t dare to do anything, moreover, interfere.

    The girl who attacked me looked towards the source of the scream, "Alpha!! I caught this girl sneaking into Luna''s room!!"

    "I SAID LET GO!!" He shouted one more time and yanked her hand away from me.

    Looking at the reaction she got from the man, she called out nervously, "A-Alpha, I-I just¨C"

    "Leave. Before I fu?k?n? kill you," he said while glaring at the girl. He really didn''t look like he was joking.

    "B-but!" she was cut off by another loud scream, "LEAVE!"

    With that, she scrambled away, running like a mouse caught stealing cheese. Look at that, not so tough now.

    Luke looked at my hand and cheeks worriedly, then dragged me into my room, careful to not hurt me further. He closed the door and pulled me towards the sofa. He took the medical kit that was stored in the bathroom then kneeled in front of me.

    "Are you okay?" he asked, staring at me with so much intensity that made me look away from him.

    "I-I''m fine. Thank you for making her go away," I gulped the liquid at the back of my throat, feeling my heartbeat accelerating as if it was ready to jump out of my ?h?st. Is he mad because I caused an uproar in his house?

    "Violet," he called me, "Look at me." I hesitantly turned my head towards him and stared back at him nervously, "I''m sorry."

    What? What is he apologizing for? His apology caught me by surprise. The one who should apologize to me should be the bad woman from before, or me... for causing trouble.

    "For what?" I asked him, confused by his sudden apology.

    "For letting you get hurt," he said, while holding my hand tightly, "I promised to protect you and yet I can''t even protect you in my own house."

    He sighed and move his gaze away from my eyes to my cheek, then to my hand. He stared at it for a few seconds then he licked my wounded hand. I was surprised at it so I took my hand away from his hold.

    "W-What are you doing, sir?" I asked him bashfully, surprised at what he just did to me.

    He took my hand back to him, "Healing you," he said, then proceed to go back to ???k?n? my hand. I let out a little yelp to which he ordered, "Stay still."

    How am I supposed to stay quiet when he was ???k?n? my hand?! No sane person would let someone else do this to them! I mentally screamed but stayed in place as I didn''t dare to move my hand away from his hold.

    He continued to lick my hand for a few minutes, and by this moment, I know for sure that my cheeks were as red as a tomato. I can''t hold it any longer so I asked him,

    "S-Sir, are you done ???k?n? me?" I cringed at my own words but continued, "I don''t think I can stand being more embarrassed than this."

    He smiled at me and said, "Done. You are all healed."

    I was confused with what he meant by healing me but when I saw my hand, I felt my mouth fell open. The wound that the woman left me before was gone. Now my hand was as smooth as a baby''s bu??. No blood, no scars, no wound.

    "H-How did you do that?" I asked him, not believing what just happened.

    "You can say I can heal you with my saliva?" he answered calmly, "I will gladly do that to your cheek too, but I don''t think you will want that, right?"

    "N-No..." I felt my cheeks flushed again at the thoughts of him ???k?n? my cheek.

    He chuckled and hand me an ice pack, "Hold this against your cheek, it will help." I took the ice pack away from his hand and hold it against my burning cheek. But before the ice pack touched my cheek, he gave me a quick peck on my cheek, "This will help too, but not as good as me ???k?n? you," he smiled, leaving me dumbfounded by his action.

    He stood up and said, "Now... I need to punish a certain someone who hurt you," his eyes turning a shade darker than before, "Will you be okay if I leave you alone?" I nodded at him and when he opened the door to leave my room, he added, "If you feel like you can''t sleep tonight, I''m next door, okay?"

    I shrugged at the thoughts of me knocking on his door in the middle of the night just because I couldn''t sleep. There was no way I will ever do that. It was too weird for me to do to another person. But then again, it was also weird being licked and pecked by someone to heal my injuries!

    I finally did what I had planned to do before. To lie down on my bed, minus the burning cheek I had right now. I don''t know what the hell is wrong with her. So she thought I was sneaking into someone else''s room?

    She should have just talked about it with me to clear the misunderstandings but she really goes straight to slapping and yanking my hair. I rolled my eyes at the event that happened before. What will happen to her now? I didn''t think anything bad will happen to her as I''m not really anyone important in this house.

    She said about this room being Luna''s room. Who is Luna? My eyes wandered around the room and I found my eyes staring at the portrait hung on the wall. I shuddered when I remembered her eyes that stared back at me before, so I quickly turned my gaze away from it.

    "It''s only my imagination, don''t worry about it," I said to stop me from thinking towards the world of the unseen, "Yeah, I''m completely fine."

    "Let''s sleep."

 Chapter 6 - My fate

    The sound of raindrops filled my room and the cold breeze from my open window pierced through my body. I held out my hand to feel the water droplets touched my hand. Rain always made me feel so peaceful and calm, washing away my worries and fear for a moment.

    When I was locked up in the underground room, the sound of rain was the only thing that I heard. It reminded me that I was still alive and accompanied me to bear the pain on my body. It gave me the strength to stay alive, to not waste my mom''s effort for keeping me in this world. I know there must be a meaning to every soul that was brought to this world, and I will not give my life up before I found the purpose of my very existence.

    Today was my last day staying here and I haven''t told Sir Luke that I''ll be leaving. I need to thank him for taking such good care of me these last few days. I walked out of my room to search for him. I think he won''t be in his room because it''s noon, and I know he is a busy man. Where should I go to find him? Maybe I should ask the people working here. I walked around to search for someone that I can ask but nobody''s around. I keep walking around the house and found a garden. The garden was filled with roses, and the smell of roses roam freely in the air. Too bad I can''t go out of the house or else I will get soaked.

    "Beautiful, isn''t it?"

    I turned around and saw Andrew behind me, also staring at the garden. This guy always appears out of nowhere. "Luke''s mother loved roses, so we filled the garden with roses," he said, smiling.

    "I have never seen her around," I replied nonchalantly.

    "Well, she''s not here anymore," he held his forefinger vertically, pointing towards the air.

    Feeling I''ve just asked something s?ns?t?v?, my mouth formed into an ''O'' shape as in a knowing manner and I quickly changed the topic, "So where is Sir Luke?"

    "Probably in his office," he glanced at me, a hint of amusement was seen in his eyes, "You want to meet him?"

    I nodded, "I have something to say to him."

    "Follow me," he said before walking away from the garden.

    I followed the man quietly, though a bit disappointed that I have to leave the garden so soon. After walking a few distances from the garden, we soon arrived on a different building from the one I was used to. We were now in a three-story building that was mostly in the color white, making it looks very neat and clean. I saw a few people glancing at me but then look away when Andrew glared at them.

    "How''s your condition?" he asked without looking at me.

    "What?"

    "I heard you got attacked by Denise," he added,

    "Oh," I said realizing his question, "I''m fine. Did Sir Luke do something to her?"

    "Sure he did. She lost one of her arms and now she has to live as a servant," he answered me calmly.

    I gasped, surprised by what happened to her. I know she attacked me but isn''t this too severe for a punishment?

    Andrew noticed my surprised expression and said, "Don''t worry about it. She made a few troubles too before so we just punished her for her delayed punishment. Luke also has never liked her before so after what she did yesterday, it''s the right time to dispose her from her position. That girl just added fuel to the fire," he patted my head, "You are such a worrywart."

    "I still think it''s too much," I frowned.

    Andrew stopped walking and pointed towards a door. "There it is," he said, "Now, I shall take my leave. Have a good talk," then he walked away.

    I walked towards the door he pointed to before and raised my hand up to knock on the door. Before I knock on it, the door swung open by itself.

    "Hi," Luke smiled at me, "Come in."

    I walked into his office and saw a pile of paperwork on his desk. Apart from his messy desk, everything in this room was very neatly arranged and mostly furnished with brown colored furniture. This room gives off a warm and cozy feeling despite the amount of paperwork stored in this place.

    "Are you busy?" I asked him.

    "Not really," he said while sitting on his sofa, "Sit here," patting the sofa in front of him.

    "Do you want some tea?" he lifted the teacup that was placed on the table, pouring the content to the cup on his other hand.

    "No, thank you," I replied.

    He nodded at me, "So, what do you want to talk about?" he asked as he raised his cup to his mouth, gulping down the tea.

    "I''ll be leaving tomorrow," I announced, causing his hand to froze mid-air as he stared at me wide-eyed.

    "What?"

    "Thank you for your generosity these past few days. I don''t know how to repay your kindness, but if you have anything in mind, I will do my best to repay you."

    "Why?" he inquired, "Do you have any place you can go?"

    "Yes. I do have a place in mind."

    "Where?"

    "A place my mom told me about before," I answered.

    "Where, exactly?" He asked me again, urging me to tell him my destination.

    "Somewhere in the southern forest," I said.

    "And you want to go there alone?" he asked me again.

    I nodded my head to him and he sighed, "No," he said with a stern voice.

    This time, it''s my turn to ask him, "What?"

    "I won''t let you go there. You can''t even protect yourself and you want to go to the southern forest? You don''t even know what''s inside."

    "But it''s my choice whether I want to go there or not," I replied.

    "Yes. I know I should respect your decision, but I can''t let you go."

    "Why?" I asked him questioningly.

    "Because you are a very important person to me, and I can''t let anything bad happen to you when I just found you," he said without tearing his gaze away from me.

    What is he talking about? We have only known each other for less than a week, I doubt we are that close to each other.

    "If you want to repay me, then stay," he said.

    I stared at him with a frown on my face, "Sir, I can''t stay here forever. I don''t belong here."

    "Why can''t you?" he asked, "You can stay here for as long as you want, and I will provide you with everything that you need. Isn''t this a better choice than going to a dangerous forest by yourself? You can live a comfortable life here."

    "I want to live alone," I said slowly, and he looked at me with a hurt expression on his face.

    Why is he looking at me like that?

    "You don''t trust me, do you?" he asked.

    I stayed quiet for a few seconds and replied,

    ".. No."

    "Violet, I won''t hurt you like your family did to you. I know bad things happen to you yesterday, but I promise it won''t happen again," He said.

    Why did he insist on me staying here?

    "I know you have been nothing but nice to me, sir. But I want to live alone comfortably, away from other people that could possibly hurt me. I don''t trust others."

    He sighed again and stared at me unwaveringly, "Then at least stay here for a month. You can see whether you can trust me or not. If I do something bad to you, then you can leave immediately. In the meantime, you can also train with my warriors on how to fight. Isn''t it better to be prepared rather than going now?" he said to me almost pleadingly.

    It is true that it''s better for me to learn how to fight rather than being clueless about it. I''m risking my life by going to that forest now. But I''m a bit uncomfortable living here without doing anything.

    "Then... can you give me a job? I don''t like the idea of living here for free. I want to at least do something to help you," I said.

    His face lit up after hearing my words. He thought for a few moments and said, "So you will stay if I give you a job?"

    "Yes," I replied, "But after a month, I will leave."

    He smiled at me and said, "Okay. You can start working tomorrow. I will ask someone to explain to you about your job."

    ...

    After Violet left my office, I exhaled my breath, feeling relieved that I could convince her to stay for another month. I couldn''t let her go after I finally met her. I will do anything I could to earn her trust and made her stay by my side.

    The door on my office swing open and Andrew came in, "Can you at least knock?" I asked, annoyed at how he entered as if it was his own room.

    "Nah," he said, " What did she talk about?"

    "She said she wanted to leave tomorrow."

    "What?" he stared at me with a surprised look, "You will let her go?"

    "Of course not, stupid. I convinced her to stay for another month by giving her a job here," I explained.

    "What kind of job?"

    "I don''t know," I stayed quiet for a few seconds thinking about what job I should give to her, "Maybe my secretary? That way I can stay with her all day," a big smile appeared on my face thinking about the idea I just got.

    "You don''t even need one."

    "Now I do."

    "I should have known when she read those useless books at the library," he said while ruffling his hair.

    "What book?" I asked him.

    "Some books on how to fight. You should''ve seen her punching and kicking air," he said while laughing.

    "Oh. You came here only to ask that?"

    "Oh, right," he said realizing his purpose, "Jack called me that they are coming back in a few days."

    "Already?" I glanced at him.

    "Yeah, she didn''t take too long this time."

    Jack, my Gamma, went out to accompany Maggie, the witch that has been living in my pack. She usually went out every six months to search for some herbs and items that she needed for her witchery. She has been helping my pack with some things in return for her safety.

    "There are two rogues detected on the north border," the voice of one of my warriors was heard through the mind-link, causing a groan to escape my lips.

    The rogues'' attack has been happening more frequently these few days and it was starting to get on my nerves. I need Maggie to make some magic barrier around my territory when she comes back later.

    "Kill one of them, and capture the other one. We need to get some answers from him. Don''t let them run away just like last time," I ordered.

    I stood up and took off my clothes, "I''ll look around the woods," I said to Andrew who also heard what the warrior had just said.

    "Do you want me to come too?" He asked while taking off his clothes as well.

    "No, I''ll go alone. You go check on the rogues," I opened the window and jumped out of my office. I immediately shifted to my wolf form, then proceed to run towards the forest.

    Who the hell is controlling these rogues? What do they want from us? Werewolves hearts... I don''t think there is any use of them when they are not attached to one''s body. We can''t let them get what they want. Maybe I should train all of my pack members so that they can defend themselves. Those rogues won''t have much time in the border without getting detected so if they can at least defend themselves for even a minute or two, it will give enough time for the guards to arrive at the spot.

    Should I send someone to follow the rogues? It will be a very risky act but it will give us some hint on who is their boss. If only they came out of their hiding and announced war with us, we can kill them off faster. Unfortunately, they are not that stupid.

    Nothing unusual was seen in the forest so I went back to the house. But as I neared the house, I heard my mate''s scream. Shit.

    I ran at my quickest pace and saw a rogue dragging Violet out of the house. I lunged at the rogue and landed my body on top of him, using my weight to hold him down.

    "Ah, is she your mate? Alpha Luke," he smirked, "You better do a good job protecting her," that was the last words that will ever come out of his mouth.

    I growled and quickly tore his head off before he could shift. His body soon laid lifelessly on the ground. Violet stared at the rogue''s dead body with a terrified look and I stepped forward towards her but then she stepped away from me.

    "N-no," she said with a quavering voice.

    I really didn''t want her to see such a terrifying scene but I had no choice. What if she is scared of me now? I wanted to hug her so bad right now but I couldn''t. I ran back towards the forest to shift back and grab the pile of clothes prepared on the ground. After I clothed myself, I went back to the house to find Violet.

    I knocked on Violet''s room, "Violet, can I come in?" She didn''t respond back to me and I started to became even more anxious than before, "I know you are inside, Violet. Please, can you open the door for me?"

    There was still no response, and I swear I could hear a sob from inside. "Talk to me, Vi. I can help you," I let out a little groan.

    I heard a few small steps before she opened the door, letting me to take in her appearance. I went inside and close the door behind me. I held her hand and led her towards the sofa, she didn''t say anything and kept looking at the ground while stifling her tears. I brought my palm to her cheek, raising it up so that she faced me.

    "Don''t cry, you are making me want to cry too," I said while wiping her tears away. She hitched her breath and stared at me with her glassy eyes, her brows furrowing together, "Did he say something to you?"

    She nodded her head to my question which let another tear to fall from her eyes, "What did he say?"

    "H-he said that... I will soon meet the same fate as my mom," she answered in between her tears, "They will kill me too. I-I''m scared."

    I brought her body close to me and hugged her tightly, "Don''t be," my hand patted her back softly, trying to calm her down. "I will be by your side. I won''t let them lay their hands on you ever. Look who''s dead now, it''s them and not you."

    She reluctantly hugged me back and cried until she fell asleep. I carried her to the bed and laid her down slowly. Her eyes were now puffy and dry tears stained her cheeks, but she still managed to look like a goddess. I stroked her head and kissed her softly on the forehead.

    "I will protect you, fu?k these rogues."

 Chapter 7 - Secret place

    Morning arrived and birds were chirping happily outside my window. I sat up in my bed and stared blankly at the wall. The incident that happened yesterday was still overwhelming me. The memories of that ''cursed'' day which I tried so hard to forget all came back to my head.

    After falling asleep at the wolf''s back that day, I woke up back in my room with my dad sitting at the edge of my bed. My dad was worried sick something bad had happened to me and my mom when he found me lying asleep outside of our porch. Turns out his worries came true and his beloved wife who he had just kissed the morning before was no longer in this world.

    We went back to the forest the next day to search for my mom, hoping that we could find her alive and well, but the little hope that we had shattered into pieces when we saw my mom''s body lying lifelessly on the ground. Her throat was slit open and her body was cut into small different pieces. Her pale skin was also disgustingly slashed, leaving her flesh to be seen. It was like they toyed with my mom''s body after killing her. The smell hanging in the air resembled something like rotten meat, making me felt nauseous at the first inhale of it.

    I felt guilty and regretful that I left my mom alone that day. I was frustrated with myself because I couldn''t do anything to help her. I ran away to save my life and left my mom to be dead. The horror of my 8-years-old self looking at my mom''s murdered body still haunts me to this day.

    I hugged my knees and tucked my head between them. Warm tears fell on both sides of my face and I feel like shit. What did we even do to them that made them want to kill me and my mom? We have never even seen them before so it was not possible for us to make any kind of mistake to them. If I didn''t meet that guy from yesterday then I would still think that those wolves were just thirsty for blood and unfortunately we were the ones who they found first. But now I know that was not the case at all.

    "Violet?" someone knocked on the door and I mentally cursed myself. I didn''t want anyone to see the messy state I was in right now so I quickly went to the bathroom and splashed some water on my face, then straightened my messy hair. I still looked like a damsel in distress but maybe a little bit better than before.

    I opened the door and saw Luke standing in front of me. "Are youˇŞ" he scanned my appearance and sighed, "You are not okay, obviously."

    I forced out a smile which quickly vanished by the next second, "Why are you here, sir?"

    "I wanted to see you," he gave me a small smile, "Will you mind if I ask you to accompany me somewhere?"

    I tilted my head to the side and questioned him, "Where do you want me to go?"

    He scratched the back of his neck and looked around as if avoiding my gaze, "My secret place."

    "Why do you want me to go to your secret place with you?" I frowned, thinking about how weird his suggestion was. It was his secret place so it was supposed to remain a secret from everyone.

    "I always go there when I was feeling sad. It cheered me up, so I want it to do the same to you," his cheeks turning red as he lowered his head, "If you don''t want to thenˇŞ"

    "Sure," I agreed. This word caused his eyes to wander back at me and a smile appeared on his face, making his already handsome face to be even more pleasing to one''s eyes.

    "Really?" he beamed.

    I nodded my head to him and smiled a little. I''m thankful that he was worried about me and wanted to cheer me up so I agreed. I followed him out of my room and he led me to the garden of roses I saw before. I couldn''t come here at that time because of the rain and it feels great now that I''m here.

    It didn''t look like it if we were not close enough to the garden, but I realized that this garden was made similar to some kind of a maze. Luke kept walking into the maze as if he knew all the routes here which were very confusing to me as there was nothing else here besides bushes of roses.

    What surprised me was that a deep blue sea was seen underneath. I gasped at the amazing sight I was looking at. I have never been to the sea before and I didn''t know it was this beautiful. The open free sky with its dancing clouds above meets the beauty of the waves underneath, it was a very enchanting view. They complimented each other and their beauty captivated me to the bones.

    "Beautiful, isn''t it?" Luke smiled while looking at the scenic view in front of us, "You know, the garden back in the house was just a camouflage of an escape route my mom made. She wanted to run away here to be freed from all her burdens and worries for a little while."

    "It is indeed beautiful," I smiled. This time, it was not the forced smile I let out before, but a genuine smile.

    "You finally smiled," he glanced at me, his smile became wider than before, "You look even more beautiful when you smile."

    The unexpected praise made both of my cheeks felt warm, so I quickly turned away to hide it from him, "You are speaking nonsense, sir."

    He laughed at me and sat down on the ground. I followed him and sat beside him, still keeping the distance between us. We stayed there without any attempt of making a conversation, but I didn''t really mind it. The silence was both comforting and calming, the only sound I could hear was the chirping of the birds and the distant sound of sea waves. I then closed my eyes and focused my senses on the relaxing sounds of nature.

    "If you are worried about something, try talking to someone," he said, breaking the silence, "It helps."

    I opened my eyes and glanced over at him. He was staring at me with an unknown emotion on his face. It was a look I was unfamiliar with. Almost like the gaze that my parents used to give me before, a look of endearment. I b?r?ly remember how they looked like before because the one I was given to for these past nine years was only the look of disgust and hatred from people.

    "I''ll try," I said with a small voice. It was still hard for me to open up to someone else and I didn''t know if I will ever be able to do that. All the people around me before did nothing besides hurting me, no wonder I have difficulties in trusting others.

    "I used to come here with my mom until she left me," his gaze went back to the sea and his smile vanished from his face, "I never went back here ever since."

    I was not sure whether I could ask about what happened to his mom but then he continued, "She was sick," he said softly, "It was an incurable disease. There was nothing to help her recover from it."

    His eyes shone with tears and I could tell how much he loved her. I knew very well the feeling of losing someone close to us, and it hurts so much. I didn''t ever want to go through that same feeling again.

    "You must have had a hard time," I said, obvious to what he was feeling as I didn''t know any words of encouragement I could give to a sad person.

    He laughed sourly and said, "Yes, it was a really hard time," he wiped the tears that welled upon his eyes and stood up, "Let''s go back."

    I stood up immediately and followed his lead to go back to the house. The way back was also quiet, but now it was a lot more uncomfortable because of the gloomy conversation we had before. I didn''t know how to start the conversation so instead, Luke started the conversation first.

    "That place was my mom''s and my secret place," he smiled, "Now it''s yours too."

    It was no wonder they kept that place a secret, it was a very beautiful place away from nosy people. I would also want to keep it all to myself as well.

    "Why did you tell me about your secret place?" I asked, curious about the reason why he brought me there.

    "Because I want you to know all my secrets," he replied without using any second to think, "That way you know I''m not hiding anything from you and you can trust me fully."

    "What if I was the one who you can''t trust? What if I was the one hiding things from you and wanted to harm you?"

    He looked taken aback by my question but smiled, answering the query with ease without even thinking about it, "I will still let you know my secrets, and still trust you no matter what you do to me."

    His answer left me dumbfounded. Why did he trust me so much? I wanted to ask him, but I didn''t, because I was scared to know his answer. I was afraid that it would make me trust people and in the end, I would be the one who got hurt when they betrayed meˇŞor left me.

    "But then again, maybe it is also because I wanted to see you smile," he said, referring to the question I asked before, "And I did."

    I stayed quiet for the rest of the walk, so our conversation ended. We walked back to the same path we passed on before and soon arrived back at the house. The little trip that we had did make me feel a little better than before, and I was thankful for that.

    "Thank you for bringing me there," I said, a small smile crossed my face.

    "You are welcome," he smiled back, "If you ever want to go back there again, tell me. I will take you there anytime."

    I nodded at him and we parted our ways at the front door of my room. I flung my body on the bed without bothering to change my clothes as I was a little too lazy to do that. The picture of the sea I saw just a moment ago flashed through my memories and calmness washed over me.

    I lied on my bed for a few moments and stood up when I think I saw someone''s shadow outside of my window. I involuntarily glanced at it but there was nothing there. I quickly closed the window''s curtain and turned away from it. Well, when I just said I was calm before, now I am not and I needed to calm myself again. I decided to take a warm bath, then went to the library to engulfed myself with books.

    When I arrived at the library, no one was there just like usual. Even though Luke said it was his personal library, he never went here so I stayed here almost as often as how I spent my time in my room. The library was always quiet, and the smell of books hovers around the air which I deeply appreciated. Reading a book always kept me away from bad thoughts I didn''t want to think of so I always read when I had the time to, or should I say when I was not beaten by my dad. Now it just became my hobby because there were a lot of interesting things written in books which my seventeen years old self have never experienced before.

    I didn''t realize how long I have been reading until I felt someone''s presence beside me. I was alone in the library and that fact itself sent shivers down my spine. I stayed there quietly for a few moments, trying to convince myself it was just the burst of imagination I had from reading all these fantasy novels, but suddenly one of the books from the bookshelves fell down to the ground by itself.

    Now I couldn''t convince myself that this was not a mystical thing happening around me. I was not alone. Someone or something was also in this room. I stood up from the chair I was sitting at and practically ran out of the library.

    I went inside my room and quickly hide under the sheets. I have stayed in a dark room many times before but I have never experienced anything as bizarre as this. I forced myself to sleep, trying to get rid of the fear I was feeling. Fortunately, it worked, and soon I was no longer in control of my consciousness.

 Chapter 8 - First day of work

    "Miss Violet, please wake up."

    A soft voice called out to me, waking me up from my deep slumber. My eyes flipped open, then it made contact with a pair of brown-eyed girl. It was the girl who helped prepare the bath for me before.

    "It''s almost time for you to start your first day of work."

    First day of work? Ah... right. I did ask for a job before but they never really tell me what kind of job it exactly is.

    "What kind of work am I supposed to do, miss...?"

    "You can call me Lina, miss," she introduced herself, "You will be working in Master Luke''s office as his secretary."

    A secretary?

    "When do I start?" I walked out of my bed and went to the bathroom to realize the bathtub was already filled with steaming hot water.

    "In 30 minutes," Lina replied after glancing at the wall clock which indicated it was now 9 in the morning, "Do you know where Master Luke''s office is located, miss?"

    I nodded to her recalling the path Andrew lead me to before

    "Then I shall take my leave," she bowed shortly and proceed towards the door.

    After Lina left, I took out a simple white dress from my closet, then quickly bathe myself. I checked my appearance one last time in the mirror, confirming that I looked neat enough before departing to the office.

    Walking on the path towards the office, my mind traveled to the event that happened just the night before. Is this house perhaps... haunted? I can feel goosebumps all over my body with the thoughts of it. My life was already all too gloomy and I don''t want a ghost as an addition. A gloomy and haunted life. Nice.

    I let out a heavy breath as I stride closer to my destination. The sound of my shoes clicking on every step I took resonated loudly as my surroundings were very quiet. I was already inside the building in which the office was located in, but no souls were seen. Was this place always this empty? I remember the last time I was here, there were numbers of people roaming around the building. Where did they all go?

    A big brown door with delicately carved cravings came into my sight of vision and I softly knocked on it.

    "Come."

    I opened the door quietly, then stepped inside the room. The last time I saw it, there wasn''t a medium-sized table beside Luke''s desk.

    "Nice to see you here, Violet." Luke smiled as his gaze shifted from the paper on his hand to me, "Sit here," he pointed to the desk beside him.

    "What do I have to do, sir?" I asked him as I sat down.

    He raised his hand to his chin, his eyebrows furrowed closer to each other, as in a thinking manner, "I will let you know when I think of it."

    Huh? That''s the first word that appeared on my mind. He didn''t know what work he wanted to give me? Then why let me be his secretary in the first place?

    Realizing my confusion at his words, he laughed gently, "I don''t need any help right now, so you can just do whatever you want here. I will ask for your help when I need it."

    I nodded to him but was still not pleased by his response as I still didn''t have anything to do at the moment. My little fingers tapped on the wooden table rhythmically, showing the boredom I felt.

    I never really had the chance to properly observe the face of the man in front of me, as I never looked straight at him for a long time. Now that I was given the opportunity to, he appears to be a very fine-looking man.

    Even from the side, his chiseled features stood out. He has jet black hair, which compliments his deep red eyes, making it to be all the more beautiful. A straight-edged nose, completed with a slightly rosy lip. His strong prominent jaw curved gracefully around his face, and his shirt almost didn''t help cover the strong, muscular body hidden under. I don''t know what God was thinking when he made him, perhaps he gave all the good looks from the next thousands of future humans to this very man.

    "Is there something on my face?" he asked while flashing me a little smile.

    Ack, I stared at him too obviously. I quickly shifted my gaze away from him and fidgeted my fingers as I was caught staring at him.

    "Nothing, sir. I was just bored and have nothing to do," I replied as an excuse.

    He let out a hearty laugh, "Really? Does my face amuse you?"

    Cheeky man. He obviously knew his looks were godly and was teasing me for being mesmerized by it.

    "Not really," I said with a little hushed tone.

    He smiled as his response and continued to scribble on the paper with his expensive-looking fountain pen. Paper after paper, his work seems endless. Was he serious when he said he didn''t need any help? By the looks of it, the amount of paper on the table must be a work that needs to be done by the very least three people. Don''t even mention the other pile under his desk.

    "Do you have any work you can give to me now, sir?" I asked, hoping that he will give me something to do.

    He shakes his head and I frowned, "Really? You look pretty busy, sir."

    "Not really, I used to do more than this." He replied casually. More than now? He certainly is a workaholic. "Ah, I''m feeling pretty hungry now. Can you bring me something to eat?"

    Finally! A little smile emerges on my face but I quickly hide it with a calm expression, "Where should I go, sir?"

    "Go to the second floor. You will see a kitchen and Bob will be there. Ask for two servings of lunch." He directed.

    I nodded my head and went to the second floor. The moment I arrived on the second floor, a delicious scent immediately made their way into my nose. My stomach growled a little as I go around the big kitchen to search for Bob. He was cooking a serving of meat alone.

    "Bob, Sir Luke asked for two servings of lunch."

    Bob slightly turned his gaze away from his cooking, "Ah, Miss Violet. I was just going to send your lunch after I finish this one, please wait a moment."

    I sat on the chair and waited for him quietly. He soon finished with his cooking and decorated it nicely on a plate. He handed two plates to me, "Are you sure you can hold this yourself, miss? I can help you if you want to."

    "Of course I can, Bob," I smiled at him and thanked him for the food.

    I went back to the first floor and the plate almost slipped off my hands when I opened the office door.

    "Whoops," I hastily save the slipping plate and balanced it securely on my hand. I put both plates on the edge of Luke''s desk, careful to not touch the papers lying around it.

    "Thanks," he smiled and I went back to my own desk, "Feed me."

    His order caught me by surprise and I looked at him with a bewildered expression, "What?"

    He raised his hand showing that he was holding a paper and pen on both sides, "My hands are full."

    Was he being serious right now?

    "Feed me," he said one more time with pleading eyes.

    I reluctantly went back to the edges of his table, then grab a spoonful of the meat Bob deliciously cooked before. My hand went up very slowly towards his now open mouth, then finally landing in it. I didn''t know what kind of expression I was showing right now. Opposite to me, Luke had a happy expression sprawling on his face. He opened his mouth again without looking at me as if waiting for the next batch of food. I was not happy with this situation, so I shoved a big amount of meat to his mouth.

    He choked and coughed after the large amount of food went inside his mouth.

    "Oh! I''m sorry, sir. You look hungry so I put a little more of the meat inside. Here''s a napkin," I handed him a clean napkin as I apologize with little sincerity.

    "It''s fine," he said with a slightly grumpy voice, "Please give me smaller portions."

    Satisfied that he choked on the meat, I gave him smaller portions just like he requested. I fed him until the plate was clean and moved on to the next plate.

    "That''s for you," he said while wiping his mouth. I had a questioning look on my face, not expecting that it was actually for me.

    "What? I''m not a glutton, Violet." He let out a little chuckle, "Of course I need my secretary to eat her lunch as well, or else she won''t be able to do her job nicely."

    "You didn''t even give me anything to do," I frowned as I sat down on my own desk, "You only asked me to feed you, and I don''t think that''s what a secretary supposed to do, sir."

    "Then what''s a secretary supposed to do?" He asked making me even more confused than I already was.

    "I don''t know, I have never worked as a secretary before."

    "Well your job is to feed me lunch," I sent him a glare, and he let out a grin, "Now, eat. Or do you want me to feed you too?"

    I quickly gobbled down my lunch the moment I heard him say such a ridiculous offer. He laughed and said, "Eat slowly."

    Such delicacies. Can I marry Bob? I would love to eat his cookings for the rest of my life. I smiled as I eat my lunch, feeling happy now that my stomach was full.

    "We are done with work today," Luke said after I just finished my lunch, "Let''s train."

    "Train?" I asked.

    "Yes, train. You wanted to learn how to fight, right?" He stretched his arms up, "I will be your teacher."

    "Be prepared."

 Chapter 9 - Party - Part 1

    I changed into a more comfortable and fitting attire for the training soon to be started. I have never really done anything physical in my life so I''m quite sure my body won''t hold out for long in this training. Probably around thirty or forty minutes max, I hope.

    I went to the training ground Luke told me about and found him waiting for me in the middle of the field. It was a very large open field, with nothing but grass around. A perfect place for the exercise.

    "Ready?" He stretched his body side to side, then up and down. I walked closer to him so that we were now facing each other, "Ready," I said with a stern tone to hide the nervousness I felt.

    He nodded his head, but did nothing to move his body, "Try hitting me."

    "Huh?" I asked, not knowing what I should do right now.

    "I want to know the extent of your strength. Hit me with all the power you got in you. I won''t move an inch."

    I clenched my fist, then punched him on his stomach with all the energy I could possibly muster. Contrary to my expectation, he didn''t even budge. Instead, I winced a little because it felt like I just hit an iron wall.

    "I think a newborn baby''s punch will hurt more than this," he said while laughing, "Is that all?"

    I punched him again, this time straight into his face. "Ow!" he ?r??n?d.

    I smile a little knowing my punch hurt him, "Does it hurt, sir?"

    "Don''t get too ???ky, Vi." He smirked, "I was not expecting that and besides, I haven''t done anything to you."

    He lunged forward, then kicked my legs out from underneath me, causing me to fall. But before I hit the ground, he caught me and supported my back with his knee.

    "You said you won''t move," I frowned and moved my body from his arms.

    "Yes, but I didn''t say until when." A brash smile appeared on his face, "Now, let''s teach you how to fight properly."

    He stood up and rooted his feet to the ground, "First, get into a proper fighting stance. Put your non-dominant foot in front and the other in the back. You need to be in a strong stance before throwing any kind of punch."

    He moved his body into a fighting stance, and I followed his gesture.

    "Second, your thumb goes over the other four fingers on your upper joint. You will most likely break your bones if you punch people the way you did before with larger force. Use your knuckles to punch rather than your fingers."

    He smiled after looking at the position I was in, "Now, try hitting me. But with a lot more power than before."

    I punched him on his stomach again, but just like before, he didn''t flinch, "That''s a lot better." He said while ruffling my hair.

    "But you didn''t even flinch," I said gloomily.

    "Baby steps, Vi. It will get better over time." He said while rolling up his sleeves, "Now, try to make me fall."

    I thought for a few minutes about how to make him off the ground, but I didn''t think I could possibly win over that big body. I looked like a toddler beside his six ft self. I threw myself to him, hoping that I could at least tackle him to the ground. But instead, I went straight to his embrace.

    We were both shocked by the outcome of my attempt, "I mean try to make me fall to the ground, not fall for you," he let out a slightly awkward laugh.

    I quickly pushed his body away from me, "I-I''m sorry, sir. I don''t know that will happen."

    "Yeah, it''sˇŞ"

    "Ahem," our conversation was cut off by a smirking Andrew who was leaning on a wall, "I''m sorry to interrupt your lovely date but, you know it''s almost time for the party to start."

    Luke grimaced after his words, "Ah, right. How much time do we have left?"

    "A little more than two hours," Andrew replied still smirking, "Oh! Do you want to come too, Violet?"

    "No," Luke refused firmly.

    "Aw, why not? It must be boring for her to stay in the house every day. Besides, you need to bring a partner to the party. You won''t have to go there alone this time."

    Luke frowned a little but then glanced at me, "Do you want to come too, Vi?"

    I didn''t know what kind of party it is but rather than staying home, might as well come with him, "Sure," I agreed, as it was my first time going to a party. I was pretty excited to know what kind of party we''ll be going to.

    He nodded his head, but still looked like he didn''t like the idea of me coming to the party. He called for a maid, and I was asked to follow the maid back to my room.

    Soon, my room was filled with maids and they all helped me to prepare for the party. I refused their help as I was uncomfortable with it but they insisted. I can''t stop them from doing what they were doing so I quickly gave up. Luckily, they allowed me to bathe myself without their help. That would be awkward, I didn''t want anyone to see me b?r?.

    After two long hours, I was finally finished with the preparations. My body was decorated with a gold evening dress with a bertha neckline, which exposed a lot of my shoulder that I was not really comfortable with. The corset inside almost choked me and it was very hard for me to breathe. Was it normal for women to use such an uncomfortable dress? I was not used to wearing such a beautiful and elegant dress as I used to wear only plain dresses back then. This dress was indeed gorgeous as it was adorned with beautiful embroideries but I would rather not use this twice. I think I will faint if I wore this dress any longer than one hour.

    I walked out awkwardly and saw Luke already waiting for me outside the house, leaning on a very luxurious carriage. He was dressed in a suit with his black shirt tucked in. A black colored coat hanged around his shoulder, and leather shoes slipped on to his feet which completed his whole look. His hair was left covering his forehead as usual, but this time, it was less messy. He looked mesmerizing.

    Noticing my presence, he turned his body around in my direction. His eyes widen the moment he laid his eyes on me, mouth agape. I must have looked like a clown.

    "Do I look weird, sir?" I asked him.

    He didn''t answer my question, but his gaze was still fixed on me. He stared at me for a few minutes in silence, then snapped out of his focus. "Huh? I''m sorry what did you say?"

    "I asked, do I look weird, sir?"

    He shook his head and sighed, "No, you look gorgeous. Too gorgeous to my liking." He held out his hand, then lead me to the carriage.

    I walked into the carriage and sat on the soft couch, soon followed by Luke who sat in front of me. The carriage was not small, but it was also not big enough for us to keep our distance.

    "Violet, remember. Don''t wander around too far and stick close to me," Luke said to me in a commanding voice.

    "Why?"

    "The people who attend this party are not exactly... " he stopped mid-way, "Kind," his voice coming out firmer than usual.

    "What kind of party will we be going to?" I questioned him.

    "It''s an annual party that I usually attend. A party to deepen the connection of my... people," he said.

    Hm? What did he mean by his people? He looked like an upper-class person from the first time I met him, but I didn''t know he had followers. Was he famous?

    "Your people?" I asked him again.

    He smiled at me and nodded, but didn''t give me the answer to my question. We stayed quiet for the rest of the journey, as we were both busy with our own minds.

    After roughly forty-five minutes on the road, we arrived at a huge mansion. Many people with fancy attire roamed around the area. Luke went out first, then helped me get off the carriage. He offered his hand, and I reluctantly linked our arms together because I was his partner for the night.

    We went inside the mansion and were immediately welcomed by the servants standing at the front door. Luke nodded curtly to the servants, then we went straight to the hall where the party was held.

    Everyone in the room turned their attention to both of us the moment Luke''s presence was announced. Most people look astonished by Luke''s dashing appearance, but some also glanced at me with a questioning look on their faces.

    "My, my, my. Isn''t it you Sir William? You look dazzling as usual." A woman with a glamorous dress greeted him. She sent me a cynical look but quickly went back to her flirtatious smile when Luke replied.

    "Thank you, Miss Lilian. You look fine yourself as well," he replied curtly, then walked away to greet another guest without glancing back to the woman.

    Several women greeted him but to my surprise, he didn''t greet them back and passed by them as if he didn''t hear their greetings at all. This made the women''s smiling face turned crestfallen. However, not one of them complained. It was like they were used to his demeanor.

    I followed Luke quietly, not daring to look back at the women sending daggers my way. It seems that the man beside me was someone who had authority over most people here. The way they all bowed their head as he passed them showed that he was someone who deemed respect.

    I stayed quiet while Luke spoke with the guests. He replied to them with a cold and sarcastic manner which he had never shown to me before. Did he perhaps have a split personality? He always talked to me kindly, so it was pretty surprising for me to hear him talk in such an aloof tone.

    "Mr. William, may I ask who this beautiful woman is?" One of the men who flocked around us asked, I had noticed how he kept glancing at me the whole time they were talking.

    "Someone whom you should not poke your nose at," he smiled, but it was more like a threatening smile, "I heard your business is doing very well these days. Mind telling me your tricks?" he quickly changed the topic to not let the people''s attention wander on me.

    The man laughed loudly, not minding the shift of the topic, "Thank you for your kind compliment. But my skill is still far below you, sir."

    Luke looked around the room and settled his eyes on a brown-haired man, who was sipping on a glass of wine, "Excuse me," he said then walked to the man he stared at before.

    "It''s been such a long time since I last saw you, Kiel."

    The brown-haired man turned his attention to Luke, then placed the glass of wine he was holding before on the table.

    "Ah, my brother, Luke. It indeed has been such a long time. I was too busy these last few months that I never really had the chance to come back here." He raised his eyebrows as he glanced at me, "You finally brought yourself a partner."

    Luke''s face beamed with pride, "Meet Violet Quinn," he smiled, "Violet, meet my proud friend, Kiel Cassius."

    We both shook our hands, "Lovely to meet you, Miss Quinn," I smiled and bowed a little to him.

    "What about the things I asked you before, Kiel?" Luke asked in a lower voice than his previous tone.

    "Shall we move to somewhere more private?" Kiel suggested while sending a glance at me and his surroundings.

    Perceiving the signs he gave, Luke said to me, "Violet, can you stay here for a moment? I won''t take long."

    I nodded at him and the two buddies walked away. I ate a cake served on the table while waiting for them to finish their conversation. I was eating alone at the side of the hall away from people''s attention, suddenly, someone tapped on my shoulder,

    "Miss, are you busy right now?" A man with neatly combed hair asked. He was wearing an expensive suit, showing that he was a man with high status.

    "What can I help you with, sir?" I asked him politely.

    "My mother is very sick right now, and she is waiting for our carriage outside. Will you mind if I ask you to help look after her for a little while? I need to bid my farewell to the owner of this mansion before leaving."

    I was a little doubtful on whether or not I should agree to help him but soon agreed as he was so persistent. He kept on saying that he couldn''t find anyone who was not busy mingling and finally found me standing alone so he decided to ask me for help.

    I went outside of the mansion to look after his mom, searching around for the woman but I couldn''t seem to find anyone outside of the mansion. It was very dark as it was night time so I couldn''t really see clearly. What if she left already?

    I decided to just go back inside, but someone grabbed my wrist and stopped me from moving any further. I turned around and saw a tall man with a hood covering his face towers over me.

    "Violet... I have been waiting for so long to meet you," he said as he raised his hand to ??r?ss my cheek.

    I slapped his hand and struggled to release my hand from his grasp, "Who are you?"

    He laughed creepily and said, "I am your husband. And you are my wife. Now, let us go to our home."

    "No! What are you talking about?! You are not my husband!" I retorted loudly, causing him to snap.

    "YOU ARE MY WIFE!! STOP TALKING OTHERWISE!!" He screamed with a monstrous voice and dragged me with force.

    "No! Stop!" I tried to stop my body from being pulled away by him but my strength was nothing compared to him. I kicked his calf with my pointed heels and he ?r??n?d loudly.

    "YOU!! WHO TOLD YOU TO DISRESPECT YOUR HUSBAND?!" He growled, "I WILL SHOW YOU WHAT WILL HAPPEN IF YOU DARE TO DEFY ME!!

    Suddenly, his tall body became even more gigantic than before, shaped into an inhuman form. Brown fur crawled out from under his skin and covered his whole body with it. Sharp canine appeared on his mouth, nails turned into long knife-like claws.

    He turned into a werewolf. A fu?k?n?. Werewolf.

 Chapter 10 - Party - Part 2

    "GROAARRRRRRRR," He growled vociferously, his eyes turned bloodshot. He was fuming.

    Shit. What do I do? I felt my body tremble before him. There was no one around and I was pretty far from the mansion''s entrance. Although he roared loudly, this mansion was ridiculously enormous in size, so I doubt anyone heard his animalistic voice when they were all busy partying inside. I shouldn''t have agreed to help that man. Regret washed over me as I stare at the furious wolf with my dilated eyes.

    My legs were wobbling like jelly, stepping little by little away from him. I quickly scanned my surroundings, hoping I could find something that I can use as a weapon. But much to my disappointment, there was nothing useful in this circumstance.

    The big brown wolf stride closer to me with confident steps, ready to charge any time right now. Having nothing to protect me, I settled with the heels on both of my feet. I threw it straight to his eye, catching him off guard. He growled again and squinted his eyes, I use this time to run towards the mansion as fast as I could. The gown I was wearing didn''t bring justice to me as I was struggling to run in it. I cursed as I ran

    "Shit, shit, shit!" I ran with my b?r? feet, not caring about the bruises that will form in the near future if I somehow managed to escape from this crazy wolf chasing behind me. If not, then maybe I should care about my life first, rather than my feet.

    I thought I had run for a certain distance from where I was before, but in reality, I only ran for less than fifty meters away from my former position before he caught up to me with his inhuman speed. We now faced each other again and I was on the verge of peeing myself. It took every ounce of self-control I had in me to stop myself from actually leaking the liquid out. If I was going to die tonight, at least I don''t want to die in a such embarrassing way.

    Right now, the wolf in front of me was even more enraged than before. We stared at each other for less than a second, and before I knew it, my body collided to the ground and his claws were on both sides of my shoulders. I hope I can at least go to heaven and ask God why is my life this shitty.

    "GROAAARRRRRRRRR," he growled loudly right in front of my face, which let my sense of smell breathe in his foul smell. God, I feel like puking right now. I closed my eyes, ready to take on his attack. But it never came.

    Instead, I felt the weight of his body was no longer pressing down on me. I opened my eyes, and to my surprise, there was another wolf tackling the brown wolf to the ground. I quickly moved away from them so that I won''t be involved in this deadly fight.

    The two wolves fought with so much ferocity, they pounded against each other, bites and kicks were sent to their adversary. But the longer the fight goes on, it was clear that this was actually a one-sided fight. The brown wolf didn''t have the slightest chance against the other wolf as his body was much smaller and weaker than the contrary. A loud and powerful growl was made out as he strikes his last blow to the brown wolf.

    "GROOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRR."

    And with that, the brown wolf laid on the ground, lifelessly. The conqueror of the fight frantically looked around, and when his eyes found mine, he ran over to me and stopped a few feet away. Surprised, I took a few steps back. It was very dark so I couldn''t distinguish his features before, but now that we were closer, I could finally see how he looked like.

    "Wolfie?" I called out to the wolf. It was the same black-furred, red-eyed wolf I was very acquainted with.

    He looked down at me with a soft gaze, then lowered his body to equate his height with mine. I almost couldn''t believe he was the same wolf who fought viciously just a few moments ago. I reached out to touched him, but then I caught a glimpse of red liquid oozing out from his ?h?st. He was bleeding!

    "You are hurt!" I gasped as I saw his black fur was now soaked with blood. I searched around his body to look for another injury and found another wound on one of his front legs also.

    Grasping the worry written on my face, he shook his head from side to side, as if saying ''I am fine'' but anyone would know he was telling lies.

    "You are not fine! Such nonsense! Let''s go to a doctor! Or uhh... a vet!" I said as I started to walk away, "Can youˇŞ"

    "Miss Quinn," I glanced at the source of the voice and saw Mr. Cassius. He peeked over to Wolfie and the dead wolf, "I will escort you back to your house, you can leave them here," he said as he sighed.

    "No! How can I leave him? He is hurt!"

    "He will be fine," he said with ease. Wolfie nudged my back as if telling me to go with him. I looked at him with my brows furrowed together. I didn''t want to leave him, at least not in this state. "See? He is fine," he shrugged, "I will make sure he will be able to jump around the next time you see him."

    Why was he so at ease? I unwillingly followed Mr. Cassius to his carriage but stopped when I realized Luke was not around, "What about Sir Luke?" I asked.

    "Ah..." he halted, "He said he has some business to attend to tonight, so he asked me to escort you back to the house instead."

    I frowned, but nodded and went inside the carriage. How did he find me, I wonder? I was pretty far from the mansion and it was dark, I doubt one could see or hear me from the mansion. I was curious, but I was also too tired to ask him. My fatigue washed over me and I soon fell asleep on the way back to the manor.

    ...

    "Is she okay?" I heard a small voice in between my sleep, almost like a whisper.

    "Yes, she will be fine," another voice replied and I fluttered my eyes open.

    I was back in my room, with two men also present in my comfort space. A man I haven''t met before and Luke was standing beside my bed. They didn''t realize I was awake.

    "She is wounded on both sides of her shoulders, and her feet are bruised. I have tended to all of her injuries so she will be fine. There is nothing else you need to be worried about," the man explained with a calm voice.

    Luke sighed in relief and the man asked again, "What about you, Alpha? Let me check on your injuries too."

    "No, I''m fine, "he gave the man a pat on the shoulder, "Thank you, you can leave now." Hearing that, the man nodded and bowed to him before finally leaving the room.

    "Sir, why are you hurt?" I asked him and his eyes immediately opened to meet mine.

    He jerked his head towards me, worry was evident on his face, "Violet, are you okay?"

    I nodded to his question and asked again, "Why are you hurt, sir?"

    "I''m fine. I just got on a little fight with some people in the party," he said, then reversed the topic back, "Why did you leave? I asked you to wait for me, and you were gone the next time I went back there. Do you know how worried I was when you were missing?" his face showed a mixture of anger and worry.

    I was still curious about how he got his injury but it seemed he didn''t want to talk about it. "I''m sorry," I said softly.

    "No, I am not mad at you, Vi. I don''t need your apology, but I need an explanation of what happened back there. I know you must have had your reasons for not following my words."

    I explained about the incident without leaving any parts out of it. He seemed calm at first but then he couldn''t keep his cool anymore as the story was coming to an end.

    "Do you know him?" he asked to which I shook my head. He raked through his hair and grumbled, "How did he even get there? A deranged wolf in someone else''s territory without even getting detected by the guards. I need to tellˇŞ" he stopped talking as if he realized he was talking too much,"...I shouldn''t have brought you to the party, I''m sorry," he sighed as he gazed at me.

    "No, sir. It''s not your fault. I was the one who agreed to go there," I said, not wanting to put the blame on him, "But, if he was a deranged wolf, what about the other wolf who helped me? Is he also...?"

    "I don''t know," he shook his head, his voice shaky as he said it, "I didn''t see the wolf who helped you, I only saw a dead wolf." As he said, he stood up, ready to leave my room, "You should rest. Your body must have been tired and worn out from all the things that happened. Good night, Vi."

    "Oh, you don''t need to work tomorrow. You should take a break," he said his last words before leaving the room.

    I sighed as I slumped my body back to the bed. The mad adrenaline rush I felt before hid away my exhaustion and pain, but now that I''m a little relaxed, I could feel my whole body aching. I wanted to sleep but my mind won''t let me. I kept on wondering, who was that wolf? How did he know me?

    I have never seen him before, so it was not possible for us to be acquainted with each other. It was also the same with the guy from that time, the one who dragged me out of the house. He also knew me, unlike my clueless self, I was not familiar with their faces.

    The question was, why are they all after me? I knew they were all dead now, but I couldn''t help to think, what if, they were both from the same group? The very same one who killed my mom.

    If that was the case, then their leader must have told their minions to find me, then bring me to their hidings hence all of these kidnapping attempts. With all these failures, I''m sure there will be another pursuit of kidnapping, and they won''t stop until I was in their hands.

    Nice to know I was being chased out by some creepy-ass group of killers.

    Just the usual.

 Chapter 11 - Our own fight

    "Hey," Andrew approached me as soon as I walked out of Violet''s room, "How is she doing?"

    "Could have been better," I huffed to his question and noticed his bitter expression.

    "Sorry I can''t be there to help," he patted my shoulder, "But I have something to tell you," his usual playful voice turned a pitch lower.

    "What is it?" I asked.

    "It''s about Quinn''s manor."

    "Spill," I massaged my temple as I opened the door to my room. I dropped my body to the sofa, then stared at my previous wound as it slowly heals by itself.

    "She''s dead," he grimaced, "Her remains were thrown out to be fed to the dogs."

    "What a bunch of savages," I sighed. I have expected her to be dead, but not in such an atrocious way. How the hell am I supposed to tell Violet? She obviously wouldn''t take this well.

    The newly acquired information cause my already throbbing head to pound even more. I rubbed my head in a circular motion to ease the pain. For now, the main thing that I needed to focus on was the rogues'' attacks. What the hell do they want? They tried to take Violet twice, not once. I ?ssumed they were probably in the same group, and it was in their plan to take Violet away. They targeted my people last time, and now my mate. I couldn''t take this any longer. If war was what they want, then war it is.

    "When will Maggie be back?" I queried.

    "They are supposed to be back tomorrow evening, why?"

    I took a piece of paper and scribbled on it, "Ask her to put a magic barrier around our territory as soon as she arrives back. And starting from tomorrow, train all pack members on how to fight, the only exception will be the sick, elderlies, and pups. They need to know how to defend themselves in case the warriors are not around to help."

    I seized an envelope, then put the piece of paper in, "I will send a letter to the other packs to do just the same."

    Andrew hummed in response, he circled my room with a curious look on his face, "When will you tell her?"

    "Tell her what?" I questioned, not knowing what he meant.

    "About what kind of being we are."

    I felt my face fell after his words, knowing that I have to tell her sooner or later. I wanted her to be more comfortable around me before telling her about it. "I don''t know," I faltered, "I will tell her when I think she is ready for it."

    He frowned, his voice firm as he said, "She can''t stay in the dark for long, Luke. What kind of normal human would want to live in a werewolf''s den without knowing?"

    I exhaled my breath in vexation. I knew I should have told her the first day I met her, but... I was scared. I was scared of rejection. What will happen if she knew I was the same person as the black wolf she met days ago? If I told her, what if she won''t want to meet my wolf anymore? I will lose the only time I could spend with her being so relaxed and open to me. Not to mention she was also the one who asked to not tell her who I was.

    "I just wanted to remind you so that she won''t have to stay clueless for long," he ?sserted, then placed his hand on the doorknob, "I''ll leave for now. You should rest."

    I nodded to him as I laid down on my bed. I haven''t had a proper sleep for the past few days due to my clouded thoughts. So many things happened in such a short amount of time, and most of them were bad. The only good thing that happened was meeting my mate. It was a very delightful encounter.

    "Mate is cute!" My wolf exclaimed. A chuckle went out of my mouth, as I agreed with what he said. She indeed was cute. I couldn''t help but to want to tease her whenever she was around.

    I could tell that she was still wary around me, but I couldn''t wait for her to show me more of her side. I wanted to explore every side of her, I wanted her.

    Should I visit her now? Thinking about her made me yearn for her presence despite meeting her just hours ago. If possible, I wanted to be with her in every passing minute. Was this how loving someone feels like? It felt like I was engulfed with euphoria, making my everyday life worthwhile. I felt happy, sad, angry, and many other emotions I haven''t felt for a long time when it concerned her. I had a soft spot for her, and I didn''t hate it at all.

    When the time I announced her as my mate came, all of the people who wanted to overthrow me will think of her as my weakness, but to me, she was my power. I will fight whoever dared to touch my loved ones, as I fight not because of what was in front of me, but for what was behind me.

    I rounded up my longing for her and decided to just stay in my room. I didn''t know how she felt about me, so if it was contrary to mine, I will just be a bother to her and she wouldn''t rest well. As much as I wanted to meet her right now, I also wanted her to be comfortable in her own space.

    I hope I wouldn''t have to withstand this for long so that I could perceive how it felt like to be loved by her. My one and only mate.

    ...

    It was still early in the morning by the time I woke up seeing there was no light struggling to get past my window blind. My mind was still in a daze as I grudgingly flutter my eyes open. I sat up at the edge of my bed for a few minutes, trying to gather my soul to prepare for the new day soon to be started.

    After successfully taking control of my own consciousness, I stepped out of my bed and headed straight to the bathroom to have a quick shower. Fifteen minutes later, I was ready to deal with any predicaments that might happen throughout the day as it usually did.

    Today was the first day of the pack members'' training, so I need to be there to encourage them on this matter. My feet willingly brought my body to the training grounds, the place where the training will be held.

    Before the rogues'' attacks, the only one who was allowed to train in the training grounds were the warriors. The selection of warriors was strictly carried out due to the massive number of pack members, so only the qualified was accepted. It was no surprise if there were some who were happy with this situation, as they were probably the ones who failed the trials.

    By the time I arrived at the aforementioned place, it was already packed with the pack members, be it be men or women. Most of them were excited to train, but some were also dejected. The place was bustling with mixed emotions of excitement and despondency, but when they became aware of my presence, it soon died down as their attention was all on me, their Alpha.

    "Ahem," I deliberately coughed, "Nice to see you all here." I looked around the area to take a look at my pack members, it was rare for me to meet them.

    "As you all know, today we will start our first day of training. Maybe there are some of you who don''t like the idea of participating in this workout, but this was all made for your best interest," I announced.

    "You can see from the recent occurrence, our pack were attacked by uncivilized deranged wolves, causing great loss and grief to us," their faces turned sorrowful after my words, "And to prevent another loss, it is just right for you all to learn how to defend yourself. I will also do my best to solve this problem we are facing as soon as possible, so I do hope that you will aid me by training hard."

    A loud enthusiastic roar boomed throughout the vast field, indicating their excitement and agreement in the cooperation. "We will not remain silent to the repeated attacks that were directed to our way," I trailed off, "We will protect our family, our friends, our loved onesˇŞ" The people hollered, "WE!! WILL!! FIGHT!!" I declared with a powerful and thundering shout, followed by the people''s.

    Our shouts echoed in the air, every and each one of us was in sync with what we are all feeling right now. I smiled and nod in satisfaction after looking at my pack''s eagerness.

    "Now, let this turbulent passion we feel right now, be the source of our vigor!" I finished off my speech with a proud look splattered on my face.

    "YEEEEEAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!!" Their loud scream reverberates in the whole area, the atmosphere surrounding us was full of zealousness.

    With that, the first day of training officially began.

 Chapter 12 - Heaven?

    A vast green field.

    That''s was where I am standing at right now. The sun up in the sky shone brightly upon me, gentle breeze swayed my hair back and forth. This place emitted a very calming and peaceful ambiance. Where is this? Am I like, dead? Is this heaven?

    There was nothing around, and I didn''t see the end of this boundless field. It will be pointless wasting my energy to walk aimlessly. I laid down on the ground, my eyes bore into the clear blue sky above. Ah .. how long has it been since I felt this peaceful? I wish I can stay here forever. Living alone, without anyone else around. To other people, that might be a boring life. But to me, that''s all I''ve ever wish for. Well, after my mom died, that is.

    "My child," a soothing voice resonates.

    I arouse from my position almost immediately after the voice called out. What the hell? I thought I was alone. I scanned my surroundings, but there was no one around.

    My brows scrunched together, "That''s weird." I have been imagining things a lot these days, maybe there''s something wrong with me. As there was no one around, I shifted back to my previous position.

    "This is not your imagination, child." The same voice uttered out.

    I shot up for the second time, then looked nervously at my surroundings again. But there was still no one around! What kind of sorcery is this?!

    "Who are you?" It sounded like a man''s voice, but I''m not too sure either.

    "Do you wish to know me?" He asked, his voice louder than before, "Then I must show myself."

    Oh God, is he a ghost? I was not a big fan of horror, I think it would be better to skip his offer. "N-no!" I retorted, "D-don''t show up!"

    "Why? Isn''t it you who ask who I am?" He sounded a little shocked to hear my refusal.

    "Y-you are a ghost, aren''t you?" I asked restlessly.

    "You think I am a ghost?" He inquired with an amused voice.

    I nodded unknowingly, "Y-yes, so please don''t come out."

    "What if I want to show up?" he laughed, this man was clearly teasing me.

    "I will run away," I stood up, readying my self in case he really did show up. As I raise my body, a figure appeared out of thin air. I gasped and closed my eyes before I knew how he looked like.

    "AAAAAAHHHHHHH," I turned around and ran straight ahead without knowing where I was headed to. I ran with my eyes still closed, scared that he might appear in front of me out of nowhere. But being the usual unlucky person I am, one of my legs tripped with the other, causing me to fall flat on the ground.

    "Pfft!" that obviously came from the ghost. He let out a loud laugh which made my face reddens due to anger, or... embarrassment. "You are a funny kid, aren''t you?" He asked in between his laughter.

    I stood up but still didn''t dare to look back at the ghost. He could have look frightening, for all I know. Bloody face, one-handed, ripped mouth, empty eye shells, burnedˇŞ

    "I can read your thoughts you know," he said after he finally stopped laughing. What? He could read my thoughts? He IS a ghost!

    "As I said, I''m not a ghost! Such a persistent kid," he huffed, "Turn around. Then you will be convinced I''m not a ghost. I swear I don''t look hideous."

    "Ack!" I closed my eyes again with both of my hands, "Don''t appear out of nowhere!"

    Both of my hands were jerked off of my face, "Open your eyes," he commanded.

    I begrudgingly open my eyes, little by little before completely opening them. And what I saw surprised me. The man in front of me was not scary looking at all. Instead, he looked pretty decent, just like a normal human being.

    His head was covered with long red hair, a pair of amber eyes stared boringly at mine. His face was sculpted like that of a statue, big eyes, sharp nose, plump lips. Almost perˇŞ

    "I am perfect," he smirked, "See? I''m no ghost. There''s no ghost as handsome as me," he flicked his smooth hair to his back, a presumptuous look sprawled across his face.

    "Stop reading my mind!" I glowered, "That''s an invasion of privacy!"

    "Well, it''s not my fault I''m that great," he bragged. This arrogant littleˇŞ

    "Anyway, I have been trying to talk to you, but it seems something is blocking our connection."

    "You haven''t answered my question. Who are you?" I asked again, this ghostˇŞ

    "For the third time, I''m not a ghoˇŞ"

    "Stop getting into my mind!" Aside from his good looks, there was nothing good from him. Especially his attitude.

    "Well, I can''t help it!" He bellowed, "I was born with that power, okay?" I scowled at him but remain quiet. I needed explanations. "I can''t say who I am before our connection reopened," I stared at him with disbelief, "But we will soon meet again. Maybe here, or maybe in your world."

    He snapped his finger, and soon, we were transported to a different place. How did he do that?! We were in a green field just a second ago, and now we were on top of a cliff. "Keep your questions to yourself."

    "I did! I didn''t ask you any questions! You are the one who read it yourself," this guy keeps reading myˇŞ

    He pulled my hand, dragging me towards the end of the cliff, "Now, you should go back."

    "WhaˇŞ" before I could even ask him any questions, he pushed my shoulder backward, causing me to fall to the pit, "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA," I screamed at the top of my lungs, this ghost!! I couldn''t believe he just pushed me!! From a cliff!!

    I lifted my eyes open with a gasp. My breath was heavy as I''ve just fallen from a cliff, or so I thought. I looked at my surroundings and noticed I was back no longer in that cliff and instead was in my room.

    What? That was a dream? A one hell of a dream, indeed. It felt so vivid, especially when I was pushed off by that arrogant ghost. I couldn''t believe there was someone as aggravating as him in this world. God must be having a hard time dealing with his annoying ?ss.

    I glanced at my wall clock, to see it was now one in the afternoon. I didn''t really have anything to do right now, and I didn''t feel sick. Maybe I could go to Luke''s office to help him with some works. There was still a pile of paper works when we finished working yesterday.

    As I walked to the office, I noticed something was slightly off. I heard loud murmurs around. It was usually quiet, as I said before. So this sudden change piqued my interest. I followed the source of the murmurs and noticed it came from the training grounds. The training grounds were located at the back of the building, so a voice that loud could obviously be heard by anyone near it.

    I walked towards the training grounds and finally could see what the ruckus was all about. But what I saw made me stop in my tracks. I saw a bunch of... n?k?d bodies. They were giggling and having a usual chit-chat, but some of them were kind of tackling each other. I unconsciously let out a little shriek at what was in front of me.

    It seemed that my presence was known to someone as I heard footsteps coming from behind me. "Violet?" I turned around and saw a flabbergasted Luke. Fortunately, he was clothed, "What are you doing here?" He took a glance at me and what was behind me.

    "S-sir, I was going to go to your office but I heard some noises so I came here to check on it but.. a-am I interrupting something?" my cheeks warmed up at the sight I saw before.

    "No! You are not interrupting anything! Uhh... you see it''s not like what you think it is," he stuttered. The fact that he stuttered while explaining was not very convincing. Not wanting to make the situation worse, he held my hand and dragged me away from the unseemly place. We went to the garden of roses, away from people.

    "So... what happened back there was uh... a tradition! Yes! A tradition!" He had a very perplexed look as he explained.

    "Yes... okay," I nodded but was still not convinced.

    "Anyway! You said you wanted to go to my office, why?" He changed the topic quickly so that I won''t ask any more questions about his... tradition. But I complied and decided to not ask further.

    "I don''t have anything to do so I thought I can help you with some works."

    "How is your body holding up?"

    "I''m fine, sir. You don''t need to be worried about me." He stared at me with a sympathetic gaze and I knew he was feeling guilty again about what happened, "It''s not your fault, really." I smiled at him.

    He nodded, "Do you want to go somewhere? I could use a company."

    "Where?"

    "You''ll see." He smiled, "I''ll go get a carriage ready, you should change into thicker clothes."

    I nodded and went back to my room to put on a coat. I walked out of the house to see a carriage was ready. "Shall we?" Luke held out his hand and I took it on my own. He helped me up into the carriage before stepping inside.

    The carriage soon departed and we went our way. Luke seemed to be focused on his mind, so I didn''t bother to start a conversation. I was actually still curious about his tradition but he doesn''t seem to want to share his knowledge with me.

    "Violet," he called out, "I have been thinking, can you just call me by my name?"

    That was what he was so focused on? "Can I?"

    "Of course you can. Call me Luke. Try it," he stared at me with an expectant look, making me shift in my seat.

    I opened my mouth to call him but soon closed it again. His gaze made it hard for me to call him! I don''t know why I was shy to call him by his name, I was too used to calling him as sir.

    "I''m listening," why was he so eager to hear me call his name? His gaze stayed glued to me, with no intention to leave soon.

    "You are staring too hard, sir. It''s hard for me to call you by your name if you look at me so expectantly."

    He laughed softly, "Then I won''t look, you can call now." He looked away to the outside of the carriage, but I could feel his attention was still on me.

    I breathe in and out a few times before calling him, "L-Luke."

    His eyes made their way to mine and his face lit up in delight, "Yes, Violet," a broad smile decorated his handsome face, and I felt my cheeks rise in temperature. Why was this so hard to do, I wonder.

    I scooted to the window, distancing our body further. I was embarrassed so I tried to hide it from him, despite being in the same small space.

    "We have been living together for a week now, but we haven''t learned about each other. Shall we play a game of truth? We can learn about each other better that way," he smiled dashingly.

    I nodded my head, as there was no reason to reject his offer. After all, we also didn''t have anything to do while we were on our way.

    "You can ask me a question first," he offered.

    What question should I ask? I was not particularly curious about him, so it took me some time to asked him my first question.

    "How old are you?" I asked.

    "I''m twenty-four," he answered, "What about you?"

    "I''m seventeen," It was pretty surprising to know he was seven years older than me. Sure he did look manly, but I didn''t expect him to be much older.

    "Hmm," he nodded, "Your next question?"

    "Your favorite food?" He chuckled at my question. I guess my questions were boring. But I don''t know what to ask! Besides, even if these were all basic questions, I still didn''t know the answer to it all.

    It was now that I realized I didn''t know anything about him. But it was probably the same for Luke. We didn''t know anything about each other. He could be a serial killer for all I know, so it was better for us to play this game and get to know one another.

    "Hmm... hard question," he stared at me, "Mine is probably yoˇŞchicken." What was he trying to say?

    This game of truth continues until we arrived at our destination. I didn''t ask where we were going to, so when I stepped out of the carriage, my face beamed with happiness almost immediately.

    "A festival!"

 Chapter 13 - Festival

    "A festival!"

    It''s been such a long time since I last came to a festival. It was always bustling and crowded with people, and I liked it. I loved to see the happy expression sprawled on their faces. It reminded me of my peaceful days. All of the people here were enjoying their time, leaving behind their pain and misery for a moment. This place was like a solace to my soul.

    "You like it?" He tilted his head to take a glimpse at my face.

    I glanced at him and nodded my head gleefully, both corners of my lips lifted upwards, "Where should we go first?"

    He smiled, "Wherever you want to go."

    Colorful lights festoon the whole street, illuminating the bright smile on people''s faces. We both walked along the way, looking around for anything that piques our interests. The place was so crowded that it was kind of hard to walk without bumping with others.

    "Here," he reached out his hand, "Hold my hand. Don''t want you to swarm along with these people and get lost."

    "I''m not a kid," I grunted, but put my hand in his anyway.

    "Good girl," he laughed and patted my head softly, "Let''s go eat, I''m starving."

    We walked to one of the less crowded food vendors on the street, as the others were too crowded and we had to queue for a long time before getting our orders done.

    "Welcome! What can I help you with dear sir and madam?"

    "Bring the best food you serve here," Luke ordered. The waiter nodded and scurried away to make our orders. "Do you come to festivals often?" He asked.

    "Yes. I used to when I was a child with both of my parents." I smiled sourly, "I haven''t come to any ever since I was locked up in the house."

    He nodded with a grim expression on his face, but soon change it to a smile, "Let''s come to every coming festival together. What did you do with your parents before?"

    "Hmm," I tried to recall my memories, "We ate many foods, and we always went to see the theatre if there''s any in the festival."

    He hummed, then the waiter came back with our orders on his hands, "Our best roast turkey, veggie salad, and a mince pie for the dessert." He bowed politely, "Do you have anything else in mind?"

    "No, thank you," Luke answered, and waved his hand to the waiter.

    The waiter bowed once again, then left our table to serve other people. I gulped at the food in front of me, as it smells very delectable causing my mouth to water at the sight of it. Luke took the roasted turkey and cut it into small pieces before giving it to me.

    "Eat slowly," he placed a plate full of small pieces of turkey in front of me. I thanked him and ate it to my heart''s contents. The meat was very tender so that it melts inside of your mouth, and it was also savory. Not too salty or too bland, it was perfect.

    "I should hire the cook here to be our chef along with Bob," he nodded as he took another bite of his food.

    "Are you that rich, sir?" I asked him casually.

    He laughed, "Of course I am. I can even buy everything in this whole town," he bragged. I looked at him with a baffled expression. I should have asked a higher pay for my salary if I knew he was that rich.

    "What are you thinking?" He queried after looking at my facial expression, one of his brows perked up.

    "That I should have asked for a higher salary."

    "Really?" He laughed heartily, "I don''t know you were this economical."

    "Of course I am, I won''t be able to live if I don''t have any money on me," I claimed.

    "Do you want me to raise your salary?" he offered.

    "Will you, sir?" I glanced at him expectantly.

    "I will, but with one condition," he smiled and I listened attentively, "I will increase your salary by one silver every time you call me by my name."

    One silver just for calling his name?! It was a very tempting offer, but I was too shy to call him by his name that''s why I resorted back to call him as sir. "No, sir. I''m not thatˇŞ"

    "Two silvers."

    "Luke," I mentally cursed myself.

    He let out a soft chuckle as he stood up, "Let''s go if you are finished." He paid for our meals and walked out of the vendor. I quietly follow behind and bumped into him when he stopped. He looked back at me while extending his hand outwards.

    "What?" I asked.

    "Hand," he reached out to me and brought my hand to his grip, "That''s better," he smiled.

    "Will you increase my salary too if I hold your hand?"

    "No, silly," he laughed while flicking my forehead gently, "Are you going to rob me of my fortune?"

    I rubbed my forehead, pouting a little in disappointment, "I doubt a little increase to my salary will hurt you, sir."

    "Hm? What did you call me again?" he inquired, "I guess you don''t need more money."

    "Luke." He nodded in satisfaction and started walking towards the center of the festival, "Let''s search if there''s a theatre here."

    We walked around the festival, still hand in hand. Which was pretty awkward for me, actually. But Luke didn''t seem to mind it, instead, he seemed to be enjoying it. I really should''ve urged him to raise my salary for this.

    At the very end of the road, there''s a temporary building built for the theatre. A lot of people queued outside of the entrance to get seats inside. But rather than queuing, Luke leads me straight into the door, skipping all of the people who were lining for the tickets. A few ''Hey'' were sent our way but he didn''t even give any attention to it.

    "SiˇŞLuke! We should line up too, there are a lot of people queuing." I pulled his hand slightly to stop him.

    "Exactly, Violet. There are a lot of people here, so we won''t get any seats if we lined up too. I don''t want to waste any time when I''m with you." He proceeded to walk past the people and stopped at the entry, "Sir, you should line up, the first one who arrived will get the ticket first," said the doorman.

    "I will pay the price of the remaining tickets if you give me two seats now," he pulled out 10 silver coins from his pocket, "Is this enough?"

    The doorman stared at him with a bewildered expression, and so did I. This man was crazy! The price of one ticket was merely ten bronze!

    "Y-yes, sir. Please come in," the doorman let us in and some people complained about how unfair this is. But when the doorman explained how much Luke paid for the tickets, they all went quiet. Money really was everything, I thought.

    We stepped inside the theatre and sat on our designated seats. The play soon started after all of the seats were filled. Turns out the play they will be performing was a romantic tragedy. I tried to hold my tears back but ended up bawling my eyes out.

    "You cried a lot," Luke mocked while laughing.

    "H-her dog died," I defended, "The dog reminded me of my friend, that''s why it''s twice as sad," I scoffed at him.

    He stared at me with a shocked expression, "You thought of your friend as a dog?"

    "Kind of," I wiped my tears away, "He is... a bit different. But it''s not like I mind it, I have always wanted a dog."

    He flicked my forehead, "Ow! What''s that for, siˇŞLuke?"

    "That''s for being a bad friend. I can''t believe you thought of your friend as a dog," he said as he walked one step ahead of me. Why was he mad? Wolfie was a wolf, so it was pretty similar to a dog, right? Maybe he thought my friend was a human.

    "Let''s dance," he pointed towards where people gathered to dance to the music. This man looked annoyed just a few seconds ago and now he wanted to dance?

    "I can''t dance," I didn''t want to embarrass myself by dancing like a douche.

    "I''ll give you one gold," he offered.

    "Where should we dance, siˇŞLuke?" I couldn''t help it, I needed money more than my pride right now.

    He smiled at me and dragged me to the place he pointed at before. He held my waist with one of his hands, and use the other to clasp my free hand with his. Are we really slow dancing in the middle of the festival?

    "Are you sure, siˇŞLuke? I don''t think others dance this way here." I glanced at the people around us who danced freely, bumping their heads up and down.

    "I don''t care about others, Violet. I only care about you."

    My cheeks warmed up at his words and also our position. Our bodies brushed ever so slightly at the distance we were in. I pushed my body away from him but then he tightened his grip on my waist and brought me even closer to his body.

    "We are not done yet, Vi," he leaned down and whispered, causing his soft breath to tickles my ear.

    "S-sir!" I pushed him away with a bigger force than before, breaking the closeness of our bodies, "Don''t do that!"

    "Why?" he blew a soft wind to my ear for the second time, "Does it tickles?"

    I realized that this man really enjoyed embarrassing others. "N-No, it doesn''t," I retorted and turned away from him. My cheeks were burning, and I was not sure what kind of expression I had on my face now.

    He laughed, "Wait here for a moment, okay? I need to go somewhere for a bit," he said as he turned my body to him.

    I nodded eagerly and felt relieved when he left me alone. I needed a moment to calm myself down and for my cheeks to turned back to normal. Why was he embarrassing me? I cupped both of my cheeks, trying to hide my red cheeks from others. I stood there alone for a few minutes before I felt someone hugged me from behind.

 Chapter 14 - What kind of play?

    "Young lady, can you play with me?" I turned my head to my side to find a drunken man hugging me, "My wife just left me, I''m very lonely."

    "Sir, you can''t go around hugging people as you please! It''s impolite," I scolded him while breaking free from his hug.

    "Don''t¨Chic¨Cbe like that, young lady," he hiccuped, "I see you are¨Chic¨Cstanding alone. We can¨Chic¨Caccompany each other," he walked closer to me haphazardly and hugged me for the second time.

    "Sir! Let me go!" I tried to get out of his arms, but he won''t budge.

    "Don''t say that. I know you -hic- like it," he put his nose on my neck, and breathe into me disgustingly, "You smell good, lady."

    My brows furrowed with disgust in the proximity I had with this drunken man. He reeks of booze and I think I can puke any moment right now. Maybe this was the right time to put the lessons I''ve learned to practice. I hope I''m doing this right.

    I bent my waist forward, then strike my elbow to his face. The drunken man weakened his grip, giving me a chance to freed myself. While he was still grunting in pain, I tackled one of his legs off the ground, causing his unsteady body to trip and fall with his face flat on the ground. I put my knee on his back, utilizing my body weight to hold him in place.

    "H-hey! Let go of me!" he shouted.

    "Why? You asked me to play with you right, sir? I''m playing now," I smirked. It was a relief that he was drunk or else I didn''t think I would be able to pull this off.

    "I don''t mean this!" He ranted.

    "Oh? Then what did you mean? I''ve always played like this so I don''t know this is not what you are talking about," he struggled beneath me and I felt myself smile at his inconvenience.

    "You! Don''t think you can get away with this!" He yelled, seemingly more conscious than before.

    "Violet? What is happening here?" I looked up and saw Luke with a perplexed face, "Who is he?"

    "A molester," I scoffed, "We should hand him to the guards."

    The drunken man widens his eyes, "N-no, miss! I was drunk before so I''m not fully in control of myself," he reasoned.

    "What did he do to you?" Luke asked with an irritated voice as he glared at the man. He looked even more furious than me.

    "It''s nothing," I released the man, and he quickly stood up. He was not completely wrong when he said he was not in control of his mind, so I decided to forgive him. But I was still mad.

    "Maybe the reason your wife left you was because you are a jerk, sir," I said as polite as I could afford to. The man sent a cynical look to me but quickly lowered his gaze as he was intimidated by Luke''s presence.

    Luke held my wrist and brought me close to him, "Violet, what did he do to you?" He asked again, demanding an answer.

    I didn''t want to tell him as I felt awkward, "No, it''sˇŞ"

    "Violet," he urged me with no intention of letting me away before informing him.

    I sighed in defeat, "Well he hugged me, asked me to play with him,ˇŞ" before I could finish my sentence, Luke grabbed the drunken man by the collar, ready to punch him, "No!" I yelled.

    I stopped his hand before he lands his punch on the man, "Sir, I''m fine! You don''t have to hurt him," he halted, but he was still glaring at the man. I could feel his body relaxed a bit as he dropped his hand back to his side.

    He let the man go roughly, pushing him to the ground, "You better go before I change my mind," he threatened.

    I glanced at Luke, he was still glaring at the man, whose shadow was now beginning to disappear among the crowd of people. I tugged his sleeve, "Come on, let''s go home."

    He finally took his eyes off the man, then held my hand as we walked back to our carriage. He was unusually quiet on our way back, is he still mad? I stole glances at him several times before getting caught by him.

    "Am I that handsome?" He asked while sending me his lopsided grin.

    "N-not really," I stuttered, quickly looking away from him. Really? You are stuttering now?

    "Then why are you stealing glances at me?"

    "Well, I was just wondering... are you mad?" There was actually no reason for him to be mad, as the one who should be furious was me. And that, I am.

    He shook his head, "I''m just annoyed something bad always happens to you when I''m not around," he huffed, "Maybe that means we should always stick to each other."

    "But I handled the situation well before, I can protect myself."

    "Yes, I know," he ruffled my hair, "But what if something that you can''t handle happens? I don''t want that."

    "I was pretty surprised you can do that to the man," he said while chuckling, "Good job, Violet."

    I smiled a little when I heard him acknowledging me, "Where did you go earlier?"

    He rummaged through his pocket, then pulled out a bracelet. The bracelet features a small rabbit-shaped pendant with a hint of sheen in it. It was a cute bracelet.

    "I stumbled upon this bracelet at the festival, so I bought it. I think it will suit you," he pulled my hand gently, then slip the bracelet into my wrist. He nodded his head in satisfaction after seeing the bracelet on me, "It''s yours now."

    "Thank you, but why a rabbit?"

    "Because it''s cute," he smiled, "Small and delicate. Just like you, my little rabbit."

    I frowned, not liking the name he called me, "Don''t call me that."

    "Why? It''s cute," he laughed, "You are my little rabbit."

    "I''m not a rabbit," I complained.

    "Well, I''m also not a doˇŞ" he stopped, biting back his lips. I stared at him questioningly, "What?" I asked.

    "Nothing," he said while coughing unnecessarily loud. Our journey soon ended, and we arrived back at Luke''s manor. He escorted me to my room, "How is today''s date, rabbit?"

    "It''s not a date," I grumbled, "But it''s fun. Thank you for taking me to the festival, and for the bracelet too," I raised my hand to show him the dangling bracelet.

    "Then what is it if not a date?" he asked for me to ponder for a few seconds before answering,"A trip."

    He laughed and patted my head, "A trip it is, rabbit."

    "Don''t call me that. I''m Violet, not your rabbit," I complained, but he didn''t look like he will heed my words. He bid his farewell and walked into his room which was beside mine. I showered myself and head to my bed. The events that happened today flashed through my mind, causing me to smile. There were some unpleasant events, but overall, today was a very pleasant day.

    I felt like ever since I came to this place, my life had become more... colorful. For the past years, my life has always been in the color grey. The same events were repeated every day, which always involved torments and derision in it. It happened so often that I have even remembered all of the painful feelings I felt with every whip or word that was given to me. I was practically immune to it.

    But in this place, each day had a different routine, with various emotions involved. It has been such a long time since I felt all kinds of emotions inside of me. The feelings of pain and sadness that I was used to felt, slowly moved away from me, replaced by the feelings of happiness. Now, my life has turned into a rainbow. A life full of colors.

    Was it okay for me to feel this way? To feel happy? What if it was just for a moment, and I will soon be stripped away from it? It will make me even more devastated, and I was not ready for it. I was scared.

    If I got used to this feeling of bliss, I would feel lost when this feeling goes away. Wouldn''t it be better to feel sadness that I wouldn''t miss? What was it that I should do? Should I accept this new feeling, or should I hide from it so that I won''t get hurt? I didn''t know the answer. I couldn''t find the answers to these questions.

    I was still too young, too weak, too broken.

 Chapter 15 - Dark creatures

    "Rabbit, stop," Luke complained after the continuous tapping my fingers made with the wooden desk, "You are distracting me," he said as he continued to busy himself with the pile of documents atop his table.

    "Can you let me help with work too?" I asked him while giving him a little pout. I was bored to death after 3 long hours sitting around in his office doing absolutely nothing. Even though he said I was his secretary, it felt more like he hired me only to keep him company while he was working. The only job he gave me today was to breathe beside him.

    "I don''t have anything for you to do," he said casually while shrugging his shoulders up.

    "Then give me another job," I suggested, "I don''t mind being a maid in your house. I will have a lot of things to do."

    I have lived most of my life waiting for the time to come out from the horrible underground room my dad used to drag me to. The only thing I did inside was to stare into the darkness surrounding me, that''s why I was eager to do a lot of things I couldn''t do before now that I''m out of the cage. I can''t stand wasting my precious time idling around. Even the utmost little thing will do.

    "Hmm .. why should I do that?" he smiled softly as he patted my head, "I like to have my little rabbit around. Besides, I already have a lot of maids, but I don''t have a secretary," he tilted his head to the side as if telling me ''this is the only job for you''.

    I frowned at him and buried my face in the overly clean desk in front of me. Now that I think about it, I have never known what kind of job Luke had as he never told me. Looking at the amount of paperwork lying around his office, he could either be a subordinate of a very lazy person who throws all of his works to him, or an independent businessman who hates to work with others. But maybe I think the latter fits him better.

    I lifted my head and rested my chin on the surface of the wooden desk while glancing at him, "What kind of job do you have?"

    He shifted his gaze from his paper to me as he pondered for a few seconds before answering my question, "I own a lot of lands. So I need to supervise my territory with the help of my underlings."

    "How many lands do you own?"

    "Hm... I own all parts of Wonsvile."

    I felt my mouth fell agape the moment his answer was heard. Wonsvile was the biggest land out of the three lands of the empire with Gordom being the second, and Myltha last. I''ve been living in Wonsvile ever since I was born, but I didn''t know who was the Lord of Wonsvile. Now, are you saying that I''ve been living with the man in question?

    "Are you saying that you are the lord of Wonsvile?"

    "I am," he beamed with pride, "The one who keeps the peace over all the creatures in Wonsvile."

    "What do you mean by creatures?" I asked.

    He raised an eyebrow with a questioning look, "I thought you know about the dark creatures? The other beings besides humans."

    "As in werewolves and witches? They live in all three lands?"

    "And vampires," he nodded, "Yes, they live throughout all three lands."

    "I thought there are only a few of them in this world," I frowned, "I believed humans occupied most of the lands."

    "They have been hiding themselves well to live alongside humans. That''s why you think there are only a few of them when in fact they are disguising themselves as human. They are like a wolf in sheep''s clothing as we can''t differentiate other creatures besides the one which belonged to ours," he explained calmly while sipping his coffee.

    My lips formed into an ''O'' shape as I nodded my head a little. That means we humans have been living our lives oblivious to the dangers surrounding us.

    "Then how come humans can still live among the dark creatures? Humans could easily be killed by them as humans were much weaker. Won''t it be better for the dark creatures to live freely, without having to hide their true self?" I inquired, as question after question popped up in my head.

    "There must be some kind of an agreement between the supernatural beings and humans so that humans can still coexist."

    Hmm, that makes sense. But what''s the good in letting humans live? They are wicked enough even without having supernatural power. I wonder how evil and heinous humans will be if they got such privilege. And when I say humans, it mostly refers to the two people who love to torture me.

    I opened my mouth to ask another question, but Luke beats me to it, "Anyway, there will be a meeting in," he took a glimpse at his watch, "Another fifteen minutes. Do you want to help me prepare for the meeting?"

    My head went up and down vigorously, happy that I finally got something to do, "What should I do?"

    He handed me a pile of files, "Put this in every seat in the conference room. Also, ask Bob to prepare the tea for the guests. The conference room is on the third floor."

    I gave him an ''ok'' sign with my fingers, and proceed to go upstairs with the files in my hand. After telling Bob his task, I went to the third floor to arrange the files.

    When I opened the door, I was greeted by an ample room. An expensive-looking chandelier hangs in the middle of the room, illuminating a soft yellowish-light throughout the vicinity. A long table and a number of chairs decorated the almost empty room. There was also no window as if to make sure no one will ever know what is taking place in this grim room. I can feel the serious atmosphere just by stepping into this place.

    I noticed there were already a few people waiting for Luke to start the meeting. They shifted their attention to me right as soon as I came into their sight. Their eyes lingered longer than necessary, so I quickly put the files in the right place and scrambled away from the room as I was uncomfortable with their gaze.

    But before I managed to go outside, a man called out to me, "You. What''s your name?" It was a tanned-skin man with a tattoo on his forearm which I noticed when he pointed his fingers at me.

    Fortunately, Luke came in on time just before I answered the man. I didn''t want to tell him my name. What''s the use of someone else knowing me? It will bring no good. Luke nodded at me while mouthing a ''thank you'' and allowed me to go to the other side of the door.

    I left the room, but the tanned man''s gaze didn''t go unnoticed by me even until my body was completely hidden by the door.

 Chapter 16 - Mad man

    A heavy sigh left my mouth after I finally went out of the room. I made a mental note that attention and I don''t go well together. I felt my stomach growl, so I decided to go to the second floor to ask Bob if he could cook me something as I didn''t have anything to do at the moment.

    The wooden door squeaked open, and I let my body leads me to the source of the delectable scent that hit my nose as soon as I stepped in to the kitchen. The kitchen was always empty, and the only person that I have ever seen inside was Bob. We can all agree that this kitchen belongs to Bob.

    "Bob," I called out to the sole owner of the kitchen.

    Bob who was busy washing the dishes, became aware of my presence and smiled giddily, "Miss Violet, to what do I owe the honour of your presence in this sacred kitchen of mine?" he asked in a joking manner.

    He was a tall man with a slightly chubby body. His messy curly hair peeked out under the corner of his hat. He was always polite, sometimes easy going. I had become accustomed to Bob''s presence as we always met each other when he brought me my meals. The time he brought me food became the moment I always look forward to every day.

    Bob''s cookings were out of this world, and I couldn''t get enough of it, "Can you cook me something? I''m hungry."

    He grinned and placed both of his hands on his waist proudly, "Of course. What do you want to eat?"

    I shook my head side to side, "Please surprise me with another delicious meal," a small smile appeared on my face.

    He nodded and immediately put on his apron. He moved skillfully around the kitchen, pulling out ingredients and cooking ware as if it was at the back of his hand.

    "Do you work here alone, Bob?"

    "Yes, I am the only chef in Sir Luke''s manor," he replied while stirring a pot which I ?ssumed contains a hearty chicken soup by the delicious scent that started to roam around the air.

    "Why are you the only one? Isn''t he rich enough to hire more chefs?"

    "He did hire some more. But he fired all of them because he hated the other chef''s cooking. I was the only one he was satisfied with," Bob smiled proudly, "I am happy that he loved my cooking as making food was my life," he placed a bowl of chicken soup in front of me, "And I am also happy that you loved my cooking too, miss."

    "Who wouldn''t?" I said as I lifted my spoon, "The foods you made are the best ones I''ve ever tasted in my life."

    He laughed heartily, "You flattered me, miss. No wonder Sir Luke started to change warmer after meeting you."

    "What do you mean?"

    "He was always known as a cold, ruthless man. He never showed his feelings to others. So when I saw how he treated you, I was genuinely surprised. I couldn''t believe myself that he could act so tenderly," he chuckled.

    I swallowed my soup, "How did he treat others?" I asked, curious about the man who was always so kind to me. His kindness always struck as something weird to me, an unfamiliar stance.

    "Hmm, he never treats people dearly. He was someone who demands respect and authority from others. He only said things that he wanted to say, and do things that he thinks are important. He will throw away any insignificant thing from his sight, be it an object or a person. He never cared about what others think. Though I doubt that is the case with you.

    "But despite all that, he was a great leader. He always acts with his people in his best interest. You can see by how hard he works."

    I nodded quietly to his explanation. I never thought Luke treats others so differently from how he treated me. What''s the reason for his kind demeanor to me, I wonder? I finished my soup and thanked Bob for his service, "Thank you for the meal, Bob."

    "It was my p???sur?, miss," he replied as he bowed slightly with a smile on his face. I then left the kitchen and went downstairs to walk around the building.

    It has been past an hour since the meeting started. I think it should have ended by now. Should I go upstairs and help tidy up the room? I went up the stairs, heading towards the conference room. At the top of the stairs, a man was standing with his arms folded across his ?h?st.

    "There you are. I''ve been looking all over for you," I glanced up and saw the same tanned man from before. He walked closer to me and dragged me down the stairs.

    "What are you doing?!" I asked while struggling to free my hand from his grip. The man didn''t answer me but tighten his grip. I could feel his nails digging into my flesh, causing fresh blood to ooze out from under my skin.

    My futile attempt didn''t stop him from dragging me towards his destination. The more we walked, the more isolated the place is. There was no one around, but we were still in the building. He finally stopped and pushed me to a wall. One of his hands rested on the wall beside my head, while the others raised my chin towards his towering figure.

    "I knew it. Your eyes... they are magnificent," he said as he stared deep into my eyes, "They will be a nice addition to my collections."

    His words caused goosebumps all over my body, what did he mean by collections?! I pushed his body away from me, but he didn''t budge. He laughed at my attempts, "Such a weak human."

    "What are you trying to do?" I asked him, my voice slightly trembled.

    "I want your eyes," he sent me a creepy smile, "Be quiet and I will spare you your life. You will just end up with empty eye-shells if you are obedient."

    Just as he raised his hand to my eyes, I bite his hand and tried to run from him but he yanked my hair roughly, stopping me from escaping.

    He throws me to the ground, "I told you to be obedient. Now... I won''t be satisfied with just your eyes," he said threateningly as he closes the distance between us. I could feel my knees started to burn after scratching the ground with so much force.

    I backed away from him just to have him step closer to me. He crouched down and slapped my cheek hard. The impact from the slap caused not only my cheek to throb but also my head.

    I ?r??n?d in pain and glared at the man, "You ugly mad man," I spitted to his face.

    His laugh thundered in the air, "What should I do to you, little human? I should torture you until you beg me to kill you. It will be fun," he held my face with one hand, ready to plug my eyes from its socket. I closed my eyes tightly and turned my face away from him as far as I could.

    "Open your eyes," he ordered, but I didn''t heed his words, "OPEN YOUR EYES!" He shouted as he tightens his grip making me flinch, still with eyes shut.

    He pulled my body towards him with my back stuck to the wall. He positioned my body to face him straight, "Open it," he commanded, I have no choice but to open my eyes to avoid another blow.

    My teary eyes met his, and his face lit up after the encounter, "Ah... it looks so much more beautiful now. The tears make your eyes shine even more wonderfully, such a gem. What should I do to make you cry more for me?"

    He held my hands in his, tearing both sleeves of my dress. A sharp pain pierced through my b?r? hands as he dug his nails deep into my flesh. I screamed in pain, his attempt in making me cry deemed successful as another tear fell on both sides of my cheeks.

    "Please stop," I begged him while sobbing.

    "That''s why you should have been obedient from the start," he said as he wiped the tears on my face, "You are even more endearing when crying in pain."

    "Hunter," a man called out to the mad man, "We don''t have much time. Make it quick."

    The mad man glanced at the new presence behind him, "Yes, father," he replied before shifting his attention back to me.

    "Too bad, human. I have to leave. For now... " he pulled out a pocket knife from his pants and brought it close to me. He raised his hand, and I quickly close my eyes hoping that he won''t stab my eyes.

    His hand ??r?ssed my hair before cutting it short. I can feel my hair dropped to the floor as he cut it, "This will do," I opened my eyes and stared at him in bewilderment.

    "Until we meet again, human," he smiled as he waved my hair in his hand, before finally leaving me alone with scratches and wounds on my body.

    I exhaled my breath, relieved that it was finally over. I hugged my body close to me, trying to calm my trembling body. The tears that I have been holding from before streamed down my face like a river.

    "It''s okay," I breathe in and out slowly, "I am used to this."

    "I''ll be fine."

 Chapter 17 - Rage - Part 1

    The meeting has ended, but Alpha Harry stopped me from leaving the room to listen to his proposal for a new business in our land. After wasting 10 minutes of my time listening to his ramble, I concluded that his plan was shit.

    He was a person full of ideas, but unfortunately, it was all gibberish. I listened to him in the hope that this time he will give out a better idea, but he again came up with a stupid and unrealistic plan.

    I shrugged him off and left the room. His giddy expression soon turned crestfallen after I rejected his plan. But I''m sure he will come up with another proposal the next time I meet him.

    I walked back to my office, but Violet was not there. I sniffed the air, her scent lingered in the room faintly, meaning that she was not here for the past hour. I turned the knob of my door and continued to sniff the air to search for her scent. I was sure she was still in the building, as I could still smell her. But no matter where I search for her, she was not in sight. I started to grow anxious the longer I didn''t know her whereabouts.

    I can''t ask for my guards to search for her as they didn''t know Violet yet and Andrew was training the people. I quicken my pace to look around the building for her, still to find nothing. Her unique scent mixed with the other werewolves scent in the air, so it was hard for me to find her.

    Her scent started to grow stronger by the time I was at the very back of the building. This area was rarely visited by people as there was nothing in here beside an empty space, so I doubt Violet was here, but her scent says so.

    I saw Violet curled up by the corner with her head between her knees. As I grew closer, I realized she was trembling, and blood splattered around the floor surrounding her. Her knees were bleeding, and there was a deep wound on both sides of her small hands. I can feel my wolf urging me to take control as rage devours us after looking at her state.

    I quickly crouched down and held her shoulders, but she pushed me away as she was surprised by the sudden touch, "No! no! Please stop!" She yelled with her eyes closed as tears started to cascade her cheeks. Her voice was filled with horror, and it broke my heart to hear her voice such a helpless sound.

    "Violet, it''s me..." I said, trying to calm her down. After realizing my presence, she raised her head up to me, and tears flowed down her cheeks more profusely. I pulled her to my embrace, "It''s okay, I''m here now," she clenched her trembling hands to my shirt and buried her head to my ?h?st. I patted her back slowly, "Let''s go back to your room."

    I lifted her in my arms and walked back to her room. After finally reaching the destination, I went straight to the bathroom and placed her gently on the edge of the bathtub. I was burning with rage, but I tried to subside it as I need to calm Violet down first.

    I kneeled in front of her and wiped off the blood on her knees and hands gently. Every wound I found on her body made me even more enraged, and my wolf was so close to taking over. By this time my eyes were probably glowing bright red, a sign where my wolf was on the surface.

    After wiping the blood off her wounds, I carried her and sat her on the bed, "Tell me, who did this to you?" I asked as gently as I could. I sat beside her and cupped her cheeks for her to look my way.

    Her swollen cheeks came to my sight as she looks at me, enraging me even more. Her soft brown hair was also chopped making one section of it shorter than the others. Whoever did this to her won''t be able to live another day.

    "Hunter," she replied with a tiny voice.

    A low growl escaped my mouth unconsciously after hearing the familiar name. He was Alpha Morris''s son, a very rude and barbaric man. He was one of the men who I disliked the most, but I couldn''t do anything as he was under Alpha Morris''s protection. His dad was my dad''s best friend, a very reliable and respectable man, opposite to his son.

    Ever since he was rejected by his mate, he goes crazy and made a lot of trouble to the werewolf kind. But the great contribution of his dad saves him from most of it. Now even his dad''s protection can''t get him out of this trouble he made. I''ll make sure so he won''t be able to see the sun anymore.

    I stood up immediately, ready to kill the bastard. Just as I was going to leave, Violet tugged on the hem of my shirt, causing me to halt. "Please... don''t leave me," her eyes were filled with tears, and I couldn''t bring myself to leave her alone.

    "Yes... I''m sorry," I sat back down, "I''ll be here by your side," I hugged her as she hugged me back with her trembling hands. I was pleased that she felt safe with me around, and her touch helped control my wolf.

    She sobbed in my arms, so I gently tapped on her back and pushed her slightly away to look at her face, "Please don''t cry..." I kissed her swollen cheek softly, "You are breaking my heart," I said as I ??r?ssed her rosy cheek.

    "Why do I have to go through all this?" She asked while looking down, "Am I born to be tortured?" Another tear rolled down her face.

    "Don''t say that. You are born to be loved, to live happily," my thumb wiped the tears on her cheeks, "I''ll chase all of the bad guys away from your life."

    A faint smile appeared on her face, "Please do that," she said while staring at me with her tear-filled eyes, "I will," I replied and planted another kiss on her forehead.

    "You should rest," I pushed her body slowly so that she laid down on her bed. I then followed beside her and rested one of my arms on her waist as I pull her closer to my embrace.

    She looked up to me in surprise, but instead of backing away, I snuggled closer to her. She was reluctant at first but soon complied and buried her face into my ?h?st. A smile sprawled on my face after her actions and I stroked her head rhythmically.

 Chapter 18 - Rage - Part 2

    After confirming Violet was asleep, I slowly went out of the bed, careful to not wake her up. I''ve been holding the flames inside me for the sake of Violet, but now I think I was at the end of my limit. I saw my reflection in the mirror and noticed my dark red eyes were now glowing bright red again.

    [Andrew] I mind-linked my Beta [Call Hunter over]

    [Now? I think he just left] He replied almost immediately.

    [Do I need to repeat my words?] My wolf was now furious, it has been a while since I''ve felt this much anger.

    [....Right away] He must''ve felt my emotion through the bond and decided to not question me anymore.

    After 20 minutes of waiting, the man who I was waiting for finally arrived. The moment he came into my sight, the anger inside me which I''ve been controlling was no longer in control.

    "Alpha Sir, nice to know you are finally warming up to me," he smiled while reaching out his hand to me.

    "Kneel," I ordered.

    "What?"

    "KNEEL!" The Alpha tone which rarely comes out from my mouth boomed through the hall. The Alpha tone carried gravity in every order that came out from it. It could give anyone below me a strong wave of pain, or worse, they could suffer internal wounds just by defying my orders.

    Hunter looked at me in surprise but unwillingly kneeled in front of me. He was someone with an Alpha blood in him, of course, he wouldn''t want to kneel to someone else because it will hurt his pride. But he was not in the position to care about his pride.

    "Sir, wha-" I kicked his stomach, making him flinch at the impact and fall backward.

    "Who allowed you to touch my woman?" I bend my body slightly and held his face in my hand, piercing my nails into it.

    His eyes became wider, "Sir, I wouldn''t dare to do so! I''ve never done such a thing!"

    "Really?" I sneered, "Then why did I find her in a bloody state at the back of my building?"

    As the realization hit him, he bowed his head to the ground, "Sir! I didn''t know that human was your woman! If I knew it, I wouldn''t dare to touch her."

    "But you did," I stepped on his head, making him kiss the ground before him, "Tell me, why did you touch her?"

    "Alpha Luke," I glanced to the side to see Alpha Morris, "My son has always liked to collect human organs, that''s why he did it," he explained calmly while glancing at his son beneath my feet.

    "Really?" I stepped on him harder, "You wanted to take my mate''s?" An eerie laugh came out from my mouth, not believing what I''ve just heard, "What is it that you want from her?"

    I lifted my foot from him, giving him a chance to talk. He raised his head a little, but still bowing to me, "H-Her eyes."

    "Then I want yours," I replied.

    He looked up to me in bewilderment, "S-Sir! How will I live if you do so?" Such a stupid question that came out of his filthy mouth.

    "Who told you that you will still be alive after this?" I laughed at his question.

    He quickly glanced to his father beside him, seeking help from his dad like how he used to. But Alpha Morris was not a stupid man, he knew that there was no way out this time.

    "I will give you two options," I offered Hunter. His eyes glimmered with hope, but it was soon gone after my next words, "Kill yourself, or I will kill you."

    "P-Please, give me a chance to fix my faults," he pleaded frantically, with his head flat on the ground.

    "Are you deaf?" I kicked his head to the side, "Nevermind then. I will kill you."

    He cried in pain quietly. He must''ve felt ashamed by how he was treated as his claws soon elongated, canines coming out from his mouth. He was trying to challenge me.

    "Then I will fight you to death," he growled as he lunged at me. Before he was even able to touch me, my warriors took hold of him and held his body against the ground.

    "Very funny," I mocked, "Are you trying to challenge me?"

    "I will rather die fighting than being killed willingly!"

    "Let''s see..." I circled around him, "What did you do to my mate?"

    He stayed quiet, but I was not in the mood to play, "Break his limbs until he confess," I ordered the guards who were holding him.

    Hunter screamed in pain after his limbs were shattered one by one, "I-I slapped he-" my palm had found its way to his face before he could even complete the words he so laboriously voiced out. I actually didn''t need any explanations, as I realized what he did just by looking at Violet''s condition. I was torturing him slowly before I send him to his death.

    I sighed, "Nevermind the explanations," I walked closer to him, raising my hand to his eye to plug the first one out.

    "AAAAAAAHHHHHH," he screamed as fresh blood streamed out from his eyes, at the same time staining my fingers with his unholy blood.

    "What an ugly eye," I said as I looked at the eye in my hand, "You must be jealous with Violet''s beautiful eyes," I then crushed his eye and threw it to the ground as it should.

    "You should throw away ugly things, Hunter," I raised my hand to his other eye, but he struggled to back away with his broken body. "Come, let me help with the other one, I will make it nice and quick."

    "P-Please... no... more," he begged pitifully, but I, unfortunately, didn''t have any pity to give, "K-Kill... me... now."

    "Says the one who tried to challenge me," I laughed incredulously, "You should have stayed quiet and let me kill you before. You do know I''m not known as a man with great patience."

    I reached out to his remaining eye, causing him to widen his eye after my actions, making it all the easier to gouge it out, "Don''t be shy, I was just trying to make you more bearable to look at. You should think of this as I''m doing a little service for you and thank me instead."

    "NOOOOOOOOOO!!" Another scream came out of his mouth before darkness surrounded his world.

    "Now you are... still ugly," I frowned, "At least you look better now," I placed his remaining eye in his hand, "Here, a little souvenir to hell."

    "I... will... haunt... you..." was his last words before I stabbed his head, making a hole in between his eyebrows. His body dropped to the ground lifelessly as I pulled my hand out of his head.

    "Sure you will," I snorted, "Andrew," I called out to Andrew who was silently watching the scene unfolds behind me, "Clean this up."

    "Right away," he said as he sighed. Andrew has always hated to have blood on his hands, but there was nothing he could do if not following my orders.

    l left the bloody scene behind, and headed to my room to clean myself off the blood staining me before going to Violet''s room.

    "Alpha Luke," I stopped, turning my body to the source of the voice.

    "Alpha Morris."

    "I''m sorry for troubling you," he bowed, "I have failed to educate my son and caused trouble to you."

    "I hold nothing against you, Alpha Morris. But I''m not sorry for killing your son. I hope you don''t mind," I replied while wiping his lovely son''s blood from my hand.

    "Of course. It was my son who was at fault and he deserved to be punished," he said, still bowing to me, "I have no grudge and will still pledge my royalty to you, sir."

    I nodded at him curtly and continued walking to my destination. I tear the blood stained clothes away from me and stepped into the bathtub. I let the water rise against me and cleanse my body, causing the clear water to turn red in color. I had to unfill and fill the bathtub twice before the water finally stayed in its original color.

    It was the second time my own people hurt Violet, and I was beyond enraged. My own fear of rejection caused Violet to be hurt. It was the time for me to tell her and the people who she is. No matter how she will take my words later, I will have to face it. I couldn''t let my own ego hurt the one who I wanted to protect so much. If she wanted to leave, then I will use thousands of way to keep her by my side. I can''t let her go... no, I don''t want to let her go.

    I finished bathing and went out to Violet''s room. I knocked on the door but there was no response. She must be still asleep. I opened the door slowly, and walked into the room. I sat on the chair beside her bed and stared at her. She was sleeping in serene, looking so peaceful. I could hear her even heartbeat, calming my tensed body. The anger I felt before now has vanished, and all I felt was a warm fuzzy feeling. I smiled at the feeling inside me, it was all because of my mate. She didn''t even have to do anything and I will still be happy with it. How will she react when she knew I was a werewolf? And that she was my mate?

    Violet moved her body a little as she fluttered her eyes open. She first stared at the ceiling before shifting her gaze to me, "Luke?"

    "Hmm?" I smiled at her, "How are you feeling?"

    "Better," she said as she sat up.

    I ??r?ssed her hair softly and trailed my fingers down her cheeks, "We need to trim your hair tomorrow." Violet held my hand which is on her cheek and placed it on her other hand.

    "Why... are you so kind to me?" Her beautiful green eyes stared straight into mine as she asked with a slightly trembling voice. I breathe in before answering her, trying to calm my nerves. I need to tell her.

    "Because you are my mate."

    She looked at me in surprise, "What? What do you mean by mate?" She released her grip from me but I quickly took it back.

    "I am a werewolf."

 Chapter 19 - A loving werewolf

    "I''m a werewolf."

    I stared at Luke with my eyes wide, mouth agape. What kind of joke is he pulling right now? "Are you joˇŞ"

    "I''m not joking," Luke cut me off as he tightens his grip on me, "I really am a werewolf."

    I gulped my saliva down my throat as I stared at him. His confession made me notice how similar he is to a certain werewolf. Black hair and red eyes, the similarities are impeccable. How can I not notice this before?

    That time when I was dragged out of the house by a rogue, Wolfie was the one who helped me. But then Luke came to my room as if he knew what happened to me. And he was hurt the night of the party, where Wolfie also helped me and got hurt because of the fight. He hurt his arm... and Wolfie hurt his front leg. I always brushed the questions regarding these events away from my mind as I thought it was probably nothing important. But now, everything just matches perfectly.

    "Are you Wolfie?" I asked him.

    He nodded, "I''m sorry, I shouldn''t have hidden it from you."

    I have always wondered who Wolfie is but it never crossed my mind that it was Luke. I felt awkward now knowing that I did a lot of embarrassing things to Wolfie. I didn''t even know how many hugs I''ve thrown at him.

    "No, don''t be sorry. I was the one who asked you to not tell me who you are."

    "I feel like I''ve deceived you," he lowered his head as he stared at our intertwined hands.

    "Did you know that I was your mate from the very first time we met?" I asked.

    He nodded with his red eyes staring deep into mine, giving me all of his attention. He has always given me all of his attention whenever we were together, without caring about our surroundings. The kindness, warmth, attention, praises, everything he offered was very new and strange.

    "That''s why you helped me, and has always been so kind to me?"

    "Yes," he smiled, "I''ve waited for you all my life, you don''t even know how happy I was that night. The night where we first met each other. I finally found you, the love of my life."

    "H¨Chow can this happen? I am a human, how can I be your mate? I¨C I think you''ve got the wrong person," I said as I tried to free my hand from his grip, but failed to do so as his stubborn hand was still on me.

    "It''s rare for a werewolf and a human to be mates, but it''s not impossible," he explained, "I''m sure you are the right person, Violet. The sparks that I felt whenever I touched you and this warm feeling in my ?h?st prove it all."

    Never in my dreams have I ever thought of having someone by my side. I was prepared to live my life alone, away from people. I was scared, scared that I will be hurt by someone again, scared that they will leave me. I didn''t want to be attached to someone, to grow feelings for them. I didn''t want this.

    I opened my mouth to answer him, but nothing comes out. What should I even say to him?

    "Do you hate being my mate?" He asked softly as if he was scared of my answer. His eyes trembled ever so slightly as he stared at me.

    "I-I don''t know," I let my eyes wandered around the room but the man in front of me. I couldn''t look at him straight in the face when he was looking at me with such sad eyes, "I don''t wish for a mate."

    "Do you... love me?" I asked him. The word ''love'' was so strange to my mouth, but this question kept running in my mind the moment he confessed that I was his mate.

    He gave me a tiny smile and nodded his head, "I love you. I have always loved you."

    My eyes went back to the man who was looking at me with glimmering eyes. I can feel the truth of his words just by looking at how he looks at me. It was the opposite of the look people usually gave me. It was not disgust, hatred, or hostility. It was pure endearment.

    Warm tears trailed down my cheeks unknowingly as I heard his answer. It has been so long since I''ve last heard someone said such words to me. Have I been longing for it all this time?

    "Why are you crying?" He wiped my tears away gently as he cupped my cheeks.

    "I-I don''t know," I blinked my eyes to stop the tears, but it won''t stop. I felt like all the sadness that was building up inside me was bursting out. I thought I was used to being abused and tortured, that I was immune to it. But the truth is I was only building up walls to hold my emotions, to not break down. Yet all the walls surrounding me were shattered to pieces just by these few words of affection.

    "Can I be greedy and keep on loving you?" he inquired while stroking my cheeks lightly.

    "No..." I shook my head, "I-I don''t deserve your love."

    "What nonsense are you spouting?" he asked, "You deserve all the love in this world."

    "Everyone back in my house always told me that I am a spiteful person," I sobbed as the hateful words people sent me came back crystal clear in my mind, "I left my mom to be dead, so I deserve all the beatings that I got. They said I should live all my life in torments, to repay the sins of killing my own mom. I don''t deserve to be happy, moreover to be loved by someone again."

    "Don''t listen to them," he growled. The annoyance and anger were clear in his voice, "That''s bullshit. No one is supposed to live their life being beaten. Those people are insane. Everyone deserves to be happy, including you," he ?ssured me.

    I looked away from him to hide the tears and my quivering lips. Salty water coursed down my face as sorrow rushed over me. A few m??ns escaped from my mouth through the suppressed sound of hiccups.

    "I-I can''t," I said in between my tears, "I can''t be your mate."

    "Don''t reject me... please," he mumbled, "I don''t think I will stay sane if you do so," he tightened his grip on my hand as if he never wants to let go.

    I peeked over to him and was a little surprised to see his condition. It was the first time I saw him being so dejected. His shoulder was slumped down with his head lowered, his rosy lips turned downwards.

    "But I don''t know how to return your feelings... " I breathed out, "I forgot how it feels to love someone. It has been so long."

    "It''s fine," he said as he brought me to his embrace, "You can stay how you are right now. I will be the one who loves you," he patted my back softly, "We will learn about it slowly."

    I pushed my body away from him to look at him, "Can I... do that?"

    "Yes, you can," he ??r?ssed the back of my head as he looks at me, "You can even take an eternity to learn, and I will still wait for you." Can I really be happy again? Can I love and be loved by someone again? Is that true?

    "I wouldn''t want any other mate but you," he pulled me to another embrace, "I love you, and will always do."

 Chapter 20 - Night

    "Can I stay here for the night?" he asked while scratching the back of his neck, "I don''t think my wolf will like it if we stay apart from you tonight."

    I tilted my head to the side as I asked, "Why?" We have always stayed in our own room every night, what makes it different now?

    "It''s hard to control my wolf now that you know you are my mate," he turned his head away awkwardly, "You don''t know how many times he urged me to... do stuff to you."

    "Do what?"

    He gave me a tight-lipped smile and said, "Things that you don''t want to know, yet." He walked to the sofa and threw his body atop of it, "I will sleep here tonight. You don''t have to mind me."

    I nodded and tucked myself into the bed. The warm and soft quilt won over me from the very first night I laid beneath it. I was used to sleeping on the hard and damp underground floor, so the feeling of sleeping in such a high-quality bed was very pleasant and comforting.

    I wonder what is my dad doing right now? Was he searching for me or was he happy now that I''m away from his sight? It was not like I miss him, but I couldn''t help but be curious about what he felt when he realized I had escaped from him. I was sure Fiona is going to be bored now that she didn''t have anyone for her to toy with. Maybe she will search for someone else to use for her vile entertainment,

    What did my dad even see in Fiona? How could he like someone who is as evil as her? I admit she was a looker, but there was nothing good about her except for her outrageous beauty. Sure she was pretty outside, but inside, she was very sadistic, conniving, and perverse. Hell, I could even use every word to describe evil in the dictionary to describe her as every word matches her just as perfectly. She was the devil herself.

    It has been a few minutes since Luke started to spun his body around the sofa. It must be uncomfortable for him to sleep in such a narrow space with his tall body. I didn''t know how big and luxurious the bed of the Lord of Wonsvile when my bed was pretty spacious itself.

    Should I ask him to sleep beside me? There will be enough space for both of us to sleep without disregarding the safe distance between us. And I also wouldn''t be able to sleep if he kept on shifting on the sofa.

    "You can sleep on the bed if you want to," I offered which made him spring up immediately.

    "Really?" he asked as he positioned himself at the edge of the sofa. I could see how the corner of his lips turned upwards a little which he tried to hide by tucking his lips in when he heard my offer.

    I blinked my eyes slowly, telling him that it was okay for him to do so. A dashing smile sprawled across his face as he made his way to my bed. The soft mattress dipped down with the bear of his weight as he stepped into it.

    He tilted his body in my direction as he placed both of his hands under his head. I was uncomfortable at how we were facing each other, so I turned my body around with my back to him.

    "Why did you turn around?"

    "Because you are staring at me," I answered while biting my lower lips. I was uncomfortable and a little shy at how he stared at me with such intensity. He didn''t seem to want to move his gaze away the moment he stared at me.

    A soft chuckle went to my ears, "How can I not to when you are right next to me?"

    I ignored his remark and decided to let my unconsciousness devours me. The night was still long and I just want morning to come as soon as possible to run from this awkwardness. Maybe I was the only one who felt awkward by our proximity looking at how relaxed he is beside me. I did sleep in his embrace just this evening but it was because I was scared out of my wits by what just happened. I needed to feel safe and it was him who gave me the safety that I sought for. I couldn''t care less about how close we were before but it was different now.

    "Do you want to meet my pack?" he asked just before I fell asleep.

    "They live here?

    "Hmm," he hummed, "I told them to stay away for a few days because I haven''t told you what I am. I was afraid that they will go around in their wolf form and meet you in the way."

    That explained why this place was always so empty, "Are you the leader of the pack?" I inquired as I turned around to face him again.

    "Yes, I am the Alpha of the Moon pack, and the Supreme Alpha of the whole werewolf races," he explained, "And you will be my Luna."

    "What''s a Luna?" I''ve heard this word ever since Denise, the girl who thought I snuck into this house and snapped.

    "Luna is the Alpha''s mate, meaning, my mate," his face beamed with happiness as he fixed his gaze on me. His eyes were shining, showing a beautiful dark red color that I was starting to be fond of.

    "Isn''t Luna the owner of this room?"

    He brushed off the few hairs that fell on my face and tucked it behind my ear, "This room used to be my mother''s, the previous Luna," he pointed to the portrait of the blonde woman on the wall, "That''s her."

    My mouth formed into an ''O'' shape as I nodded in acknowledgment. The captivating beauty on the wall was Luke''s mother. No wonder Luke has this godly appearance, turns out he got it from his mother. Their features resemble each other a lot, the only differences were their hair color and eyes.

    "Let''s sleep," he ruffled my hair before closing his eyes to drift off to dreamland. I soon followed him and finally sleep through the night.

    ...

    I didn''t remember being so close to him before I fell asleep yesterday. I was still on my side of the bed, so it was Luke who sneaked his way to my side. I tried to move his arms away from me, but he wouldn''t budge. I couldn''t turn around to look at him as he was hugging me so tightly. I tried to move his arms again, and this time, he released his hug slightly, giving me the opportunity to finally get out of bed.

    Just before I escaped from his hug, he pulled me back to him and snuggled closer to me. I sighed and asked, "You are awake aren''t you?"

    He let out a small chuckle, "Am I caught?" His voice was husky, it was evident he had just woken up from his slumber, "Can''t we stay this way for a couple of minutes?"

    "No," I refused and slipped out of his arms. I marched out to the bathroom and give myself a quick shower. After I finished showering, I noticed Luke was still in the same position as to how I left him. He had a small pout on his face, with one of his hand supporting the weight of his head.

    "How can you refuse me so heartlessly," he huffed, "I am hurt."

    "I don''t remember allowing you to be so close to me."

    "That''s not my fault," he babbled, "It was my wolf''s, he couldn''t keep his hands off you," the little pout on his face was now replaced by a smirk.

    I rolled my eyes at his answer but decided to not reply to him. He walked out of the bed and dragged me gently by my wrist, "What?" I asked.

    He sat me on the dressing table, then pulled the drawer and picked up a scissor, "We need to cut your hair," he said as he entangled his fingers on my hair and ??r?ss it softly.

    "You are right," I frowned as I touched my uneven hair. My mom used to praise me for having beautiful and smooth hair, that''s why I adored my hair. I always cared for it, so I was kind of angry that the mad man cut it off. If he wanted to cut it then can''t he at least cut it neatly?

    "Let me take care of it," Luke smiled at my reflection on the mirror while patting the back of my shoulder reassuringly.

    "Can I trust you?" I narrowed my eyes as I stared back at him. He laughed and pinched both sides of my cheeks lightly,

    "Of course, rabbit," he said as he pounded his ?h?st proudly, "Trust your mate."

    I nodded at him skeptically, but let him do what he intended to. He started to cut my hair, bits and bits of my hair started to fall to the ground. The more he cut my hair, the more anxious I felt. I don''t like the idea of cutting my hair, but I had no choice.

    I stayed quiet as Luke focused on cutting my hair. A few minutes of silence went by, and the silence that surrounded us was broken when Luke announced, "Done."

    I lifted my head to look at my reflection. My hair which previously went down to my waist was now cut just above my ?h?st. Surprisingly, it didn''t look bad. I have never had my hair this short before, so I didn''t know how I will look like with shorter hair. I thought it will look bad, but surprisingly, I looked... good? I think I looked better now that my hair was not covering my body.

    "How is it?" he asked while stroking my hair.

    "I like it," I smiled at him and nodded in satisfaction, "Thank you," my head felt lighter now with the lesser amount of hair weighing down my head. It was weird but I felt like I let go of some of the burdens on my shoulder by cutting my hair. It was very refreshing.

    "I can''t believe I have such a beautiful mate," he sighed, "How can I keep the other guys away from you?"

    "Stop saying such a thing," I said as I furrowed my brows together, "That''s not true."

    "But it''s the truth," he smiled, ruffling my hair, "Shall we go?"

    "Where?" I tilted my head to the side, confused at his suggestion.

    "To meet our pack."

 Chapter 21 - The pack

    "To meet our pack."

    I gawked at him after his suggestion, I am in no way ready to meet them.

    "Can''t we do that some time later?" I fidgeted the edge of my sleeves, "I am not ready yet."

    "I can''t spend any more time hiding your presence," he lifted my chin slowly to look at him, "I don''t want my people to hurt you oblivious to who you are again. They need to know."

    I grimaced at the memories of being hurt by his people twice. But then again, I did got into trouble a few times after I stayed here. It''s like I have befriended the trouble itself. We are inseparable.

    Taking my silence as agreement, he stroked my hair which he had just worked on one last time before leaving my room.

    "Give me ten minutes and we are good to go," he said as he proceeds to go to the other side of the room.

    I sighed in defeat knowing that there''s no way out of this meeting. I don''t know how I will feel meeting a bunch of people who are far more superior to me in every aspect, or should I say, supernatural creatures. What will they think of me when they come to know that I am a human? I don''t think they would want a human as their Alpha''s mate.

    I was still taking the time to let the news of being a werewolf''s mate sink into my mind. It''s not like Luke urged me to do something regarding this, but it felt weird that I all of a sudden got a whole mate in my hollow life. Odd to know that there''s actually someone who genuinely likes me when I don''t even like myself that much.

    I glanced at the clock which showed that it has been 10 minutes sharp after Luke left the room. I quickly scanned over my appearance, making sure that I looked well enough to present myself in front of... well, Luke''s people.

    I walked to the entrance of my room and turned the knob. The door swung open showing Luke who had his knuckle up in the air, ready to knock on the door.

    He smiled at my presence and held out his hand for me to grasp, "Ready?"

    I swallowed the lump in my throat as nervousness started to build its way up inside me and nodded my head down. His welcoming hand took mine in as we strode down the hall.

    "Where are we going?"

    "The training ground," he said, "They are training diligently these days."

    Realizing my uneasiness, he came up with small conversations to help relieve my tension, "Come to think of it, it has been a few days since we last train your little muscle," he gave me a boyish grin, "Up for another workout?"

    "Only if you go easy on me," I shrugged my shoulders remembering how he swept me off the ground with ease last time.

    "Sure," he replied as he let out a hearty laugh.

    We turned around the corner and soon arrived at our destination. Now I knew for sure that I''ve been staying in a werewolf''s den looking at the group of werewolves in front of me. Many different kinds of werewolves roamed around the field, from smaller to bigger ones. It''s my first time meeting these many werewolves at once.

    It kind of terrified me knowing that I was now surrounded by werewolves. The fearsome feeling I felt when I was attacked by werewolves creep throughout my body when my eyes took in what''s in front of me.

    "It''s okay," said Luke as he gave my hand a reassuring squeeze, "They won''t hurt you."

    "I have an announcement to make," Luke announced to the pack.

    The group of wolves in front of us glued their eyes to both of us as Luke spoke, "We have finally found our Luna," he placed both of his hands on my shoulders and pushed me forward gently, "Everyone, meet Violet Quinn."

    Right after Luke finished his sentence, a stream of howls was heard. Surprised at their sudden howlings, I glanced up to Luke nervously. Soon after, my dilated eyes were returned with a warm smile from Luke.

    "They are happy to meet you," he explained, "Wolves howl to communicate with others, and in this case, they are showing their affections to you."

    I swallowed the fluid on the back of my throat as I look back to the wolves. To my surprise, all of them were staring at me while wagging their tails, some were also jumping up and down. Are they not disgusted by me?

    I thought they will be angry and grossed out to have a human as their Alpha''s mate, moreover, a weak human like me. Why are they welcoming me so happily?

    "Oh thank the Moon Goddess we finally found you," a woman with short ginger hair strode closer to me while grinning side to side, "I hope you can help us tone down our Alpha''s grumpiness," she said while sending a look to Luke.

    "My name is Lisa," she held out her hand, "I''m Andrew''s mate."

    Right. I''m living in a house full of werewolves, it''s not a surprise that Andrew is also a werewolf. Or maybe everyone I have met in this house is actually a werewolf in disguise.

    I accepted her hand and shook it with mine, "I''m Violet."

    Right after our hands made contact, my hand was pulled towards her and soon our bodies collide with each other. "Thank you for finally appearing in our pack. We have been waiting for you for so long," Lisa said as she tightened her hug on me.

    I didn''t know how to react to her unexpected hug and stayed still like a stone without saying anything. She hugged me for a few moments before Luke tear us both away, "You are suffocating her," he said to Lisa.

    "You are just jealous because I''m hugging her," she mocked Luke and shifted her attention back at me, "Sorry for the hug, I''m just happy to meet you. We all are."

    I smiled wryly at her, "Why are you happy to meet me?"

    "Of course I am. Our pack is not completed without a Luna," she said, "Are you not happy to meet us?" her mouth turned downwards a little as she asked.

    "N-no! It''s not like that at all!" I raised my palm towards her and shook it hastily.

    She raised her eyebrows and gave me a quizzed look, "Then?"

    "I just think that... you wouldn''t want a human as your Luna," I fidgeted my fingers and eyed her nervously.

    "Are you seriously thinking that we will hate you for being human?" She first stared at me before laughing loudly at my words, "What do you think about this, Alpha?"

    Luke who was beside me cupped both of my cheeks, "Human or not, it doesn''t matter to us, Violet. What matters is that you are our Luna, and it will never change," he gave me a quick peck on my forehead, "Stop thinking such useless thoughts in that pretty little head of yours, okay?"

    "Are you really our Alpha?" Lisa had her mouth opened as she looked at us in disbelief, "You know it doesn''t hurt to try to talk that way to the rest of us too."

    "Why would I do that? You guys are not my mate," Luke replied, still with his eyes on me. He smiled a little before releasing his hold on me, then glanced at the crowd of wolves in front of us,

    "To commemorate this wonderful day, I will let you guys train with me, one on one," hearing this, the wolves paced around happily and howled. It seems that it was rare for them to train with their Alpha.

    "Who will go first?" asked Luke as he rolled up his sleeves.

    A grey wolf stepped out of the crowd with his fur which was starting to crawl into his skin as his four-legged body turned into a body of that of a human. I caught a little glimpse of his b?r? skin before a hand covered my sight of vision.

    "Who told you to shift here?!" A flabbergasted Luke yelled as he quickly turned my body around in another direction, "You are hurting her innocent eyes."

    Was he n?k?d just now? I managed to see his built torso before my eyes were hidden by Luke''s palm.

    "Why am I hurting her eyes?" The man laughed, "I mean, look at thisˇŞ"

    "Clothes," Luke cut him off before receiving a yes from the man. After confirming the man was clothed, Luke finally dropped his hand from my eyes. He ruffled my hair before leaving me to train with the man.

    "Nice to see him being so flustered," Lisa chuckled beside me, "He was always so composed, there''s a time that I wanted to punch his poker face," she said as she curled up her fist, "Still do, actually."

    "Where''s Andrew?" I smiled as I questioned her. I knew that he was supposed to be here as he was in charge of training the people, but I haven''t seen him around.

    "You see over there..." she pointed to a blonde wolf who was sleeping under a tree comfortably, "That''s him, still as lazy as ever. I really need to give him a beating sometime," she sighed.

    "Anyway, how did you meet Luke?" her hazel eyes glimmered with curiosity as she asked.

    "Um," I shifted beside her awkwardly, "We met when I was running away from my dad''s guards."

    "Guards?"

    I nodded, "My dad had a lot of enemies, that''s why he hired some guards all over the house."

    "And why are they chasing you?" Her brows furrowed closer.

    "I ran away from the house."

    "Oh," her head moved up and down slowly as she takes in the information. I was thankful that she didn''t ask any further about it.

    "I am glad that you are here now," she smiled at me, "We should be friends!"

    I stared at her dumbfounded by her suggestion. No one has ever asked me to be their friend before. The kids around my house knew that I was tortured by my dad, so they have always tried their best to avoid me. Well... it''s not like I could step outside of the house so it doesn''t really matter anyway. I knew that I was bound to live alone after my dad started to become abusive. I had no one to trust, no one to protect me.

    "Friends?" I repeated her words as if not believing what I''ve just heard.

    "Yeah, friends!" She nodded her head gleefully, "Why?"

    "No, it''s just... I''ve never had any friends before."

    "Then I''ll be your first friend," she smiled, "Will you let me have the honor of becoming the first friend of our mighty pack''s Luna?" she asked jokingly.

    I couldn''t believe there was a day that I will have a friend. I''ve never imagined having a friend to play around with, or to talk about my troubles with. But there really is such a day, and I will soon have my very first friend. I realized things really did change a lot since I came here. It was making me think that the world could once again be nice and hopeful. It''s been a long time since I last looked forward to what''s coming in the future.

    I nodded my head and smiled at her. She returned my smile with another smile, and a hug in addition, "You can talk to me whenever you need me, I''ll always be there for you," she said, "That if I was still alive when you decide to call for me."

    "Thank you for becoming my friend," I laughed softly, "No one has ever asked me to be their friend before."

    "They must be a bunch of idiots," she remarked as we parted from each other. "You know what? We should have a welcoming party for you."

    "You don''t need toˇŞ" I refused but was cut off by her excited chatter.

    "Let''s have a feast!"

 Chapter 22 - Feast

    "Here," Luke said as he put a piece of meat on my plate. My plate is filled with the mountain of food Luke continuously gave me from the beginning of the feast. A little bit more and the food will scram on the table.

    "My plate is full," I defended my plate to prevent him from putting more food into it. After Lisa''s excited exclaimed to throw a feast in the house, Luke quickly agrees to it and asked Bob and the servants to prepare for the feast.

    We are now in Luke''s dining hall, which was massive in size and very exquisite. The walls were covered with shining gold paper, giving off a very luxurious ambience. Five long beautifully carved mahogany tables took up most of the space the vast room gives, adorned with a red soft and silky woven above it. Along with the long tables, matching chairs completed the furniture on each side of it. A few of candelabras stood in the middle of the table, catching the attention of the hundreds of attendees in this opulent room.

    I''ve only been here once when Luke invited me to tour around the house, but I''ve never really eaten in this dining hall. He never asked me to eat here, and instead sent my meals to my room. Maybe it was because he didn''t want me to bring the attention of the few people who roamed in the house. After all, he hasn''t told the pack about me. But now that it was revealed, I guess I''m free to go wherever I want.

    "Then I will bring you more plates," he pinched my cheeks, "You should eat more, I want to see your chubby face," he smiled fondly while glancing my way.

    Ever since he told me about being my mate, he showed his affections more clearly and more often than usual. It made me think that did he actually was holding his feelings inside for my sake? I noticed that he liked to pinch my cheeks and ruffled my hair from time to time.

    I moved a few pieces of food from my overfilled plate to his plate, "You should eat more too," I said casually.

    "Okay," he blinked his eyes as he nodded his head down with a smile on his face.

    As the room was packed with hundreds of people, it was noticeably noisier than usual. The quiet room was now buzzing with the people''s chattering and it was a rare occurrence in my life. I''ve never been surrounded by this many people before because I lived a very lonely life.

    Whenever I was not beaten by my dad or not being mocked by Fiona, I will usually bury myself with the countless books in my room or getting private lessons from my teacher. I was for once felt thankful to my dad when he gave me a private teacher.

    From what I''ve heard, it was a shame for him if he had a stupid daughter, so he unwillingly hired a teacher to save his face from his community. But his decision strike as odd to me. It was not as if he will show me to the public, so I wonder why did he thought that people will know how stupid I am if I was not taught good education.

    "What are you thinking?" Luke asked, noticing that I only played around with my food and not eating it.

    I stopped churning out my food and glanced at him, "Nothing important," he eyed me suspiciously but didn''t insist on asking about it. I went back to eat my food but halted when I felt something touched my shoulder.

    "Princess!" A young boy who I ?ssumed was not older than five poked my shoulder and smiled brightly, "You are the princess mama told me about!"

    It was shocking to know that such a young boy like him who seems very harmless is actually a werewolf too. I think even a pup could break my leg if they tried. I was curious to see how he will look like when he shifts, I bet he will look cute. I wonder how adorable a pup will be when even a big wolf like Wolfie could manage to look cute despite his gigantic size.

    Before I replied to the young boy, a woman swept the boy off the ground and heaved him on her shoulder, "Troy! I told you to not wander off alone!"

    "I wanted to see the princess!" He gave her an adorable pout as he crosses his chubby arms in the front of his ?h?st.

    "Sorry, he has been obsessed with princesses lately," the woman shrugged her shoulders, "Shouldn''t have read him any bedtime stories."

    "But she is a real princess!" Troy pointed his tiny fingers to me, "She is very pretty! Just like the princesses in the book!"

    "She is not a princess," Luke who was sitting beside me poke his head out to the boy, "She is a queen, our queen."

    I turned my head around, just to see Luke who was smiling so proudly at me, "I''m not either of it."

    He took a few strands of my hair and sniffed into it with his eyes closed, "You are my queen," he gave me an enchanting smile as he looked back at me.

    I quickly snatched my hair away from his hand and shifted my attention to the boy from before, "H¨Chow old is he?" I asked, trying to change the topic of the conversation causing Luke to chuckle softly beside me.

    The woman eyed me and Luke back and forth while smirking mischievously before answering, "He isˇŞ"

    "I am six!" Troy held out his five fingers, missing one from the number he shouted, "I am a big boy now," he giggled.

    "You are still a long way from being a big boy, young man," she pinched his chubby cheeks gently, then reached out her hand to me, "I am Jane, it''s nice to finally meet you, Luna."

    "Please call me Violet," I said as I shook her hand with mine.

    "Sure, Violet," she smiled, "Oh, Jack. You''re back?" She called out to someone from her opposite direction.

    I glanced to see the person she was calling and saw a man I''ve never seen before. He had his hair up into a messy man-bun, his blue eyes sharp like a dagger. With his distinctive features, it''s no doubt that he was one hell of a man. He also had dark skin which complimented his features, making him look all the more handsome. He is probably one of the most handsome men I''ve ever seen.

    "Yes, it''s been two days since I''ve arrived back," he answered her politely, then shifted his gaze to Luke, "Alpha, there''s something that I need to talk to you about."

    "Hmm," Luke hummed while nodding his head, "Let''s talk outside," he stood up, ready to leave the hall. Before he left, he ruffled my hair and kissed my forehead softly, "I will be back."

    After he left, I finally felt how comfortable I was around him. He was unconsciously becoming my comfort space, and I''ve just realized it now when he was not around. I felt awkward being left alone with a bunch of people I''ve just met today. They are very nice people, but I''m just too socially awkward to get along with them.

    "I see you are very close with him," Jane smirked at me.

    "It''s not like that," I replied bashfully. I knew his bold actions will put me into an even more awkward situation.

    "Oh don''t be shy," she slapped my shoulder gently while laughing, "I wonder where''s Lisa? It''s time to finally start."

    "Start what?" I asked, curious to know what she meant.

    "TheˇŞ" Jane was cut off by a loud bang from the open door,

    "IT''S TIME FOR THE DRUNKEN NIIIIGHHTTT!" I jumped slightly at the sudden uproar, and saw Lisa who was screaming while holding two bottles of wine in her hands, "BRING OUT MORE WINE!!"

    "What night?" I asked Jane.

    "The drunken night," she grinned, "Troy baby, it''s time for you to sleep, go back to your room."

    "What about mama?" Troy asked.

    "Mama still needs to work," she put Troy down, "Now, don''t you want to meet the princess in your dream?"

    "Oh!" he exclaimed, "I need to sleep fast! Bye, mama! Bye, princess!" He waved his hands and scurried out of the hall.

    "Now that''s taken care of," she grabbed my wrist, "Let''s have some fun!"

 Chapter 23 - Drunken Night - Part 1

    "Here, a glass for the lady of the night!" Lisa approached me and Jane while handing a glass of wine to both of us.

    I hesitantly took the glass from her, "I''ve never drunk any before," the wine swayed side to side as I fiddled the glass with the tip of my fingers.

    "Everyone got their first time, honey. This will be yours," Jane gulped down her own glass of wine and raised her glass to me and Lisa, "Toast?"

    "WAIT!" Lisa held out her palm, "Let''s have a toast with everyone," she cleared her throat with a few coughs, "Everyone, let us bring our glass up in this sacred night, and give our awaited first toast to our Luna."

    "You don''t need to do that..." I touched her shoulder slightly. Being the center of attention was a burden for me and I didn''t really want that from them.

    She heaved her shoulder and smiled, "Please let us do this. We have been dying for this day. It was a tradition for us all to give a toast to our Luna in this celebration. This was a day to closen our tie, the tie between the pack and our new Luna."

    I stared at her uncertainly but nodded my head down. Lisa smiled at my approval, "Thank you."

    "Now, to Luna!"

    "To Luna!" Everyone in the room had their glass up to the sky as they gave me their first toast. I too followed them and raised my glass up to the sky, "To our pack," I announced with a small voice, but not too small until it was unheard.

    Hundreds of smiles decorated their faces as we drank the wine down our throat. An unknown feeling was building up inside me as I saw the smiles on their faces. Looking at their happy faces made my ?h?st felt ticklish and warm. It was a very pleasant feeling.

    As the red liquid went inside of my mouth, the bitterness of the wine overwhelms me almost immediately. I scrunched my nose to the bitter taste and quickly ingest it. Why do people love to drink wine when it tastes this bitter? I remembered how my dad used to drank wine alone in the middle of the night when I was secretly taking a walk around the house as I wasn''t able to fall asleep.

    "Don''t ever think to stop before you got wasted!" Lisa exclaimed to the crowd as she headed to them and was followed by the people''s cheer. The formal dinner we had just minutes before soon changed into a very casual meeting where everyone was dancing wildly and drinking to their heart''s contents. It was such a sight to see.

    The upper-class people usually kept their composure in the presence of others, but it was different with this pack. They didn''t even care how bad they will look on this day and were just very loose. It seemed that Luke was a great leader to his people, looking at how close and comfortable the people are. It was like they were a real family, something that I had long lost.

    "How is it?" Jane inquired while giving me another toast.

    "It tastes bitter," we clink our glasses together as I gave this wine another chance of bringing bitterness to my life.

    A chuckle went out of her lips, "It will taste better the more you drink it," she held my hands and pulled me towards the crowd, "Come, let''s mingle with the others. I bet they have been dying to talk to you."

    I trailed behind her and was suddenly surrounded by a lot of people. A few people tried to call out to me but were stopped when I was pulled into a tight hug by someone. It was from someone shorter than me so I had to bend my body slightly.

    "You have finally come to us," an old lady came into my sight as she released her hug from me, "Such a pretty girl, Luke that kid sure is lucky to have you as his mate," she said as she ??r?ssed my cheeks softly. She was a plump lady with short curly hair which was now white in color. Her deep black eyes contrasted with her white hair, her chubby cheeks becoming more evident as she smiled.

    "Emma! Don''t do that all of a sudden! You surprised her!" Jane nagged the woman.

    "Ssshhh, I wanted to hear this pretty lady''s voice," she put her finger on Jane''s mouth to shut her up, "What''s your name?"

    "It''s Violet."

    "Aaahh, Violet. A pretty name for a pretty lady," she smiled fondly, "Call me Emma."

    Emma took the glass of wine on the table beside us and raised it up to have another toast with me, "I''m glad we have finally found someone to take Ysabelle''s position."

    "Who''s Ysabelle?" My curious eyes went to Jane, hoping for an explanation.

    "Luke''s mom, our last Luna," Jane explained.

    "And also my best friend," Emma grinned proudly, "Here, a toast to you."

    The bitter wine made its way back to my mouth as I have another toast with Emma. The alcohol was starting to get into me and I can feel my cheeks were slowly rising in temperature. I didn''t know that I still had to drink more glasses of wine to finally pass this night.

    ...

    "What is it?" I asked Jack regarding the things he wanted to tell me after leaving the dining hall.

    "It''s about Alpha Harry''s pack, I think you should go there," he answered rigidly, "The attacks there are crazy. There are more than fifty deaths just for this week."

    My brows furrowed together as I heard the number of deaths. That was an incredulously huge number, there was no way that his pack couldn''t handle the rogues'' attack. Rogues are evidently weaker than those in a pack but still stronger than normal civilians who never trained before. I have told him to train all of his pack members to help them fight back to the attacks for a while but I guess it was not helping.

    Thanks to Maggie''s magic barrier, the rogues haven''t been able to step into my territory. But the magic barrier will only work when the witch who cast the spell was also in the area. It was not possible for Maggie to also put a magic barrier on another pack.

    "Did they say why this happened?"

    "They said that the rogues have become stronger than before, even the guards are having difficulties taking them down."

    Rogues becoming stronger? I''ve never heard something this outrageous before. How can they be even stronger than the pack guards? What caused this?

    "And the people''s hearts?"

    "They are all gone," he fretted, "But this time, the bodies were not intact. It was torn to pieces."

    I sighed as I bring my hands to my temples to massage them. Those rogues caused a fu?k?n? massacre to my people but what frustrated me the most was how clueless we all are about those rogues. We have no fu?k?n? clue about them and our chase deemed useless. Every time I send someone to chase them out, the rogues just died precipitously. It was like there was something eating them from inside the moment they were cornered to prevent them from getting caught and giving us some information. There was nothing we could do besides holding up to their attacks.

    "I will see what I can do," I said to him in a pained tone. No matter which packs those casualties belong to, they all are my people, my kind. There was no way I didn''t feel anything every time I heard of their deaths. I felt guilty as hell for not being able to handle this matter as fast as possible.

    Jack nodded his head and bowed to me before leaving. Even if we didn''t show our emotions, we can still feel the pain from the bond we had. I knew how much this attack has caused mental pain to the pack. They tried to put up a smile and never mentioned anything about this as they didn''t want to bring more pain by talking about it. I purposely didn''t block the connection to feel all the emotions they have, even if it will overwhelm me. I will also feel all the pain they felt because I am their Alpha, their leader. I will bear the pain my people felt.

    I headed back to the dining hall to go back to my mate, but just when I opened the door to the destination, what was inside the room made me stop in my tracks. It was hard enough to control sane wolves, but now, I was met with hundreds of drunken wolves.

    The sight in front of me made me finally recalled what my mom told me about the tradition our pack had every time the pack found our Luna. There''s no way Lisa who loves to be a drunkard will miss this tradition. I bet it was her who started all of this.

    "Eyyyy, Alpha, "I sighed as Andrew walked to me haphazardly, "This wine is amaaaziiiing! You should try this outˇŞ" I pushed him to the side and stepped away from him. I wonder what the Moon Goddess was thinking when she put those two drunkards together.

    Where is Violet? The room was swarmed with drunkards who were dancing or jumping around, so it was hard to find my tiny mate among them. I went around the room to search for her and finally found her squatting at the corner of the room. As I neared my mate, I realized she was having a conversation with the plant beside her.

    "Whaz yer nayme?" She slurred and poked the plant as she asked tipsily, "I..." she brought her palm to her ?h?st and tapped on it a few times, "...am Violet."

    She stared at the plant as if she was waiting for it to answer, but got impatient as she obviously didn''t hear any answers, "Why aren''t you answering meeee!!" She held the pot and shook it angrily.

    "My name is Plant," I said behind her, pretending that I was the plant, "Please stop shaking my body."

    "Oh!" She had her eyes open as she grinned widely, "Pleyn! Lez be friendssss," she held the branch of the plant, "Iz this yer haynd?"

    "Yes, it is. Don''t hold on to me too tightly or I will get hurt," I answered.

    "Oops, sawrryyy!" she giggled as she released her hold on the branch, "Hehe I did it! I made a friend!!" She raised both of her arms to the air and swayed them up. Following it she suddenly dropped her body backward which I caught before she hit the ground.

    "Woah, there," I hunched down to level with her, "Be careful."

    She glanced to my way and squinted her eyes, "Who are yer?"

    "Who do you think I am?" I sent her a smile.

    "Hmmm," she pondered for a moment and quickly distanced herself from me before giving me her answer, "Are you a kidnapper?!"

    "You think I am a kidnapper?" I laughed and pinched her nose. She looks so cute right now, I can''t seem to be able to take my eyes off this drunken girl in front of me. I guess this tradition was of a good thing after all.

    She nodded her head, "Are you really?"

    "Look clearly, who do you think I am? Hmm?" I stepped closer to her and distanced our faces just a few inches away.

    She squinted her eyes again and cupped my cheeks, "Oh! You must be Luke!"

    "Am I?" I teased her while I covered her small hands with mine.

    "Yez! I''m sure of it!" She smiled, "You are handsome."

    "I know," a chuckle escaped my lips, "And I''m also yours."

 Chapter 24 - Drunken Night - Part 2

    "Come on, let''s get you back to your room," I lifted Violet off the ground and carried her in my arms.

    "But I still want to play with pleyn," she pouted while struggling to get out of my grasp.

    "He''s too sleepy now, see how his head is looking down?" I pointed to the plant. She glanced at the plant and sighed, "Really?"

    "Yes, so let''s go back now," she stopped struggling and stayed in my arms obediently. How much cuter can she be? I didn''t even know how long have I smiled this whole time. I truly am lucky to have her as my mate.

    I exited the dining hall with Violet in my arms, leaving the bunch of drunken wolves behind. But before I left the room, I mind-linked Bob to keep an eye on the pack. You don''t even know what kind of stunts those guys could possibly pull off while in a drunken state. The last time I allowed them to drink, they almost burned down my manor. I trust Bob to hold them back for tonight.

    I proceed to head to Violet''s room to let her rest. This was probably a tiring day for her, as she had to use her energy to cope with the pressure of socializing with many people which she rarely did. I''m pretty relieved that the people accepted her, or should I say liked her. I was sure that the pack will accept her for what she is, but knowing that my ?ssumption was true relieved me.

    My eyes wandered to the woman I was carrying, only to find her sleeping comfortably while leaning to my ?h?st. The sight of her delights me and I realize how crazy in love I am with her. Before meeting Violet, I don''t know I would be able to love someone this deeply. My cold exterior with people was starting to melt slowly by being around her. She brings warmth back to my life.

    After reaching Violet''s room, I pushed the door open and was immediately hit by Violet''s scent all over the room. I couldn''t get enough of her scent, it''s like drugs, very intoxicating. The wolf inside me which has been asleep for days stirred and woke up from his slumber.

    "It''s mate''s scent," he purred while stretching his body. My wolf tends to sleep for days to replenish his energy, or so he said. But for what I think he is just lazy and uses it as a reason to sleep longer.

    "Are you finally awake, you dog?" I snarled at my wolf''s laziness.

    "What an insult," he growled.

    I ignored him and placed Violet on her bed. Having to bear Violet''s weight, the mattress dipped down, as if trying to devour Violet''s petite body. She snuggled to her bed comfortably but then frowned and started to wh?n?.

    "Take this off," she wh?n?d and started to pull the collar of her dress. She was wearing a high collared dress that covered her neck. I get that she is uncomfortable, but how am I supposed to take it off?

    My hands slowly reached the ribbon that binds her collar and pulled it off uncertainly. I didn''t know if this ribbon was connected to another part of the dresses or not so I tried to pull it as slowly as I could. Fortunately, the ribbon was only used to tie her collar so it was safe to say that I didn''t open her dress too much. I didn''t want her to think that I was taking advantage of her drunken state.

    I exhaled in relief and sat on the edge of her bed, "You are not allowed to drink anymore," I pinched her cheeks softly. Now that she was sleeping soundly, I noticed that I didn''t make the wrong choice of calling her my little rabbit. I remembered I used to raise a little rabbit back when I was a child. It had brown fur and a chubby body, it was a very lovely one. It seems that I''ve found myself yet another lovely rabbit.

    I placed a little kiss on her forehead and sighed, "How the hell am I supposed to leave you?"

    "Are you going to leave me?" Violet who now had her eyes open asked.

    "Sorry, did I wake you up?"

    She shook her head and asked again, "Are you going to leave me?"

    "I am only leaving for a few days," I stroked her head gently.

    She stared at me with a pained expression, "Do you not want me too?"

    I gawked my eyes at her question, "That''s nonsense. There''s no way that I don''t want you, you are all I ever wanted in life."

    "Then why are you leaving?"

    "There''s something that I need to do in the other pack''s territory," I explained.

    She tugged on the hem of my sleeves and asked, "Can''t you take me with you too?"

    "I want to, but I can''t," I smiled sourly, "It''s not safe for you to go with me. You will be a lot safer here."

    "Why?"

    "Because it''s very dangerous out there, Violet. I can''t guarantee that you will be safe even with me around you," I took her hand in mine, "I don''t want anything bad to happen to you."

    "ButˇŞ"

    "Vi, I promise I will make it quick," I cut her off, "But I need you to stay safe so I can rest ?ssured and work faster, can I request that off you?"

    She let out a little sigh and hesitated a bit but still nodded her head down. I smiled at her and ruffled her hair, "Good girl." I tucked her under her sheets and stood up to go back to my room, but stopped when Violet took hold of my wrist.

    I turned my head back to her and asked, "What is it, rabbit?"

    "Don''t leave me," she said. It seems that she''s still a little drunk, hence the little courage she had to ask me to stay by her side. If she is conscious, I doubt that she will try to voice her feelings, but still, I was happy that deep down she wanted to be with me.

    "I won''t."

    The yellowish lights that emitted from outside of my window made contact with me as soon as I open my eyes. The first sight I saw after waking up was the bright sun which was amidst the blue of the sky and green of the forest. I squinted my eyes open and rubbed it softly, waking me from my drowsiness. After gaining my consciousness, I noticed that I was leaning on something hard, something that is not my fluffy bed.

    "Are you awake?" A hoarse voice sounded out, alarming my whole body which rose up immediately as its reflexes.

    I look back to the voice and noticed it was Luke, "Why are you here?"

    He shrugged his shoulders up, "You are the one who asked me to not leave you last night," a mischievous smirk appears on his face, "Besides, it''s not as if it was the first time we have slept together."

    I frowned at his statement, not remembering anything that happened the night before. He noticed my confusion and asked with a shocked expression, "Do you not remember anything from last night?"

    I shook my head, "What happened?"

    "Oh, you wouldn''t want to know what had happened," he chuckled, "Do you still want me to tell you?"

    I gulped my saliva and nodded my head slowly. Did I do something bad?

    "Well, first off, you puked on my shirt," my eyes started to dilate from the very beginning of his story, "Right after, you couldn''t hold your urge to pee so you wet your dress," I immediately look over to my dress, "Which is obviously dried out now," he laughed, "ThenˇŞ"

    I covered his lips with my fingers and looks away bashfully, "I don''t want to hear it anymore."

    "Really?" He held my hands, "But there''s more. YouˇŞ"

    I glared at him and escaped from his grip, leaving him laying on the bed alone. "Where are you going?"

    "To change," I replied. How did I even sleep with the same dress I peed on? That''s very dirty and... embarrassing, "I''m sorry for puking on your shirt."

    "You know saying sorry is not enough," he raised one of his eyebrows, "I have a favor to ask."

    "What is it?"

    "Can you accompany me and spend your whole day with me today?" he requested.

    "Why shouldˇŞ"

    "You said you are sorry," he grinned, "It was an expensive shirt."

    I opened my mouth to reply but hesitated, then just decided to comply because I felt guilty, "What will we do?"

    Some parts of me didn''t believe that I did what he said I did last night, but I just can''t seem to remember what had happened. The last thing I could recall was talking to Emma, who asked to toast with me countless times. I feel like I was being deceived but I had no choice but to believe.

    He smiled widely and instead of answering my questions, he said, "Change fast, I will wait for you at the front door," he then went out of the bed and marched to the door, "Don''t take too long, okay?"

    I wonder what kind of things he had in mind to make him so impatient.

 Chapter 25 - A day with mate - Part 1

    "You are finally here," Luke called out to me while stroking the horse beside him. A beautiful white-colored horse stood tall between us, almost of the same height as Wolfie. No single dirt was found on its white skin, adorned with hair glossy as silk. Anyone who saw this horse will know that it was a very well-groomed horse.

    "Beautiful, isn''t he? His name is Nox," he smiled proudly to Nox, "Come here," he waved his hands to me, asking me to come closer to them.

    I stepped closer, but not close enough as I was kind of scared of the horse. Luke frowned after looking at our distance and walked to me, "Come on, don''t be scared," he pulled my wrist gently and stopped only when I was two steps away from Nox.

    Nox who noticed my presence glanced at me and started to lean on my body, which caused me to tense up almost immediately.

    Luke who saw my reaction laughed, "It seems that he likes you."

    "N-no, please get him away from me," I asked him for help, but the only thing I got from him was his laughter.

    "Try touching him," he said calmly with no intention of pulling Nox away from me.

    I brought my hand up nervously, trying to pet his head. I guess there is nothing bad about trying to befriend my fear. My trembling hand made its way on the top of Nox''s head but did nothing to rub his head.

    "Here, pet him like this," Luke petted Nox gently which made Nox neigh in p???sur?. I followed his gesture and got the same response from Nox, "See, it isn''t that scary, is it?"

    "Yeah," I nodded my head down, feeling the end of my lips curved up after I had just successfully pet Nox.

    He patted my head while smiling, "You are adorable," he stepped closer to me, then his hands suddenly made its way to my waist, lifting my body up in the process. I was now sitting on top of Nox.

    "L-Luke! What are you doing?!" Flabbergasted at the sudden action, I quickly grabbed on the saddle, trying hard to not fall down.

    He ignored my question and instead also climbed up to Nox, sitting right behind me. One of his hands grip on Nox''s rein, and the other wrapped around my waist securely, "We are going to learn how to ride a horse today."

    Right after he said it, Nox started to walk, alarming me at the same time. I quickly hold on to Luke''s arm around my waist, "I-I''m scared."

    "What''s there to be scared of when I''m right behind you?" he chuckled, "It''s fine, we will learn slowly."

    I stayed still like a stone, not daring to move even an inch away. It was my first time riding a horse, so it was very nerve-wracking for me to be on top of one. I''ve never imagined there would be a day where I''ll be riding a horse myself, instead of going in a carriage.

    "Here, hold the rein," Luke offered me the rein, "And put your feet on the stirrups." Feeling my tensed body, he gave me a gentle squeeze on my shoulder, "It''s okay, I''ll be right behind you."

    He''s right, I don''t think anything bad will happen when he is with me. So I mustered up my courage and hold on the rein, also placing my feet on the stirrups. It''s good to learn something new as I didn''t have a lot of chances to do so before. Now I was given the chance to, I need to take upon it and learn properly.

    "Good, now this rein right here is used to direct the horse, so to turn left or right, you can pull the rein towards the direction that you want. Remember to not put too much pressure on it, or you will hurt and upset the horse, okay?"

    I nodded slowly at his explanations, giving the rein a light squeeze as he says.

    "The first thing you need to know before riding a horse is how to ask him to halt. To do that, you just have to close your fingers and pull backward, don''t yank on it suddenly, but pull on it slowly, minding the light pressure on your hands.

    "Then, to ask the horse to walk you need to give him a light squeeze with your lower legs, you can release it once he moved. Try doing it," he said as he patted my hands.

    I tried to give Nox a light squeeze with my legs, but it doesn''t seem to work with Nox as he stayed still. I glanced to give Luke a look, and he only smiled back to me, "Put more pressure to your legs," he commanded.

    I gave Nox another gentle squeeze and finally succeed in moving him forward. But his sudden movement surprised me so I unknowingly let out a shriek, pulling the rein tightly in the process. Nox reacted to the pull and stopped, but it seems that I pulled on the rein too harshly as Nox let out a neigh. Luke holds on to my body to steady me, "Relax, Nox will know when you are nervous and will react accordingly."

    "Sorry," I scratched on Nox''s neck lightly as an apology which got another neigh as a response.

    "Let''s try again," he suggested, "Don''t be nervous."

    I swallowed my saliva and tried to calm my nerves before giving Nox another try. I demonstrated the thing Luke had just taught me before, and once again succeed in getting Nox to move.

    "Try turning left," Luke said. I pulled on the rein to the left lightly, giving the cue to Nox to turn left. Nox did as he was told to and turned left, giving me the feeling of proudness and happiness as I succeed in doing so.

    "I did it!" I squealed cheerfully, feeling a wide smile sprawled on my face. Luke laughed softly at my cheery exclaimed, "You are doing great," he praised.

    I kept on practicing, turning left and right a few more times before finally pulling on the rein to halt when Luke suggested, "Do you want to go to the packhouse?"

    "Packhouse?"

    I''ve never thought about where the people lived before, it just came to my mind now that they all have their own houses. I realized Luke''s pack territory is like a village where people live together, with Luke as the head of the village.

    "Yeah, we need to go into the forest to go there. Try walking Nox there, I will show you the way," he said, "You can give Nox more pressure on your legs to ask him to walk faster."

    "Okay," I lead Nox to the direction Luke told me, going deeper into the forest. As we walked into the forest, I saw a couple of blue flowers which I encountered before, the very same one Luke reminded me of how dangerous it is.

    "What is the name of that flower?" I asked Luke out of curiosity.

    "We just call it the blue flower," Luke replied, "Remember what I told you?"

    "To stay away from it," I answered. I stared at the flowers, feeling the urge to go near it for the second time. I quickly snapped out of it and shook my head, chasing the urge away from me. I remembered this flower was what made me and Wolfie met each other. Even such a poisonous flower could bring something good out of it.

    "Do you remember how you growled at me for almost touching it?"

    "Of course I do. I don''t even want to imagine what would happen to you if I was a second late," he held on to me tighter, "Why?"

    "I was glad to meet you that day," I smiled, "It was the first time I saw you in your wolf form, although I didn''t know it was you back then."

    "Really? I thought you were scared of me when you first saw me," he replied.

    "I was scared at first, but I then felt that you looked more cute than scary," I laughed, "I was supposed to be scared at you after what had happened, but I didn''t."

    "What happened?" he asked.

    I bit back my lips when I realized I just made a slip of the tongue. Now I know that he will not let me off before telling him what had happened. I went silent for a few minutes, contemplating whether or not I should tell him about the incident that occurred to me a few years back. But knowing this impatient man, he called out to me, demanding an answer.

    "Violet," he called, "Tell me."

    "I was once attacked by werewolves," I replied hesitantly.

    I could feel Luke''s body starting to tensed at my words, "When?"

    "When I was eight, it was when everything went wrong in my life."

    "Are you sure it was werewolves? Not rogues?"

    "I''m not sure, they all look the same to me," I answered.

    "How did you escape?" he asked with a grim tone, it was evident that he was starting to get heated by my story.

    "My mom, she sacrificed herself, giving me the chance to escape," my hand tightened, "I shouldn''t have left her back then," waters started to fill my eyes, blurring my vision. I wiped the tears away and smiled, "But I was also helped by a werewolf."

    "A werewolf?"

    "Yeah, a big grey wolf. It took me home safely, but I wish it didn''t. Because the place where I thought was a safe place for me to go back to soon changed into a hellish place, somewhere that I wish I hadn''t stepped into my whole life. It would be better if I stayed in the woods."

    "I''m sorry I couldn''t be there for you back then," he sighed in frustration, "I wish we had met sooner, you wouldn''t have to suffer so much."

    "But I''m here with you now," I glanced at him, making eye contact with the owner of beautiful red eyes. The deep red eyes I was now profound to, something that I unknowingly search for every other day. His presence always comforts me, he was slowly starting to become a part of my life.

    He sighed and hugged me from behind, wrapping me in his arms, "I will protect you with all my life."

    "You don''t have to do that," I smiled, "I will protect myself."

    "But I want to," he breathes into me, tickling my neck while doing so, "I love you," he confessed out of nowhere.

    It was not the first time he told me about his feelings for me, but I couldn''t help to feel surprised at his sudden confession. I didn''t know if I had the same feelings as he had for me, so I couldn''t bring myself to reply to his confession.

    "Luke, IˇŞ"

    "It''s fine. You don''t need to tell me anything," he released his hugs, "I will just keep saying it to you until you are ready to tell me that you love me too. I will work hard and wait for you."

    "Thank you," I smiled, despite feeling a little bad that he have to do that for me.

    The memories of the past years of my life were still haunting me, I was still chained to it, like a bird in a cage. Everything I did remind me of those tortures, even when it was irrelevant. Those memories became a daily occurrence to me, like a repeated opera that went in my head every day. I need to move on from those phases before getting into a new one, I need to omit the bad feelings I had inside of me.

    I wish to be freed from them soon.

 Chapter 26 - A day with mate - Part 2

    "We are here," Luke said as he pulled the rein to stop. He jumped off Nox and landed easily on the ground. Right after, he opened his arms to me, "Come," he smiled.

    I hastily accept his help because I was just wondering about how I will be able to get down the horse. He lifted my body the same way as he did when he helped me climbed up Nox. Both of his hands were placed on my waist, swiftly lifting my weight as if I weight feathers.

    "Thank you," my feet were now standing on grounds, but Luke didn''t move his hands away and instead pulled me closer to him until both fronts of our ?h?st touched each other, "W-what are you doing?" I put my hands on his shoulders, a futile attempt to distance our adjacency.

    "Nothing," he smiled giddily, "I just love the sparks I felt whenever I touched you."

    "What sparks?"

    "Something that I wish you will feel too sometime later," he pinched my cheeks lightly, "Let''s go."

    In a matter of time, our hands had become intertwined with each other. The warmth his hand gave me was pleasant in the midst of this chilly weather, so I cordially welcome his eager hand. The scenery surrounding us that was just filled with trees on our way here was now starting to change into that of houses made of wood.

    There were dozens of houses in this area, in which those houses look much simpler compared to the exquisite house of Luke that I was used to seeing now. They were made of sturdy woods but are also built in a way that is aesthetically pleasing to the eyes. Some were big, and some were small. I think these are the kind of houses that people would expect when someone said something about houses in the woods.

    We walked hand in hand into the housing area of the people. Some people were roaming around the house, children playing tags here and there, and also some were busy doing their daily routines. I hovered around the area just to look around without any intention to disturb their activities, but their keen sense of smell caught the new scent floating in the air. They turned their attention to our presence and looked surprised to see our sudden appearance here.

    "Alpha, Luna," a man who was the nearest to us bowed his head, "To what p???sur? do we owe this visit?"

    "I am only here to look around, you don''t need to be so tense," Luke replied calmly, "It has been such a long time since I''ve last come here."

    "It indeed has been a long time," the man said, "Do you need any help with anything?"

    "There''s no need," Luke answered curtly, "You can go back to your routines."

    The man nodded and headed back to continue what he was doing before. The other people also went back to do what they were doing before but I can feel that their attention was still on us. Why are they so nervous with us around? It was not like the day of the feast, they were not as relaxed as before.

    "Why do they look so nervous? They are acting so differently from yesterday night."

    "It''s probably because of me," Luke answered.

    "What do you mean?"

    "I rarely meet the people, that''s why they felt uncomfortable with me around. It''s like the relationship between a boss and the employees. It''s always Andrew who did everything that concerns the people, it''s too troublesome for me because I have a lot of works to do.

    "And the drunken night is a tradition where we all are free to do what we want. That''s why they are more... loose that night."

    I nodded in acknowledgment. He does seem like someone who prefers to stay in a quiet place instead of somewhere bustling with people. That makes sense. But that also sounded like he was dumping all the troubling works to Andrew.

    "Do you know why I asked you to come here?"

    "Because you are bored?" I answered with a little uncertainty.

    "No, silly," he chuckled, "You are soon to be my Luna, so I want you to get to know all things about the pack, including my territory and the people."

    "Oh."

    His reasoning was actually kind of burdening me. I was still not sure whether I was capable of being his Luna. I was weak, and I didn''t know a lot about the world. How could I lead so many people behind me?

    Luke noticed the frown on my forehead and flicked it softly, pulling me out of my thoughts, "What are you thinking?"

    "Whether or not I am fitted to be your Luna."

    "That''s a ridiculous question, Violet," he held both of my shoulders, positioning myself to look straight at him, "Of course you are. There isn''t anyone else in the world that is fitted to be in that position unless it''s you."

    "But I''m weaker than most of you."

    "You can get stronger," he stared deep into me, "Remember? Slowly but surely."

    I exhaled weakly but then gave him a smile, "Right."

    He was right. I could get stronger. That was what I want. I could be someone better than I am today because I have thousand of chances to improve, countless times to spare now. I felt that it would all be possible if I was around him. He gave me hope.

    Just as we started to walk again, a drop of crystal-clear water fall upon us up from the boundless sky. It started little by little, then began to come pouring down harsher by the minute.

    "It''s raining," he pulled me close, covering both of us under the jacket he was wearing, "Let''s go there."

    We ran to a nearby house to take cover, but when we arrived by the house, Luke opened the door without any consideration of its owner. The door opened, showing an old lady who was sipping her tea. Startled by the sudden appearance, the tea that was once in her mouth came out to the outside world for the second time.

    "Goodness God!" she shouted, "What the hell are you two doing in my house?!"

    "Emma?" I called out to the old woman who I came to acquainted just the night before.

    "Can''t you see it''s raining out there?" Luke replied indifferently, "We are taking a cover."

    She snorted to Luke, "Who told you you can come in without my permission?"

    "I can''t?"

    Emma walked to Luke and smacked him on the head, "This is my house you dumbass, not yours."

    I felt my mouth fell agape as this was the first time I saw someone being superior to Luke. Usually, the people around him wouldn''t even dare to talk back to him but Emma could easily retort to his remarks. Luke also didn''t seem to mind her actions.

    "Ouch!" Luke rubbed his head, "It''s not like this is my first time here."

    She sent him a glare but ignored his comments. She walked inside and came back with two teacups in her hands, "Sit here," she pointed to the big sofa in the middle of the room. Just in front of the sofa, there was placed a fireplace that brought warmth throughout the room.

    The house she was living in was not too big, but not too small either. Just like any other house in the area, it was also made out of woods. The inside of the house was decorated with many things, all described Emma''s personality. There were many sewed things all over the house, varying in many colors. Upon the walls were photographs of a family, smiling from eye to eye.

    "Is that your family?" I asked, trying to come up with a conversation.

    "Yes, it is," she smiled as she poured tea to our teacups, but said no more regarding them, "Here, drink this. It will warm you up."

    "Thank you," I sipped the tea, "What tea is this? It smells good."

    "It''s peppermint tea," she replied, "It''s good for cold just in case you caught it after being in the rain."

    Even after drinking the warm tea and sitting in front of a fireplace, my body was still shivering from the cold rain as my clothes were still damp. Luke noticed how I was shivering and asked Emma, "Do you have any spare clothes she can possibly wear?"

    "Oh, I do. I should have given you a change of clothes, pardon this old lady."

    "No, it''s okay. I''m fine," I ?ssured her.

    "What are you talking about? You are shivering," Luke said.

    Emma left the room to bring me some spare clothes, so I used this chance to talk to Luke sneakily with a small voice, almost whispering so that Emma couldn''t hear it.

    "You shouldn''t have asked her to do that, I''m afraid that it will trouble her."

    "How is that a trouble?" he frowned, "Stop thinking such useless thing. This kind of thing is normal around people," he ruffled my hair.

    Is that really? I rarely asked someone for a favor so I didn''t know to what extent of a favor that was acceptable. Maybe I''ve spent too much time alone that I didn''t know what is normal around people. Emma came back and handed me a dress, "Here, my favorite dress from when I was younger."

    "Are you sure I can use this?"

    "Why can''t you? Besides, this old woman can''t even fit into it anymore. Look at this," she pointed to her belly, "Go change."

    I thanked her and went into the bathroom, changing from my damp clothes to the new dress I''ve just received. It was a yellow dress, beautiful in every part of it. A few laces decorated the front of the ?h?st, giving more personality to this piece of clothing. It was tight at the top but flowy at the bottom. It fitted my body as if it was tailored especially for me.

    I marched back to the living room and saw Luke and Emma who were talking cheerfully. They noticed my footsteps and glanced at me.

    "Oh my, you look wonderful," Emma clapped her hands, "I know I have a good eye for dresses."

    "This is beautiful," I said to Emma, "Thank you."

    Luke pulled my wrist so I sat next to him, "You look beautiful," he ??r?ssed my cheeks and sighed before asking, "Can I kiss you?

    Startled by his remark, I quickly freed my hand from his grip, "Y-you are talking nonsense," I said as I stole glances at Emma who was shaking her head.

    "You both can do whatever you want," she said, "But not in this holy place of mine," shooting daggers from her eyes.

    Luke laughed at my bewildered reaction, "Then we should hurry head back to our room," he said as he gave me a peck. This man really got no shame. He knew that I easily got embarrassed by his bold words so he purposely teased me with it. I glared at him but he only smirked mischievously.

    "Looking at you now you really have grown up," Emma said, "I still remember how you often snack on sands and climbed the trees to run from your mom when you were getting scolded," she laughed.

    "Don''t talk about that," Luke warned her.

    "I even doubted that you were a monkey instead of a werewolf," she teased, "It will be better if you were still that cute little boy instead of..." she sighed.

    "Instead of what? A handsome man? You know I grew up perfectly from head to toe," he grinned, "You wouldn''t find anyone as perfect as me in this world."

    "Cheeky," I said in my mind, but it seems that I unconsciously voiced it out as they both glanced at me.

    Emma laughed loudly after hearing what I''ve just said, and Luke grinned even wider, "Am I wrong, Violet?" he raised my chin to look him in the eyes.

    I averted my gaze away from him, "It was a slip of tongue," I looked away and set my attention to the window, "Oh! It stopped raining," I said to shift the topic.

    "You are right," he released his hold, letting the topic to shift away, "We should go now."

    I stood up and thanked her, "Thank you for your help, Emma."

    "You can come here again if you are bored, I will let you in many fun stories," she flashes Luke a look which he returned with a glare.

    "Let''s go," he grasped my hand and lead us to the door, "Thank you, Em. I will bring you some tea that you like later," he said.

    "There''s no need, just let your mate come to my house sometime," she winked.

    "Not when I''m not around," he replied sternly, "Who knows what kind of weird things you will spout to her."

    I chuckled at the exchange these two people are having. It seems that they have known each other for some time, knowing that Emma and Luke''s mom was close friends. We bid our farewell and stepped out of her house.

    Right after we went outside, our bodies were greeted by the cold wind and damp grounds. Luke placed his now dry jacket around my shoulder, "Use this."

    "I''m fine, you can use it," I took it off me but was stopped by him.

    "I''m a werewolf, Vi. I can go around n?k?d and won''t catch a cold, but it''s different for you," he fixed the jacket back on, "I don''t want you to catch a cold in this weather."

    I laughed softly, "You are such a worry-wart sometimes."

    "I am when it''s about you," he pinched my cheeks, "Now, what do you want to do next? We still have some time before it darkens."

    What to do next? I didn''t particularly have anything that I wanted to do. I used a few minutes to think about our next activities, and recalled the beautiful place he took me to before.

    "How about we go to your secret place?" I suggested merrily. That place was the most beautiful place I''ve ever encountered in my life. It would be such a waste to not use this free time to appreciate the astonishing scenery it provided.

    "Sure," he nodded in agreement.

    I looked up to the sky to see that it was now clear, with no sign of other rain coming. This would be the perfect time to go there. The sun was not too bright, but it was not too dark either. Even though the weather was still a little chilly, it was bearable.

    "Here, hold this," I looked back to Luke and noticed something different. His b?r? skin was now open to the world, giving me all access to see almost all parts of him. The only thing that still remained on his body was the cloth that was used to hide his treasure. Why is he n?k?d?!

    "W-what are you doing?!"

 Chapter 27 - A day with mate - Part 3

    "W-What are you doing?!"

    I turned my body around hastily, surprised to see something I was not supposed to see. It was pretty shocking to see him almost n?k?d all of a sudden.

    "What''s wrong?" he asked nonchalantly.

    "Why are you n?k?d?!"

    "Oh," he replied casually as if only noticing the problem, "I''m going to shift and I don''t want my clothes to be torn, they are expensive."

    "You should''ve warned me!"

    "Are you being shy right now?" he laughed, "You know werewolves saw each other n?k?d almost every day, we are used to it."

    "I''m not a werewolf," I protested.

    "You''ll have to get used to this sight in the future," he teased, "It''s better to start early."

    "WhatˇŞ"

    "Hold this," he pulled my hand backward, handing me his clothes, "Don''t lose it if you don''t want me going around n?k?d."

    Afterward, there were a few bones cracking sounds which I ?ssumed was the sound of Luke shifting to his werewolf form. Only after the sound stopped did I turned my body back towards him. Turning around, there stood the same humongous black wolf that I knew, towering over my petite body.

    He stepped closer to me, then lowered his head and rubbed it to my hand. He was like a puppy who was asking for a pat on the head. I smiled after looking at how cute he acted. I realized Luke and Wolfie acted differently, it was like he had two different personalities. Luke acted more cheeky and bold whereas Wolfie was more to the cuter side. If you asked me which one I liked better, then I''ll have to go with the cuter one. Not because I''ve always wanted a dog.

    "I missed you, Wolfie," I said as I stroked his head, "You should shift more often."

    He first growled lowly after hearing my words then smiled while wagging his tail. What is this? He just showed me two kinds of different reactions. It was like he was both happy and unhappy with what I''ve just said.

    He tugged on my dress and lowered his head even more, drooping as low to the ground.

    "Are you asking me to climb up to you?" He nodded as a reply.

    Was he trying to give me a ride to the secret place in his wolf form? It would be like that time when I was saved by a werewolf and slept on his back. This will be the second time I will be riding on a werewolf. But I guess it won''t be as scary as before.

    "What about Nox?"

    He shook his head and nudge me again, urging me to climb up to his body. I climbed up and settled myself on his back, holding to his fur to not fall down. It has been a long time since I saw Wolfie and I''ve forgotten how soft his fur was. It would be nice if I could sleep while cuddling his soft and warm body.

    After confirming that I was ready, he proceeds to walk towards the aforementioned place. He started slow but got faster as time goes by.

    "Why are you running so fast?" I asked as I clenched on his fur more. It was getting very bouncy up here the faster he ran, so I stick close to his body and hung myself around him like a monkey hanging on a tree.

    He ignored my question and kept running at the same pace as before. At first, I was scared by the speed but soon I got used to the pace and started to enjoy the wind that hit me as we ran. As I have started to relax, the run felt much more exciting and less scary than before. Running like this made me feel free like I was not chained by anything, and I could do whatever I want in this world. It felt great.

    We got to the secret place in less than five minutes after we started to depart. No wonder werewolves were called supernatural creatures because look at this inhuman speed, it was not normal. This place was even farther than the distance needed from Luke''s house to the packhouse and earlier, we needed twenty minutes to arrive.

    He slowed down and finally stopped at the edge of the same cliff which had magnificent scenery that I could never forget. It was beautiful, just like how I rememberedˇŞno, I think it was even more beautiful now that it was the time of sunset.

    The sky was lit with the mixture of red blended with orange to blue and purple, with the sun shining its last amber of the day before it was soon taken over by the twilight of the night. The sea beneath was calm, everything below the water seemed to darken as the day fades away. I took in this breathtaking view into my eyes, stamping it deep into my mind for me to remember for the rest of my time.

    "I feel like you are the one doing me a favor instead of the other way around," I let out a chuckle as I got off his body. I walked closer to the end of the cliff, inhaling the fresh air that lingered in this plateau.

    Wolfie sat down on the ground and I soon followed, sitting right next to him. I put his clothes that I''ve been holding next to me and leaned my head to his body, "Thank you for taking me here."

    He glanced at me and licked my face, "Stop," I laughed as I pushed him away from me, "That''s gross."

    He stopped ???k?n? as if he was surprised to hear what I''ve just said. He dropped his face to the ground and gave me a side look with his sad-looking eyes. His ears were lowered meekly, his tail also down. I have to admit this was the cutest thing he has ever shown me, I couldn''t help but smile after looking at his adorable gesture.

    "Sorry, you are not gross," I laughed heartily, "Why are you so adorable?"

    He grunted and look away, turning away from my directions. I snuggled closer to him and use both palms to lift his face to look my way, "Are you mad because I called you gross?"

    Even after I''ve lifted his face, he still kept his eyes to somewhere else but me. Looking at him now, I could conclude that he was obviously upset with it. So I forced him to look at me by following his gaze wherever they were focused on. He moved his gaze away numerous times, and I earnestly followed it until he grew tired of avoiding me and finally settled his eyes on me.

    Our eyes gazed into each other and I now realized that Wolfie''s and Luke''s eyes'' colors were different. Wolfie''s was that of a brighter red, where Luke''s was in a darker shade of red.

    "Don''t be upset. I''m sorry, okay?" I appealed, but there was still no response from him so I urged him again, "Hmm?"

    I didn''t expect to hear any words coming from a wolf but I was hoping for some sort of response. He only stared at me as if I was his prey, rooting his gaze straight into me. I did force him to look at me before but now that he was staring at me this intensely, I was the one who wanted to avoid his gaze.

    "W-why are you staring at me? I let out an awkward laugh, "You are making me a little nervous." Actually, not a little, but very nervous.

    Still unfazed by my question, his gaze never went away from me that made me wonder if there was actually something wrong with him. But it didn''t look like he got some kind of a problem, instead, maybe I do. I am in trouble.

    I slowly retreated my palms that were on his face before, hiding them behind my back. His gaze was starting to get into me so I just decided to stare back at him confidently. I was not going to lose on this staring battle if that was what he wanted to do right now. Was he really that upset?

    We stared at each other for some time, before he scooted closer to me in which made me moved back. What was he trying to do?

    Seconds later, the same bone-rattling sound was heard in this quiet area. The big black wolf reduces in size, forming into the shape of a man. The soft fur crawled back to his body and was replaced by smooth skin. Even after shifting back to human form, I was still small compared to him.

    He moved closer without breaking his gaze away while placing both arms on the ground beside where my body was sitting. The distance between us was close to gone when he started to move his head towards mine, with his gaze moving down from my eyes... to my lips.

    I turned my head to the side after realizing what he wanted to do. I quickly snatched his clothes off the ground and threw them to his face, "Y-your clothes! Wear your clothes!"

    I stood up and walked a little to the forest, waiting for him to finish putting on his clothes with my back to him. I used this little time I got to calm my nerves and pounding heart. Was he trying to kiss me before?

    "Rabbit," he called out.

    I turned around slowly, "A-are you finished?" I stupidly asked the obvious. There was no need to answer that question as I could see that he was completely dressed right now.

    He walked towards me with the same blank expression he had from minutes ago which had me swallowing the lump in my throat nervously. He stopped a few steps away from me and pinched both of my cheeks, "What? I''m gross?"

    "No... it was a slip of tongue," I replied.

    "It seems you''ve made a lot of slips today," he said while pinching my cheeks side to side lightly, "Let''s go back," he released my cheeks and held my hand. What is this? Is he not mad?

    "Are you mad?"

    "A little," he said with a hushed tone, "How can you say that I''m gross?"

    "I''m sorry," I pouted, "You are not gross."

    "Then what am I?"

    What is it that this man wants me to say? "Umm... handsome?"

    "That I am," he grinned, "How is it?"

    "What?" I asked him, getting confused with his questions.

    "The ride?"

    "Oh, it was fun," I smiled, "Can you give me a ride again sometime? I''ve never felt this free before! It was crazy running wildly like that."

    "Really?" he let out a soft chuckle, "Is that why you liked me in my wolf form better?" When I told you I stopped breathing for a moment, I did. I see this man held grudges very well.

    "I like both forms," I gave him a smile to escape his question, "Do you have split personalities?"

    "What do you mean?"

    "I mean, you act differently when you are in your wolf form and now."

    "It''s because both I and my wolf have our own minds. I can interfere with my wolf''s actions when I am in his form, like how I can move accordingly to what I want when I shift. I can also suppress him as I hold bigger control of this body," he explained, "But there might be a time where I can lose it and my wolf takes over me completely."

    Then when I asked him to shift more often, was that him who growled at me? I nodded at his explanations. That explained why he acted so differently when he shifted. I wanted to see a time where Wolfie took control of his body and acted cutely while in his human form. That would be a sight to see.

    "Do you remember what I told you about last night?" he asked.

    "I don''t remember anything after drinking with Emma," I shook my head.

    "I''ll be leaving to the neighboring pack for two days."

    I stopped in my tracks after hearing what he has just said, "Why?"

    He also stopped, "I need to help them with the attacks that are happening there. The attacks are horrendous, it takes up a huge number of lives, I can''t stay put."

    "When will you be leaving?"

    "Tomorrow morning," he grimaced at his own words as if he didn''t want to say it out.

    "Can''t you take me with you?"

    "You are asking the same question you asked when you were drunk," he smiled and patted my head, "My answer will also be the same. I can''t, Violet."

    I smiled sourly at his answer as I knew the reasons why he doesn''t want me to go with him. It must be very dangerous, and he didn''t want anything bad happening to me while being there.

    "Will you be okay?" I inquired worriedly, "I mean, you said that there are a lot of attacks."

    "Are you worried about me?" he laughed, "Of course I will be okay. You know that I am the Alpha, right? The strongest werewolf out there. A mere rogue can''t hurt me."

    I wonder just how strong he is that made him so full of himself? Regardless of how strong he was, I couldn''t help but worry about him. Everyone could get hurt and I didn''t want him to be hurt. I wish there was something that I could do to help him.

    "Stay safe," I reminded him, fiddling on my fingers before saying, "Come back quickly."

    "I will," he pecked my cheek, "Will you miss me?" I slowly nodded to his question bashfully, and a dashing smile appeared on his face.

    "Me too."

 Chapter 28 - Away from him - Part 1

    "Violet, look at this," my mom held out a purple-colored flower, "Isn''t it beautiful?"

    "It is really pretty!" I giggled, "What is the name of this flower, mama?"

    "Violet," she smiled.

    "Yes, mama?" my head tilted to the side while my eyebrows rose up in excitement as she called me.

    "It''s the name of the flower," she laughed heartily, "It has the same name as you."

    "Then... are we twins?"

    She ??r?ssed my hair and untangled the tied knot that was forming on my brown wavy hair, "Not particularly, but you do have some similarities."

    I stared at the purple flower on her hands and frowned as I didn''t recognize any similarities between me and this flower. Perceiving the look on my face, she calmly explained,

    "Look at the color of the flower," she pointed to the petals and smiled, "Do you see the resemblance now?"

    After receiving the clues, my face lit up knowingly, "Oh! My eyes!"

    "That''s right! You have the same beautiful purple color right here," her fingers tapped on the side of my eye lightly, "This is where your name came from," she waved the flower on her hand, "Do you know what''s the meaning of this flower?" she asked to which I shook my head to.

    "It means ''I''ll always be true''," she replied.

    "What does it mean?" I asked, confused by its meaning.

    "It means to be completely honest with yourself, staying faithful to your values, being sincere, open-minded, and fair. No matter what people say about you, I want you to only believe in yourself, live your life the way you wanted it to be lived, not how people want you to live," she patted my head softly, "Remember this, okay?"

    I nodded and asked, "Are you also true to yourself, mama?"

    "Of course," she answered without any hesitation. I gave her a beaming smile and said, "Then I will also live the way you live because mama is always right!" She returned my smile with another affectionate smile, the one that I''ve always love to see.

    "Which one is prettier, mama? Me or this Violet?" I placed my palms on both sides of my cheeks and blinked my eyes a few times, trying to outstand the beauty of the flower.

    She first stared at me blankly for a second and then laugh loudly, "Who taught you to be this cheeky?" she touched the tip of my nose, "Of course my daughter Violet is prettier, from who do you think you got those looks?" her chin raised up proudly.

    "Isn''t it from the fairies?" I gave her an oblivious answer to tease her and giggled, showing my two missing front teeth.

    She flicked my forehead lightly and grinned, "You naughty child!" she raised her hands up, bending her fingers slightly, forming the shape of a claw. She then started to tickle my small body, "Take this!"

    I wriggled my body side to side and laughed from her tickles, then slipped away from her hands and escape from the deadly tickles. She chased after me and soon caught up to me, swifting my body off ground.

    "You dare run away from me?" she smirked, "I shall punish you with this," she raised one of her hands up to the sky as if receiving power from heaven and proceed to tickle me further. Now there was no way out of her tickles and I was laughing ceaselessly due to it.

    "S-stop hahaha," I tapped on her shoulder for a time out. As I was getting out of breath, she eventually stopped to give me time for my lungs to inhale the oxygen it needed to work.

    She pinched my cheeks, "That''s what you get for teasing your mom," she grinned playfully.

    "But mama also teased me a lot!" I complained breathlessly, still trying to calm myself from the attack that was thrown at me just a minute ago.

    "Life is always unfair, honey," she ruffled my hair.

    The morning sun woke me up from my deep slumber and blinded my eyes right after I opened it. I used my hand to slightly cover my eyes from the blinding light, giving it the time to adapt to the bright luminance.

    I stared at the ceiling and tried to rewind the dream that I have just had. A very pleasant one, indeed. It made me start my day with a smile splattered on my face. I didn''t have any pictures of my mom so it was really nice to look at her face again even when it''s only from a dream. At least this way I won''t forgot how she looks like after all these years.

    I got out of my bed and headed to the bathroom to wash the haziness away from my face. I wiped the mist that covered the mirror and focused on the reflection that was formed. My hand trailed up to my cheeks, then stopped at my eyes. It was clearly in the color green, but why is it purple in my dream? I knew that it was a memory from my childhood and not some kind of imagination my brain made. But I don''t remember my eyes being purple. What made it different, after all these years? Is there something that is missing from my memory?

    Stepping out of the bathroom, it finally dawns on me that today is the day Luke will be leaving. I looked at the clock hastily to see that it was now eight in the morning, thirty minutes past the time he said he was going to depart. I promptly changed into whatever attire that is closest to me and ran out of my room to look for him.

    I dashed through the long corridors and found my way out of the house. When I finally went out of the house, there were already a few people standing close to the forest, with Luke in the middle part of the gang. They were all looking towards the forest but then turned their bodies over to me as if they knew that I was here even without looking. Luke stepped out of the crowd, giving me a dashing smile while I ran with sweats dripping down my cheeks.

    "I thought you are not going to see me off," he mumbled in dismal.

    "I''m sorry, I overslept," I held one of his fingers timidly, "Did you wait for me?"

    "Of course I did. I''m not going to leave before I see you," he said as he wiped the perspiration that was showing on my face, "Did you run all the way here?" he asked and I nodded to answer.

    "Why didn''t you call for me?"

    "I want to know if you are going to see me off on your own," he smiled, "Your shoes are mismatched," he pointed to my mismatched shoes which I just realized, "Seems like you are in such a hurry," he laughed.

    I looked down and fidgeted my feet, "I was scared that you might have left without seeing me."

    He opened his arms, "Will you give me a hug?"

    I gawked at him and glanced at the few people around us. He noticed my gesture and asked, "What''s wrong?"

    "There are a lot of people looking," I said bashfully.

    "And?"

    "It''s embarrassing to be stared atˇŞ" before I could finish my sentence, he pulled me to his arms.

    "Why should you care about that," he said, inhaling my scent, "All you need to care about is me. People stare at you because you are the most beautiful person they''ve laid their eyes on, but that''s not your fault, is it?" he laughed.

    "That''s not true," I muttered shyly while leaning to him.

    I felt the people''s gaze and my cheeks started to rose in temperature so I hid my red face in Luke''s ?h?st. We stayed in this position for a few more minutes and it was getting pretty awkward with all the stares and all so I asked, "How much longer are you planning to hug me?"

    "I would want to stay this way forever if I can," he chuckled and pulled back to look at my face, "Will you let me do that?"

    "That''s not possible," I replied, "What if I need to use the bathroom?"

    "I will accompany you there," he said nonchalantly, "I won''t look if you are shy but if you are not thenˇŞ"

    "It''s getting late, I think you need to go soon," I pushed him away nimbly and break off the hug, "Where is the carriage?"

    I looked around us but there was no sign of any carriages. There were only a few unfamiliar faces which I ?ssumed were the warriors he was taking, and then there was Jack who was standing idly by while looking at the sky peacefully.

    He pouted at the distance that was added between us, "It''s faster for us to run than going on a carriage."

    "But won''t it be tiring?"

    "This way I can go back faster," he winked, "I don''t want to leave you alone for long."

    It was the first time that we were going to be apart any longer than a few hours and it felt weird. For all the time I''ve spent here, he was always in a part of my day so I didn''t know what to feel about this. Will it go back to the days I spent before meeting him? It was a dark and lonely day.

    "Stay here and be a good girl, okay?" he patted my head, "Don''t do anything bad behind my back," he warned me playfully.

    "I''ve never done anything bad," I frowned and glared at him, "You shouldn''t do anything bad behind my back too."

    He threw his head back and laughed heartily, "Like what, Violet?"

    "Don''t talk bad about me."

    "I only have good things to talk about you, rabbit. Thousands of it, do you want to hear it?" he smirked flirtily while tilting his head to the side.

    "Y-you said you want to come back sooner, it will be sunset by the time you are done," I turned his body around and pushed him towards the forest, "You should hurry and go now."

    He laughed while letting me pushed his body, also cueing the people to get ready to depart. His laugh soon died down and was replaced by a heavy sigh, "I don''t want to leave you," he said while looking backward at me.

    "I know," I gave him a wry smile, "See you soon," I said as I wave him goodbye.

    He stared at me with a pained look and hugged me one more time, reluctant to let go of the hug. I hugged him back and patted his back, "I will wait for you here, so come back faster."

    He was only leaving for two days but it felt like he was leaving for ten years looking at how hesitant he was to leave. Did I affect him that much?

    "Alpha, we can''t waste any more time," Jack came calling for him while glancing at his pocket watch. Luke frowned at him but release his hug and left a kiss on my forehead, "I will see you soon," with that, he walked away from me and headed to the forest. Just before he walked further, I tugged the hem of his shirt which made him turned back to me again.

    "Don''t get hurt," the tone of my voice coming out to be a little bit cracked, the worry in it was clearly visible.

    "I won''t," he smiled, "Who do you think I am?"

    Still cheeky as ever, I thought. But I guess anyone with such a high standing position like him will also be as cheeky and proud as him. Or is it just him, I wonder?

    Luke and the group then proceeded to walk, getting deeper and deeper into the forest until they were no longer to be seen. Now, I was the only one in this big and vast place. What should I do today?

 Chapter 29 - Away from him - Part 2

    My feet led me back to my room, and I was immediately drawn to the comfort of my bed as soon as I stepped into the space. The soft mattress dipped down when I threw my body upon it, engulfing my body in the process. It was very quiet and peaceful, just like the way I wanted it to be.

    This kind of luxury was rare back in the days when I was still in my old house. Most of the nights I spent were on the cold hard floor, damp with dried and fresh blood. Looking back, I did live a hellish life. How did I even survive? I didn''t think I will be able to live in that place again for the second time, I would rather die than going back to that fiendish manor.

    I think what my mom did was the thing that incited me to stay alive, even with all of the sufferings that I had to endure. I didn''t want to waste her efforts and die such a meaningless life. Even if I will have to die one day, I need to make sure that I have avenged the people that did evil to me and my mom before ending this life. That way I could die serenely and finally meet my mom.

    There was a time when I thought I was going to die. It was when my dad tied me with a chain and starved me for days. As if doing that was not enough, whipping my already weak body was something that entertained him and his wife. Almost every part of my body was wounded, blood oozed out of my body as if there was no tomorrow. There was completely no reason as to why they decided to drag me to that underground room, it was all pure for their mere entertainment. My life was a joke to them, something that they could use to play around with when they got bored with their lives. I didn''t even know which one of them was more heinous, they were like a match made in hell. The lords of hell struck gold when they match them together.

    But after this happened, they didn''t do anything to me for weeks. It was like they gave me time to recover before starting to torture me again. It was all thanks to Anna that I stayed alive. I got a very high fever right after it and was not waking up for days, but she kept on treating my wounds and kept compressing me with cold cloths even when all of the people derided her for taking care of me, the damned child. I was pretty much like a living bad omen to them.

    Now that I think of it, I haven''t got any news of her after I seek help from Luke. I was waiting for him to tell me himself because I knew that he was busy with works, but the day never comes. I need to ask him about it later when he got back. I hope nothing bad happened to Anna.

    The sound of my stomach grumbling tore me out of my thoughts, giving me another thing to focus on. I rubbed my belly and decided to go to the dining room to fill my stomach with Bob''s handmade delicacies. Bob''s cooking was one of the things that made living here a more enjoyable experience. Who wouldn''t want to eat delectable cooking every single day? I think no one will ever be able to resist it.

    I walked out of my room and headed to the dining room, hopping a little in my every step out of the excitement of filling my stomach soon. I pushed the door open and stepped into the empty room. The place was empty but not the table. There were already a few dishes placed on the table as if it was specifically prepared just for my arrival. I sat down and stared at the plates in front of me.

    "Is it not up to your liking?" A voice uttered without any warning, making me jump a little in my seat. I glanced at the source of the voice and saw Bob with his apron on, completed with a warm smile on his face.

    "Bob," I called out, "It''s not that, I was just thinking if this was mine."

    He let out a loud, hearty laugh, "Of course it is yours. Who else should I cook for if it''s not you and the Alpha in this house?"

    "I just want to make sure that I didn''t eat someone else''s food," I sent him a smile, "Thank you for the meal."

    He nodded his head and took a seat next to me, "I heard Alpha is away."

    "He is, but he said he will be back in two days," I replied as I munched on my food.

    What did I do when I was alone before? It has been a long time since I have to spend my day alone. I just realized that ever since I started to live here, there was no single day that Luke didn''t come to see me. No matter how busy he was with work, he always spared some of his time to spend some with me. I remembered that only after a few days of staying here, he did say that he will come to see me every day, but I didn''t think that he will really do that.

    He was always the one giving me things and I was always the one on the receiving end. I felt bad that all I do was accepting his help and not giving anything back. He was practically my savior, if it''s not for him, I was probably being beaten by my dad right now instead of eating sandwiches here. What can I do to return the favor? I didn''t have any money to buy anything and besides, I didn''t think there was anything in this world that he couldn''t afford.

    I sighed heavily when nothing comes to mind. I couldn''t believe that after living for seventeen years, there was literally nothing that I could do. I have no talent or whatsoever, so there was nothing that I could possibly give to him. I bit on my bacon sandwich meekly, feeling bitter after realizing that I was pretty much hopeless.

    I put my half-bitten sandwich back to the plate, then dropped my head to the table. I let out another sigh which made Bob piqued his curiosity, "What made you sigh so much?"

    "I''m sad that I don''t have anything that I can give to Luke," my lips formed a pout as I closed my eyes, "I wanted to give him something in return for everything that he had done for me but I don''t know if there is something that I can possibly give."

    "You know that you can give him something that you make personally, I think that will be better," he suggested.

    "Such as? I don''t know how to make anything," I raised my head and rested my chin on my palm.

    "I can teach you the things that I know," he grinned, "This," his hand circled around the plates on the table, meaning, the food. My eyes followed his gesture and felt my eyebrows arched up when I realized what he meant by it.

    Bob was right! If I didn''t have any money to buy anything and I didn''t know how to make anything, I could learn to do things! I didn''t have the chances to learn before that was why I''m clueless about almost everything in this world, but now I do have numerous chances to learn about things. I could try to learn how to cook from Bob and surprise him with dinner when he came back. That''s it!

    "You are right!" My face lit up as realization hit me, "Can you teach me how to cook, Bob?"

    "Gladly," he pounded on the table lightly, as if ready to take on this challenge, "Follow me," he walked to the door that was placed on the far right end of the dining hall, no one will even notice that there was a door here if one was not observant enough. I quickly finished my food and followed shortly behind.

    Stepping into the other side of the door, a kitchen came to my sight. It was a very clean and neat kitchen, pretty similar to the other kitchen that I''ve seen in Luke''s office building. A stove with a variety of pots was there, and a rectangular wood table placed in the middle of the kitchen. Looking around, I noticed there was a scullery used to wash the dishes and to prepare the food ingredients, also a wine cellar and food storage right beside.

    "Welcome to my sanctuary," Bob proudly exclaimed, "This is where all the good stuff is made."

    "I see you did a great job keeping this place," I whistled jokingly.

    He looked around and laughed, "Of course! Everyone will try to keep what''s precious to them in the best condition."

    I wonder what is it that is precious to me? I''ve never had anything that was mine, that''s why there''s nothing precious to me. It was hard enough for me to keep myself alive, moreover keeping something safe and well.

    "I don''t have anything like that," I uttered nonchalantly to Bob.

    "It doesn''t have to be a thing," he replied, "Could be a person."

    A person? Someone who is dear to me, someone who I wanted to protect. My family, they were once someone who I loved so badly, someone who made me happy the most. But now they are all gone, and I was left with nothing but suffering. I can''t even love my own self, how am I supposed to love others?

    Thinking about life has always made my mood go downhill, so I forced out a smile and changed the topic, "What are we making today?"

    "What do you want to make?" he threw the question back, "Do you want to make some of the Alpha''s favorite?"

    "Do you know his likings?"

    He smirked, "Of course, I''ve been his personal chef since he was a pup," he lowered his hand and placed it in front of his h?ps as if explaining Luke''s height as a child, "He was still this small when I first started serving him."

    "I only know that he like chicken," I said remembering the game of truths that we played before.

    "Ah, yes, chicken," he nodded, "He loves to eat all kinds of meat but chicken is his favorite. We can try making roasted chicken for him."

    Is doing this even enough? Will he like it if I do this? Despite my doubts, I was pretty excited to surprise him. It''s a first for me doing things like this for others. I hope he will like it.

    "And we are done," he took out the chicken and placed it on a plate, "Do you want to give it a try?"

    I nodded enthusiastically and grab a fork to eat, but then I suddenly felt a burn in my hand, "Ouch!" I dropped the fork to the floor and held my burning hand,

    "What''s wrong?" Worried, Bob came closer and asked.

    "I don''t know," I scrunched my face in pain, "My hand... it''s burning."

    "Let me take a look," I release my grip and let him take a look, "There''s nothing wrong with your hand," he said confusedly.

    He''s right. There was nothing wrong with my hand, it was completely fine. But strangely, I could feel the burn from inside. I was sweating all over my body, getting weaker and weaker as more time goes by. The burn that was only in my hand soon spread to my whole body, overwhelming me with the sudden pang of heat.

    I lost all strength in my body which made me fall backward, everything started to spin and my vision became blurry. The last thing I remembered before I lose my consciousness was Bob''s scream that was getting smaller and smaller.

 Chapter 30 - Away from him - Part 3

    "Are you awake?"

    A voice called out, waking me up from my unconscious state. I fluttered my eyes open slowly, taking in the view before me. The first thing that greeted my eyes was the same soft gold-colored ceiling that I was used to seeing. I was back in my room, that for sure.

    A groan escaped my lips as I tried to sit up, my head was pounding and throbbing so violently that I had to squeeze my eyes shut to willed the pain away. It was as if someone had taken a hammer to my skull, ceaselessly banging into my head. I raised my hand to my head to realize that there was a big bump on the side of my head.

    "Bob said you bumped your head to a table when you collapse, harshly," I glanced at the voice and recognized the owner of the helping voice, "Does it still hurt?"

    "A little," I smiled, "Why are you here, Lisa?"

    "What do you mean why?" she huffed, "Of course it''s because I am worried about you!" she muttered indignantly.

    "How long have I been out?"

    "A whole day," she answered. I took a peek outside my window and noticed that it''s bright out. Did I really pass out for a whole day? What the hell is wrong with me? The burnt that I felt yesterday is no longer there, and I felt completely fine except for my throbbing head.

    I furrowed my brow in confusion when Lisa''s hand touched my forehead, "You are still a little feverish," she said worriedly.

    "Fever?" I inquired, confused.

    "Yeah, you were burning like hell yesterday," she replied while wiping the sweats forming on my face that I didn''t even notice, "You don''t know how surprised I was when Bob rushed to me, his eyes moist with tears," she chuckled.

    "He must be shocked that I fainted all of a sudden," I laughed, imagining Bob panicking, "I should thank him for helping me out yesterday."

    "I will call him over to bring you something to eat, you must be hungry," she then remained quiet as if focusing on something, "He must be out of range, the mind-link is not working. I''ll be right back," I simply nod as a response. She waved goodbye and left the room.

    Must be nice to be able to communicate with others through the mind-link. It''s a great energy-saving method, we don''t need to waste any energy trying to talk to someone. I mean why talk when you can just telepath? Life will be a lot easier if everyone has the ability to do that. The world will be a nice and quiet place.

    I slumped my body back to the bed and moved my hand in a circular motion on my still throbbing head, trying to ease the pain that I was feeling. Just how hard did I bump into the table that it hurts this bad? I let out a heavy sigh, such bad luck. No, actually, my whole life is a tragedy itself so it''s no surprise that bad things keep on happening to me. How I love my life.

    What the hell happened yesterday? Why did I suddenly felt like there was a fire inside me? This never happened to me before and I''m confused. Do I have some kind of disease after years of torture? Like, my body is finally giving up life? I laughed wryly at my thoughts. It has been a very tiring life for me, mentally and physically. If not for my burning d?s?r? for revenge, I would have given up life myself. But I knew that mom wouldn''t want me dead, at least not now.

    Another sigh went out of my lips and I let my eyes wandered around the room uninterestedly. Everything was normal until I laid my eyes on the sole portrait that hung on the wall of this chamber. My eyes made contact with another eye that belongs to the figure inside of the portrait. She was looking straight at me.

    Our little contact gave goosebumps all over my body so I closed my eyes immediately, escaping from her gaze. What in the world was that? Why is she looking at me? I remembered that her eyes were supposed to look at the window beside me and not me! I know this has happened before but I thought it was only my imagination. But why is she looking at me again? I should''ve asked someone to take the portrait away the moment I realized something is odd with it. Will I be considered rude to Luke if I do that?

    What should I do now? I''m too scared to open my eyes. What if there''s something waiting in front of me when I open my eyes? Should I wait for Lisa or Bob to come before opening it? Maybe I should pretend to sleep until someone comes. I think that is the best decision for now. I should stay calm and act as natural as possible. I heard ghosts know when one is scared of them and will bother them even more. I should stay calm. Stay fu?k?n? calm.

    I can feel my eyeballs vibrating inside my eyelids as I forced them shut. I slowly pulled my blanket to cover my body, pretending that I was going back to sleep. I didn''t know what''s the situation out there with my eyes closed and all, whether there really is a ghost stuck inside that portrait or not. But still, I think it''s better safe than sorry. I should wait for help to come but when will they come? It''s been a good few minutes since Lisa left. I really can''t bear this tension any longer but there''s nothing that I can do if not pretending to sleep.

    "Come," a voice suddenly rings in my ears, "Come to me," it called out.

    What kind of otherworldly shit is this?! I didn''t heed the voice and ignored it, acting as natural as possible while actually trembling under the cover. When will Lisa come back?! I cursed inwardly, begging for the time when other sentient beings entered my room and save me from this apparition.

    "I know you heard me," she said, "I won''t hurt you, I promise."

    Why would a thief admit if she wanted to steal something? Like hell I will believe you. I glued my eyes shut and swallowed my saliva a couple of times until there was nothing left to swallow, but the presence of someone that I so desperately waited for never came until the same voice uttered again,

    "If you won''t come to me I will come to you," she said calmly which seems like a threat to me.

    I cursed slowly while opening my eyes little by little and went out of my safe territory. There was nothing unusual except the portrait that was still looking at me. I took a few heavy steps with my jelly-like legs towards the source of the voice, the portrait of the last Luna, Ysabelle.

    "W-What are you?"

    I asked the portrait in front of me but didn''t receive any answers to my question. Why is it ignoring me now that I have followed her wants? I took a little glimpse of her face to see some response but still received nothing. Is it not here anymore or whˇŞ

    All of a sudden, I felt some kind of force pulled my body. I was going beyond the walls, into the inside of the portrait. My knees scraped on what''s likely the ground and I let out a cry, "Ouch!"

    I took in my surroundings but all I see was darkness. I couldn''t see anything else. Is this where I die? In the world of the unseen? Oh good God, please, anywhere but here. I at least need to be buried in somewhere decent, right?

    "H-Hello?" I called out, regretting it almost instantly when I realized if anything comes out then it''s not going to be human. I clutched on my dress, gulping down the lump in my throat. I currently have no strength in me to stand up, so I just sit anxiously on the ground.

    A few moments passed by until a sound was heard in the midst of this darkness. Two claps were heard before the darkness dissipated, slowly turning lighter, giving me the access to see where in the world I am. The first thing I saw when my eyes adapt to the luminance was the same woman that was in the portrait back in my room, Ysabelle. But this time, it was not only a painting of her but the real figure of the person.

    "I''m sorry, did I scare you?" she laughed while extending her hand to help me up.

    What''s in front of me was not scary at all, rather, she was pretty friendly so I accepted her hand dubiously, "Very," I returned her laugh with another timid laugh as I steady myself.

    "I told you I won''t hurt you but you got scared."

    "Anyone with a sane mind will react the same way I did," I muttered in a small voice.

    I thought she was beautiful when I saw her portrait but looking at her now, she was even more beautiful than I had thought. She had the same appearance as the portrait, everything from her hair to her clothing was the same. Question is, why is she here? No, rather, why am I here?

    "I suppose you know who I am, right?" she inquired.

    "Ysabelle, the last Luna and also Luke''s mother," I replied after finally calming my nerves. She smiled at my answer and nodded,

    "You must be questioning why am I here when I am supposed to be buried deep in the ground, right?" She asked to which I replied yes to, "Well, technically, I''m dead. But my soul hasn''t fully left this world, yet."

    "What do you mean by that?"

    "Do you know about witches?" she asked.

    "I know a little about them."

    "I asked Maggie, the witch living in the pack and also my friend, to seal a little bit of my soul inside of this little world," she opened her arms, denoting our surroundings.

    "You mean inside of your portrait?" I questioned and she nodded, "Why?"

    "Because I wanted to meet you before finally leaving this world," she came closer and ??r?ssed my cheek, "The next Luna, my successor."

    If she wanted to meet me then why wouldn''t she call me the first night I stepped inside this house? Why does she have to wait for this long before reaching out to me?

    "So you have always been inside the portrait, looking at whatever took part in the room?"

    "Yes," she moved her head up and down gleefully, "It was nice looking at how my son is so lovingly adoring you, it was a cute sight," she laughed.

    So I was being spied on all this time? And by Luke''s mother at that? Oh God, did I do anything embarrassing when I was alone?

    She patted my shoulder, "Don''t worry, you haven''t done anything embarrassing all this time, sadly," her mouth forming into a pout as if she was disappointed with it.

    "Why did you call for me?"

    Her cheerful face soon changed into a more serious one, "I have something to ask of you as a mother, and also as the former Luna," she said.

    I tilted my head a little, allowing her to continue what she was going to say, "Please take good care of my son and the pack. This is my first and last request."

    I was quite surprised at her request, but I can see where she is coming from. She was Luke''s mother and also the last Luna of the pack. It''s no wonder that she wanted to give some words to her successor.

    I was still not sure about being the Luna and also Luke''s mate. I knew that they trust me to be their Luna but I didn''t trust myself. I didn''t know whether I am fitted to be in this position or not, and it was a huge burden for me. I mean, what can you expect from a girl who had just escaped from being locked up and tortured for years?

    Taking in my expression, she asked, "Is this too big of a request for you?"

    "I am not sure if I am fitted to be your successor, and also your son''s mate."

    "And why is that?"

    "I... I was locked up for years. I know nothing about this world and there''s literally nothing that I am good at. I was used to being abused and humiliated, but I am not used to leading people and being someone people can rely on," I bit my lower lips, "It also has been a really long time since I last felt any affections, I don''t know if I will be able to give your son the love he deserves..." I faltered, "I forgot how it feels to love someone."

    "Honey," she stepped closer while stroking my hair gently, smiling, "I am sure you are the right person to stay by my son''s side," she pulled me close to her, wrapping me inside her arms, "All those hardships will make you stronger, and I can guarantee that you will be an amazing Luna.

    "Learning how to love .. it takes time. But you will be able to understand those feelings as time goes by even without you knowing. Even now, you are slowly learning how to love the people around you by simply caring about them," her warm embrace calmed my nerves.

    Being embraced like this reminded me of my mother, one who I missed so much. It has been long since I last felt this way, I just realized that it felt nice to be adored by someone.

    "You are a strong person, Violet."

 Chapter 31 - Away from him - Part 4

    "Guess my time is up now," she said, holding her hands up, "It''s time for me to finally rest in peace. Oh, don''t tell anyone about this meeting we are having," she placed her index finger vertically over her lips.

    "You are leaving? Like, right now?" I asked and she nodded, "Don''t you want to meet Luke before leaving?"

    "No. If I wanted to meet him then I would have asked for him ages ago. I don''t want to see him being sad again, once is enough," she replied sternly in which I grimaced because I knew the feeling of losing someone all too well.

    "Besides, I''ve taken a lot more time than what I was given to watch over him by being stuck here, though I can only do that when he is in this room. He is a pretty caring mate, isn''t he?" she asked while bumping my shoulders teasingly.

    "He is," I smiled bashfully at her question. There was no denying that he cares a lot about me. He felt more like a father to me than my actual father.

    "You know that he is an Alpha, right?" she asked, "An Alpha tends to have stronger feelings for their mate than other werewolves. That means double the love, double the possessiveness also," she let out a tired sigh, but still smiled amidst it, "I have been through it. Not that I hate it, but it does get tiring sometimes when he got jealous out of the smallest thing. Please bear with him," she threw her head back, laughing.

    "I will try my best," I stifled a laugh.

    Up until recently, I still didn''t know what was the use of being mates with others. I used to think that isn''t it better for people to live alone? But now that I have some time apart from Luke, I came to understand the reason why. It was the feeling of togetherness, the feeling of someone''s warmth, and someone''s care. That no matter what happens, we know that they will always have our backs. I didn''t have it before, but now, maybe I do have it. Someone who will always be there for me, under any circumstances.

    "I will also try my best to be a good Luna like you are to the pack," I ?ssured her, though I myself didn''t know if I was able to do that.

    "I know you will," she gazed at me for some time and sent me another beautiful smile, "Time is up. It''s really goodbye now," her hand made its way to mine and held my hand in a strong grip, "I can''t really say much about this as I''m no longer in this world, but this is the least that I can say,"

    She halted before she voiced another word, making me nervous at the same time, "Be careful. Not everything that you think is gone, is truly gone."

    I was befuddled, but she spent no time explaining and sent me back to my realm right after it. "Goodbye," that was her last word before everything changed back to normal. I was now back in my room, standing in front of the portrait of the same woman I just met.

    The thing was, there was something different with the portrait. Very different, if I must say. Previously, she was sitting placidly, palm under her chin in a relaxed manner. She was accompanied by her teacups, her eyes looking in the direction of my window with a smile on her face. But now, it was only a half-body portrait, drawn only up to her ?h?st. She held no expression, a typical painting of that of royalty.

    I was so focused on the portrait that I didn''t even realize someone coming into my room. It was when Lisa tapped on my shoulder that I finally noticed someone else''s presence, "Violet?"

    "Huh?" I looked over to Lisa with my eyes wide in surprise.

    "Where did you go? I came here just now but you were not here."

    "I, uhˇŞI''ve been standing here all along," I quickly came up with an excuse to cover what had just happened, but it doesn''t seem too believable.

    "Really?" she tilted her head confusedly, "Oh, well. Maybe I''m still a bit hungover after last night''s drink. Anyway, I brought you your meal," she pointed to the tray atop the table, "You should eat while it''s still hot."

    I thanked her for the meal but my mind kept on drifting back to the portrait so I asked her, "This portrait... has it always been like this?"

    "What do you mean?"

    "Isn''t she supposed to be sitting instead of standing?"

    "No," she shook her head, "It has always been like this since years ago, why?"

    Did I remember it wrong? I was sure that it didn''t look like this before. Or maybe what I saw before was Ysabelle''s soul instead of the original painting. But now that she''s gone, it returned to its original form. I guess that was why.

    "Nothing. Maybe I mixed it up with another painting," an awkward laugh escape my lips.

    "It will soon change into a painting of you," she ?sserted excitedly, "Ahh... I can''t wait to see you and Luke produce little pups."

    "Y-you are thinking too far ahead," I replied and covered my embarrassment with another awkward laughter. I know just like I was his mate, he was also my mate. But it never really crossed my mind to do things a lover does with Luke. I could imagine how awkward things will be and how I will be desperate to run away from the situation.

    "Why~" she teased, "Imagine a combination of you and Luke. An annoying man and a shy woman," she blurted out laughing.

    I ignored her teasing and walked to my table, "Have you eaten?"

    She nodded her head yes and furrowed her eyebrows while staring blankly to the ground. Must be another mind-link, I thought. I am now used to how these werewolves often suddenly stopped doing things, focusing on the mind-link they are having.

    "Sorry, I have to go," she clasped her hands together, "Some of the warriors are making trouble, this Beta-female needs to kick their ?sses."

    "Do you need any help?"

    "Help for what? Kicking their ?sses?" she asked while giving me a lopsided grin, "Though I do appreciate your offer, I don''t need any help. You should just focus on resting, okay? We don''t want the Alpha coming home to his sick mate, do we?"

    After receiving the answer she wanted from me, she marched out of my room. As I am now left alone in the room, my mind went back to the incident that had just occurred. I kept rewinding the things that happened, and what Ysabelle said.

    One thing that bothered me was her warning. Not everything that you think is gone, is truly gone? What does she mean by that? What is it that is gone but is not really gone? I racked my brain the whole time while I ate, thinking about the answers to her warning. But no matter how long I think about it, I can''t seem to find the answer. And I also couldn''t ask about this to someone else because if I did then I will have to tell them what happened with Ysabelle.

    Foods that used to taste heavenly now tasted bitter and unpalatable due to me being sick. I forced myself to finish my meal just to be grateful for what was given, and also to recover more quickly. After finishing my plate, I decided to sleep in as I was still feeling a bit dizzy and weak.

    I tucked myself under the sheets, making myself comfortable beneath the warm quilt. But before I was able to fall asleep, the portrait caught my attention, again. How can it not catch my attention when it was hung on the wall right in front of me, straight into my sight of vision? Even when I knew there was now nothing hiding inside the portrait, I was still pretty petrified of seeing how the eyes moved in my direction. Should I take it down?

    The answer was yes. I didn''t want another soul hiding inside of it and peered over me, which was pretty unlikely but still. So I begrudgingly went out of my bed, took the portrait off the wall, and turned it around before hanging it up again. Beautiful.

    Satisfied with the result, I laid back down on my bed. Rolling over to the side, searching for a comfortable position to sleep in. Again, just before I fell asleep, another thing caught my attention. There was something outside my window. It was something small and black, some kind of a ball visibly sticking up at the bottom of my window. I couldn''t seem to fall asleep without getting distracted.

    For the second time, I moved away from my comfortable position to appease my curiosity about what was outside my window. I pushed the window open and looked down to see what was in front. To my surprise, someone was sitting on the ground with his back to the wall.

    "Jack?" I called out, clearly surprised to see him here, "What are you doing here?" Turns out, that black little thing I saw was his hair, tied in a bun.

    "I''m looking over you," he replied while standing up.

    "Aren''t you supposed to be with Luke?"

    "Yes, but he had a change of mind and sent me back to be your guard," he explained calmly. Looking at my furrowed eyebrows, he added, "Andrew is with him."

    "How long have you been here?"

    "Since yesterday night," I widened my eyes in surprise to his answer. He was sitting outside my window the whole night? It was almost the time of winter, was he not cold? If he stayed there the whole time, did he see what happened with Ysabelle?

    "Did you, did you see anything inside my room?" I stammered, gulping my saliva down my throat. How am I supposed to explain this to him?

    "No," he shook his head, "I was told to guard over you, not to peek inside your room."

    I exhaled the breath I was holding, relief that I didn''t need to lie or explain anything. "You shouldn''t stay outside, you will catch a cold."

    "Says you," he said with a straight face. Was he trying to joke or trying to insult me? "I''m fine, don''t worry about me," he ?ssured.

    "Still," I urged, "You should head inside. You can guard in front of my door."

    He sighed and gave in, "If you say so."

    ...

    After what felt like hours, I woke up to the day dark and serene. I sat up on my bed, feeling better after the slumber. I stretched my stiff body, my bone cracking here and there due to the stiffness. I was planning to go to the bathroom but then noticed my window was open.

    "Strange, didn''t I close it before I sleep?" I muttered to myself. I closed the open window, no wonder it was so cold. I hugged my body in an attempt to warm my body.

    "It''s open because I opened it," a voice replied, surprising me. I stopped in my tracks and glanced at the source of the voice. An unfamiliar man was also present in the room, "Hello, sweetie," he gave me an eerie smile. Realizing the danger this man holds, I shout for help.

    "JackˇŞ" I managed to shout, but he injected something on my neck in a flash and sharp pain washed over me before I could scream even louder. Everything started to become darker until I was no longer conscious.

 Chapter 32 - The attack - Part 1

    "Alpha Sir, thank you for coming on such short notice," Alpha Harry bowed his head, greeting me as soon as I step my feet into his territory. He looked disheveled, it was the messiest I''ve ever seen of him. The bags under his eyes were proof of his exhaustion and days of sleepless nights.

    "Take me to them," without further ado, I ordered him to take me to the mortuary where the casualties of the attacks were situated. He didn''t ask any questions and heed my words immediately.

    As I strode around the area, I noticed how desolated this place has become. The sun was still up and soaring, but no souls were seen in the open. It seemed Alpha Harry has forbid the people to step out of their houses unless if it''s an emergency. As it was now the beginning of winter, the cold wind that blew across the air made a great contribution in making the atmosphere surrounding the area even more barren and depressing than it already was. The sunshine wouldn''t even be able to do much to help lighten their day as they were now engulfed in the darkness, countless mournings, and anguish.

    We were led deeper into the forest, having to walk a few distances before finally arriving in the mortuary. It was a custom for a pack to build a mortuary and cemetery away from the people''s sight, to help those left behind to move forward, leaving the dead behind in their lives. By not looking at such places, they won''t always have to be reminded of the deceased and their hustle will keep their mind busy, soon forgetting about their grief and loss.

    Arriving at the aforementioned place, what came in sight was a shabby and archaic building that looked like it could collapse at any moment. The appearance of the building itself was understandable as it was rarely used, looking at how long the werewolves'' life-span usually are. We could live for as long as a hundred, or even five hundred years, if healthy. I, myself, was still considered a toddler in the werewolves world. Yet the people have no choice but to obey me considering the power I held. It would be when someone dared to challenge me and succeeded in taking my life, that they were able to take my title as the Supreme Alpha, the strongest among werewolves.

    Alpha Harry opened the door to the building, allowing me to head to the other side of the building. As soon as we were inside, we were met with the bodies of the dead. The decomposing of the bodies created bad odors all throughout the building, causing great disturbance to my heightened sense of smell. My hand automatically moved to cover my nose, a futile attempt to keep me from breathing in the awful stench. It was a scent that I''ll never get used to smelling no matter how many times I''ve smelt it before. Even Andrew who was behind me ran out of the door as soon as he smelled it and puked out his guts, ferociously. A not so nice addition to the scent already floating here.

    "How many of them are here?" The first and second floor was full of corpses, leaving only the third floor, the last floor of the building empty. And these were only corpses from two to four days before, the rest of the casualties were already buried after confirming that they were no longer alive.

    "There are forty-two of them here and the total of the casualties are one hundred and thirty-seven lives," he answered in a low voice, tears threatening to escape from his eyes.

    I pulled out the cloth that was covering one of the bodies, examining the scar that was still visible on his pale and bloated body. A few scars caused by clawed attacks were seen all over his body, it was clear that this man was one-sidedly attacked by the rogues. He was attacked mercilessly, his skin was ceaselessly scratched by its claw until he could no longer heal himself because of the immense amount of blood he had lost. There was only one hand that remained and no legs, vehemently detached from his body. A few bones were also seen broken, presumably by the vicious kicks of the rogues.

    "Who was he?" I asked Alpha Harry, wondering how this man could be beaten so badly. He didn''t answer my question right away, only after a few seconds of silence did he answer,

    "...my Beta," the tears that were previously threatening to come out, could no longer be held and now was incessantly streaming out of his eyes. His answer surprised not only me but all of my warriors that were present in the building. There was nothing that I could do except giving him a little pat on the shoulders and having me and the people lowering our heads as a sign of respect to the deceased.

    I hinted at Andrew to take him out of the building so that he could calm himself. I have heard a few stories about how close he was with his Beta, which made it even more unbearable for him to lose such a precious someone. As if losing almost half of his pack members was not enough, he had to lose his Beta who was his most trusted friend. It was an unimaginable amount of pain that he had to endure.

    This time, no hearts were taken like the previous attacks that had happened around us. It was as if the purpose of this attack is purely to kill the people, which in any case need to be questioned further.

    "Alpha Luke," a man I''ve never seen called out, not forgetting to bow his head down. "I''m Flint, the pack''s third in command."

    Taking in his appearance, there was not much of a difference between how he and Alpha Harry look. But it seemed that he was a little calmer and lucid than Alpha Harry who currently was on the ground, still crying his hearts out. No matter how much of a man someone is, losing someone is always hard.

    "If you are done examining the corpses, allow me to take you to another place. A mortuary is not the best place to talk," he offered politely.

    "That will be appreciated," I nodded and covered the bodies the same way as to how it was before. Walking out of the dreary building, the awful scent still lingered on my nose but was slowly disappearing as we walk further from it in which I was thankful for. It was not only me who felt disturbed by the smell, but the wolf inside me was also disturbed by it as he was growling continuously as soon as he smelled it, and that was annoying me.

    After several minutes of walking, we were led into a building which I ?ssumed was Alpha Harry''s house as it was better looking than the rest of the houses in the surrounding. Taking a seat on the sofa, I wasted no time and went straight into questioning him about the attack.

    "Tell me everything that happened," I demanded, "Without leaving anything behind."

    "The attacks... it was getting better. Everything was under control, there were lesser attacks, and if there was one, our warriors were able to defeat all of them with ease," he stopped mid-explaining as if readying himself before going deeper into the story,

    "It was the first day of the week, that was when everything started to worsen. The rogues, they came back. But they were unusually bigger, and stronger. It was as if their strength doubled or even tripled from their initial strength."

    "All of them?" I asked.

    "No," he shook his head, "There were a few who didn''t change, but most of them were stronger."

    "Have you ever fight with the transformed ones?"

    "No, I haven''t. I only happened to fight with the ordinary rogues, not the stronger ones."

    "What about the casualties? Who are their targets?"

    "I must ?ssume it''s the warriors," he replied grimly, "They didn''t even touch the civilians. There were some unlucky people who happened to encounter them when they attacked, but other than that, it''s all the warriors that were killed."

    Are they perhaps trying to weaken our force? Civilians are of no use if there happen a war, but warriors will be a great strength for us as they were trained to fight. But what about the previous attacks? It was like these two attacks held two different purposes. One was to attack the civilians and take their hearts, while another was to weaken our force by killing warriors.

    Nonetheless, both were a threat to our kind. But it would be more of a headache if those two attacks were from two different groups of rogues. Let''s just hope for the best that they were of the same group. That way it would be easier to wipe them all at once.

    "How many of your warriors are left?"

    "Approximately fifty warriors. Among them, there were fifteen injured while the rest are fine."

    That was a very worrying number of warriors. Being one of the biggest packs in Wonsvile, such numbers of men wouldn''t be sufficient to defend their entire territory. Ignoring this might be throwing them into the pit of death.

    "I will send two hundred more of my men to be stationed here," I said to Flint, at the same time ordering Andrew to do his job.

    "Thank you for your help, Sir," he bowed his head and inquired, "What do we have to do now?"

    "Now we wait, and when the time comes," I replied, "We hunt."

 Chapter 33 - The attack - Part 2

    "Andrew, shut up," I finally snapped as he was continuously yawning for hours, making a loud guttural voice every time he did so. We were in Alpha Harry''s parlor, waiting for the rogues'' attack to come. It was now past midnight, but there was no sign of intruders.

    "Did they really come every night?" asked Andrew. His fingers have gotten itchy due to him wanting to quickly finish off the rogues, impatient to hit the bed.

    Alpha Harry, who soon joined us after calming himself replied, "That has been the case for the past few days, but I wonder why they are not coming today," he questioned, but none of us knew the answer to his query.

    Though it was good news that no attack happened, I couldn''t help but be suspicious of their sudden change of plans. Did they perhaps achieve their goal already? Or were they planning something else up their sleeves? This kind of attack never failed to annoy me. It would be better if they straight out announce war and everything will be sorted out faster. The winner of this fight will immediately be known and we didn''t have to waste our energy playing this game of tug of war. They attack, we defend, at the same time sacrificing countless souls whether it be theirs or ours.

    But from their point of view, I knew that their plan to attack us slowly will benefit them better as they realized, they wouldn''t stand a chance when our force is bigger and stronger than theirs. So they were trying to weaken us bit by bit, ambushing us when we were not expecting them. The only thing we could do to withstand their attacks was to strengthen the warriors and civilians, making sure that we were stronger than them until we find any clue to get closer to them.

    "It seems that there won''t be any attacks today, you should use this time to rest," I said to Alpha Harry, "I will be on guard."

    "How can I sleep when people are being killed?" A frustrated sigh went out of his lips while he brought his palms to his forehead, grasping the roots of his hair.

    "As I said, I will stay up and watch out for the rogues," I repeated, "Your body is not in the best condition when you are not well-rested. It will be a hassle to clean your corpse, you don''t want that to happen, do you?"

    He opened his mouth to retort but then closed it right back as he seems to agree with what I''ve just said. He too knew that every word I sprouted was true, moreover when the rogues were stronger than the ones we were familiar with.

    "What was your name again?" I inquired Alpha Harry''s third in command who stood silently at the side of the room the entire time we were here.

    "This is the problem with you. You never paid attention to someone when they are saying something. Even I who was outside of the building when he introduced himself know that he''s Rick," Andrew answered confidently, not knowing that he was embarrassing himself by giving out the wrong name.

    "It''s Flint," Flint coughed awkwardly, scratching the nape of his neck. Alpha Harry who also heard this embarrassing exchange tried to stifle his laugh, despite being blue just a minute ago.

    Hearing this, Andrew shamelessly weaseled, "You must''ve changed your name," he laughed, trying to act innocent.

    I ignored my Beta''s shameful remark and ordered Flint, "You should rest too." He nodded his head, then bowed to me before leaving the room with Alpha Harry. As I was now left alone with Andrew, I jeered, "Rick, so he said."

    Knowing that he will come up with another stupid remark, I quickly intervened, "I will do round, you be on guard," saying that, I left the living room, leaving the dumbfounded Andrew behind. I couldn''t believe I chose such a dimwitted Beta.

    I stepped out of the house, unbothered by the strong wind. My eyes caught the beauty of the night sky, looking at the twinkling stars that painted the vast dark canvas up above. In every direction there were stars, gently illuminating the darkness with its fiery lights. It was beautiful, but it will be even more so if my mate was here with me. What is she doing now, I wonder? I suppose she must be still asleep considering it was still dawn, and I know she is not an early bird. Rather, she always woke up late which made it fun for me to stare at her cute sleeping face, pretty as an angel.

    How nice must it be to have her in between my arms, sharing the natural warmth of our bodies in this cold night? I couldn''t wait to go back to her, breathing into her heavenly scent that was as sweet as honey, intoxicating as it was. It was not even a day after we parted and I missed her already. Just what is it that you have done to me, Violet?

    My feet casually led me to the outer part of the territory to look for some unusualities or something out of ordinary. Owing to my werewolf eyes, the shortage of luminance in the midst of this dark night won''t be able to hinder my sight of vision so I easily walked through the domineering trees of the forest. I passed trees after trees, not finding anything strange until something under my feet made a different sound, not the usual rustle of leaves, but a shattering sound.

    I stopped walking, curious as to what I just stepped on. I hunched my body, lowering it to the ground to see the object beneath my feet. It was a bottle, broken as I unknowingly stepped on it. The size of the bottle was unusually small, almost the size of my little finger. It was a corked conical bottle made out of glass. One thing that caught my eyes was the snake-like ornament that coiled the body of the bottle.

    I looked around the surroundings to search for a similar bottle if there was any and found another one laying just a few meters away. Walked a little distance from the previous one and discovered a huge amount of the same exact bottle scattered everywhere on the ground. This must be from the rogues. I took a few bottles and placed it safely in my back pocket, then proceeded to head back to the house.

    The wooden door made a loud creaking sound as I pushed it open, though it didn''t affect Andrew who seemed to be dead-asleep. I sighed and walked to the parlor, placing the glass bottle unnecessarily loud on the table. Surprised, he jumped.

    "What was that?!" he hastily looked around his surroundings, only to find me watching him unamusedly. "Oh, you are back. I didn''t see you come in."

    "It seems that you had a good sleep."

    "Me? Sleep?" he pointed to himself, pretending to be confused, "You must''ve seen wrong, I was simply resting my eyes," he smiled without any sense of guilt.

    "I think it''s time to change Beta," I announced, returning his smile with another menacing one.

    Hearing that, he stood up while holding his left hand over his right in a polite manner, "I''m sorry," immediately admitting his failure to follow my order to stay guarded. Though he seems inept and lazy, I knew that he''s capable of doing everything I ordered him to. I decided to just let him off as there was a more important matter to attend to.

    "Have you called for our men?" I inquired.

    "Of course, I already sent someone to deliver your command," he glanced at the bottle and asked, "What is that?"

    "I found it outside the border, must be from the rogues."

    He took the bottle in his hands, carefully examining its design. His face soon darkened, aware of what I was thinking, "Is this?"

    "Witches," I nodded, "Seems like the rogues are working alongside them. They must be planning to come back to the world."

    Snakes were very closely ?ssociated with witches, which was why it was mostly on anything related to sorcery. The presence of a snake on the bottle clearly meant it belonged to the witches. The bottle must''ve contained something like a potion, it must be the source of the rogues newly found strength. Consuming a potion to strengthen their bodies meant there was a time limit to their power. We just need to hold out until the potion wears out to attack them.

    But the news of witches trying to come back to the world was a real pain in the neck. They are mostly very cunning creatures, using their spells and tricks to control others. That was why they were hunted by all creatures, though not all of them were gone. While there were some who just wanted to live quietly, the ones who hold the most power were the most annoying ones. They were aggravatingly ambitious and just didn''t know when to stop.

    "Stupid witches," said Andrew.

 Chapter 34 - The attack - Part 3

    "That''s a problem," Alpha Harry said while holding the bottle up, his fingers slowly trailed over the snake that coiled the bottle. He appeared to be a lot better after having his long-needed sleep.

    "It is. But for now, we should just focus on the rogues. We will discuss those witches later," I said, receiving a nod from all the people in the room, "Where are the warriors?"

    "They must be training on the field," Flint replied while stretching his body, "Should we head there?"

    "Of course," Andrew jumped out of his seat, "I can''t wait to beat some ?sses, it''s been way too long. My body is starting to get rusty," he said eagerly while punching the air.

    Flint nodded before leading us to the training field where all of the warriors were. As we walked, snow was starting to fall from the sky, softly alighting on our skins. Snow brought cold to our bodies, but the sun still shone brightly, giving us warmth amid the cold the snow gave. I unconsciously smiled looking at the falling snow, it was as large as the peas I used to eat as a child. I couldn''t wait to see the snow''s immaculate white slowly turned to crimson red, tarnished by the blood that will soon to be splattered on those pristine layers of crystalized water.

    We soon arrived at the training field. It was no doubt the most crowded place in Alpha Harry''s territory as it was swarmed with warriors, drops of sweat were seen to perch on their bodies despite the cold weather. Alpha Harry nodded in satisfaction looking at the sign of perspiration on his warriors, as it showed the fruits of their hard training.

    "How''s the training going?" he asked to draw attention as they were so focused on their training that they failed to notice our presence.

    One of the warriors hurriedly ran to us after realizing our presence, "It is going as well as it''s supposed to be, sir," he then glanced at me and Andrew, a questioning look seemed to appear on his face as he didn''t know who we are.

    Alpha Harry noticed his confusion and announced to all of his warriors, "Warriors, meet Alpha Luke and his Beta, Andrew."

    Hearing this, a sudden murmur rang out from around them. I ?ssumed this must be their first time seeing their Supreme Alpha and my name was the only thing they knew about me as I only attended parties or events that required me to attend, and most of them were only attended by leaders or officials. The annual party was the only place ordinary people could see me, but invitations to the party were randomly sent to people so the guests would be different every year.

    "Greetings, warriors. I''m Luke William, your Supreme Alpha," I introduced myself, then followed by Andrew who did just the same. I allowed Alpha Harry to explain what we have found and also to tell them the plans that we made if an attack breaks out.

    "As we are now bigger in numbers, we can split our force into two," he explained, "One will be staying in the territory to guard our pack, and the other will have to go around our border and ambush them from behind. I will be staying here with Flint, while Alpha Luke and Beta Andrew will go around the border.

    "Hopefully, by doing this we can buy ourselves some time and the potion will wear out with us still being able to hold on to their attacks."

    "How do you know we are bigger in numbers?" One of the men raised his hand, allowing us to see who is asking the question.

    "Ah, I forgot to tell you that Alpha Luke''s warriors will soon be arriving here to help us. The estimated numbers of our force will be around three hundred warriors with the men Alpha Luke brought last night, and the one soon to arrive.

    Assuming the numbers of the rogues are the same as usual, then there must be only forty to fifty of them. We are obviously winning a lot in numbers."

    They were smiling ear to ear after hearing this news, thinking that it will be a sure win for us knowing we had an upper-hand. Alpha Harry wiped those smiles steer when he added,

    "Don''t get ahead of yourselves and underestimate them. Remember all the blood they shed. The blood of our allies, our families," he clenched his fist, feeling his anger bubbling up, "It''s now time for us to give them what they deserve from taking what is dear to us."

    Andrew, being the usual jolly person he is, noticed the gloomy atmosphere around the people and clapped his hands, "Now, who is up for a challenge?" he asked while taking his shirt off, permitting the falling snow to cling to his b?r? torso.

    "Real man doesn''t fear the cold," he smirked, then lunged to one of the warriors who looked like he didn''t even want to take part in his challenge. He was pretty much forced to it.

    Soon, the field became an arena for them to spar. A place for them to train their muscle, at the same time showing off their strength and skills, also comparing it to that of one another. Pretty much a battle of pride, to see who is the strongest among them with Andrew being the pioneer of this sudden competition.

    I was not in the least interested in joining them when it was obvious who will be the winner. I didn''t want to be their killjoy so I walked away from the field, heading to a quiet place away from the people''s crowd.

    "You are not joining them?" I asked Alpha Harry who seems to trail behind me.

    "Of course not. Though I have lived for half a century, my skills are no doubt better than those youngsters," he chuckled, having the same reason as me for not participating in the spar, "I suppose it is also the same for you."

    I simply smiled at his words and sat on an unattended bench by the side of the field, "Sit," I ordered Alpha Harry before he proceeds to heed my words.

    "I heard you have finally found your Luna," he uttered, immediately bringing a smile to my face just by mentioning my mate. Noticing the ample smile sprawled across my face, he laughed softly, "So it''s true. How do you feel?"

    "Like I''m the happiest man alive," the image of Violet''s smiling face flashed through my mind, making me long for her even more. I couldn''t believe the existence of this one human in my life could bring me so much happiness. It was crazy.

    "Will you believe me if I said there is something even more blissful than meeting your fated partner?"

    I raised one of my eyebrows to his question, wondering what can he possibly meant by it, "And that is?"

    "It was when she brought life to this world. The little creature made by both me and my mate, our pups," his face beamed, clearly showing his joy.

    I unknowingly smiled thinking about our offspring. It made me wonder, will our first child be a girl or a boy? What should I name them? How will it feel to see the mini version of us running around the house so innocently? Though I hope to see them soon, I knew that I still have to wait for a long time before I can finally see them. I haven''t even had my first kiss yet.

    Violet was pure as the driven snow, innocent and untouched. Every time I got closer, she would always start to become all stiff and awkward. It was a very adorable sight to behold. I wonder when will she finally be accustomed to my touch, comfortable even? Somewhere in my wildest dream, I secretly wished for the time when my touch becomes her necessity, something that she craves for.

    "How is your family doing?" I asked, gazing at the sight of the warriors throwing themselves to one another, with Andrew obviously leading the fight.

    "They are safe, fortunately. But it looks like my wife is having a hard time taking care of those naughty little pups who beg to play outside every single day, oblivious to the dangers posed by the outside world," he sighed.

    I stretched out my hand, feeling the snow slowly falling into a blanket of snow in my palm. A cold wind blew as someone''s presence appeared, frantically running towards us. It was a sentinel, the werewolves ?ssigned to patrol the pack''s territory and borders.

    "They are here."

 Chapter 35 - The attack - Part 4

    Every being that heard what the sentinel just said stopped what they were doing, their faces immediately turning grim with signs of anger visible all over them. I nodded to Alpha Harry, indicating that it was finally time to get the plan going.

    "Where are they?" I inquired the sentinel to confirm their current location.

    "Just beyond our borders, we still have around five minutes before they step into our territory."

    Five minutes were more than enough for me to go around and ambush them from behind. We needed to show them what they will get for messing with our people.

    I cry out to all the warriors, "It is finally time for us to go to war. Do not fear blood, but crave for them as we will paint our land red with their blood. We will shed their blood until its very last drop. Do not stop until the white snow beneath our feet turns red in color. Remember all the things they have done and turned those memories into our vengeance."

    Their cheers soared after my words, they were all clearly ready for the battle coming. The adrenaline rush inside me was pumping as I smiled, I couldn''t wait to get my hands on them. I was curious to know just how great they are that they were able to kill so many of my people. Let''s see how many minutes they will be able to hold on before I tear their heads off.

    "Now shift," I issued the order. Right after the order was announced, we all shifted from our human form to werewolf form. The fabric covering our bodies was immediately torn, our fur slowly crawling out from under our skin as our bones enlarged, forming into the body of a werewolf. Our five fingers soon turn into paws, complemented by long claws hidden just under our hair. I let my sharp canines to be exposed as I walked on my four, ready to pierce into whatever was seen.

    I ran through the woods, followed by Andrew and a number of warriors just behind. Going around the border, I sniffed into the air to search for their current location. It was easy to find their scent as they smelled foul, like that of rotten meat. Their eminent scent hung in the air strongly as there were a significant number of them.

    [My poor nose, they smell like shit. Do they not shower or something?] Andrew mind-linked me, seemingly agitated by the smell that came in contact with his nose.

    [Smells a lot like you] I answered nonchalantly and a slightly irritated growl was immediately heard.

    [That''s a big insult] He snarled, [You don''t smell all that good yourself].

    [You sure have gotten brave, Andrew] I glanced behind, looking at Andrew who deliberately avoided my gaze by looking sideways, showing only the back of his head towards me. I snorted at his action and refocused my attention on the foul smell to quickly locate the rogues.

    As the smell got stronger, we were also getting closer to their position. We hastened our pace until their shadow was visible between the trees, and stopped before we got too close for them to notice our presence. I watched over them quietly, paying attention to what they were doing.

    They were just one step away from stepping into our borders, but still in their human forms. They rummaged through their pocket to pull out a bottle, the very same one as what I found yesterday, only it was still full with its contents. What was inside was a black liquid, something that was rare to be seen if not in the black market. They opened the lid of the bottle, but only gulped the contents after they shifted to their wolf form.

    After drinking the potion, their initial size magnifies with their claws and canines turning sharper and longer than before. So I was right. It was the potion that gave them their strength. I looked over to Andrew and the warriors, showing my canines as in a smile. Knowing that my ?ssumption was correct, the plan will definitely go smoothly if everyone did their job well.

    I landed on top of one rogue, causing him to be taken aback by the sudden weight on his back. He was attacking one of the warriors who struggled to hold him back before I decided to greet him with my claws. Surprised, he turned his back, and I was now his new target.

    He was undoubtedly stronger than any other rogues that I''ve ever fought with before, but not so strong until he could manage to overpower me. He pushed me off his back and jumped, ready to bore his claws on me. But sadly, he was slow, slower than me. In one swift movement, my claws had touched his neck, only to tear it off the next second and him lying lifelessly on the ground.

    I moved on to kill the next rogues, killing one after another that I lost count of them. I scanned my surroundings and saw Andrew who was holding off two rogues at a time. One was in front and another was behind him. When he was focused on attacking the one in front of him, the other one surreptitiously tried to use this opportunity to land a blow on him. Nonetheless, no sneaky shit will happen under my watch.

    Before he could attack Andrew, I stepped in front of him and let out a menacing growl. He stopped charging and jumped back to distance himself from me as he was bewildered by my sudden appearance. Not giving him any second to brace himself, I ran over to him and knocked him to the ground. He struggled under me, using every bit of his strength to get me off him but it was in vain. My canines had found their way down his neck, piercing through his flesh to cause fresh blood to ooze out from him. As he cried in pain, I ripped a portion of his flesh and pounded on his ribs. No longer after, I have killed yet another rogue.

    Andrew who finally noticed I''ve just saved his ?ss said in the mind-link, [I could''ve held them off easily without your help], there he goes with his pride.

    However, I didn''t want to miss this chance to tease him so I replied, [Yeah and the next time I see you, you will be lying on your grave].

    [You know I''m more than capable toˇŞ] he was cut off by a rogue who jumped on him, causing him to collide with the ground. That''s what you got for being ???ky.

    I sighed looking at his clumsy behavior so I left him to help the other warriors. Before leaving him to deal with the rogue himself, I said, [Focus, moron].

    It was roughly ten minutes after the war broke out and I noticed how the rogues were getting weaker by the minute. Looking at their demeanor, they were getting pretty antsy about how this was going. The potion must be wearing out. After this, it will be much easier to kill them offˇŞnot that it was hard before.

    I proceeded to kill the remaining rogues but stopped when there were only a few of them left. I looked to my surroundings and saw how the snow was red with blood, exactly how I imagined it to be before. I smiled and shifted back to my human form as I couldn''t use the mind-link with any other werewolves besides the ones that belonged to my pack. Now it will be even more exciting than before.

    "Stop," I ordered the warriors to stop attacking the rogues as they were now surrounded and obviously losing. "Shift," this time, it was an order for the rogues.

    They growled in annoyance at being ordered, but soon complied as there was no other choice but to obey me. As soon as they shifted, they were immediately detained by my warriors. As they were forced to kneel against the ground, we could finally talk head-on without shedding any more blood.

    "What do you want now? Just fu?k?n? kill us," said one of the rogues, annoyed at how they no longer held any strength.

    "Do you want to die that bad?" I laughed, amused by their state of helplessness, "Though I don''t like how you keep on barging into our territory, I have an offer for all of you."

    It seemed that my offer has piqued their interest as they perked their heads up, trying to hold on to any hopes that will be given for them to continue their lives.

    "You do know that you won''t be able to step out of here alive, right?" I inquired as I wiped my body clean off the blood, "I will let you live if you do what I tell you to."

    "W-What is it?"

    "I want you to kill each other," I announced, smiling from ear to ear to see the scene unfold, "I will let the last one remaining to live. How does that sound?"

    The last survivor will probably tell us everything that he knew as he was desperate to live. He even had the heart to kill his comrades, leaking a few things won''t be a big deal to him in exchange for his precious life. Rogues were known to not have any sense of loyalty and what matters the most was their own life so they will definitely accept this offer.

    They were stunned by my words, but I could see how their eyes were glimmering with hopes, "How will we know if you will keep your words?"

    "I''m the Supreme Alpha. If I''m not able to keep my words then it will surely hurt my pride, no?" I shrugged my shoulders in an apathetic manner. It didn''t matter whether they trust my words or not as this was their only hope to live. There was no way they will decline this golden opportunity.

    Looking at how they were deep in their thoughts, I raised my hand and waved the warriors away, ordering them to release their hold on the rogues. As soon as they were released, they jumped on each other, sending punches and kicks to one another. The weaker ones were mercilessly killed by the stronger, and there was not even an ounce of hesitation to kill. It was a very amusing sight to see.

    "Look at you smiling," Andrew clicked his tongue in disapproval, "We can just kill them ourselves and leave one to be questioned, you know."

    "It''s more fun this way," I snickered, "They were comrades just a few minutes ago, but look how things have turned. They are now after each other''s throat."

    As time goes on, the winner of this slaughter was soon discovered. I clapped my hands as I glanced at the body lying on the ground, also at the pool of blood staining the immaculate snow. Finally, my eyes found their way to the last man standing, with blood covering his entire body as if it was natural for him.

    "You made it," I smirked, "I shall let you live."

    "R-really?" he asked, his voice rising in tone as if he was truly happy that he could live despite him killing his allies just a minute ago.

    "Yes, but not until you answer my question."

    "A-ask away! I will tell you anything I know!" he replied desperately, gulping down once in a while.

    "Tell me the purpose of these attacks."

    His eyeballs trembled, and he stood silent instead of answering my question.

    "Is that a hard question for you? Should I kill you then?" I threatened the man, leaving him no choice but to answer.

    "N-no! I will tell you!" He fidgeted with his fingers as if he was anxious to answer but still gave it away, "I-it''s your woman. These attacks are merely a diversion so you will be away from her and w-we could take her in our hands."

    It was right then, that every sense of rationality had left me and anger was the only thing that I could feel. My claws elongated, eyes turning bright in color. In spite of still being in my human form, I was not in control of my own body. My wolf took over.

    My body was trembling like a volcano about to erupt, and when I couldn''t hold it any longer, I let out the loudest roar I''ve ever let out in my whole life. It was a roar that shook the ground beneath, a roar that no one could bear. Everyone around me was suffering from the pain inflicted by the agony of my Alpha tone, but I was the one who felt the most pain. I was beyond enraged.

    "Send him to prison."

 Chapter 36 - Unfamiliar man - Part 1

    "Urgh," I ?r??n?d as I opened my eyes, feeling my body numb and heavy. It was dark... and cold. What happened to me? I tried to move my body, but I couldn''t. I couldn''t even move an inch away.

    It must be that guy. He must''ve injected something in me and brought me to this place. Who is he? I couldn''t see how he looked like as he was wearing a hood that covered half of his face. The only thing I remembered was his voice. He sounded a little raspy and weird.

    Though far, there was a torch that helped to illuminate this place. The luminance from it was enough to help my vision in taking in my surroundings. My eyes wandered around with great difficulty, taking in what little that I managed to perceive. The walls around me were rocky, and iron bars were blocking what seemed to be the exit of this place. I must be locked in a prison inside a cave as no sound could be heard except the sound of water droplets falling one after another, dripping so ever slowly amidst the silence. Every little sound I made will echo back into my ears, sounding loud in this empty cave I was in. There was also an awful stench that hung in the air.

    It was so cold that I started shivering, my teeth grinding against each other. This reminded me of the place in the good olden days, where I used to receive beatings as a sign of love and affection from the people around me. I didn''t even miss those days and yet, here I am in a place with a similar ambiance to it. Wonderful. I have a feeling that something dreadful will soon happen to me the longer I am here.

    I desperately tried to move again, but it was up to no avail. I cursed inwardly, annoyed that I couldn''t even control my own body. Right after I cursed, someone''s voice could be heard in the distance. I hastily closed my eyes, pretending that I was still dead asleep when I''m not.

    "Don''t let anyone in except me," it must be the voice of the same man who brought me here. He sounded as raspy as how I remembered him to be. He kind of sounded like a frog the more I listened to him.

    "Yes, sir," two people simultaneously answered the man. I ?ssumed that was from the people who were ?ssigned to guard this place. In other words, to keep me from escaping this place. Why bother when I couldn''t even lift a finger.

    I kept my eyes shut, not daring to open them. As the man walked closer, the sound of his shoes clicking on the ground echoed in this empty cave. It was soon followed by the sound of dangling keys, opening the lock on the iron bars. The iron bars creaked open as the man stepped inside, walking closer and closer to me.

    "I know you are awake," he chuckled, stroking my cheek with his rough fingers, "I can hear your heartbeats. They are beating like crazy."

    He must be a dark creature, looking at how he has those stupid supernatural senses. I was a little annoyed knowing that God had his favorites when he first made us. How could he make dark creatures this superior to humans? Humans are incomparable to them. That''s so unfair. I also want to have a crazy hearing or vision, or whatever abilities they have. I also want to be strong. If only God had made us all the same, I wouldn''t have been kidnapped by this strange unfamiliar stupid man.

    I tucked my lower lips as I gingerly opened my eyes, slowly looking at the man in front of me. As I was lying on the floor, he crouched down to level with me and meet my eyes. He smiled when he saw my opened eyes, "Hello, beautiful."

    My brows furrowed at the sight of the man in front of me, "What did you do to me?"

    He was obviously a man I''ve never seen before. There was an old oblique scar on his face, it descended from his eyebrows down to his cheek. His eyes dark, glinting with a mixture of amusement and malice as he stared at me. He looked horrendous, the scar itself showed how rough and wild his life was. His prickly beard that covered his prominent jaw completed his whole villainous look.

    "I just induced some drugs on you, nothing much to worry about," he shrugged his shoulders, smiling as if he was innocent, "You will be able to move soon, hopefully," he reached out his hand to me, then added, "It must be uncomfortable for you to be in this position, let me help," he said before grabbing my hair roughly, yanking it so that I could sit up more ''comfortably''.

    As I sat down, things that I couldn''t see before finally came into view. However, I wish I could turn back the time when I lay on the ground without knowing what accompanied me in this cold prison. I could see the remains of countless bodies, compiled into a few piles all throughout the place. Some of them remained only bones, but some still had some skin on them, meaning that they had just recently died in this place. My body shuddered at the thought of the gruesome things that happened in this place that corpses were seen everywhere as if they were decorations. So that was where the smell came from, it was the smell of death.

    "Looks like you have some friends. Won''t be so lonely now, will you?" he laughed when he realized what I have been staring at, "Now, now, don''t be too scared. You won''t end up like them, at least not for now."

    "What do you want from me?" I asked as I turned my gaze from the corpses to the man.

    "What do I want from you?" he sneered, "You are simply a card. A very important card that I will use to kill my biggest nemesis, the Alpha."

    I could feel my eyes bulge when I heard what he just said. By the Alpha, did he perhaps mean Luke? Was he thinking of using me as a hostage in order to kill Luke? I panicked inwardly but tried to keep my facade calm, though failed when I saw him smirked. He must''ve heard my heartbeat accelerating. As much as I wanted to free myself from this dreadful place, I didn''t want someone else to be hurt in my stead. I will rather escape with my own effort than having Luke come to my aid.

    "Why?" the question involuntarily ran out of my mouth, causing me to bit back my lips when I realized I had voiced my curiosity out loud. But really, what could have happened between these two men that he needed to go to this extent to kill?

    "Do you want to know why?" his eyes darkened as he questioned, stepping even closer to me that I could smell his foul breath, "He killed my mate. So I will kill him too."

    Hearing this, it finally dawned on me that Luke was also a part of the dark creatures that were feared by many. He may be nice to me, but it doesn''t mean that he will be the same to others. Killing someone was a perfectly normal thing in our society, and Luke was not an exception to it. But there must be a reason for everything that was done. He must''ve had his reason to kill, just as how this man had his reason to kill Luke. For this man, it''s an eye for an eye.

    Amidst the appalling silence, a sudden howl was heard. The man in front of me stood up abruptly, turning away from me before ambling to the exit. Right before he left the prison, he warned, "Be a good girl and stay quiet."

    I sighed when I was finally left alone. Though the word ''alone'' was a very ambiguous word to use when I was in a room full of skeletons. These people must have been left to rot in this place over time, eventually becoming dust by itself without having a proper burial. I wouldn''t even be surprised if there was a ghost next to me right now, that was understandable, but I don''t think I will be glad to know their presence in this room. I think it will be better to stay in the dark on this matter.

    Thinking back at what the man said, I realized where there is good, there will also be bad. Even with knowing that, I still foolishly wish for a time where the world will be a peaceful place to live, a life without anguish and despair. Was that selfish of me for wanting to live happily?

    I was deep in my thoughts when I felt itchy in my hand, so I instinctively scratched my hand to relieve it. It wasn''t until a few seconds later that I realized I could finally move my body.

    "Finally!" I exclaimed, moving my arm up and down for starters. My body was still weak due to the numbness, there was only a little strength to it but at least I could move now. I slowly stood up, leaning on the wall for support.

    I let out a little shriek when I accidentally kicked on someone''s skull, "Shit! I''m so sorry!"

    I clasped my hand together to ask for forgiveness for whoever owned the skull, bowing in every direction there is. By this time, I was not only scared of being hurt by the living but also by the spirit of the dead. I''m genuinely scared for my life.

    After several moments of bowing for forgiveness, I decided it was enough of an apology and walked closer to the iron bars, searching for any means of escape. The door was obviously locked, of course. But I''ve seen many of the maids in my dad''s manor used their hairpin to steal some jewelry from the locked jewel rooms to know that I could use that method as well for this case.

    I disheveled my hair, looking for any hairpins that were still attached to it. My fingers desperately searched every single strand on my hair, at last finding two hairpins hanging loosely at the end of my hair. A ray of hope came when I held them in my hand, thinking that escape was near.

    I slowly inserted the pin into the lock, picking it just how I remember it to be and also being careful to not make any sound. I actually have never done this before and this was my first time picking a lock. But I thought I was doing it right just like how the maids used to do. Strange, why won''t it open? I swear it wasn''t this hard when I saw them do it. I was starting to sweat despite the cold, nervous about being caught by someone.

    Just as I was being anxious about getting caught, someone''s voice thundered, reverberating throughout the cave. That was when I realized attempting for an escape was a very foolish thought.

    "So... who''s been a bad girl?"

 Chapter 37 - Unfamiliar man - Part 2

    I stumbled backward as I watched the man''s figure slowly coming to light, dropping the pins in my hand in the process. He raised one of his eyebrows at the sight of the pins on the ground and smirked, "Are you attempting for an escape, little missy?"

    He ambled his way to the door and pulled it off its hinges with ease. The lock that I had so painstakingly tried to open was easily broken by his monstrous strength, making all my efforts before seem stupid and ludicrous.

    His feet strode closer to where I was, crouching down right in front of me as he raised my chin to look him in the eyes, "Do you know what happened to all these people here?" He was talking about all these skeletons. I gulped the lump in my throat as I have a feeling of what he will do next.

    "Let me show you what happened to them," he said before slamming my head to the walls, hard. I cried out in pain as everything began to spin. The side of my head started to bleed, hot blood slowly dripped down to the ground.

    "Ah... seeing you like this gives me an idea. How about we send your mate a gift? I will need a lot of your blood to do that," he guffawed at his lurid idea, "I''m sure he will love it. Vale, get me a bottle to contain our present," he ordered a woman who I just realized was standing outside of the prison door. The woman nodded her head before leaving us two in the room.

    "Get your filthy face away from me," I spat to his face. I peeked at the open door, wracking my brain for ways to run to that door. It was just a few meters away but the distance felt like it was as far as heaven and hell. I need to find something to distract him.

    He let out an amused smirk as he wiped his face, "Darling, you are only riling me up by doing that. Seems like the perfect decision to spice up the activity we will soon be doing, no?" As soon as he finished his sentence, he sent me a death glare before slapping me across the face with an inhuman force. The slap was so hard that I started to hear a ringing in my ears. The impact of it caused me to fall in the direction of the slap, causing the rough ground to bruise my elbows when they connect.

    Not giving me any time to recollect myself, he lifted me off the ground by grasping my neck, tightening his grip on it as I felt air slowly escaping my lungs. My legs were flailing in the air while my hands were desperately scratching on his hand to tear it away from my throat. I sent numerous kicks and punches but the man stayed unfazed.

    "This is what you get for being a bad girl," he said, pulling me forward before slamming my back against the wall for the second time.

    I perilously gasp for air as I fall to the ground, rubbing my neck to ease the pain from his grip. I noticed a rock right beside me so I instinctively grasped onto it and slammed it on his head as hard as I could, shattering the rock into pieces.

    He ?r??n?d after the impact, not expecting me to strike back. This gave me an opportunity to run to the door for the little hope of saving my dear life. But unfortunately, the man soon regained his composure and yanked my hair before I could even reach the door, causing me to fall backward, "Not so fast you little bitch."

    That escalated quickly, from a darling to a bitch. I must have really riled him up, this is bad.

    I was wincing in pain when he decided to use his unholy feet to kick me vehemently, "It''s been long since I find someone who dares to touch me," he laughed viciously as he kicks. His malevolent laughter convinced me that he truly was crazy. He was enjoying this.

    While I was enduring the pain from his kicks, I had set my eyes on yet another object to strike. When I thought his kicks were finally getting weaker, I quickly snatched a bone and slammed it to his feet. To my surprise, the bone broke in two while the man remained undaunted. He instead had a wide smile spread across his face, leaving me to be even more frightened than ever.

    "As expected from the Alpha''s mate. A brave one, indeed," he stared at me with his daunting eyes, "Looks like we will have tons of fun today, the more you surprise me the more enamored I am by you," he said before he drew closer to me, pulling my arm up so that I sat up.

    He pulled on my sleeves, baring my skin to him, "Life must have been hard for you, isn''t it?" he laughed mockingly as he saw the old scar hidden under my sleeves, "I will make you feel something better than any experience you ever had with torture, the most painful of all," he said as he brought his mouth to my ear, whispering words I didn''t even want to hear, "So much that you will beg me for death."

    "You ugly... piece of shit," I taunted the man as I glared at him. It took so much of me to even voiced out those words as every movement I made pained all parts of my body. I was b?r?ly retaining my consciousness.

    Using the very last strength of me, I took another rock beside me with my free hand. Before I could slam it across his face, he caught my hand. "Do you think I''m stupid to fall for the same trick twice?" he inquired. He squeezed my wrist so tightly that it made me release the rock in my hand due to it. As the rock slipped out of my hand to its rightful place on the ground, it also felt like my life was also slipping away from me.

    Should I just give up life?

    That''s what I thought when someone''s voice called out to the man, "That''s enough, Leo. You are going to kill her if you go any further," it was the same woman from before who said, "We still need her, she''s weak enough as it is."

    "You are ruining my fun, Vale," he sighed but release his grasp on me, "You are lucky someone came to remind me that you are still needed, or else you will lay dead today," the man stood up, leaving me in my bloody state, "Take care of the present for me, will you?"

    Vale hummed in response and she, in turn, walked closer to me but did nothing to harm me. All she did was draw some blood from me, filling the bottle in her hand with the red liquid that was easily found either on my body or on the ground. She glanced at me before leaving me alone in the prison. I noticed the look of pity she gave me but maybe it was only my imagination.

    Being left alone never felt this amazing before. Though I was alone and the door was left unlocked, I couldn''t escape. The pain was so impeccable to bear that I didn''t dare to move. Even staying still caused me great pain. I didn''t want to feel the pain that will emerge when I tried to move my body.

    Can I even leave this place alive? Or will I end up as a new addition to the pile of skeletons here? I sighed and yelp in pain when the utmost little thing I did felt like I had just stabbed myself with a thousand knives. I think that guy broke my ribs or something, my body hurts like hell.

    My brain started to visualize a number of things that will happen to me in the near future, and all of it disturbingly involves blood. Ironic that I couldn''t even imagine something other than being beaten. The escape that I was hoping for now seems so far away. It will be foolish of me to try for another escape.

    The pain that I had to bear today was the most excruciating one I''ve ever felt. Every of me was broken by that man, I wouldn''t dare to do anything to further annoy him. Perhaps he wouldn''t have beaten me this bad if I was being submissive to him before. He was just so infuriating that I had to do that. I have to admit that a little of me felt that it was worth it to whack him with a rock, but most of me felt it was not worth it to feel this much pain when he in turn only bleeds a little. He should''ve felt as much pain as me for me to be satisfied.

    As I was using my leftover energy to cursed the man, Vale returned to the room, startling me at the sight of her. What if werewolves could hear other people''s thoughts? I was scared shitless that they knew I''ve been cussing at the man and came back to punish me for it. I felt my body tensed out of fear of having to be beaten again, but then she said,

    "Relax, I am only here to give you this," she offered me a glass of water, but I only stared at her with a questioning look. Why would she give it to me? She must''ve noticed my wariness so she added, "We still need you, remember? I don''t want you to die before we could use you."

    Hearing that, it was just right for me to decline it. I didn''t want to be of use to them, over my dead body. Another reason was that I couldn''t move my body if not sending sharp pain all over it, so it was impossible for me to take the glass when she was standing outside of the prison. Looking at how I didn''t accept the glass in her hand, she walked closer to me and helped me to drink it.

    I shut my mouth tight and didn''t accept the water despite her helping me to drink it. She soon became irritated and forced the water into my mouth. It was only when I took a sip of the water did she stop shoving the glass into my mouth.

    "Not so hard, isn''t it?" she huffed before placing the glass on the ground, again leaving me alone in the prison along with the damned skeletons.

    Even though it did felt refreshing drinking a little water after all the screams I let out earlier, I was still skeptical of her motives. It struck as weird to me that she was concerned for my well being. Nevertheless, all my doubts were soon proven when I felt my insides burn, something was obviously not right with me.

    If all the beatings I got before caused me pain from the outside, now I was literally hurting from the inside. It was as if there was a raging fire inside me, adding the amount of pain that I have to bear as if it was not enough of a pain. I curled my body, clutching on my ragged dress to endure the stinging pain. The searing pain traveled from my stomach to my throat, which by the next minute caused me to vomit blood.

    Here I thought she cared for me when in reality she just forced me to drink poisoned water.

    That darned woman.

 Chapter 38 - Missing mate - Part 1

    By the time I arrived back home, it was already the time of dawn. I shifted back to my human form, immediately dashing towards Violet''s room. I yanked the door open, finding nothing but an empty room. She is gone.

    "Alpha," a voice sounded from behind my back. I turned around and grabbed the owner of the voice by the collar, cornering him against the wall.

    "Where the fu?k is she?" I growled, showing my canines threateningly to my Gamma who was ?ssigned to look over my mate but instead did the opposite of what I told him to do. If only he was not my Gamma then I would have torn his head off for losing my mate, in my own fu?k?n? house.

    He lowered his head as a sign of submissiveness, not wanting to anger me further. "We are still searching for her," but these exact words were what angered me the most. By the next second my knuckles had collided with his cheekbone harshly, leaving both my hand and his cheek stained with blood.

    I let out an earth-shattering growl, not caring about the pain that will inflict on the other werewolves as I was furious, so furious that I might tear the whole building down. Jack fell on his knees due to the pain that struck him, and I raised my hand to send him another punch he deserves but instead of punching him, I decided to just punch on the wall behind him to diffuse my anger.

    "What happened?" I gritted my teeth, trying to calm myself. I knew Jack was not someone who dared to go against my words and there must be something that caused him to fail in doing my order.

    "I was.. guarding in front of Luna''s room when I heard a scream," he replied while still trying to endure the pain, "The scream came from the parlor so I went there to check on it and found a maid, along with one dead body. It was the butler.

    "It was then when I felt something was not right and rushed back to Luna''s room but..." he wavered, not daring to continue what he was about to say.

    I let out a heavy sigh, raking my fingers through my hair while also aggressively ruffling it in frustration. So the abductor deliberately killed my butler to divert Jack''s attention, therefore, Violet was left alone in her room. They killed so many lives just to take my Violet away from me. Either they wanted something that Violet had, or they were just using her to get me.

    Nonetheless, they will be dead meat when I find where they are hiding. They better count their time before I send them to hell.

    "Call Maggie over," I ordered. I need to ask her what happened with the magic barrier that she cast on my territory. It was strange that an intruder was able to step inside when there was a barrier surrounding the place. Only those who were permitted could enter my territory, so anyone who dared to set foot on my land without permission must be prepared for the consequences to come. Moreover, taking what belongs to me. Death alone wouldn''t be enough to atone for their sins.

    But on second thought, them being able to step into my territory in spite of the magic barrier must be also the work of the witch they were working along with.

    Jack stumbled to the door, marching to the witch''s house. In turn of Jack''s disappearance, Andrew came into the room. He gasped for air, seemingly tired after continuously running to catch up to me who ran at my full speed and had long disappeared from his sight.

    "He... what... happened...?" He asked breathlessly. Realizing that I was not in the mood to answer any question, he cleared his throat and looked around the room. "Well, I will ask someone to clean up all this mess," he glanced at the door that laid on the floor and the cracked walls.

    "I know you are mad and all but... at least wear some clothes," he said, turning his head around while closing his eyes with his palms, "I''m not fond of looking at n?k?d men."

    I looked down and realized he was right, I was n?k?d. I was such in a hurry that I even forgot to clothed myself. I sighed and walked to my room, quickly grabbing some clothes from my closet to cover myself. Feeling impatient waiting for the witch''s arrival, I myself went straight to her house before she came to me, followed by Andrew just behind.

    As I brought myself to the witcher house, she had just stepped out of her house with Jack in front of her.

    "Still as handsome as ever, Alpha Luke... and very impatient," the black witch stepped forward, closing the distance between us as she placed her hand on my shoulder.

    Not even a second after she managed to rest her hand on me, I shoved her hand away, "Don''t touch me," I scowled, glaring down at the witch who was two heads shorter than me.

    She faked a smile and laughed, "We have known each other for years and yet you are still as hostile as you were when we first met, how you sadden me."

    "Quit the gibberish," I folded my arms, not wanting to spend any time to chat, "Tell me, can you locate my mate?"

    "Of course. But, what will you give me in return if I help you?" She raised her brow, trying to gain something out of her service.

    "I will spare you your life," I offered, though it was more of a threat. She twitched her mouth, annoyed by my answer. If not for me allowing her to live in my land, she will long be dead, hunted by the countless witch-hunter out there.

    "Come in," she grumbled.

    The house which belonged to the black witch stood alone in the middle of the forest, hidden from the people''s scrutiny. It was old and murky, the walls were covered with vines that grew upon it and the paint had faded due to the change of seasons over the years. If one happened to see this house, they would''ve thought it was an abandoned house. A house where the mischievous children would dare each other to go into in an attempt of their quest to search for ghosts. No one would want to live in such a house, but it was the perfect place for the witch to hide.

    The witch opened the door, allowing me to set my foot on the other side of the house. Stepping inside, I could see that it was as much as a mess of what was seen outside. All of her belongings were left unkempt scattered all over the place, making it hard to walk without stepping into at least one or two things on the floor.

    "You call this a house?" asked Andrew, his face was filled with horror as he kicked a few things on the floor aside to make way for his feet. "Was that a rat?!" He slapped a hand over his mouth when he noticed a few little creatures running among the mess, scurrying away to hide from people.

    "Oh shut up you clean-freak," she hissed and Jack mumbled after her, "More like a literal freak..." but Andrew was too focused on scrutinizing the mess in front of him to listen to them.

    "They are delicious when eaten half-cooked," she referred to the rats while ???k?n? her lips, then ran her eyes to Andrew, looking at him up and down before saying, "I wonder how will a wolf taste li¨C"

    "Can we just focus on the ritual?" I interrupted, irritated by the idle talk.

    "Of course," she walked to a round table and cleared the items atop of it, knocking them all to the ground. "Sit here," she said pointing to a chair in front of her. Both of us faced each other as I took a seat at the table where the witch proceeds to place an item on the table, pulling the cloth covering it which then exposed a crystal ball beneath. Picking up an unlit candle from one of her shelves, she ignited a fire on it and let it stand just beside the sphere.

    "Right, I forgot to tell you that I will need something of hers," she chimed, and I unknowingly put too much strength on my hand which rested on the table, "Careful wolf, you are going to break the table."

    Why didn''t she just say so from earlier? We could have brought them by now if she had said the things she needed after I asked her to locate Violet. She was wasting a lot of my time when I need to know where Violet is as soon as possible.

    "I will bring some from her room," Jack offered before I raged.

    Maggie smiled looking at my clenched jaw, she was obviously doing it on purpose. I tried to breathe in and out to calm my anger but then ended up smelling an unpleasant smell that hovered throughout the house. Instead of regaining my composure, it made me feel even more exasperated.

    Not long after Jack left for the items, he returned with something unexpected on his hand. "This..." he stretched out his hand, giving me what he was carrying, "I found this laying outside of the manor." My hands trembled when I held the object. It was a bottle full of blood, and a piece of paper.

    "Alpha! Calm down!" Andrew shouted, stopping me from going full-on rampage as my fur has started to crawl from under my skin. It was hard to keep my wolf in control when I was holding on to my mate''s blood. Imagine what kind of terrible things they did to her that they had this much blood with them.

    "CALM DOWN?! HOW CAN IˇŞ" I growled ferociously, almost breaking the bottle in my hand when Maggie snatched it away from me.

    "Perfect! We can use this for the ritual," she enunciated, "Now, calm your pet and we can start right away."

    I bit back my anger and sat back down, clenching my fist to diffuse the fire in me. I need to control my rage so that I will be able to know her location faster. She soon started the ritual by placing both of her hands on top of the crystal ball, muttering incoherent words under her breath. The calm smoke inside the sphere soon swirled, the color of it turning from grey to black. Everything was silent, no sound or movement was made if not from the witch. A cool breeze appeared despite the house had its windows tightly closed, flickering the lit candle every now and then.

    The black witch who previously possessed brown eyes now was seen with eyes of that of a serpent, her pupils turning from round to slits. She picked up the bottle, turning it slightly so the blood fell to the crystal ball on its own and caused it to glow. She used a few drops of Violet''s blood before placing it back on the table, then continued to mutter words that still sound gibberish to my ears.

    "I can see her... weak... bloodied..." her eyes wide opened as she breathed out the words, "It''s dark and quiet... she is surrounded by the souls of the dead," I could feel my heart shuddered at the thought of how scared she was, it pained me so much that I had allowed this to happen to her.

    "She is detained deep in a cave, inside of a prison where gruesome things often happened to either the evildoer or the innocent..." she was quiet for a few seconds before announcing her exact location, "A cave up in the mountain right next to Gordom. You better go now or else she won''t holdˇŞ"

    Before she could finish her sentence, I had burst out of the house, breaking the door and leaving it to fall off its hinges. Glancing at the piece of paper in my hand, it read,

    "Kill yourself... and I will spare her life."

 Chapter 39 - Missing mate - Part 2

    Reading the words written on the paper, I couldn''t help but laugh. I couldn''t believe my eyes, am I being threatened right now? I crumpled the paper, tossing it to the ground which made it bounce back several times before finally staying still due to the force used to throw it.

    Andrew, picking up the wrinkled paper, sighed after reading it, "Oh please don''t laugh, you are scaring me," he then turned the paper over, his brows furrowed as he read, "Hey, did you see this?"

    "What?" I barked, still annoyed at the fact that I was threatened by a rogue. He stretched out his hand, tapping into the part of the paper that I hadn''t read earlier as I got mad after reading the first sentence.

    I snatched the paper from his hand, reading the passage he had just pointed out. There written the place and time where they wanted to meet, more like the place where they wanted me to kill myself. Though the place itself was not far from where Violet is being detained, they wanted me to come at the time of midnight while the sun was still soaring brightly at the moment. What a joke, why should I wait for you when I have found out where my mate is?

    "Should we make a plan or something?" asked Jack who had just come out from the witch''s house, followed by the witch herself who looked annoyed that I broke her door.

    "Fuck plan," I growled, "I will just kill them all."

    "Right," Andrew nodded as he took off his shirt, ready to shift, "Maybe we should bring our clothes, killing people while being n?k?d doesn''t look all that cool to me, gotta kill with class."

    I ignored Andrew''s suggestion and shifted, tearing the clothes I was wearing. As I started to run, Andrew shouted, "Don''t ask for my clothes later!!"

    A mountain right next to GordomˇŞMount Elard, the dead mountain. It was a mountain located in the outskirts of Wonsvile, far away from the heart of the city. A place where none could live, even trees that grew died and animals ran away to avoid the dread of the mountain. All the scary stories which the gossipmonger liked to spread mostly came from this very mountain, although many were seemed exaggerated as time goes by.

    To get there, it would take me at least three to four hours even if I ran at my quickest pace. It was unknown to me whether Violet will be able to hold on for that long or not. All I could do was to pray to the Moon Goddess so that she won''t separate me from my love, to give protection to my significant other and in return, I will help her to punish the sinners by taking their worthless lives.

    I will break their limbs in each wound I found on Violet''s body, or maybe I should feed them to the bloodthirsty vampires so that they will be su?k?d to death. It will be an act of public service to the werewolves, and a present to the vampires. Their deaths will benefit both kinds, so what''s the use of letting them live?

    As Wonsvile was surrounded by forest, I could easily go to Mount Elard by going around the forest and not be seen by humans. It will be a pain if humans caught sight of werewolves, as they will definitely start a riot to eradicate the werewolves, not knowing that maybe the ones living next door were probably the very same werewolves who they were so eager to kill. Even though most werewolves liked to live deep in the forest, there were some who decided to build a packhouse in the middle of the city and live amongst humans.

    Anyhow, humans must''ve thought that they occupied most lands and were bigger in numbers, which was why they concluded that it will be a good idea to hunt down the dark creatures, unknown to the fact that they were actually considered as an emergency food supply to most of us.

    I ran for hours without stopping and finally reached the foot of the mountain, followed by Andrew and Jack right behind. It was still daytime, but there was no way out of the eerie atmosphere that surrounds the mountain. Everything that grew died, leaving only dry trees and withered flowers along the path. The further we hiked up the mountain, the fog grew thicker and more corpses of either animals or humans could be seen, decaying over time. No wonder it was called the dead mountain, no sign of life was in sight.

    The whole place was bereft of noise, the only sound that could be heard were our footsteps and heaving breath. It was as if every other sound fell into nothingness. The weather was unusually cold, colder than any other day of winterˇŞeven the sun felt cold. The sky was empty, no flying birds, not even clouds. What could be seen from the sky was the snow falling heavily, slowly forming into a thick layer of blanket that will follow the shape of our footprints as we ran over it, trailing in our every step.

    [Is it just me or my fur is standing right now?] asked Andrew through the mind-link, but got ignored by both me and Jack [Can you guys please talk to me? I''m scared here].

    Still not receiving any kind of response, he decided to just give us a storytime of his childhood story where he got bitten by a squirrel despite our unwillingness to hear it [...and now I''m traumatized by squirrels. Can you imaˇŞ]

    [We don''t give a fu?k, Andrew] Jack ?r??n?d, cutting off the Beta''s ramble. I was thankful, the words I had at the back of my tongue were represented by those few words. I couldn''t be bothered wasting my energy sending out death threats to the loquacious man.

    [And here I thought we were friends... was that all a lie?] those were the last words I heard as I cut off the mind-link in order to keep my sanity. It truly was a big mistake to bring Andrew along with me, he just couldn''t shut his damn mouth. I could force shut him but unfortunately, it will involve tearing up a few things.

    It was finally quiet now that I blocked the mind-link, though Andrew did not seem happy with it. I continued to run in serene, eventually finding peace as it was nice and quiet without the Beta''s yapping. Leaping over the rocky paths, the familiar stench of rogues roamed in the air, piercing through my sense of smell. Soon after, several poorly constructed huts could be seen in the distance. I halted, squinting my eyes to observe the surrounding area.

    A few peopleˇŞrogues, were seen standing guard around those shacks. That must be the place written on the paper, a large clearing in the middle of the dead mountain. Seems like they were really eager to see me die looking at how they were so openly inviting me to their hideout so that their entire group could see the scene unveil with their own two eyes. Watching the fall of the Supreme Alpha must be like watching an opera, it was a delight to their eyesˇŞa solace to their wicked souls.

    As I continued to scrutinize the area, one rogue came into my sight, and he looked oddly familiar. The surrounding guards hurriedly ran over to him by his presence, only scrambling away after he walked into the shack. He must be their leader. Who is he? Why do I feel like I have seen him before?

    Though I was itching to kill them off, right now, my main purpose was to find Violet and to take her to safety. These rogues will be another matter to be solved, only after I have secured my mate. They will have to pay dearly even for touching the ends of her hair, let alone hurting her.

    If that was their hideout, the cave must be located somewhere around here. I ran passed through the dried trees, keeping a safe distance from the rogues to not be discovered. Each of my steps started to accelerate at the thought of meeting my mate, to have her safely in my arms. I couldn''t stand another day away from her. Being away from Violet was also one of the reasons this terrible thing happened to her. I felt guiltyˇŞand stupid, for actually stepping right into their trap. It was the dumbest thing that I''ve ever done in my life. Though stepping into their traps did solve a problem, it caused another. A huge one at that.

    I climbed higher and higher to the mountain, breathing into the air in an attempt to catch Violet''s scent. Going up the steep mountain slope, I finally caught glimpse of a cave by the end of the slope. As I got closer, I could smell blood, Violet''s blood. This must be it, this is where my Violet is.

    I hurriedly leaped over, shifting in the middle of it. As I shift back to my human body, the cold weather pierced through my bones, but I couldn''t care less. All I could care about was to have Violet in between my arms, to have her smile again for me, to keep her safe by my side.

    I ran towards the cave, meeting two rogues who were standing guard outside of the cave. They were having a nice idle chat before I decided to take part in their chat, "Having a good day?"

    Bewildered, one of the guards inquired, "Who theˇŞ" though he couldn''t finish his question before I lunged myself and slammed his head to the ground, immediately knocking him out. Using only my brute strength to break his neck, I proceed to throw him down the slope, leaving the other guard dumbfounded at how fast the whole thing happened. One minute he was talking to his friend, and another he died.

    After I threw the rogue''s dead body, a loud thump was heard, followed by Andrew''s shout, "Hey!! Why did you throw him to my face?!"

    I ignored Andrew and said to the remaining one, "Time to go to hell," feeling the danger threatening him, he haphazardly ran to save his life but I killed faster than him running to escape the brink of death. In one swift movement, his body had laid lifelessly on the ground with his head laying a few meters away.

    I covered myself with the clothes acquired from the dead rogues, then marched to the cave impenetrable darkness. As soon as I got inside, what could be felt was the stagnant air, it had the smell of something festering and rotting, and it was absolutely still, no breeze could be feltˇŞbut it was undoubtedly colder than the outside.

    Even though at first it seemed like I was engulfed in complete darkness, the deeper I got into the cave, a few burning torches were hung on the wall, giving great help to my eyesight along the way. As I could perceive my surroundings better with the help of the torch, I started to run, even without knowing what could show up in front. I was simply following Violet''s scent, hoping that it will lead me to the right place.

    After a few minutes of running, I had finally found my mate. She was laying on the cold prison floor, heavily stained with blood. I rushed to her and held her in my arms, "Violet! Violet!" I called out her name a few times, but there was no response, "Please... open your eyes," tears were threatening to escape my eyes when I saw how severe her condition was. She was woundedˇŞin almost every part of her body, her face was swollen and bruised. I didn''t even know how much blood she had lost, but I do know that a massive amount of blood has escaped her system. She looked pale, like she was so close to death...

    I could feel my heartbeat accelerating as I raised my hand to feel her pulse, and exhaled my breath when I could feel it on my fingers, even though it was weak. "Violet, please... I''m so sorry that I''m late," tears streamed out of my eyes, drop by drop fell and landed on Violet''s swollen face.

    I gently lifted her off the ground, scared that even the little strength I use will hurt her, "Please... please stay with me," I felt weak, it was as if every energy I had in me has left my body. I walked out with my trembling legs, carrying her with all that was left in me. I couldn''t stop my tears from falling, and it was when I felt something wiped the tears away, that I did stop.

    "D-don''t... cry..." the voice was weak, but it was more than enough to give me strength.

 Chapter 40 - In my arms

    Her small hand wiped the tears from falling, using every last remaining energy she had in her to do so. My body stiffened at the touch, my feet glued at the last step that I took. She had her eyes opened, a small smile appeared on her face as she stared at me.

    "Violet... I''m sorry, I''m really sorry," I brought her closer to me, another tear dropped as I do so. My legs fell weak, and soon my knees came in contact with the ground for the second time.

    "I''m... okay..." she ?ssured with a small voice, almost whispering. Even the wind that blew outside sounds louder.

    "That''s a lie," I grimaced, her words didn''t sound the least convincing when she was covered in blood. I wish I could take her pain away, it would be better if I was the one who had to endure it.

    Hearing my words, she let out a weak chuckle, "It''s not... because now... I''m with you," as soon as she uttered the words, her smile disappeared and was replaced with a frown. She clutched on her stomach, beads of sweat started to form on her forehead. She was clearly lying about being okay.

    "Stay with me," I whispered the words, quickly regaining my strength to head to safety. Running towards the exit of the cave, I met Andrew and Jack who had been waiting for us. Their faces turned grim looking at Violet in my arms, I could feel their building anger through the bond.

    "We are going to Gordom," I commanded.

    ...

    Throughout the way to Gordom, Violet couldn''t bear the immense pain she was feeling and passed out in my arms. She was soaked, with both blood and sweat. As werewolves could heal their mates with their saliva, I too healed some of Violet''s wounds by ???k?n? them. But there was only so little that I could do by doing so as her wounds were deep, and it will take some time before it could heal completely. Though I could heal her external wounds, I couldn''t do anything about what came from inside.

    As the mountain was located right next to Gordom, it will be faster for us to get there rather than going back to Wonsvile, which would need a few hours to arrive. Truthfully, going to the land of vampires was a pretty risky decision as Violet was currently covered in blood. It was like an open invitation to the vampires to feed on her.

    We soon arrived at a huge wall that divides the two lands boundaries. In the center of the wall, there stood an iron gate that was forged more than a century ago, hence old and rusty. Though old, it stood tall and solid, doing excellent in its job. The height of the gate made it seem like it was not only separating the land but also the sky in between the two regions. Going beyond that gate means we are stepping into Gordom''s territory.

    I got off Andrew''s back, holding Violet close to my arms while also covering her with my cape. As I need to carry Violet, I couldn''t shift to my wolf form and used Andrew as my means of transportation. I waited for both of my men to shift back and clothed themselves before marching to the gate.

    As we walked closer, we were stopped by guardsmen who crossed their swords to prevent us from stepping further, "Identify yourself," said one of the guards, a low-level vampire by the look of the color in his eyes, silver.

    "Lord of Wonsvile, Alpha of the Werewolves," I announced. It was understandable if they didn''t know who I am as we were of a different kind, and we never really disclosed the leader of each dark creature which was why this problem existed.

    He sighed, thinking that it was a joke, "Sir, I know you are struggling to search for a living in Gordom but we are not short of manpower. We have met tons of you who tried to sneak your way in but unfortunately, none succeed. So you better try your luck somewhere else," his eyes then peered at Violet before a smirk appeared, "But maybe I will let you in if you are willing to offer meˇŞ"

    "Say another word and you are going bye-bye," Andrew had his hand on the guard''s throat, pressing down on his food pipe. Looking at his friend being attacked, the other guard started to shout, trying to attack Andrew before he was also being held in the same way by Jack.

    "Do I look like I''m joking?" As I stepped closer to the guardsmen, the wind blew, causing the hood that covered my face to fall and allowed them to take in my appearance better. Specifically the bright red eyes.

    They gawked their eyes at the sight of me, finally realizing their mistake, "R-red eyes," he mumbled. I sighed and walk past them as they were thrown to the ground. Andrew jogged to catch up to me and teased, "Seems like the red-eyed wolf is still famous among the people."

    The red-eyed wolf, it has been such a long time since I last heard the name. It was a name that frequently appeared on the stories my mom so proudly told me about in my bedtime stories. I used to fall asleep while listening to my mom bragging about how amazing the man was.

    No matter how different we were, we did everything we could to accept each other''s differences. No one had ever voiced their displeasure until the witches started to create havoc, using their magic to kill and harm countless people. It was then when the others started to feel irked by what the witches were doing, we eventually also used our power to fight for dominance, for the right to rule over all creatures. Hence it started the great war.

    The war went on for almost a decade, it was a war that killed many. Humans, being the weakest of all, were so close to being annihilated from existence. They sought help from werewolves and vampires, begging for peace, for the sake of their old companionship. It was then when they realized, they didn''t hate each other and their true enemy was the witches who started the war. The three then started to combine their strength, using them to end the witches.

    One of the leading figures who held an important role in ending the war was the red-eyed wolf. It was a name that was first given to my grandfather, Derek William. He was infamous for his courage and incredible strength, bestowing him with the name red-eyed wolf. He was adored by his allies, but feared by his enemies. After the war ended, he was the one who came up with the idea to divide the three lands, so the same incident would not be repeated. Yet it ended up as an idea that distanced the relation of the people, which was why we didn''t have the same kind of companionship as what our ancestors had with the other creatures. Wonsvile was mostly inhabited by werewolves, Gordom by vampires, and Myltha by humans, although witches also liked to live there.

    "We are here," Jack''s voice pulled me away from my thoughts, finally realizing that we have arrived at our destination. We have arrived in front of a manor, the manor of the Lord of Gordom itself. The manor was made out of bricks, standing in the middle of a magnificent garden that surrounded it as if embracing the building with nature and greeneries. The pathway was adorned with various kinds of floras, welcoming the guest with its colorfulness.

    The butler soon noticed our presence and calmly walked to welcome us, "Alpha Luke, please come in." He opened the entrance to the manor, allowing us to step into the building despite the sudden appearance.

    He must''ve realized our urgency as he caught sight of Violet and the whiff of blood coming from her, "I will call for the lord and a doctor. Please bring her to the guest room," he said before bowing to do his task.

    I carried Violet to the room, placing her on the bed ever so slowly to not hurt her. I went to the bathroom and took a wet napkin to wipe the blood staining her as the smell of her blood might attract a few vampires who didn''t have good control of their hunger. Not long after, a woman and a man came into the room, one being the human doctor and the other the lord.

    "Kiel," I called the man, receiving a nod as a reply. He had a questioning look as he glanced at Violet but decided to wait outside, letting the doctor do her job first before questioning me. As the doctor examined Violet''s wounds, more of them that were hidden under her clothes came to light. I clenched my fist, blood leaked out of my palm as my nails pierced through the flesh. I will kill them all.

    I walked out of the room, meeting Kiel who had his back against the wall, "What happened?" He inquired as he faced me. Kiel was my childhood friend, my only vampire friend. Our families have always been good friends, it goes way back to the days where Axthrone still exist.

    "Rogues," I gritted my teeth and he nodded in acknowledgment, knowing that we had those rogues problems for these last few months. I glanced at the window, noticing the day was dark, "What time is it?"

    "Close to midnight," he replied after peeking through his watch. Looking at the smile sprawled on my face, he asked confusedly, "Why?" I was feeling more than delighted that the time I had been waiting for has finally come.

    "It''s time to kill those fu?k?n? dogs."

 Chapter 41 - Burning dogs - Part 1

    "You wouldn''t mind if I put a new guy in your dungeon, right?" Kiel raised an eyebrow at the question, seemingly intrigued by it, "But I guess it will be pretty cramped down there."

    "Rest ?ssured," he let out a hearty laugh, "It''s just cramped with carcasses, I''m sure your captives wouldn''t mind that."

    "Perfect," the corner of my mouth quirked up in amusement, "You two, destroy everything there and bring me the man who wrote me the letter," I ordered both Jack and Andrew who has been listening to our conversation quietly behind.

    "Dead or alive?" Andrew grinned, stretching his body as if to prepare for the action coming.

    "Alive, of course," I sent him a smile, though not a friendly one, "I will kill him with my own two hands. Now, scram."

    Both men nodded, running out of the manor to carry out my orders. As I walked to Violet''s room, Kiel stopped me from going in by placing a hand over my shoulders, "What?"

    "You do know I will only lend you the dungeon only if you let me in some fun too, right?" asked the vampire. I snorted knowing his weird liking to hear someone begged for their life to him as if he was going to let them live. The moment they begged for their lives, it will also be the time when they will lose them.

    "Of course."

    ...

    "So," I clapped my hands, getting Jack''s attention on me, "I knew this was going to happen so I sent a message to the warriors before we left," he glanced at me, acting as if he wasn''t interested in my words but I knew he was, "By now, they must have surrounded the rogues and are waiting for our arrival. Smart, am I not? I know our Alpha very well that he won''t leave Violet alone."

    "Anyone will also do the same thing, don''t you think? Knowing that you are our Beta, you are just so-so."

    Hmph, I knew he will never acknowledge my worth. This rivalry of ours came to no end even with knowing who was the winner. It''s obviously me. I''m better than him which was why I''m the Beta and he is the Gamma. He was just sour that he always lost to me.

    "But did YOU sent them a message?" I inquired, knowing that he didn''t by the look on his face.

    "Of course..." he faltered, scratching his nose just like what he always did when he was lying. He didn''t even realize he has that habit which made it really obvious whenever he told lies, at least to me.

    "...not," I added, sending him my lopsided grin. He glowered in annoyance but I didn''t spare him any care and ran out of the manor, leaving the miffed Gamma behind.

    Gordom, it has been such a long time since I last stepped foot in this land. I hated it here, the smell of blood was too strong to my likings, as always. I walked around the street, catching a few peopleˇŞI mean, vampires'' attention. Damn it, I forgot to wear my cape. It was hard to walk around with such a handsome face. Look at them, they couldn''t get their eyes off me.

    Although it was difficult to distinguish normal humans from other creatures who are not of our kind, it was pretty easy to tell if one was a vampire. A single look in their eyes and you will know, silver or gold. Silver meant low-level vampires or half-blood vampires, while gold meant the pure-blood vampires, meaning, the vampires who held greater powers.

    A few giggling women who have been ogling me with their eyes stepped in front of me, stopping me from walking. I sighed, raising my palm to stop whatever they were trying to do, "Fair ladies, I''m sorry but I have my wife waiting back home. I''m not interested in any of you."

    "I''m afraid you have misunderstood us, sir. We were simply going to give you this," one of the women smiled, holding out a shawl. I stared at her, perplexed with what they meant by it. Is this some kind of culture among the vampires? To give a shawl to a man they are interested in?

    Looking at how I didn''t accept the shawl, the woman coughed, "Ahem, your pants," she hinted by moving her eyes to my pants, and I followed suit. I looked down, but nothing was wrong with it. I furrowed my brows to the woman when she added, "Look behind."

    I glanced at the back of my pants, finally realizing what was wrong with it. It was ripped, right in where my bu?? cheeks met, showing the fine line between them and a good amount of bu??.

    "..."

    I froze, still looking at my torn pants. When the hell did this even happened?!

    Dear Moon Goddess, please thou tell me, your beloved child, what should I do to get away from this embarrassing moment. I spent a few good minutes looking at my bu??, with the woman still holding out the shawl. Fuck it, I will just act cool.

    "....thank you, haha." I bowed to the woman, accepting the shawl she offered. I walked away calmly, tying the shawl around my waist in an attempt to hide my bu??. No wonder I felt cold, and no wonder people have been staring at me with funny looks on their faces.

    An exhausted sigh escaped my mouth, "I hate Gordom."

    "Of course you do," Jack burst out laughing, finally appearing after the scene unfold. I scowled at the man, "You have noticed right from the start, didn''t you?"

    "Notice what?" he shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly while trying to muffle his laughter.

    "Don''t play dumb, Jack. You are dumb enough as it is," he ignored me and walked away, leaving me behind just like what I did to him before. Breathe in, breathe out. He is our Gamma, I can''t kill him without the Alpha''s permission. I will do it when I received his permission.

    I hastened my pace, quickly catching up to Jack in front of me. We walked to the gate, stepping out of Gordom''s territory side by side. Just when I was going outside of the border, the guardsmen stopped me, "Wait, what''s there under your shawl? You are not stealing anything, are you? Take it off."

    Hearing that, Jack burst out laughing for the second time, wiping the tears on his eyes without any intention of helping me with this situation. I sighed, "You sure you really want to see it?" They nodded, so I pulled the shawl, showing them what''s hidden under, "Can I go now?"

    "Y-yes, of course."

    I stomped out of the gate, annoyed as it felt like I''ve been putting on a show with my bu??. It was such a relief that I have a toned bu??, at least that meant I''ve shown them something good. I smirked, realizing that the people of Gordom have been blessed by my s?xy ?ss. Kiel has to thank me for this.

    I walked towards the forest and shifted into a werewolf after confirming that no one was around. Jack, who has been laughing ceaselessly due to my bu??, finally died down his laughter and return to his normal deadpanned expression. It''s about the damn time we focus on our mission.

    We both ran in all four, running towards the place where the rogues were hiding. It has been a few months since they started attacking us, causing great loss and grief. Now was the time to end them, to show them what will happen when they dare to mess with us. I wonder what will happen to the rogues'' leader. Knowing Luke, he won''t kill him right away, but he will slowly torture him to death. No wonder he got along well with the Vampire King, they are both crazy.

    [Man, I will also be so damn mad if I found out that my Lisa has been kidnapped by some smelly ?ss men]

    [You do know that won''t ever happen to her, right? I bet she will turn the odds and will be the one kidnapping them instead]

    I laughed after I heard his answer because it was absolutely true. I have found myself a kick-ass woman as my mate. I didn''t even need to go around protecting her from shits as she could do that herself. Though I''m proud of my tough mate, I wanted a chance to show her how manly I could be by acting like her knight in shining armor. Well, there goes my dream.

    [Yeah, I know. That''s why I''m imagining it, you dumbass]

    [I wish I have the luxury to do that too] he let out a heavy sigh, it was clear that he was thinking about his dead mate again.

    I still remember it as clear as day, he was yet to be the Gamma and was going on a mission in the neighboring pack when he first found his mate laying on her deathbed. It was the first time they met each other and yet they were only given a few minutes to spend together. The girl was born weak, having a few illnesses that were passed down from her family which she could no longer bear when she turned sixteen. The first and last words he could ever say to her were the few words of endearmentˇŞI love you, and all he could ever receive from her was a weak smile before she was gone forever.

    He spent months and months mourning and resenting the Moon Goddess for giving him such a fate. He was going insane, his health deteriorating day after day as if he wanted to follow her to the afterlifeˇŞto spend more time with her. It was when he met Luke, that he finally returned to his sane mind. Luke made him promise, that he will not end his life and work alongside him as his Gamma. He then kept himself busy by doing the pack''s works and it went on until this very day. It has been a full seven years since then.

    The run then turned quiet, so quiet that the silence was suffocating me. I endured the suffocating silence until we arrived at our destination, only breaking it after I sent a mind-link to the warriors to confirm their location.

    [Are you guys here?]

    [We have been here since an hour ago, everything is ready] my question was soon answered with their enthusiastic voice. They sounded very eager to kill, and I was more than happy to hear that.

    I was back in my human form and was hiding behind a big tree, a good amount of distance from the promised place, though not too far away while the warriors were standing further away to not be noticed by the rogues. The rogues were gathered in the open area, waiting for the appearance of our Alpha with a smile splattered on their faces. Unfortunately, they won''t be able to meet him and will only meet death. I will be more than glad to act as their grim reaper.

    I nodded at Jack, a sign where I allowed him to join the others while I will be stepping out of the trees to meet our beloved rogues. Just when I was going to step out of the shadow, a voice was heard. It seems that they have finally noticed my presence, took them long enough.

    "About time you come out, don''t you think?"

    I let out a loud, hearty laugh as I walked closer to them, "Aw, man. I was hoping for a little game of hide and seek. How you disappoint me, Leonard."

    As I was hiding behind the tree, I finally found out who was the man behind the letter. It was Leonard, the former member of our pack. He was banished from the pack due to the crime he committed with his mate, and now must be the time he seeks for his revenge.

    "I suppose your mighty Alpha is afraid of being killed and send you here instead," he guffawed, and the other rogues followed like little ducklings quacking behind him.

    "You think so?" I asked as I waved my hand in front of my nose, also scrunching my face, "Don''t you think it''s because this place is just too smelly and lousy for him to be in?"

    "Don''t be so ???ky, Andrew," he glowered, "Did you forget that your Luna is in my hands? I can kill her anytime with just a flick of my finger."

    "Really?" I gasped, giving him an exaggerated reaction, "Did you know that I could do just the same to you too? I mean, killing you with a flick of my finger will be as easy as stealing candy from a baby."

    The ducklings behind him growled, agitated, and threatened by my words. I could see Leonard''s mouth twitched in annoyance as he ordered the woman beside him, "Vale, bring me the girl. I will kill her right here, right now."

    I put a hand over my lips, trying to stifle my laughter but ended up bursting out as I could no longer hold them back, "Bring her from where? BecauseˇŞyou know, the last time I checked, she was not here... anymore," I uttered in between my laughter before another wave of laughter escaped my mouth as I took in the looks on their silly faces.

    "You are pretty funny, Andrew," he mocked, though he didn''t sound as confident as he tried to sound, "She isˇŞ"

    "Yeah, I know," I cut him off, still laughing, "I''m the perfect man every woman dreamed of, don''t you think?"

    The man had his body shaking, not out of fear, but out of anger. It seemed like my lovable laughter has angered him and his little ducklings, "Brave of you to come here alone. I will let you regret taking such a stupid decision."

    "Oh, bold of you to ?ssume I was alone," I jeered before raising my hand, giving a signal to the warriors to begin the action. Wouldn''t want to keep my men waiting for long, right?

    Right after I had my hand up in the air, numerous arrows were sent to the rogues, piercing right through their bodies with a little addition of flames coming along with the swarming arrows. The flames soon devoured their bodies, blazing so furiously as if they were hungry for it. Now, the dead mountain was no longer dead, as it was now lit with the fiery fire, emitting a blazing yellowish light within. Instead, the rogues were the ones who are dead, leaving only a bewildered Leonard untouched by the fire arrows.

    "Well... surprise! Look who is alone now."

 Chapter 42 - Burning dogs - Part 2

    The heat that came from the blazing fire brought warmthˇŞI mean, a lot more than warmth. It was burning the bodies of the rogues as if they were the fuel to its raging ember. The fire crept up to their bodies, burning their flesh, devouring everything that dares to stand on its path only leaving ashes and dust behind.

    The fiery fire danced beautifully along with the bodies that so desperately tried to stop it from burning them, though it was of no use as it will only be a matter of time before they succumb to the flames. No matter how much effort was given, the fire didn''t cease its reign of terror.

    What was initially thought to be the day where they rose to glory turned out to be the day they fell to the depths of hell. Thundering screams that shouted pain and agony could be heard throughout the mountain, and yet, it sounded like a beautiful harmony to my ears.

    Did I perhaps sound a little too psychotic? But what do I do, I''m just very ecstatic to finally destroy the cause of my problems. You don''t even know how much paperwork that I need to go through whenever they create a mess. Not to mention I still have to bear the Alpha''s rampage when things didn''t go well with his likings. What a life, I know.

    Leonard who was left alone looked at his surroundings frantically, his eyes wide in surprise and mouth agape. He was looking around, but not at the burning rogues. It was as if he was searching for something... or someone.

    "Do you like the surprise?" I teased, drawing his attention to me from whatever he was searching for, "I bet you do, this is like the best surprise ever. It''s our gratitude for the gift you gave us before."

    The man glared, "What are you going to do if your precious Luna is here? You don''t even know where she is."

    "And you know?" A mocking laugh escaped my lips, I couldn''t believe what I''ve just heard. Is he stupid or what? "Why do you think the Alpha didn''t come here to carry out the so-called deal you made if his woman is still here? You know he will literally do anything to save her."

    I waited for the stupefied Leonard to answer my question but it seemed like his stupid brain couldn''t manage to find the answer so I offered him a little help, "Well, it''s because he doesn''t need your stupid deal to save her. That''s why I''m here," I sent him a wink, "Not for the deal, but for you."

    "There''s no way that you could know where she is being detained," he said as he wiped the sweat on his face, laughing awkwardly to hide his nervousness.

    "I must say yes way, Leonard," I grinned making the man clench his jaw, balling his fist. He leered at his surroundings before turning his body around, trying to make a run for his life. Just as he turned his back, a punch came flying straight to his face and knocked the man to the ground due to the force given, "Aw, Jack, don''t be so harsh on him. He just wanted to play tag."

    "Yeah? Then I''ll kill you if I catch you, how about it?" Jack smirked, giving a generous offer to the rogue. Leonard glared daggers at him but accepted his offer regardless, "I''ll give you ten seconds to run," said Jack.

    Leonard hurriedly stood up, using all his might to run as far as possible in those precious ten seconds. But what he didn''t know was that Jack had placed his foot on his shirt, making him fall back to the ground when he tried to stand. As he fell to his former position, he looked up, his face was full of disbelief when he stared at Jack, "You fu?k?n? ?sshole."

    Jack, shameless as he was, counted down the ten seconds while still stepping on Leonard''s shirt to prevent him from running. Leonard desperately took his shirt off to free himself, but when he did take it off, Jack, unfortunately, had finished counting,"...five...ten."

    "Since when the number after five is ten?!" he protested, not liking the way Jack''s brain worked.

    "I am the one counting so it''s my rule," Jack answered nonchalantly as he held Leonard against the ground. I, who was watching the whole scene unfold was trying my best to hold back my laughter and called the warriors to take Jack''s place on holding the rogue down. It was only at times like this that I do like Jack.

    "You never had any intention of letting me run, did you?"

    "How smart of you," Jack taunted the man and received a low growl as an angry reply from Leonard. Looking at how irked he was, he will probably shift anytime soon now. It will be in our best interest to prevent him from doing so.

    [Did you bring me what I asked for?] I mind-linked Zeke, the one who was ?ssigned to lead the warriors. Instead of answering my question, he came running to me and handed me the thing I requested for. He indeed was a man of few words, just like what I''ve heard.

    He gave me a thing that was covered in a cloth which I accept with p???sur?. I opened the cloth slightly to take a look at the object inside, careful as to not make any direct contact with it. I nodded in satisfaction when I caught sight of the silver handcuffs beneath it.

    As werewolves were pretty much allergic to silver, it will weaken any werewolves by a mere touch of it. The skin that came in contact with silver will immediately burn, and our healing abilities will work slower. The longer a werewolf came in contact with silver, the weaker they will be. They will lose all of their heightened abilities and eventually be as weak as humans. Silver to werewolves was as scary as holy water to satans.

    As it was hard holding the handcuff and opening it while still using a cloth to overlay it, I severed the hands of the dead rogues laying on the ground and used them to touch the silver. Since they were already burned, the touch of the silver didn''t cause any changes to them. I pulled the cloth, using and moving those hands as if they were my own to open the lock. After successfully opening the lock, I walked over to Leonard gleefully.

    When Leonard caught sight of the handcuffs in myˇŞrogues'' hands, his pupils became dilated and he instantly struggled to break away from the warriors'' grasp as if knowing what will happen to him. Like I said before, he will try to shift as to escape from us and that thought was deemed correct.

    His body was starting to enlarge with his bones cracking here and there, claws elongatedˇŞbut the transformation soon came to a halt when Jack choked him by placing his hand on his throat, "I don''t like playing too many games, Leonard."

    "That''s enough, you might end up killing him," I told Jack as I put the handcuffs on Leonard who hissed to the burn, "He is the Alpha''s prey, remember?" I threw the hands to the ground and kindly smiled at the man but was returned with a scowl. Geez, talk about manners.

    Before leaving the place, I decided to take a look inside the place they were hiding in. Fortunately, the shacks were untouched by the fire as it was distanced away from where the rogues were gathered. Just as I stepped my feet inside their shacks, I knew that was the worst decision that I''ve ever taken in my whole life.

    The place was dirty, like terribly dirty. Countless trashes were scattered all over the place, and the floor was incredibly sticky... with God knows what. Many living or dead rats, ???kroaches, flies, and many others live amongst the mess. Different kinds of poops were also there, giving a great contribution in decorating the whole place to be all the more disgusting. I looked up to the ceiling, only to find numerous spider webs also with its owner.

    My nose was giving up its job to smell as it couldn''t bear the excruciating stench that came from this place. It was horrible, the worst I''ve ever smelt. Rotten foods, excrements, carcasses, a combination that I''ve never imagined I would ever smell. Cleaning was my favorite thing to do but if I have to clean this place, then I might as well die. What a wonderful place.

    "J-Jack..." I tapped on his shoulders vehemently, "I think I''m going to faint."

    Jack didn''t give a damn about me fainting and kept on walking inside, stepping on whatever on his paths. I scrunched up my face, holding my breath as I went further to the unknown. I followed behind Jack strenuously, regretting my life decision in every step I took. We better find something hereˇŞif not, then I''m going to kill Leonard for creating this fu?k?n? mess. How dare him...

    While I was busy muttering curses, I finally noticed the floor was no longer covered with garbage. The wooden floor was for once clean and could be seen clearlyˇŞI repeat, it was clean!! I jerked my head up to see the room I was in, happy to at least find somewhere cleaner. Though I couldn''t say it was clean, it was visibly better than before. The room was pretty much empty, only a few wooden boxes were seen laying around.

    "What is inside?" I asked Jack who had opened one of the boxes.

    Jack turned around while holding what he had picked up from the box, "Werewolves'' hearts," his face was grim, jaw clenching.

    I unconsciously let out a growl as I saw what was on his hands. It was the hearts of our people, the ones who they had mercilessly killed. What kind of joke is this? Why did they compile all of those hearts?

    [Check all of the shacks here] I ordered my men and glanced at Jack, "We should show this to Luke."

    As Jack agreed with my suggestion, we carried all of the boxes out to take them back with us. We couldn''t possibly leave them here, even with the rogues all dead. It was once what kept our people alive, what allowed us to make numerous precious memories with all those people.

    After carrying all of the boxes out, I waited for my men to finish checking out all the shacks. When they all have finished, we found a few more boxes of hearts, a few potions, and a young kid. Whose kid is this? He looked like he was no older than three years old, his clothes were battered and dirty.

    "Who are you?" I asked the young boy. He hid behind the legs of the warrior who brought him out, staring at me with his innocent eyes.

    "Papa told me to not answer any question from a stranger," he answered after a few minutes of staring. I sighed, why does he have to make my job harder?

    I walked over to the kid and crouched down to level with him, giving him the best smile I could afford to show at the moment. "Then, you don''t have to answer me. Just nod your head if what I said is true, okay?"

    He pressed his lips together and nodded his head, complying with what I''ve just asked him to. "Is that man over there your dad?" I pointed to Leonard who was on his knees, seemingly weak due to the silver.

    When the young boy followed my finger and saw Leonard, his eyes immediately lit up, a smile decorating his small face. Looking at his reaction, he certainly was Leonard''s son. He was just going to run to Leonard before I caught him, at the same time knocking him out, "Sorry, kid."

    I handed him to one of my warriors, "Stay behind, don''t let Leonard see him."

    What kind of luck is this? Leonard having a kid, it was new to me. This kid must be what he was searching for before. It was fortunate that he was inside the shacks, if not, he might be dead now and we couldn''t possibly use him against Leonard.

    I ambled to where Leonard was, smiling at the man as if I have just found a treasure. I hunched down and patted the man on his head,

    "Off we go, shall we?"

 Chapter 43 - Fear

    We were only apart for two days, and yet it felt like a century has passed. So much has happened in that short moment, so many emotions emerged from inside me. Though many washed over me, the one emotion that was the most prominent was fear.

    Fear crept up to me the moment I saw her lying on the cold prison floor. She was so weak and helpless. There was an ounce of hesitation when I saw her bloodied back. I was scared, scared of the possibility of losing her. What if when I walked over to her, I will come to know that she was gone? It was the greatest fear that I''ve ever felt in my whole life. How can I be apart from someone whom I love so much, someone who has given me so much happiness?

    While I saw her bloodied state, I knew that fear was nothing but an illusion I created for my own self. I knew that I should not give in to that fear and focus on what was in front of me. She needed me, and for that reason, I went to her.

    The first time we met, I thought we will always be together forever. She was the light on my darkest days, the sunshine that never fades even at night. She brought me peace and happiness, everything about her was just so perfect. When everything goes wrong, she was the only thing that was right. She grew flowers in meˇŞshe was my greatest treasure.

    But after what happened, I realized that there was also a possibility of parting. The world we lived in posed so many dangers, dangers that might pull us apart. I was so busy living my dream life that I''ve forgotten about it. I promise I will do whatever it takes to protect her and to keep her by my side. Everything.

    I was holding her delicate hands in my own, ??r?ssing them gently as I waited for my beautiful mate to open her eyes. She was not as pale as she was before, thankfully. From what I heard from the human doctor, apart from her injuries, she was also poisoned. It was not enough to cause death, but more than enough to weaken her already frail body.

    I sighed as I brought Violet''s hand to my lips, planting a soft kiss at the back of her hand. It really broke my heart to see her hurting. I didn''t want her to experience such pain. If only I could take her pain away, I would. And if I was given one wish to be granted, it will be for her to only feel happiness in her entire life. If only those sentences didn''t start with an ''if''.

    If... such a hopeful word, and yet at the same time, so meaningless.

    I closed my eyes, hoping for a little rest after all kinds of shits I''ve been through these last few days. It was pretty easy falling asleep knowing that I''ve missed a few days of sleep and also owing to the sweet scent coming from my mate.

    As sleep came, my dreams awoke.

    "Luke..." the woman ??r?ssed my cheeks weakly, using the very last strength she had in her to do so, "Promise me... to be happy."

    "Don''t leave me," I placed my hand over hers, tears streamed down my face vigorously, "Please... please don''t leave me."

    She simply smiled at my words, as if she knew this day was coming. She was ready to leave, to leave me in this world even when I myself was not ready to be left alone.

    "It''s okay... you will soon find her, your true love," she ?ssured, her voice was getting smaller and smaller by the minutes, "When the time comes, you won''t even remember about me. I''m sure she will bring you much more happiness than I''ve ever given you."

    "No... you are wrong. I will never be able to forget you."

    "I don''t know if I am supposed to feel happy or sad about that," she laughed, despite having only a few minutes left to live, "When you find your destined partner, promise me to love her just like how you love meˇŞno, even more deeply. No matter what happens... you have to protect her and cherish her, give her all of your love, all of you." Her eyes gleamed with tears as she said, "Even if it will cost you your life."

    "Just like what I did to your father," she smiled, "That is how... you will be happy..." those were her last words... before she left me.

    I fluttered my eyes open, feeling a single drop of tears descended my face after experiencing such a vivid dream. A dream... it has been so long since I last got one. Even after all of these years, whenever I think about my mom, my tears would always flow out unfailingly.

    I knew that she no longer felt any pain, that she would be happier up there. But was that really the truth? Or was it only my way of relieving the sadness I felt after losing her? Some people said that death means the end of our sufferings while being alive means we have to endure more of them. If so, then why do we mourn for deaths when we should have celebrated them instead?

    Why do we fear death so much?

    I wiped my tears and glanced at the woman in front of me, still unconscious. When will you wake up, Violet? I longed for your voice, for your endearing smile, for your touch. These last few days had been hard for me. It was hard living a life without you.

    On second thought, maybe it was not death that we fearˇŞwe feared partings.

    The door made a knocking sound as the people on the other side knock on it, asking for permission to come in. Even without opening the door, I knew just perfectly who was standing outside the room. It was my two most trusted men, having completed their task.

    "We have successfully brought him here," Jack lowered his head, followed by Andrew.

    I rubbed my two eyes to wipe the drowsiness away, readying myself to meet the man who was so eager to kill me. "Why do you both smell burnt?"

    "Oh, it''s nothing much really," Andrew snickered, "We just roasted a few bad dogs," he shook his head, "Bad, bad, dogs."

    "But we spare the worst one for you," Jack added and Andrew nodded in agreement.

    I smiled at the two men, giving them a pat on the shoulders, "Good work," I said as I stood up from the chair I was sitting in, "Jack, you stay here and watch over her, got it?"

    "Got it," he nodded, then asked in a shaky voice, "...is she okay?"

    "I sincerely hope so."

 Chapter 44 - Dungeon - Part 1

    I took one last glance at Violet, my eyes darting to the visible wounds on her body. The anger that I''ve been suppressing came back stronger and hit me like a ferocious wave as I took in the sight. Burning rage hissed through all over my body, demanding a release in the form of unwanted violence. All kinds of morality had left me, leaving only a furious beast waiting to be unleashed.

    The wolf inside me was beyond enraged, nothing could ease the anger if not by killing the very man who dared to hurt our mate. It took everything in me to control my wolf to not go on a rampage, but now, there was no need to control it any longer. It was now time for him to take over, time for him to let out the fire inside him.

    For the first time in a few years, my wolf took over me completely.

    "Bring me to him."

    Andrew nodded and staggered to the door, his face was scrunched up as he endured the pain that was inflicted through the bond due to my fury. We walked down the hall, heading straight to the dungeon where the man was in. Every person who stumbled upon us kept their heads low, noticing the atmosphere around us that was grim enough for them to know that one wrong move could cost them their lives.

    In every passing minute, I could feel my anger building up to the extent I could never imagine before. At this moment, all I could ever think about was to return all the deeds he had done to my mate, but a lot harsher and fiercer. I won''t let him die, but I will torture him to the brink of deathˇŞover and over again.

    I will make it so that he won''t even dare to think about livingˇŞeven in his next life. I will give him a taste of hell. He asked for it, so I was more than willing to give. All the precious lives he took will be avenged on this day.

    I will make sure of it.

    Our steps came to a halt when we arrived at a garden on the farthest side of the manor. The garden itself was planted with many different kinds of flowers and plants, decorating the garden with its colorfulness that brought p???sur? to one''s eyes. There was even a pond that was home to the few fishes that were under the clear water. It was undoubtedly a marvelous garden that stood on the Cassius''s manor. Who would have thought that in the midst of this beauty, there was hidden a gruesome place where bloody things occurred.

    Andrew shoved a few bushes aside which promptly showed the entrance to the dungeon. Behind the bushes, there was hidden a stair that will lead us underground. Without any hesitation, my feet started walking down the stairs, very eager to meet the man.

    The light that came from the sun soon disappeared as we walked further down, replaced by the yellowish light that was emitted from the wall torch which illuminated the whole place. By the end of the stairs, there was an iron gate that was rusty and dirtied due to its old age and years of neglect. Andrew pushed the gate open, immediately showing a long corridor filled with the prison cells of felons.

    Most of the inhabitants of this dungeon were the people who broke the law in Gordom, given punishment by the hands of the Lord himself. The lord was known as a man of virtue, being one of the most famous pure-blooded vampires. But little did the people know about how savage he was when it came to giving out punishments. He even had this amazing dungeon hidden deep in his loving home.

    The fresh smell of the flowers was no more, all there is was a pungent smell of blood with the mixture of sweat, human waste, and many other awful stenches roaming freely in the air. The air was humid, but at the same time cold. The walls of this dungeon were made in such a way that the screams of the felons won''t be heard from the outside. So no matter how loud their screams were, no one will ever know about the ghastly things that were taking place.

    The moment you stepped into this place, you won''t be able to know whether it''s day or night, sunny or rainy. It was like the time had stopped in this place, in such allowing an everlasting torment to occur.

    There were about twenty cells here where most of the cells were occupied by ten felons. It seemed that half of the ten people in most cells had died, hence the rotten stench. A good amount of bodies were left hanging on a rope lifelessly, some looked like they were close to the brink of death and had given up their lives, some were still trying to find ways to escape. It didn''t matter whether those people were dead or alive, as long as they didn''t escape. That was what these guards were ?ssigned for.

    While I was walking deeper into the dungeon, someone clutched on my arm from between the iron bars, stopping me from walking further. A low growl escaped my lips the moment I halted, my anger bubbling up even worst at how someone dared to stop me. I glanced at my side to find a scrawny-looking man looking at me, his eyes were devoid of life as he stared.

    "P..p..please help..." he muttered, his voice hoarse. How stupid of him, did I looked like I was kind enough to help? He shouldn''t have committed a crime if he didn''t want to be here in the first place.

    I took his hand in mine, then bent it upwards until it was contorted in a way it was not supposed to be. The man screwed up his face with the pain, pleading and shouting for me to release his hand. Finished taking care of what was preventing me from going, I started walking away, leaving the man screaming in agony with a broken hand. If only he didn''t stop me, he would still have a good pair of hands despite having no flesh to it. Such a pity.

    After walking for a bit more, I finally arrived at my destination. I arrived at a solitary cell that was located by the end of the corridor, the one that was given to someone who had committed grave sins that could not be forgiven. The moment someone was thrown inside, there was no hope of them coming out alive. This was where they would spend their last moments, a place where one would be tormented to death.

    The guards pushed the metal door, allowing the light from the torches outside to enter the dark concrete room. There was no window, no light, nothing but four plain walls. It was a room where one was not given the luxury of hearing, talking, or seeing. They were only given the luxury to be engulfed in complete darkness while at the same time were also being cut off from the outside world, forced to spend the little time they had left all by themselves.

    The moment I laid my eyes at the man inside, it was as if something in me has finally snapped. I immediately lunged at him, grabbing him by the collar before throwing numerous punches at the man. Every punch I threw was smoldered with the resentment I had, with my anger, with the memories of the many lives he took.

    I felt like a broken machine. No matter how many times Andrew shouted for me to stop, I didn''tˇŞI couldn''t.

    "Alpha! Stop!" Andrew tried to pull me away from the man, but I didn''t heed his words. Annoyed, I hurled a punch meant for the man to Andrew, causing him to stumble backward while groaning in pain.

    The thoughts of him beating Violet granted him another blow to the stomach as it angered me further. Following the blow, I sent furious kicks to his sides which caused him to cough out blood, adding up the amount of red that had been spilled on the ground.

    My anger was yet to be satisfied, but Andrew insisted on stopping me from appeasing my anger when he shouted for the second time, "Stop, we can''t kill him just yet! We need answers fromˇŞ"

    I cut him off and pushed him away as he was gripping my body, trying to prevent me from approaching the man. I couldn''t care less about what he said, all I had in mind was to bring harm to the man before me.

    I walked closer to the man, and he subsequently crawled away while whimpering in pain. The amount of animosity I had for him was immense, and I was sure he could feel it. By now, he should have realized that he had made a great mistake.

    If someone dared to mess with me, they should be prepared to feel my wrath.

    I lifted the bloodied man, wrapping my fingers around his neck. I curled my fist, ready to hit him again with it but stopped mid-air when I heard Andrew shouted, "Violet!"

    Andrew brought his hands close to his face, trying to avoid any flying punches if there were any. Looking at how it was safe for him to continue, he added,

    "You need to stop... for her."

 Chapter 45 - Dungeon - Part 2

    "We need answers to all of our questions for the sake of the people''s safety, and that also includes Violet''s," he ?sserted, "You don''t want the same thing to happen again, right?"

    I stayed quiet, though my whole body was quivering with anger as I listened, "Calm down," Andrew tapped on my shoulders, trying to convince me to release the hold on the man''s throat, "He''s the only one who could save us from all of our questionsˇŞwell, he''s the only one left."

    My fingers tightened around his neck, causing him to flail desperately due to the lack of oxygen. I raised my other hand, curling it into a fist to throw another punch at the man. I suppose I need to hit him one more time to calm myself.

    "StoˇŞ" before Andrew could finish his sentence, my fist had found its way to the man''s face. I threw him on the ground, giving him a chance to gasp for air. I took in a deep breath, an attempt to diffuse my anger for a little while.

    I proceed to walk closer to the man but was stopped by Andrew when he ran to my front. He took a glimpse at me before nodding, "At least you are now back to normal," he was talking about my eyes, which I ?ssumed were back to deep red in color, "Go ahead," he said, stepping to the side.

    [I haven''t finished beating the shit out of him] My wolf growled, not liking me back in control.

    Both of us were two different beings who lived in one body. We could each take control of our two forms, be it human or werewolf. But I held greater control over our human form while the same goes for him in our werewolf form.

    As I allowed him to take control of our human form, all of the things I just did before were my wolf''s doings, while I just watched the scene unfold from deep inside our minds. It was like watching an opera, only that all of the actions were exactly like what I wanted to do if I was the one in control as we were both in sync with our feelings and d?s?r?s.

    [Later, Wolfie] I deliberately used the nickname Violet gave to him since I knew that he likes to be called that way. He hummed, though still annoyed at the fact that he couldn''t proceed to beat the rogue.

    After successfully regaining control over my body, I strode closer to the man who was lying on the ground while whimpering in pain. I squatted down, taking a good look at the face of the man who I had just beaten. I pulled his collar, positioning him so he could face me.

    Truthfully saying, I didn''t even know who he was. All I knew was the fact that he was the one responsible for what happened to my people and my mate. That alone was more than enough for me to shed his blood.

    "Who the hell are you?" I questioned, though I doubt he could move his mouth without feeling pain as I injured his face pretty badly. So bad that I couldn''t even see any parts that were not bloodied and swollen.

    "Wait, you don''t know who he is?" Andrew interjected, seemingly surprised that I just asked such a question. I glanced at Andrew, raising an eyebrow at his query, "You do?" I asked.

    "Leonard," he replied, "Ring a bell?"

    I furrowed my brows together, racking through my memories about who he was. No matter how long I thought about it, the name Leonard was not familiar to my ears. Maybe that was how insignificant his life was looking at how I couldn''t even remember him.

    Hearing no answer from me, Andrew began, "You remember that one guy from our pack who kidnap and sell humans to the slave establishment with his mate? That''s him."

    Realization finally dawned at me after receiving Andrew''s help, so that was him. "I see that banishment was not enough of a punishment for you," a heavy sigh escaped my lips, "Why did you do that? The attacks."

    "Why?" Leonard glared at me through his swollen eyes, "YOU KILLED MY MATE!" He shouted with a voice full of hatred. His body was trembling due to his anger and the pain from his open wounds.

    "So?"

    "So I want you to feel what I feel. I want to take away everything that is important to you, including your maˇŞAAAARGHH," I stabbed a nail that I found on the ground into one of his wounds, causing more blood to rush out profusely and him screaming in pain.

    "You need to mind your words, Leonard," I threatened. "Your mate took a bigger part in the crime. Hence, she took the heavier punishment. I don''t see anything wrong with what I did to her. You should''ve thanked me for letting you live despite your participation in her act."

    "Crime? Taking those lowly beings'' livesˇŞ" he halted, squeezing his eyes to endure the pain he felt, "ˇŞis not a crime," he added.

    "You see," I pushed the nail deeper into his wounds while he cried in pain, "I''m not only the Alpha of Werewolves but also the Lord of Wonsvile. Those humans that you call lowly beings are also the people that I need to protect.

    "What''s more, I don''t allow any slavery activities on my land. But you," I tapped on his forehead, jerking his head back, "Purposely kidnapped young women and children, taking them to the slaveries in Myltha for the sake of fulfilling your greed."

    "But that''s just how life is!" he objected, "The weak will always be oppressed by the strong. It''s their fault for being born as a weak human."

    "Say no more, Leonard," I sneered, "Look at us now, who do you think is the weak and the strong between us?"

    His pupils trembled as he heard my words, realizing the stupid mistake he had just made.

    "Didn''t I tell you to mind your words?" I smirked, picking up another nail that I found and stabbing them in another of his wounds. Right after the nail successfully dug its way inside his flesh, a cry of agony filled the small concrete room.

    "Shut up," I scoffed, slapping him across his face. "I will stab one more of this every time you let out your voice without my permission," I picked up another nail, swinging it in front of his face, "Unfortunately for you, there seems to be a lot of them here. Strange why nails are scattered all over this room, right?" I chuckled.

    I stood up, brushing off my palms together to wipe the blood on them. I glanced at my surroundings, finally noticing the pool of blood under my feet. It seems that I''ve made quite a mess in Kiel''s dungeon. I suppose I should treat him to dinner for this.

    "Now, explain," I demanded. "The hearts, what did you plan to do with them?"

    Leonard, who looked like he was about to pass out, struggled to move his eyes to me but could still manage to let out a sarcastic laugh, "Why should I answer you? Whether I answer your question or not, I will still end up dead. So I will rather not tell. I don''t want to help you."

    As my irritation crackled, I put one of my feet on his seemingly broken leg, crushing it further until I was sure that he wouldn''t be able to move it for the rest of his lifeˇŞnot that he would have much time left anyway.

    "Hmph, I know this was going to happen," Andrew commented in between Leonard''s wailings, "That''s why other than him, there is someone else that I brought that will probably change his mind."

    "Then what are you waiting for?" I raised my brows at Andrew, "Bring that someone here."

    "Right away," he smiled, then turned his back while prancing his way out.

    I returned my focus on Leonard with my foot still pressing down on his broken leg, "Did I allow you to scream?" I sighed at the noise, "Stop making things worse for yourself. You are tiring me."

    He then stayed quiet, enduring the pain by only using his facial expressions. I hummed, content with the silence. "Do you have any idea about who Andrew will bring?" I inquired, "I hope it''s someone precious to you."

    He scowled at my words, and I smirked in return. Picking up the nails on the ground, I proceed to stab them into his flesh just out of boredom while waiting for Andrew to return. When I got to the fifth nail, Andrew finally came back.

    I glanced at Andrew, then looked at the kid that was sleeping in his arms. Andrew put the kid down so that he laid on the ground, and I hunched to level with the kid. A smile immediately appeared on my face when I saw the look of horror on Leonard''s face.

    "So it''s your son," I guffawed, "What are you going to do? Killing him will be so easy," I whispered, pretending that I didn''t want to wake the kid up. My hand made its way to the child''s throat, ready to tear it off but stop when I heard a shout.

    "WAIT!" Leonard gnashed his teeth, a line forming in between his brows, "I... I will give you what you want. Only if you stay away from him."

    "How surprising," I mocked, "I never expected you to be such a doting father."

    "He is the only thing my mate left me," he said, his face turned into a pained expression, "So please... don''t hurt him," he pleaded. Not long after his desperate plead, he finally passed out due to the immense amount of blood he had lost.

    "You dead?" I kicked him lightly and sighed, "Remove the handcuffs, let him slowly heal himself. I still got some questions to ask," I ordered. As there was nothing left to do here, I decided to return to my mate''s side to look after her. Before leaving the bloodied room, Andrew asked,

    "What about the kid?"

    I halted, taking a few minutes to ponder about what to do with the kid. "Send him to our pack," I nodded at my decision, "Give him to anyone who is willing to raise himˇŞwith the utmost care."

    Maybe this was the least that I could do for him before I kill his dad. Sending him to a new family would be my way of apologizing for separating him from his dad.

    I hope he won''t hate me too much for this.

 Chapter 46 - Home - Part 1

    The sound of fire crackling woke me up from my deep slumber, pulling me from the darkness of sleep. I fluttered my eyes open, feeling the heaviness of my lids. Blinking my eyes, I took a few moments for them to be accustomed to the overwhelming brightness that took over me.

    After a few minutes of regaining consciousness, I finally felt the warmth around me. It was comforting, after so long being in the cold. What was beneath me was no longer the hard prison floor but a soft, comfortable bed.

    I glanced to my side, finding Luke, who was fast asleep on the chair next to my bed. Despite being asleep, his hand was holding mine as if he was scared of losing me. A feeling of relief swept over me the moment I saw him by my side. His presence made me realize that I was now safe from any danger.

    Feeling no strength in my body, I tried moving my hands to see whether I could move them or not. Only after a slight rise on my fingers, the man who was previously asleep stood up abruptly. He woke as if there was an emergency as if sleeping had become a dangerous thing to do.

    Upon waking, he immediately turned to me, greeting me with his brilliant red eyes. The relief was visible on his face when he noticed I had woken up.

    "Violet?" he called out, his eyes were brimming with tears. He immediately pulled me into his embrace, holding me close as if he will never let go, "Thank youˇŞthank you for coming back to me."

    "I never meant to leave you," I replied, hugging him back with the little strength I had.

    How could I leave when you were my peace and comfort?

    I''ve never imagined being in someone''s arms could make me feel this happy, this safe. It felt like everything will always be okay, even if the world was falling apart.

    The hugs he gave could never be long enough for me. It felt like whenever I was in his arms, all of my pain disappeared, replaced by the feeling of security and contentment. There was nowhere else that I would rather be than in his arms. When the distance between our bodies grew further, I felt myself yearning for more of his warmth.

    "I-I don''t know what will I do if I ever lose you," he quivered, "I don''t want to lose you."

    His words held so much sincerity, so much kindness that I''ve never received from other people. When people hurt me, he healed my wounds. When people didn''t care, he cared. When people hated me, he loved me.

    He pulled me from the darkness I was in and showed me the light I had never seen before. He was different, and I was more than thankful for that.

    "How are you feeling?" he asked, pushing me slightly away to take a glimpse of my face.

    "Good," I answered, but Luke didn''t seem convinced by my words, "Just a little weak and a bit of pain here and there," I smiled wryly at his worry.

    "I''m sorry, I really am," he sighed. His hands went up to my cheeks, ??r?ssing them softly, "It must have been so scary."

    The few words he said threatened the tears that I''ve been trying so hard to hold since the moment I woke up. I didn''t want to cry in front of him. I didn''t want to look even more vulnerable than I already was. How is it that he could always manage to break down the walls I build up all this time?

    "I''m... fine," I ?ssured. "I am used to these kinds of things."

    "If that was the truth, then how come you are crying right now?" he quired, wiping my cheeks from the tears I unknowingly let out. His brows drew together when his eyes bored into me.

    I touched my cheeks, realizing that it was wet from tears. I have unknowingly cried, and now that I realized, I couldn''t seem to stop them from falling. Luke pulled me back to the warmth of his embrace, softly patting my shoulders while I cried furiously in his arms.

    I cried as if there was no tomorrow. The cry that came from my mouth was hysterical, as it consisted of all of my pain and sorrow. I let out all of the raw emotions that I could not bear to contain any longer in my every scream, unraveling every memory that shattered my heart into pieces every time I recalled them.

    I was breaking, again and again, that I had become scared of my own vulnerability. But those tears were what kept me alive in the furnace of this never-ending pain. It helped me to cleanse my soul from all of the bottling emotions that gnawed at me bits by bits until what was left was an empty shell, ready to be filled with better things inside but only to be let down every time.

    "No one is going to get used to being tortured, no matter how many times they went through it. No one should."

    ...

    "Are you calmer now?" He asked, to which I nod. He gently rubbed my swollen eyes, then proceeding to plant a soft kiss on both of them.

    "It was scary," I admitted, my voice hoarse from all the screaming, "I was scared that I won''t be able to see you again, to hear Andrew''s silly jokes, to eat Bob''s delicious meals."

    "The same goes for me, love," he ??r?ssed my hair, tucking a lock of them behind my ear, "I might really go mad if I ever lose you."

    The honesty in his words was apparent when I look at his current state. His hair was as wild as a jungle, ruffled, and untamed. A few stubbles of his growing beard covered his initially clear face, causing him to look less neat than usual. He looked haggard and visibly thinner, like he had missed a few days of sleep and meals.

    "How long have I been out?"

    "Three days," he stated, his eyes never leaving mine even for a minute. "You must be hungry. I will go ask for some food," he said before walking to the door, sending out his order to the servant standing outside of the room.

    Surprisingly, that was not as long as I expected it to be. Based on my experience, whenever I black out after receiving my dad''s act of love, a week had passed by since the actual occurrence happenedˇŞor at least five days at the minimum. I was still wondering how my body endured all that pain for as long as nine years. And now this.

    Should I thank God for still letting me live, or should I curse him for giving me so much pain and suffering?

    "Where is this place?" I asked, looking around the unfamiliar room.

    The room was ample, decorated with mostly the color of red and gold. A huge chandelier was hung in the middle of the room, emitting a soft yellowish light throughout. A few paintings of a mountain covered the surrounding walls, high in quality and big in size. The view outside of the windows only showed the sight of trees and the sky, which made me ?ssume the room was located somewhere on the upper side of the building. By the end of the room, there stood a bathroom where I was really itching to go.

    "We are in Gordom," Luke poured water into an empty glass, offering it for me to drink.

    Instead of accepting it, I slapped his outstretched hand, causing the glass to fall off his grip and shattered into pieces when it connected with the floor. Beads of sweat started to appear on my forehead while my heart felt like it was pounding out of my ?h?st.

    "Violet? Are you okay?" Luke rushed to my side, grabbing my shoulders to help me balance my body.

    "I-uh... I''m fine," I panted, taking a deep breath to calm my nerves, "I''m sorry," I glanced at Luke, forcing a smile in the hope of easing his worry.

    "Hey, it''s okay, no need to be sorry," he soothed, again pulling me back to his arms. His arms wrapped around my body perfectly, his palms gently patting on my back to calm me. I felt like I was being cocooned in his embrace, and it was one that was better than that of any bu??erfly-to-be.

    "Breath," he instructed, drawing my head closer to lean on his ?h?st. I closed my eyes, focusing entirely on my breathing. His rhythmical pats, his soft breathing, his deep, husky voice were better than any medicine a doctor could ever give to me.

    At this moment, I realized that home was not a place but a person.

    And he was my home.

 Chapter 47 - Home - Part 2

    "Better?" he queried, his voice as small as a whisper but also as soothing as rain on a summer night. His big, strong arms wrapped around me securely, protecting me from many unwanted emotions and unpleasant memories.

    My breaths were slowly coming back to normal, not again the shallow and rapid ones. My body had stopped from shaking, and my heart had slowed its ferocious beatings.

    "Better," I said, closing my eyes to listen to his steady heartbeats. He didn''t say another word, but his silence spoke for itself. It was peaceful in a way that I could feel at home and knew that no matter what happened, he would always be there for me.

    "I was... reminded of the water they gave me," I mumbled. The more I explain, the more panic I became, "It was poisonous and itˇŞ"

    "I know," he broke off the hug, his palms cupping my cheeks, "You don''t need to explain. It''s okay."

    His eyes looked different when he stared at me. It was soft and full of emotions. It was not the eyes he usually showed to others, but the eyes of someone who loves deeply. If it were anyone else, I would have dropped my gaze. But him, I was drawn closer.

    "Thank you... for this and for saving me," I smiled at the man, forever grateful for everything he has done for me. I wouldn''t even be alive if it was not for him. I might be long dead on the Quinn''s manor, or that cold cave, or even on the street. But here I am, alive and well, just a little wounded.

    "I was simply doing what I need to do," he returned my smile with his dashing one, "And that is loving you."

    Right after he said those words, the door made a knocking sound, which turned his attention away from me. "That must be the food," he said before planting a soft kiss on my forehead and heading towards the door.

    Will there ever be a time where I could return the feelings he held towards me? I was sure that he had become someone important to me but was this love that I feel? Just what is this love, I wonder?

    For most of my life, all I received was hatred and never love. The two people that I held the dearest had left, leaving me alone in this cruel place we called world. One left me for a better place, while the other changed into a whole different person I never knew existed.

    Growing up, I was never taught how to love, only how to hate. When one could love naturally, I couldn''t. The ability to do that was long lost the moment the world turned its back on me.

    I grew up knowing the bad in people, where I saw mostly in my dad and Fiona. They pretended like they were good, donating their wealth to people in need and always going around with a smile on their faces. In others'' eyes, they were both known as people with a heart of gold, but I knew them as the most evil.

    Escaping them was the best thing that I''ve ever done, and meeting Luke was the best thing to ever happened to me. Meeting him was like a breath of fresh air, after years of breathing in polluted air. I didn''t know what kind of feeling I had for him right now but, maybe, it will grow into being love someday. Someday, when I finally understood the true meaning of love.

    Returning with a tray of food in his hands, he sat down on a chair, pulling it closer to the bed. My stomach started to grumble at the sight of the food, my mouth watering as it has been days since I last touched any food.

    "I asked for some porridge," he said, grabbing a spoon. "It''s not Bob''s, but I suppose it''s still edible. Do you need me to taste it first?" he offered, "You know, just in case you are scared of being poisoned again."

    "And what?" I chuckled, "Risking you to be poisoned in my stead?"

    "I don''t mind if it''s for you," he shrugged, looking at me as if he really meant his words. Actually, if it''s him, then it was probably the truth.

    "It''s fine," I quickly waved him off, "You don''t need to do that."

    Despite my rejection, he scooped a portion of the porridge and put it in his mouth. "What are you doing?" I asked, bewildered.

    "Tasting for poison," he answered, nodding his head in acknowledgment, "It''s safe."

    "I told you it''s fine," I huffed, "Now I lost a spoonful of my porridge."

    "Sorry," he laughed, "Were you that hungry? I will ask for some more if you want," he pinched my cheeks softly, then scooped another portion of the porridge and blowing on it before he turned the spoon towards me. Was he trying to feed me?

    "Wait," I raised my palm, stopping him from doing whatever he intended to do, "I can do it myself. Eating, I mean."

    "What are you talking about? Of course you can''t," he retorted, his head shaking side to side, "You need a complete rest."

    "But it''s onlyˇŞ"

    "Here, aah," he cut me off, and the spoon soon arrived at the front of my mouth. When I didn''t open my mouth, he complained, "Quick, my hand hurts."

    But looking at Luke, it didn''t look like he was going to give up any time soon. He looked like he was really determined to feed me, his eyes were burning with anticipation. Should I really? I sighed as my hunger won over my embarrassment, and my mouth begrudgingly made way for the spoon to come in.

    "There you go," he beamed, a big smile spread across his face while I ate with a face as red as a tomato. My eyes were wandering to anywhere but him, trying to avoid meeting his eyes to not further embarrass me.

    "Are you shy?" he teased. I could imagine him with a cheeky smile on his face even without looking.

    "Am I not supposed to be shy in this situation? I''m not even a kid," I grumbled, my eyes glued to the paintings.

    "Why should you? Don''t you remember feeding me too just a few weeks ago?" he quizzed, "I''m simply returning the favor."

    "You don''t need to return any favor," I appealed, turning my head at the man, "I was forced that day."

    "I insist," he countered. He smiled at my crestfallen state, "Here, have some more."

    I was utterly hungry, so I had no choice but to comply. Though embarrassed, I have to admit the warm porridge was worth it. It suddenly felt like the most delicious food to be ever made, as it relieves the hunger I felt.

    "It''s nice to see you eat," he professed, "You should eat more. You are getting too thin. I''m scared you will get blown away by the wind."

    "Says you," I nagged, "Did you even eat at all?"

    "I did," he smiled, but I could tell that it was a lie. Anyone could tell that he had lost a lot of weight just by looking at his face. I felt bad. Was it because he was worried about me?

    "I really did eat, Violet," he ruffled my hair, noticing my worry, "You don''t have to be worried about me. I''m really fine," he ?ssured me.

    I nodded, but still not ?ssured. I wish I could be a help to him, just like how he was to me. He rarely talked about himself. While he knew everything about me, I knew only a little of him. I wanted to know things about him that no one has ever known, not things that were already known to others. I wanted to know more about him.

    "Is your head itchy?" he asked, noticing how I scratched my head from time to time.

    "Yeah, it is," I grunted, starting to get annoyed at the itchiness. Considering the number of days I haven''t showered, I guess this was pretty normal, "I think I will need a bath."

    "I don''t think you will be able to take a bath with all your wounds," he doubted, and I could feel the immediate disappointment in me. "But if it''s only your hair, I guess it''s fine."

    "Really?" I beamed, excited to thoroughly wipe all the grime off me, to finally be freed from the itchiness even though it''s only on my head. Although my body has certainly be cleansed, I was sure that there must be some places where it was not clean enough.

    "Really," he repeated, smiling. I then gingerly opened my mouth, willingly be fed by him to quicken my visit to the bathroom. I was all smiles until he said the few words that sounded like a nightmare to me, "I will help."

    "You what?"

 Chapter 48 - Home - Part 3

    Did I perhaps hear correctly? NoˇŞI think it must be my ears playing tricks on me. Yes, that must be the case. I sighed in relief, ?ssuming that it was an error that my ears had just made.

    "I said I will help," he smiled.

    Hearing it for the second time, I immediately choked on my porridge. Coughing, Luke handed me a glass of water to help me ease them. I spent a good few minutes coughing while Luke patted my back.

    "Are you okay?"

    "No," I replied in between my cough. I glanced up, looking at the man who looked like he was genuinely concerned about my well-being. Was he serious? "Please don''t."

    "Don''t what?" he asked, not understanding what I meant. "Don''t... pat your back?" he asked again, at the same time raising his hand to stop patting me.

    "Wash my head," I answered, shedding some light on him, "I can do it just fine on my own."

    "Are you sure?" His brows drew together, a look of doubt on his face upon hearing my words.

    "I am a hundred percent sure," I nodded my head vigorously to his question. To show him the certainty of my words, I attempted to get out of bed, trying to show him how good my current condition was and how I was fully capable of doing things by myself.

    But, as my feet touched the ground and had to bear the weight of my body, they didn''t do justice to my expectation. Instead of standing, I collapsed to the ground due to the lack of strength I had in my legs.

    Luke caught me just in time before my knees scraped the floor. His lopsided grin was on a full show when he questioned, "Are you still a hundred percent sure, Violet?"

    And so, instead of convincing him about my capabilities, I convinced him otherwise. The plan backfired, but I had no plan on going back on my words, "...yes."

    "Such a stubborn little rabbit," he chuckled.

    Following his remark, he swept my body off the ground, carrying me in his arms without any warning. I stared at the man, my eyes wide in disbelief, "What are you doing?!"

    "Helping you."

    "I-I don''t need your help," I urged, wriggling in his hold, "Luke, put me down!"

    "Stop wriggling," he cautioned, but I didn''t heed his words. A few seconds passed, and I still didn''t stop.

    He sighed, finally complying, "Then show me that you don''t need my help." He put me down on the floor, then walk a step away. "Try standing," he demanded, fully knowing that I had no strength in my feet to do so.

    "Well, IˇŞ" I tried to reason, but he quickly cut me off.

    "You can''t, right?" he folded his arms, "See? You do need my help. You can''t even walk to the bathroom on your own."

    "I can crawl," I retorted.

    "And end up with new wounds on your legs? I don''t think so, Violet," he huffed. He then squatted down to level with me and asked, "Is your head still itchy?"

    I nodded to his question, immediately receiving a pinch on my cheeks, "Then stop being so persistent and let me help you, okay?"

    I opened my mouth to say something but then closed it again, realizing that no words could change his mind from helping me out in doing my activityˇŞI mean, most probably, activities.

    Hearing no response from me, he smiled, ?ssuming that he was now permitted to help. He then lifted me up, again carrying me to the bathroom after our previous delayed visit. Arriving at the bathroom, he laid me down on the empty bathtub, then took a towel and placed it over my shoulders to prevent my clothes from getting wet.

    "Lean your head here," he said, pulling my head back to lean on the edge of the bathtub. He pulled a chair, sitting right behind me, "Is this too hot?" he asked as he slowly poured a little water on my head.

    I flinched a little when the water touched me, surprised by the contact. Actually, I didn''t know if it''s the water or Luke''s fingers that were gently raking through my hair that surprised me more. "No, it''s perfect," I replied, fidgeting my fingers.

    "Are you sure?" he quizzed, "Your face is red."

    "R-Really? It must be my blood pressure," I blurted out, laughing awkwardly to hide my embarrassment and nervousness away, "Are you done?"

    "Rabbit, It''s not even two minutes since I started," he answered, combing my hair.

    "Right," I inwardly cursed, hoping for the time to pass faster. I started to think that enduring the itchiness for a few days wouldn''t be all that bad after all. I should have been more patient.

    Though my mouth was silent the whole time Luke washed my hair, my mind was shouting like mad. I couldn''t help but be aware of every movement that he made with his fingers. Even the sound of his breathing couldn''t seem to get out of my head.

    But as time went by, I finally started to relax my previously tense shoulder. It was thanks to the way Luke massaged my head, not too hard, but also not too weak. It felt so relaxing, and I soon found myself getting drowsy.

    "Are you dozing off?" he chuckled.

    "I am not," I snapped my eyes open, "I was just resting my eyes for a moment."

    "That''s why you should have accepted my help from the start," he boasted, ignoring my previous answer, "I can do it longer if you want. I have all day."

    "Thank you for your ?ssistance," I quickly got up from my previous position and tried to get out of the bathtub, forgetting my lack of strength to do so. Hence, I fell back down.

    "Such impatience," he laughed.

    I covered my face with both of my palms, scrunching my whole face behind them. Regardless of my current position, Luke picked me out of the bathtub, then went straight to the bedroom.

    I felt a soft cushion under me when Luke put me down, "You can put your hands down now."

    "No," I shook my head, "I need to cover them for a few more minutes."

    I wish I could run as far as possible to hide, but unfortunately, I can''t even stand up straight. The best I could do right now was to hide behind my palms. Just when will my legs return to normal? I need to quickly run from this embarrassing situation.

    "Okay then," he laughed heartily. I heard his footstep going further away from me before coming back again. Luke placed a towel over my head, gently drying my hair with it, "Still not yet?" I shook my head again to answer his question.

    "You''re so adorable," he said in a small voice, as if he was whispering to himself. Hearing that, I finally dropped my hands, noticing that I was sitting in front of a dressing table.

    "Stop," I gushed, glaring at Luke''s reflection on the mirror, "Stop making me feel even more embarrassed."

    "I did no such thing, rabbit," he shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly, his mouth curved up into a smile. If he was in his wolf form, I bet he would be wagging his tail right now.

    I decided to take a deep breath to calm myself. I closed my eyes, feeling that if I didn''t see him then I wouldn''t be as embarrassed. Feeling calmer, I opened them again to take a look at my reflection in the mirror. Scrutinizing my current condition, I noticed that my face was clean from wounds, but there were some on my body.

    Weird, why do I only have such little wounds? If I remember correctly, I was beaten up pretty badly. There was no way that all those beatings would only cause this many wounds. Not that I wanted more, I was just curious.

    "Did I only have this many wounds from the start?"

    "No, there were a lot more. They are all healed now," he replied, brushing my hair, "What''s left are the deeper wounds that need a little more time to heal."

    "In three days?" I frowned, confused at his answer, "How?"

    My wounds healed in three days? That was incredibly fast. I''ve never healed that fast before. Luke stopped brushing my hair when he heard my question and scratched his nose awkwardly before answering, "I applied some medications on your wounds."

    "What medications?" I asked, curious to know what kind of medication works that fast. It would be nice if I had known about it earlier. I wouldn''t have to suffer the pain from my wounds for weeks, or even months.

    He didn''t answer immediately, pondering for a few seconds before finally giving the answer to my question.

    "...my saliva?"

 Chapter 49 - Home - Part 4

    My eyes went wide, my mouth agape when I heard his answer. His answer caught me off-guard. I didn''t expect that it would be something so... different. I thought it would be some kind of salve but, maybe I should have known better that there was no salve that could work that fast. I turned my body towards him, staring at him but was at a loss for words. What should I even say?

    "Don''t look at me like that," he turned my body back towards the mirror, then continued brushing my hair, "I only did it in... appropriate places."

    "W-where, exactly?"

    "Do you really want to know?" he asked, and I bit back my lips. Would it be better for me to not know about it? I suppose it would be best to not ask any more questions, considering the shocking answer I got from my last one. It was a relief that I was unconscious when he, um, did his thing.

    "You shouldn''t have done that," I mumbled, "It must be dirty."

    "It''s not," he chuckled, "I''m sorry for doing that without your consent. I just wanted you to heal faster so you wouldn''t be in too much pain when you wake up."

    "Why are you sorry?" I stared at him, looking at how gentle he was when handling my hair, "I should be thanking you for caring about me. Thank you."

    In this world where people were always so cruel to me, there was someone who showed me kindness, someone who cared. It felt good knowing that even I could have such a person in my life. And it felt even better that he was that person.

    "Do all werewolves have that ability to heal someone by ???k?n? them?"

    "We all do, but we can only heal our own mate. It won''t work if it''s someone else," he explained.

    "Can I heal you too?" I looked at him expectantly, wondering if I could do the same to him. It would be really cool if I have such an ability too.

    "I wish," he laughed, "Sadly, you can''t because you are not a werewolf."

    I could feel my shoulders drop when I heard it, though it was not an unexpected answer. After all, I was a mere human. I didn''t have any special abilities like what the dark creatures have.

    "Werewolves only heal each other when they couldn''t heal themselves. It was an ability that the Moon Goddess gave us to protect each other when the time is dire," he patted my head, "I have an amazing healing ability, so don''t worry about it."

    Even after hearing his explanation, I couldn''t help but feel disappointed at that fact. I couldn''t do something that any other werewolves'' mate could do because we were born different.

    "Why the long face?" he pinched my cheeks, shaking them back and forth, "Are you disappointed because you don''t have any reason to lick me now?"

    "It''s not that!" I denied, my cheeks turning bright red at his remark, "Why should I even lick you," I grumbled.

    "Just say the word, Violet," he winked cheekily, "You don''t need any reason if you want to do so."

    "I said it''s not that!"

    He only laughed, then carried me out of the chair to the bed as if it was natural for him to do so. Placing me on the bed softly, he ??r?ssed my cheeks, "You should rest more, rabbit."

    The door made a knocking sound before a woman''s voice was heard from outside the room, "Sir, may I come in?"

    "It''s the doctor," he uttered, "She''s a human, by the way."

    With that being said, he walked towards the door, opening it for the doctor to come in. Immediately after, a woman with long black hair made her way into the room while carrying a bag in her hand.

    "Oh, you are awake," she clasped her hands, "I''m Nancy, the doctor in charge of you," she bowed, kindly introducing herself. I warily looked over to Luke, not feeling comfortable with the new presence in the room.

    After my last encounter with a stranger, I was not very open to meeting someone new. It was unknown to me whether this person would do harm to me or not, even though I knew that she was a doctor and a human at that. There was no guarantee that a human couldn''t do harmˇŞspoken based on experience.

    "She won''t hurt you," Luke ?ssured me after feeling my eyes on him, at the same time exposing my wariness to the doctor herself, "I will be here," he crossed his arms over his ?h?st, his feet glued to the floor below him.

    "He''s right. I won''t hurt you," Nancy took no offense and laughed, "I will be doomed if I did such a thing to a werewolf''s mate, no?"

    "You knew?" I inquired, surprised that she knew the existence of the dark creatures. It was not an unknown fact among humans, but it was also not known to many.

    "Of course," she chimed, "I''ve been called to this manor a few times before, back when there was a human girl who lived among the vampires here. It''s such a pity that she is no longer here now," she opened her bag, pulling out the tools she needed, "So, how are you feeling right now?"

    "A little weak," I responded to her question for her to nod her head, "I don''t have any strength on my legs, I can''t even stand."

    "That''s understandable," she smiled reassuringly, "After the amount of shock your body took in, you will need a few days to recover from it. Rest well, and you will be up and running before you know it."

    She took my hand gently, flipping it over to open the bandage wrapped on my hand, "If it''s not for the sir right here, I doubt you will feel as fine right now," she took a balm and smeared it on my wounds, "He was so frantic the past few days that he didn''t even touch his meals and sleep only when he unconsciously fell asleep. And you know what''s worst?" she quizzed.

    "He would call me every time he woke up from his accidental slumber, asking me to check on you. There was one time that he called me and I had to come here when my house was one hour away, only to listen to his ramble about why you were still not awake. It was three in the morning."

    "I thought I called for a doctor, not a tattletale," Luke cleared his throat, stopping Nancy from saying more. "What do you say, doctor? Do you want to change your occupation and try for something new?"

    Hearing that, Nancy shrugged her shoulders and pursed her lips, "Of course not."

    The doctor then focused solely on treating my wounds and changing my bandages. After she finished tending all of my wounds, she politely bid her farewell to both of us then rushed out of the door in the fear of losing her job.

    Luke walked to the fireplace, putting in more logs of wood for the fire to burn as the fire was starting to cease. I stared at the fireplace, reminded of my old room that was not given the luxury of a fireplace. My room was never warm enough for me to sleep in which was the reason I would very often catch a cold when the weather grew cold. The only thing I had with me was an old blanket to help me get through the cold.

    I used to sleep in the attic, along with the stuff that was thrown in only to collect dust as they were no longer of use to the people. They must have thought that I was as useless as those things so it was only right for me to be there. The only time I was allowed to head downstairs was when it was night time when people were asleep and none could be seenˇŞor when I was needed in the underground room. In conclusion, for all the time I lived there, I was either on the very top side or the very bottom side of the manor. But I must admit there were a few times where I grew a little rebellious and decided to head downstairs without the people knowing.

    Luke made his way to the other side of the bed and casually lifted the covers before he got inside the bed. "You are sleeping here?" I asked the man.

    "Yeah, where else?" he was lying on his side, propped up on one of his elbows, hand supporting his head, "There is no other vacant room."

    I doubt it. Looking at how big the room we were in right now, I must ?ssume we were staying in a building that was no less in size compared to Luke''s manor. But I stayed quiet as I didn''t mind his company. It was the only company that I could feel comfortable with at the moment. As it was not the first time we shared a bed, I knew that he wouldn''t do anything weird.

    "You lied," I pouted at him, "The doctor said you didn''t eat and sleep well."

    "Don''t listen to her," he jabbered, "I did all those things when she was not around."

    I sighed and stared at the man before me, wondering how I could meet such a person. He was a little cheeky, but he was mostly kind and gentle. It felt like he was a whole different species. Was it right for me to be with him?

    He was someone that was so different than me. He was someone that was way out of my reach. Someone that was so brave and strong, someone that was so full of love and warmth. He was everything that I am not. How could two people that are so different be with each other?

    "What is it?" he asked, looking at how I was staring at him, "Am I that handsome that you couldn''t take your eyes off me?" he smirked.

    "Are you never disappointed... when you found out that your mate is a human?"

    The smile on his face soon fell, and the jaunty atmosphere around us turned serious. "No," he answered sternly. "How many times do I have to tell you, Violet? I don''t care about what you are. It makes no difference to me whether you are human or werewolves or any other kinds."

    "But we are just so... different," I faltered. "I couldn''t help but think that it''s not my place to be with you. It would be better if... if you met other werewolves."

    "Who said that?" he sat up, taking my hand in his, "If it''s not you, Violet, whose place will it be? From the moment I was born, I was destined to be with you. You are the only person that could ever fill the spot beside me, the only person to complete me."

    "But there is nothing that you could ever gain from being with me," I frowned, "Just look, all I''ve ever done was being a burden to you."

    "You are far from a burden," he shook his head, threading his fingers through my hair, "You are a gift, Violet. I gained my happiness from you, and there is nothing in this whole world that could ever be better than that. No one could tell me otherwise."

    How could a person be this kind? No, how could a person be this genuine and loving?

    "Truthfully, the only reason I stayed with you is because I don''t have anywhere else to go and it was the safest for me to stay," I lowered my eyes, fiddling with my fingers, "I feel bad because it feels like I''m taking advantage of your kindness... your feelings."

    "Then tell me, Violet," Luke cupped my cheeks, raising my head so that I could see him in his eyes, "Do you trust me?"

    Do I trust him? It was the same question that he asked me when I told him that I will be leaving. That time, my answer was that I didn''t trust him. But after the time I spent with him, I came to know that he was different, different than the people that I knew.

    "I trust you," I answered, staring deep into his eyes, "More than anyone."

    "Then it''s enough," he smiled, "I don''t care if you are taking advantage of me. You can take whatever you want from me and I will still allow you to."

    "Why?" I asked as he pulled me into a hug. For the umpteenth time, I sunk into the warmth of his side. Somehow, his touch made the room warmer and my heart fluttered.

    "Because I''m a fool for you."

 Chapter 50 - Questions - Part 1

    I peeked at my side, looking at the beautiful lady who was sleeping soundly by the other side of the bed. It seemed that she has grown accustomed to having me in her presence, looking at how she didn''t complain about sharing a bed with me, which she would do so had it been a few weeks ago.

    The candlelight from the lamp stationed on the bedside table fell upon her face, allowing me to take in her features better amidst the dimness of the room. Her jade green eyes that enchanted me from the very first glance were closed, while her long lashes dusted on the upper part of her cheeks. She looked so peacefulˇŞand pure. I couldn''t resist a smile as I took sight of the adorable woman before me. It was now that I realized just how badly I''ve been missing her.

    It felt aggravating knowing that people had the heart to hurt someone like her, someone so innocent. It was my concern to fathom why people just couldn''t seem to get their hands off my woman. What did she even do to them?

    But then again, I had promised to protect her, to keep her from harm. And yet, I failed. I failed to protect the one that I loved the most and caused her such sufferings. It was a wonder of why she still chose to put her trust in a man who couldn''t even keep his promise. Would she be so willing to give me another chance to prove my words?

    Despite my failures, I still wish to be by her side. Was it selfish of me to think as such? If so, then I am more than willing to be known as a selfish man.

    I brushed a strand of hair from her face and stroked her cheeks, wondering what kind of thoughts goes into her head. I couldn''t understand why she felt that it was not her place to be with me when I thought she was the only person that could fill the position beside me. I have waited for her for years, and now that she has come, I will never let her go.

    "You should stop pushing me away, Violet," I pecked her cheek and received a groan from her, which made me chuckle, "It''s making me want to get even closer to you."

    I slowly went out of the bed, glancing over to Violet for the last time before tiptoeing to the door. As much as I wanted to stay, a man was waiting for me to bring him to his death. I opened the door and went to the other side of the room, meeting the two of my men who were standing right outside.

    "You two stay here," I ordered, "Don''t let anyone in."

    The whole time Violet was unconscious, they were always standing guard outside the room. They must have been worried about her, especially Jack. I could tell that he felt guilty, thinking that all of this happened because of his negligence.

    I ambled my way to the dungeon, stretching my hands along the way. Now that I have captured Leonard, I suppose the attacks will no longer occur around the packs. It took us a few months to finally stop them.

    I banished Leonard from the pack three years ago, and that must be when he started to gather other rogues to form an alliance to attack us. Such a pity that he spent three years planning for his death.

    Arriving at the dungeon, I greeted Kiel, who was busy for these past few days attending to the guests who stayed in some of the cells. Noticing my presence, he smiled giddily while taking a kerchief to wipe his bloodied hands.

    "You are here," his voice sounded very welcoming regardless of the grimness of the place. The man always appeared to be in a good mood whenever he was here, "It''s really refreshing down here, don''t you think so?"

    "If you mean the smell of fresh blood, then yes," I scoffed.

    I glanced at our surroundings, taking in the sight of the prisoners who were mostly lying helplessly on the ground but one. While the others looked very beaten and lifeless, this one man was sitting with a smile on his face. It was rare to see a smiling face in this place aside from Kiel''s.

    "What''s with him?"

    Kiel glanced in the direction I was looking at, "I beat him so much that he went crazy," he sighed when he saw the man, "This place is like home to him now, so I just let him be. I think he has quite forgotten that there is a world beyond the walls."

    I continued to stare at the man in silence, looking at what a crazy person would do. One minute he was laughing, and the next he was screaming, at the same time pouncing on the wall so hard that blood covered his hands in an instance. Looking at the man''s behavior made me question my decision. Should I kill Leonard, or should I make him be just like this man?

    "Let us go then," I beckoned.

    I walked along the dark corridor, not caring about the few whispers that came from the prisoners. Most of them sounded like they were aimed at the vampire king beside me. Kiel was quite pleased with them, even though they were talking about what kind of a monster he was.

    "It sounds like you are very loved here," I chuckled.

    "I know," he smirked at my remark, "I should shower them with more of my love next time."

    Even though we were friends since we were kids, we didn''t share the same kind of p???sur? in tormenting others. I didn''t enjoy the act of harming others, though it was inevitable in the world we lived in. Kiel, on the other hand, enjoyed them. He found p???sur? in torture, doing them under the pretense of punishing felons. I suppose it wasn''t that big of a deal as long as he didn''t torture the innocents. I could say that he was simply enjoying his job.

    As we got closer to the solitary room, the guards standing outside the room opened the metal door for us to enter. I have given Leonard a few days to recover, but it didn''t look like he got any better. He looked even more revolting than the last time I saw him, his outside now reflects the man within perfectly. I glanced at Kiel, ?ssuming that he had paid the man a visit in the few days I gave him.

    "I ?ssure you he still can talk," he raised both of his arms after noticing my eyes on him. I ignored him and walked closer to Leonard, kicking him lightly to wake him up. It seemed that a light kick was not enough to wake him up so this time, I kicked him harder.

    "Argh!" he ?r??n?d upon waking, apparently, pain worked best in waking someone up. He glared at me and barked, "What? Just kill me already."

    I laughed at his impatience, he sure looked ready to die. He must have prepared himself well the moment he planned for the attacksˇŞfor his revenge. If only his plan did work, then he would be the supreme alpha by now because anyone who managed to kill me will instantly be the next in line. Unfortunately, that was not the case and he was the one who will be meeting death.

    "Not until you answer me," I squatted down, scrutinizing the man before me, "Tell me, what did you do with the hearts?"

    "I only took them for fun," he shrugged. Such an imbecile, still thinking of lying despite his current situation.

    "A few days and you have forgotten about your son?" I snickered, cracking the bones in my fingers, "I can bring him down here and make him go through the exact same torments as what you had experienced just a few days ago," I said unamusedly as I cleaned my fingernails, "Your choice."

    A few minutes went by and there was no sound coming from Leonard. It seemed I have held too big of an expectation about how good of a father he was. Not wanting to spend another minute, I stood up, brushing my pants off the dirt, and turned around to call for a guard, "Bring the kidˇŞ"

    "Witch," there goes the answer, "I gave them to a witch."

    I hid the smile forming on my lips before turning back to Leonard, "And why is that?"

    A witch. What kind of exchange could possibly happen between a rogue and a witch? There was nothing thatˇŞah, must be the potions. The very potion that they used to double their strength. If that was true, then the hearts must be one of the ingredients that the witch used to make the potions.

    "The potions, is it?" I queried. Leonard''s eyes grew wide when he heard me, seemingly surprised at my knowledge of the potion.

    "H-How did you know?"

    "I wouldn''t have known if your men didn''t litter on my land," I jeered, "You killed my people for those measly potions. How aggravating."

    The lives of my people were much more valuable than those useless potions. To think that their lives were exchanged with a mere potion made me grew furious. Those potions didn''t even work that well, ten minutes and they were gone.

    If the witch was willing to help, there must be something that he could give in return for those potions. From what I saw from Maggie, a witch wouldn''t do anything for free. It was always a give and take.

    "What did you give in return?"

    "Nothing," he answered, taking me by surprise, "She offered me her help, saying that she would be happy if my plan works. She said she wanted to see the ruin of the werewolves."

    "Really?" I snorted, "What was your plan then?"

    "I planned to use the potion to kill you," he sighed, tired by the never-ending questions, "But I realized that it was too big of a risk because they wear off quickly. Then one day I heard about you finding your mate," he smirked.

    "So I made another plan to separate you from her because I knew that she would be your weakness. I stopped all the attacks and waited until the potions were ready, then proceed to cause a massacre on your neighboring pack with the help of the potions. When I successfully lured you away from your manor, that was when I came to greet your mate for the first time."

    "For the first time?" I frowned, "So you are saying that, that night was your first attempt kidnapping my mate?"

    "It is," he replied.

    "Don''t make me laugh, Leonard. You know that it was not your first attempt kidnapping her, there were more before that night," I sighed, tired of his lies, "You do realize that I don''t accept lies very well, right?"

    "What do you mean?" this time, it was his turn to frown, "I have never tried to kidnap her before that night, it was the first time I saw her. All the attacks I sent were only aiming for the people''s heart, not kidnapping a woman."

    "Are you saying the truth?" I narrowed my eyes at the man, doubting the veracity of his words.

    "Who am I to lie, dear sir?"

 Chapter 51 - Questions - Part 2

    "Who am I to lie, dear sir?" he asked in a mocking manner, an attitude caused by the threat I had given him previously.

    I was sure there were a couple of attempts before, and it was a rogue who did it. If not him, then who? So there was another group attacking us, and their purpose was taking Violet? Life really couldn''t get any better now.

    "It was a rogue that tried to take her," I ?sserted, more like talking to myself but loudly.

    Hearing my mumble, Leonard added, "Not all rogues are my men. They could be doing it on their own or under someone''s order, but definitely not mine."

    It was not possible for a rogue to have the guts to do such a thing alone. Them doing it under someone''s order was more of a plausible explanation. Furthermore, I didn''t think a rogue would have anything to do with Violet when she spent most of her life in her home. The first kidnapping attempt was just a few days after she got into my manor.

    "When did you say you stopped the attacks?"

    "Right after I heard the news of you finding your mate," he answered, a bit more compliant than before, "I think it was a day after you found her."

    The line on my forehead creased deeper, recalling all the attacks that happened after I met Violet. I remembered there were still a few rogues trying to step their feet in our territory, but they all failed before they could even do so because we were more prepared that time. A few rogues came and escaped when their plan didn''t work, but when I chased and cornered them, they died without me even touching them.

    When they couldn''t seem to escape, they puked vehemently, puking out their guts till death. It happened every time I managed to corner them, just a few feet away from catching them and getting an answer. But now that I think about it, the same thing didn''t happen with the last attack on Alpha Harry''s pack. The rogues didn''t die out of nowhere. It was me who killed them.

    Then, I must ?ssume the few rogues that came after I met Violet were not trying to attack the people, but in fact, trying to kidnap my mate. It was just that they failed before they could even proceed with their plan, and only two among their attempts were close to success.

    The question was, the same thing didn''t happen to all the rogues that came. Only the rogues that I chased puked to death, while the ones that managed to find Violet didn''t. I should''ve asked them a few questions before killing them but my rage got the best of me. There must be something that triggered them to happen.

    Just who the hell was it? Did I make enemies with someone without me knowing it? I thought I lived as a pretty decent man, but I guess not. What was the reason they tried to take Violet? Was it because she was my mate, or was it because there was something in her that they need?

    ''She offered me her help, saying that she would be happy if my plan works.''

    That one sentence that Leonard told me kept running on my mind. What if it was the witch?

    "Is there anything that you haven''t told me about the witch?"

    "I doubt so," Leonard frowned, trying to recall anything about the witch, "I don''t know much about her, not even how she looks like. All I know is that she goes with the name Greta."

    Greta, it was a name I''ve never heard before. I didn''t know much about witches, only knowing that they were wicked creatures, though not all of them. I knew that there were two kinds of witches, a white witch, and a black witch. White witches were the good ones, while black witches were the adversary. They were different in nature, but both received the same amount of hatred.

    I didn''t know whether the witch who helped Leonard was a white or a black witch, but I knew for sure that she held an ill intention towards meˇŞor Violet.

    "How did you meet her?"

    "I just came across her out of nowhere," he shrugged, "Ah, now that I think about it, I remember she said she would come to meet me on that day," added Leonard.

    "That day?" one of my brows perked up to his statement.

    "The day where you were supposed to kill yourself."

    "Did she tell you for what reason?"

    "The hearts," he answered, "I usually sent the hearts to the place where we usually meet, but this time she said she would come to get it herself."

    This added up to my suspicion of the witch. Why would she suddenly offer to do that? Was it for me, or Violet? I needed to find out more about her. "Where did you usually meet?"

    Leonard scoffed, "I think I have told you enough, no?"

    "So you think your son''s life is only worth a few questions?"

    He glared at me, knowing that he had no choice but to answer me if he wanted his son to live. His face told me that he would rather die than helping me solve my problems.

    "In a village not far from Mount Elard," he divulged, "Search for an abandoned church. That''s where we usually meet."

    If the witch came to his hideout that night, she must''ve realized that his plan had failed. It would be hard for us to find her by only knowing her name, and also with the fact that we couldn''t tell other creatures apart. It would be like looking for a needle in a haystack, but still, we had no other choice but to try.

    Chances were big that she wouldn''t be there, but it was our only clue. We could search the whole place and the surrounding area for any sign of a witch.

    Now, I knew for sure that witches were trying to make a move. After so long hiding in the dark, they must''ve already planned something for them to stop hiding and came back to the world. After all, they were the ones who started the war. It wouldn''t take much for them to think of starting another war.

    "You should be proud you did something useful for once in your life. Now... how should I kill you? "I quipped, then squatted down, "Tell me, and I will follow your wish. Think of it as your last gift."

    "As fast as possible," he answered.

    "As you wish," a smile appeared on my face when I stood up, cracking my knuckles to prepare myself. If he wanted something fast, then the easiest way to do that was to rip off his ?h?st and took his heart out. He would be killed in the same way as to how he killed my people. How ironic.

    "Any last words?" I asked before taking his last breath away.

    He grumbled in annoyance, but answered, "Keep your promise."

    "I made no promise, Leonard," his eyes went wide to my reply, but I gave him no time to retort back. I held no intention of killing his son, but I didn''t want him to leave with ease.

    In one swift movement, my hand pierced through his ?h?st, tearing his heart off his body. With that, his time finally ended. Leonard sat still while blood oozed out of his ?h?st. The man sat there lifelessly, his eyes were still wide opened. I could feel his heart in my hand slowly paced down its beatings, and soon, the beat was no more. I clenched my fist, crushing the object inside, "Farewell."

    "What a lovely sight," Kiel clapped his hands, very pleased after some time standing quietly behind me to watch the whole scene unfold. There was actually no need for him to be here, but the man was very eager to tag along. "Here," he offered me a kerchief.

    "Let''s go back," I sighed, taking the kerchief to wipe the blood off my hand. I walked out of the room, but Kiel stopped me from leaving.

    "Wait," he interjected, pulling something out of his back pocket, "You see, I just got this gun today and I am thinking of trying it out here," he showed the gun in his hand, raising it to the air, "You won''t mind it, will you?"

    "Why would I?" I shrugged, "Do as you please."

    He smiled after receiving my permission. He was asking because his target was my kind, but there was no need for permission to harm a dead man.

    Kiel pointed his gun at the lifeless Leonard, aiming for his head. A second passed, and a loud bang boomed throughout the room. The bullet went straight into his forehead, and soon, the skin around it turned red due to the burn. It must be a silver bullet.

    "I see it works quite well," he nodded his head, admiring the gun in his hand.

    I stared at Leonard''s remains, watching him grow paler and paler as more time went by. I didn''t feel any remorse, rather, I hoped that he will rot in hellˇŞfor as long as an eternity.

    "Quite well, indeed."

 Chapter 52 - Good morning

    I awoke to the morning sun and chirping birds, pulling me gently from the haziness of my sleep. Unwilling to wake, I snuggled deeper into my duvet, pulling it over my face. Contrary to my wish to sleep longer, my eyes were no longer heavy from sleep, seemingly ready to meet the day.

    Slowly and reluctantly, I opened my eyes. The first thing I saw was the yellowish light seeping through the window blind. The second was a man, with his eyes glued to me.

    "Good morning," he greeted, a charming smile appeared on his face.

    Surprised, I hid behind my duvet, "W-why are you staring?" A cluster of thoughts crowded my mind. How do I look? Did I drool? Did I do something weird in my sleep? Why was he staring at me so early in the morning? Since when did I start to become so conscious of him?

    "Don''t you know that one''s eyes are always attracted to beauty?" he let out a chuckle, "How can I not stare at you then?"

    "Y-you should''ve stared at those paintings on the wall, not me," I mumbled, still hiding. I hurriedly rubbed my eyes and wiped my mouth, just in case.

    "Stop hiding," he pulled the duvet down, "You look beautiful, as always."

    Striped away from the duvet, a hiccup escaped my lips, "W-well, you look handsome as well," I replied. I took a peek at Luke, finding him sending me an amused smile. I snatched the duvet from his hand, again, hiding.

    Why am I so embarrassed? I was never like this before. Besides when he did something that embarrasses me, I was never shy around him. What was the difference? Feeling his weight no longer on the bed, I peeked outside my duvet to see him pouring a glass of water.

    "Here, drink this," he offered me the glass. I sat up, accepting the glass in my hand. "What do you want for breakfast?" he asked as he sits by the side of my bed, his hand gently tucking a lock of my hair behind my ear.

    "Anything is fine," I replied before gulping down the water. He nodded after my answer and took the bell on the bedside table, ringing it two times. Soon after, a knock came from the door.

    "Do you need anything, sir?" asked a man.

    "Bring me two servings of breakfast," went the order. He raised the bell, showing it to me, "If you have anything you need, just ring this bell. The servants will hear you and come at once," he explained to which I nod.

    I pulled out of my duvet, wanting to have a little visit to the bathroom, "Where are you going?" he asked, his hand stopping me from going.

    "To the bathroom," I said, placing my feet on the ground. Luke stood up, ready to carry me to my destination. "Don''t," I pushed his shoulder lightly, "I think my legs are a little better now."

    I stood up, my legs still a little weak but a lot better than the day before. Walking two steps away from the bed, I smiled, "Look, I can walk now." I glanced at Luke who stood behind, "You don''t need to carry me anymore."

    "Is that a good thing?" he asked, laughing.

    "Of course, youˇŞack!" I tripped on my own legs, almost falling flat on the ground when Luke grabbed my arm just before I fall.

    "Careful," he said. He held out his arm, placing my hand upon it, "Hold on to me."

    I uttered a little thank you, then proceed to walk while holding his arm as a support. As we were walking, I noticed the veins bulging on his arm, and also how big his hand was. Was it always this big? His hand was almost twice bigger than mine. I must have not paid him much attention looking at how I didn''t even notice these little details when I had been given plenty of warm hugs from inside those arms.

    I released my grip when we arrived, sending him another ''thank you'' before going inside the bathroom. I walked over to the sink, rinsing my face from the remains of my sleep. I wiped the foggy mirror in front of me, immediately seeing my own reflection on it upon clearing.

    The words Luke gave me were as sweet as honey, words that I rarely hear if not from him. It seemed like those sweet words coming from his mouth just rolled so easily out of him that it made me wonder, did he perhaps have a lot of experience with women?

    I never took a liking to my appearance, after hearing so many condescending words coming from people. There was a time that I thought the reason my dad hated me so much was not only because I killed my mom, but also because of how I look. I was let hidden in the attic, to avoid being a disgrace to his name. What would people think if they knew that the daughter of the wealthy Quinn''s family was nothing like other young girls my age, so beautiful and refined? I was far from them, an ugly duckling.

    But years later, I realized that my father was a crazy man. It was in his nature to torture me when he was not fond of something, or just when he felt like doing it. To him, I was not a daughter, but a tool for him to appease his anger or even his boredom.

    Whenever Luke told me that I''m beautiful, that I''m a precious person, I wonder was it the truth that he was saying or was it a lie? Was I so fooled and blinded by the words of the people who hated me that I couldn''t see my worth?

    Praises were so nice to hear, why couldn''t people say them more often to each other? Why would people say bad things to others that will only sadden them? Was it, perhaps, for them to feel better about themselves? If so, then the world must be so messed up.

    I have to thank Luke for always making me feel better about myself. Despite being shy when listening to his compliments, I have to admit I liked the feeling that I got when hearing them. It was far better than hearing the curses and mockery that I used to hear from people. Even if it was a lie, then maybe it would be better for me to know the beautiful lie rather than the ugly truth.

    Truths are, sometimes, scary to know.

    I walked out of the bathroom, finding Luke beckoning me to come to the table where breakfast was served. When I sat down, Luke placed a jacket over my shoulders.

    "Wear this, it''s cold," he said before settling down in front of me.

    I took a spoon and ate the warm breakfast in front of me, pleased to have such quality food to warm the body. I glanced at Luke, also pleased to see him enjoying his food. It must have been days since he last ate properly, knowing that he was so worried about me.

    "Why are we in Gordom?" I asked, curious to know the reason why we were staying in someone else''s house.

    "Did you know where you were taken to?" he questioned and I shook my head, "Well, it was a place far from our home and Gordom is closer so I decided to stop by here to treat your wounds."

    "Whose house is this?"

    "Kiel''s," he replied, taking a sip of his soup, "Do you remember him? You met him back in the annual party."

    By Kiel, did he mean Mr. Cassius? He was the one who escorted me back to the house after I was attacked by a rogue. I remembered Luke saying that he was his closest friend. He must be kind enough to allow me to stay in his home for so many days.

    "Yes, I remember him," I nodded, also taking a sip from my soup, "Is he also a werewolf?"

    "No, he is a vampire," he denied, "The king, at that."

    I coughed out my soup, surprised by the newly acquired information. A vampire king? It seemed that I have been meeting with all sorts of people without knowing. Looking back, that must be why he was so composed when seeing a dead wolf back then. I thought he was just weird, turns out he was a vampire.

    "Then why did he come to the party? Didn''t you say that it was a party to deepen the relationship of your people? By people, didn''t you mean werewolves?"

    "It is for werewolves," he explained, "I invited him as the representative of the vampires, to show the people that we shared a good relationship with them."

    My mouth formed into an ''O'' shape after understanding his explanation. It must be really important for them to form a good relationship, or else, the world would be a blood bath if there comes a day where they confront each other, considering their outstanding abilities.

    "Do you want to take a look around the house?" he offered, "We can take a little walk after we finish breakfast if you want."

    I pondered for a bit, thinking about which would be better between staying inside or going outside. It would feel stuffy if I stayed inside for too long, but the weather''s too cold to go outside. "But it''s too cold," I said.

    "I can always warm you up," he replied, not forgetting to send me a wink.

    After all, like I said, winter was the season where people would share each other''s warmth, right?

 Chapter 53 - Meeting the vampires - Part 1

    "Isn''t this too much?" I was wearing four layers of clothing, a bonnet on my head, and a fur scarf on my neck. I looked two times bigger than usual, also two times warmer. The cold won''t be able to bother me anymore, that''s for sure.

    "Nonsense," he replied, fixing the bonnet on my head, "I don''t want you to catch a cold."

    Contrary to my clothing, he was only wearing his usual suit. He dressed like the weather was not cold at all when it was actually really freezing. Then again, werewolves had a high body temperature, so there was no need for thick clothing when the cold never bothered him.

    "Wear this too," he put on a pair of gloves on my hands, keeping me warm in all parts of my body. He placed his hands on both of my shoulders, turning them slightly to the side to scrutinize my whole appearance. Satisfied, he nodded his head, "Let''s go."

    He took my hand in his like it was natural, something that had turned into one of his habits. I followed behind, taking the same steps that he took. A long hallway greeted us when we stepped outside of the room, the place quiet as day.

    The ceiling must be twenty-feet high, with designs of birds and nature carved upon it. Vases of blossoms followed us along the way, the smell fresh and sweet. The windows were large and tall, welcoming any ray of sun willing to enter.

    We passed rooms after rooms, with Luke so expertly explaining the use of each room. It was tiresome, as the manor itself was immense in size but at the same time fascinating to see. He was a perfect guide, for he was very much familiar with the place.

    "How can you know so much about this place?" I asked, walking a step forward and turning to face the man. He was a few feet taller, so I needed to crook my neck slightly upwards to meet his eyes while he, downwards.

    "I used to come here a lot as a child, mostly on holidays," he replied, his hold on my hand still, "Also a few times when I was running away from my training," he chuckled.

    "Training?" I repeated.

    "I was born as the next alpha, so I was pretty much obliged to train myself to be worthy of that title," he explained, taking a step ahead to walk beside me, "I think I grew up spending more of my time outside rather than inside."

    "While I spent more time inside than outside," I laughed sourly, laughing at the irony. I sighed, thinking that I shouldn''t have said that as the mood turned gloomy.

    "Well, now you have an eternity to go outside," Luke smiled, his free hand ruffling my hair, "You can go anywhere you want, and I will take you there in every chance I have, anytime."

    Hearing his offer, I couldn''t help but smile, "Promise me?"

    "I promise," he pinched my cheeks softly. "Do you think a kiss will do to seal the promise?" he quizzed as he leaned closer, his head lowered while his eyes closed.

    Taken aback, I took one step astern, "I-I think a simple word is more than enough." I placed my fingers on his lips, pushing him slightly away. He opened his eyes at the touch, and his mouth curved into a smile when his red meet my green.

    "Your cheeks are red," he claimed, the smile on his face getting wider for his pearl white teeth to show. I quickly used my scarf to hide my cheeks, but he stopped me from doing so when his hand grips my other hand, "Don''t hide," he directed, "It''s very lovely."

    Upon hearing it, something in my ?h?st felt funny. The weather also felt warmer, not as cold as the minute before. My eyes wandered around, not sure where to look. I settled for the big window behind him, exclaiming when I saw the snow falling, "Oh, it''s snowing!"

    "And?" he asked, not falling for my trick to shift the conversation. He didn''t even bother to turn his back to look at the window.

    "You said you promise to take me anywhere I want," I appealed, "I want to see the snow, for starters."

    "Come," he chuckled. Standing upright, he pulled my hand to follow his lead. We passed the long hallway, turning a few times to finally arrived outside. A well-kept garden came in sight, its green turning white from the snow. A few flowers of color survived the harsh weather, the trees deep in their slumber. The manor had its way of belonging to the earth it graced, starting with this garden.

    I stared at the breathtaking view before my eyes, staring at the winter trees with their n?k?d branches adorned by the snow. Do trees dream of spring in their sleep? It was hard to imagine them re-clothed in their finery when seeing their current appearance. A cluster of dried twigs extended their hands to catch the soft falling flakes, letting them fall only when they could no longer bear the weight.

    Snow came as heaven''s glitter, bringing shine upon our world. I held out my hand, allowing the white flakes to rest against my palm like a soft cushion.

    "Do you like snow?"

    "Yes, because we can only see them at certain times of the year. I think that''s what makes them special," I replied, smiling at the snow on my palm, "Moreover, don''t you think they are really pretty?" I turned my face towards the man, curious to know his opinion.

    For the past few years, waiting for the snow to come was my favorite part of the year. In the small world I lived in, the round window in my room was my best friend. I could see a lot of things from behind the window, observing whatever was taking place downstairs. In fact, I could see the first snow faster than anyone because I lived in the attic. The sight of everything covered in white was always so mesmerizing to see. The best thing about winter was snow, while the worst was the cold.

    I was always behind the window, watching people went by with their busy schedules. Watching people could be so very engaging sometimes, especially when I found something fishy. Despite being locked and having no one to talk to, I knew many secrets that many tried to hide. I knew who was the thief of the stolen bicycle, or even the secret affair of the lady next door. They tried to hide their secrets from society but failed to hide them from me. Not like I would spill their secrets, but it was quite a show to see.

    Luke opened his mouth to answer but closed it right back. Instead, he used some time to stare at me before finally opening his mouth again, smiling, "I don''t know what''s prettier, you or the snow."

    I froze in place, my eyes slowly drifting to anywhere else but him. He was always saying things like this, things that made my ?h?st felt funny.

    Seeing my frozen state, he laughed, "It works out well then. I planned to take you to the garden, that''s why I asked you to dress warmer," he said, pinching my cheeks again, "It''s good that you like to see the snow."

    "D-don''t you like to see the snow too?" I asked, letting out a really, really awkward laughter in between.

    "Not really, they are not all that special to me," he shrugged his shoulders, "But if you like them, then I have no choice but to like them too, right? After all, we will be spending a lot more of our winter together."

    At times like this, I wonder if my mouth had lost its ability to reply to his words. No words sounded right to answer, and I couldn''t seem to meet his eyes.

    "L-let''s go there!" I pointed at the opposite direction, not knowing where it leads. Turning my back, I pulled on his hand and he gladly followed. The path we were going was almost covered with the snow, our footsteps trailing in every step we took. I was walking two steps ahead but stopped my tracks when an exclaim of a woman was heard from behind.

    "Luke!"

    I turned around, seeing a woman hugging Luke from behind with her legs lifted off the ground as she jumped on his shoulders. She took both of us by surprise with her sudden appearance and Luke quickly shoved her off his shoulders, "What do you think you are doing?"

    "What? It''s me, Kiera," said the woman, her mouth curved into a smile, "Have I changed that much that you didn''t realize it''s me?"

    "Kiera?" he confirmed, "Kiel''s sister?"

    "I am," she nodded, her golden eyes stared fondly at Luke. "I heard you are here so I came here searching for you," she twirled a lock of her brown hair, her smile unwavering, "I missed you."

    I felt my eyes tremble and my mouth agape when I heard her words, my eyes busily moving back and forth from between the woman and Luke. My ?h?st felt heavy when I look at the two of them.

    With Luke saying nothing, the woman added, "Do you remember the last time I see you, I was learning the piano?"

    "What about it?" he asked.

    "I have perfected it now," she boasted, a proud smile on her face. She took Luke''s other hand, pulling him to follow her, "Let us go to the music room. I will show you how good I am at it."

    It was my first time seeing her, but there was something in me that didn''t like her. Seeing her hand on Luke annoyed me, and I didn''t want them to go together. It didn''t seem like she noticed my presence so I hunched down, shouting on the spur of the moment,

    "Ow!" I shouted, "My feet hurt."

 Chapter 54 - Meeting the vampires - Part 2

    "What''s wrong?" asked Luke, his worried tone didn''t go unnoticed by me. "Are you okay?" another question came from the man as he squatted down.

    "M-my feet hurt," I replied. I felt bad lying about my pain after looking at his worry, but I was left with no choice. I didn''t want him to go.

    "Where does it hurt?" he questioned, and I needed a second to come back with another lie.

    "My soles?" I answered, receiving a confused look from him because of my uncertainty. "I-I think I''ve walked for too long."

    My sudden involvement in their conversation granted me the attention of the woman who finally noticed my presence. The woman coughed, raising one of her eyebrows when she asked, "Who is she?"

    "Is that so?" Luke''s attention was still on me despite the woman''s query. He ignored the question meant for him and untied my boots, taking them off my feet while at the same time pushing my shoulders back so that I sit on the ground.

    "What are you doing?" I asked.

    He didn''t answer my question with words but instead answered it with his actions. He started massaging my feet, gently doing it without using too much of his strength. His actions surprised not only me but also the woman called Kiera.

    "What are you doing?" I asked again, this time, pulling my feet away only to be pulled back by his grip. When I lied, I was only expecting him to escort me back to my room, and definitely not this.

    "I''m trying to ease your pain," he said, his hands gently massaging me with his soft touch. His massage did nothing sort of what he said but only tickles me. My mouth was so close to letting out a laugh from being ticklish but I tried my best to look pained, furrowing my brows together to look the part.

    "Ow, haha," a laugh unknowingly escaped my lips despite my attempts to hold it back, "ItˇŞhurts," I coughed a ton, trying to pretend the laugh from before was too, a cough. I bit back my lips as I glance at Luke, his face showed nothing of an expression. Fortunately, he didn''t seem to notice.

    "I suppose she is a guest of my brother," Kiera told, her lips curved into a beautiful smile but her eyes shot daggers at me. "I can call for the servants to help her so you don''t need to waste your energy on her. Come, let us be on our way," she pulled on Luke''s arm, again asking him to leave with her.

    At first, he stayed still, like he was thinking. But then I felt Luke released his hold, the warmness of his touch slowly leaving me. Was he really leaving? As he stood up, I hurriedly took hold of his hand, stopping him from going.

    "Don''t go," I begged. The words unconsciously escaped my lips, and a smile soon appeared on his face upon hearing them. A smile so big and charming, a smile that pleased the eyes. He hunched down, one of his hands hovered behind my knees and the other on my back, lifting me off the ground.

    "I think we should save the piano for another day," he turned to Kiera, smiling widely at her despite refusing her invitation, "My woman said to not go, and I''m the kind of man who listens."

    "Your woman?" she repeated, not believing what she had just heard. Her eyes went big, so big that I was afraid they would jump out of their sockets. "She is... your mate?"

    "Undoubtedly," he nodded, his smile never leaving his face. A tingling sensation appeared on my ?h?st when he so proudly admitted me as his mate, his voice stern and confident.

    "So you found her," she smiled, her lips twitching ever so slightly. "Good for you. I know just how long you have been waiting for her," her eyes slowly went over to me, scrutinizing me. For some reason, I felt intimidated by her so I avoided her gaze, not wanting to make any contact.

    "It is the best," he chuckled. He turned around, going in the direction of our room while still carrying me in his arms, "Well then, we''ll be going on our way."

    Turning around, Luke tried to voice my inner voice, which was refusing the invitation, "No, weˇŞ"

    "Don''t you think it is a bit rude to refuse my invitation not once, but twice in a row?" she cut off. "I''m sure your mate wouldn''t mind joining me for lunch, will she? It''s just a simple lunch, after all." She said all that while staring at me, sending me a smile that was a bit uncomfortable to receive.

    Her gaze didn''t leave me, as if she was waiting for my answer. There was no other choice but to accept her invitation when she had made public her distaste of another refusal.

    "We will see you there," I faked a smile, sighing inwardly at the upcoming event that was practically forced on both me and Luke.

    "Good," she nodded, "I will see you at the dining room."

    With that, she turned in another direction before walking away to leave us both. Luke sighed, but nothing came from his mouth. He proceeded to walk, still carrying me in his arms.

    Upon our way, a fountain was seen. The water was frozen due to the harsh weather, leaving only a block of ice. Luke sat me by the edge of the fountain, both of his hands rested on the side of my th??hs. He leaned forward, a mischievous smirk appeared on his smooth, chiseled face.

    "What was that?" he asked, his red eyes brooding over my own. I gulped down the water on my throat, my ?h?st pounding harder with each passing second.

    "What was what?" I returned his question with another, trying to act nonchalant. Did he notice?

    I lowered my head, fiddling with my fingers on my th??hs. "I didn''t lie," I replied, adding up my sins with another lie, "It really hurts."

    "Really?" he quizzed, "Does that mean I will have to carry you around, like last time?" his lips grew into a wide grin, a hint of amusement evident on his face.

    "It hurts, it did," I jerked my head, smiling at the man, "But I think it got a lot better now. I heal quite fast, right? Do you think I might have a healing ability too?" I laughed, placing my hands on his shoulders as a support for me to get off the fountain.

    "Wait," he ordered, stopping me from moving. I had almost forgotten I was only wearing socks on my feet with no shoes. He knelt down, putting on the boots he previously took off my feet. "Were you being jealous?" he asked while tying my bootstraps.

    "I was... not," I denied. Was I jealous? It was a question for me as well. Was I, really? It was no question that I didn''t like the fact that they were going to leave but was it jealousy that I feel?

    "Don''t go," he mimicked, repeating my words from before. "I noticed you were lying when I was massaging you," he laughed, "I wanted to know your reaction if I did leave you. I''m glad you had the exact reaction that I wish to see."

    I sighed, thinking that there was no use continuing my lie when he had realized the truth.

    "You were the one who offered to show me around so it is only right for you to escort me back to my room instead of leaving."

    "I know," he stood up, ruffling my hair when he had finished helping me with my boots, "Rest ?ssured, I''m not going to leave you for any other woman," he offered his hand to help me get off the fountain, "You are the only woman for me."

    When my feet touched the ground, I immediately sprinted off, leaving the man laughing behind me. He shouted for me to wait for him, but I didn''t heed his request. But only after a few seconds of him shouting for me to wait, he caught up to me with his long strides. This man couldn''t even leave me alone for a second to ease the redness of my cheeks.

    "Why are you running?" he stopped me from the front, his hand holding mine. It was not like he didn''t know the answer to his question, but he just wanted to hear me say the answer for him.

    "Because you made me shy," I replied, turning my head away from him.

    "Why, isn''t that a wonderful thing?" he said, smiling from ear to ear, "You shouldn''t run from me, rabbit. Because I will chase you to the end of the world and still make you mine."

 Chapter 55 - Meeting the vampires - Part 3

    Even on the coldest day, the sun shone brightly upon the earth, giving warmth in the midst of the wintry air. The soft flakes came falling harsher as the weather grew colder, kissing the earth white in every part it touched.

    In every step I took, footprints of mine formed on the lumpy snow beneath. And with every word I said, there followed a mist coming from my mouth. Though the weather was cold, I stayed warm under the thick clothing I wore, and also because of the warmness of the hand that held me close.

    We were on our way to the dining room, walking ever so slowly for our journey to last longer. The size of the manor did a great job in extending our walk, and I soon found myself wishing for a clone of my own to meet the vampiress in my stead. Or better yet, for us to head to another destination instead of meeting the woman who calls herself Kiera.

    As I let a sigh out of my lips, the man whose hand was holding mine quizzed, "Why the long face?"

    "I don''t really want to meet her," I said, kicking the snow a little as I walked. Though it was my first time meeting her, I just knew that we wouldn''t be good together. Should I call this a woman''s intuition?

    "Should we not go then?"

    "That would be rude," I shook my head, giving him a bitter smile. I didn''t want to anger the woman despite my unwillingness to meet her. "But maybe we can just eat a little and leave faster."

    "Let''s do that then," he chuckled, "Why don''t you like her? I don''t think she is all that bad."

    I halted my pace, glancing at Luke, "Do you like her?"

    "No, I don''t mean that," Luke also stopped in his tracks, hurriedly denying my question, "I just mean that she is not a bad person. I don''t particularly like her, nor do I hate her."

    "She is just the sister of my friend," he replied, smiling before saying, "While you, my mate. So you don''t need to worry about herˇŞor any other woman. I only have eyes for you."

    "I''m not worried," I mumbled. The sister of his friend, he said. I doubt Kiera thought the same about him. I continued to walk, pulling his hand to follow behind, "Hurry, we have kept her waiting for too long."

    After a few minutes of walking, we finally arrived at the promised place. It was the second time I stepped into the dining room, the first being when Luke showed me around the house earlier this morning.

    When the door to the dining room opened, a room of the color gold appeared in sight. The carpeted floor beneath our feet made our steps to be lighter and comfortable, and the fire set ablaze in the fireplace made the whole room to be engulfed in warmth. The long mahogany table stood in the middle of the room, completed with a number of chairs on either side of it. Two huge chandeliers hung right on top of both ends of the long table, lighting the whole room with a soft yellowish light. Several servants and maids stood quietly by the side of the room, ready to provide services when asked.

    There were two people already seated, one being a man who took the seat by the head of the table, and to his right was the very same woman who had invited us to this wonderful lunch.

    "Ah, you are finally here," Kiera greeted, sending us her beautiful smile, "I thought you had lost your way. Come, please be seated."

    Stepping closer, I had just realized the man was Sir Cassius, the owner of this luxurious manor. Luke took the seat by the left of the Lord, and I took the one right next to him. Looking at both of the vampires seated next to each other, I noticed how their features looked very similar, like they were twins.

    "It is a p???sur? to meet you again, Miss Quinn," said the sir, bowing his head a little to greet me, "I''m glad you appear to be in a better condition than the last time I see you."

    Not knowing when did he meant by the last time he saw me, I returned his greeting with a smile and a little bow, "Likewise, sir. Thank you for allowing me to stay in this beautiful manor of yours."

    "You shouldn''t get too comfortable with my mate, Kiel," Luke interrupted, not liking his offer. I noticed the look on Kiera''s face when Luke addressed me as his mate, a little irked by it.

    "I''m simply befriending her, nothing more," Kiel chuckled, shrugging his shoulders, "Well?"

    "Please do as you wish, Kiel," I said, smiling at the man. If he was a friend of Luke, then he wouldn''t be a bad person, right? They wouldn''t be friends for many years if he was someone of bad influence to him. But what if Luke was the bad one between the two?

    "It seems that I have yet to introduce myself to you," Kiera chimed, standing up to hold her hand out for a handshake, "My name is Kiera Cassius, a p???sur? to meet you."

    "A p???sur? to meet you too," I lied, also standing up to shook her hand, "I''m Violet Quinn."

    When I released her hand, her sharp nails accidentally grazed my skin, causing blood to ooze out from under it, "Ow!" I hissed.

    "Heavens," she clasped her mouth, shocked to see what she had done, "I''m so sorry. I didn''t mean to do that."

    She hurriedly handed me a kerchief to wipe the blood away, but it was too late. The whiff of blood had roamed freely in the air, causing the vampiresˇŞthe servants and maids, to show their fangs and ready to pierce into me. The smell of my blood must have awakened their ?ust for blood.

    "Back off," Luke stood up and pulled me into his arms, protecting me from the hungry vampires. His eyes turned a few shades lighter, showing the color of bright red.

    "Do you want me to cut off your hands?" Luke turned to Kiera, madden by what she had done to me. His body was tensed with anger, his eyes glaring sharply at the woman.

    She was stunned by what she had just heard, like it was the very first time she had received such harsh words from the man. "I... I''m sorry. It was a mistake, really."

    Luke ignored her reasonings and focused on the cut on my palm, bringing his lips close to it before ???k?n? my wound. I winced at the sharp pain and the wetness of his lips. In a matter of seconds, the cut was no more.

    "Does it hurt?" he asked, his voice much softer than the minute before when he had threatened Kiera.

    "It doesn''t anymore," I shook my head, smiling at him, "Thank you."

    Kiera, upset by how Luke had treated her, shed her tears and left the room in a hurry. Her brother who witnessed the scene she had made only sighed, as if he was used to her demeanor.

    "Please don''t mind her," he said, before pointing at the food on the table and started to eat, "The food is getting cold."

    Well, this was awkward. I didn''t know shedding a little blood could make things this awkward. Not only did I made the servants leave, but I also made the woman who had invited me to this lunch leave the room too. I didn''t expect this lunch to be a good one, but I also didn''t expect it to be this bad.

    Luke followed Kiel''s words and started to dig in, adding some food to my plate from time to time. It was hard to swallow, considering the atmosphere around the room. I wouldn''t be surprised to know that I have an upset stomach by the end of this lunch.

    "It''s fine," I replied, waving my hand, "It was an accident."

    "It''s not fine," Luke grumbled, "Those vampires almost made a feast out of you. If that happened when I was not around," he glared at Kiel, "I might start a war."

    "I ?ssure you that will not happen under my watch, dear friend," he smiled, patting on Luke''s shoulders, "Well, will you still come to the ball after this? It''s right around the corner."

    Ball?

    Looking at the confused look on my face, Kiel explained, "It''s a ball made to celebrate my birthday, and Kiera''s. Luke always made some time to come every year. I''m tired of it, but Kiera insisted on having it because we didn''t hold any last year," with the confusion still on my face, he added, "We are twins."

    So I was right. That was what I thought when I saw them together. Their similarities were impeccable.

    Instead of answering Kiel''s question, Luke asked me, "Do you want to?"

    Surprised by his sudden question, I returned it with another, "What will happen if you don''t come?"

    "People will start a rumor, saying that our friendship is no more," Kiel answered casually, "Don''t mind it though, it is normal for people to spread false things. They love to do that."

    "I would love to go," I smiled, "What about you?"

    "Not really," Luke sighed, "I''m afraid people might start falling for your beauty when they see you at the ball."

 Chapter 56 - A trip to town - Part 1

    We were standing by the entrance of the manor, waiting for our carriage to arrive. While waiting, I stared at the snowy sky, extending my hand for the snow to fall upon my palm. I smiled a little as the snow slowly formed into a cushion, gently resting on my palm. The land was painted white with snow, and it was such a lovely sight to behold. Now would be the perfect time to snuggle into my bed, with a hot chocolate in my hand to keep me company.

    Though I wish to be in the warmth of my bed, Luke insisted for us to go to town to search for our attire for the upcoming ball. I told him I was fine with wearing some of Kiera''s old dresses, but he didn''t like the idea. I told him it would be a waste of money buying a new dress, but then he told me that he had enough money for the two of us to live the rest of our lives together.

    The snow in my hand soon melted when another hand laid on top of it, its fingers locked into my own without paying any mind to the obstacle in between. Luke pulled my extended hand into one of the pockets on his coat, warming my hand that was red from the cold.

    "Your hand is cold," he said, his head turned to look my way, "Why didn''t you wear your gloves?"

    "I forgot," I replied, also turning my head in his direction, "I left them in our room."

    "Do you want me to bring it for you?" he offered. But not until I refuse his offer, he withdrew it himself, "On second thought, I won''t do that. You won''t be needing your gloves when you already have me to warm you up."

    His boldness always left me with no words to answer, turning my cheeks red and hot like a burning stove. I wish there would be a time where I would be the one who made him turned all shy and awkward, but such a wish would only come true when I have the courage to talk the way he does.

    Seeing the redness of my cheeks, he smiled, seemingly enjoying the sight before him. He then took my free hand, locking it together with his own before pulling it into another of his pockets. Both of our hands were now entangled with one another, hidden under the warmth of his pockets.

    "This works way better than your gloves," he said before pulling on my arms, making both of our bodies to be a few inches closer than the minute before, "Don''t you think?"

    His head was lowered as he stared down at me with his godly looks, a not very good thing for my heart. I knew that he was a handsome man before but was he always this handsome? Did he change, or was it the way I looked at him that change? I could feel my heart thumping in my ?h?st, so loud that I was afraid he would hear my heartbeats considering the proximity between us. I could even feel the air he breathed out from his slightly open mouth.

    Before I could reply, the door behind us opened, showing the figure of two familiar faces. Their steps came to a halt when they saw the proximity between me and Luke. One had a surprised look on his face, while the other had a big mischievous smile splattered across his face.

    "Oh, maybe we should take the back door," Andrew said, turning Jack''s back and his own, "Please continue whatever you were doing. I swear we didn''t see anything, right Jack?"

    "Y-yeah," Jack stuttered, muttering sorry under his breath before walking back to the manor.

    "Wait!" I shouted for them to stop, "W-we are not doing anything."

    I stepped back from Luke, only to be pulled back even closer than before by the man. I urged him to let go of my hands but he only smiled, saying, "I was going to do something."

    Hearing that, the smile on Andrew''s face only grew wider for him to nod in satisfaction while Jack had his eyes wider than ever. It seemed that there was a misunderstanding on what was happening but Luke didn''t seem to mind it. Instead, he looked like he was enjoying it.

    "I don''t mind the audiences," he added. I was stunned by his words. What was this man trying to say?! Looking at the stupefied state I was in, he laughed heartily before releasing my hands, "Well, we will continue somewhere else more private if you don''t like the attention."

    "W-what are you talking about?!"

    He ignored my query and allowed both of his men to use the front door, not wanting them to go around the huge manor only to avoid being a disturbance to the two of usˇŞor so he said. We were not even doing anything!

    Turns out, both Andrew and Jack were on their way to leave Gordom because they said there were a lot of works that they needed to do back in Wonsvile, works that were supposed to be done by the Alpha but were thrown for them to do as a result of him leaving his seat for too many days. Both of themˇŞmostly Andrew, glared at Luke the whole time he explained. He looked like he held a grudge against the Alpha.

    I noticed how Jack stole a few glances at me every few minutes, as if there was something that he wanted to say to me. When our eyes met one another, he hurriedly averted his gaze.

    "Jack?" I called out, "Do you need something from me?"

    The attention was all of a sudden turned to the Gamma, making him scratch the nape of his neck awkwardly at the sudden spotlight he had received. "No, I... I don''t need anything," he replied, his eyes wandering around anywhere but me, "I justˇŞI wanted to apologize to you."

    "Why?" I asked, not knowing the reason he was being apologetic.

    "It''s my fault all of this happened," he said, his blue eyes not again wandering around but looking straight at me. He bowed down, "I''m really sorry. I will accept any punishment you will give me as a result of my carelessness. You can even banish meˇŞ"

    "Jack, it''s not your fault," I hurriedly replied, asking him to stand straight. He must have felt guilty for not being able to protect me from the kidnapper, but it really was not his fault. Before anyone else''s, it was my own fault for not being able to protect myself.

    "I won''t give you any punishment because you are not at fault," I told him, giving him a small smile. "Besides, you also saved me from that cave. I wouldn''t be here if it''s not for youˇŞI mean, for the three of you."

    I had heard the story of how I got out of that cave and what happened to the kidnapper. It was all thanks to the three of them that this problem was resolved and I couldn''t thank them enough for helping me, someone who they had just met a few weeks ago, a month at most. Things could have been really dangerous for them but they risk their lives just to save me. It was the first time anyone ever went to such lengths for me, for my whole existence.

    I glanced at the three men before me, feeling grateful that I was given the chance to meet such wonderful people, "Thank you, for saving me."

    "It is what we need to do," Luke replied, his hand ruffling my hair, "Protecting our people."

    I smiled a little when I heard him acknowledging me as one of his people, even with our differences. It made me feel that I have somewhere I belonged to, somewhere that I could return to when I didn''t have anywhere to go. It was truly a blessing for me to meet them. Perhaps, this was the exchange for all those years of sufferingˇŞa reward for holding out.

    Andrew broke the touching atmosphere around us when he slapped Jack''s back with so much force that it made Jack growled back in annoyance, "See? Now stop being a sorry ?ss because we have a lot of things to do."

    "And you should stop being so obnoxious," Jack replied before giving a stronger slap to Andrew''s back. Their slapping game went on for a few minutes, both wanting to reciprocate each slap they gave to one another with a stronger force each time.

    I glanced at Luke, expecting him to stop these two men before they broke each other''s back but Luke only smiled when he felt my eyes on him, as if saying he couldn''t care less about what happened to those two people.

    When the sound of a horse''s neigh was heard, the carriage that we have been waiting for finally arrived. As the horse slowed its pace and the carriage came to a stop, the coachman opened the door for us to enter.

    "I expect you two to finish the works I left before I got back to Wonsvile," Luke said to the two men before entering the carriage, making them stop their antics at once.

 Chapter 57 - A trip to town - Part 2

    The carriage ride was nice and quiet, though a little shaky when met with a rocky road. I looked outside of the window, staring at the buildings and scenery that we passed. I never had a lot of chances to see how the outside world looked like, and all I know about it was only from what I have seen from the window in my room.

    When it was day, the road would be bustling with people mingling around with one another.  The women would wear pompous dresses to catch the attention of their dream man, chattering around while sipping their evening tea. While the men, sometimes were too busy with their works, sometimes were idle enough to respond to the women.

    And when the nighttime arrived, it was time for the poor to steal from the riches who lived in the area. On some mornings, people would find the door to their houses already broken and a few valuable items of them missing. This caused them to have several locks on their doors, also hiring more people to guard their houses. This also happened a few times to the house where I lived, though I didn''t mind it a bit. In fact, I hoped for them to rob the entire fortune that my dad owned.

    At least, that was what happened in the place where I lived.

    I lived in a place where people were mostly fortunate enough to live their lives idly by, where they didn''t need to suffer to earn something to eat. That was why the most thing that I have seen from behind my window was people laughing around.

    Sometimes, when the night was the coldest, I would dream about the sea. A place where I was free, where the chain on my legs was no more. I dreamed about feeling the calm breezes of the sea, feeling them gentle against my skin. I wanted to know how it feels to have my feet underwater and how it feels to touch the soft golden sand. It was always a dream of mine to visit the sea ever since I saw it on the picture books that I kept hidden under my bed.

    I took my eyes off the window, shifting the focus to the man sitting in front of me. He was too, looking outside of the window but his mind seemed to be elsewhere. It took him several minutes before he realized I was staring.

    "Hmm?" he smiled, "Do you need something?"

    "Do you remember that time when we went to your secret place?" I asked. I remembered it was my first time seeing the sea with my own two eyes, thinking that the real deal was ten times more beautiful than what was shown in the picture book.

    "OurˇŞsecret place," he corrected, "What about it?"

    "I was wondering if we could go to the sea beneath it."

    "Why can''t we?" he chuckled, "I will take you there sometime later. It''s actually not that far from our home."

    His answer immediately brought a smile to my lips, happy to know that I will soon visit the place that I''ve always dreamed to go. From what I read from my books, there was a creature called mermaids who lived deep under the sea. If creatures like werewolves and vampires are real, what about mermaids? Are they real too?

    As I was imagining my visit to the sea, the carriage soon came to a stop. We have finally arrived at our destination, which was the center of the town. When the coachman opened the door for us, Luke was the first to step out of the carriage. He then offered his hand, helping to get off the carriage safely.

    Stepping out of the carriage, I could see that the road was bustling with people. On either side of the road, there stood numerous buildings that were open for businesses. All kinds of people swarmed around the road, busy with their own world. Luke''s hand didn''t leave mine since I stepped out of the carriage, holding me close to him while we walked down the road, side by side.

    "Do you see those two people?" he pointed to the two people who were standing outside of a florist, their bodies adorned with fancy clothing, "They are vampires."

    "How do you know that?" I whispered, scared that those people would hear us talking behind their backs with their heightened hearing abilities. "I thought you said we can''t differentiate each dark creature?"

    "We can''t, but it''s quite obvious with the vampires. Look at the color of their eyes," he said, "If it''s in the color of silver or gold, then they are vampires."

    I looked back at the people he was talking about and realized their eyes were gold. Those vampires soon noticed my stare and stared back at me, leaving me bewildered at their sudden attention. I quickly averted my gaze and pulled on Luke''s hand, asking him to walk faster.

    Since receiving the newly acquired information, I would always look at the pupils of the people who passed by, curious to know which one of them was a vampire. After meeting several people, I came to know that there certainly were a lot of them here.

    I wondered if the human who lived here know about this fact? I bet they know, right? After all, most of the people here own such colored eyes. But what if they only know it as some kind of hereditary of the people in Gordom? That would be trouble.

    We stopped by a boutique that stood at the end of the road, the place rather empty than all the other shops in the area despite its grand size. A sound of bell ringing was heard when the door was pushed open, causing the employee of the boutique to rush to the door, politely greeting the coming customers.

    "Welcome," she bowed, a smile on her face when she stood up, "Please take your time. Do you need anything that I can help you with?"

    "I need a dress for her," Luke said to the employee, "Find me the best one you have here. I will pay for any price."

    When he said that he was willing to pay any price, I didn''t expect it to be this much. All the dresses that were shown to us cost more than five gold, it was an unimaginably high price. No matter how beautiful they were, I wouldn''t spend so much money just for one dress! It was no wonder that this place was empty, the prices of the things they sold were insanely high. No sane people would dare to step inside this place if they didn''t want to be rob of their fortune.

    The currency that we used was bronze, silver, and gold. A hundred bronze meant one silver, a hundred silver meant one gold. I didn''t know much about money, but I certainly know that the most common things were sold mostly in bronze and silver, not gold. With five bronze, I could get a loaf of bread. Imagine how many loaves of bread that I could get with five goldˇŞI could feed a whole village for weeks!

    I quickly pulled Luke to a corner, asking him to lower his head so I could whisper, "I think we should go somewhere else. The price doesn''t sit right. Don''t you think they are fooling us because we are not locals?"

    Hearing my whisper, he laughed heartily, "I doubt so, rabbit."

    As if he was fine with spending such a large sum of money, he pulled me back to the dressing room, asking me to try on those expensive dresses without minding the prices.

    It was actually really hard for me to do so after knowing the prices of those dresses. I didn''t even dare to touch them! What if I accidentally tear one of them while trying them on? I would have to work for years to be able to pay them back!

    Looking at how I was still hesitating even after asking me to not mind the prices, Luke beckoned the employee to help me try on the dresses while he waits outside. I groggily tried on the dresses as the employee helpedˇŞforced me to wear them.

    The first few dresses were of rich and strong colors that would certainly attract the attention of many people, with many ruffles and elaborated designs on them. When Luke saw me wearing those dresses, he didn''t seem to like themˇŞnor did I. I think they were all too extravagant for me to wear. I would look weird wearing them, like a sheep wearing a lion''s mane.

    After trying on numerous dresses, I grew tired and decided to just take the next dress that will be shown. It was not like I wanted to impress anyone, so I didn''t think I would need to look my best. The last dress I tried on was a light blue one, with a high neckline and a little ruffles on the elbow. It was the simplest one compared to all the previous dresses and didn''t show as much skin.

    He stood up, walking closer to me while giving me a smile even more charming than Bob''s chocolate cake, "Perfect."

 Chapter 58 - A trip to town - Part 3

    "I like this one," said Luke, his head nodding up and down as he scanned my appearance, "All the previous dresses are too flashy. I don''t like it when people stare at you."

    Now I know why he was unhappy with all the previous dresses. He was ceaselessly saying ''no'' when I was wearing those pompous dresses. So it was not because I didn''t look good in them, but it was because they were all too eye-catching that he was afraid it would catch people''s attention?

    "Do you like it?" he asked. Compared to all the previous ones, yes. But the price is still a little...

    I gestured for him to lower his head, again whispering to his ear, "I still think we should go to another shop with a more reasonable price." Hearing my words, he straightened his back, but I quickly pulled him down again as I still have some more to say, "Or I can wear Kiera''s old dresses."

    "Like I said, rabbit," he sighed, grabbing both of my shoulders, "I''m rich, so you don''t need to worry about the price. Do you need me to show you how rich I am?" he asked, "I can even build a castle full of jewels for you, and I still won''t run out of money."

    "You are that rich?" I gasped. I knew he had a lot of money in his pockets by the look of his scrumptious manor, but I didn''t know he was THAT rich.

    "I am," he smiled. Still, I didn''t like the fact that he was going to spend so much money just for me. As if he could read my thoughts, he added, "I have decided I was going to use these coins for you, so if you didn''t use it now, I might as well let them burn," he pointed at the fireplace in the room, threatening to throw his pouch full of gold coins to burn.

    Was he being serious? I narrowed my eyes at the man, not believing his words. No one would ever throw such a large amount of money to theˇŞ

    "Wait!" I shouted, stopping him from throwing the pouch to the fire. He was being serious?! "What are you doing?!"

    "Making you believe my words," he shrugged, "You didn''t look like you believe me before, but now you do," he chuckled.

    I stared at him like he was a wild animal, shocked to see what he was trying to do. To think he dared to burn his money just because I was not going to use it was very shocking. Now I knew that I shouldn''t doubt his words before he made me believe.

    "...I will."

    "Great," he ruffled my hair before turning to the employee, "You heard her, right? We are taking this one."

    I let out a little sigh and went back to the dressing room, changing out into the dress I initially came with. After the employee finished helping me changed back, she asked Luke, "Do you need anything for yourself, sir?"

    "I would like a suit that matches her dress," he replied, "I want to show the world we are a coupleˇŞif by any chance it''s not clear enough for the people to see. But I think it''s quite obvious, no?" he asked the employee, his hand hovering over my shoulders as he pulled me closer for the woman to see.

    "Both of you made a wonderful couple, sir," she answered, her smile never leaving her face. When she saw the proud smile on Luke''s face, she bowed her head before leaving to bring the suit he was asking for.

    "She said we made a wonderful couple," he beamed like a child who had just received his very first candy, "Do you think so?"

    Do I think so? I actually never thought about it. Do we look like a couple? Truthfully, the way I saw Luke had changed so much since the first time I met him. At first, I only saw him as my savior. He was the one who saved me from all the bad things around me, the one who provided me a place to sleep and food to eat. He was a kind man, a rare presence in my life.

    Even without knowing many things about this world, I knew that I was the safest with him so I stayed. He was like a safe place amidst this dangerous world. His kindness struck as weird to me. It was making me wonder was there something that he wanted from me? It was then when he told me that I was his mate.

    I was truly surprised. I didn''t know that my presence could ever be something that was needed by someone. I didn''t know that I could ever feel loved again, that I could ever receive genuine kindness from someone.

    I was afraid that all the things he has shown me were temporary, so I pushed him away. I was afraid that if get too attached to him, the little I had in me would crumble away when there comes a day where I lose himˇŞor when his feelings change because we can''t predict the future, and I was afraid of it.

    But, after all the things we went through these past few weeks, I realized that it was too late. Even without me knowing it, he had become someone important in my life. Things would be different if he was not here. So now, I might be a little braver and give way for him to enter my heart.

    I won''t be afraid of the unknown future, and will only live for the present. That way, the happiness I was waiting for will come.

    "I think so too."

    When he heard those words, he stared at me like he couldn''t believe what he had just heard. He picked his ear, thinking that he heard wrong.

    "What did you just say?" he asked.

    "I said I think so too," I chuckled. It was the first time I was being honest with my feelings. Though I was not sure this feeling I felt right now was love, I couldn''t deny that I liked it.

    "Really?" the smile on his face grew wider and wider as he pulled me in for a hug, "You really think so? That we made a wonderful couple?"

    "Hmm," I hummed in response, "You?"

    I couldn''t help but smile when I saw him this way. For once, he appeared to be adorable in my eyes even when he was not in his wolf form. I''m glad a little of my courage could bring him such happiness.

    The employee came back with a suit in hand, showing it up for Luke to see. "Is this up to your liking, sir?"

    A suit in a deep blue color was seen in sight, perfectly matching with the dress I was just wearing. Seeing the suit, Luke nodded his head and smiled, "I''ll take it. Can you give me a piece of paper and a pen?"

    Receiving the paper and the pen, he quickly scribbled on it and handed it to the employee, "This is the address, in case you forgot," he raised his finger as if giving her a warning, "Make sure to send the right sizes. It''s a bother if you send the wrong size like last time," he said to the employee, earning an apologetic smile from her.

    "You are a regular here?" I asked.

    "Only when I''m in Gordom," he answered, taking out the coin pouch from before to give it to the employee. That was why he found it funny when I told him this place was fooling us for the prices because we were not locals. Turns out he was used to paying such money for his attire.

    "Are you not going to try your suit?"

    "No," he shook his head, "Everything I wear will look good on me so why bother trying."

    Cheeky, as always. But I must admit, it was the truth. He was truly a handsome man. No matter the clothing, he would always look good owing to his face. He will need a mask if he wanted to hide his good looks.

 Chapter 59 - A trip to town - Part 4

    Luke was smiling from ear to ear as we got out of the boutique, still feeling overjoyed after hearing my confession. If he was in his wolf form, I''m sure he would be wagging his tail right now.

    I''ve never seen him this happy before. He was bouncing a little in his every step, showing how good of a mood he was in. Despite his tall and big body, he looked adorable to my eyes. I wonder what would the people think if he saw him like this? They would certainly be shocked to see their mighty Alpha acting like a kid.

    "What do you think a couple will do during a date?" he asked, turning his head in my direction.

    "I don''t know," I replied, shaking my head. Never in my wildest dream have I dreamed of going on a date, not to mention with a man like him. Even the mention of going on a date with him made my cheeks turned a tint redder, "I''ve never been on a date before."

    Hearing it, the smile on his face only grew wider, "Right, I shouldn''t have asked you. I''m glad to know that we are both clueless about this."

    "You never went to a date?"

    Unlike me, he was free to do whatever he wanted. Considering his high position in society, there must be a lot of women who were swooning over him and dreamed of taking his hand in marriage. Even I know that he was everything a woman could ever wish for in a man.

    "No, I was waiting for you," he stopped walking, his hands cupping both of my cheeks, "I have no interest in other women who is not my mate."

    "Then what if I was not your mate?" I asked, "Will you still hold the same feelings towards me?"

    I was curious about how would he think about this. Because whatever feelings I have for him right now, it was coming from me, not from the mate bond. What if the feelings he had for me were only because of the mate bond he had, and not because it was his true feelings?

    "That..." he faltered, as if he was unsure about his answer, "Truthfully, I don''t know. At first, it was the mate bond that made me fall for you. But after it, it was my choice to grow those feelings into something more, though I must admit it''s a choice I made under the influence of the mate bond. But after the days we shared with each other, I''m sure I would still fall for the woman you are even without it because you are just... perfect."

    "And what kind of a woman I am?" I asked the man. I couldn''t help but to feel happy when hearing his answer.

    "Really?" I asked, a smile forming on my lips, "Am I a strong person?"

    "Really," he repeated, planting a soft kiss on my forehead. In all honesty, it must be him who gave me the courage to brace myself for the unknown future. I''m brave because he was here with me.

    "What should we do now? We still have some time before the sun''s down," he pointed to the bright sky before smiling, "It''s our very first date."

    "Surprise me with your choices," I giggled, baring my teeth to the man, "I like surprises."

    "Then you should be prepared for the best date ever."

    ...

    "Come, come! It is starting!" shouted a man, "The infamous arm-wrestling competition of Gordom is starting soon! Pay for the tickets and place your bets!"

    The arm-wrestling table was surrounded by people, and I found myself standing in the midst of the crowd alongside the man who brought me here.

    "Here comes our unbeaten champion, The Rock!" As the host presented the champion, a big man with a bald head appeared from behind the crowd, pushing the people aside to make way for him to the table.

    As the two people met on the wrestling table, a grunt between the two was shared to show who was the strongest. The crowd started to cheer for their choices and bet their money, though most of them placed their trust on the unbeaten champion.

    The audiences were promised twice their money if they win their wager, but risk losing them if they choose the wrong side. Looking at the history of the man who calls himself The Rock, people trusted him with their whole fortune thinking that it would be an immediate and definite way to multiply their money.

    And so, as the competition began, the people''s high expectation was not let down by The Rock. In less than five minutes after they started, Captain South received a taste of The Rock''s incredible power and accepted his woeful defeat.

    With a slumped shoulders and a sullen look on his face, Captain South left the table and disappeared without a trace into the crowd.

    Adding another victory to his arm-wrestling history, The Rock roared with pride, "WHOSE THE CHAMPION? I AM THE CHAMPION!" he pounded on his ?h?st, the veins on his neck visible as he hollered to the crowd.

    "Now, are there any other brave fellas out here who dares to challenge our champion?" asked the host, but no one answered. It seemed that everyone knew that they were no match for The Rock, and only came to bet on him.

    A moment of silence passed with no one dared to challenge the unbeaten champion, but the silence was soon broken when the man who stood by my side raised his hand. I turned my head as quick as a lightning, surprised to see what Luke was doing, "What are you doing?"

    "Another brave fella!" the host exclaimed, beckoning Luke to come forward to the table, "Please, come up here."

    I saw a smirk on Luke''s face when he pulled out a gold coin from his pocket, handing it to me, "Bet for me, will you?"

    Hearing his brave remark, The Rock laughed loudly and ???ked his head back, his hands holding his stomach that was starting to hurt from too much laughter. Not only the champion himself, but I also heard the audiences snickering at Luke''s remark, saying that even by looking at their sizes, it was obvious who would be the winner. Though Luke was a tall and muscular man, The Rock was twice his size, a humongous man.

    "May I ask for your name, young man?" the host questioned, earning a polite smile from Luke.

    "You may call me The Black Wolf," he winked at me, grinning, "Or handsomeˇŞboth will do."

    The host nodded his head, "So now, it is between our unbeaten champion, The Rock, and the brave young fella who announced himself as the new champion, The Handsome Black Wolf!" he clapped his hands, "Who between these two strong men will win the wrestling? Place your bet now!"

    Without thinking any further, all of the crowd placed their bets on The Rock. When the people walked to the other side to support The Rock, I was the only remaining who stood behind Luke''s side. I was his only supporter.

    The people''s attention immediately went on me, surprised to see me standing on the opposite. Some were laughing and some were coaxing me to move to the other side, but I remained still. Instead, I raised my hand, showing the gold coin in my hand, "I bet one gold coin for... The Handsome Black Wolf."

    "Pfft! She will surely lose her money!" said someone.

    "Lady, you should trust us and move to the other side. Don''t fall for his face!" said another.

    "Don''t say we didn''t warn you!"

    "Well then," announced the host, "Let the match begin!"

    The Rock had a smile on his face before they started, thinking that he would get an easy win on this match. But the smile on his face soon disappeared as the match started, while in turn, it was Luke who had a sinister smile on his face.

    As if playing with the champion''s hand, Luke swayed it side to side, "What''s wrong, champion?" he emphasized on the word ''champion'', mocking the man. Through The Rock''s muscular arm, bulging veins were seen from the force he was using to beat Luke, but it was of no use. By the next minute, the back of his hand had touched the tableˇŞfor the very first time in his arm-wrestling history. Luke had defeated the man with close to no effort.

    The look on the people''s face soon fell, their eyes widened, and mouth agape at the turn of events. Even the host was surprised, but have no choice but to announce the new champion of the arm-wrestling competition, "O-our new champion, The Handsome Black Wolf!"

    I didn''t know how our date turned into an arm-wrestling competition, but at least we got another gold coin to our pockets. It was truly, a surprising surprise.

 Chapter 60 - A trip to town - Part 5

    He hummed to a song as he flipped his newly acquired coin, throwing it to the air before catching it back. He refused the prize he got as a winner of the competition as it was a mere horseˇŞand only accepted his new title as the arm-wrestling champion. The man looked like he enjoyed collecting titles.

    As Luke was not interested in taking part in another match, the competition soon ended, leaving the crowd to disperse and returned to their respective activities. It was quite funny to see the faces of the people who lost a great fortune after belittling Luke when he first came out.

    Though the crowd was starting to leave, there was one man who stayed in place. It was the former champion, The Rock. The look on his face told me that he was fuming with anger, not believing what had just happened. He couldn''t accept his defeat.

    "YOU!!" he stomped towards Luke, his strides wide and heavy, "YOU MUST HAVE DONE SOMETHING TO ME!! THERE IS NO WAY ANYONE COULD DEFEAT ME IN A MATCH!! I AM THE CHAMPION!!" The Rock pulled on Luke''s collar, lifting his body off the ground.

    The scrambling crowd soon came back, curious and intrigued at what was happening. They must have held a certain grudge against Luke after losing their wagerˇŞeven if it was their own fault for placing the wrong bet. They were happy to see the cause of their misfortune in trouble, though I''m not sure who was much more in trouble in this case.

    "TELL ME!! WHAT DID YOU DO TO ME?! I WANT A REMATCH!!" he fumed, his hands clenching tightly on Luke''s collar.

    Looking at the furious man in front of him, he sighed. He turned his head in my direction, giving me a reassuring smile while waving his hand for me to step away. As he turned to the man, the smile soon disappeared, replaced by a sinister glare.

    "Who allowed you to touch me?" his voice calm, but it was clear that he was unhappy with the man. With his feet still hanging in the air, Luke kneed the man in the face. Surprised by the sudden force, The Rock soon released his grip and fell to the ground.

    "YOU LITTLE SHˇŞ" another kick came flying to his face, causing a few of his teeth to fall off. When he realized the blood dripping from his face, his eyes bulged out, glaring at Luke like he was his biggest nemesis. "HOW DARE YOU!!" he shouted, standing back up to lunge at Luke but missed due to Luke''s quick reflex.

    He lunged at Luke again and again but missed each time. The Rock turned bloodshot, angered and embarrassed by his continuous failures. He then taunted, "WHAT A COWARD, AVOIDING MY ATTACKS!!"

    "Coward, you say?" Luke laughed menacingly, starting to get irked by the word. Oh no, coward must be a prohibited word. There was no way an Alpha wolf would be happy to be called as such.

    Luke started to walk closer to the man, glaring at him with so much intensity that it was starting to scare the former champion. I could see the hesitation in The Rock''s eyes when he decided to attack Luke, attempting for a punch as the distance between the two started to diminish.

    Unfortunately, for the umpteenth time, he failed. The Rock couldn''t land a blow on Luke and instead received one from his adversary. It was a blow that sent his big body flying a few metres away.

    The people gasped at the bloody scene before them, though they couldn''t help but to be curious as to what will happen next. Their feet moved a few steps away, but their eyes didn''t leave the scene.

    After receiving the big blow from Luke, The Rock started to become threatened. He had only realized that he messed with the wrong man. Though threatened, he didn''t runˇŞno, his pride didn''t let him to. He had too big of a pride for him to run like a coward.

    "Y-YOU CAUGHT ME OFF GUARD," he tried to mask his fear with his prideful remark, "THIS TIME, I WON''T BEˇŞURGH!!"

    "Shut your mouth," Luke sent another kick to his stomach, cutting him off, "Let me show you how much of a ''coward'' I am."

    "AAAARGHHH!!" he bellowed, "LET ME GO!!"

    "A coward, break your hand," following his words, a snap could be heard. "Do you still wish for a rematch?" he asked nonchalantly, "I am more than willing to follow your wish but... I can''t ensure the safety of your other hand. After all, I am a coward. I''m afraid I might break it too."

    The man''s lament grew even more furious as he had just got his hand broken, shouting vehemently for help.

    "H-HELP!!" he shouted while lying on his back, still crying in pain, "CALL FOR THE GUARDS!!"

    Some of the people watching ran to call for the guards, but Luke stayed there unfazed. His eyes then wandered around and softened when he found me, grinning while sending a thumbs up to my way. I was standing somewhere a bit far from where he was standing so I couldn''t hear what he was saying but by the look of the movement in his lips, he was most probably saying, "I got this."

    Eventually, the guards arrived. It seemed that The Rock was quite famous in the area, so when the guards came and saw the state he was in, they were taken aback. Who in the world could do such a thing to the strong man?

    "HE!!!" The Rock used his good hand to point at Luke, "HE DID THIS TO ME!! HE BROKE MY HAND!!"

    "I am simply doing a self-defense," said Luke, shrugging his shoulders as if he was tired, "He was the first to attack, so it was only natural for me to defend myself. Am I wrong?"

    The guards shared a look with one another, thinking about what they should do with this case. The surrounding crowd was then questioned by the guards to ensure the truth of his words, about whether or not it was a self-defense.

    No one dared to tell lies after seeing what had just occurred. They were scared that they would get into trouble if they dared to mess with Luke. Sure, it was an entertaining scene for them to see, but they wouldn''t want to take any part in it. They were smart enough to avoid trouble.

    Among the people who were questioned, I was one of them. "Lady, did you see what happened here?"

    "I did. It was true that the bald man attacked him first," I said, pointing at The Rock and Luke, "The bald man couldn''t accept his defeat after losing in an arm-wrestling match with that man, so he was furious and started attacking him."

    To be honest, if only The Rock didn''t say the word ''coward'', things wouldn''t be this bad. I have to take a mental note that coward was now prohibited to say in front of Luke.

    And so, after confirming the truth from the few people around, things were now settled. Luke was let off the hook as he was not at fault, and The Rock was brought to the closest doctor. The surrounding people scurried away in a flash, scared to run into Luke.

    Luke ran over to where I was and quickly took my hand in his, "I think our date is ruined."

    "Well, I can''t say it''s ruined because I was the one who asked you to surprise me," I chuckled, "You succeed in surprising meˇŞthough perhaps I should state my wish clearly instead of asking you to do as such for our next date."

    "Next date?" he repeated, showing me his grin, "Yes, of course. We should surely go on another date."

    I didn''t realize I was initiating another date with him and felt my cheeks burning when I realized it. It was not that I didn''t want to, but I was still shy at this whole thing.

    "Let''s go," he pulled my hand, "It''s going to be dark soon. We should hurry back to the manor before the night come. It''s dangerous."

    Leaving our current position, we walked back to where our carriage was park. It was a shame that we couldn''t stay any longer. I wanted to see how the town would look like when it was night time. But perhaps, night would be when all the dark creatures came out to hunt for their preys. It would still be dangerous even if I have Luke by my side.

    "If it''s not ruined, what do you think of today''s date? Is it good?" asked Luke, "I want to know your preference for our next date."

    "I don''t know whether it''s good or not because I don''t have any to compare to," I answered him as we walked side by side, "But surely, I don''t want to go to another arm-wrestling competition for our next. I don''t want you to break anyone''s hand again."

    "Noted," he laughed heartily.

    After walking for a few minutes, our carriage soon came to sight. We walked with a light and happy heart after having an eventful day, but halted our steps when someone bumped into me from behind.

 Chapter 61 - The truth - Part 1

    My feet took a step forward abruptly, balancing my body to not fall after the collision. A young woman had bumped into me, seemingly in a hurry to go somewhere. Even after bumping into me, she kept on running without looking back.

    "Are you okay?" Luke grip my shoulders, turning my body around to look for any injuries. When he found nothing, his attention turned to the young woman, "That littleˇŞ"

    "I''m fine," I interrupted, not wanting to make a big deal out of a little bump. My eyes then followed the woman, curious to know where she was heading in such a hurry. She was running towards a fancy carriage, holding a bag in her hands.

    The door of the carriage flew open when the young woman arrived, showing the person waiting inside. A woman with a fancy dress stepped out of the carriage, her eyes in the color of gold. The appearance of the two women contradicted one another as they stood side by side. While one was wearing a fancy dress, one was wearing a ragged dress. It was quite apparent that the young woman was a slave.

    "M-master, this is the r-ribbon you asked for," the young woman stuttered, handing the bag in her hands shakily. The thin dress she was wearing couldn''t bring the warmth she sought in the midst of this cold winter, so she hugged her body tightly, hoping for a little warmth to ease her shiverings.

    From inside the bag, the master pulled out a red ribbon and instantly had a furious look on her face, "I told you to buy a pink ribbon!! Why did you bring me a red ribbon?!"

    "B-but just now m-master told me to buy a r-red ribbon," the young woman panicked, "I only did as I was t-told to."

    "Are you saying I''m the one at fault?!" she threw the bag to the ground, pushing the young woman''s frail body. When the young woman saw how her master grew even more furious, fear crept up to her.

    "N-no!!" she quickly denied, immediately kneeling on the ground, "I-I am wrong!! Master told me to buy a p-pink ribbon, b-but I bought a red one instead."

    Her feet were bleeding as there were no shoes to protect them from the rough ground, fresh wounds started to form and covered the old scars on her feet.

    "So?" her master looked down at her, a smile slowly forming on her lips as she stared at her slave.

    "I d-deserved to be punished," answered the young woman, her head lowered to meet the ground.

    Hearing that, the master''s smile only grew bigger for her to hunch down, yanking the young woman''s hair roughly, "At least you are smart enough to know that. Well then, how should I punish you today?"

    Her eyes then wandered around, finding a dirty puddle just a few steps away. Releasing her grip on the young woman''s hair, she proceeded to kick her body before pointing at the puddle she had just found, "Drink it."

    Her demand surprised both me and the young woman. I couldn''t believe what I had just heard. Was she insane? How could she treat someone this way? Though surprised, the young woman didn''t complain and quickly heed her master''s words in the fear of angering her.

    My feet started to walk in the direction of the two women, wanting to stop the outrageous scene from happening. I couldn''t stand to witness it without doing anything, not after what I have gone through. I couldn''t help but be reminded of the days I spent in the dark underground room, a place where people showed their true colors. So evil, and heartless.

    Just after walking for a few distances, I was stopped by a pull on my hand. It was Luke who stopped me from going, "Stop."

    "What are you doing?" I turned around, "We need to stop her! She is insane."

    "There is nothing that we can do to help," he uttered, leaving me dumbfounded by his words. "She is a slave, Violet. Her life was sold to that woman, so she is free to do whatever she wanted with that slave."

    "But it''s never her choice to be born as a slave," I grimaced, "How could she do that?"

    "It''s never anyone''s choice to be born in this cruel world," Luke gave me a wry smile, "Even so, we have to live. It is also the same with that slave. She has no choice but to follow her owner in order for her to live and we have no hand in it."

    Luke then pulled my hand, asking me to walk towards our carriage, "Come on, let''s go home."

    Taking one last look at the two women, I left with a heavy heart. The ride back home was quiet, as the two of us were buried deep in our own minds.

    The picture of the two women kept on appearing on my mind, and the heaviness on my heart still. I couldn''t forget the way the young woman licked the dirty water at the demand of her owner, and the way her owner smiled while witnessing it. The owner treated her not like a normal human being but instead treated her like she was nothing more than an animal.

    How could someone be this evil? What do they gain from it? Though I had several encounters with some people with a similar nature, I just couldn''t seem to set my mind on why do they have to behave in such a manner. Imagine how wonderful this world could be if they just act a little more... kind.

    Was it the fault of the individuals, or was it the fault of the society? Was it because of their greed, their hunger for dominance and power that made them evil? Was it, really?

    "Are you still bothered by them?" asked Luke, taking my hand in his as he queried.

    "A little," I replied, giving him a small smile.

    "I''m sorry that we can''t do anything to help her," he sighed, apologizing, "Even under the law, an owner of a slave was free to do whatever they wanted after they spent money on them. It was like buying a pet, they were free to love themˇŞor kill them. Those slaves'' life completely belongs to the owners. No law could ever reprimand their actions unless the law is changed."

    "Then why don''t they change the law?"

    "There must be something that is preventing them from doing so," he explained, "I don''t know much about the law of Gordom, but I do know that Kiel is working hard to put an end to the slavery."

    "What about the other lands?" I asked, "Is slavery allowed?"

    "Myltha yes, but not in ours," he smiled, "I have long abolished the slavery in Wonsvile. I don''t want to see my people suffer in such a way."

    What would happen if slavery was still allowed in Wonsvile? Would I have been thrown into a slave establishment and live the same life as that young woman? I could never imagine what kind of life a slave would have to live. It must be much, much worse than the life I''ve been living.

    I have suffered a lot, but it was never to an extent where I was degraded into something less than a human. I was still given proper meals, treated like a normal humanˇŞthough badly. Almost every day that I dreamed of escaping that place, dreamed of meeting someone who could save me.

    It has been a couple of weeks since I escaped, a couple of weeks since I last met her. Anna was the one person who always took care of me whenever I fell sick, and the one who prepared the food that I ate quietly every night. Though it was all done in secret, I have always been grateful for her kindness. She was the only one who gave me the kindness everyone didn''t give to me. If it was not for her, I wouldn''t have lived to this day.

    I remembered asking Luke for a favor to help her escape from that place but never heard him mentioning anything about it ever since. I was waiting for him to tell me himself because I knew that he was busy with his works but... it has been way too long. I should ask him, but a part of me was scared to know the answer because I knew just how evil those people could be and how merciless they were.

    I knew that there was only a little hope of her staying alive after the tremendous help she had given me, but at least, I wanted to hold onto that small hope. I was scared, but I needed to know the truth.

    "Luke," I called out, causing him to turned his head in my direction.

    "Hmm?" he hummed in response, smiling at me kindly. I started to fidget my fingers, feeling nervous at the question I was about to ask.

    "I''ve been meaning to ask you this but... what happened to Anna?"

 Chapter 62 - The truth - Part 2

    He stared at me in silence, as if surprised to hear that name coming from my mouth. His eyes trembled ever so slightly as he gazed into me, his mouth slightly opened to mumble out the words hanging on the tip of his tongue.

    "Violet, IˇŞ" he faltered, unsure about what to say, "I''m sorry."

    As if hearing a curse, my heart pounded loudly. In every passing minute, I could feel my heartbeats getting faster and faster that I was afraid it would jump out of my ?h?st. A part of me knew that she would be gone, but a part of me also wished for her to stay.

    "Why?" my voice trembled as I asked, showing the fear in me, "Why are you sorry?"

    Even before hearing his answer, tears began to blur out my vision, threatening viciously to fall down my cheeks. I bit back my lips to brace myself and immediately felt my heart sink when hearing the truth.

    "She is dead," he confessed, and soon after, tears came falling down my cheeks. They first started slowly, falling drop by drop before pouring down harshly like a waterfall. My breath started to become unstable, and no matter how hard I tried to stop my tears, they wouldn''t stopˇŞthey couldn''t.

    Though I have expected her to be dead, knowing that my ?ssumption was true hurts incredibly. I have always feared death, but it was even more so when I was the reason for it. Anna was dead, and I was the cause of her death.

    Why did this have to happen to the people around me? It was the second time that people died because of me. Two people have died only to have me continue my life. Was it so wrong of me to live? Was there something wrong with me? Was I not supposed to live?

    As if hearing my thoughts, Luke raised my lowered head, cupping my cheeks with his palms, "Violet, listen to me," he demanded, "It is not your fault."

    "No, it is my fault," I shook my head, sobbing, "I should have died back then, back when I was in the forest with my mom. I should have died."

    "No, please don''t say such words," he pulled me into a tight embrace, his arms covering my small body, "It is never your fault that she is dead, and it is also never your fault for trying to live. Never, Violet."

    Even after hearing his words, I couldn''t help but feel that it was my fault. If only I died back then, maybe my mom would have a chance to run, and maybe Anna wouldn''t have died. Both my dad and Fiona wouldn''t have to get so pissed when seeing me, and the people in their manor wouldn''t have to bear with me. And if I died, I wouldn''t meet Luke, and he wouldn''t have to risk his life protecting me from dangers.

    Obviously, the world would be a better place without me in it, right?

    I leaned in closer, hoping for a little support to be able to cope with the pain of losing yet another someone. As if the soul could bleed an ocean through the eyes, my tears rushed out of my eyes incessantly. I was wailing like a child and unable to breathe between the screams that spill almost unconsciously out of me, the feeling of grief was so intense that it felt like I was being swallowed by it.

    Losing someone was never easy, and no matter how many medicines there were out there, none could ever heal a broken heart. Only time could help ease the pain, help mend the broken heart. But what if there comes another pain in the process of healing? What could be done by then?

    Some who were not strong enough to withstand the grief settled for the darkness of death, not wanting to bear the immense amount of pain any longer. But some who were strong enough continued to live, despite having to hide their sadness from the eyes of others. It would be when the night was the coldest and the darkest, that they succumb back to their anguish without anyone knowing.

    The first time I felt grief, I tried to be strong. And now that it was the second time, a question came to my mind.

    Luke stayed by my side, holding me close as if he was afraid I would break the moment he let go of me. He kept silent, listening to my wailings and screams without saying any words but his arms strong around me. It was as if he was giving me the time and strength to let out my bottling emotions, to cry to my heart''s content.

    "W-where is she?" I asked in between my sobs, trying hard to make my words clear, "Where is her grave?"

    He pushed me slightly away to look at my face, a pained expression on his face when he saw me, "There is no grave," he answered, grimacing. "Her remains were... fed to the dogs. There was nothing left of her."

    As if hearing about her death was not enough, hearing about the cruelty that she suffered hurts me even more. The shock left me with no words to say, leaving only incoherent sobs to be heard. I felt so bad that she had to endure such pain just because of meˇŞbecause of my greed to live. She was always the kindest, but how could she suffer such a terrible death?

    I turned my head away, not wanting to meet Luke''s eyes. It was clear that he felt bad seeing me cry like this, so I tried to stop my tears, but why can''t I seem to stop them from falling?

    "Violet, look at me," he asked, but I shook my head, not wanting to heed his request. "Please," he begged, one of his hands on the side of my face, turning it gently his way. "I''m really sorry for keeping this from you. I really didn''t want to see you sad," he apologized, wiping my tears away. "It pained me so much to see you like this. I wish for you to always be happy, but why are there so many things that made you sad?"

    "Luke, I... I''m scared," I said, clenching the hem of my skirt, "What if all of this happened because of me? What if all of the people that I hold dear will suffer the same fate? What ifˇŞwhat if you will leave me too?"

    "I will never leave," he ?ssured, taking my hands in his. "I will stay with you for the rest of my time, I will stay, until the day I took my last breath." He gave me a small smile before asking, "Will you stay with me too, Violet?"

    Among all the warm hugs that we shared with each other, it was always him who pulled us both together. But this time, I wanted to be the one who pulled him closer to me. I wanted him, to always stay with me.

    "I will," I put my arms around his neck, pulling him into a hug, "For as long as I live.

    "So please," I begged, "Don''t ever leave me. I don''t want to be left again."

    "Never, Violet," he answered, wrapping me inside his arms, "I promise."

 Chapter 63 - Good things take time

    The teary carriage ride came to an end, with me falling asleep in Luke''s arms. When I woke, I was already back in the comfort of my bed. Though the night was undeniably cold, I managed to stay warm under my duvet, also with the help of the ignited fireplace.

    The room was dark, only lit by the lamp on the bedside table. I turned my body around, wanting to see the man on the other side of the bed. When I turned, I found the man still wide awake, reading a book in all seriousness.

    He soon noticed my movement and shifted his attention from the book on his hands to me, smiling when his eyes met mine.

    "Did I wake you up?" he queried, his body slightly turned in my direction.

    "No, you didn''t," I answered, shaking my head, "Why are you still not asleep?"

    "I can''t seem to sleep," he said before closing his book, placing it beside his pillow. He then changed his position from sitting to lying on the bed, with his body turned towards my direction.

    When he had successfully settled on a comfortable position, one of his hands went to the side of my hair, stroking it gently. It went from my hair, then to my forehead, and finally stopped at my eyes.

    "Your eyes look like they were stung by a bee," he frowned, "We will need an ice pack to reduce the swell. I''ll go and ask the servants to bring anˇŞ"

    "There''s no need," I intervened, stopping him from leaving the bed, "They will be better by the morning."

    "But it''s better toˇŞ"

    "Right now, I need you more than the ice pack," I confessed, making him lie back down almost immediately. The swell in my eyes was less of a problem than the pain I felt in my heart. I must have gotten too used to having Luke whenever I felt sad that he had become my remedy when things were hard.

    "Come here," he opened his arms wide, asking me to snuggle closer into him. Being in his arms always made me feel the safest, also the most comfortable. His hug was more than warm and was always so very comforting.  It was almost like the hug that my mom used to give me, the one that I''ve always missed the most.

    When I made it into his arms, he asked, "Are you okay?"

    I wouldn''t want to suffer anymore when knowing there was nothing good out of staying alive. I knew that I would be wasting all the efforts that my mom and Anna made for me to stay alive, but it was just too hard. Staying alive was a hard thing for me to do when there was no one by my side.

    There was no one who could provide me with comfort, warmth, or even something as simple as small talks. There was absolutely no one by my side. When the world was against you, nothing seems possibleˇŞeven living.

    At least, that was what would happen if I were still the same old Violet. But now, I have Luke by my sideˇŞand the pack. They were the people who accepted me as the person I am, the people who gave me kindness, the people who gave me happiness. The old Violet wouldn''t even dare to dream of having such people by her side because she was always alone and chainedˇŞbecause it was too good of a dream for her.

    But to my surprise, here I am, free and no longer alone. I met numerous wonderful people who were kind, people who would always have my back. They made me realize that this world could once again be full of hope and kindness, not always evil. They made me realize that living was not as bad as it seemed to me before. They gave me hope for a better world, hope for a better life.

    The world might be full of evil, but it was also full of kindness.

    "But maybe because you are here," I glanced up at Luke, meeting his eyes who were looking down at me, "I would be okay."

    "I''m glad to hear that," a smile sprawled across his face as soon as he heard my words, a smile so bright and wide, "Did my presence give you any help?"

    "Tremendously," I smiled. "Thank you for always staying by my side, for always accepting me as who I am. Thank you for always holding me close like this and for always giving me the strength to hold on. It is everything that I need."

    "You are always welcome, Violet," he answered, planting a soft kiss on my forehead. He then pulled me back into his arms, his head resting on my shoulders as he said, "I wish we could stay like this forever."

    I have never expected that I would spend my life with the presence of another, but the thought of staying with him for a long time sounded wonderful. After I met him, I came to realize how nice it was to receive other people''s affection and attention.

    But on second thought, maybe it was nice because it was him who gave them to me.

    "Ah," he let out a sigh, "So it''s true that good things take time."

    "What do you mean? I asked the man.

    "You see, Violet," he stroked my head, "Werewolves are supposed to meet their mates when they turned sixteen. But it took us eight years longer for us to finally meet each other on that fateful night. You don''t know how awestruck I was by you when I first saw you running on that empty street."

    "As far as I remember," I chuckled, "I looked terrible that night. I mean, I was being chased."

    "You never looked terrible," he said, "Only ever beautiful. I remember how your hair swayed gracefully in the wind as you ran towards me and the way your green eyes shone in the darkness. It was really mesmerizing."

    "Again, as far as I remember," I interjected, "That night, the wind was blowing like crazy so my hair was not swaying gracefully, but it was actually all over my face. And because it was really windy, my eyes were getting teary. I think it was my tears that youˇŞ"

    "Sshhh," he hushed, placing a finger over my lips, "I want to keep my memories the way they are," he said, giving me a tight-lipped smile. "Anyway, I was overjoyed when I finally found you. I have searched for you all over the lands, but you were never anywhere. I was starting to think that I was not given a mate, but turns out I couldn''t meet her because she was trapped inside a house."

    "Indeed, we are," he replied. "I know that this might sound really selfish, but I''m glad that she did what she did. Had she not helped you out, maybe we wouldn''t be here together right now."

    There was nothing wrong with what he had just said, but I wished things wouldn''t turn this badly for her. I was happy that I could finally leave that house, that I could finally be freed, but things would be two timesˇŞno, ten times better if only Anna could also be freed from them.

    She was such a kind soul, she deserved a lot better than a terrible end like this.

    Feeling my sadness bubbling up again, I decided to change the topic of our conversation into something less sad, "When we first met, how did you know that I was your mate?"

    Luke didn''t say anything about the change of topic and answered, "I just know it the moment I saw you," he twirled a lock of my hair as he stared down at me, "Your scent, your voice, your touchˇŞeverything about you enchanted me."

    "Even now?"

    "Even now," he confirmed, showing me his affection through the occasional smile he gave. "Not a day goes by without me craving for you, Violet. It really drives me crazy at how hard I''ve fallen for you," he cupped my cheeks, staring deep into my eyes, "I think you have to take responsibility for making me like this."

    "H-how?" I asked, getting self-conscious at our proximity.

    "There are a lot of ways, for sure," he smiled. His gaze went from my eyes, then lowered to my lips, "Do you want me to tell you?"

    "Are you saying that it''s my fault for falling for you myself?" he asked, chuckling.

    "Well, I didn''t exactly say that but... in a way, yes."

    "Rabbit, I didn''t expect you to be such an irresponsible person," he gasped, placing one hand over his mouth. "How you sadden me," he said, wiping his non-existent tears.

    "WhatˇŞ"

    "Still, I don''t take no for an answer. You will have to be responsible for me, and one day, I will be the one responsible for you," he professed, "Just you wait, rabbit. I will definitely make you fall for me, as hard as possible."

 Chapter 64 - Secret touches

    The morning sun bestowed the room with its light early through the day, waking me up from my slumber. The window curtain was left open, allowing the orange glow from the sun to seep through the transparent glass.

    For a moment, the brightness of the room blinded me. My eyes were still hazy with sleep, not yet prepared to greet the sun. I let out a sigh, already feeling tired that I will soon have to prepare for the new day despite only waking just a minute ago.

    I realized I was still in the same position as when I fell asleep last night, in the arms of the man who had become my greatest strength and comfort. The man was still fast asleep, his mouth slightly apart as he breathes in and out in a steady motion. His hands wrapped around my waist loosely, his head resting on my pillow instead of his own.

    I took this time to marvel at his features, wondering how one could be born with such a handsome face. I waved my hand in front of his face, wanting to make sure that the man was indeed asleep. As there was no response, I was convinced that he was yet to awake, so my fingers turned a little venturous.

    I let my fingers raked through his hair, wanting to feel how soft and lush it was. There was absolutely no difference between his hair and the fur on his wolf''s. They were both as dark as the night, thick and unruly. The man didn''t seem to care about his hair, always letting them down to the depth of his forehead but kept it short for it to end just under his ears.

    I brushed his front hair aside, touching the skin hidden underneath. The skin was smooth with close to no blemishes, another blessing given by the creator of this very man. His eyebrows were thick and as dark as his hair, though most of the time always hidden behind his hair.

    With his eyes closed, I could see the length of his lashes. They were neither short nor long. Under his right eye, there I found a small mole. It was so small that people wouldn''t even notice it was there if they were not thorough and close enough to see it.

    His nose was tall and sharp, his cheeks more defined than that of a statue. His jaw was chiseled and strong, his chin cleanly shaved. I couldn''t help but be awed as I followed all the lines on his face, every and each of them showing just how perfect the man was. What a greedy man, taking all the best things for himself.

    When my fingers made their way to his lips, a smile appeared on his face.

    "Isn''t this a little too early to admire my handsomeness?" he asked with his eyes still closed, his voice low and hoarse.

    Surprised that he was awake, I let out a little gasp and quickly retreated my fingers. A chuckle escaped his lips when his red eyes meet my dilated ones, clearly amused at what I was doing.

    "W-when did you wake up?"

    "Since I feel your touch," he answered before touching his hair, then all the places that my fingers previously touched in the same exact order. I could feel my cheeks getting hotter by the minute as I watched him repeating what I''ve just done with a smirk on his face.

    "You should have said something if you are awake," I coughed. Looking at the man who didn''t stop teasing me, I held his hand for him to stop his teasing.

    "But I''m curious to know what you are doing when I''m asleep," he held my hand, placing it back on his face before offering, "You can touch me more."

    Hearing his outrageous offer, the hot sensation in my cheeks further spread to my ears. "W-why should I do that?" I struggled to pull my hand back but his grip was strong as if he was enjoying the fact that he was making me blush.

    "Why else?" he shrugged, "It''s because I love your touch."

    With our current position that was still cuddling each other, there was no way for me to hide the redness of my cheeks so I tried to sit up, wanting to move away from the man. But Luke didn''t seem to have the same thing in mind when he stopped me from moving by holding my waist.

    "I told you to touch me," he said as he pulled me closer, so close that our ?h?st touched each other, "Not to run from me."

    My body turned tense and rigid, my eyes not daring to look at the man. I didn''t know how flushed I would be if I look at him in the eyes right now. "I''m not running. I was just trying to go to the bathroom," I reasoned, "Can I?"

    "Is it urgent?"

    "Very," I nodded hastily. I was in great need of an escape for the safety of my heart. It was thumping so loudly in my ?h?st that I was afraid his great hearing would catch the sound of it. Well, actually, the look on his face told me that he already heard it.

    "I see it''s very urgent that it made your heart beats like this," he released his hold on my waist, finally allowing me to escape his arms. "Is it normal for a human heart to beat this fast? Are you okay?"

    In a blink of an eye, I was no longer lying on the bed but running towards the restroom. I quickly closed the door, ignoring the laugh that was coming from the man. I placed my hand over my ?h?st, patting it so that it would ease down its beatings. Heavens, I thought my heart would burst out of my ?h?st!

    I looked over to the mirror, and there was the reflection of a woman with cheeks as red as a tomato. I didn''t realize how nerve-wracking it was to be so close and touchy with Luke until now. I should have become used to his touches now that it was not the first time I felt him on me, but strangely, these past few days, they felt as hot as a burning iron in my skin.

    It felt like all the places that he touched would melt at any moment, and my heart would pace faster whenever he got closer to me. Was it normal for me to feel like this?

    Why did it feel like I was the only one who felt nervous about being so close to each other? It looked almost natural for him to touch me, but why am I always so shy to do the same? Like today, I could only have the courage to touch him first when he was not aware of my touchˇŞor so I thought. I wonder if there happens a day where I could turn as bold as he was now, would he be as nervous as I was today?

    I opened the tap, rinsing my face with the cold water in an attempt to chase the redness of my cheeks away. I waited until my face was no longer flushed before finally stepping out of the bathroom.

    When I was out of my hiding, Luke was sitting on the sofa with his back facing me. From behind, I could see that he was reading a parchment on his hands. I walked over to the sofa, sitting beside him but kept a certain distance away. The parchment that he was reading turns out to be a map of his own land.

    "Why are you reading a map?"

    He was so focused on reading the map that he didn''t realize I was already out of the bathroom. When he noticed me beside him, he placed the map on the table, opening it to its full-size for me to see.

    "I''m thinking of making a stop on our way back to Wonsvile," he replied, pointing at his destination which was shown on the map. He was pointing at the very right side of the map, right before the woods started. It was a village far from the heart of Wonsvile, but close to the mountain where none resides. "Actually, two stops," he added, moving his finger to another village not far from the first one.

    "Is it for your job?"

    "No, I need to search for somethingˇŞI mean, someone. Hopefully, she is in either of these two places," he sighed, "You don''t mind taking a little trip to these two places, right?"

    "No, I''m fine with it," I said, shaking my head. To be honest, I was a little excited to visit these two places. I wanted to know more about the world. I wonder how different each place would be with the ones that I have visited.

    Curious, I asked the man, "Who are you looking for?"

    When he heard my question, his face darkened. It sure didn''t look like he was searching for a friend. A few seconds went by before he uttered his answer, "A witch."

 Chapter 65 - Looking for a witch

    My brows drew together, not expecting him to look for a witch. I mean, why would anyone look for a witch? Anyone who knew about the existence of the witches knew that they were wicked and vicious. Wouldn''t it be better for us to stay away from them?

    Well, I knew that I shouldn''t judge those witches because I have never met them before, but the fact that so many people hunted them down tells a lot. I heard about what would happen if someone was suspected of being a witch. People would go as far as burning them alive or even decapitate them without checking the truth of those suspicions. The thought of a witch living amongst them brought so much fear that they would act immediately once the suspicion fell on someone.

    People always talked about the witches being evil but never really talked about what they had done. Were they really as bad as what the rumors say?

    "I thought witches are bad?" I asked, tilting my head in confusion, "Why are you looking for one?"

    "It is because they are bad, Violet," he answered, patting my head, "I need to catch those bad people before they do anything worse, starting from this witch."

    "What did she do?"

    Following my question, his mouth set in a hard line, and his eyes not again meeting mine. It was as if he didn''t want to answer my question.

    "Just... bad things," he coughed out. He quickly folded the map on the table, shoving it into his pocket before standing up from the sofa while pulling out his pocket watch, "Well, look at the time. We should hurry prepare ourselves for the upcoming ball."

    Why was he avoiding my question? The way he tried to shift the conversation away was very clear, and not to mention the ball was not until this evening. I didn''t think we would need all day to prepare for the ball when it was still morning.

    "Tell me," I grabbed his wrist, stopping him from walking away, "What bad things?"

    His reaction to my question struck as odd to me. Usually, he would be happy to explain about all the things that I didn''t know. But this time, it was as if he was avoiding my question on purpose. Like there was something that he didn''t want me to know.

    "You don''t need to worry about it," he ?ssured, "I''ll take care ofˇŞ"

    "Does it perhaps have something to do with me?" I asked, and he froze. I could see how his eyes were trembling, his tongue ???k?n? his dry lips. "It does have something to do with me," I confirmed.

    "Violet, I just don''t want to burden you with things like this," he sighed, once again letting his body weighed down the sofa. "I told you I would chase all the bad guys away, right?"

    "But if it''s about me, don''t you think I have the right to know too?"

    Though both of us never said any words about it, we knew that with me walking on the same path with himˇŞa dark creature, it would be a path full of dangers. While I also knew that he would do anything to protect me, I needed to know what kind of things were waiting for me upfront. That way, I could at least brace myself for the danger incoming.

    "You''re right, I need to tell you," he said, finally giving in to my question. "Do you remember how there were a few rogues who tried to take you from me?" he asked, to which I nodded.

    "There were three of them, one being the man who has a scar on his face."

    "Well, there were more of them, but only three were close to success. And yes, the man with the scar is Leonard. He''s dead now, so you don''t need to worry about him," he smiled after realizing my body was tensing up, but the smile quickly disappeared when he continued, "The other two are the problem. While they are too are dead, I''ve heard from Leonard that these two people are not his men, and the attacks that happened in our territory after I met you were also not from Leonard. Do you know what that means?"

    I took some time to put the new information in, trying to connect all the dots. "So what you mean is that Leonard and his men did not send any more attacks after I met you and only started attacking us again on the night where he took me to his cave, right?" I asked, receiving a nod from him, "Then the two other rogues who tried to take me were from a different group of rogues, which means that there is still someone out there besides Leonard who is after us? I meanˇŞto be exact, after me?"

    "That''s right," he nodded once again. "Because Leonard knew that he could not kill me with his own strength, he used his attacks to take the people''s heart in order for him to obtain a potion that could increase his strength from a witch. When he heard the news of me finding my mate, he thought that it would be a good idea to use you against me, and that''s why he took you from me."

    "And all the attacks that happened after I met you were caused by the other group of rogues, and their intention was solely to take me from you?" I asked, "But what does it have to do with the witch that you are looking for?"

    "This is still a suspicion, but I suspect the witch to be the one who ordered the other group of rogues to take you," he explained, massaging his temple. "I guess she wanted to take advantage of all the rogues'' attacks that were happening so that we would think that the rogues were the only ones who tried to take you and not her."

    Why was a witch after me? That did not make any sense. I''ve never met a witch before. No, actually, have I? I wouldn''t even know whether I have met one or not. But what did I even do? Was she also thinking of using me against Luke, or was it really me that she wanted?

    In any case, both answers were as bad for us. I need to be more prepared to protect myself in case of danger. It would be hard for Luke to protect me all the time, and I couldn''t possibly hide behind him forever. I didn''t know what kind of powers witches had and how strong they were, but what I knew for sure was that two people will always be better than one.

    Sensing the growing anxiety inside me, Luke held my hands, "You don''t need to be scared. You have me."

    "I know," I smiled at the man, also holding his hands, "And you have me tooˇŞthough I''m not sure I can be much of a help. But I''ll try."

    "You are a great help, Violet," he said, pulling me into a hug, "Yesterday, you told me that I gave you the strength to hold on. But what you didn''t know was that you also gave me the strength that I needed," he breathed into my scent, and I could just see the smile on his face right now without actually seeing it, "People always get stronger when they have something to protect and someone to love."

    A warm feeling replaced the building anxiety inside me, giving me a sense of peace. I leaned my head to his shoulder, giving in to the comfort of his embrace. Perhaps I have found the place that I fit best, and that was the space in between his arms.

    "I hope I can get stronger too."

    "Of course you can," he chuckled, "You''ll need to protect me and love me for that."

    "Really? Should I not get stronger then?" I asked, teasing the man. I could feel his body tensing up for a second before relaxing again when he realized I was joking. He broke the hug between us, his hands grabbing my shoulders.

    "I''ll find thousands of ways to get you strong," he grinned, puffing out his ?h?st, "You have no choice but to love me."

    "Not even one?"

    "Not even one," he repeated firmly.

    I couldn''t help but laugh when thinking about how I''ve met such a persistent man. Even so, I didn''t think I would want to have any other men besides this one man before me. He was a persistent man, but I think he was also the right one for me.

    "Now, let us not worry about the witch," he pinched my cheeks, turning them left and right, "The ball is only this evening, so we need to enjoy ourselves to the fullest."

    I didn''t have much experience in going to a party, so I didn''t know what was there to enjoy. I found the first party that I have attended to be rather unpleasant.

    "But what''s there to enjoy?" I asked the man.

    "What else? My company, of course."

 Chapter 66 - Vampire ball - Part 1

    "Here, your dress," Luke handed me the blue dress that we previously bought, gently pushing me to the bathroom to hurry and prepare myself, "Go and amaze me with your beauty like you always do."

    As I knew that he meant what he said, I didn''t retort back and took the dress from his hands. I would usually tell him to stop talking nonsense, but now I realized that he really thinks of me as such. I''ve never thought the same, but maybe I should. Who else will like me if not me myself? And Luke, I suppose.

    It seemed that all his sweet nothings were finally getting into me, and I have grown accustomed to them. It felt nice hearing such words.

    I went inside the bathroom, closing the door behind me. Slipping off my nightwear, I raised the blue dress in front of me to have a look at it. Such a beautiful dress, would it fit me well? Though I have chosen the most simple of all, it still looked too exquisite for me.

    There would surely be a lot of people in the ball, right? I didn''t like the idea of going to a crowded place and would rather stay inside my room, but I have no other choice. If I said that I didn''t want to go, Luke would surely follow. I didn''t want to cause problems for both Kiel and Luke just because of my selfishness.

    What would people think when they see me standing beside Luke? I think it was the first time that he had ever attended the ball with someone else after all these years. I stared at my reflection in the mirror, seeing me with knitted brows and a downturned mouth. As if wanting to wake myself up, I slapped both of my cheeks and quickly put on a smile on my face. I have to look my best so that Luke wouldn''t be embarrassed bringing me along with him.

    The dress hugged all the lines on my body perfectly, falling gracefully down to my ankles. The woman that I saw in the mirror was no longer the one that I have always seen in my memories, a woman so young and brokenˇŞbut a woman like a spring flower, blooming and full of life.

    Now I realized why women liked to wear gorgeous dresses. Making themselves pretty with dresses and jewelry was a weapon for them to use when they head into a battlefield in the judgemental society. It was as if all the laces and ribbons were their swords and knives.

    For men, there were many ways for them to achieve recognition. But for women, beauty was the only wayˇŞor should I say, the easiest way.

    Adorned in this dress, could I compare to all the beauty out there? I was scared of the judgment of others. Not scared for myself, but for the man standing beside me. I didn''t want to drag him down because I knew just how perfect he was in others'' eyes.

    I held my head up, trying to mask my nervousness with a hint of confidence that I had strenuously mustered. I took a deep breath to calm my senses and walked out of the bathroom with a firm stride.

    Walking out of the bathroom, I had placed a smile upon my face. It was a smile that I prepared to use for the rest of the evening, but the smile quickly diminished when I saw a man in all his n?k?d glory.

    "Oh, heavens! I-I''m sorry!" I quickly turned my back, using both of my hands to cover my eyes. "Why are you changing here?!"

    "Where else am I supposed to change when you are using the bathroom?" said the man with almost no sign of embarrassment after being caught n?k?d.

    "You should have waited for me to finish and use the bathroom!"

    "I did wait for you, but you took too long," he explained, "And when I decided to change here, you came out. So whose fault is it?"

    "Is... is it mine?" I stuttered.

    He laughed at my question but said no more words to answer until I felt his warm breath on the nape of my neck, "It is."

    I jumped at the sudden proximity with the man and went two steps forward, still not daring to turn my back. "Are you clothed?"

    "I am," he answered, turning my body around to face him. When I turned around, I saw the man still in his b?r? torso, with only his lower part well covered.

    "No, you are not!" I shouted, turning my head to the side and shutting my eyes closed. I knew that he was a werewolf and he was used to going around n?k?d, but did he not have any shame? I mean, other people would probably run out of the door after being seen n?k?d but himˇŞinstead of running away, he chased the people who saw him!

    "I was the one who was seen n?k?d, but why are you the one who is red?" he asked, using his palms to cup my warm cheeks.

    "E-exactly," I nodded, slowly opening my eyes, "Why am I the one who is embarrassed and not you?"

    "Me?" he tilted his head, a smirk forming on his face, "Why do I have to be embarrassed?"

    Ah, the man was simply too proud of himself to feel embarrassed about the situation. I should have known that I was wasting my energy thinking about whether or not he would feel embarrassed by taking me with him to the ball. I now realized that it was a useless thought. The man could even bring a monkey alongside him and still feel proud about it.

    In some ways, this relieved me but at the same time annoyed me.

    "...put on your shirt," I demanded.

    He laughed it off but listen to my words, walking back to the bed where he left his shirt. In the meantime, I took a comb from the dresser and fixed my hair a bit. I let my hair loose, allowing it to fall to my ?h?st. Taking one last look at the mirror, I put on a smile.

    "Rabbit, help me," he called, handing me his tie. He had his collar upwards, being very clear that he wanted me to tie his tie.

    "You want me to tie this?" I asked, receiving a hum in response. "But I don''t know how to do it."

    He beckoned for me to walk closer, placing the tie around his neck. "I''ll teach you," he said before demonstrating how to tie a tie, repeating it two times for me to remember all the steps. It seemed that he could tie a tie perfectly, so why did he need my help?

    As if it was not obvious to see, I said, "It''s done."

    Following my words, the man smiled and untied his tie before handing it to me. "Tie it for me," he said, bending his body lower so that I wouldn''t have to raise my hands too high. I frowned at his request but still comply anyway as it was not a hard thing to do.

    I was sure that I followed all the steps that Luke showed me before, but why did it not look the same? Mine looked weird and crooked. I took it off over and over again, wanting to make a perfect tie that I couldn''t seem to make.

    "This tie is a little weird," I said, frowning. "Maybe you should tie it yourself."

    "No," he grabbed my hands, not allowing me to let go of the tie, "I want you to tie it for me. It''s different if I tie it myself."

    "It''s different because mine looks weird," I huffed, but tried to tie it one more time.

    "No, it''s different because yours is special," he corrected, smiling, "I want you to tie it for me every day. I don''t care if it''s crooked."

    This time, the tie looked a little better than the previous ones but still didn''t lose its weirdness. When I tried to take it off again, Luke stopped me and said, "It''s fine, it''s perfect." He patted my head gently and smiled lovingly, "Thank you."

    "Are you sure it''s fine?" I asked, staring at the tie on his neck. Even to me, it looked weird. I suppose I have to learn harder if he wanted me to tie it for him every day.

    "It is perfectly fine, rabbit," he said, touching the tie and waving it to me, "It is now my favorite tie."

    He put on his suit and took a glance at the mirror, tidying himself for one last time before heading to the ball. "Come, we have a ball to attend," he said, offering his hand.

    But before I took his hand on mine, he added, "Oh, I almost forgot to say this," his fingers then went to my hair, touching the ends of it before kissing it with his lips, "You look stunning."

 Chapter 67 - Vampire ball - Part 2

    "How am I supposed to walk in these shoes?" I asked Luke, struggling to walk in the heeled shoes that I was wearing. My hand grasped his arm for support, my feet walking ever so slowly with a slight tremble in every step that I took.

    "Just walk like you usually do," he chuckled, his feet moving at the same pace as mine.

    The walk from our room to the grand hall was not a far distance, but because of the struggle that I had with my shoes, the walk took a couple of minutes longer for us to finally arrive. It was the first time that I ever walked in shoes like this, and I couldn''t help but question why people go through the hassle to made such shoes when they were so hard to walk in. I would much prefer the boots that I usually wear compared to this one.

    "I''m a little nervous," I said to Luke, making him glance in my direction.

    "You don''t need to feel nervous," he ?ssured me, smiling, "I''ll always stay by your side."

    Hearing his comforting words, I nodded my head slowly and licked my dried lips. Even with the help of Luke''s presence, I still hope that people wouldn''t give me too much attention and pretend that they didn''t see me there. I would feel much more at ease that way.

    But on second thought, I think staying with Luke would be the first thing that I need to avoid if I didn''t want people''s eyes on me, though that was very much impossible to do. I didn''t know what would happen if I stayed alone in the land of the blood-sucking creatures. Things could go very bad if I happen to encounter a hungry vampire.

    Our journey came to an end when we finally arrived at the entrance of the grand hall. There stood a servant who politely greeted us with a bow, waiting for us to give permission for him to announce our arrival.

    "Ready?" he queried, and my hand unconsciously tightened around his arm. I took several deep breaths, swallowing the lump in my throat before answering him yes. He then nodded his head to the servant, allowing him to do his job.

    Following it, the servant opened the door, announcing our presence to the many people inside, "Mr. William and Ms. Quinn!"

    When the door to the hall opened, all the eyes in the room immediately went to both of us. People stopped their chattering and took their time to see the new presence in the room, recognizing the man standing beside me. But when their eyes moved to me, a questioning look appeared.

    "Who is this girl beside him?" that was probably the question that popped up in their heads.

    Not far from the door was Kiera, who greeted the guests with a brilliant smile upon her face. When her eyes wandered around the room and found our presence, the smile on her face grew wider. She giddily approached both of us, though her attention was solely on the man beside me.

    "Luke!" she called, taking his other hand that was not holding mine in hers, "I''m so happy to have you here."

    Luke frowned and quickly retracted his hand, saying, "I''m only here for Kiel."

    As if she had expected such a reaction from the man, she chuckled, "I know. But I''m still happy regardless. My birthday ball was the only time that I could meet you, so I was extremely sad that I couldn''t hold one last year. It is always a great p???sur? to have you here in Gordom," her eyes then moved to me, and the beaming smile on her lips almost disappeared, "Oh, you are also here. I hope you enjoyed the ball. Please tell me if there is anything that you need."

    "Thank you," I forced out the words, plastering the fake smile that I had prepared to use.

    "Well, I need to go and greet the other guests," she bowed curtly, eyeing at Luke, "Let us talk later, perhaps while we dance."

    With that, she left us for another guest. I sighed, already feeling tired only after meeting one person in the room when there were more than fifty of them. We walked deeper into the room, passing a number of people who had their attention on us.

    "Kiel," he called for the lord who took a seat by the table on the side of the room, casually popping grapes to his mouth. "I wish you the happiest birthday," said Luke, but Kiel returned it with a scowl.

    "You should rather wish for this ball to end faster," he sighed, glancing at his sister who was standing in the middle of the crowd, "I don''t understand why she likes troublesome things."

    "I''m only saying," Luke admitted, shrugging. He pulled out a chair for me, then took the seat right beside, "That''s what you say, but you let her hold this ball every year."

    "You don''t know how noisy she would be when things didn''t go her way. It would be better for me to follow her wants rather than having to hear her raving for daysˇŞor weeks," he shuddered. Glancing at me, he smiled, "I see it is your second time going on events like this."

    "It is," I replied, "Thank you for inviting me."

    "It is my p???sur?," he bowed his head a little, "And you don''t need to worry. I ?ssure you this one would not go as bad as your first time. At least, there is not a rogue here."

    "But maybe there''s a deranged vampire," added Luke before pounding on his ?h?st, "But yes, you don''t need to worry. I''ll be right by your side."

    "What do you mean a deranged vampire?" I asked.

    Luke glanced at Kiel and beckoned for him to explain, folding his arms. "They are vampires who have no control of their own mind and body. They are blinded by their ?ust for blood and d?s?r?s to kill," explained the vampire.

    "While rogues are mostly still in their sane mind, deranged vampires are not. To put it simply, they are a lot more dangerous than a rogue. A deranged vampire will kill everything that is in front of them without a second thought," added Luke, making his friend to nod his head in agreement.

    Before I could ask another question, a servant came and called for Kiel. "Sir, it is time. All the guests have arrived."

    Kiel sighed hearing it and rose from his seat, excusing himself, "I''ll see you both later."

    The man walked towards his sister, offering his hand for her to hold. They both went to the front of the hall, making the crowd died down to listen to what the sibling had to say as their opening speech.

    In the meantime, I asked Luke about the question that I was supposed to ask Kiel before he left, "What is the cause that made vampires turned deranged?"

    "It is actually an illness that could happen to any vampires at any time," he explained, "No one will know if they will turn into one or not. A deranged vampire could turn another vampire with their bites, that''s why they are especially harmful."

    "Then what should they do if they turn into one?"

    "Someone had to kill them," he stated firmly, "That''s what happened to Kiel''s parents."

    Surprised by his statement, my eyes went wide as I stared at the man, "Kiel''s parents were deranged vampires?"

    "His father was the first one to turn," he smiled wryly, as if remembering the man, "Then he bit his wife and turned her into one as well."

    "Was Kiel... the one who killed them?"

    "He had to," he replied, his eyes moving to stare at his friend who was standing in front of the crowd, "He didn''t have any choice but to kill them before he got killed himself."

    I couldn''t even imagine how hard it must have been for him. I didn''t even have the courage to kill a mouse, but himˇŞhe had to kill his own birth parents. Though I didn''t have many happy memories with my parents, thinking about killing the parents that I once knew as kind was impossible to me. But if I were to be put in the same situation, would I kill in order to protect myself?

    "Ahem," came a cough from Kiera who tried to catch people''s attention, starting her speech with a beautiful smile, "Good evening ladies and gentlemen. Thank you to you all for coming to this celebration on this wonderful day. It has always delighted me to see you here every year, standing side by side and keeping our bond stronger than ever. Me and my brother, we are always working hard to make Gordom a better place for us to live, to keep our land safe from any harm.

    So in turn, I hope the people of Gordom too will help us make our land to be an even more wonderful place to live in by living according to the law and keeping good relations with all creatures for today is not only a day to celebrate my birthday, but also a day to deepen our bond with one another."

    She halted in between her speech, occasionally smiling at the crowd and not forgetting at Luke as well. "Well, I will not talk any longer now because I know everyone is itching for a dance, am I right?" she queried, receiving a number of chuckles from the crowd, "As usual, we will start with a dance from me. For this year''s dance partner, I will not be doing it with my lovely brother but with a gentleman standing amongst the crowd in this great hall."

    Once she announced it, all the people in the hall started to whisper to one another about how great of an honor it was to have the opportunity to dance with the vampiress, and all the men hoped for the lucky man to be no one but themselves. But strangely for me, I got a really bad hunch where she would choose the only man in the vicinity who didn''t even dream about dancing with the vampiress.

    The hunch that I got soon came to light when the vampiress called, "Mr. William, will you be so willing to be my partner for this evening?"

 Chapter 68 - Vampire ball - Part 3

    As if on cue, all eyes went to the only Mr. William they know. But unfortunately, Mr. William himself didn''t realize that he was the center of attention until the vampiress called for the second time. The man was too busy popping grapes into his mouth to care about what she had to say.

    "Mr. William?"

    Luke was just about to put another grape into his mouth when he realized all eyes were on him, so he had to return the grapes on his hands back to the plate. "Are you calling for me?"

    "I am," she smiled. "It seems that you didn''t hear me clearly, so let me repeat my question. Mr. William, will you be my dance partner?"

    "Me?" he frowned, dumbfounded by her request. He quickly looked over to the twin brother for help and found him with the same dumbfounded expression upon his face.

    "As I said before, it is not only a day to celebrate my birthday, but also a day to deepen our bond. So I think a little dance with the alpha of the werewolves will be a good start."

    "I don''t think that''s necessary," said Luke, and I noticed how Kiera''s eyes widen by a little at his reply. "It is clear that we have a good relationship that goes way back to over a century ago, so why don''t you take this chance to deepen your relationship with your own people instead? Besides, I don''t want to sadden my mate right here by dancing with another woman," one of his hands went around my shoulders, pulling me closer to him.

    Immediately after, the eyes that were previously on Luke moved to me. The sudden attention given made my breath hitched, my hands tightly clenching on my dress. I put up a small smile, though my eyes were shaking.

    The announcement that Luke had just made shocked most of the vampires present. Because all this time, they knew that the werewolf couldn''t find his mate for years and ?ssumed that he was not as fortunate as all the other werewolves who were fated with one. It was pretty natural for them to look at me like I was someone who had risen from the dead, but that didn''t mean I was comfortable with all the stares they were giving me.

    It seemed that Kiera didn''t expect him to refuse her publicly, so she was really surprised by the turn of events. Although the smile was still there, the crowd could see how the end of her lips was twitching.

    Not wanting her to embarrass herself further, the twin brother quickly intervened, "My dear sister, why don''t we do what we usually do? I think it has been quite some time since we last dance together."

    Without even waiting for her to reply, Kiel pulled her to the dance floor and the music soon started. It was when the two siblings started to grace the floor with their elegant moves that the attention slowly moved away from both me and Luke.

    "Is it okay to refuse her like that?" I asked.

    "Well, maybe she will get a little pissed but other than that," he smiled, "It is completely fine. Our friendship is not that shallow so you don''t have to worry about it."

    "I think she is not a little pissed, but very pissed," I corrected. Kiera was dancing while sending us her fiery glare, her hands clenching tightly on Kiel''s shoulders. Feeling her glare, I shifted my body a little to the side to not meet her eyes.

    When the siblings finished their dance, all the other vampires started to swarm the dance floor. The few vampires who didn''t head to the dance floor joined us at our table, wanting to have some small talks.

    "Mr. William, it has been quite some time since I last saw you in Gordom," called a man with a big belly, bringing along a young woman beside him. "I see time does nothing but turn you to be more of a fine young man."

    "Indeed, it has been quite some time, Mr. Sullivan," Luke smiled politely at the man, standing up to shook his hand, "I made a little stop at your boutique yesterday and I see it''s still thriving."

    "It is doing wonderful," he prided, "Since the news of you and the lord being a regular at my boutique spread, the sales went ten times higher than usual. It''s all thanks to you that I''m living a comfortable life," he laughed heartily.

    This man was the owner of the boutique that we visited yesterday? And he said that the sales went ten times higher just because Luke and Kiel were a regular there? Just how rich were the people of Gordom for them to buy their clothing at such an expensive boutique? Those people really should learn how to manage their money better.

    "I can see that," said Luke indifferently, hinting at the man''s big belly.

    "It is great news that you have finally found your mate," Mr. Sullivan glanced at me, smiling, "Though it is not good news for all the women who had set their eyes on you," he laughed, "I''m sure they would be crying their eyes out once they heard the news of you no longer available."

    "Well, actually, I am never available for any women besides my mate," said Luke, winking at me which made me blush a little.

    I ignored Luke''s remark and bowed to Mr. Sullivan, "It is a p???sur? to meet you, Mr. Sullivan. My name is Violet Quinn. I also visited your boutique yesterday, and I must say all the dresses that you sell are very beautiful."

    ....and very expensive.

    "Oh, you flatter me. Please do visit often, miss. I will give you the dresses as a gift," he offered kindly, "Right, you must have not met my daughter yet," he said, pushing the young woman beside him a step forward, "Let me introduce you, my daughter, Casey Sullivan. She probably is just around your age, Ms. Quinn. I hope you two can be a good friend sometime in the future."

    The woman gave a curtsy, smiling shyly at Luke. The attire that she was wearing was similar to the dresses that I saw in the boutique, very luxurious looking. Casey batted her eyelash bashfully at Luke, and then said,

    "Oh, Mr. William, your tie is a bit crooked. Here, let me helpˇŞ"

    Before she could touch the tie on Luke''s neck, Luke raised his palm to stop her from going closer, "Please don''t touch it," he warned, "It is my favorite tie."

    Casey looked taken aback by his rejection but tried to mask it with another of her smile, "Pardon me. I was just trying to help."

    "Haha," came a laugh from her father, "My Casey is too kind. She has always been like this since she was a child, always offering helps here and there. Sometimes I''m afraid that she would meet someone who will take her kindness in the wrong way."

    "Perhaps she should use her kindness to do volunteer works at the orphanage or nursing home," Luke suggested, "I heard places like that need more hands. I''m sure they will appreciate her kindness more than I do."

    "...I will," smiled Casey, "Thank you for your suggestion."

    "Well then, Mr. Sullivan, Ms. Sullivan," he nodded his head a little at both, placing his arm around my waist, "I think it is time for us to go. Please excuse us."

    Finally leaving the table, Luke led me to the dance floor, "Care for a dance?"

    If we were to be seen dancing together after Luke had just flat out refused Kiera''s invitation, I think the vampiress would not be able to hold back her anger any longer due to the humiliation that she had to endure in her own ball.

    "No," I refused, shaking my head. "Instead, why don''t we go somewhere else quieter? Far away from the people."

    A smile formed on his lips when he heard the idea of going somewhere else, so he quickly changed his direction and pulled me out of the hall, "In that case, I happen to know the perfect place for us to stay alone."

    We passed the people without a care, quietly going outside of the hall without people knowing. Contrary to the bustling hall, the corridor outside was empty with no soul in sight. We walked along the long corridor before finally stopping in front of a door. When the door was pushed open, there revealed a balcony by the other side of the walls.

    As soon as the door opened, the cold winter wind blew inside and made a great mess of my hair. The vast sky above was like a dark canvas, with an addition of the twinkling stars which decorated the darkness with its brilliant shine. Beneath was Kiel''s infamous garden, the beauty still visible despite the minimum luminance.

    I walked closer to the railing, resting my hands on it. I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath, "Now I can finally breathe."

    Luke took off his coat and placed it around my shoulders, keeping me warm, "Are you perhaps forcing yourself because of me?"

    "What do you mean?" I glanced at the man.

    "I know you hate crowded places," he said, tidying my hair that was messy from the wind.

    "I don''t particularly hate it," I shrugged, trying to sound convincing. "It''s quite a sight to see so many people dancing like today. They look um... happy."

    "I can see through your lies, rabbit," he pouted, poking my cheeks with his fingers. He let out a sigh, pulling me into a hug, "My adorable rabbit. I''m sorry for putting you in an awkward situation like before. All the attention must have been really burdening for you."

    I couldn''t help but feel warm feelings in my heart when hearing his words, and my lips turned upwards into a smile as he wrapped me in his arms.

    "I''m fine," I confessed, "But I think receiving your attention is more than enough for me. I don''t need anybody else''s."

    "Is that so?" he chuckled, "Then it seems that I have to shower you with more of my attention to make sure you wouldn''t lack any of it."

    It felt like all the tension that was inside me before melts away when I was in his arms. All the anxiety and nervousness were gone, and only a feeling of serenity remained. I''ve never thought someone could bring me this much peace. Oh, how wrong I was.

    Turns out having his presence alone was all I ever need.

    Luke pushed my body slightly, breaking our hug. His eyes then searched for mine, "I don''t know if I ever told you this but... your eyes are really beautiful," he praised, "I meanˇŞall of parts of you are beautiful."

    The way his black hair swayed in the wind and the way his red eyes shone in the moonlight was a very wonderful sight to behold. The man in front of me was truly the most beautiful man that I''ve ever seen. He always told me about how beautiful I am but I think he was even more beautiful than I could ever be. He had a beauty that surpassed everything in this world.

    "And so are you," I chuckled.

    The man said nothing but stare at me as if he wanted to devour me with his eyes. And so I drowned in his gaze, while he in mine. The two of us stared at each other in complete silence, but it didn''t feel awkward or uncomfortable. In fact, it felt perfect.

    "I think I''m falling all over again for you," he broke the silence, ??r?ssing my cheeks, "As I thought, you really should take responsibility for making me feel like this. It feels like I might go crazy because of you."

    I didn''t know what kind of courage I had right now, but there was this urge inside me that wanted me to step closer to the man before me. So I went on my tiptoe, placing my hands on his shoulders for support, and kissed his cheek.

    "Is this... enough of a responsibility?"

    As if he had turned to a stone, the man stood still. His eyes widened, and his hand slowly went to his cheek, touching the part where I had just planted my lips on. It was not only him who was surprised at what had just happened, but even I was surprised.

    Before he could even react, I quickly moved away from the man and tried to run, "I-I will go and take a walk in the garden."

    Not until I have walked three steps away, the man pulled me back to his arms, saying,

    "Where do you think you are going?"

 Chapter 69 - Vampire ball - Part 4

    "Where do you think you are going?" his hand wrapped around my waist, pulling me closer, "Do you think you can just leave after what you did?"

    "W-why can''t I?" I leaned my body backward, trying to add the distance between the two of our bodies, "Is that the wrong way to take responsibility?"

    "It''s not wrong," he replied, his eyes brooding over mine. "But it''s not enough," a mesmerizing smile appeared on his face as his eyes traveled down to my lips, staring at it as if he wanted to have a taste, "I need more."

    I quickly turned my head sideways, feeling my body getting hotter by the minute, "W-what do you mean it''s not enough? I think it''s more thanˇŞ"

    He pulled on my hand and placed it on his ?h?st, "Can you feel it? My heart, it''s like this because of you."

    Under the hand that rested on his ?h?st, there I could feel a vehement thump. Though his face remained calm, his heart didn''t. His heart was beating louder and faster than any normal heart could possibly do, just like the way my heart was right now.

    Was it because it was the first time that I ever made a move on him? He had always remain calm and composed whenever he teased me with his advances, so I was surprised to have him like this. I thought I was the only one whose heartbeats go crazy whenever we were close to each other, but today I realized that the same thing also happened to him.

    Receiving no answer from me, the man placed his fingers on my chin and turned my head to his way. Slowly, he tilted his head and inched closer to me. He didn''t say any words, but his eyes stuck on my lips.

    The night fell silent, and only the sound of our heartbeats could be heard. The air that felt cold just a few minutes ago now felt warm on my skin. It was the first time that I ever experienced such a warm winter.

    The two of our bodies grew closer and closer, so close that we could feel each other''s breath. Just before the distance between us diminish, the man broke the silence and asked, "Can I kiss you?"

    My mind turned into a messy state with his question, feeling confused about my own d?s?r?s. It was the first time for me to be so close and intimate with someone, so I was feeling nervous and scared about it. But then, I knew for a fact that I didn''t hate it. I didn''t hate being so close with him, nor did I hate the man.

    "Push me if you don''t want me to," he whispered the words, leaning in closer for a kiss.

    Though I was given the choice to push him away, my arms remained on my sides, clenching tightly on my dress. As he got closer, my whole body turned tense and rigid, but I have decided to let the man do what he wanted.

    He didn''t immediately go for the kiss but instead waited for me until I have decided my decision. So when he noticed that I was not going to push him away, a small smile appeared on his face. I closed my eyes shut, readying myself for the upcoming kiss. The man also closed his eyes, his lips going their way to meet mine.

    The distance between the two of us grew smaller and smaller, our lips only an inch apart to greet each other for the first time. Feeling him closer, I swallowed the lump in my throat and shut my eyes tighterˇŞuntil the door to the balcony was pushed open by a new presence.

    "Ah!" I quickly pushed Luke away from me with all the strength that I had, startled. Luke, not prepared to receive such a big force from me tripped over his own feet and fell on his bu??. After the fall, the man stared at me wide-eyed.

    "Do you not want me to kiss you?" he asked, a wounded expression upon his face. It seemed that he was too focused on my lips that he didn''t realize there was a new presence on the balcony, so he made another question, "Do you hate it that much if I kiss you? So much that you pushed me with all your strength?"

    Not wanting him to make another mention of our failed kissing attempt, I squatted down to level with him, placing my hands on his mouth to shut him up, "N-no, I''m sorry for pushing you. I-I don''t hate it, it''s just..." my eyes trembled a little when moving from Luke to the person behind him, "...there is someone else here."

    Finally realizing the problem, he turned his body around at the speed of lightning, and a low growl immediately escaped his mouth, "Do you have a death wish?"

    Just by the door, there stood the lord, stunned at what he had just witnessed. "Pardon me for interrupting the two of you," he slightly bowed his head, looking genuinely sorry for appearing in the middle of our... um, activity. "I''ll just quietly take my leave," he said, pointing his finger to the room behind him.

    Luke pressed his lips into a thin line and stood up with a huff, raking his fingers through his hair harshly, "What is the use of youˇŞViolet! Come back here!"

    So instead of Kiel leaving the balcony, I was the one who left. I took this chance to escape from the embarrassing situation I was in, not being able to stand it any longer. I ran to the empty corridor, not knowing where I was headed to. I was simply trying to go as far away from the man.

    But unfortunately, while I was on the run, one of the heels that I was wearing fell off. I turned around to take it back but saw Luke coming out of the balcony, his eyes immediately spotting me. Not wanting to be caught, I decided to take the other one off and ran with my b?r? feet.

    Due to Luke''s ability to run fast, he caught up to me in a few minutes. His hand reached out to mine and stopped me from going further away from him, "Why are you running from me?"

    "D-don''t look at me!" I used my free hand to hide my face from the man, closing my eyes shut even when they were hidden behind my palm.

    "Why?" came the question from him, "Did I do something wrong?"

    "N-no, you didn''t," I quickly denied, nibbling on my lower lips before answering, "It''s just... if I look at you right now, I''m afraid that my heart would burst out of my ?h?st."

    And it was the truth. My heart was beating so fast that it was not normal for a human heart to beat this fast, and he was the exact reason behind this. Strangely, he had this ability to turn me into a crazy mess. I opened my eyes slightly, wanting to have a little peek at the man from between my fingers.

    "Haah," he let out a sigh of relief, squatting down with his hand still on me. "I thought that you hated me after what happened," he chuckled, placing his hand on his forehead, at the same time hiding his eyes, "Although nothing really happened back there," he added, "You scared me for a moment."

    "I don''t hate you," I confessed.

    "Then, do you like me?" he rested one of his hands on his knee, propping his head while staring up at me with a smile.

    Seeing his smile, I gasped and hurriedly closed my eyes shut again as it was making my heart to thump even more uncontrollably. His smile was the prettiest thing ever and it was very pleasing to the eyes. I found myself wanting to see more of it but decided not to because my heart was not exactly in the right state to see such a beautiful smile from him. I sincerely hoped for the safety of my own heart.

    "Hmm?" he urged after not receiving an answer from me for a whole minute, shaking my hand that was on his hand, "I asked, do you like me?"

    "...I do," I said with a small voice, almost whispering.

    "Hmm? I can''t hear you," he teased, holding his hand to his ear, "Can you please repeat it one more time?"

    "I said I like you," this time, I said it with a slightly bigger voice, turning my head sideways to avoid his gaze. Feeling the growing warmth on my cheeks, I could know that I was blushing hard.

    Hearing my confession, he smiled widely, showing his bright pearly teeth. The man then stood up from his previous position, taking my hand off my face, "While I," he lowered his head so that my eyes would meet his in a straight line, "I love you."

 Chapter 70 - First kiss

    "Your face is really red," he said, laughing. The way he was staring at me made it harder for me to ease my heartbeats, and I couldn''t even hide my blushing face because he was holding my hands with his own.

    "L-let me go," I said.

    "Will you run if I let you go?" he asked, tilting his head in amusement, "I don''t want you to run from me."

    My lips pressed into a thin line, not able to give him an immediate answer to his question because I was indeed planning to run the moment he let go of my hands. I lowered my head in an attempt to hide the redness of my cheeks, biting on my lower lip when I said, "I won''t run."

    Luke looked at me with a narrowed eyes, wondering if the words I said were the truth. After a few moments of thinking, he decided to put faith in my words and finally let go of my hands. Not a second after he let go of them, I immediately turned on my heels and ran from the man.

    This time again, he caught up to me in a matter of seconds, and soon, my legs were no longer standing on the ground but hanging on the air. The man had thrown my body over his shoulder, carrying me as if I was a bag of rice. I let out a shriek, clenching on his back to not fall.

    "Luke!" I shouted, "Put me down!"

    Luke sat me down on a window sill, placing his hands on both sides of my th??hs, "It seems that my rabbit is a bit of a liar," he said with one of his fingers poking my cheek, "I am not a man who take lies very well, rabbit. You should only say truthful words," he leaned closer, showing me his smile. "Now, shouldn''t we continue what we left off before?"

    While he leaned closer to me, I leaned further away, trying to distance ourselves but to no avail as my back had touched the window behind me. I placed my hands on both of his shoulders, stopping him from coming closer, "W-wait, Luke."

    "Stop pushing me," he took one of my hands, closing his eyes before planting a kiss on my palm, "You don''t know how hard I am holding myself back right now."

    When he opened his eyes, they searched for mine, gazing into me with an indescribable amount of affection and longing. The crimson of his eyes was the prettiest one I have ever seen, and I found myself to be lured deeper into it.

    He let go of my hand and went to the side of my cheek, ??r?ssing it with his thumb, "This time, can I really kiss you?"

    "But... I don''t know how to kiss," I whispered, blushing. For the second time, I felt the nervousness of being so close with the man all over again. I have read some stories about a man and a woman who loves each other deeply, but never have I thought I would have such a man for myself.

    "Neither do I," he chuckled, saying, "We can learn by trying." His eyes then slowly flickered down from my eyes to my lips, then back to my eyes again, "Shall we start learning then?"

    Just a moment ago, I was busy running away from the man. But now, I was back in the same situation which I tried to escape from before. I was utterly shy, not used to be in such a situation. I was used to being alone, but now that I have another presence in my life, everything felt awkward and new to me. I didn''t know how to respond to his advances nor how to respond to his touches.

    If by learning I could get used to them, then I might as well learnˇŞas there was a big possibility that I would be living with this man for the rest of my life. So I slowly nodded my head, and in turn, he let out a mesmerizing smile before going in for the kiss.

    He leaned forward, the two of his hands going to either side of my cheeks. When the distance between us decreased, he closed his eyes, and I followed suit. Then slowly but surely, he tilted his head, and finally, our lips found their ways to each other for the first time.

    The moment we touched, the flutters inside me only intensified. Everything around me blurred away, as if we were the only ones in this world. I could only focus on the taste of his lips, on how soft they felt against my own. The man stole my breath away, invading all of my senses with a wave of his warmth.

    All thoughts were nearly silenced, and the smell of him hypnotized me beyond reason. At first, I stayed still, not knowing what to do. But Luke seemed to know better than me at this, so I followed, moving my lips the way he moved his.

    The kiss was slow and gentle but very much affectionate.

    I could feel my toes curling and how my fingers were clenching on Luke''s shirt. My whole body was tense, but when I felt him stroking my cheeks reassuringly, I found myself relaxing by a bit. My heart was thumping violently inside my ?h?st, and so was hisˇŞit was both of our first. A little weird and awkward, but still.

    "You taste good," he said, his eyes still lingering on my lips. He used his thumb to stroke my lips, and as if it was not enough, he leaned closer, wanting to go for another kiss.

    Noticing that he was going closer, I quickly placed my fingers over his lips, "W-wait. I-I think it''s enough for today," I mumbled, turning my face sideways.

    The eyes that were on my lips then moved to my eyes, "Why? Do you not like it?"

    "It''s not that I don''t like it..." I faltered, gulping down the lump in my throat, "I... I don''t think I would be able to handle any more than this," I took a little peek at the man, and my cheeks flushed harder.

    Hearing it the man laughed, saying, "Ah, right. My little rabbit is not good at handling too much shyness at a time, can you?" He then cupped my cheeks, raising my head to look at him, "You are really adorable, do you know that?"

    "What about you?" I asked, "Are you not shy?"

    "No," he shook his head, "I have kissed you a lot of times..." he said, and my eyes immediately grew wide, not knowing when it happened until he added, "....in my imagination."

    "W-why did you imagined such a thing?" I pushed his shoulders, wanting to get off the window sill. But the man won''t budge and returned my question with another question.

    "Are you really asking because you don''t know the answer?" he asked.

    "B-because you are curious?"

    "No, silly," he denied, gently flicking my forehead, "Obviously, it is because I am head over heels for you. And I want to do countless of things with you, but unfortunately, you seem to be taking your time in warming up to me, so all I could do was to imagine," he explained, taking a lock of my hair and planting a kiss on it, "But now I had enough of imagining things."

    When I received the hidden meaning behind his last sentence, I coughed out loud, choking on my own saliva due to the shock. I didn''t know what kind of things the man had imagined, but if he kept them on his head all this time, that means it was something that I was yet to be comfortable with.

    I wonder what other things there were in his head? I couldn''t even imagine going in for another kiss! Even thinking about it made my heart race.

    "What are you thinking?" he grinned, and by the looks of it, I ?ssumed my whole face was as red as a tomato. He always seemed to enjoy the sight of me with flushed cheeks, moreover if he was the one who turned them red.

    "W-what? I am not thinking about anything," I shrugged, but my eyes wouldn''t meet the man.

    He let out a hearty laugh, patting my head, "Don''t worry, I did say that I would wait for you, remember? I won''t rush for our second kiss, but surely," he smirked before adding, "I won''t be too patient as well."

 Chapter 71 - A walk in the garden - Part 1

    "Is it okay for us to leave the ball for so long?" I asked Luke, walking down the stairs along with him. Luke had asked me to take a little walk to the garden, saying there was something he wanted to show to me.

    "It is fine," he answered, "Didn''t you see Kiel himself running to the balcony? Kiera is the only one who is excited about the ball, so don''t fret about it. We don''t even need to come back there."

    I nodded to his answer, feeling a little relieved that we didn''t need to come back there. I was uncomfortable receiving their stares, moreover when their eyes lingered way too long for my liking. And not to mention that it was not a welcoming eye, but more like scrutinizing me from head to toe.

    Based on the stares that all the women gave to him, I realized Luke was pretty famous amongst the vampiress. All the years of him coming to this ball must have gotten him quite a fame, including the fact of him being an eligible candidate for marriage. He must have broken numerous hearts by bringing me along to the ball todayˇŞalbeit unknowingly.

    Luke led me through the manor without any difficulty, knowing all the path in this place perfectly well as if it was his own home. When I glanced at him, he was walking with a smile upon his face, looking like he was in a good mood.

    "What is it that you want to show me?" I asked, curious to know where we were going. We were on the ground floor, one floor under the hall where the ball was taking place. The servants must be busy with the ball, which was why there was no one around on the ground floor. It was very quiet, only the sound of the night owls could be heard.

    "You will see," he grinned, "It is a place that I used to go to when I was little."

    It must have been true when he said that this place was like a second home to him. I wonder what kind of things that he did when he was little? Was he a naughty kid? Knowing the person he was, he must be one.

    We soon arrived at a garden, the very same one that I saw back on the balcony. The path was covered white by the falling snow, and in every step we took, our footprints trailed behind us. Thankfully, Luke had asked me to change into my usual boots, so walking in the snow was not a problem.

    He led me deeper into the garden, walking past the trees and bushes. I glanced at the hand that was holding mine, feeling the warmth it emitted. Luke''s hand had always found its way to mine, almost like it was natural for him to hold mine whenever we walk side by side. My hands were small compared to his, but it was the perfect size to fit in his hands.

    The garden was a little dark, with only a few lamps around to help illuminate the whole place. Because it was dark, I couldn''t see clearly what was in front of me and stumbled a few times, but Luke was fast enough to steady me before I fall flat on my face.

    "Be careful," he cautioned. He then walked a step forward without releasing his hold on me, saying, "Step on my footprints. I will walk slowly, so make sure to not fall."

    "Okay," I nodded.

    Then for the rest of our journey, Luke made sure that he was not walking too fast, and his stride was not too long for me to follow. It was now easier for me to walk on the trails he left, so there was no more accident.

    Because my eyes were too focused on following his footprints, I didn''t notice that Luke had stopped walking in front of me and bumped my head on his shoulders. When I raised my head, all I could see were bushes covered in snow, but Luke had a wide smile on his face when he stared in front.

    "We are here," he said.

    "Is this what you wanted to show me?" I tilted my head, wondering what was there to show. As if wanting to answer my question with action rather than words, he walked ahead and steered the bushes aside, making way for us to walk.

    "Come here," he beckoned.

    When I walked over and passed the bushes, what was in front of me left me awestruck. Behind the bushes, there was a lakeˇŞthough frozen due to the harsh weather. Above was the night sky, the sight of the moon and the stars clear to the eyes. The combination of both the lake and the night sky was mesmerizing, and I couldn''t keep my mouth from falling open.

    "This is beautiful," I continued to stare at the view before me, wanting to capture the beauty with my own two eyes. The frozen lake reflected the light of the moon and the stars, making the whole scenery to be even more splendid. "How did you find this place?" I asked, still stunned at the scenery ahead.

    "Only the chosen ones will know about this place," he puffed out his ?h?st, smiling, "I wanted to show this to you."

    "And I am one of the chosen ones?" I chuckled, glancing at him. It seemed that he had a knack for finding beautiful places, the first being his secret place, and now this lake. I wonder how many more beautiful places will he show me? I couldn''t help but be eager to find out.

    "Of course," he answered, nodding his head. He then sat on the ground and tapped on the big rock beside him, "Sit here."

    I followed his words and sat on the big rock beside him, rubbing my hands together to bring a little warmth before shoving them to my coat''s pocket. We continued to stare at the scenery in silence until Luke decided to bring up the story of his childhood.

    "I used to come here a lot whenever I visited Gordom," he smiled, reminiscing his memories. "I remembered sneaking a bottle of wine here with Kiel when we were ten. The people were going crazy searching for us, thinking that we went missing when we were actually getting drunk by the lake. When we got back to the manor, Uncle Klein was furious. He was furious because we stole his most treasured wine and not because we drank without permission," he chuckled.

    "Who is Uncle Klein?" I asked.

    "Kiel''s father," he answered, "He was a kind man, almost like my second father. He was the one who taught me how to use guns and how to ride horses because the pack wouldn''t teach me how to."

    "Why?"

    "Because werewolves never use any weapon or ride on another animal. We rely completely on our own strength and body," he explained, "But I was a curious child. I wanted to learn about everything, wanted to be the best in everythingˇŞbecause that was how I was raised to be. I spent most of my childhood training so that I would be fitting to be the future alpha and so that no one would ever dare to challenge my position. The time when I visited Gordom was the only time that I could act like a child."

    It must have been hard for him to bear such a big burden since a young age. People must have placed a high expectation for him because he was the son of the supreme alpha, and if he showed a little weakness, it would surely be a huge threat to his position. But was it such a big deal for him to have the position as the supreme alpha?

    "Is it that important for you to be the supreme alpha? Can''t any other werewolf be the one to hold that position?"

    "It was not that important for me," he shook his head, "But for my father, it was. He was a strict man with a lot of pride, and he had expected his son to be like himˇŞor even better. He didn''t want anyone to be better than our family, so I have no other choice but to follow his demands. If only I was born weak, I was sure that I would be kicked out of the family and he would bring another werewolf child my age to replace me. It was fortunate that I was strong enough to please him."

    It was the first time that I had ever heard him talking about his father. I thought he would have a good relationship with his father, just like how it was with his mother. He would always talk about his mother with so much adoration, but it was different with the father. There was none of such to be felt.

    Noticing the frown on my face, Luke added, "But I think I have to thank my father. It was because of his harsh training that I could be the man I am today. If it was not for him, I wouldn''t have the strength to protect you," he smiled, "And to be honest, it was also pretty fun for me. As I got older, I got a lot more interested in training my body so it was not that hard for me to follow."

    After a few moments of thinking, I decided to ask the question that was running for quite some time in the back of my mind, "Where is your father now?"

    Hearing my question, he laughed sourly, saying, "I don''t really know myself."

 Chapter 72 - A walk in the garden - Part 2

    "What do you mean?" I frowned.

    "Just... I don''t know," he faltered, taking the snow on the ground to his hands and molding it to a round shape, "He went missing. Do you remember when I said that my mother died of an illness?" he asked, and I nodded almost immediately. "A few days after she passed, my father was nowhere to be seen. He left everything behind without saying any words to the pack. His title, his belongings, his son."

    While he was talking, I noticed the hint of sadness in his red eyes. I could see it clearly in his eyesˇŞthe fact that he did not despise his father but longed for him. I stayed quiet, waiting for him to continue his story.

    "He left me when I needed him the most," he grimaced, "I was only fifteen then. I haven''t even found my wolf yetˇŞit was still asleep inside me. That''s why Andrew''s father, who at that time was the beta, decided to replace my father''s position until I turned sixteen, the age where my wolf would finally be awake and I would have the ability to shift."

    When I saw him with droopy shoulders and a lowered head, I couldn''t push the urge to hug him away, so I hugged him. I pulled him to a hug and patted his back, "It must have been hard for you."

    It took some time for him to finally returned my hug and said, "It was hard. I was lostˇŞboth of my parents left me in a span of a few days, and I didn''t know what to do. Though I have spent my whole life preparing myself to be the alpha, losing both of my parents out of nowhere was a big blow to me. I have always lived my life according to what they wanted me to do, so when I finally encountered a situation where I need to decide things by myself, I realized that I couldn''tˇŞbecause I have never done that before."

    He then broke the hug and pushed me gently away, "You must have thought that I''m weird, right?" he chuckled, "What kind of a man can''t decide for himself? But it was really because of the way I was raised. I was raised like I was living as a horse, while my father, he was the one to ride. He was the one who controlled all the things that I have to do, whether it be how fast should I run, jump, or even when to stop."

    "Did you hate him?"

    "A little," he said, "My mother always said that he only wants the best for our family, that he didn''t want anyone to look down on his only son which was why he trained me to be the best in everything. She said that it was his way of showing his love for me, but I don''t think that was the case at all."

    "So you are a lot like me," I let out a sour laugh, saying, "We both lost our parents."

    In a way, we were similar, but at the same time different. Though we both went through the horrible loss, our circumstances were the complete opposite. While he was someone who was held high in regard, I was not. He was expected to be someone great, while IˇŞwell, was probably expected to die a miserable death.

    I now realized the importance of our surrounding environment when in the process of growing up. It was an unfortunate occurrence that his father left, but had he stayed, Luke would not be the man he was today. He would only be a puppet to his father, always controlled by his demands.

    "Unfortunately," he chuckled. He then stood up and brushed his pants, "Now, let us stop talking about sad things and just spend the rest of our night with some fun, shall we?" he said, holding his hand out for me to hold.

    "And what do you plan to do?" I asked, standing up after receiving his help.

    He smiled when hearing my question, pulling me by my hand towards the frozen lake. Walking closer towards the lake, he was the first to step into the slippery ice while I stayed on the snowy ground.

    "Let''s have a little race," he suggested, sending me his cheeky smile, "The first one to reach the middle of the lake will be the winner, and the loser shall grant the winner a wish."

    By the look on his face, it seemed that he was sure that he would win this race and got his wish granted by me. But unfortunately, I didn''t have any wishes. So joining this race would only bring me harm and no good.

    "I don''t have anything to ask for," I shrugged, shaking my head. He must have not expected me to refuse his suggestion as his mouth turned into a pout, and his eyebrows drew together into a frown. I laughed at his reaction, thinking that there must be something that he badly wants from me.

    "Maybe you can keep it until you found your wish?" he appealed, not wanting to lose this chance. Looking at the man who was so eager to have his wish granted, I soon complied. I mean, what was the worst that could happen from granting his wish?

    I followed Luke to the frozen lake, stepping my feet on top of the ice for the first time. As soon as I stepped my feet on the ice, I almost slipped at how slippery it was if not for Luke who was quick to catch me.

    "Oh! I didn''t know it would be this slippery!" I quickly regretted my decision as I held Luke''s hand for support, wanting to return to the safe snowy ground. Luke had little to no problem with balancing himself on the ice, so I thought it would not be that slippery. How wrong I was.

    "There is no going back once a decision is made, young lady," he grinned, blocking my way of escape. Now, he was completely certain that he would win this race. "On the count of three," he suddenly announced, leaving me flabbergasted.

    "One... two.... thˇŞumph!"

    "Wait!" I covered his lips with my hands, stopping him from counting any further. "Don''t you think you should give me a little advantage? I am wearing a dress, and this is my first time stepping into the ice," I pleaded, blinking my eyes at the man, "And I also need a little time to practice."

    When met with the actual race, I couldn''t help but have the urge to win even when I didn''t have any wishes to ask for. I just didn''t want to lose after seeing the smug expression on Luke''s face.

    "I''ll let you start three seconds early," he offered, being generous because he was confident about taking the win, "Deal?"

    Not satisfied with the deal, I raised my palm and held out the number five, "How about five?

    "No, five is tooˇŞ" he tried to refuse but stopped when he felt me tugging the hem of his shirt, pouting while tilting my head a little, "Fine. Five seconds."

    The pout on my face immediately turned into a smile, feeling a little confident about taking the win because of the advantage given. But still, with my current skating ability, those five seconds would only bring me a little distance away from the starting point. Luke would catch up to me in a matter of seconds, leaving me behind and taking the win all for himself. I need a plan.

    After using a few minutes to practice, the race soon came to a start. We were now standing on the snowy ground, the agreed starting point. Before we started, Luke had placed a giant snowball by the middle of the lake, using it to indicate where our finish line would be. I set my eyes on the snowball, glaring at it as if wanting to melt it with my fiery glare.

    "Ready?"

    "Ready," I confirmed.

    "On the count of three," he said before starting to count, "One... two... three!"

    As promised, Luke gave me a head start while he waited until five seconds to pass before starting to skate through the ice. The moment I stepped my feet on the ice, it was as if my body started dancing without my will.

    My whole body was flailing, and I realized all the practice I did before gave little to no helpˇŞalthough it was understandable because I only spent minutes to practice. I asked for a longer time to practice, but Luke didn''t let me. I bet he was scared that I would win this race once I got the hang of it.

    While I was focused on balancing my body, five seconds had passed. Luke, who was counting for the five seconds to end, finally started to join the race. Did he count it right? How did five seconds go by so fast? I was still only a few steps away!

    In a flash, Luke went past me and sent me a smirk as he did. When I saw him with the mocking smirk on his face, my d?s?r? to win skyrocketed. I will definitely wipe that smirk off him.

    I started to hasten my pace, wanting to close the distance between us. As the distance between us decreased, I reached out my hands and grabbed his shirt. I pulled on his shirt, causing him to slow down, and soon, we were standing side by side.

    Knowing that he would still outrun me the moment I let go of his shirt, I decided to jump on his back and cling onto him.

    "Hey!" he shouted.

 Chapter 73 - A walk in the garden - Part 3

    "Get off me!" he shouted, but his hands were contradictory to his words as they were holding my hands that were hanging around his shoulders.

    "I won''t let you take the win," I said, still clinging to his back. As he was taller than me by a few inches, my feet were no longer touching the ground and were dangling mid-air. Luke seemed to have no difficulties in having me on his back, but he couldn''t advance further to the finish line because he would be taking me with him if he did.

    "Is that so, Violet?" he chuckled, his hands gripping tightly on mine so that I wouldn''t fall. "Then I''ll be sure to take the win," he said, then he turned around.

    By this time, we were halfway through the lake, only some distances to get to the finish line, but why did he turn around? When he started to skate his way to the starting line, I finally realized what he was doing. Instead of keeping me off him, he was going to take me back to the starting line!

    It seemed that he was taking this as an opportunity to secure his win by dropping me back to the starting line, knowing very well that I would take long to catch up to him.

    "Ah! Wait!" I struggled to get off him, but he wouldn''t let me to by keeping hold of my hands. I couldn''t believe that he would go back to the starting point to drop me there when the finish line was only a few steps away! I didn''t think of this before!

    "You brought this to yourself," he let out a laugh when seeing my struggle, satisfied with our current situation. "I won''t let you take the win as well," he said.

    He then released his hold and gently dropped me back on the snowy ground, and before I could stop him, he had stepped back into the ice and heading straight to the finish line now that there was nothing stopping him.

    I quickly stepped back to the ice, but he was already too far for me to catch up with my current skating ability even though he was not going all that fastˇŞit was I who was too slow. If this kept on going, he would be the winner! Oh no, the amount of smugness that he would show me later.

    While I was chasing after him, I slipped on the ice and caused the distance between us to grow even further. Though it was not a hard fall, I decided to shout to catch his attention and hoped that he would come back to help me, "Ow!!"

    It may seem like I was taking advantage of his worryˇŞwhich I am, but I have decided to do whatever it takes to prevent him from winning.

    I glanced at Luke, but he seemed to be too focus on heading to the finish line to hear me. So I shout one more time, this time a little bit louder, "Ow!! It hurts!!"

    As I was not looking ahead, I didn''t know if he heard me, but by the sound of it, it seemed that he had stopped and turned to see me. I had my head lowered, pretending to be in pain when I was not in any pain at all.

    "Violet?" he called as he skated back to me, "Are you okay?" I stayed still, not replying to his question until he squatted down and touched my shoulders, once again asking, "Where does it hurt? Look at me."

    I raised my head to the man, "Nowhere, you got fooled," I grinned, "Now I don''t need to chase after you anymore."

    Hearing it, he stared at me, clearly dumbfounded. "I didn''t know you could be this cunning! I was so close to the goal," he said, pinching my cheeks.

    Without even replying to his remark, I stood up and started to skate back towards the snowball by the middle of the lake, leaving Luke behind to chase after me. The match turned fiery, and all the competitors were eagerly aiming for the goal.

    Unfortunately for me, my rival was better and a lot faster in skating, so he soon caught up with me and went past me despite the late start. His skating ability was unmatched, and it made me wonder whether or not he purposedly asked for this race, knowing well about how good he was on the ice. Do werewolves skate too?

    I was getting hopeless, looking at him going further and further away while I stayed behind. Should I just let him win? I mean, not that I had any choices. While I was getting discouraged about taking the win, a glint of hope came when I saw him slipped in front of me. The sight of it immediately brought a smile to my face.

    He let out a little curse as he slipped, and I quickly took this chance to turn the table. I went past him without giving him any glance, focused solely on the snowball in front of me. The hope that I have previously lost came back at the speed of light as the victory would soon be mine.

    I held out my hand, trying to reach for the snowball. I was only a few centimeters away from being the winner of the race, but then just before I touched the snowball, my body got lifted to the air. Luke had caught up to me and swept me off the ground to prevent me from touching it.

    Though he did prevent me from winning, he failed to prevent us both from falling. Due to the slippery ground beneath us, Luke once again slipped while he was lifting me up, eventually making me fall alongside him.

    "Ah!" I shouted.

    Soon after the fall, a loud thump was heard. As I fell on Luke''s body, the fall didn''t hurt me but most likely hurt Luke. I quickly sat up and turned to him, wanting to make sure if he was okay, "Are you okay?" I asked.

    He let out a groan, scrunching his face but not saying anything. He touched his left shoulder as he sat up, seemingly to be in pain.

    "Did you get hurt?"

    I waited for him to answer, giving him some time to ease his pain. After a few minutes, he finally said, "No, I''m okay. What about you?"

    "I''m okay," I ?ssured him, "But are you sure you are okay? You look like you are in pain."

    "I meanˇŞare you okay with me taking the win?" the pained expression soon turned into a smirk, and I needed a second before I could finally understand what he meant. I quickly turned my head to the snowball, and there I found his left hand touching it.

    "No way," I felt my shoulders dropped as soon as I saw his hand touching it, and all hope of winning shattered to pieces. If only he was one second late, the victory would be mine.

    "Don''t look so dejected," he laughed, using his fingers to turn my mouth upwards, "I told you I would be taking the win, didn''t I?"

    Usually, I would find his smile charming, but this time, it looked rather annoying. I should have played fair since the beginningˇŞno, if I did play fair, would I even have any chances to win? At least I was close to winning.

    "So? What is your wish?" I huffed, throwing a little punch to the snowball.

    "Now that I have secured a wish," he smiled, folding his hands while nodding a little, "I think I will keep it for now. I need some time to think about the perfect wish to ask. I can''t waste it away for something easy," he said.

    "Then, are you going to ask for something hard to do?"

    "Maybe or maybe not," he chuckled, "You will have to wait forˇŞ"

    CRACK!

    All of a sudden, a loud crack was heard. We first looked at each other and then slowly to the frozen lake beneath us. When our eyes fell to the ice beneath us, there we found a crack right on the part where we were sitting at.

    An image of the worst situation possible that could happen right now immediately flashed through my mind as I saw the distance between us and the safe ground. Seconds later, the crack got bigger, spreading to all the other parts of the ice.

    "I think it would be wise for us to leave now," I let out a nervous laugh, standing up.

    Without giving me an answer, Luke stood up and pulled my hand to run for our lives. Just a moment ago, we had a race between the two of us, but now, it was a race between the lake and us.

    Would Luke finally feel the cold if he fell into the water now? Strangely, that was the question that came to my mind as I ran.

    Fortunately, the lake didn''t split in half, and the worst scenario I had imagined before didn''t happen. We had successfully made it back to the ground, though it was partly thanks to Luke who carried me back while we were in the middle of the run.

    "I think that is enough fun for today," said Luke, placing me back on the ground. "That could have gone worse," he let out a sigh, feeling relieved that we were back safe and dry.

    "Indeed, it could have gone much worse," I laughed. Now that we were safe, I found what just happened to be quite funny. How could it go from taking a little walk in the garden to almost falling into a frozen lake?

    "Well then, it would be best for us to return to our room. It''s getting late," he said, offering his hand like he always does.

    Taking his hand, we made our way back down the same path we had been on before, albeit with new memories to keep in our minds. It seemed that a day could never feel dull whenever he was with me.

    Our way back was full of small talks, with the two of us making fun of each other. Nothing was wrong until Luke suddenly turned quiet, not again replying to my words. His steps then turned slower and slower before finally stopping.

    "What''s wrong?" I asked.

    He didn''t answer my question, but his eyes were focused on the ground. Curious, I followed his eyes and then found red stains on the white path before us.

    Blood.

 Chapter 74 - Blood - Part 1

    The white snow was tarnished by droplets of blood, the stains leading us to an unknown place. We were standing in the middle of the garden, where there was a four-headed statue. Each head was looking to four different paths, each path being the one we were in right now and then to our right, left, and front.

    I realized the blood came from the direction in front of us, meaningˇŞit came from the manor, then turned to the path by our right. I was sure that this was the same path that we walked on before, but there was no such thing when we walked past this path just a moment ago. Something must have happened while we were on the lakeˇŞsomething very wrong.

    "Stay behind me," said Luke, holding my hand tighter.

    We were supposed to go straight to the path in front of us to go back to our room, but because of the newly found bloodstains, we took a right turn, following where the blood was heading to. Along with the bloodstains, there were also the footprints of the ?ssumed owner of the blood, seemingly to be a man''s based on the size.

    I could feel my heart thumping inside my ?h?st, sincerely hoping that these bloodstains will not lead us to something badˇŞthough it seems to be inevitable now by the amount of blood on the ground. My best hope for this situation was to find someone with a little wound, hence the blood.

    I didn''t even need to have a heightened sense like Luke to smell the metal scent that lingered in the air. It was getting stronger the more we followed the blood, and the droplets started to get bigger along with it.

    A few minutes after we started to follow the trail, what came to sight was a group of dried trees. Some stood tall, but some broken to half. The blood on the snow was not again small droplets, but a big gush of it splattered all around the place. And if one looks closely, we could see another bloodstain on the body of the broken trees. It was clear that a fight had occurred in this place.

    "We should go back," said Luke, his brows furrowing together, "It''s too dangerous for you to be here. We''ll need to tell Kiel about this."

    I nodded to his words, not wanting to go any further after all the warning signs. Just before we turned around to the direction we came from, something caught my attention. Someone was sitting behind one of the broken trees, a part of his or her shoulder seen.

    "Wait, there''s someone over there," I told Luke, pointing my fingers towards where the person was.

    Noticing the presence, we walked towards the person, albeit not knowing whether it was a friend or a foe. At least, this person could give us some leads about what had happened here. As we walked closer, I noticed it was a woman, her long hair gently blowing against the wind.

    Although she had her back towards us, I could tell from her attire that she was not a guest of the manor but a maid. She was wearing the same plain black dress that all the maids here were wearing.

    "Excuse me, miss?" Luke asked, but the woman did not reply. "Miss?" he inquired a second time, but received no answer. Luke decided to give the woman a little tap on her shoulder, but the little tap he gave caused her body to collapse to the ground.

    When I saw her body fall lifelessly to the ground, I let out a gasp, surprised to see what had happened to the woman. Half of her face had been ripped apart, with blood gushing down from her face to her entire body, which was also in a mutually terrifying state. The two of her arms were crushed, while one of her feet was only hanging by a thread.

    The snow around her had been painted red with her blood.

    "T-this..." I faltered. My brain couldn''t seem to function well due to the amount of shock received, b?r?ly able to stutter out the words, "...this is a massacre."

    Though I was used to seeing blood, it was always my own blood that I see and not others. The white of the snow was painted red with blood, and the remains of the bodies were scattered all around the place. Several bodies had their limbs separated from them, leaving only their torso and head. Some even had their heads cut off.

    Who could have done all of this?

    Luke, who also seemed to be in shock, stared at the terrifying sight in silence. He gritted his teeth, saying, "We need to go."

    He immediately pulled me away from the horrible scene, his grip on my hand firm. We walked past the trees as fast as we could, leaving the corpses behind. The look on his face was grim, in contrast with the cheerful one he had back on the lake.

    Even with the warmth from Luke''s hand, the discovery of the corpses made my hands grow cold and made me turn slightly nauseous. It suddenly reminded me of the day where I found my mom''s corpse, looking at her body cut into pieces. I still remember it as clear as day.

    Feeling the panic started to hit in, I tried to calm myself by taking deep breaths as I walked back to the manor. I shouldn''t be acting like this, knowing that there was a bigger problem to solve. The killer might still be aroundˇŞlurking and hiding amongst the crowd or even the bushes here. We need to locate them as soon as possible before another person falls victim to their murder.

    Was this why the first floor of the manor look so empty? I thought the servants were busy serving the guests, but now I knew that was not the case at all. Someone had killed them all.

    "Do you have any idea about who did this?" I asked Luke.

    "I do have an idea," he replied, his voice stern, "I''m afraid there might be a deranged vampire among us."

    A deranged vampire... that seems to be the most probable answer. From what Luke had told me, things would turn a lot worst if they turned someone else into a deranged vampire with their bites. This whole place will turn into a bloodbath.

    All the corpses we found had no bite marks, but there could be some people who got bitten. We had no idea about how many of them were here, and things were not looking good for us. We better hurry and tell Kiel about this as he must be the one who knows best about how to deal with this situation.

    Oh gosh, I have only heard about deranged vampires today, and now you are telling me there might be one right now?

    We were now in an intersection, with bushes all around our sides. Right before we made a turn, Luke suddenly stopped, hiding me behind him. "Stop," he warned, looking ahead, "Someone is here."

    Along with the halt in my feet, I unconsciously held back my breath to prevent myself from making any noise. Aside from the hoot of the night owls, I could hear somethingˇŞthe sound of something being dragged across the snow.

    We waited for the presence to appear, my heart thumping faster by the minute as my anxiety increased. I clutched the hem of my dress, bracing myself to flee if necessary. If the rogue who kidnapped me before was still on his sane mind, how much worst would it be to meet a deranged vampire who was blinded by their bloodlust?

    Minutes went by in silence, and someone finally appeared around the corner. It was a man who I knew to be the butler of the manor, but his appearance was no longer of what I''ve seen before. Blood covered his whole body, and his silver eyes now appear to be in the color of black.

    I noticed how Luke''s body tense up when he saw the man in front of us, even though he had ?ssumed the killer to be a deranged vampire. He wasn''t afraid of himˇŞhe was taken aback. The butler must be someone that he was familiar with during all the time he spent here.

    "Blood... I... want... more... blood...." I heard the man muttering to himself while he dragged someone by the hair. The person he was dragging was another dead body, killed in a way similar to the corpses we had previously found. It was him. He was the killer.

    "Ross?" Luke called out to the man, still couldn''t believe what he was seeing. I didn''t know about his relationship with this man, but it seems to be closer than a stranger.

    Ross finally noticed our presence as soon as he heard Luke calling him, his head turning in our direction as quickly as lightning. When he saw us, he let out a loud sinister laugh, his eyes widening as if he had found another victim to kill. He then let go of the corpse and dashed towards us at full speed, a frightening grin upon his face.

    "BLOOD!!" he shouted.

 Chapter 75 - Blood - Part 2

    "BLOOD!!" exclaimed the man, who dashed towards us with a big grin on his face. His eerie laughter echoed through the night, and his eyes dilated with murderous intent. The evidence of blood from his previous victims was still there on his hands, the corner of his mouth, and his whole body even. His initially white shirt had turned red from bloodˇŞbut he still wanted more.

    When I saw the vampire running in full tilt, I felt nothing from him but his thirst for blood. My entire body turned rigid, and I was instantly filled with dread. I froze, completely paralyzed with fear. Never have I met someone with such a great murderous intent, clearly visible to the eyes.

    Before the vampire reached us, Luke pushed my body back, shouting, "Violet, run!"

    The vampire then slammed into Luke, knocking him down to his back. Both of them brawled, with the vampire attempting to dig his fingers into Luke''s neck while Luke fought back. I gradually came to my senses after seeing it, no longer paralyzed by my own fear. I clasped my hands together, trying to stop the shaking that was taking place.

    "Violet, do you hear me?!" Luke shouted again, "RUN!!"

    He told me to run, but how can I leave him? I was given the very same choice as what I was given back then, back when I was in the forest with my mom. I chose to run to save my life, but I ended up losing her. It was the biggest regret of my life, and I was not ready to make the same choice.

    I am not losing him.

    I scanned my surroundings, looking for something I could use against the vampire. A group of stones covered with snow lay underneath the bushes, as if telling me to use them. They were a little small, but it was my best option at the time. I dashed towards the bushes, picking up the stones and tossing them at the vampire.

    "Y-you want blood?" I shouted, "Take mine, you ugly bloodsucker!"

    I gasped as I spoke the words, taken aback by my own audacity. Even Luke, who was dealing with the vampire, stared at me with wide eyes as if saying, ''what the hell are you doing?''

    My spontaneous bravery had successfully drawn the attention of the vampire, giving Luke a chance to turn the table. Just as he snarled and turned his head towards me, Luke used his strength to push him back and change their positions, putting himself on top of the vampire.

    "Where do you think you are looking at?" Luke asked as he threw a punch, "You should always keep your eyes at your opponent... Ross."

    His voice was as small as a whisper when he called out the name, and I could see how his eyes trembled a little when he threw another punch at him. The hesitation in his every move granted Ross a chance to escape his grasp, kicking Luke off him.

    Ross''s kick threw him backward, causing Luke to fly a few meters away. With that, Ross rose to his feet, attempting for another go at Luke. Even a deranged vampire seemed to be a challenge for Luke, or at least it seemed to be a challenge because of who the vampire was.

    "Ross... I don''t want to do this," he pleaded with his eyes, begging for the vampire to wake up from his deranged state, but none of his pleas could be heard by the vampire. Ross was no more, and all that was left was an empty shell blinded by bloodlust. He was gone.

    Luke knew that nothing could ever bring back a turned vampire, but that didn''t stop him from hoping for a miracle. If it were someone else, he wouldn''t even think twice about killing anyone who poses a danger, but RossˇŞit was clear that he didn''t want to kill him. It was just too obvious.

    "I... WANT... BLOOD!!" Ross screamed again, his voice deafening.

    Ross was no longer like a normal vampire; his d?s?r? had finally taken hold of him, and only death could stop him. He didn''t say anything in response to Luke''s words, and all he wanted was blood on his hands. We only had two options: give blood or take blood.

    Once again, he ran towards Luke, wanting to land a blow on him while he was still on the ground. Luke eventually stood his ground when he saw Ross approaching him and braced himself for the worst. Even though he didn''t want to kill, he had to.

    Ross had turned deranged, but that didn''t make him any more foolish. He knew Luke would be a tough opponent, so he changed his attention to an easier targetˇŞmeˇŞin the middle of his sprint. He then abruptly changed course, heading straight for me.

    "NO!!"

    By the next second, Ross''s hand had reached my neck, raising my body into the air. It all happened too quicklyˇŞtoo quickly for me to be able to flee. His fingers stabbed deep into my skin, and his grip on my neck was firm. All I could do was wiggle in his grasp as he squeezed the air out of me with all his strength.

    I desperately scratched his hand in an attempt to pry it away from my throat, but it was all in vain. As my energy dwindled, I became lightheaded and out of breath, and my hands finally fell to my sides.

    Just as I was about to pass out, Luke came and knocked Ross away from me, causing him to let go of his grip on me. I instantly collapsed to the ground, perilously gasping for air. I rubbed my neck, trying to ease the pain but instead felt a sharp pain from the wounds he had inflicted on me.

    I noticed how Luke''s eyes were a lighter shade of red when I looked at him. Fur began to crawl under his skin as his fingers sharpened, a low growl coming from him. He was in the middle of his shift, his knife-like fingers ready to pierce into Ross''s ?h?st.

    Luke was now certain that there was no way to save Ross, and that death was the only way for him to be freed of his sufferings. With a heavy heart, he pulled Ross by the collar, readying himself to kill the man who he once knew.

    He had no hesitationˇŞno hesitation left to kill the deranged vampire, unlike before. His fingers then pierced into his ?h?st, yanking the heart from inside. Ross, who had been struggling under Luke''s grip, was now as still as a stone.

    Feeling him lifeless on his hands, Luke slowly lowered Ross''s body to the ground, shutting Ross''s eyes which were still wide open. He stood there, watching as Ross''s whole body began to fade in color. Now, Ross was truly goneˇŞbody and soul.

    "Luke..." I called, but he gave no response.

    He stood there in silence while the heart on his hand slowly ceased to beat. Even though he had his back towards me, I just knew that he was hurting inside. He didn''t show it, but killing someone you didn''t want to kill must have pained him a lot. He was forced to do it by the circumstances.

    So I stayed by his side, waiting for him to finish mourning for his loss.

    What a day it had beenˇŞwe had gone from getting ready for the ball to our first kiss, skating on a frozen lake, and now this. It would have been great to end our day with our little trip to the lake, but I guess happiness doesn''t last forever.

    Our day, which had begun with joy, had turned into a day of sorrow.

    In the midst of the silence, the sound of someone''s footsteps could be heard. This immediately frightened me, and I was terrified to find out if there was another deranged vampire on the loose. It would be disastrous if it turned out that Ross had also turned someone else into a deranged vampire.

    Thankfully, my worst fears were unfounded, and it was Kiel, not another deranged vampire, who appeared. Kiel seemed to be taking a walk in the garden, oblivious to the fact that we were here, let alone the mess. We certainly didn''t intend to be in this situation either.

    "Mind telling me what happens here?" Kiel inquired, his eyes darting across the shambles. When his gaze fell on Ross, his pupils turned dilated.

    "Luke," he called, his voice dead serious. Luke, on the other hand, was still in a daze and unable to react appropriately. The death had clearly affected both men, as Kiel soon grew impatient and shouted for explanations, "LUKE!!"

    Luke, who had been staring at Ross for a long time, eventually responded to his calls. He swallowed the lump in his throat before meeting Kiel in the eyes, apologizing, "I''m sorry," he said in a soft voice. He then walked towards Kiel, showing him Ross''s heart on his hand, "I... I killed him."

 Chapter 76 - Grief

    "I... I killed him," he said, his hand shaking slightly as he handed the heart over to Kiel. The pain and guilt in his voice were as clear as day, and no one could deny it.

    When Kiel saw the heart, his jaws tightened, and his fist clenched. He was quivering with anger, but he did not let the steam blows off immediately without proper explanation. He knew that his friend would not do such a thing unless he had a good reason to do it.

    "Why?" he inquired, the veins on his neck bulging due to the self-control he had to exercise. His gaze was drawn to the heart on Luke''s hand, but he lacked the bravery to seize it. He just stared, unable to believe the loss he had to experienceˇŞagain.

    The night became bitterly cold, much colder than it had been previously. The night was immediately filled with grief and sorrow after the loss that we had to suffer. The moon, which we had always admired, shone its light on us as if to comfort us, casting light on the dark times we were currently going through. It was beautiful, yet at the same time sad.

    After a moment of silence, Luke finally opened his mouth and answered, "He''s turned."

    Hearing it, Kiel laughed. A burst of hysterical laughter erupted from him as if he had just heard the funniest joke of the century. It went on for a few minutes until the laughter gave way to sobs, and his grief soon consumed him.

    His usual high and mighty demeanor was shattered by the loss, leaving only a broken soul to scream and lament for what he had to endure. With a shaky hand, he took Ross''s heart, then slumped to the ground.

    "Why?" he asked in between his sobs, shaking his head vehemently while looking at Ross''s bloody body, "Why does this have to happen again?"

    Luke couldn''t do anything to comfort his friend, so he just stood there, hoping that his presence would provide him some solace despite the fact that he was also hurting inside. He must have realized the pain he was about to cause to his friend the moment he saw Ross''s deranged state, and he didn''t want it to happenˇŞbut sadly, he didn''t have any choice.

    The world was too cruel, and we knew it all too well.

    For some time, all that I could hear was Kiel''s screams, his pain, his grief. Every cry he made was filled with his sorrow, and anyone with a heart could sense it. After all, we were all human. Even those who had become used to being around death would still be affected by the death of a loved one.

    Losing someone precious to us was possibly one of the most difficult things that we had to go through in life. We wouldn''t be able to hear their calls, feel their warmth, or watch them go about with their daily activities anymore. The little things they did that we normally overlook would be the ones that we miss the most. The gentle pat they gave you when you did something well, the encouraging words they said when you were down, or even the chair they used to sit on. Those little thingsˇŞthose were the things that were the hardest to forget.

    When confronted with grief, people tend to make an effort to move on, to forget about it. But in truth, crying for our loved ones was a way of honoring who they were in our lives as well as what we have lost. It let the world knew that someone very precious had left us, but even so, they still mattered.

    No one could tell us how to deal with our grieves, and that was okay.

    That was what I''ve realized after going through several lossesˇŞthat my grieves belonged to me. It didn''t matter how much time had passed, how many tears I had to shed, or whether or not I would ever be able to move on. Well, I needed to move on, but I could do it at my own pace. Later, I would be able to say when was the right time to do soˇŞno matter how much time it took me to be ready.

    Therefore, neither Luke nor I could do anything to help make things better for Kiel. There were thousands of words that I could say to console him, but none would ever be enough to fill the hole left by his loss. Only time could help heal the pain, but even that was hard to do.

    As Kiel started to calm his tears, he said with a small voice, "You should go... I will take care of the mess."

    I was sure that no one would have the heart to do so after hearing him. His voice was b?r?ly audible, so soft and frail, as though uttering those words had sapped all of his remaining energy. Leaving him alone didn''t seem like a good idea at the time, but I knew it was just what he needed right now. It would be best for us to give him some space.

    Despite his dislike for the idea, Luke agreed to leave. We soon left the bloody scene and began our journey back to our room while passing Kiel one last glance. The sight of the vampire''s droopy shoulders was the last thing that we saw before leaving the place, making our steps and hearts to be even heavier.

    Nothing seemed to be able to dispel the gloomy atmosphere that surrounded us on the way back. Luke had his head lowered as though he was deep in thoughts. He must have felt guilty for what had happened, thinking that it was his fault that Ross died.

    "Luke," I called as I reached out to take his hand. But he pulled his hands away from me before I could do so, not wanting me to touch him.

    "Don''t touch me," he said in a small voice, his brows knitting together, "I''m dirty."

    It broke my heart to see him like this, and I wanted to make him feel better. I wished he could share the pain and agony he was feeling right now with me so that we could endure them together and overcome them together too. I wanted to help him. I wanted to be his solaceˇŞjust as he was to me.

    I couldn''t care less about his current condition or whether or not his hands were clean. I wanted to hug him, to hold him closer even if his whole body was stained with blood. I didn''t care. I wanted to feel his warmth on me and share my own with him. No matter what.

    "You are not dirty," I said, taking both of his hands with mine. "Look at me," I said, and he slowly raised his gaze from the ground to me.

    Without even saying anything, his eyes conveyed so many emotions and truth. They told me so many feelings that he used to keep to himself, always keeping them hidden behind his tough exterior.

    Was it because he was the alpha? Even when he was breaking inside, he would never show it to anyone because it was in his nature to always appear strong at all times. He didn''t want to show his weakness to anyone, but there was nothing wrong with being weak in the first place. It was perfectly normal, perfectly human.

    "It is not your fault," I said.

    "How is it not my fault?" he asked, his voice cracking slightly, "I killed him with my own two hands."

    "But you did what you had to," I replied, holding his hands tighter. "Did you not see what happens with the servants? If you had not stopped him, there would have been more people falling victims to his deranged state. I am sure Ross wouldn''t want that to happen too, would he?"

    According to what I''ve heard, a vampire could go deranged anytime regardless of their wishes to stay sane, so they couldn''t have wanted to give in to their bloodlust and lose control of themselves too. Wouldn''t death sound like a better choice than to remain in a body where you have lost full control of yourself? It was a way to help them put an end to their sufferings, to get them to stop doing things that they didn''t want to do.

    Though it was a difficult decision, Luke did help him end his sufferings by giving him his death. At the very least, Ross would no longer have to suffer and would be able to rest in peace. As horrible as it sounds, killing him was the right thing to do.

    Luke stayed silent, but his guilt didn''t seem to have faded away. He knew that death was the only way to stop a deranged vampire, but he couldn''t stop wishing for another choice. What if there were some other ways?

    "Luke," I called, raising my hand to ??r?ss his cheek, "You didn''t kill himˇŞyou saved him."

 Chapter 77 - Comfort - Part 1

    "Are you finished?" I asked Luke, who had just come out of the bathroom with a clean set of clothing on his body. I had asked him to go clean himself off the blood as soon as we returned to our room, so he could immediately rest after going through such a long day.

    He forced a small smile at me and said, "I am."

    He said he was done, but in fact, he was far from it. I found there was still blood on his hands when I looked at him, and he wasn''t even properly dressed. His mind must have been elsewhere, hence the mess.

    "You''re obviously not done yet," I said, fixing the bu??ons on his shirt. "Come here," I said, grabbing his hand and motioning him to follow me to the bathroom. When we arrived, I turned on the water and helped him wash the blood off his hands. He stayed still, allowing me to do whatever I wanted.

    It was the first time I had seen him so quiet, and I didn''t know what to say or do to cheer him up. What did he do when I was sad? He had always found a way to make me feel better when things were hard. Now that the roles had been reversed, I needed to find a way to help him. I shouldn''t be on the receiving end all the time.

    "You are all clean now," I said, taking a towel to dry his hands. When I released his hands to dry my own, he hurriedly took my hand back, not wanting me to let go of him. He held my hand tightlyˇŞas if he needed me to give him strength.

    I gently stroked his hair with my free hand as I lifted my eyes to him. I couldn''t help but reach in and hug him because he seemed to be so broken, and I was afraid that if I let go, he wouldn''t be able to hang on.

    "You look like you need a hug," I said, leaning in closer and softly patting his back. Hearing it, he succumbed to my embrace, resting his head on my shoulder.

    "I do," he replied, his voice soft like a whisper. He couldn''t stop blaming himself for what happened, even though it was clearly not his fault. Ross seemed to be an important figure in Kiel''s life, and he didn''t want to see his friend suffer another loss. It was inevitable, but still.

    "I''m really sorry for what happened," I said, hugging him tighter, "I''m sure Ross is in a better place now, sending you his best wishes for your great courage in setting him free. He''s forever grateful for what you did."

    He remained quiet, soaking in the silence. However, as time went by, I began to hear a muffled sob, as if he was trying to conceal his distress. I tried to break the hug to look at him, but he kept me from doing so. Instead, he held me even closer, as though he didn''t want to let go even for a second.

    "Don''t," he begged, "Don''t let go of me."

    "I will never, Luke," I said.

    When I first met him, I ?ssumed I would only be staying with him for a few days and would only think of him as a kind man who helped me out. Never in my wildest dreams did I think he would be someone so special to me, someone whose presence would have such an impact on my life. It was becoming increasingly difficult for me to imagine myself being separated from him.  He had become such an important part of my life that losing him would be like losing a piece of me.

    And to see him like thisˇŞit broke me in ways I never imagined I could ever feel for another. To me, who lived most of her life alone, feeling happiness or sorrow for others was an unusual experience. Since the loss of my mother, never once did I feel others'' empathy for me, so I never did the same to people. How could I feel empathy for others when my own life was the worst it could be?

    I began to feel feelings that I have long forgotten, see things that I had never seen before, and learn more about the world outside of my room. He taught me about love and how kind and genuine a person could ever be. He gave me happiness, and I wanted to give him the same.

    "Can I look at you?" I asked, and I could feel him shake his head in response. "Please," I added, "I want to see your face."

    With that being said, I pushed him slightly away, and he eventually let me to. When I looked at him, his eyes were brimming with tears, on the verge of letting them roll down his cheeks. I raised my hand to his cheek, ??r?ssing it.

    "It''s okay to cry," I said, giving him a small smile, "I know that you don''t like others to see you weak, to see you vulnerable, but at least, can''t you just be yourself with me? You don''t need to hide your pain and sorrow. Instead, share them with me so that we can work through this together."

    He fixed his gaze on me, and as he did, a single tear left his eye. It was his agreement, his answer to my words. He was willing to show me his vulnerable side, a side which I had never seen of him, and I was gladˇŞglad because he could finally let his guard down and let out the bottling emotions inside him.

    "Ross... he was like a second fatherˇŞto both me and Kiel," he said as more tears escaped his eyes, "He cared for me when I needed it the most, taught me many things in life, brewed the best of tea," he chuckled a little as he reminisced the memories of the man, "He would always open the door to the manor for me when I ran away from home, despite my mom''s order to not to. He would also prepare warm meals for me in case I was starving from the long journey."

    I nodded to his narrative, giving him my full attention. I didn''t know Luke had such a deep relationship with Ross. It was my first time hearing about it. I thought it was only Kiel who had a close relationship with him, but I thought wrong. It must be why he was so hesitant about killing Ross, despite him being a deranged vampire.

    "I remember coming to Gordom just a few days after losing both of my parents, hoping for some peace and comfort. But, as it turned out, it didn''t go as well as I had hoped. I still felt sad and lost, but I didn''t want people to see me cry, so I tried to find a spot where I could hide. Ross took notice of my d?s?r?s and took me to the lake. Since then, the lake had become our little secret place," he smiled sourly.

    "He was always so serious, but he could be quite funny at times," he continued, "He was such a kind man, but IˇŞI killed him," he said. He pulled out his hands, his hands trembling, "I killed him with my own two hands."

    "No," I quickly denied, taking in his trembling hands in mine, "Didn''t I tell you? You didn''t kill him. You saved him, Luke. Ross wouldn''t want to stay in a body that only knows how to kill. Would he want to hurt anyone if he were still alive?"

    "No... he wouldn''t," he answered, shaking his head, "He wouldn''t hurt anyone, but..." he faltered, looking away from me to hide another wave of tears, "...I wish things could be different. I don''t want him to die like this."

    "I wish things could be different too," I said, fighting back my own tears, "But we can''t do anything to change our fate. If we are doomed to go through this, then all that we can do is follow. It''s horrible, but we don''t have any choice."

    I drew him in for another embrace, allowing him to cry his heart out. It was rare for him to show his sadness, so I wanted to give him as much time as possible to do so. He didn''t have to look strong and tough all of the time, as having a weakness was a natural part of being human.

    I could feel my shoulders damp from his tears after a few moments of him weeping in my embrace. He wasn''t crying out loud but cried rather quietly, as quiet as a mouse. If I didn''t hear his sniffles, then I would have thought he was fast asleep in my embrace.

    "What is God even doing? Giving such a terrible fate for a wonderful soul," I mocked for him to chuckle, nodding his head in agreement. "There better be something good ahead," I said.

    "There better be," he repeated.

 Chapter 78 - Comfort - Part 2

    "Are you asleep?" I chuckled, asking Luke, who seemed to be asleep on my embrace. We have stayed in this position for a couple of minutes now, starting from him letting out his sadness to him dozing off.

    The night had fallen, and it was finally time for us to call it a day. Tomorrow, we will be leaving for Wonsvile. We had decided to leave Gordom after the vampire ball, but it was unfortunate that we had to leave so soon after what happened to Ross. We could have stayed longer, but it had been a week since we had left the pack, and Luke needed to get some things done.

    More importantly, we needed to look for the witch.

    "No," he whispered, sounding sleepy. He smiled at me as he broke the hug, his fingers ??r?ssing my hair. "Thank you," he said, planting a quick kiss on my forehead before adding, "I feel much better now."

    "You are always welcome," I returned his smile. I noticed the dried tears on his face and pulled him closer to the sink, turning on the faucet for the water to run. When he saw what I was doing, he smiled and lowered his head until he was level with me.

    "Here," he said.

    "Here, what?"

    "Didn''t you pull me here to wash my face for me? That''s why I lowered my head to make it easier for you to do so," he replied confidently. While I did bring him here to wash his face, I had no intention of ?ssisting him with it.

    "I was going to ask you to wash your face yourself," I said, pointing at the running water. His smile then turned into a pout, and it seemed that he was back to being his usual cheeky self.

    "Then can I ask you to help me with it?" he asked, walking a step closer while closing his eyes. "I will give you the opportunity to touch my handsome face," he said, his lips again forming into a smile, "You have to know that I don''t give such opportunities often."

    "Should I be honored to be given such a rare opportunity then?" I chuckled as I heard him.

    "Without a doubt," he answered.

    "I suppose I should accept," I joked. I soaked my hands with the water and helped him wash his face, wiping away the dried teardrop streaks. When he felt my fingers on his face, his smile only grew wider, but he stayed still until I finished.

    His skin was smooth, and there was absolutely no flaw to be found. Everything about him was just so perfect, and I couldn''t help but wonder if he had any flaws at all. I let my fingers trailed across his face, cleansing every nook.

    "You know, if you wanted to cry," I said as I stroke his cheek, "You can always cry in front of me. I mean, not that I wanted you to be sad, butˇŞ" my words were then cut short by a quick peck on my lips, startling me with the sudden invasion.

    "I know," he smiled, "I will do that."

    I came to a halt as I comprehended what had just happened, my eyes wide with surprise at the man.

    "Y-you can''t do that without giving me a warning!" I said, my cheeks turning warm.

    "Why can''t I?" he let out a soft laugh, then stood up straight to take the towel inside of the wall cabinet.

    "H-have you not heard about consent?!"

    "Of course, I have heard about it," he laughed as dried his face with the towel, "But I''m afraid you will grow tired of me asking you for permission because I will probably ask for it several times a day."

    His answer left me dumbfounded, and I was at a loss for words. Was this the same man who had been crying in my arms only a few minutes before? How could someone change so much in such little time?

    He must have found my reaction fascinating to behold, and he must have enjoyed the fact that he could easily make me blush with his actions. Perhaps one of these days I''ll try to turn the tables around. Just you wait.

    "Come, we should rest. It''s getting a little too late," he said, ruffling my hair as he walked out of the bathroom. "We have to go on a long journey tomorrow."

    I soon followed him outside, heading to the warmth of our bed. When I saw the bed, it was as if all of my fatigue rushed in and slammed into me like a wave. How could there be so much going on in a single day? I attended my first vampire ball, had my first kiss, went ice-skating for the first time, and had my first encounter with a deranged vampire. It was a day full of my firsts.

    But, I suppose, today was also Luke''s first time breaking down his walls. It was the first time that he was willing to show his vulnerable side to others after hiding it for so long.

    Sadness was usually one of the negative emotions that we didn''t want to show to others, but if we kept it buried for a long time, it would only allow them to build up over time and gradually worsen. It would be inside us like a ticking bomb, waiting for the moment we would explodeˇŞand this was when those emotions started to become destructive.

    I have experienced it so many times, over and over again. I was tired of crying, but I just couldn''t help it. Crying was the only way that I could relieve myself from the sadness, the only way to make me feel better. Though sometimes, it could be seen as something weak and ugly, it didn''t mean that it was okay to hide your sadness.

    Rather than keeping our pain and sadness hidden, we should let it all out. Despite society''s demands that we appear strong and happy at all times, we couldn''t escape the fact that we all had a weakness. Sometimes, all that we need was to be weak and vulnerable. It helped us to move on, to accept our scars, and realizing that one day, that scar would be a blessing brimming with life lessons.

    So, we should all take a little courage and embrace our vulnerabilities.

    Ah, being in my bed was always my favorite moment of the day. It was one of the few things that I enjoy in life. Compared to going to a fancy party, I would much prefer to stay in my roomˇŞperhaps with a book and a hot chocolate in hand. Oh, that would be perfect.

    Although Luke had his body turned towards me, I decided to give him my back since I was afraid that it would be hard for me to fall asleep if he wasˇŞby any chanceˇŞstaring at me.

    I was on the verge of falling asleep when Luke suddenly broke the silence, asking, "About what happened today... are you okay with it?"

    "Uhh, which one, exactly? I''m afraid there are too many things going on today for me to figure out which one you''re referring to."

    "Are you okay with me killing people?" this time, he specified his question, a hint of hesitation in his voice. "You must have known I''d killed a lot of people in the pastˇŞand possibly more in the futureˇŞbut this is the first time you''ve actually seen me kill. I guess I am afraid that I will instill fear in you after what you saw today."

    I turned on my back, immediately meeting his brilliant red eyes.

    "Luke, I know killing people is a terrible thing to do, but I also know that it''s inevitable in... in your world. What I saw today was indeed scary, but I would never be afraid of you," I smiled at him, my hand tidying his messy hair, "Because I know that you are a good manˇŞyou always are. How could I be afraid of you when you are my safe haven?

    And... you are aware that I have had a difficult life in the past, right? This isn''t the first time I''ve seen anything similar. I''ve seen and experienced a lot of awful things. I am not as naive as you believe I am."

    "I am fully aware of that, but will you still stay with me even after knowing the danger I pose?" he asked, "If you live in my world, there would be dangers everywhere. It won''t always be pleasant, and it could be bloody at timesˇŞas what we have just witnessed. I''ll go to any length to protect you, to keep you safe, but you should be aware of this fact. The fact that staying with me means that you are prepared to face any danger."

    "Of course, I will," I let out a soft chuckle, asking, "Am I not your mate? Isn''t it given for mates to stay with each other?"

    It must have bothered him for quite some time, and when he heard my positive response, it was as if a big weight had been lifted off his shoulders. The relief was clear on his face when he smiled, saying, "Yes, mates stay with each other forever."

    "Then, I will stay with you, for eons to come."

 Chapter 79 - Way back home - Part 1

    The sun had risen for quite some time, almost at the time for it to reach its peak. As the sun soared high and bright, it was finally time for us to leave Gordom. Our unexpected visit to the neighboring land was coming to an end, and this was my last chance to admire the beauty of the manor before leaving.

    We were standing by the front door, waiting for our carriage, when the two vampire siblings joined us. Both Kiel and Kiera came to see us off, wishing for our safe return.

    "How come you are leaving so soon?" the question came from Kiera to Luke, with the vampiress pretending not to notice that I was there beside him. "You should stay for a few more days," said Kiera, a pout on her face.

    Despite her displeasure about the humiliation that she had to endure at the vampire ball, she must have forgiven Luke by the forlorn expression on her face upon hearing the news of our departureˇŞI mean, Luke''s departure.

    "He is the lord of the largest land here, Kiera, that''s why," Kiel helped Luke in answering the query, removing the need for Luke to spend his energy answering the unnecessary question. Luke smiled at the help given.

    "Still, after this, we won''t be seeing each other for some time," said Kiera, still pouting, "It''s been two years since we last met each other. Shouldn''t we spend more time together?" she reached out to hold Luke''s hand, but Luke quickly retreated his hands before she could do so.

    "Unfortunately, I can''t," he coughed out, "I have a lot of works to do."

    Hearing it, she sighed, but in a few more seconds, her face lit up with the brilliant idea she had just come up with.

    "Ah!" she exclaimed, clapping her hands with glee, "I can always visit you there! How come I haven''t thought of this before? Silly me," she giggled.

    Her idea caused the two men to exchange glances at each other, not knowing what to say about this matter. Luke gave her a tight-lipped smile, most likely considering how to dismiss her suggestion, but the carriage arrived just in time for him to avoid answering the vampiress.

    "Oh, that must be our carriage," he said, sounding a little bit too eager, "We better leave now so we can get home before the sun sets."

    Luke wrapped his arm around my waist and led me to our carriage, leaving the siblings behind. I came to a halt and turned on my back before walking away from them, "Thank you for allowing me to stay here," I said, bowing my head to both.

    "It is my p???sur?," Kiel said, smiling when he said, "Though Luke will owe me one with this."

    My eyes then locked with Kiera''s, and I have no other choice but smile at her. She wasn''t exactly friendly to me and would sometimes send me a little glare, but I wanted to be remembered as a polite person.

    "Then, we will be leaving," Luke said for the one last time before we turned on our heels, stepping out of the manor''s gate. The carriage Kiel had lent us was waiting for us right in front of the manor, big and luxurious enough for people to know that it wasn''t just any carriage.

    Luke, as usual, helped me step inside the carriage first before stepping in himself. The coachman then closed the carriage door, and before long, the journey back home began.

    ...

    "Do you think he is okay?" I asked Luke, who was staring out the window.

    The carriage had left the manor, though we had yet to leave Gordom. We were passing the bustling road, and I have had my fun guessing which of the vampires out there were purebloods and which were not. It seemed that the carriage we were riding was quite the attention, judging at how people gawked their eyes as we passed through them.

    "You mean, Kiel?" he returned my query as he shifted his attention from the window to me and let out a sigh when he saw me nodding my head.

    "Certainly not. He is just putting on an act to make us believe so," he said.

    He did look the same as usual, almost making me believe that nothing had happened just the night before. He made no mention of what happened last night, almost like he was trying to keep it behind him.

    I couldn''t imagine what Kiel went through last night if even Luke was so affected by the loss. He must have been a lot closer to Ross than Luke as he lived in the same place and saw each other every day. I just hoped he didn''t have to go through this alone.

    "What about Kiera?" I asked.

    "I don''t think she is affected by it," he said, massaging his temples. "She was sent to their aunt''s home when she was a child, so she and Ross did not have a close relationship as what Kiel had. She only visits the manor a few times in a year before finally settling down for good when she reached ?du?thood."

    I nodded my head after his explanations, forming my mouth into an O shape. I then decided to ask him one more question as I fiddle with my fingers, "Then... what about you?"

    "Hmm?" he smiled, tilting his head, "What about me?"

    "Are you okay, or are you just pretending to be okay?"

    I could see how his eyes trembled when he heard my question, but he quickly hides them with a chuckle.

    "I will be okay because I have you with me," Luke said as he moved from the seat in front of me to the one beside me. He then took my hand and placed it on his cheek, saying, "I feel at ease when I''m with you."

    He will be okay... he said. That must mean he was not okay at the moment. I ??r?ssed his cheek, smiling at him, "I will make sure you feel okay."

    "Thank you," he chuckled, placing his head on my shoulder while at the same time locking his fingers with mine, "Can I stay like this for a while?"

    I hummed in response, allowing him to do as he pleased. I glanced at him, looking at the man who was closing his eyes with a dashing smile on his face. The sight of him brought a smile to my face. He was acting a lot like the black wolf who always loves to have his head patted.

    "You reminded me of Wolfie when you are like this," I chuckled, ruffling his hair softly. "I miss Wolfie," I said.

    As soon as he heard my confession, he raised his head and stared at me with slanted eyes.

    "I have been thinking about this for a long time. Do you like Wolfie better than me?" he asked, and I knew there was only one answer that he would gladly accept.

    Should I tease him a bit?

    "Well..." I brought my forefinger to my chin, looking slightly upwards as if in deep thoughts, "I must say you are second to Wolfie because he is cuter than you. I like cute things."

    The expectation he had of me shattered to pieces, and his expression turned sour almost instantly. He then let go of my hand and folded his arms, looking away to the window.

    "Oh, is that so?" he asked, a sigh escaping his mouth, "I don''t think my wolf is cute, though."

    "Really? But I think he is the cutest," I replied to his comment, which made him pout even more. "You see, I really like it when he asked me to pat his head. Oh! And I also really like how soft and fluffy his fur is. Hugging Wolfie is one of my favorite things to do."

    He swallowed the lump in his throat and began to fix his necktieˇŞwhich didn''t need any fixing at allˇŞwhile remaining silent in response to me. He was sulking like a child, and I couldn''t help but laugh at him.

    "Why? Are you jealous of your wolf?" I teased, bumping his shoulder slightly.

    "Me?" he pointed to himself, as if not believing what he had just heard, "Why would I be jealous of him? That''s ridiculous."

    "Then what happened to your face?" I cupped his cheeks, making him look my way, "You look like a duck."

    "I do?" he asked, and his lips quickly returned to normal, but he couldn''t hide the disappointment from his face. "You must have seen wrong. Maybe we need to go to a doctor to have your eyes examined," he said before mumbling the next few words, "So you won''t confuse what is cute and what is not."

    Though he was mumbling, I didn''t miss a word he said.

    "You are obviously jealous of your wolf," I burst out laughing, enjoying teasing the man. I then pinched his cheeks, just like what he always does to me, "I am just kidding, okay? I like you the most."

    "Are you telling the truth?" he asked, raising his eyebrows and again looking at me with slanted eyes, "More than you like Wolfie?"

    "More than I like Wolfie," I confirmed, and soon, the smile returned to his face.

    He was just about to pinch my cheeks back but stopped when he heard me say, "But if I see Wolfie again, I might have to rethink my answer."

 Chapter 80 - Way back home - Part 2

    "Ah, so this is Gordom''s border?" I asked, looking out the window where a huge wall stood. It was without a doubt the biggest wall that I had ever seen in my whole life, and I couldn''t even see the end of it from inside the carriage.

    "It is, and when we go out of that gate," he pointed to a tall and rusty gate by the center of the wall, "We will no longer be in the land of vampires. Instead, we will reach a place called Shadow Woods."

    "Shadow Woods?"

    "It''s a forest that belongs to no one and is used to divide the three lands," he explained, taking out a parchment from his pocket. The parchment turned out to be a map of the three lands, depicting the location of each land.

    "Have you heard about Axthrone?" he queried, and when I shook my head no, he laid out the map on his th??hs, showing me the map.

    When I looked at the map, I realized for the first time that the three lands were all located on the same continent, separated only by the forest called Shadow Woods. Shadow Woods itself was located by the middle of the map, spanning from the bottom to the top of the mapˇŞsplitting it into two halves.

    Wonsvile took the majority of the map''s left side, while Gordom and Myltha shared the remaining half. Myltha occupied the smaller upper side, whereas Gordom occupied the larger bottom side.

    "You see, all of this used to be one," he said as he circled the entire map, "There was no Wonsvile, no Gordom, and no MylthaˇŞthere was only a place called Axthrone. It used to be a place where all creatures lived peacefully alongside one another. However, the peace didn''t last long."

    I nodded to his explanation, allowing him to continue.

    "Axthrone was destroyed when a war broke out, and we call that war the Great Axthrone War. It first started as a war between all creatures, each creature vying for dominanceˇŞthough I can''t say the same about humans," he chuckled, "Werewolves, vampires, and humans eventually came to an accord and resolved to battle the witches together, as witches were the ones who first started the war."

    "Why did the witches start the war?" I asked.

    "Of course, to rule the world," he answered, "They wanted to create a world full of magic, where witches rule over all creatures. They were greedy for power, but then their greed cost them their magic."

    "What do you mean it cost them their magic? They can''t use their magic anymore?"

    "Ahh, did I not tell you?" he asked, tilting his head to the side, "There are two kinds of witches, a black witch, and a white witch. The black witches were the ones who started the war, not the white ones. And when I say magic, I mean black magic. Black magic is magic that is only used by the black witches, mostly to bring harm to others."

    There are two kinds of witches? It was my first time hearing about it.

    "How did they lose them?"

    "At that time, the white witches were on our side. Despite the fact that they are sisters, black and white witches have always had a bad relationship since they never view things the same way. That''s why white witches banded together with us and helped us defeat the black witches. While the other three creatures cornered black witches, white witches gathered their strength to seal the black magic in an orb known as the black orb.

    But due to the immense power of black magic, one black orb was not sufficient to seal it all. As a result, white witches sealed the black magic in three black orbs and kept them hidden in a place only they knew about."

    "Why didn''t they just destroy the orbs?"

    "Because they lack the power to do so," he explained, "In order for them to seal the black magic, they needed to pay for a priceˇŞand that price was their own magic. That''s why they could only seal half of the black magic, but that was enough to defeat the black witches."

    "So to defeat the black witches, the white witches sacrificed their magic?"

    "Not completely, but yes," he said, scratching his head, "I don''t really know much about the witches, but I believe only a certain group of white witches lose their magic."

    "Does that mean white witches are good? But why are they treated the same way? People would immediately kill anyone suspected of being a witch, regardless of whether they are a white witch or a black witchˇŞor if they are a witch at all."

    "Well, it''s because we can''t tell them apart. The fear of not being able to tell them apart drove people to kill just anyone under the suspicions," he folded the map back to his pocket, crossing his legs together, "But as white witches are quite helpful, a few recognized ones live under the protection of the church, using their magic to help people in need.

    White witches who live under the protection of the church will have a mark on their bodies, and only those who bear the mark of a white witch will be safe from the people''s dreadˇŞalthough it seems not everyone knows about this fact."

    It is true that not many people knew about this factˇŞor about any dark creatures in general. I only knew about the dark creatures because my mother used to tell me a lot of interesting stories, but even with that, it was the first time for me to hear about the things Luke told me about today.

    While not many knew about the existence of the other two dark creatures, it wasn''t quite the same for witches. We have been told many horrible stories of witches, but none of them tells about the different kinds of witchesˇŞprobably because people had decided that all witches were evil. Despite the differences in their nature, both witches were grouped together and feared the same.

    "Does that mean all the witches we found outside of the church are black witches?"l

    "Not exactly," he shook his head, "White witches who live under the protection of the church are always heavily guarded, with every of their actions observed. That is why I believe there must be some white witches out there who chose to live in the darkness rather than live under control."

    "But why are they controlled?"

    "Because there might be a chance of them turning to a black witch by tapping into the remaining black magic."

    Ahh, that makes sense. I wanted to know more about how they sealed the dark magic, but I didn''t think Luke would know that much about the witches. It was quite fun to learn more about the world I''m living in.

    I was so engrossed in hearing Luke''s explanation that I didn''t notice that we had long entered the Shadow Woods. When I looked out of the window, I realized why this place was called the Shadow Woods. The trees around us were thick and tall, towering over us and hiding nearly all of the day''s light. It seemed as though day had abruptly given way to the darkness of night.

    It wouldn''t be shocking if something suddenly showed up... something otherworldly.

    I swallowed the lump in my throat, slowly backing away from the window. I was not fond of things like this, even though I was used to the darkness. I''m not sure when the dislike for this first started, but I believe it was on one of the days when I was locked in the underground room.

    I remember I was locked in the underground room for about a week, and I was very weak due to the days of starvation. I''m not sure if it was because I wasn''t feeling well, but I recall seeing a shadow in the underground room where I was constantly aloneˇŞa shadow that wasn''t mine.

    Even though the room was dark, I could still see some light from the small opening created by the closed door, and that light caused me to see the shadow. At first, I thought I was hallucinating. But then the shadow started to move, going around the room and stopped in front of me. It stayed for some time as if scrutinizing me before then started to move around again.

    The only chair in the room started to move on its own, and the chains left on the ground started to make a clanking sound. I was certain that there was something else in the room, as I could feel a breeze whenever the shadow went past me. It was the first time that I was afraid of something I couldn''t see, and it made me realize there was a lot about the world that I didn''t know about.

    I rememberˇŞfor the rest of my stay in the underground roomˇŞI was not alone.

    "AHHH!!" I screamed.

    While I was replaying the horrifying memory in my head, something suddenly touched my hands, immediately startling me. I drew my hands away from whatever was touching me, but it turned out to be Luke, who had the same surprised expression on his face after attempting to take my hands in his.

    "Did I... do something wrong?"

 Chapter 81 - Way back home - Part 3

    A familiar scent lingered in the air, slowly entering my senses and waking me up from my slumber. My mind was still a little hazy, and my eyes were heavy with sleep. It took me a few moments to take in my surroundings, to finally realize where I was in.

    The damp floor, the musty smell, the suffocating silence, the darkness. Everything was the same. There wasn''t the slightest difference from what I remember in my memories, even after the time that passed.

    What in the world happened? I was on my way back home with Luke, but how did I end up here? I''ve tried everything I can to get out of here, but why am I back to this place? Did... did my dad find me? Were we attacked on our way home?

    "N-no, I can''t be here," I shook my head vigorously as tears began to well up in my eyes, "I... I need to go," I stammered as I attempted to stand, my body trembling with fear of repeating the years of torture.

    I tried to walk to the old, rusty door, but something stopped me from going any further. One of my legs was chained, preventing me from escaping the room. I yanked on the chains with all my might, hoping that it was old enough to snap, but all my efforts were in vain.

    Nothing snapped the chains, no matter how hard I slammed, kicked, or pulled. Both my legs and hands were bloodied with how hard I tried to broke the chains, but I still couldn''t escape. My breath started to hasten, going rapid and unsteady as the anxiety grew in me.

    The thought of staying here dreaded me the most, yet there was nothing that I could do to escape. What more does he want from me? Why did he bring me back here? WhyˇŞwhy can''t he just let me be?

    Were all those years of torturing me not enough for him?

    "L-Luke," I desperately called for the man, but there was no one but me in this room. I was alone, just like how it used to be. No matter how many times I called for him, there was no response. All I could hear was the deafening silence and my uncontrollable sobs.

    My body slumped to the floor, losing all the strength I had in me. Ahh, was it all a dream? Those few months of freedom, was it nothing but a dream?

    I pulled my body closer, hugging my knees. Will I ever escape this place? Will I ever be able to go back to Luke, to where my home is? Will IˇŞwill I die here?

    Minutes after minutes, there was nothing but me and the darkness. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn''t seem to stop my tears from falling. I don''t want to be here. I don''t want to suffer again. I don''t want to die.

    The sound of footsteps shattered the silence, alarming all senses in my body. The sound grew louder and louder as it progressed down the stairs to this very room. My heart was thumping so loudly inside my ?h?st that it seemed like it was about to explode any moment due to the fear of what was coming. I hugged my body tighter and closer, my brows furrowing as my gaze remained fixed on the entrance of the cold underground room.

    I found myself holding my breath as I dread what was coming, and even hugging myself was no way to stop my body from shaking with fear. I kept on praying, praying that this was only a dreamˇŞbut, as usual, my prayers went unanswered.

    And there... there stood a man, a man of my worst nightmare. Norman Quinn.

    "Ahh, there you are, Violet," he exclaimed, his voice joyous as if he had found his lost treasure, "My lovely daughter."

    His voice brought terror to my whole body, and the sight of him made me lose the last bit of my sanity. Everything turned much, much colder, and I could feel the surge of panic washing all over me. Every part of me was screaming for me to run, but I was paralyzed with fear.

    "No... no..." I frantically shook my head, hiding my face in between my knees. Perhaps, when I open my eyes, he will be gone? This can''t be real. This must be a dream.

    I could hear his footfall coming closer and closer to where I was, stopping just a few inches away.

    "Don''t you miss me, Violet? Why are you hiding from me after all the time we have lost?" he asked, but I gave him no answer. I was too caught up with my own fear to give him an answer.

    "Show me your face. I want to see my daughter," he said, and I only shook my head, mumbling a weak no. I didn''t want to follow his words, even though I knew what would happen if I didn''t. Even for one more second, I didn''t want him to see me, and I didn''t wish to see him either.

    A chuckle came from him as he looked at me, who remained in my curled-up position. He squatted down, his hand ??r?ssing my hair which ultimately made my whole body flinch at the touch.

    "Did you not hear what your father said, Violet?" he asked, gently ??r?ssing my hair. "Let me repeat it once more then. I said," his gentle ??r?ss soon turned into a violent pull on my hair, lifting my head by force, "Show me your face."

    "Ack!" I screamed, his hand still harshly pulling on my hair even after I lifted my head to face him. I had no choice but to raise my head, looking at the man who I wished I could forget.

    Everything about him reminded me of myself, from his brown hair to his green eyes, our similarities were impeccable, and yetˇŞI hated that. I despised the fact that I looked a lot like him, the fact that his blood ran through my veins, the fact that I was his daughter.

    "Why are you crying?" he asked, wiping the tears rolling down my cheeks, "Are you not happy being back with your father?"

    Even though tears blurred my vision, I could tell that he was smiling and that he was overjoyed to see me here, as opposed to me, who would rather be anywhere but here. The thoughts of staying in the same place with him again made me feel sick to my stomach, but the little hope of an escape seemed to be too far to reach.

    "The time you spent without me must have turned you into a mute," he released his grip on my hair, his hand going down to ??r?ss my cheek, "What made you think that you will be able to run from me, Violet? Here, let me tell you something," he walked a step closer, whispering, "You will never be able to escape me, as long as I''m alive, and as long as you''re alive."

    "N-no... no!" I desperately shook my head, wanting to back away from him but was stopped by the wall behind me. "W-why... why are you doing this to me? Why did you bring me back here?" I asked, my voice hoarse and weak.

    Hearing my question, he let out a laugh, the loudest one I have ever heard from him.

    "Why do you think?" he returned my question, the amused smile still on his face, "It is because we are a family, and familyˇŞstays with each other forever."

    ...

    "Violet! Violet!"

    I awoke with a gasp, my breath heavy. My eyes immediately looked around my surroundings to see that I was sitting in a carriage, realizing that what happened was only a dream.

    "Violet, are you okay?" Luke asked, cupping my cheeks for me to look at him, "You are sweating all over."

    I drew him into an embrace as my eyes met his, relieved to be back with him. I''ve never felt any safer than I am right now, and it was thanks to him that I felt so secure.

    "Am I dreaming?" I asked, wanting to make sure that this was not another dream, "Are you real?"

    "What are you talking about? Of course, I am real," he said, wrapping his arms around me. "What''s wrong? Did you have a bad dream? I was so shocked when I saw you crying in your sleep."

    "I did," I nodded, "It was a really, really bad dream."

    I used to dream about my father a lot, about the sufferings and the pain he caused me. However, after meeting Luke, the dream has been less frequent, so I ?ssumed I was no longer plagued by this nightmare. I never imagined having this dream again would be so terrifying.

    Was it because I felt content with my life now? I was scared that I would be stripped away of this happiness, and I would have to go back to the life I had before. I was terrified that the dream would come true, that I would have to suffer once more.

    I may have escaped my father physically, but mentallyˇŞhave I, truly?

    "It''s okay," he said, "Everything is going to be okay."

 Chapter 82 - Village - Part 1

    "Look, we are back in Wonsvile," Luke said, glancing out to the window. I followed him to look outside, seeing that we were by the end of the dark and dense forest. It took us nearly five hours to get out of the forest, finally reaching back to our homeland.

    Similar to Gordom, Wonsvile also had a huge wall surrounding its vast grounds, marking the start of Wonsvile''s territory. There appeared to be several entrances to Wonsvile, as I discovered a sign reading ''Gate One'' by the top of the gate we were currently passing through.

    "Are there other gates besides this one?" I asked.

    "There are two gates to Wonsvile, as our land is divided into the upper part and the lower part. Do you know about that?"

    "No..." there seemed to be too many things that I didn''t know about the world I''m living in.

    Hearing it, he smiled, ruffling my hair, "It''s okay. I''ll tell you all the things you don''t know and take you to all the places you''ve never been to before. I promised you that, didn''t I?"

    "You did," I smiled.

    "Well, unfortunately for us, I will be a little busy for the next few days because there must be a pile of work waiting for me on my desk. I won''t be able to fulfill my promise before I finish all of them, so you will have to wait for a little while."

    "Do you need me to help you?" I asked, feeling bad that he would have a lot of busy days because of what happened to me, "After all, I was once your secretary," though I didn''t remember doing anything related to a secretary''s duties.

    He burst out laughing when he heard my remark, leaving me confused as to what was funny about what I had just said.

    "What?" I asked him.

    "It sounds funny to me to call you my secretary," he continued to laugh, shaking his head, "I was only using that as a reason for you to stay with me when you said you were going to leave. I had no intention of making you my secretary, as I don''t even need one. ButˇŞthere''s no way that I would let you leave just a few days after I found you when I''ve searched for you for years."

    Ahh, so that was the reason. I used to be very perplexed as to why he never ?ssigned me any work and only asked me to ?ssist him with trivial tasks that he could complete himself. But when he did ask me to do something, it was something as bizarre as feeding him food. At that time, I was feeling very uncomfortable and awkward. I was scared that I might have bumped into someone weird just after my escape.

    "Not that I would ever let you leave me in my lifetime," he added.

    "You seem to be very possessive of me," this time, it was my turn to laugh. This reminded me of what Luke''s mother, Ysabelle, said to me when she pulled me into her painting. She told me that werewolves are extremely possessive of their mates, even more so for the Alpha wolf. Though Luke hasn''t really done much to show his possessiveness of me, the sign was already there.

    "You tell me, Violet," he said, putting one of his palms on my cheek, "How can I not be when I have you as my mate?" he smiled, and then all of a sudden, my stomach felt funny.

    "D-don''t say that," I quickly glanced sideways, to the window, where I wouldn''t see how he was staring at me with that smile of his, "Flattery will get you nowhere."

    "Will it not, really? I don''t think the same. I think it will get me everywhere," he chuckled, leaning over to see my face, "See, it gets me to see you with flushed cheeksˇŞthough what I said was not flattery, but more of a fact."

    This man tends to be too forthright in expressing his affection for me that I often found myself at a loss for words. How am I supposed to respond?

    "A-are we there yet?" I cleared my throat, pushing his face away from me. "Ah! Is that the village you are looking for?" I leaned closer to the window, pointing out where there were a few houses in sight.

    "It''s not," he pulled my body away from the window for me to sit right back, "There should be a good ten minutes before we reach our destination," he said, peering at his pocket watch.

    It was around noon when we first started our journey from Gordom, and it had been approximately six hours since then. It was almost time for the sun to set, and the blue skies had turned crimson and orange. By the time we reach the village, I''m afraid the day would turn dark already.

    I noticed that the winter in Gordom was much, much colder than it was in Wonsvile. Back in Gordom, I needed three layers of clothing to keep my body warm, but in Wonsvile, I only need two layers, or else it would be too warm.

    "I have a question," I said, then Luke nodded his head as if to allow me to ask away, "That time... when we first met, why did you hide the fact that you are a werewolf?"

    "Because I was afraid you would be scared of me, scared that you will reject me," he smiled sourly. "For werewolves, getting rejected by our mate is the worst thing that could ever happen to us. In the worst case, we could die from the pain of rejection."

    "It''s that bad?" I gasped.

    "It is, but it also depends on how well the person takes the rejection," he nodded, then pinched my cheeks, "That''s why you shouldn''t leave me unless you are planning to kill me, okay?"

    "I won''t leave you," I pouted, "I don''t even have a place to go."

    "Then what if you do have a place to go? Will you leave me?"

    "Hmmm," I narrowed my eyes, looking upwards as if I was thinking hard, "I guess it depends onˇŞow!" Luke pinched my cheeks harder, stopping me from saying what I was about to say.

    "Not a chance, rabbit," he shrugged, "I won''t even let you say that you are going to leave me. You are going to stay with me forever."

    "It''s only a joke, okay?" I giggled, "I won''t leave you, so can you please take your hands off my cheeks? You''re going to make my skin sag if you keep on pinching me."

    He made a face at me and then released my cheeks, grunting. His hand then moved to mine, keeping it secure on his own. It seems like he wouldn''t even give me any opportunities to run from him.

    "Here," Luke took out an object from his pocket, offering it to me, "Keep it in your pocket."

    He handed me a pocket knife, and I accepted without asking any questions. It was obvious that things could turn sour when we were doing something related to a witch, and he was telling me to be prepared for the worstˇŞwhich would be when he couldn''t protect me, and I had to protect myself without having him around me.

    "And wear this as well," he added as he handed me a cape, "We don''t know how many witches are out there, so it''s best if they don''t see you. It could be dangerous, especially when they are currently going after you."

    "Okay," I complied, wearing the cape over my dress. The cape reached all the way to the bottom of my dress, hiding my whole body and at the same time adding warmth to it. Luke also wore another cape that he had prepared beforehand, then helped me put on the hood on my cape to hide my face.

    "Another reason is that I don''t want people to be enchanted by your beauty when they see you. It could be bad for youˇŞand for them," he mumbled, making sure that his voice was loud enough for me to hear before smiling and winking his eyes at me.

    Seriously, this man really took every chance he got to tease me. I wonder what he would do if he got jealous? I couldn''t stop myself from being curious about it.

    Just then, the coachman pulled the carriage over, signaling that the ride was over. We have arrived at our destination, and it was time for us to get to work. Just a few seconds after the ride ended, the coachman pulled the door opened, allowing us to step down the carriage.

    Luke, as usual, was the first to get off the carriage before reaching out his hand to help me get off the carriage. Done with helping me, he stretched his hands upwards, preparing his body for the upcoming events.

    "Ahh! It''s finally time to go witch-hunting," he grinned.

 Chapter 83 - Village - Part 2

    Getting off the carriage, we immediately made our way to the first village out of the two villages located near Mount Elard. The massive and tall mountain stood just behind the two villages, towering over them. Although mountains typically provide many resources, these two villages couldn''t take advantage of their locations as nothing could ever grow on the dead mountain. Even from afar, anyone could see the eeriness of the mountain.

    Luke told me that I was held captive deep within a cave on the dead mountain where none residesˇŞonly the dead. No people in their sane minds would want to live inside the mountain, but it was the perfect place for someone who needed a place to hide as not many had the courage to go there.

    Hearing the story of the dead mountain, I couldn''t help but wonder to myself, how did I survive that? No, ratherˇŞhow did I survive all these years? Perhaps that was the right question.

    "Come," Luke said, taking my hand in his.

    We walked to the entrance of the village, where two guards were stationed. The two guardsmen stopped us from entering when they noticed us walking closer, asking for identificationˇŞor so it seems.

    "Oi! Where d''ya think yer going?!" one of the guardsmen slurred, his body swaying side to side as if he was having difficulty to stand straight, "Out, out! No visitors during the night!" he shooed.

    "Shh," the other guardsmen staggered to his friend, putting his forefinger to his lips, "The woman can stay, but the man should leave," he guffawed, followed by his friend.

    Are they drunk?

    I glanced at Luke, seeing him with an unamused expression on his face. He let out a sigh, decided to ignore the two drunkards by breaking his way in. As the two men were busy laughing, we left them behind and walked inside.

    The blue haze of the day had turned to the color of a dark purple, slowly revealing the twinkling stars in the sky. Though the day had turned dark, it didn''t stop the people from doing their activities. The day was still far from being over.

    "Oi! I told ya no visitors!" shouted the same guardsman, grabbing Luke''s shoulder to stop him. The volume of his voice drew the attention of the surrounding passersby, but they quickly ignored us and went about their business.

    "Only the woman can stay," the other guardsman soon followed, giggling as he tried to pull my hand.

    Before he could reach me, Luke quickly pulled me behind him, "Who do you think you are trying to touch?" he glared at him, towering over the drunken man.

    Looking at Luke''s brashness, he started to get irked, "How dare you look at me like that!!" he shouted, "I''m the guard here!! Don''t you know how hard it is to work under the lord? I''ve passed a lot of difficult tests to be here!!" he placed his index finger on Luke''s ?h?st, poking him, "I can easily beat you to a pulp!!"

    "He''s right, you lad!!" shouted the other guard, "How dare ya glare at us like that!! Let me see yer face!!" he roughly pulled on Luke''s cape, wanting to have a good look on his face. When he saw Luke''s face, he narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing him, "Hm, ye look oddly familiar."

    "Move aside!! Let me see how bad he looks," the other man shoved his friend aside, "Tch!! You must be one of those guys who only have the looks. I bet he can''t even throw a punch," he laughed to his friend, slapping on his friend''s back as he laughed. He then began to demonstrate his skills, hitting the air left and right and boasting about his ability to knock anyone out with a single punch.

    The other guard didn''t respond to his friend, still scrutinizing Luke. When he finally realized who Luke was, he stopped scrutinizing him and quickly bowed his head.

    "M-my lord," he stuttered, "P-please forgive my rude behaviors. I-I didn''t realize it was you," the shock of seeing the lord must have helped sober him up.

    "Do you think he will sober up if I throw him a punch?" Luke smiled, motioning to the drunk guard. "Let me see if I, too, possess the talent he boasts about," he raised his fist, ready to send a punch straight to the drunken guard.

    "WhaˇŞ" the drunk guard staggered backward, his eyes closing quickly.

    "Luke!" I called, stopping him right before his fist touched the guard''s face.

    "I''m only kidding," he chuckled, releasing his fist, "You two better sober up in five seconds if you still want to keep your job."

    Was he, really?

    "Y-yes!" the sober guard bowed his head, forcing the drunken guard to bow his head also despite his tantrums. "P-please come in. Is there anything that I can help you with?"

    "No. I don''t need any help from two drunkards," he refused, "I''ll need to meet the magistrate. How come he trust you two to guard the village?" he questioned, draining the color from the guard''s face, "Looks like I need to make the test harder to find the right people to work under me."

    Finally, the two guards were no longer holding us back, and we could finally head into the village. Just as Luke stated, we were on our way to the magistrate''s office because Luke needed to put some words to the magistrate''s head and ask where the abandoned church wasˇŞhe didn''t want to ask the two guards as he was annoyed by them.

    A few secret glances were cast our way, as though it was unusual for the villagers to see visitors in the village. They acted like they didn''t care about us, but their eyes showed their curiosity. The differences between this village and the town were obvious, starting from the buildings, the roads, and the people.

    I could tell that this village was not that of a wealthy one, seeing how the majority of the people were clothed in filthy and ragged attire. Furthermore, they acted like they were constantly on alert, even when there was nothing out of the ordinary happening around here.

    It was quite easy to locate the magistrate''s office when the building was built more exquisitely than the rest of the village. Though the lanterns on all the other buildings were still lit, the ones on the magistrate''s office were off. Someone must have left work early.

    As soon as we arrived at the magistrate''s office, someone in better-looking apparel, perhaps the magistrate himself, walked out the door. He was happily humming to a song as he prepared to lock the door to his office, very excited to leave work early.

    "What''s gotten you so happy, Mr. Magistrate?" I could see how the man jumped a little at Luke''s question, startled by the sudden presence.

    "L-Lord William, h-how come you are here?"

    "Why? Are you not happy to see me?" Luke smiled as he responded to the magistrate''s question, "That''s weird. Most people are overjoyed to see me since they can now confirm that the rumor about the Lord being a handsome man is true and not just a rumor. Am I wrong?" He then turned to look at me, just as if the question was not only for the magistrate but also for me.

    Surprised, I quickly came up with an answer, "That''s, uhˇŞvery true," I nodded, turning to the magistrate to give him a small smile as if to ?ssure him with my answer.

    "Of course, I am glad to meet you, My Lord," he bowed, masking his shock with his polite speech, "I''m just wondering why you are here without any prior notice. Had you told me that you would be coming, I would have prepared you a cup of warm tea or perhaps, a coffee if you much prefer so."

    "Then, would you mind bringing me a cup of warm tea? I would love to warm myself after being out in the cold for so long," he smiled, indirectly asking to enter his office. "Ahh, make it two cups. One for me and one for my woman," he winked.

    "Please, come in," he opened the door for us to enter, though it seems to be out of his will. This building, as I expected, was in considerably better shape than the rest of the village. It was lavishly ornamented, with some pieces even being gold-plated. It didn''t appear to be an office, but rather, to say that this was his own personal space would be much fitting. It would not be a surprise if one said that this office was from a different village.

    Luke and I sat down on a nice, plush sofa, the kind you would find in a noble home. I could notice the sweat forming on the magistrate''s almost bald head, despite the cold weather. There must be something he was hiding from us, and Luke was more than ready to make spill the beans.

    He started off by admiring the decorations, looking around the space, and acting as if he was enamored with the office''s splendor. Then there were his words, words that sent shivers down the magistrate''s spine.

    "Did you, perhaps, keep the village funds to line your own pockets, Mr. Magistrate?"

 Chapter 84 - Village - Part 3

    "W-what are you talking about, My Lord?" the magistrate inquired, his hands trembling as they held the teacup, spilling the tea within. "Oh, my apologies. I should go and clean this up," he restlessly placed the teacup back to the table, as if he was in a haste to go and hide somewhere, even if it was only for a short moment.

    "Please don''t mind the tea," Luke said, crossing his legs, "Why don''t you come and sit here, sir? I would love to exchange a few words with you, my most dedicated employee," he beckoned for him to sit on the sofa right across us, giving him his most charming smile.

    Seeing that there was no way out of the situation, the magistrate soon complied, but was still looking for ways to conceal his wrongdoings. Despite his older age, he took a seat politely, clasping both his hands togetherˇŞperhaps to hide the beads of sweat on his palms.

    "How''s work? Is it manageable?" asked Luke, alarming the magistrate in every way despite the casual question, "Do you have any difficulties in managing the village?"

    "N-no, My Lord. Everything is going very well," he responded, which instantly made Luke chuckle when he heard his bold answer.

    "Is that so?" he leaned in closer to the magistrate, his hand reaching for the gold brooch on the magistrate''s pocket, "Then how come I found so many problems with the village?"

    "Y-yes?"

    He sighed, leaning back to the sofa, "While the villagers are living in poverty, the magistrate lived with such luxuries around him," he scrutinized our surroundings, furrowing his brows, "How''s that possible, I wonder?"

    "T-t-this came from my family!! My family owns a business, and this is the result of our success," he blurted out, "T-there''s no way that I would take the village funds for my own sake."

    "Let''s suppose what you said is true," Luke nodded, crossing his hands across his ?h?st, "Then how do you explain the drunk guards? The dirty roads? The homeless villagers? Isn''t it your responsibility to ensure that nothing like this happens in the village?"

    "T-that''s..." he faltered, having nothing to retort back.

    "Tell me the truth, and I might give you a piece of my conscience by reducing your sentence," Luke said, but the magistrate remained silent, as if he had too many things to say and couldn''t decide which to say first.

    Seeing how the magistrate was hesitating even after hearing his offer, Luke decided that there was no need to be generous to a man who was blinded by his greed.

    "Nevermind," Luke said as he clapped his hands, signaling the offer was no longer available. "I''ll just see into this matter according to the law," he smiled kindly. The magistrate only lowered his head, swallowing his saliva as he desperately hoped for our departure, but we were yet to leave.

    "Now, I have other things that I''m here for," Luke continued, causing the magistrate''s face to grow even paler. "I''m looking for an abandoned church. Do you know if there''s any in this village?"

    I noticed how the magistrate''s body tensed up when he heard about the abandoned church, and his eyes didn''t dare to meet Luke''s. Despite his efforts, it appears that the magistrate was not very good at hiding his emotions.

    "No, not that I know of. I''ve never heard of an abandonedˇŞ" Luke quickly cut him off, seeing through his lies.

    "You better tell the truth unless you want me to turn you completely bald by plugging all that''s left on your head."

    "W-well," the magistrate stuttered, realizing that it was not an empty threat coming from the Lord, "There isn''t any in this village, but there is one in the next village."

    Luke then stood up, straightening his cape before turning to face the magistrate, who was still sitting quietly on the sofa, "What are you waiting for? Quick, take me there."

    Mr. Magistrate was taken aback when he heard his order, not expecting that he still need to help with more.

    "I-I would love to, Lord William, but my wife is waiting back home... she must be worried because I''m yet to be home when it''s way past my working hours," he attempted to reason, trying to flee from the Lord but sadly, he failed.

    "Don''t worry," Luke said, smiling and holding out his hand to take mine. "After this day, you''ll have all the time in the world to spend with your wife," he said, and the magistrate couldn''t help but wonder what he meant by it.

    ...

    "What happened here?" Luke asked, glancing at our surrounding which was more like a dead village.

    We had arrived at the second village, accompanied by the magistrate who acted as our guide to the abandoned church. Though the last village was already in poor condition, this one was in an even worst state.

    The village was dark, with only a few lanterns in a few houses were lit to illuminate the way through the village. There was also this smell roaming in the air, a really horrible combination of stuff that I couldn''t quite put my finger on.

    Was it because of the late hour? The road was quite empty, with b?r?ly a few people around. Those few people were all in a similar state. They were all skinnyˇŞbony, if I may say soˇŞwith almost no flesh covering their bodies. I was afraid that the one man shoveling the snow might break his hands from using so much force in his work.

    Along with their similar appearance, they also had the same expression on their faces. They stared into what was in front of them blankly, their skin pale and their lips blue. It was as if they were alive, but at the same time, dead.

    They paid no attention to us who passed them, only focused on what they were doing. Each of them had a different task to complete, such as shoveling snow, picking up trash, crafting equipment, and so on.

    "W-what do you mean with what happened, My Lord?"

    Truly, there seemed to be a lot of things that this magistrate man was hiding. From the minute we walked into his office till now, he seemed anxious, which explained the stuttersˇŞor was that how he normally talks?

    "What''s wrong with these people? It''s like they are not even alive," Luke said, scrunching his nose to the smell, "And what''s this smell?"

    "I-I am not well aware of the problems in this village, My Lord," the magistrate said, tightening his grip on the lantern in his hand. That seems plausible, considering that he was also not aware of the problems in his own village. Ah, perhaps pretending to not be aware was the right word.

    "True, no point in asking you," Luke said, as if mocking the man, "It seems like I also need to make a visit to the magistrate office in this village."

    "T-the magistrate, he is sick. I haven''t seen him for a few weeks now," he quickly interjected, causing Luke to raise one of his eyebrows up.

    "Is that so?"

    "Y-yes," nodded the magistrate.

    "I wonder why I keep questioning your credibility the more you talk, Mr. Magistrate," he replied nonchalantly, and the magistrate resolved to be quiet for the rest of the walk so that his credibility would not be questioned any further.

    It also didn''t seem like Luke was interested in learning more about the man whose name he didn''t even know.

    With a few more distances through the dark village, we soon arrived at our destination. The abandoned church where the exchanges between the black witch and Leonard took place.

    A church, a sacred place to worship, should be warm and invitingˇŞbut this one was far from being it. Even from a distance, everything about this church spooked me. Its walls were damaged in places, and vines grew all around it. The windows were shattered, and the paint had faded due to years of neglect. Right on top of the two-way wooden door, was an inscription that I couldn''t read as it was not in a language that I understood.

    "Your job here is done," Luke glanced at the magistrate, taking the lantern in his hand, "Go back to your wife and wait for your sentencing with patience. It will come in no time," he smiled.

    He had nothing to say about his wrongdoings, even though he was not happy with the way things had turned out. He left without saying anything else after bowing his head, knowing that the more he says, the more punishment he will receive.

    Luke appeared to be unconcerned with the eeriness of the church, as though it was normal for him to be in such places. Though I was the one who came here on my own accord, I couldn''t help but hesitate before going into the church now that I''m right outside. After all, who would want to jump into a pit of fire on their own?

    Noticing that I was a little spooked by the church, Luke tightened his grip on my hand, saying, "Don''t worry, I beat ghosts too."

 Chapter 85 - Abandoned church - Part 1

    With the moral support Luke gave me, we walked into the church, using the lantern in his hand to light our way. After exerting a little force to open the entrance, it creaked open, allowing us to enter the church. As soon as I stepped inside, I realized it had been a mistake to come here so late in the day.

    Despite the darkness, I was able to see what was in front of me thanks to the lantern. Inside, it was just like any other church, with all of the essential amenitiesˇŞexcept that this one was particularly creepier than others.

    The fragments of the decayed ceilings and walls on the ground, as well as the amount of dust in the area, indicated that this location had been unoccupied for a long time. I ?ssumed that because religion is such a huge part of society, churches would always be a popular site for people to visit, but that must not be the case with the people in this village.

    Many statues were found throughout the church, intact but somewhat damage. I didn''t dare to look at them for too long, in case I found their eyes following mine. I had enough other-worldly experiences happening to me.

    "Hold this," Luke said, handing me the lantern. He must have thought that it would be better for me to be closer to our source of light, which was true. I wondered if he had trouble seeing in the dark with that supernatural vision of his. Maybe not.

    Having the light so close to me had both its advantage and disadvantage. The advantage would be that I wouldn''t trip on something on the ground, but the disadvantage would be that I might see something I shouldn''t.

    If it wasn''t so late in the day and the sun was still shining brightly, I would probably be admiring the beauty of this church right now. It was just that the darkness that surrounded me made everything seem unsettling.

    Despite its small size, the church was built with great care and attention to detail. I found many intricate sculptures, murals, stunning stained glass windowsˇŞthough shattered. It would be the perfect place for worship if it had its worshipper. Now, all that remained was ruins, rats, and unknown entities.

    There was nothing out of the ordinary, nothing that could possibly lead us to the witch. Did they only use this location for their meeting place and nothing more? Or did the witch know we were coming?

    "Rabbit, you are going to break my hand," Luke said, leaving me confused as to what he meant. Knowing that I didn''t get what he meant, he raised our entwined hands, showing how I was squeezing his hand hard.

    "Sorry," I replied, a small chuckle in my voice as I relaxed my grip. I was too preoccupied with my surroundings to notice that I was clutching his hand too tightly.

    We went back to exploring the church, searching every nook and corner for anything that might belong or might be related to the witch. It wasn''t until Luke broke the silence with a surprising question that I came to a halt.

    "Did you hear something?"

    I felt shivers all throughout my body, feeling the temperature in the place suddenly went lower than before. It was not because I heard something, but because I didn''t. That just meant there was something in here that couldn''t be seen or felt by just anyone, right? I was even more terrified now because I had no idea what I was supposed to be afraid of.

    "I-I didn''t," I gulped down, "W-what did you hear?"

    "I''m not sure," he shook his head, frowning. "The sound was very subtle and faint, but I think it was a female voice. Do you think there might be someone else here besides us?"

    I didn''t dare to respond and instead stared at the man in front of me. Given that this site had been abandoned for a long time, I didn''t want to admit that there might be someone else here besides us. We really should make haste with all of this exploring and get out of here as soon as possible. I''m starting to miss my bed a little too much.

    "Let''s hurry and leave," I urged.

    Continuing our search, I found a book, though again, it was not in a language that I understood. It appeared to be identical to the inscription I saw near the top of the entryway, and all of the words were foreign to my eyes. Is this the native language of this village?

    I was going to ask Luke, who was also looking through the same rack, when he suddenly shouted, leading me to scream in response to his shout.

    "AH!!"

    "AHHH!!" I jumped back, my eyes closing. I felt my body tensed up, with my fist clenched tightly to hit whatever comes out. "W-what? What''s there?!" I asked, still with my eyes closed.

    Seconds went by, but I didn''t feel anything coming. I begrudgingly opened my eyes, opening them ever so slowly, little by little. When I opened them, what I saw was not a ghost but a laughing Luke. He had his hand covering his mouth, trying his best to hold back his laughter.

    I glared at him, and my hand, which I had previously clenched into a fist to hit the ghost that appeared, landed on Luke''s ?h?st. I can''t believe he teased me like that!

    "Ow! Hahaha," he continued to laugh, but when he felt my glare still on him, he stopped. "I''m sorry," he apologized as he lowered his head, "It''s just... you look so adorable when you are focused that I can''t help but want to tease you."

    "Do you think this is the right time for your jokes?" I huffed, tossing the book I was holding back into the rack. He tried to hold my hand, but I stopped him from doing so. "Don''t touch me," I said, walking away to search elsewhere.

    I was annoyed, as what he did scare the life out of me. I could even feel my heart jumping out of my ?h?st! Just waitˇŞI''ll be sure to get back at him. One day, I''ll scare him so bad that his fur would start falling from his body.

    Just a second after I announced my plan for vengeance, a loud smash came from my right. One of the many statues in this church fell and broke without even anyone touching it. This made me stop in my tracks, slowly going back to where I came from.

    When he saw me turning around, going back to stand beside him, a huge grin appeared on his face. I tugged on his cape, asking, "A-are you not coming?"

    "Didn''t you just say you didn''t want me to touch you?" he raised one of his brows, glancing at my hand on his cape, "How come you''re the one who''s touching me now?"

    It seemed that his guilt for teasing me before was already gone when he saw me return to him in a split second after I left him. I wouldn''t have to toss my pride away like this if it weren''t for this stupid place.

    "I''m not touching you," I reasoned, "I''m only... touching your clothes."

    "Is that so? Then," he started to remove his cape, handing it to me, "Here, you can touch it all you want."

    I stared at him, dumbfounded by his antics. Why is he so annoying today? Now I can see why Lisa felt the need to punch him in the face. I''ve never felt compelled to punch someone before, but after seeing him tease me like this, I suddenly felt very compelled to do so.

    "Stop teasing me!" I said, causing another wave of laughter coming from the man. "You are so annoying," I glared at him.

    "Annoyingly handsome?" he said, and I couldn''t help but roll my eyes. I knew that being confident is good, but what about being too confident? He chuckled when he saw my reaction, reaching out his hand when he asked, "Can I touch you now?"

    I bit my lips, wanted to say yes, but also wanted to save the last bit of my pride. I couldn''t believe I couldn''t even stay mad for more than five minutes. I hesitantly extended my hand, which then he accepted with a smile.

    "Come, let''s see what''s behind that door and then we''ll get out of here," he said, pointing at the door by the corner.

    When I heard that we would be out of here soon, I couldn''t help but smile, walking a bit faster to quickly end our search in this church. We have been here a long time and haven''t found anything related to the witch. There had better be something, or otherwise, all my efforts here would be for naught. To think that I went into an abandoned church for nothing made me feel dizzy.

    Pushing the door opened, there revealed a stair leading underground, with nothing but darkness to see. Just when I thought this would soon be over, a new problem presents itself. I swallowed the lump in my throat, bracing myself to dive into the darkness. There better be something!!

    ...by something, I don''t mean ghosts.

    "Oh, good God."

 Chapter 86 - Abandoned church- Part 2

    "Rabbit, I know I told you to go down slowly, but I didn''t mean this slow," he said as he waited for me to go down the stairs, taking a few good minutes for me to take each stair at a time.

    I lost track of how many times I tried to brace myself by convincing myself that nothing was down there. But I couldn''t help but imagine something coming out from this dark underground room, suddenly lunging themselves at me.

    Or perhaps it was also a result of my recollections of being dragged down to an underground room and beaten mercilessly for days. A part of me was hesitant to go down these stairs on my own now that I had to. I need to keep on reminding myself that there wouldn''t be such a horrible thing again down hereˇŞwell, preferably.

    I could have stayed upstairs, but that would mean I will have to be on my own while Luke searched down here. Rather than being alone, I think I would much prefer to go down here with Luke. He was the only one who could bring me my sense of security in this place.

    "Here, let me hold that for you," he took the lantern in my hand, seeing how I was trembling a little while holding it. Luke appeared to be very calm and composed, as if nothing could frighten him, not even this place. "I''ll be right beside you, okay? No need to be scared. I promise I won''t scare you anymore," he said, giving me the courage to finally descend down the stairs.

    Going down, we arrived at a place that looked like the church''s storage room. The place was as dark as it can be, and I could only see what was in front of me when Luke held up the lantern. All the things here were mostly the things you would find in any other church, just that these ones were covered with dust.

    "There really is nothing here," I sighed, disappointed that we had come all this way for nothing. We initially came to this church hoping that it would be the witch''s hideout, as the place itself was quite secluded. Despite the fact that we had no other leads other than this church and the name Greta, it was worth a shot to come here knowing that the witch was right on my tail.

    The room we were in right now was shaped like rectangular, and almost all four sides of it were full of abandoned items. Racks after racks, the dust here made it difficult for me to breathe normally without coughing ceaselessly. One thing that piqued my interest in this place was that one empty wall by the deepest part of the room.

    Apart from the statue in the corner, this side of the room was the most empty part of the entire space. While the walls on the other three sides were hidden by tall full racks, this one was left empty. Maybe there weren''t any other things to store here, but I couldn''t figure out why I was drawn to this side of the room for no apparent reason.

    When I looked more closely, I found something written on the empty wall. Again, it was written in a language that I couldn''t understand, the very same one as what I found in the book from before and by the entrance. Looking at how frequently I encountered this language at this church, it must really be a native language spoken by the villagers here.

    I then turned my attention away from the words and onto the statue by the corner. It was a statue of a woman, dressed as a nun. The woman had her hands joined with one another, her eyes closed as if she was praying. It would be like any other statue I found here if it weren''t for the snakes I found on either side of her arms, twirling around her.

    I felt compelled to touch them, to touch the snakes. It was as if there was an invisible rope pulling me towards them. And so I did. I touched the snakes, and then suddenly, a burning sensation erupted from the part where I had touched them.

    "Ow!" I pulled my hand back, rubbing it to ease the burn. What was that? It was that burning sensation again. I''m sure I''ve felt this before too, it was back when I was cooking with Bob. I remember feeling a sudden burn in my hand, and right after it, it was all black.

    "What''s wrong?" Luke glanced at me, surprised by my scream. "Are you okay?" he asked.

    "I... I don''t know. When I touch this statue, I suddenly felt a burn in my hand," I beckoned towards the statue. Luke examined the statue, wondering what was wrong with it, but then came to the conclusion that there was nothing wrong with it.

    "Did you got a scratch?" he held my hand, turning it around to see if there was any wound, "There is nothing wrong with the statue. It''s just a normal statue, isn''t it?"

    "Really?"

    Was it common to come across a statue like this? The snakes seemed strange and out of place to me. Why were snakes wrapped around the arms of a nun?

    "Yes, it''s just like any other statue you would find in a church," Luke replied, so I decided to not ask any more questions about it as he must have known better than me. "Come, let''s get out of here," he said, pushing my back gently.

    We walked past the same stairwell, going upstairs back to the church hall. Though Luke said there was nothing wrong with the statue, I couldn''t ignore the strange feeling I had about itˇŞnot to mention the burn. What was it, really? The burn was not as strong as the first time I felt it, but it still hurt.

    Giving this place one last look, we finally went out of the church. I could feel my legs go weak from all the tension I had immediately after exiting the church.

    "Are you all right? That was a really big sigh," Luke chuckled, providing me the much-needed support for my legs.

    "I never want to go back there again," I said, waving my hand. It was the first time I had felt so relieved since leaving my father. When Luke said we were going to an abandoned church, I should have known it wouldn''t be a nice place to be. I''ve never been afraid of the dark, but I''ve always been afraid of what lurks in the dark. I was not fond of it, despite my years of experience living in it.

    "I figured," he laughed, patting my shoulders. "We should head back to our carriage, it''s getting too late. We still have to go on an hour carriage ride to reach home."

    I couldn''t hide my gasp when I heard him, thinking that there would only be a little distance left to go to reach home as we were already in Wonsvile. I must have forgotten that Wonsvile was the largest land out of the three.

    "Or would you prefer that we find an inn and spend the night here? I don''t want you to push yourself too much," he asked after hearing my gasp.

    While it was true that I was exhausted, I didn''t want to hold him back more than I already was because I knew he had a lot of work to do at home. It would be better if we reach home sooner so that he would rest more comfortably in his own room and quickly finish all of his delayed works.

    "No, I''m fine," I gave him a smile to ?ssure him as I shook my head, "Let''s hurry and make our way to the carriage. It''s been far too long since we''ve been home. I miss my bed," I said, earning a smile from him.

    Luke then gave me a nod, taking my hand to lead me back to our carriage. As we started to leave the church, a man was seen walking our way, a shovel in his hand.

    "Who''s that?" Luke asked, stopping me from walking further.

    With a closer look, I noticed that it was the villager whom I remembered as the one shoveling the snow in the village. But was something wrong with him? The man walked in an unusual manner, with his head lowered and back hunched. He was walking very slowly, as if he were sleep-walking. The man also appeared to be muttering something under his breath, repeatedly.

    Luke, realizing that it was one of the villagers, called out to the man, "Sir, are you all right?"

    The man didn''t respond to Luke''s call and kept his head lowered, still muttering something under his breath. We couldn''t hear what the man was saying because he was still quite far away, but as he got closer, we could finally make out what he was murmuring about.

    "Leave... leave..."

    Hearing it, Luke immediately pulled me behind him, noticing that something was wrong with the man. The man then suddenly raised his head, his eyes wide as he dashed towards us with his shovel up in the air, ready to attack us with it.

    "LEAVE!!!" he shouted.

 Chapter 87 - Abandoned church - Part 3

    The man suddenly ran towards us, his shovel raised high in the air. Luke quickly pushed me behind him, confronting the man.

    "LEAVE!!!" the man shouted, his voice boomed in the quiet night. I watched the man in terror, seeing how his eyes rolled back to his head, leaving only the white visible. Apart from his scrawny and lifeless appearance, there was nothing wrong with him when I first saw him. I thought he might be sick, but perhaps there was a lot more to it.

    The man lunged towards Luke with his shovel, intending to land a hit on him, but was quickly caught. Despite his boldnessˇŞor madnessˇŞthe man was quite frail, and that''s why Luke was able to stop him without much difficulty.

    "What is wrong with him?" Luke questioned as he held the shovel, stopping the man. The man initially struggled to reclaim his shovel but eventually gave up and started to attack Luke with his b?r? hands.

    "LEAVE!!!" The man let out another shout, his hands choking Luke''s neck. Luke stumbled backward as a result of his attack, caught off guard by the sudden change. Luke quickly returned his attack by kneeing him in the stomach, doing it a few times before finally breaking free from the man''s strangle.

    "He''s trying to kill me," Luke coughed, at the same time removing his cape so he could move more freely. The man had undoubtedly gone mad, like all he had in mind was for us to leaveˇŞperhaps by killing us. But what was it to him? Why was he doing this?

    Despite Luke''s attacks and being bloodied by him, the man didn''t stop. He kept on lunging himself at Luke, no matter the huge differences in their strength. The man looked like he was not in the right state of mind, as if he was being controlled by something.

    Every time Luke threw him aside, the man instantly rose to his feet and ran back towards Luke. It went on and on, leaving Luke confused as to what he should do. He knew something was wrong with the man, so he didn''t want to hurt him too badly as he was only a villager. Furthermore, the man''s frail appearance made it hard for him to hurt himˇŞthough not impossible. To a passerby, it would definitely appear as though Luke was bullying the man.

    Also, we were on our way to leave, but we couldn''t because he started attacking us. Should he stopped doing his madness, perhaps we would have reached our carriage by now.

    Luke then concluded that the only way to get the man to stop was to knock him out. And so he did. When the man lurched back towards him, Luke grabbed him by the collar and land a powerful blow to his jaw, knocking him out almost instantly.

    The man dropped to the ground as soon as Luke released his hold on him, finally no longer attacking us. Wiping his hands, Luke glanced back at me, "Let''s go."

    Luke acted as if nothing happened, wanting to leave the man just like that. I was taken aback, so I held his hand, glancing at the man on the ground.

    "Are we just going to leave him like this?"

    Despite the fact that the man had attacked us, it didn''t seem right to leave him in a place where people rarely passed through. But seriously, was there something wrong with the man?

    "I didn''t hit him too hard, so there shouldn''t be any problem with him. He''ll probably faint for a few hours and that''ll be it. Come on, let''s leave," he took his cape on the ground, draping it over his body, "Who knows what will he do when he wakes up."

    As usual, Luke would always walk with my hand in his, not wanting me to fall behind. I gave the man one last look before doing as I was told, walking away from him.

    "Are you okay?" I asked.

    "I am," he smiled, reassuring me. "He''s no match for me, but there''s definitely something wrong with him. It was as if he was possessed," his smile then turned to a frown as he recalled what happened, "Do you think it''s the church?"

    "What about the church?"

    "He was telling us to leave the church, right? Don''t you think it''s because there''s something that he wanted to hide about the church? Else, why would he attack us?"

    "But there''s nothing in the church," I replied, though I couldn''t help but wonder the same. It was impossible that the man attacked us out of nowhere; something must have prompted him to do so.

    "Perhaps there is something, but we failed to find it."

    Hearing his remark made me frown, as it didn''t seem like we hadn''t searched thoroughly enough. We had scoured the entire church, spending so much time inside to the point that I was on the verge of puking.

    "We shouldˇŞ" Luke''s sentences were cut short when we spotted a group of people, coming from the direction in front of us. There were about eight to nine people, all in a similar state as the previous man. Again, they were muttering the same word.

    "Leave... Leave..."

    My heart felt as if it jumped out of my ?h?st, seeing a group of people with white eyes coming towards us. They soon spotted us, and then the same thing happened all over again. They ran towards us in full tilt, screaming, "LEAVE!!!"

    "Shit," Luke cursed, pulling me to run in another direction. We turned to our left, going deeper into the village where none could be seen. Despite the fact that Luke could easily beat them, we were very outnumbered, making it difficult for him to engage them all at once. Furthermore, having me with him could be a burden as he also needed to protect me.

    For now, our best choice was to escape them.

    Despite my best efforts, I was struggling to keep up with Luke''s pace and stumbled a few times, causing us to slow down a little and for the people to catch up to us. Luke, seeing how I couldn''t keep up with him, stopped and lowered his back.

    "Quick, hop on to my back."

    Not wanting to waste any more time, I did what I was told to and jumped to his back, accidentally letting go of the lantern in my hand while doing so. I looked back, glancing at the people who were chasing after us.

    What was the matter with them? We were trying to leave, but they were the ones preventing us from doing so. They wanted us to go, so why wouldn''t they let us leave without attacking us? We didn''t even do anything!

    ...did we?

    I tightened my hold on Luke''s shoulders, holding my breath from the tension. All of a sudden, the shoulders I was holding onto turned larger and larger, feeling Luke''s body turning into something not human. Bones cracking here and there, soft black fur appeared from beneath me. A growl came, and I knew right away that it was from the wolf I had been longing for.

    "Oh my gosh!" I shouted, surprised by the transformation happening. Luke suddenly shifted in the middle of his run, catching me off guard. That... that felt weird. I''ve never expected that I would witness his transformation in such proximity.

    After turning into a wolf, we definitely ran at a faster pace, quickly losing the people behind us. Though we had successfully lost them, we ended up in an unfamiliar place far from where our carriage was located. We were still in the village, but perhaps the most inner part of the village. Here, everything was much worse than what was in front.

    Something must have happened here, for the houses were mostly destroyed, and there were no souls to be found. It definitely didn''t look like a village, but more like a ruin. Everything was dark, with only the moonlight to illuminate the whole place.

    What happened here? The more we learned about this village, the stranger it seemed. There was clearly something wrong with this village. Be it the place or the people.

    Wolfie ran past the buildings, heading in an unknown direction. It didn''t seem that we would go back to our carriage, as I knew that Luke wouldn''t be able to shift back to his human form without him baring himself.

    "Wolfie, do you know our way back home?"

    He gave me a nod, letting out a soft growl. I could finally rest ?ssured, knowing that we were no longer being pursued and that we knew how to get back home. It had been so long since I last met Wolfie, so long that I had almost forgotten how soft his fur was. It was as though I was laying on top of a soft, warm bed.

    "I missed you, Wolfie," I said, before giving in to my drowsiness.

 Chapter 88 - At last, home - Part 1

    I awoke with a soft mattress beneath me and a warm blanket wrapped around me. The sound of chirping birds and the quiet crackling of the fireplace pulled me from my dream, waking me up to a new day.

    Ah, did I fall asleep on the way back?

    I sat up and took a glance at my surroundings. Where is this? It appeared that I had returned to the manor, but I was in a room I had never seen before. The other side of the bed felt cold, neat, and free of creases. I must have slept here alone.

    The room was quite big, bigger than my room. The walls were painted dark red, with a lot of dark-colored furniture throughout the room. It was kept simple and neat, leaving a lot of spaces empty. With the windows closed, one or two lamps were not enough to illuminate the room.

    I pulled my legs out of bed, wanting to walk around the room. I walked to the windows, opening the curtains to which I was immediately blinded by the sun seeping in. In front was the same greenfield, exactly as how I remembered it to beˇŞexcept that now there was a blanket of snow there. I was, in fact, back home.

    The rug beneath my feet allowed me to wander around the room without wearing shoes, and the fireplace kept me warm enough that I didn''t need to wear thicker clothing. As I looked around the room, I realized that it belonged to the lord. It was the first time for me to be here, after months of staying in the manor.

    I found a few small portraits, which I ?ssumed to be portraits of Luke as a child. Those brilliant red eyes and dark midnight hair gave it all away. There were a few from his babyhood and then more as he grew older. He went from a cute little boy to a handsome young man.

    Seeing his portraits made me smile, as I could see the signs of his cheekiness even as a child. There were no portraits of him sitting still among the ones I found, as though it was a difficult task for him to do as a kid.

    Where did the man from this portrait go, I wonder? He was not in the room when I woke up, not like usual, where I would find him staring at me, waiting for me to wake up. Is he in his office?

    I decided to look for him, fetching my shoes from under the bed and putting them on before heading outside. As I opened the door to the room, I could immediately felt the cold piercing through my bones, prompting me to close the door right after opening it.

    "Gosh, it''s cold," I shivered, going back to the room to take a coat by the hanger and wrapping it around my body. Satisfied with the warmer clothing, I opened the door to the room again, finally going out to look for my mate.

    "Weird, did I take a wrong turn?"

    I scratched my head, wondering where did it go wrong. I have been going around the manor for so long, but I was yet to find the corridor where it leads to the office building. I must have been away for too long to remember the way around the manor.

    I continued walking, but for the third time, I found myself back at the rose garden. Frustrated, I took a seat by the bench, wanting to take a rest for a moment.

    It should be illegal to build a house this big! Is this a maze? I can''t seem to find my way to my destination.

    I let out a sigh, knowing that the actual maze was right behind me. The rose garden, as I remembered, was built in the shape of a maze to the secret place Luke brought me to. But why does it feel like this whole building is built like a maze?

    I glanced at the roses behind me, seeing how they were still holding on despite the winter.

    "Life is tough, isn''t it?" I huffed, touching the roses gently. I leaned back on the bench and raised my hand to shield my eyes from the bright sun above, gazing up at the sky.

    Still, even if I couldn''t find my way around here, I was happy to be back.

    Being in this place made me feel safeˇŞit felt as if this was a place where I could truly feel at ease. Was it because this was the place where Luke spent the majority of his time? Everything here reminded me of him, and everything about him made me feel at home.

    It would remind me of the warmth I was given, the comfort, and the love. I''ve been through so many things, be it good ones or bad ones. Whatever the case may be, all of those things led me hereˇŞto where I am right now. I could feel it, the change in me.

    Though I couldn''t exactly say that I was physically stronger or that the frequent nightmares I had were no longer plaguing me, I was certain that I was happier. And that, for now, was more than enough for me.

    I got to my feet, encouraging myself to find my way to the office once more. Just as I was about to leave the garden, a voice called out to me.

    "Violet? Is that you?"

    I turned to the voice, seeing a woman with short ginger hair. When our eyes met, she dropped everything in her hands and ran towards me, arms outstretched.

    "It is you! Oh my gosh, is this a dream?" she asked as she hugged me tightly, not knowing that I''ve finally returned home. She then proceeded to examine me all over, asking, "Are you okay?!"

    "It''s not a dream," I chuckled, not surprised to see her with such a reaction after so long being apart. "I''m fine. You don''t have to be worried about me," I said, but she didn''t seem to believe me.

    "No! What are you talking about?" she cupped my cheeks, frowning, "Look at you! You''ve turned to a stick! Did those vampires not feed you at all?!"

    Meeting her today just made me realize how much I missed this place. I wouldn''t find someone as loud as this beta female if not here. I smiled at her, then leaned in for another hug.

    "I missed you, Lisa."

    She was the first one who offered to be my friend, and she was also one of the people who always went out of their way to make sure that I would feel welcomed and comfortable living here. I was grateful to have her as my first friend.

    "Oh, Violet," she said as she wrapped her arms around me once again. "I missed you tooˇŞwe all do. You have no idea how terrified we were when we first heard about what had happened to you. I''m so glad you are back now."

    "I''m glad to be back too," I said, a smile forming on my face.

    "This won''t do," she broke the hug, shaking her head vigorously. "Wait until Bob sees you. He will definitely freak out and immediately cook up a feast for you," she pulled my hand, saying, "Come on, let''s go to Bob. We need to get you plumper."

    She led me to Bob''s kitchen, which was located on the second floor of the office building. This worked out well, as I was also on my way to finding Luke''s office. With Lisa''s help, I could finally find my way there without circling the manor for hours. I will make a quick stop at Bob''s kitchen before heading to Luke.

    On our way to the kitchen, Lisa couldn''t stop rambling about how the vampires didn''t feed me well and how Luke allowed me to turn this skinny. She couldn''t believe I had gotten as skinny as I was when I first arrived here. It was terrible, as she said.

    After walking for some time, I finally found the building that I''ve been looking for all morning. It turned out that I kept taking the wrong turn, causing me to circle the manor several times. I couldn''t help but let out a sigh of relief upon arriving.

    Going to the second floor, we made our way to Bob''s kitchen to start my journey of getting plumper. I had no objection, as I missed Bob''s cooking the most. If I could, I would like to spend the rest of my life eating the food Bob makes. Oh, how I''ve missed Bob.

    As usual, the aroma of Bob''s delectable cooking greeted me as soon as I stepped foot onto the second floor. Smelling it made my stomach growl, feeling even more impatient to taste Bob''s food as soon as possible. It had been so longˇŞtoo longˇŞsince we''ve been apart.

    I opened the door to the kitchen, immediately seeing Bob, who was cooking something alone in his kitchen. Bob, noticing someone else''s presence in the kitchen, turned to look at the door and gasped almost immediately.

    "Miss Violet!!"

 Chapter 89 - At last, home - Part 2

    "Miss Violet!!" Bob threw his spatula aside, leaving everything he was working on the moment he saw me. He hurriedly ran over, rubbing his eyes along the way. He couldn''t seem to believe what he was seeing, wondering if this was his hallucination.

    As he got closer to me, he waved his hand skeptically in front of me to make sure that I was real. Seeing it, I laughed, as it was the exact reaction Lisa had when she saw me just now. She also couldn''t seem to believe her eyes, as I suddenly appeared out of nowhere after being gone for weeks.

    "Bob," I called, and another gasp went out of his mouth.

    His jaw dropped open when he realized that I was, in fact, not a hallucination, using his palm to cover his wide-open mouth. He paced around, fanning his eyes to prevent tears from falling.

    "Miss Violet... it''s you," he said, his eyes welling with tears, "You''re back."

    "I am," I smiled at him, opening my arms to offer him a hug. He hurriedly removed his dirty apron, brushing his clothes clean before accepting my arms.

    "I''m so sorry for what happened to you," he said as he hugged me tightly, sniffling a little.

    Ever since I met him, Bob has always been nothing but kind and sweet to me. He always acted more like a father to me than my actual father. I missed him terribly, just as much as I missed his cooking. It felt good to know that someone missed me while I was away.

    "Don''t be," I patted his back gently, helping him to calm his tears. I didn''t expect him to cry for me, as I didn''t realize he cared that much about me. I had always ?ssumed he was nice to me because he worked for Luke and didn''t want to get on his bad side, that''s why.

    Knowing the truth that people actually care for me was pretty... um, surprising. I was so used to people mistreating me that I forgot there could be people who genuinely cared for me. Aside from Luke, of course, because I''ve realized for a long time that he cared for me the most.

    Coming here has been a blessing to my lifeˇŞtruly.

    "W-wait, you guys are suffocating me," I patted the two werewolves, asking them to break away for me to breathe. Breaking away, Bob started with his questions.

    "Are you okay, miss? You''ve lost so much weight in a matter of weeks," Bob said, shaking his head as he looked at my condition, "Is the food in Gordom not to your liking? Or did they perhaps not feed you properly? Are you still ill? I should hurry go and cook you aˇŞ"

    "Bob, I''m fine. I''m not ill," I ?ssured him, smiling at the man. "The people in Gordom were kind to me, and they also fed me well, so you don''t need to be worried. You too, Lisa," I glanced at Lisa, who was eyeing me suspiciously.

    "You were just adding up some weight before all of this happened," she grumbled, sad that I had returned to my initial weight. "Look at this. There''s nothing to pinch here. The fat is all gone," she said, cupping my cheeks, "You''re so tiny that I''m afraid the wind will blow you away."

    "She''s right, miss. From now on, I should prepare healthier meals for you so you can gain some weight and improve your health," Bob nodded, pulling a note from his pocket to jot down a reminder to make more nutritious meals for me.

    Both of them then started to discuss a plan for me to gain some weight, from planning my meals to my workouts. They were so eager about it, genuinely hoping for me to be healthier. Seeing it warmed my heart, as I now found myself more people who cared about me.

    As I listened to the two people''s discussion, a smell roaming in the air caught my attention. It was the smell of something burning, so I looked around to see where it was coming from and realized it came from Bob''s boiling pot.

    "Bob, your pot!"

    ...

    "Bob, I don''t think I''ll be able to finish all of this," I said to Bob, who kept on adding more plates to the table, ranging from meats, soups, vegetables, and fruits. All kinds of food were placed in front of me, asking to be eaten.

    Bob had spent the previous hour preparing a variety of foods for me, saying that it had been a long time since he had cooked for me and that he wanted to cook everything he hadn''t been able to for the last few weeks.

    Lisa was right when she said Bob would cook an entire feast for me. It has, in fact, happened.

    "The food is going nowhere if you don''t eat it, miss," Bob said with a smile as he put another bowl to the pile of food in front of me, the final one of the lot. Does that mean I''ll have to eat it all by myself?

    Despite the amount of food that I had to finish, I couldn''t help but feel my mouth water at the sight before me. There was the food I had been missing for a long time, and the scent made my stomach growl furiously.

    I raised my spoon, ready to dig in, but stopped when I noticed how Bob and Lisa stared at me, their eyes set on me without moving an inch away.

    "Stop staring at me like that," I chuckled, seeing how they were staring at me so expectantly. "I can''t even eat properly because you guys are burdening me with all those stares."

    Hearing it, they tore their gaze away, with Bob going to wash the dishes, while Lisa made herself a tea. Even with their newly found activities, I could still notice the side glances they kept giving me, anticipating my reaction to the food prepared. They wanted to make sure that I was eating properly and if the meal was to my liking or not, which I found very amusing and endearing.

    Finally, I took my first bite of the day, and I must say, it was totally worth the wait. Bob, as expected, never fails to prepare a dish that tastes out of this world. The food Bob makes will always be the standard of the food I eat for the rest of my life. I will never get enough of them.

    "Bob, you''re amazing," I gave him a thumbs-up, immediately receiving a hearty laugh from Bob. Lisa, who heard my acknowledgment of the food, placed another piece of meat on my plate, asking me to eat more of them.

    "When did you arrive here?" she queried as she didn''t hear any news about my return until she saw me in the garden.

    "Hmm... I''m not sure. I fell asleep on the way back, but I ?ssume it must be around midnight or dawn. By the time I woke up, I was already in Luke''s room," I replied as I ate another spoonful of food, "Right. Do you know where Luke is?"

    "No, I didn''t even know he''s back until I found you," she shook her head, saying, "But I''m guessing he''s at his office, knowing that he''s a bit crazy about his job. Why? Are you looking for him?"

    "Yes. I was actually on my way to his office when I met you," I replied as I handed her an apple, which she politely declined, "But I got lost and ended up walking around the manor several times in an attempt to find my way there."

    "So you''re lucky you found me," she laughed.

    "Then, while you''re at it, miss, may I ask you to help me deliver his meal? It''s just in time for him to eat his lunch. I''m afraid I''ll have to clean up the mess I''ve caused," Bob chimed in, referring to the kitchen, which was strewn about after the feast he had made for me.

    "Sure, just give it to me," I agreed. I then finished the food that had been prepared for me, eating as much as I could. "Bob, I''m afraid I won''t be able to finish everything at once, so could you please help me warm the leftovers for dinner? I don''t want them to go to waste."

    "I''ll be sure to do that, miss," he said, nodding. "I''ll also add your favorite chocolate cake for the dessert if you want," he offered, and there was no way I could say no to that.

    "Then, I''ll be on my way," I stood up, handing Bob the dirty dishes, as well as waving my goodbye to both Lisa and Bob. "Thank you for the wonderful meal, Bob. You''re an amazing chef."

    With a happy heart and a happy tummy, I finally carried out my initial plan to look for Luke, not forgetting to take his meal along with me.

 Chapter 90 - At last, home - Part 3

    knock knock

    I knocked on the door to Luke''s office, waiting for permission to head in. I patiently waited for him to respond with his meal in hand, but nothing came, even after a minute of waiting.

    Weird, is he not in?

    Slowly, I pushed the door open, careful for the plate in my hand to not slip away. As I entered the room, I was met by the soothing sound of a crackling hearth and a soft snore. I saw Luke, fast asleep by the sofa with paperwork in both of his hands.

    I tippy-toed my way inside, not wanting to wake him up. As he was asleep, I was planning to leave his meals on his desk and return to my room, but unfortunately, there was no space where I could put them on. Paperwork was found everywhere on his deskˇŞhis entire officeˇŞit was a mess.

    After weeks of him being out of work, there must have been a lotˇŞa whole lot of workˇŞthat needed to be done. That must be why he came here straight after we got back home, even sacrificing his sleep in the process. It seemed that he had dropped me off in his room first before coming here to drown himself in this mountain of paperwork.

    I felt bad, as it all happened because he had to save me from the rogues. Now he had to work longer hours in order to complete all of the paperwork that had been delayed. Is there perhaps nothing that I can do to help him? It didn''t feel right that he had to do all of this while I sat around doing nothing.

    I looked around and felt my question being answered by the mess around me. Should I help him clean up this mess? People usually like it better if their office is clean, right? I placed his meal onto his desk, scooting the paperwork aside to make room for it, before deciding to ?ssist him in cleaning up his office.

    I didn''t touch any of the documents since I didn''t know whether or not they were intentionally left like thisˇŞlike a messy order only known to LukeˇŞso I merely tidied up the stationery and the bunch of crumpled papers on the ground. I arranged the books I discovered on the ground by his desk, just in case he needed them again.

    I took the few empty cups and placed them together, intending to take them with me when I leave later. I noticed that the room was getting colder as the fireplace was running low on logs, so I made a mental note to ask for help from a servant to bring in some more logs later.

    As the weather grew colder, I covered Luke with his own coat, not wanting him to catch a coldˇŞthough I wasn''t sure if he was capable of catching one. Regardless of it, it would always be better to sleep while staying warm.

    I tucked him in and took the papers from his hands, placing them on the coffee table beside him. I squatted down, feeling a smile on my lips when I ??r?ss his hair.

    He must have been really exhausted, knowing that he must have dozed off while reading these papers. This manˇŞhe was always kind beyond words. Never once did he ever get mad at me for making a mistake, nor did he complain about me for always getting into trouble. He was just... there. He was always there for me, always by my side without asking for something in return for all that he had done for me.

    After the world turned its back on me, he was the firstˇŞthe first person who showed me love, the first person who offered me his hands, the first person who gave me the comfort I had long lost. I never imagined that I would have someone like him in my lifeˇŞsomeone with so much kindness, so much warmth. It was unbelievable, even to this day.

    What did I do to deserve him, I wonder? Was it an exchange for all the pain I had endured? If that''s the case, then perhaps, I would choose to experience all those years of suffering againˇŞjust to have him in my life forever.

    I am, without a doubt, grateful to have him in my life.

    I stood up, decided to leave him to sleep for a while. Should I go and visit the library? It had been so long since I''ve last read a book. I''m itching for some good reads.

    Just as I was about to leave, Luke woke up and grabbed my hand, not wanting me to leave.

    "Where are you going?" he asked, his voice hoarse from sleep.

    "Sorry, did I wake you up?" I turned back, again squatting down to see him at eye level. "I was just planning to go to the library because you were asleep," I said as he sat up, rubbing his eyes with his other hand. "You should sleep more," I suggested, but he quickly dismissed my suggestion.

    "No, I''ve had enough sleep," clearly, that was a lie, "Why are you here? You miss me?" he asked, and I could see the grin slowly forming on his face.

    Why am I here? His question took me by surprise, as I actually didn''t know why I was here. I just thought that I should look for him as I didn''t see him anywhere in the room, and here I am. It seemed that I''ve become so accustomed to having him around me that I unconsciously found myself looking for him whenever he wasn''t around.

    Oh my gosh, what has he done to me?

    If I told him that I unconsciously looked for him, I bet he would have that smug look on his face all day, and I wouldn''t want to see it. Let''s say something else.

    "I''m only here to bring you your meal," I said, pointing at the plate on his desk. "I stopped by Bob''s kitchen this morning, and then he asked me to help him bring it to you," good, that was a nice save.

    "Really? He must''ve been surprised when he saw you," he laughed, knowing his chef all too well. "Did he say something?"

    "He said I lost too much weight, so he cooked up a feast for me before I came here," I rubbed my belly, still feeling full after eating so much. "I also met Lisa," I said, telling him all the things that happened this morning, "Did I really lose that much weight? They were surprised when they saw me."

    "Of course, you did," he nodded, ruffling my hair. "All the bad things that happened must''ve taken a toll on your body, which is why now we need to work on your weight to keep you healthier."

    He stood up, pulled me to sit on the sofa, and proceeded to his desk. He took the meal I brought him before walking back to sit beside me, saying, "But for now, why don''t we work on keeping me healthy by you feeding me my meal? I''m afraid I''ve lost too much strength to lift my own spoon as I''m too fatigued from all the work I did."

    "But you have no difficulties in lifting your plate."

    "That''s the last bit of my strength," he shamelessly replied, pretending to lower the plate with his limp hands. "Now I''ve used it all up," he let out a sigh, trying to appear as weak as he could.

    I stared at him with squinted eyes, doubting the veracity of his words. I had known for a long time that this man had a knack for seizing every opportunity he got to have me do these kinds of things for him.

    "Please?" he pleaded, and it was as if I was looking at a puppy asking to be fed. When I took the plate for him, I could practically see his tail wagging out of excitement.

    "Just this once," I said, and he eagerly nodded his head with a smile. I wonder why he likes to be fed like this? It wasn''t the first time that he asked me to do this for him.

    I slowly raised his spoon, delivering the food to his mouth, which he accepted with glee. Though I felt a bit awkward and confused as to why he likes to be fed like this, I will do itˇŞjust for the sake of him. This was nothing compared to all the things he had done for me.

    But seeing him like this made me wonder what kind of strange requests he would make of me in the future.

 Chapter 91 - At last, home - Part 4

    After finishing his meal, Luke turned his focus back to the stack of paperwork that had been left unattended during his little nap. He rubbed both of his eyes, attempting to shake off the lethargy and return his attention to the task at hand.

    Though I had offered him my help, he told me that there would be no need for my help as he could still manage to do it alone. Furthermore, he claimed that he was used to working alone, hence his refusal.

    As I had achieved what I came here for, I didn''t want to bother him any longer while he was working, so I decided to leave for the library as planned.

    "Where are you going?" he asked, raising his eyes from the paper to me.

    "To the library," I said, brushing off my dress and preparing to leave. "I don''t want to bother you."

    "Rabbit, you''re not bothering me. As much as your scent distracts me, and as much as my mind keeps on running to you, I would much prefer having you with me."

    "Should I... not go, then?" I bit back a laugh, cringing a little at his sudden cheesiness. I can''t seem to get used to the way he talks way too sweetly sometimes. Perhaps the whole pack would be surprised when they heard him talk in this manner.

    "Yes. Stay with me," he said as he scribbled on a piece of parchment, "Make yourself at homeˇŞthough it might be a little difficult in this... messy office," he frowned as he looked around, only now noticing that something was different. "Did you perhaps tidy the office while I was asleep?"

    "I did." Oh no. Did I make a mistake? "Should I have not done so? I just thought you would like it better if your office was less cluttered. Do you want me to restore it to its previous state? I still haven''t gotten rid of all theˇŞ"

    "Relax," he chuckled, raising his palm. "I just wanted to thank you. I was irritated by the mess and was planning to clean it all up, but unfortunately, I didn''t have the right time to do it. Thank you for your helpˇŞit is greatly appreciated." He sent me a smile, a little too dashing for my heart.

    "It''sˇŞIt''s nothing," I faltered in response to his gratitude, feeling warmth creeping into my cheeks. It felt quite pleasant to be appreciated like this. Perhaps I should do this more often.

    Perhaps I should search for something to doˇŞa jobˇŞmight Luke agree. I was way too idle for my liking, way too much time in hand. If I ask, will he let me have a job? A job other than being his secretaryˇŞthat is.

    "Luke," I called out, and he hummed in response. "Can you give me a job?"

    "What? My secretary?" He joked, and I narrowed my eyes at him. He didn''t appear to be willing to let me have my way. It would make no difference to what I''m doing now if I were his secretary. I would still have nothing to do.

    "No, not your secretary," I frowned.

    "Then what?" he wondered, his gaze moving across the parchment in his palm. "Other than being my secretary, there is no other vacant job. However, the secretary position is always available for you." He emphasized the ''always'' as if implying that it was my only choice, not forgetting to let that annoying smirk of his splatter across his face.

    I huffed, not even wasting my time thinking of accepting his offer. Seeing it, he threw a hand to his ?h?st, pretending that my response had hurt him.

    Perhaps, to other''s eyes, to live without having to work was a great luxury. However, to me, that was not the case at all. I needed a distraction. A distraction to keep my mind from drifting into unnecessary thoughtsˇŞunnecessary memories.

    There were days where I would silently stare at the sky, and then, all of a sudden, their whispers would ring in the back of my head. I hated them. The voices. The memories. The people.

    She deserves it.

    No wonder her father loathes her.

    She killed her mother.

    If I could, I would like to erase all the memories I have of themˇŞbut that would mean erasing most of my memories as well. Tragic, I know.

    Luke, sensing my distress, dropped his pen and asked, "Rather than a job, don''t you have anything that you want to do? A hobby, perhaps?"

    A hobby. I had never thought of one. What do I want to do? What do I like to do? I could feel the frown on my face deepen, thinking about the answers to those questions. I had never had the opportunity to think about such things before, as all that I could think about was whether or not I would still be alive the next dayˇŞor two days after, three days, four days.

    It was a nice change of pace, I guess. Yes, rather than thinking of depressing thoughts, a light question like this is a lot better. MaybeˇŞjust maybeˇŞI could finally learn, little by little, how to break free from my nightmares, how to break free from the chains that have bound me for years.

    "Violet?" he called, tearing me away from my thoughts. "Did you hear my question?"

    "Yes, I did," I smiled. "A hobby, you ask? I''ve never had one. Can you suggest a few activities that I could try as my pastime?"

    "I would say, for one, being my secretary would definitely suffice asˇŞ"

    "Not that," I quickly intervened, and he couldn''t help but throw his head back in laughter.

    This time, in all seriousness, he gave me a few real suggestions. "There is quite a lot that you can do, actually. You can try to learn how to cook with Bob, how to sew with Emma, how to play the piano with AndrewˇŞI know, it must be quite the surprise, but he is unexpectedly good at playing the piano," he explained before I could ask, earning a chuckle from me. "Perhaps, if you would rather do outdoor activities, you can train your muscles with me. It has been quite some time too, no?" he winked.

    "I will think about your suggestions and see which one appeals to me the most," I said, and he nodded in response.

    "Very well," he smiled.

    A strange, unfamiliar feeling lingered in my ?h?st. It appeared the moment I was given a choice, a choice to choose for my own. It was unusual for me to have such a choice, as I usually only did what was asked of meˇŞor what I was allowed to do. It seemed to me that this was how freedom felt like. To be able to decide for myself. It felt... liberating.

    I used to think about the purpose of livingˇŞmy purpose of living. Why was I born into this world? Was it only to entertain both my father and Fiona with their vile pastime? To live under torture? Or to spend the rest of my life regretting the choice I have made?

    But, coming here, I came to realize it. The answer was none of the above, but rather for me to enjoy life, to learn and experience new things, to find something to like and someone to love. But first and foremostˇŞit was for me to love myself, for me to accept myself.

    "Do you want to take a quick stroll outside?" Luke rose up and walked away from his desk, leaving the paperwork behind. He then took his coat, sneaking his arms into it. "I felt a little stuffy after staying here for so long."

    "I feel just the same," I quickly smile at his offer, rising from my seat to smooth out the creases of my dress. When I was finished, I offered him my hand, which he stared at for a second too long. "What?"

    "No, it''s justˇŞI think it''s your first time offering me your hand." He scratched the nape of his neck, a smile slowly forming on his face. "Usually, it was always me offering my handˇŞnot the other way around. It''s new and... nice."

    "With time, people changeˇŞfor better and for worse. But in this case, however, perhaps I''ve changed for the better."

 Chapter 92 - A witch? - Part 1

    "Luke, about yesterdayˇŞthe villageˇŞwhat will you do about it?" I questioned him, blowing hot breath into my free hand in an attempt to warm it up. We were outside of the manor, taking a little stroll in the snow-covered field. "There is definitely something strange about it."

    "I know," he stopped walking, taking my other hand in his to warm it with his heat. "I''ve already sent someone there. He should be back tomorrowˇŞor two days at most."

    "What do you think happened to those people? They looked... inhuman."

    "My best guess would be witchery," he said, rubbing his thumbs on both of my hands and gently squeezing them. "ActuallyˇŞthat''s my only guess. There''s nothing else that could possibly turn humans into something like that."

    But why? A few ideas came to mind, but none of them were worthy of being called the answer. None were fitting enough.

    Luke took notice of the questioning look on my face and said, "Witches are often wicked creatures, and they will go to any length to achieve their goals. This village must be a part of whatever they''re up to, and we need to find out what it is. Any plan of a witch is never a good thing to us."

    "Do you think this was done by the same witch who was after me?"

    "Most likely," we resumed our trek, our hands entwined inside the warmth of his coat pocket. "But there could be more. What was her name again?"

    "Greta."  It was an unfamiliar nameˇŞa faceless name.

    "Ah, yes. Greta," he repeated. "Not only is she after you, but she''s also the one whoˇŞmost likelyˇŞturned the village into such a shambles. All the more reason to find her, no?"

    "I thinkˇŞI think we should return to the church," the words left my mouth as a hitch, a pang of regret immediately washed over me. Though I hated to be there, we needed to search for whatever things we failed to find yesterday.

    "Are you sure you want to go back there again? I can goˇŞ"

    "Yes." I didn''t want to leave him to handle this on his own, especially since it involved me. At the very least, I wanted to help, even if only a little. I didn''t want to be stuck at home doing nothing when he could be out there risking his life.

    He sighed in defeat, knowing that I wouldn''t want to change my mind. "Okay."

    We were surrounded by stillness as we continued our stroll, both of our gazes fixed on the snow dancing in the light. The weather grew colder, piercing my bones and turning my nose red from the cold. With every exhale, my breath would appear as a tiny cloud in the air, and so did Luke''s.

    The silence between us was comfortable and not the kind that was suffocating to bear, allowing both of our minds to be preoccupied with our own thoughts for some time.

    I couldn''t help but worry if I was involved in the witches'' scheme. I''ve never known a witch in my whole life, so why would they need me to be in their plan? Furthermore, this no longer only involved me. It involved more lives than one, the village.

    The more we learn about the village, the more likely we are to find the witch.

    "Why do you think the witch is after me?" My voice appeared to be more strained than I''d expected, causing Luke to stop to look at me.

    He must have noticed my fear, the fear of repeating the same thing all over again. I''d been imprisoned in my father''s underground room, then the rogues'' cave, and now this... I can''t even bear to think about it.

    Perhaps I''ve grown too accustomed to the comfort he always gave me that I''m afraid of losing it.

    He grabbed my shoulders and swung me around to face him. "I''m not sure why, but I''ll never let them take you from meˇŞnot again. I''d been foolish to let my guard down and caused the rogues to take you away from me, but that''ll never happen again. No one, not even your father, will ever be able to take you from me. I''ll protect you, I promise."

    His red eyes were determined. His rage from the previous kidnapping didn''t seem to have subsidedˇŞeven with the rogues all dead.

    "It seems that I''ve found myself such a dependable mate," I chuckled, tiptoeing to brush his hair clear of the falling snow. "Hearing you say that makes me feel better."

    Despite my attempts to lighten the mood, Luke didn''t seem to want the same thing. He looked down at me with what seemed like a hurt expression on his face, then drew me into his embrace.

    "My little rabbit," he called, sighing and ??r?ssing my hair. "I''m so sorry for all that you''ve been through. Whenever I think about it, IˇŞI feel like shit. I should''ve protected you better, and I should''ve met you sooner. You wouldn''t have to suffer so much if so. I''m so sorryˇŞit''s all my fault."

    I jerked away from his embrace, disbelief creeping in. "Why is it your fault? All the things that happen are never your fault. It''s my fault for having such... such shitty luck."

    "But you''re in danger because of me," he deadpanned. "The rogues, the witches, they''re all probably after you because you''re my mate. While you''re my strength, Violet, you''re, at the same time, my weakness. I wanted you to feel safe, away fromˇŞ"

    "You gave me more safety than danger, Luke." I looked at him dead in his eyes, exploring all the emotions that were visible in them. "I''ve never felt so safe as when I''m around you. I''ve always lived my life in danger, Luke. And for the first time, you gave me the safety that I''ve always sought, so pleaseˇŞplease don''t say that this is your fault."

    He opened his mouth to respond but then shut it again. Seeing it, I pulled him into another embrace, leaning my head on his ?h?st.

    "Truthfully, you gave me more than just my safetyˇŞyou gave me my happiness. I''m happy that I''m here with you, Luke," I hugged him tighter, "What do you think will happen to me if I didn''t meet you that night?"

    "Which night?"

    "The night you saved me from my father."

    A few moments went by in silence before he said, "You''ll probably still be in that wretched house, and I''ll probably still be looking for you. I don''t even want to imagine that happening."

    "Exactly," my voice came out almost a whisper, but I smiled regardless. "You saved me from my greatest danger, Luke, so don''t ever feel guilty about all the things that happened because I know everything happens for a reasonˇŞeven the bad things."

    "Okay," he exhaled his breath, planting a soft kiss on top of my head. "I''m glad you''re here with meˇŞdespite the danger, despite everything."

    "As I am."

    He pushed me away slightly and looked down at me, smiling as he did so. He flicked my nose softly and said, "Come on, it''s freezing. We should hurry inside before your nose turned any redder."

    I quickly agreed, nodding my head vehemently as I broke away from him. When we distanced away, his warmth dissipated, and the cold crept in, leading me to wrap my arms around my body in search of more warmth.

    As we walked back to our manor, I noticed a blue light coming from the forest, catching my attention amongst the coldness on my body. I noticed the urge to go closer to the light, the urge to find the source.

    My eyes roamed to find the source, only to find the blue flower I''d once almost touched. Among the trees, among the snow, there stood one blue flowerˇŞstrong and beautiful. It was still as beautiful as I''d remembered it and still as enchanting as ever.

    "Violet," Luke called, quickly catching my hand to stop me from going. As if hypnotized, I snapped away and regained my focus to stop myself from giving in to the urge. When I came to my sense, I''d walked towards the flower, hand reaching out. "You''re bewitched."

    I retreated my hand as the realization of what I was trying to do dawned on me. The blue flower had bewitched me yet again, and Luke had been the one to stop me each time.

    "IˇŞsorry," I chuckled, scratching my head sheepishly. This time, the urge was too strong, and if Luke hadn''t called me, I wouldn''t have realized I''d been walking towards it.

    He flicked my forehead softly, reminding me of the danger once more. "It''s highly poisonous, so be sure to push the urge away whenever you come across this flower, okay?"

    "Yes, sir," I saluted him, and he laughed it off as he dragged me back to the manor.

    Before we could walk away from the flower, a shadow appeared from behind it, plucking the blue flower off the ground. Upon plucking, the shadow walked out of the forest, and under the sunlight, the shadow turned into a figure of a woman with long black curls, a basket full of blue flowers on her hands.

    "What a pleasant surprise during the day, Alpha Luke," she clasped her hands, a smile decorating her lips as she said so.

 Chapter 93 - A witch? - Part 2

    Despite the smile decorating the woman''s face, Luke only scowled at her appearance.

    "Maggie," he sneered. "What are you doing here?"

    "What a warm welcome coming from you, Alpha Luke." The woman laughed at Luke''s displeasure, lolling her head back. "As you can see, I''m only here to collect a few blue flowers for my needs. No need to be so tense." She raised her basket, showing us the blue flowers gathered inside.

    She''s... she''s a witch, isn''t she? Luke told me that the only ones who could touch the blue flowers without getting poisoned were the witches, and so he asked a witch to plant those poisonous flowers around his manor to prevent unwanted visitors. What is a witch doing here?

    It was my first time meeting a witch, though I didn''t know which kind of witch was the one before me right now. Based on the stories I''ve heard about witches, I''ve always thought a witch would look hideous, but this witchˇŞshe''s far from hideous. Her skin was pale as snow, her hair dark as the nightˇŞand so were her eyes. She was wearing a normal brown-colored dress, her long dark curls tied messily into a bun on her head.

    She was beautiful and as normal as any other woman I''d seen. Without the blue flowers on her hands, I wouldn''t even be able to tell if she was a witch.

    But that still didn''t answer my question. Why is a witch here? She was supposed to hide if she didn''t want to be dragged to the stake, but here she was, roaming around in broad daylight without any fear of the stake. Perhaps Luke was a bit on the lenient side with the witches?

    I frowned at the thought.

    What ifˇŞwhat if she''s friends with that Greta, and she''s here for me? No, no. That wouldn''t be possible, as she said herself that she was only here for the flowers. Relax. She didn''t seem to hold any danger, and Luke also didn''t seem wary of herˇŞthough he did seem very displeased with her presence.

    Her eyes, which lingered on Luke, suddenly turned to me. She raised one of her brows at the sight of me, a smile reappearing on her lips. "Would you mind introducing me to the young lady standing next to you, Alpha Luke?"

    "Yes," he flat-out refused her, unamused. "There''s more harm than good in you knowing her."

    "How you sadden me," she cried out, but her expression didn''t seem to be what she''d said. Her expression told me that she was intrigued by somethingˇŞby me. She continued to scrutinize me, her eyes going up and down and up again.

    Luke, noticing my growing uneasiness from her stare, pulled me by my hand and started to walk away from the witch. "Please return to your home once you''re done."

    "Is sheˇŞis she the girl from the cave? Your mate?"

    Luke glanced back with a huff. "What if she is, and what if she is not? It''s none of your business, is it?"

    "If not, then it''s fine, but if yesˇŞ" she raised her hand to her mouth, hiding her laughter, "ˇŞit would truly be hilarious."

    "And might you tell me what''s hilarious about it?" Luke frowned, and I couldn''t help but follow. Was she passing judgment on me?

    "So she is your mate?" She gasped, the amusement clear on her face. "I thought you hated witches, but here you are holding a witch in your hand. Perhaps that hatred of yours has finallyˇŞ"

    "What nonsense are you spouting?" Luke cut her off, glaring at the witch.

    What? What exactly is she on about? Was she accusing me of being a witch? That''s complete nonsense. I''ve never heard of such gibberish in my entire existence. She must have gone mad from touching all these blue flowers.

    "Oh, my. Please forgive me." She put her palm to her mouth, lightly slapping her lips as if she had just made a slip of the tongue. "Are you perhaps keeping it a secret from him?" she asked, turning to me.

    "W-what secret are you talking about?" I asked, baffled.

    Maggie remained composed in the face of my bewilderment, shrugging her shoulders casually and saying, "The secret of you being a witch, of course."

    The air around me still, and the birds were chirping gleefully as if they were gossiping about whatever was going on right here. Despite the nonsense, Luke tightened his grip on my hand and listened to the witch.

    "That''s rubbish!" I retaliated, enraged by her accusation. "Why am I a witch?"

    "And why are you not a witch?" She frowned. "I''m only saying you''re a witch because you''re obviously one."

    Luke, who had remained quiet for some time, finally opened his mouth. "Are you telling the truth? Is it true that she''s a witch?"

    Maggie''s frown only deepened when she realized we both had no idea about this matter. "Are you saying that neither of you knew she was a witch? Even you yourself?" She pointed at me. Seeing the confusion on both our faces, she chuckled. "How... fascinating. No wonder there''s something a little odd about you."

    Am I really... a witch? How come I''m a witch? She''s got to be cracking jokes! I''m certain of it. I''ve never had any supernaturalˇŞor, should I say, magical abilities. I was always... human. There''s no way that I''m a witch. It''s impossible.

    "I''m not a witch. I''m a human." I remarked, and she cackled. "It''s true! I don''t have the thing you witches have! I don''t have magic in me!"

    "Then why don''t you prove it yourself?" She raised her basket, offering me the blue flowers inside. "I''m sure you''ll have no issue touching these flowers."

    My attention was drawn to the blue flowers, again feeling compelled to reach out and touch them. IˇŞI don''t want to trust her. I don''t want to believe that I''m a witch. Witches are... evil. I don''t want to be one of themˇŞno, I''m not one of them.

    I wanted to prove her wrong.

    I reached out my hand, allowing the urge to touch them to control me. For the first time, I wished to be poisoned by those flowersˇŞbecause I''m a human.

    "No," Luke caught my hand. "There''s no telling if she''s telling the truth or not. Should she lie, there''s no antidote to the poisonˇŞyou''ll die. I''m not going to take the chance."

    Maggie sighed and rolled her eyes in response to our doubts. "So this is the extent to which you have placed your faith in me? I must say, it''s quite superficial. I''m deeply offended."

    "Because you''re not the type to be trusted," Luke said as he drew me away from the flowers and the witch.

    She chuckled when she heard it and quickly agreed. "True. But why would I deceive you? It doesn''t do me any good. I''m merely saying what I see. As you may know, only fellow witches can recognize their own kin."

    We fell silent, either trying to make sense of what she''d just said or trying to refute. I found the latter to be more suitable for me.

    "Well," Maggie clasped her hands, smiling. "Feel free to come and find me when you finally decide to put greater faith in my words. Good to see you here, little sister." She winked at me, then turned on her heels to return to the depths of the forest.

    I frowned at the way she addressed me.

    She came uninvited, then leave as a storm. She''d made a great mess of my mind, instilling in me the dread and fear of sharing a kinship with her.

    What would happen to me if I turned out to be a witch? Would there be more danger in store for me? IˇŞI didn''t want to be burned at stake. I''ve grown up hearing about witches and their evil deeds, but what would I do if I were the wicked witch from the tale?

    "Violet, calm down." Luke turned me to face him, his hands cupping my cheeks. "We have yet to know if she was telling the truth, okay? She could be lying, and she does that a lot."

    I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn''t realize that my body was tremblingˇŞtrembling with the fear of being a witch. I couldn''t be a witch. Maggie must be lying.

    "But what ifˇŞwhat if she''s telling the truth? Then what will happen to me? What will happen to you... to us?" I avoided his gaze, looking down at my feet.

    Witches were practically everyone''s sworn enemy; they were hunted down, slaughtered, and reviled. If I was indeed a witch, having me as their Luna would be disastrous for Luke and the packˇŞno, for the whole werewolves kind.

    "Then nothing, Violet." He raised my chin for me to meet his eyes, staring deep into me as if ?ssuring me that my fear was better unfounded. "Whether you''re a witch or not, you are still you. Nothing will ever change that, and nothing is going to change between us either."

    I didn''t answer him, my fear still clouding my thoughts. The idea of being a witch was so terrifying to me that I couldn''t bear to consider whether or not it was true. It couldn''t be true. Luke then rested his forehead against mine, breathing out more words of ?ssurance for me to hear.

    "Whatever happens, Violet, you''re staying with meˇŞbecause you''re forever my Luna."

 Chapter 94 - A witch? - Part 3

    "Here," Luke said, handing me a cup of hot tea, wanting me to warm up after being out in the cold for so long. He sat on the sofa beside me, drinking a tea of his own. "What are you thinking?"

    "Whether or not I should believe Maggie''s nonsense."

    "You know, being a witch is not that... bad," he said, but even I could feel the uncertainty of his words. "That means you have an ability inside you that you have yet to discover. It''s good in certain ways that you''ll be able to defend yourself from all the dangers around us."

    "Do you hate witches?" My grip on my cup of tea tightened as I inquired. My furrowed brows and downturned mouth caught my attention as I glanced at my reflection in my tea.

    "Only the black ones."

    "And what if I turn out to be a black witch?" He tensed up. This is what I feared the most when I first learned that I was a witch. What if I had been a black witch all along? Do I have to live the rest of my life in fear of being found out by others?

    Although most people ?ssumed that any kind of a witch was evil, in truth, it was the black witches that they feared. So, if I were a black witch, I''d make things a lot worse than they already are.

    "Then, I''ll keep on hating black witches, except for one." He took my hand in his, locking our fingers together. "I''ll never be able to hate you. It''s an impossible task."

    "Even if the whole world hates me?"

    "Even if the whole world hates you."

    I smiled as I heard it, feeling relieved that at least I had one person on my side. It made me feel better to know that no matter what happened, he would always be there for me.

    "Thank you," I leaned my head against his shoulder, smiling at our entwined hands. He must be the only person in this world who could make me feel at ease in this situation.

    If what Maggie said was true, how come I''ve never heard of this before? If I was truly a witchˇŞdoesn''t that mean either my father or mother was also a witch? I''ve never seen my father doing anything related to magicˇŞperhaps because I only saw him when he needed me to help appease his boredomˇŞwhile my mother, I don''t recall much about her as my recollections of her are mostly hazy at this point.

    ...or was it the reason why I was often dragged to the underground room? If it turns out that my mother was a witch, perhaps my father knew that she was one, but he loved her regardless. And when she died, he discovered that I, too, was a witchˇŞand the affection he once felt for me turned to the hatred that everyone feels for witches because the only witch he ever loved had died. He couldn''t kill me offˇŞas somehowˇŞI reminded him of his late wife.

    Despite being reminded, he couldn''t help but resent me because it was I, not my mother, who had lived that day. I knew for a fact that he adored my mother a lot back in the daysˇŞback when we were still happy.

    Was it plausible if this was the case?

    But if my father was a witch, I''m not sure what to think about it. Perhaps he despises me for no apparent reason.

    And if I was truly a witch, it could be the reason why Greta was after me. Maybe she wanted me to join her, uhh, I don''t know, pack? Maybe, after all these years of the people going on a witch-hunt, she''d almost run out of her witch friends and wanted to search for more?

    I sighed, attempting to rid my mind of all the questions that had been bothering me. It would be great if I could figure out the answers to all of them. I straightened my back and raised the cup that I''d been holding to my lips, wanting to drink the tea that I had yet to finish.

    Another sigh escaped my lips as I realized the tea had cooled in the time I''d ignored it.

    "Do you need me to pour you some more tea?" Luke offered, but I quickly refused to get it on my own.

    "No, let me do it myself. What about you? Do you want some more tea?" I returned his offer, and he accepted my offer with a smile. Standing up, I took his cup and my own cup in my hands and walked over to the cabinet where the teapot was kept.

    Much to my surpriseˇŞand Luke''sˇŞmy legs were asleep, so as I stood up, I stumbled on my foot and fell directly into Luke''s ??p.

    "Oh!"

    Thankfully, I was able to keep the teacups from slipping away, but I was unable to keep myself from tumbling onto Luke''s ??p. My bewilderment was quickly met with Luke''s smirk, his hand seizing me by the waist.

    "Did you plan this? I see you''ve grown to a naughty littleˇŞ"

    "IˇŞI didn''t!" I cut him off before he could say anything else, quickly scrambling to my feet to get off him. My attempts to get away from him were thwarted by his grip on my waist, pulling me right back into his ??p. "W-what do you want?"

    "What do you think?" He zoomed closer, his breath tickling me as he did so. His gaze shifted from my eyes to my nose, then to my lips. I looked away.

    W-what is this? Why has the mood turned like this? The chirping birds, the snow falling outside, the warm crackling fire, the... proximity. All of that catalyzed the mood to shift romantically, and I suddenly ended up in this situation.

    Without saying anything, Luke placed his palm on my cheek and turned my face to look at him. My breath caught in my throat, and my pulse pumped faster when my eyes met his.

    Oh my gosh, is he trying to kiss me right now?

    I pulled my hands closer to my ?h?st, tightening the grip on the two cups. It should be fine to kiss, no? I ?ssured myself that this was normal between mates, but my heart couldn''t stop jumping in my ?h?st. Kissing might be normal, but I guess my heartbeat was not.

    As Luke grew closer and closer, he tilted his head, closing his eyes. Oh gosh, this is real. We''re really going to kiss. Bracing myself, I, too, closed my eyes, waiting for the moment our lips would meet. We were just a few inches away, ourˇŞBAM!! The door slammed open.

    "Alpha Luke!! Don''t you miss yourˇŞoops."

    With a gasp, I pushed Luke away, hurrying to scramble to my feet. The cups in my hands slipped away, falling to the floor and spilling some of the leftover tea on Luke''s shoesˇŞbut he paid them no mind as he was also in a hurry to stand up. I ran to the cabinet where the teapot was while Luke scurried to his desk.

    I turned my back to the door, trying to hide my face from the embarrassmentˇŞthough it was in vain, as whoever came in must have known that I was the only woman Luke has ever had.

    It was Andrew.

    "Do you not know how to knock?" Luke scowled at him, raking through his hair angrily.

    "IˇŞsorry. I''ll make sure to knock from now on... to prevent future accidents," Andrew said, attempting to hold back his laughter. "I mean, I didn''t have to be concerned about such things before, so I never knocked. Now that you''ve found your mate... I guess I should be concerned."

    I peered through my fingers, hiding my face behind my palm, and saw Andrew winking mischievously at me. My cheeks reddened.

    "What happened?" Jack came through the open door, glancing at the three of us. Seeing him, Andrew was eagerˇŞtoo eagerˇŞto fill him in on what had happened.

    "Oh, it''s nothing. It''s just our Alpha and Luna have gotten incrediblyˇŞ"

    "Knock it off," Luke interrupted, "Before I knock you out."

    Andrew raised his arms in surrender, but his grin remained broad. Jack was still confused about what had happened, but decided not to pursue the matter any further.

    I think it would be wise for me to leave now. I should let these three gentlemen discuss whatever things they''re working on. In the meantime, I should head to my room. I shouldn''t let my presence interrupt their workˇŞI''m definitely not trying to run or anything.

    "I-I will go call someone to clean this up," I pointed to the spilled tea, trying to reason my way out of the office. Luke nodded, allowing me to go, but it was Andrew who stopped me from going.

    "Gosh, we''re not that insensitive, are we, Jack?" He lightly patted my shoulders, blocking my path. A faint ''huh'' was muttered by a still very perplexed Jack, but it was ignored.

    "Please, stay," Andrew added, winking and beckoning towards Luke. He then forced Jack to turn around by throwing an arm over his shoulders, saying, "We''ll leave instead."

 Chapter 95 - A witch? - Part 4

    Andrew, as annoying as he was, dragged a chair up to the front of my desk and sat with his chin resting on his palms, beaming as if he had just found a treasure.

    "So, how far have you go withˇŞ"

    I tossed a crumpled piece of paper into his face, trying to shut him up, but he quickly dodged it. After Violet left the room in a hurry, the mischievous grin on Andrew''s face only grew wider. He was very eager to learn more about the situation.

    "Shut up, Andrew."

    "Oh, please! Isn''t this what friends are for?" He wailed. "I''m sure something must have happened in Gordom, no? The last time I saw you, you weren''t this chummy with each other."

    We had indeed gotten a lot closer throughout the course of our time together, and it was evident that Violet had finally opened up her heart to me. She seemed to be expressing more of her emotions to me, and she was even responding to my advances.

    At first, I had to bribe her with gold coins to have her hold my hand, but now it is simply so natural for us to hold hands without me losing my money. Perhaps she has gotten a lot more conscious of my presence, which is why she often gets flustered when I get closer to her.

    Every time I teased her, her cheeks would turn as red as cherries, and it was so amusing to see. Now I couldn''t go a day without teasing her since she was just so adorable. I would often find myself asking about how can someone be this adorable? Even thinking about her would make me smile like a fool.

    PerhapsˇŞI could finally mark her mine.

    There is something called a mate bond between mates. In the case of werewolves, they will immediately feel a strong attraction towards their mates when they first find them. They''d become so enamored with each other that even their scents and touches were enough to drive them insaneˇŞwhich was true for me. But as Violet was not a werewolf, she didn''t feel any of them. I was the only one who felt them.

    There are two steps to complete a mate bond. The first would be the markings, and the second would be the consummation. When a werewolf marks their mate, they can feel each other''s emotions, which will only grow stronger once the bond is complete.

    Werewolves would usually mark their mates as soon as they found them, but only if they shared the same feelings. As there was a risk of rejection between mates, they needed each other''s consent before forming a mate bond. Once a werewolf marked their mates, other werewolves would know that they belonged to each other.

    As Violet was not a werewolf, our relationship would be like that of a normal human relationship. She wouldn''t instantly feel attracted to me as to how werewolves usually are to their mates, and it was fine for me. I was willing to give her some time to get used to my presence and for her to develop a mutual affection for me. I was not in a hurry, as I wanted her to feel as comfortable as possible with me. I didn''t want to force my feelings on her.

    Will she let me? Perhaps I should find the time to explain all this to her.

    "Anyway, do you remember Leonard''s son?" Andrew cleared his throat, pulling me from my thoughts. He seemed to have given up attempting to persuade me to share my progress with Violet, knowing very well that I wouldn''t let him have his fun.

    "What''s with him?"

    "His name is Leomord, in case you didn''t know. Emma agreed to look after him," he said as he stood up to stretch his muscles. "The kid is quite a hassle, though."

    Emma? That old hag? That''s quite a surprise. I didn''t expect her to be the one who agreed to look after him. She never showed any affection for children. She was always so grumpy with me.

    "Why? Is he not doing well?" I inquired further. Despite the fact that his father had made a grave mistake, he was just a child. It would be no problem for him to grow as a part of our pack. Perhaps, unlike his father, he will grow into a great man in the future.

    "Well..." he scratched his head, clearly feeling troubled. "He keeps asking for his father. Do you think we should tell him the truth?"

    Wouldn''t it be too harsh to tell him the truth now? He was just a kid, no older than three years old. Kids around his age would usually look up to their father, thinking that he was the greatest man in the whole world. What would happen to him if he learned that his father was not the great man he used to look up to?

    Though Leonard was not a great man, it doesn''t necessarily mean that he was not a great father. I could see that he cared for his son, knowing that his last wish was for me to spare his son. For now, perhaps a slightly modified truth would suffice.

    "We can''t hide the truth from him, but maybe we can use nicer words to explain it to him." I took a sip of my tea, thinking of the best way to tell him. "Tell him that his father went to visit his mother in heaven and that he would come and find him in his dreams. He will eventually learn the truth when he grows older."

    Now that Leonard has left, all of the rogues'' attacks have ceased. We can finally rest easy, knowing that there will be no more attacks on our land. Maggie''s magic barrier would be unnecessary, and the pack members would not be required to participate in the future training if they did not wish to follow it any longer.

    Now that the rogues'' issues had been resolved, all that remained was the witch. If Violet was really a witch, would it be possible if Greta knew about this too? The only way to confirm the truth was to find another witch and have them see whether or not Violet was truly one of them.

    We could go to the White Church and have Violet examined by one of the witches there, but if Violet is found to be a white witch, she will be forced to stay with them. But if she turned out to be a black witch, those people wouldn''t hesitate to drag her to the stake. It was far too dangerous to do that.

    The White Church was a human-run church that only existed in Wonsvile and was used to keep the white witches under control. Everything there was carried out according to God''s planˇŞas they saidˇŞand I had no hand in this matter. Even though I was the Lord of Wonvile, I couldn''t keep control of the church''s doings.

    Fortunately, they never did anything that could cause troubleˇŞdespite having a large following. According to them, it was not written in God''s plan to have witches in this world. They said the witches borrowed their power from the demons, then brought it upon this world to create havoc.

    When they first discovered the two kinds of witches, black and white, they also discovered how the white witches'' powers could be of tremendous ?ssistance to humanity. White witches could protect them from black magic through purificationˇŞthough it was limitedˇŞand they could also perform healing magic that would be extremely beneficial to the doctors.

    Knowing so, those humans built the White Church for the white witches to live in, providing them with everything they needed, but under the circumstances, those white witches would offer them their services.

    White witches can''t use their magic to harm others, so even if they wanted to, they couldn''t protect themselves. This gave them no choice but to agree, as they had no place to call home and also given the fact that they were small in number. Living in the church would give them protection from people''s dread, but at the same time, it would take their freedom away.

    I glanced at both Andrew and Jack, seeing how they were now helping me with the mountains of paperwork in this office, which was their initial reason for coming here. Should I tell them about Violet? After all, they are two of my most trusted people.

    "I met Maggie today while Violet and I were out on a walk," I said to the two men, quickly receiving a response from the nosy Andrew. Jack remained quietˇŞas to how he''d always beenˇŞbut his ears were trained on me.

    "Don''t you think she''s gained some weight? I bet she had too much fun cooking all those rats in her house." He wrinkled his nose.

    "I wish she''d cook you as well," Jack murmured, his gaze still fixed on the paper.

    "I''m way too handsome to be a witch''s meal, Jack," Andrew replied, smiling. "But if it''s you, I think it''s quite possible that Maggie would love toˇŞ"

    "As I''m saying," I quickly intervened, not wanting these two men to quarrel like children in my office. "I met Maggie todayˇŞand apparently, she said Violet''s a witch."

    Hearing me, they both jerked their heads off the paper, staring at me with their eyes wide in surprise.

 Chapter 96 - A witch? - Part 5

    The room fell silent, and no words seemed to escape their mouths. They stared at me as if I''d spit out fire from my mouth, and I could fully understand why. Of course, if anyone found out that she was a witch, they would undoubtedly react in this manner. It was the appropriate reaction.

    After minutes of staring, Andrew finally broke the silence.

    "WitchˇŞas in the white and black witch?" He asked, his jaw dropped in disbelief. "Isn''t she just a normal human?"

    "Well... that''s what I thought until today."

    I didn''t care about what she was, but I was worried that people wouldn''t accept her. No matter what kind of witch you are, people aren''t always nice to you. Even if they were kinder to white witches, people would still prefer not to be ?ssociated with any witches.

    "Though it''s not confirmed that Maggie was telling the truth, I doubt she would lie about this. As she said, there''s no good in her lying to me."

    "Did she tell you what kind of a witch she was?" Jack asked, and I shook my head no. The room fell silent once more, all busied with our own thoughts. "After what happened with the previous Luna, do you think the packˇŞno, the whole werewolves kind would accept her as the Supreme Luna if she''s a witch?"

    Andrew cast a sidelong glance at Jack, surprised by his bold question. While most people knew I''d finally found my partner, the Luna ceremony hadn''t yet taken place, so Violet hadn''t yet been named the official Supreme Luna. In order to complete the Luna ceremonyˇŞa ceremony in which a new Luna is appointedˇŞshe would need people''s blessings, which could be a problem if they realized she was a witch. There was a chance that some people might object to her being the new Luna.

    Werewolves aren''t exactly fond of witches, and it goes way back from the time when the Great War happened. It got a lot worse after what happened to the previous LunaˇŞI mean, my mother. Though I remember telling Violet that my mother had died of an incurable disease, it was, in fact, a curse.

    A black witch cursed my mother.

    "I mean, if people got to know Violet, I''m sure they would accept her, right?" Andrew quickly chimed in, afraid that I would feel offended by Jack''s question. "We can see that she''s not like the rest of the witches. She''s nothing but kind and sweet. Well, she''s a bit stupid at times, butˇŞ" I glared at him.

    "What will you do now?" Jack asked. "You can''t bring her to the White Church, right?"

    "I can''t," I sighed. "Perhaps our best choice now is to trust Maggie. Violet needs to know how to control her magic, or at least know what kind of witch she isˇŞif she is a witch at all. It''s possible that she possesses an ability that she is unaware of, and that''s the exact reason why Greta is after her. She needs to know whatever Greta''s after and take control of it."

    "You are not leaving, are you?" Andrew quickly stood up to stop me, returning my smile with his forced one.

    "I''m going to Violet," I shoved him aside, patting his shoulder. "Good work," I waved them goodbye, dumping the rest of the work to these two gentlemen. I heard Andrew muttering a curse under his breath, while Jack only sighed as he accepted his fate.

    What''s the use of having subordinates if I have to do everything myself, right?

    I shut the door behind me, leaving the two grumbling men inside. Before meeting Violet, I used to spend a lot of my time working in my office. Because of the amount of time I spent there, my office felt more like my home than my actual home. The office would be the first place people would go to when they were searching for me.

    But after meeting Violet, I couldn''t seem to concentrate on my work when I didn''t have her around. I couldn''t stop myself from wondering what she was up to and where she was right now. When she was around, however, I also couldn''t concentrate since my thoughts were always drawn to her. In conclusion, she clouded my mind so much that she was close to driving me insane.

    I couldn''t even remember how I managed to get through the days when she wasn''t in my life.

    That''s why, if she was truly a witch and the people rejected her as the Luna, I''d never let her go. Regardless of what others might say about her, she''s forever my mate, forever my Luna. There would be no other Supreme Luna if she did not receive the people''s blessings, as she''s the only one who could stand beside me. That will never change, no matter what happens.

    On my way to Violet, I walked past a few people who seemed to be on their way to the training ground, and they eagerly greeted me. Those few people must have been grateful for the opportunity to train with the warriors, and they were glad to meet me, who had provided them with that opportunity.

    I only did that because I didn''t want them to die too easilyˇŞsuch as being killed by the roguesˇŞbut I suppose I should accept their gratefulness. After all, the stronger they are, the stronger our pack.

    I looked up at the sky, seeing how the snow continued to fall. Though the cold has never bothered me, I''m worried that it will bother Violet. I noticed that she was not very good at dealing with the cold. I should ask the servants to bring extra logs to our room.

    I guessed that Violet would be in our room, so I went there to find her, but she was nowhere to be seen when I arrived. Where could she be if not here? Ah, wait. Perhaps she''s still in the Luna room. I purposely dropped her off in my room last night to let her know that I wanted her to use my room from now on, but she must have missed the message. Silly rabbit.

    I walked over to the room next to mine, cautiously opening the door to avoid startling the little rabbit inside. Her intoxicating scent hit my nose as soon as I walked into the room, and as if on cue, a smile came to my face.

    She had her back towards me as she sat on the sofa, yearning for the warmth of the fireplace in front of her. I called for her, but there was no response. She was asleep.

    I walked closer to her, sitting right beside her. Her head was tilted to the side, leaning to the sofa for support. I shoved her brown hair that was sprawled across her face aside, tucking them behind her ear. Her long lashes dusted on the upper part of her cheeks, while her rosy lips were slightly apart as she breathes in the air. She had a thick blanket covering her petite body, with an open book left unattended on her hands. Curious, I took the book from her hands.

    Loving the Crazy LordˇŞwas the name of the book. It was a romance novel.

    I suppressed a snort, wondering where she acquired this book. I had no idea a book like this existed in my library. What was she trying to learn by reading this book, I wonder? Strangely, I felt a little connection to the title.

    Maybe I should look into what she was reading. I chose to read from the page she''d left, which happened to be page 90 of the 200-page book. Given that she was almost halfway through the book, it appeared that she was quite engrossed in it.

    "L-Lord Ansel! H-how come you''re here?"  said a woman called Melissa, her eyes wide in surprise as she saw Lord Ansel sitting on her bed.

    "Where did you go?" asked Ansel. It appeared that he''d just caught the woman sneaking out of his manor in the middle of the night, going to an unknown rendezvous. He was furious.

    Mellisa fiddled with her fingers, dares not to look at the man. She was well aware that things would be disastrous if he caught her sneaking out of the manor to see another man, but she didn''t care. The man she loved was Marco, the huntsmanˇŞand not this crazy lord.

    "Did you go meet him, Melissa?" Ansel ambled to Melissa, his strides long and heavy. "What did I say about meeting that man, hmm? I told you that I would punish you if I caught you meeting that man again, no?"

    Melissa avoided his striking gaze, having no way to escape as Ansel had rested both of his hands beside her head, trapping her between him and the wall behind her.

    "Punish me all you want! I''ll never leave him for you. You can''t force me from not meeting the man I love!" Melissa spitted out the fire inside of her, oblivious to the fact that she couldn''t fight fire with fire.

    "Why can''t I? I did force you to live here, didn''t I?" Ansel smirked, his fingers reaching out to raise her chin towards him. His thumb then went to her lips, ??r?ssing them, "Did you kiss him with these lips?"

    "I did, and I will continue to doˇŞhmph!" Ansel silenced Melissa with his lips, not caring about her resistance. Despite her attempts to push him away, he didn''t budge and only continued to kiss her aggressively, as if trying to swallow her with his lips.

    They kissed until both were breathless, lips swollen.

    "I don''t care about that filthy huntsman. You''re mine, Melissa. Don''t you dareˇŞ"

    "Luke!!" Violet woke up and snatched the book away from my hands, her cheeks as red as a tomato as she did so.

 Chapter 97 - Gone to the witchs house - Part 1

    "Luke!!" Violet snatched the book away from me, her eyes wide and her cheeks red. "W-why are you reading this?"

    The d?s?r? to tease her arose as soon as I noticed what she was reading, but it only grew stronger after seeing her so flustered. It was always so amusing to watch her with flushed cheeks.

    I slumped to one side, my elbow resting on the sofa and my head propped against my fist. I stared at her without saying any words, but it appeared that my gaze had made her cheeks flush even moreˇŞor perhaps it was the smirk on my lips.

    "Y-you shouldn''t look into someone else''s belongings." She grew restless, her eyes darting everywhere to avoid my eyes. She then pulled the blanket away from her and tried to stand, but I quickly took hold of her hand. She let out a little yelp as I pulled her back to her seat.

    "I''m the one who should be asking. Why are you reading a book like this?" I asked, and her eyes slowly went back to me. When she realized I was still staring at her, she hastily flicked her eyes away. So adorable.

    She slumped to the sofa, pulling the blanket over her face and only leaving her eyes to be seen. "I-I wanted to know what lovers would normally do when they''re together."

    Lovers.

    "Why? So you can try it with me?"

    "N-no... I-I don''t mean it like that," she stuttered, now pulling the blanket over her head. She said so, but I knew that she meant the opposite. She was just too shy to tell the truth. "I-I just wanted to know how to return your affections."

    Did she take this book because of the title? I knew from the start that there must be a certain connection between me and the title. Perhaps the title should be Loving the Handsome Lord and not Loving the Crazy Lord.

    I placed my palm on my ?h?st, attempting to calm my racing heart. Her adorableness made me feel like I was being attacked. If we were in a war and she was my adversary, her cuteness would be more than enough to make me lose the war. It would be the hardest war to win.

    "So? Did you learn something from the book?"

    "No," she shook her head, taking out the book from inside the blanket. "All they did was kiss, and... I already knew that." Even with her hiding her face, I could see that her cheeks were still flushed, and now the blush had spread wider to her ears.

    "Perhaps you haven''t delved far enough into the story." I pulled the blanket from her face, then gently pushed her body so that she laid on her back. She shrieked. "I''m sure there is a lot more that you can do after the kiss."

    "W-w-what are you doing?" I could hear her heart thumping loudly, so loud that it nearly drowned out all the other sounds. I rested my hand beside her head and then used my other hand to raise her chinˇŞjust like what Ansel did to Melissa in the book.

    "What do you say? Do you want me to tell you?" I ??r?ssed her lips with the back of my thumb, and she quickly hid her lips inside her mouth. I laughed internally. I had too much fun teasing her.

    She averted her gaze and shook her head slowly, her body sinking deeper into the sofa behind her as if attempting to conceal herself. A hiccup soon followed. Perhaps I shouldn''t tease her too much if I didn''t want her to end up with a heart condition.

    "Another day?" I asked, and she nodded. I laughed and lightly tapped her on the nose before finally moving away from her. Her relief was palpable in the way her heartbeat began to slow and how she exhaled her breath.

    Even though I was merely teasing her, my heart began to raceˇŞeither from excitement or from the hope that she would accept my offer. Of course, I didn''t let it show.

    Violet remained in her position for a few moments, with her hand on her ?h?st, before abruptly rising to her feet. She then dragged her blanket with her as she moved to her bed, trying to put some distance between us.

    She tried to talk but closed her mouth again, perhaps feeling shy after what had happened. She fiddled with her fingers, not daring to look straight at me when she finally asked, "W-why are you here?"

    "I''m here to fetch you," I said, crossing both my legs and arms. She gingerly looked over at me, the confusion on her face clear enough that she didn''t need to use any words to ask any questions. "We should go to Maggie''s house and ask for more explanations about your situation. As of now, Maggie is our best choice."

    I could see how the realization hit her when she heard me, as if she''d briefly forgotten about her being a witch after what had just happened. She took a few moments to think but eventually nodded her head. Although the idea of her being a witch did not sit well with her, she knew that she needed to know the truth.

    Maggie might have had a different way to prove that she was a witch other than touching the blue flower.

    "But what about your work? Don''t you still have a lot of things to do?"

    "Don''t worry, Andrew and Jack will take care of it while I''m away," I said nonchalantly as I waved my hand to dismiss her question. "Go get your coat, and we''ll be on our way."

    She listened to my words and walked to her closet, taking out her coat and wrapping it over her body. As Maggie''s house was located deep in the forest, we would be walking for some time, and I wanted her to dress as warm as possibleˇŞgiven the fact that the weather could grow colder as the evening progressed.

    Not satisfied with her only wearing her coat, I walked over to her, taking a scarf and a pair of gloves out of her closet. I tried to wrap the scarf over her shoulders, but she quickly backed away from me when I tried to help her to do so.

    "I''m only helping you with your scarf, okay? I''m not going to do anythingˇŞ" not yet, at least. She narrowed her eyes at me, but I only laughed it off, finally wrapping the scarf over her shoulders. "Wear your gloves too, or would you rather have me holding both of your hands the wholeˇŞ" she wore the gloves as fast as she could, then hurriedly walked away from me.

    What a shy little rabbit.

    As much as I enjoyed seeing her with flushed cheeks, it would be difficult for me to take things further if she continued to push me away anytime I tried to do something. I wasn''t trying to rush things, but I did want her to become accustomed to my touchˇŞif possible, I wanted her to crave for it as much as I crave for hers.

    Well, compared to before, we''ve indeed come a long way. Just like today, she didn''t push me away when I tried to kiss her back in my office. I would have gotten my second kiss today if only that stupid beta had knocked on the door.

    Maybe I should flirt with her more frequently to help her get used to it faster. After all, it hasn''t been long since she first started to respond to my advances. Perhaps, one day, she will be the one to make the first move. Until then, I should be more patient and wait for the day with great expectations.

    I quickly caught up with Violet, snatching her hand and locking our fingers together. She flinched at the touch and tried to release my hand, but I didn''t let her and only grinned.

    "Aren''t you the one who wanted to know how to return my affections?" I inquired, clasping our hands once more. "Well, first and foremost, you must accept my advances and not push me away."

    "I-I know, but," she looked down at her feet, hiding her face behind her scarf. She stole a glance at me, blushing, and said, "Right now, it feels like my heart would burst if I got any closer to you. I-I think it would be best for you to stop getting so close to me for a while. I need time to calm my heart."

    Hearing it, I held back a smile, trying hard to hold on to my stance. I just told myself that I should flirt with her more often, but if she responds with such an adorable expression every time, I''m afraid I might really lose it one day. I didn''t know I had a soft spot for adorable thingsˇŞno, I mean, I should''ve known that I had a soft spot for her. At this rate, she''ll continue to have her way and push me away every time. I should snap out of it.

    Ah, she''s really driving me crazy.

 Chapter 98 - Gone to the witchs house - Part 2

    Under the orangish glow of the evening sun, the forest stood calm and serene, the snow coating the forest a brilliant white. The winter forest was as beautiful as what was described in the fairytale book, magical and alluring. I watched the falling snow as I walked through the forest, going on a journey to the witch''s house.

    Luke told me that Maggie''s house was located deep inside the forest behind his manor, and it was a part of the forest where a lot of wildlife resided. His words were deemed correct, as not long after we started our journey, we met a few squirrels and deer running through the trees hereˇŞpossibly looking for some food to bring home to their families. According to Luke, Wolfie especially liked this part of the forest since he could scare those poor animals while going on his run.

    Walking through this forest reminded me of how my mother, Emily, would often bring me along with her when she went hunting. Though hunting was not really a good choice for a hobby, it was what she enjoyed the most. She''d go to the woods to hunt for deer or rabbits, then bring them back home for dinner. Sometimes, if lucky, she''d even bring home a wild boar.

    As she was the wife of a wealthy businessman, she''d often go to an afternoon tea to socialize with other ladies in the society. When those ladies found out about her hobby, they told her that it was not ladylike to have such a hobby, that she should stop doing it, but she didn''t care about what they said. So she stopped socializing with those ladies.

    She told me that I should never allow others to tell me what I can and can''t do.

    Despite the fact that I can still remember her words clearly in my head, I failed her. I''ve always let people tell me what I can and can''t doˇŞor, to be exact, I''ve always allowed my father to tell me what I can and can''t do. He always forbade me from doing anything other than staying put in my room, and he didn''t want anyoneˇŞincluding the servantsˇŞto see me.

    Perhaps he was ashamed to have me as his daughter, and that was why he locked me up in the attic. The only time I was allowed to go out of my room was during the night when everyone was asleep, and I would use that time to eat and bathe. Ah, right. The other time I was allowed to leave my room was, of course, when he called me to the underground room.

    No one was allowed to speak to meˇŞnot that anyone would want toˇŞbut Anna would sneak food into my room from time to time so that I might eat it while it was still warm. Anna always did everything sneakily since she didn''t want my father and Fiona to find out, as they would definitely punish her for doing something so insignificant as looking after me. They would tell her that Anna should have used the time to clean the manor more thoroughly.

    But in the end, they eventually caught her when she was helping me for the last timeˇŞand her punishment was death. I still resented my fatherˇŞno, everyone in that place for her death. She didn''t deserve to die like this.

    I''ve given up two precious lives to keep this life. Nothing could ever repay what my mother and Anna did for me, so the least I could do was live my life to the fullest. That''s why, even if today I discovered that I was a witchˇŞthe wicked creature from the taleˇŞI''d accept that fact. Though it was scary to live as a witch, I knew there was good in it. I would be endowed with a power I''d never imagined I''d possess, and I could use it to help Luke.

    Well, that was what I came up with after learning about my circumstances. I thought it would be better for me to take in the bright side of it rather than being stuck in denial.

    Luke, who walked behind me at my request, had made no sound for quite some time now. Thanks to the time apart, I was able to calm my racing heart and return to normal, so I glanced around to see if he was still behind me, but he wasn''t there. All I could see were trees and snow behind me.

    "Luke?" I called out, stopping in my tracks.

    "What?" Much to my surprise, he was beside me all along.

    "Ah!" I yelped. "Since when have you been here?"

    "I don''t know, ten minutes?" He shrugged his shoulders, smiling so innocently after startling me. "You looked quite busy with your thoughts, so I didn''t bother saying anything."

    "You should''ve said something. I thought I lose you," I said, and he only nodded and ruffled my hair. He then took his right hand out of his pocket, lightly tapping on my left hand.

    "Aren''t you cold?" he asked, as if hinting for me to hold his hand. He rubbed his hands together, pretending to be cold when he was actually feeling fine. When I saw him, I suppressed a smile, thinking how this man couldn''t even stay away from me for a moment.

    When I asked him to stay further away from me, he initially protested, insisting that he wanted to walk while holding my hand so that he could catch me if I fell in the snow. But somehow, after a little persuasion, he changed his mind.

    It wasn''t that I wanted to push him away, but these days, every time he came close to me, my heart would beat like crazy. I wasn''t used to him being so close to me, and... I''m not sure what had changed about him, but he looked even more handsome than he used to be. Perhaps I''ve gone mad.

    "I''m not cold," I shrugged my shoulders and shook my head, smiling. I raised my hands, showing him my perfectly gloved hands. Though I had refused, he always found another reason to get what he wanted.

    "But I''m cold. I need you to share your warmth," he said, swiftly snatching my hand into his. "It''s a lot warmer now," he grinned, raising our entangled fingers. He looked a lot like Wolfie when he acted like this. While Wolfie always asked me to pat his head, this man always asked me to hold his hand. Both seemed to enjoy being pampered.

    "But you''re a werewolf," I softly smacked his shoulder, chuckling. "You''re not supposed to feel the cold."

    "We do feel the cold," he stated, and I raised my brow at his remark. Even right now, his hand was warm, and not the slightest cold could be felt. "At certain times when it''s needed," he added, laughing.

    I let out a sigh, ignoring him but couldn''t help but smile. Though he could be a little annoying at times, most of the time, I found him to be quite endearing. He acted tough with others, but with me, he was just like a puppy. An adorable big puppy.

    "How much longer until we reach there?"

    We had been walking for so long that my feet were beginning to hurt. It was as if we were walking in a never-ending forest, and yet, the witch''s house was still nowhere to be seen. I wondered about why one would build a house so deep in the forest, but then I remembered that a witch was meant to live in hiding. I hope I wouldn''t need to do that.

    "Just a little more," he said, patting my shoulders as if trying to encourage me. I noticed a change in the view not long after he mentioned it, as I saw a hint of a house between the thick trees. "There it is," he pointed at the house.

    As we got closer, the witch''s house became more visible, and I felt a sense of relief at the thought of being able to rest my feet for some time. The sense of relief I had just felt was quickly replaced by a sense of doubt when I saw the state of the house. Is this the right place?

    Just by looking at it, I could tell that the house was old and murky, and it was as if it was on the verge of crumbling. I noticed how dried vines grew all over the walls, hiding the faded paint of the house. A few windows were shattered, and what seemed to be the porch was filled with snow. Rather than a witch, this house looked more like a place where ghosts would live.

    Though I didn''t expect the house to look good, I also didn''t expect it to look this horrible. I couldn''t help but wonder if this is not another abandoned building that I had to get into.

    "Are you sure this is the right house?" I asked.

 Chapter 99 - Gone to the witchs house - Part 3

    After making sure that we''d gotten the right house, Luke knocked on the door, waiting for the witch to come out. Now that we''d arrived, I began to feel anxious about learning the truth. Although I did say that I would accept the reality that I am a witch, I would much prefer to know that I am human.

    After all, I''ve lived my whole life as a human. But suddenly, on a very snowy day, someone said that I was a witch. Of course, I would be surprised.

    Following the knock, a few clattering sounds were heard before the door finally creaked open. The same black-haired witch opened the door, resting against the wall with both arms clasped to her ?h?st as she took in the sight of her guests.

    "I didn''t expect to have you here so soon," she chuckled. "I suppose I''m your only choice?" She shot us a knowing smile, then moved away from the door to let us enter. "Please, come in."

    I begrudgingly stepped into the witch''s house, entering the house which looked dark both from inside and outside. Luke placed his hand on my back, reassuring me that nothing bad was going to happen.

    "It''s a bit messy, isn''t it? It''s been a long time since I last had a guest here, so please pardon me for the mess. I hope you don''t mind," said Maggie as she kicked away the things scattered on the ground to make room for us to walk.

    Well, to be exact, it was not only a bit messyˇŞbut very messy. The inside of the house was truly as bad as what was seen from the outside. The house was dark, not many candles were lit around the house, but it was still enough for me to see what was around me.

    As I looked around the room, it stared back at me, with me being horrified at how filthy it looks. No matter where I looked, it was a mess. The ground was a little stickyˇŞwith who knows whatˇŞand there were many spider webs on the corners of the walls, not to mention all the trash and objects strewn about.

    I noticed that Maggie didn''t live here alone, as she''d befriended the rats and ???kroaches who lived among the mess here. I needed to watch my steps in order for me to avoid stepping into them might I found one running across the room. I didn''t want to kill little her buddies by accident.

    Despite the fact that she lived here, Maggie didn''t appear to care enough to keep the place tidy. I couldn''t help but marvel at how she''d managed to stay in this place for so long. It was worth an applaud.

    "Please have a seat," Maggie took a seat at the round table and then gave me the other seat in her front, leaving Luke to stand as there were no other chairs available. She swept all the things on the table, letting them fall to the ground without any care.

    "It''s quite cold today, right?" She asked, smiling affectionately at me. Then, with only a flick of her finger, a fire suddenly appeared in the fireplace, warming the previously cold room. I could feel my eyes widen in amazement as I realized I was witnessing magic for the first time in my life.

    Maggie didn''t stop there; with a wave of her hands, two teacups sprang off the shelf, as did a teapot. I was awestruck as I watched the teapot raise and pour the tea by itself into the two cups. One for herself, and one for meˇŞher newly found sister, as she said.

    Finished brewing the tea, she placed a cup in front of meˇŞthough I would rather not touch it. I''d only accept her kind gesture. I didn''t know her well enough to trust her that she didn''t put anything inside the teaˇŞor whether or not the cup was clean.

    "So, are you here because you have put more faith in my words, or are you here for something else?" She asked, leaning her back on the chair. She crossed her legs and folded her arms over her ?h?st, still smiling at me as if she was happy to have me here.

    "I''m here to ask you if you can show me proof that I''m really a witch," I said, and she let out a sigh. The smile on her face quickly faded as she heard me still doubting the veracity of her words. "Well, to be fair, believing that I''m a witch just after hearing your words is not a very easy thing to do when I''ve lived my whole life as a human."

    "Such a doubtful little witch," she mumbled after taking a few seconds to consider my words. "I told you to touch the blue flowers, didn''t I?"

    "But it''s dangerous." This time, it was Luke who answered. "We need a safer method to prove that she''s a witch."

    She let out a huff then stood up, walking over to the shelf where the teacups had flown out from. She carefully took out an object hidden behind a black cloth, placing the object by the middle of the round table. When she pulled out the cloth, there revealed a ball hidden underneath. Why is she taking out a ball?

    "Found something familiar? It''s the very same crystal ball that I used to locate your little witch," she said, glancing at Luke, who shifted behind me. "You''d be as good as dead back then if it weren''t for this ball and me," she glanced back at me.

    Even though I had heard about Luke asking for help from a witch to find me, he never told me that Maggie was the witch. But, since I''ve only known Maggie today, I suppose he didn''t see the point in telling me who the witch was back then. I needed to show her my gratitude for what she did for me. Without her, Luke wouldn''t have been able to find me that fast.

    "Um, thank you for helping me."

    "I wasn''t helping you in any way. I was trying to save my own life," she scoffed, glaring at Luke. "Your sweet mate right here threatened to kill me if I didn''t help him find you that day. I almost lost my life because you were kidnapped."

    After hearing her remark, the gratitude I had just felt was swiftly replaced by a sense of guilt.

    "I''m sorry," I apologized for what she had to go through for me and glanced at Luke, but he only looked away from me while scratching his nape awkwardly.

    "I was furious that day," he reasoned. "And Maggie was being an ?ss."

    "Apology not accepted." Maggie snorted at his reasoning, shaking her head disapprovingly. "Anyway, as you can seeˇŞthis is a crystal ball. It''s a magic item, so, obviously, it''ll react to any kind of magic."

    As she spoke, she stroked the crystal ball with her fingers, immediately causing a cloud of black smoke to emerge from the previously clear orb, whirling softly within it. She raised her brows as if telling me ''see?'' and then proceeded to push the crystal ball towards me, letting me know that I was next.

    "Why don''t we let the Alpha touch it first? That way, you wouldn''t doubt me when I said it would only react to magic."

    Luke quickly agreed to her suggestion, letting his fingers touch the now clear crystal ball. When he made contact with the ball, the crystal ball remained clear and pristine, with no movement happening as to what happened when Maggie touched it.

    "See? Nothing happened because he didn''t have any magic," said Maggie.

    Now, all that was left was me. It was finally the moment of truth. My life would either stay the way it was right nowˇŞor changed to a completely different one. Should it change, I would live a life where magic was possible. A life with magic.

    With a lot of hesitation, I reached out and placed my hand on top of the crystal ball. Much to my surpriseˇŞand happinessˇŞa few seconds passed and there was no change in the crystal ball. It remained clear, as clear as to how Maggie first brought it out.

    Seeing that there was no change in the crystal ball, I exhaled the breath that I was holding on to, feeling relieved that I was, in fact, not a witch. I quickly turned to Luke, who wore the same smile as what I had on my face.

    "You lied, Maggie. I''m not a witch," I revealed, sounding a little too eager. It felt as if a heavy burden was lifted off my shoulders, knowing the fact that I didn''t have to worry about being burned at the stake or causing a problem to the pack by being a witch.

    Maggie didn''t reply to me and just stared at the crystal ball, her expression remained calm. Despite the fact that the clear orb remained still even after a few minutes had passed, she continued to stare at it, as if trying to wait for it to change.

    The crystal ballˇŞit changed.

 Chapter 100 - Gone to the witchs house - Part 4

    A swirl of white smoke appeared on the crystal ball, twirling softly inside. It was very faint, yet it could instantly be seen on the previously clear crystal ball. I could feel my mouth falling agape when I saw the slight change, my hand quickly wanting to dart away from the sphere.

    Maggie let go of my wrist with a satisfactory grin, confirming that her ?ssumption of me was true. She was happy to see the dumbfounded expression on both my face and Luke''s. As I pulled my hand away from the crystal ball, the smoke quickly diminished.

    I am a witch.

    "See? I didn''t tell any lies." Maggie leaned back on her chair, her legs crossed. Despite the fact that I had anticipated this outcome, learning that I was truly a witch still came as a shock. "You''re my kin," she smiled.

    "But nothing changed when I first touched it! The smoke didn''t immediately appear as to what happened when you touched it."

    "That''s because your magic is weak," she explained, her eyes boring into me. She sipped on her tea as she watched the frowns on our faces, calm and peaceful as she was the only one who was not concerned about this whole situation.

    "Why? Is there something wrong with her?" Luke asked, giving me a reassuring squeeze on my shoulder.

    "Well, I have already noticed from the first time I saw her that the magic around her is very faint," she said as she gestured towards me, her hand circling my body. "It was as if something was suppressing her magic inside her bodyˇŞa seal, for example."

    "You mean someone deliberately sealed my magic inside of me, and that''s why I can''t use it all this time?" She nodded. "But why?"

    "Probably to protect you." Instead of Maggie answering my question, Luke was the one who answered. "As you were living amongst humans, it could be dangerous if one day you accidentally used your magic around others. You do know the stereotype around witches. It''s not very good."

    Maggie scoffed at his response but agreed regardless. She said that it was the most probable answer to my question.

    If it was to protect me, thenˇŞcould it be my mother? If my father was the witch among the two, there was no way that he would do that to protect me. Wait, can men be witches too?

    "Are there any male witches out there?"

    "Very few," Maggie replied. "Most of the men who were born from a witch will live as a normal human, as they can''t possess any magic in them. There were only a very few rare cases where those men were able to inherit their mother''s magic and live as male witches."

    So that means there was still a possibility of my father being a witch. Though, knowing about it now doesn''t really matter as I wouldn''t have anything to do with him anymoreˇŞunless I decided to blow his cover. That would definitely teach him a lesson to live as a more decent human.

    "It''s quite strange, though," Maggie added. "If your magic is sealed within your body, your magic shouldn''t have leaked out. That only means that the seal is almost broken."

    "But I never did anything that could possibly break the seal... I think." I fiddled with my fingers, thinking of a time when I encountered something magic-related, but there didn''t seem to be one.

    "How old are you?"

    "I''m seventeenˇŞgoing eighteen on the new year''s eve. Why?"

    "No wonder," Maggie chuckled as the realization dawned on her. "A witch''s magic will reach its peak when they reach eighteen. It is the age where their heartsˇŞthe core of their magicˇŞwill be the ripest. Your growing magic must have broken the seal, as the seal itself was probably already too old and too feeble to hold your magic inside."

    "Then... what should I do with this?"

    "That depends on your decision," Maggie answered, casually cleaning her fingernails. "If you want to be able to use your magic now, you should break the seal. But if you want to wait until later, you can just let it be. The seal will eventually break on its own the more you get exposed to magic anyway, and there is tons of magic around hereˇŞeven in the Alpha''s manor."

    When Maggie mentioned his manor, Luke quickly glanced at herˇŞalarmed, but soon realized that she was referring to the magic barrier that he''d asked the witch to put up.

    I swallowed the lump in my throat, not sure of which decision to make. So the actual question was; do I want to continue living as a normal human for a while longer, or do I want to become a witch right now?

    "WhatˇŞwhat can you do with magic?"

    "Almost everything," Maggie smiled, amused by my interest in magic. "As you can see from before, you can do something as simple as creating fire with only a flick of your finger, or you can do something as entertaining as strangling someone without actually touching them. Sounds fun, don''t you think?"

    "That sounds... quite evil." She laughed.

    "Wait," Luke raised his palm. "I thought white witches couldn''t use their magic to harm others? But why did you sayˇŞ" He stopped talking, as if realizing something, then glanced at me. "Is sheˇŞis she a black witch?"

    I could feel my body tensed at his question, anxious to hear Maggie''s answer. The news of my magic being sealed inside me made me forget to ask the most important questionˇŞwhat kind of a witch I am.

    Maggie lifted one of her brows in response to the inquiry, very intrigued by our tight expressions. She must have guessed what kind of response that we were hoping for.

    "She is..." she smiled, and it felt as if my world fell apart. I glanced at Luke, and he only smiled reassuringly as though telling me that it was fineˇŞbut I knew that it wasn''t. I was the wicked witch from the tale.

    "...a white witch," Maggie added, amused by the fact that we couldn''t even disguise the disappointment on our faces. When Luke glared at her, unhappy that she''d made a small pause in between her sentences, she shrugged her shoulders casually and said, "I wasn''t finished talking."

    I could finally see why Luke disliked Maggie. She was quite a pain in the neck. To think that she could make our stress levels spike just by not finishing her sentence.

    I sighed in relief, as being a white witch was a lot better than being a black witch.

    "Don''t worry. Every witch began their lives as a white witchˇŞthe purest form of a witch. Even if your parents were black witches, you would still be born as a white witch."

    "Then how did they turn into black witches?"

    "Their greed tainted them, of course. Black magic offered us so much power, power without limitationsˇŞnot like white magic. You can''t even kill a ???kroach with white magic. The moment you harm others with white magic, the color of your magic will slowly turn a shade darker. It will turn darker with each time you use your magic to harm others until it finally turns black."

    "What do you mean color?"

    "You''ll see when you decide to break your seal." Maggie poured herself more tea into her cup, then offered some more for me as well, but realized that my cup was still full. She gave me a tight-lipped smile, rolling her eyes. She must have realized that I didn''t want to drink the tea she''d made for me.

    I felt bad, so I lifted the cup to my mouth, pretending to drink the tea.

    "So, what''s your decision? I can help you if you want to break the seal, but, of courseˇŞit won''t be free," she glanced at Luke, smiling at him. "I''m sure your mate wouldn''t mind paying a little fee for all my help today."

    Luke only stared at herˇŞunamusedˇŞbut didn''t say anything to respond. He placed his palm on my cheek, turning my face to look at him. He smiled, then said, "I''ll follow your wish."

    Whatever the case may be, I''m still a witch. Isn''t it better for me to learn how to use my magic sooner rather than later? Rather than staying like I am right now, where I lack any ability that could be of help to Luke, possessing magic would be a better option, wouldn''t it? As Maggie said, I could do a lot of things with magic.

    But... breaking the seal would be like choosing a witch''s life above a human''s life. Am I ready to live as a witch? Though, ready or not, I couldn''t change the fact that I was born a witch. All my life, I was, unknowingly, a witch disguised as a human. Breaking the seal simply means that I''m living my life as the person I was born to be. This should be the right decision.

    "I want to break the seal."

 Chapter 101 - Gone to the witchs house - Part 5

    Hearing my decision, Maggie smiledˇŞprobably because she''d successfully secured an income out of this. She inhaled the rest of her tea and took her cup to the sink, preparing herself for the upcoming events.

    "Good decision," she said as she stood up, fixing her dress. "Having magic would be a lot better than staying as a useless human."

    I cast a glance at Luke, curious to see how he would respond to my decision. When he realized I was looking at him, he merely smiled and ruffled my hair. He didn''t appear to have any objections, as he had previously stated that he would follow my wish.

    In some ways, I wanted to learn magic so that I could help Luke, but I was also afraid of what this magic would bring me. I was afraid of what people would think of me when they learn about me being a witch. Will those warm smiles that people used to give me turn into a scowl?

    If that was the case, I was grateful that the most important person in my life didn''t abandon me the instant he discovered the truth. He embraced me despite the fact that having a witch as his mate would cause him more harm than good.

    I didn''t mind if the rest of the world hated meˇŞas long as I had him. Having him alone would be more than enough for me.

    Maggie returned to her seat, resting her elbow on the table and propping her head with her palm. "I can certainly help you, but the process will be a little painful."

    "What do you mean with painful?" I frowned. "What will we do to break the seal?"

    "We''ll force break it by exposing you to magic, which could be quite painful as your own magic will collide with mine." Seeing the confusion on my face, she added more explanations with a sigh. "You see, magic is supposed to circle towards the witch''s body to protect them. But as yours is sealed, your magic leaked out through the crack on the seal and going outwards from your body. In this case, it''s quite easy for your magic to collide with other''s magic and hurt you.

    As you are exposed to more magic, your magic will react to it and force its way out of the seal. When your leaked magic collides with other''s magic, the rest of your magic inside will interpret it as a threat and attempts to protect you by encircling you. You got it?"

    "So, to put it more simply, magic is similar to an eggshell? It surrounds the eggˇŞthe witchˇŞprotecting it from harm. But right now, I''m like an egg with an incomplete shellˇŞwith the shell sticking out from the egg. So when my shell touched other''s shells, it will pierce deeper into me and hurt me."

    "Exactly," she nodded.

    "Is there no other way?" Luke intervened after hearing about the pain, seemingly to be worried about me. "Can''t you break the seal with a spell or something?"

    "Oh, our sweet Alpha," Maggie rolled her eyes. "Putting a seal on someone is not an easy task. You need a great amount of magic to be able to do that, which means it''s high-level magic. Not just anyone can do that. Do you think such high-level magic can be dispelled with a simple spell?"

    Hearing it, he frowned, still trying to find another way that didn''t need me to be in pain. "StillˇŞ"

    "I understand your concern for your mate, but no. There''s no other way to break the seal," said Maggie as she cut him off. She then gestured her eyes towards Luke, asking me to do something about the man''s concern.

    "Luke, I''ll be fine," I ?ssured him as I reached out to take his hand in mine, which he accepted with a gentle squeeze. "I can endure pain well."

    His frown deepened upon hearing me, as though my words of ?ssurance were not ?ssuring at all. "I don''t want you to suffer any more pain than what you''ve suffered. If it''s going to be painful, I think it would be better if we wait for it toˇŞ"

    "But don''t you think it''s better for me to learn how to control my magic sooner?" I glanced up at him, a frown forming on my own face. I was scared that his persuasion would sway my decision to live as a witch now that I''d made up my mind.

    Luke was about to reply to my remark, but Maggie quickly beats him to it.

    "Do you both believe I have nothing better to do than wait for you to make your decision?" She asked, a very unamused expression on her face.

    I gave Luke one more look, smiled at him, and then returned my attention to Maggie. Luke only sighed, his frown still lingering on his face, but he didn''t say anything else.

    "Let''s begin," I said to Maggie, who immediately rolled her eyes and said, "Finally."

    I''d expected her to use a magic item, but all she did was extend her hand and ask me to hold it. I heed her words and reached out my hand towards hers, but as soon as I touched her hand, I felt a burnˇŞthe very same one as the one that I''d felt a few times before.

    So it was magic.

    "Ow! I''m sorry," I pulled away out of reflex, then smiled sheepishly at her. "Didn''t you touch me when we were looking at the crystal ball? But why didn''t it hurt before?"

    "Because when you''ve become an excellent witch, you can control the flow of your magic without any difficulties," she bragged. "Now, quick. Give me your hand."

    I swallowed the lump in my throat, preparing myself for the pain that was about to come. I took a few deep breaths before touching her again. I flinched at the burn but stayed, not again pulling my hand away.

    The burn was manageable at first, but it became increasingly severe as time went on. It began with the hand that was touching Maggie''s hand, then spread to the other hand, my stomach, and then my whole body.

    Maggie had said that it would be a little painful, but it wasn''t just a little painfulˇŞit was excruciatingly painful. It was as if I was on fire, but from the insideˇŞespecially my ?h?st.

    I placed a palm on my ?h?st, hoping to ease the excruciating pain, but it was in vain. "My ?h?st... it hurts so much." I was gradually losing my strength, even sweating in the cold weather. Luke quickly supported me before I fell from the chair, holding my shoulders with his strong arms.

    "Maggie, let go of her! Now!" He shouted, but Maggie didn''t heed his words. I, too, shook my head to tell them that I could still bear the pain, even though I was close to my limit. It hurts too terribly.

    "Remove her coat," Maggie ordered Luke while staring intensely at my ?h?st.

    He couldn''t help but questioned her request, as he didn''t understand why she wanted me to take off my coat. "What?"

    As Maggie urged him to follow her words, he had no other choice but to do as she said. I''d lose my strength from the pain, so I leaned on his body while he took my coat off, letting him do whatever that was needed.

    "Over there," Maggie said, pointing to my ?h?st, "The sealˇŞit''s in her heart."

    With much difficulty, I peered into my ?h?st, noticing a glowing light from beneath my garments. My vision grew blurry as I continued to bear the pain, my head dizzy. I could feel how I was starting to lose my consciousness, also feeling the tears in my eyes.

    "It... it hurts."

    Despite the fact that I''ve been through a lot, the pain I''m experiencing right now was way worse than anything I''ve ever experienced. It was the most agonizing of them all.

    Luke, noticing how much pain I was in, drew me closer to his embrace with his trembling hands. Even though I couldn''t see his face, I could tell that he was worried. His voice was shaky, his breathing erratic.

    It was as though he was going through the same misery by seeing me in such a state.

    "I know, I''m sorryˇŞI''m so sorry." He placed his palm on the back of my neck, planting a soft kiss on top of my head. "It''s going to be over soon."

    Even though I wanted to pull my hand away from Maggie''s hold, I didn''t have enough strength to do so. I had no choice but to cling to Luke for support, burying my head in his ?h?st while enduring the pain. I didn''t bother to hide my screams but let them out freely as the pain in my ?h?st grew even worse.

    While the light in my ?h?st shone brighter, my consciousness grew dimmer. I held out against the tremendous pain, feeling it all over my body until I couldn''t stand them any longerˇŞbefore everything went black.

 Chapter 102 - No longer human - Part 1

    Waking up in the ray of warm sunlight, I jumped out of bed with my tiny little steps, excited to find Toby, my new cat that I''d just found the week before. I''d found him on our front porch, crying with a bloodied leg. It seemed that he was separated from his family and had been hit by a passing carriage on the road, leaving him weak and bloodied by the time I found him.

    I''d pleaded with my mother to let me raise him, promising that I''d look after him with the utmost sincerity and affection. When she saw Toby''s condition, she hesitated a little, knowing that he wouldn''t have much longer to live. However, after some persuasion, she agreed to let me raise him in the hopes of saving his life.

    Since then, I''d spent most of my time caring for Toby, playing with the cat whose condition seemed to be getting better every day. He''d even started jumping and running around the house yesterday!

    With a smile on my face, I crouched down to find Toby, who loved to sleep under my bed. I''d planned to take him to our backyard, wanting to show him the numerous colorful flowers that grew behind our house. I''m sure he''d be overjoyed and start running across the flowerbeds!

    "Toby!" I called, but Toby wasn''t there. His small bed was left empty with no sign of his grey fur. "Toby?" I stood up, glancing around the room to find the grey cat. I hovered around the room, searching for every nook and cranny where he could be hiding, but he was nowhere to be seen. Where could he be?

    Ah! He must have woken up earlier than me to play hide and seek! We started playing hide and seek two days ago, and it has become his favorite game ever since. I''m sure he is hiding somewhere right now, waiting for me to find him.

    A burst of giggles escaped my mouth as I went out of my room, meeting the few servants that were cleaning the hallway. I greeted them with a good morning and walked past them, still on my quest to find Toby. I checked every corner, every potted plant, every place where the cat might be hiding, but I still couldn''t find him.

    Toby must have gotten better at hiding after two days of playing hide and seek, I thought.

    I continued to search for him, even asking the servants for some hints, but they had no clue about where the little cat might be. I began to feel my stomach growling while searching for Toby, so I decided to make a quick stop at the kitchen to ease my angry stomach.

    When I opened the kitchen door, I grabbed a chair to help me get to the kitchen table, where there were a few loaves of bread. I noticed the table was a little strewn about, as though someone had made a sloppy mess of it.

    I gave it no care and continued to eat my loaf of bread, finally feeling the anger in my stomach die down a little. My tiny legs swayed back and forth in my seat, my gaze wandering aimlessly around the kitchen. Everything appeared normal until I came across something familiar just beside the cabinet, something long and grey.

    Toby''s tail!!

    I quickly jumped out of my seat, tipped-toeing my way to Toby. I covered my mouth with my hands, wanting to surprise him with my sudden appearance. Getting closer, I shouted.

    "Toby! I found you!"

    Indeed, Toby was there, but he wasn''t surprised by my sudden appearance. Instead, he stayed still, giving me no response. His body was curled up, his blue eyes kept closed. I must have kept him waiting too long for him to fall asleep while waiting for me to find him.

    "Toby, wake up. I''m here," I whispered, giggling at the sleeping cat. Even with my calls, the cat kept on sleeping, so I lightly tapped on his body, shaking him a little. The little force I gave him made his body roll to the side listlessly.

    "Toby?" I called again, starting to feel that something was not right. Usually, Toby would usually wake up at the slightest sound, but this time, he wouldn''t wake up even after I shook his body. I placed my finger in front of Toby''s nose, hoping to feel his breathˇŞbut there was none.

    ...

    "Mama! Mama!" I frantically ran across the manor, searching for my mom while holding Toby in my tiny hands. A few servants gasped when they saw me running in such a state, tears streaming down my cheeks.

    I found my mom in the backyard, attending to the flowers there with her gloves on. Her eyes widened when she saw me crying, holding Toby in my embrace.

    "Violet, what happened?" She hurriedly ran over to me, taking her gloves off and getting down on her knees to level with me.

    "Mama..." I sobbed, slowly showing Toby in my hands. "T-Toby... Toby is not waking up. We were just playing hide and seek, but when I found him, he was already like this. He won''t wake up no matter how many times I call for him."

    She carefully took Toby from my hands, placing Toby on the ground. She put her hands on Toby''s ?h?st, then glanced over at me when she felt no movement coming from him. She bit her lips as she saw my eyes desperately moving from between Toby and her, hoping that she could do something to wake Toby up.

    "Violet, honey... Toby''s gone."

    "What do you mean he''s gone?" I frowned. "Toby is right here!"

    "Well... his body is here, but his soul is no longer here." She placed her palm on my cheek, wiping the tears that were ceaselessly falling from my eyes.

    "Then... then where is Toby''s soul?"

    "It''s in a place called heaven," she forced a smile, her eyes gleaming with tears when seeing me. "It''s a place where angels live, so it''s only natural for Toby to be there as well."

    "B-but we haven''t finished playing," I held Toby''s paw, ??r?ssing it gently. "Isn''t there anything that Mama can do to get Toby to come back and play with me again? Mama always takes my pain away when I''m sick, so can''t you bring Toby back to life too?"

    "I''m afraid that''ll be hard, honey," she said, drawing her brows together. "But Mama will try what I can do, okay?"

    Despite the fact that she knew there was nothing she could do to help Toby, she still tried to help him at my request. She placed her hand on Toby''s ?h?st once more, and a glowing light appeared beneath her hand.

    When I was sick, the same glowing light would appear every time she tried to make my pain go away. All of my pain would vanish as soon as the light touched me, and I would no longer be sick. I was a healthy child because my mom would always take my pain away whenever it came.

    After a few seconds, the glowing light disappeared, and she shook her head. Seeing there was no change even after what my mom did, my tears fell harsher. I couldn''t believe I wouldn''t be able to play with Toby anymore, who had become my best friend in the past week.

    "I-is it because I was bad to him, and that''s why he would rather play with the angels instead?" I cried harder, poking Toby''s lifeless body.

    "No, Violet," she shook her head, pulling me in for a hug. "As a cat, Toby couldn''t do much to protect you, who had been so kind to him, so he decided to go to heaven where he would have more power to do so. Now, Toby is no longer only a cat, but an angel. He''d even asked his angel friends to protect you from up there."

    "H-how can you know?"

    "Because Mama has magic, remember?" She smiled, wiping my tears away. "Toby told Mama that he was thankful that you played with him, and he was happy that you became his friend. He wished to repay your kindness, so he decided to become an angel to watch over you forever."

    "So it''s his wish to go to heaven?" My tears started to cease after hearing that Toby didn''t go to heaven because he was unwell or because he hated me. If that''s what Toby wanted, then I have to let him go, right?

    My mom nodded her head, smiling and standing up. She carefully took Toby in her hands, then offered her free hand to hold my hand.

    "Come, we should rest Toby''s body."

    We walked deeper into the backyard, finding an empty plot of land to dig a hole where Toby''s body would rest. Finished digging the hole and putting Toby inside, my mom touched the soil, once again making the glowing light appear. As soon as she touched the soil, the previously empty soil bloomed into numerous five-petaled flowers, ranging from blue, pink, and white in colors.

    "These flowers are called Forget-Me-Not," she remarked, a smile on her face as she stared at the flowers, pleased with her creations. "Just like the name suggests, these flowers mean that you''ll never forget. This way, Toby will know that we will never forget him and will always keep him in our hearts."

    "Will he be happy?"

    "I''m sure so."

 Chapter 103 - No longer human - Part 2

    What was that? A dream?

    It seemed to be my memories, but it also didn''t feel like mine. It was like I was watching a scene unfold before me, but the characters inside were me as a child and my mom. I did have a cat named Toby, but I had no recollections of how he diedˇŞalmost like this part of my memories were wiped out of my mind. Perhaps because it was from a long time ago?

    If it was not only a dreamˇŞbut a piece of my memoryˇŞit became clear to me that my mom was the witch. That glowing light she had beneath her hands when she touched TobyˇŞor when she miraculously grew all those flowersˇŞit was magic. But what was the color again? I can''t seem to remember.

    I opened my eyes with a groan, feeling a lingering sting in my ?h?st. I noticed that I was lying on a bed, which I ?ssumed to be Maggie''s, by all the mess there was in the room. I glanced to my side and saw Luke, fast asleep by the chair beside the bed. His hand was loosely holding mine, wrapping my hand with his warmth.

    I must have passed out after all the pain the seal had caused me, and now we''re spending the night at Maggie''s. Will she count this into the service fee she was talking about before? I just hoped that Luke wouldn''t have to pay too much money for this.

    Just as I was thinking about him, Luke woke up from his sleep and immediately turned his gaze to check up on me, a big sigh of relief escaping his mouth when he saw me sitting up on my bed.

    "Oh, thank goodness," he pulled me into his embrace, resting his head on my shoulder. "I was prepared to break Maggie''s neck should something bad happen to you after what she''d done."

    "She''s only helping me," I hugged him back with a chuckle.

    "Who knows if she was trying to pull a ruse under the guise of helping you. I know for sure that the woman is not very fond of meˇŞas I am of her." He pulled away, holding me by my shoulders with his hands. "How are you feeling?"

    "I feel quite... fine, actually." Now that he''d asked, I started to focus on how I was feeling and seeing the differences between before and after I broke the seal. I noticed how it felt like something was inside of me, running all through my blood.

    It was warm, soothing, and strange all at the same time. Is this what it''s like to have magic?

    Then a whiff of a stinging smell, like burnt metalˇŞor something along that hit my nose. The smell was quite heavy and pungent, but I couldn''t put my finger on how to describe it. It was the first time I''d encountered a scent like this.

    I inhaled more of the scentˇŞthough not very pleasantˇŞtrying to figure out what kind of a smell this was. No matter how hard I tried to rack my brain, I couldn''t seem to put into words what smell this is. That, until Maggie came into the room.

    It was the smell of magic.

    The smell became stronger as soon as she entered the room, and something I couldn''t see before became visible to my eyes now. I could not only smell magic, but I could also see it. Maggie had mentioned the colors of magic before, and now I knew exactly what she meant by it.

    Something was hovering around her, something greyˇŞalmost black. It was like smoke was following Maggie around, circling all around her body. The smoke was exactly the same as the one that I saw when she touched the crystal ball. It was almost as if I was seeing someone else''s aura, but in this case, it was magic.

    "So you can finally see it? My magic," she leaned to the door, smiling. I''m not sure if I''m right, but she always appeared to be happy whenever she saw meˇŞeven more so now that I''ve turned into a complete witch. Perhaps it was because she''d gotten another witch to keep acquaintance?

    "I can smell it too," I said, scrunching my nose a little. "Your magic doesn''t smell that pleasant."

    The smile on her face quickly evaporated when she heard my remarkˇŞthough I didn''t mean to insult herˇŞshe must have taken that as an insult. I was only stating the truth.

    "Just so you know, your magic smells just as bad," came the sour reply from her. "We''re both on the opposing sides of magic, so, naturally, everything about us will contradict each other. While black magic may not smell pleasant to you, it will smell pleasant to me. The same goes with white magic for both you and me."

    Despite the fact that we''re on opposing sides of magic, I didn''t think she''d be a bad person. After all, she was the one who guided me through all of this and explained all the things about magic that I''d zero clue about. Or, perhaps, she was only in it for the money?

    "Well, now that you''re awake, don''t you think both of you should be on your way? It''s almost dawn, and I''ve yet to have my beauty sleep because of a certain someone sleeping on my bed." She gestured to the way out, opposing the idea of having any guests in her humble house for another minute.

    "Wait," I raised my palm. "Why can''t I see my own magic?"

    "Obviously, because you haven''t let your magic out yet," she rolled her eyes, clearly fed up with having to explain all the little things about magic, but I reminded her that I''d only become a witch today. "Witches can let their magic in and out all they want, but the more magic you use will cause you to tire easily. That''s why many witches prefer to keep their magic inside to conserve their energy, but some witches who have mastered the flow of their magic will have it with them at all times because magic can be utilized as a form of protection."

    "But how can I let them in and out?"

    "You have to feel them," she said, then glanced at Luke, shrugging. "But I wasn''t paid to teach you that." Obviously, she wasn''t kindˇŞshe was only in it for the money.

    Luke just stared at her, unfazed by her outrageousnessˇŞperhaps because he was used to itˇŞand said, "I''ll pay you any amount, so tell her whatever she asked of you." Maggie smiled at the word.

    "Then I''ll gladly tell you," she said as she slid into a chair and crossed her legs. "As I said before, you have to feel your magic. Feel them race all throughout your veins, then let them out. Let them flow not only inside your veins but also outside of your body. As simple as that," she smiled, but it wasn''t simple at all. I still didn''t know how to let them out. "You have to stay calm and composed, as your emotions greatly influence the flow of your magic."

    Though still confused, I tried to remain calm, feeling my magic flowing inside of me. It was quite easy to feel them inside, as they were everywhere throughout my body. I could feel them, but I still couldn''t let them out. What should I do to let them out?

    I turned to Maggie for help, and she sighed again.

    "You know, it''s like when you need to pee or poop. You have to let them out to relieve yourself," even after she said that, it was hard when I had to put it to practice. I listened to her, again, focusing on the flow of my magic, but still, it didn''t work.

    If I hadn''t had enough self-control, I would have peed myself. I must have taken her words too literally.

    Maggie decided to lend me some help after seeing that I had no chance of letting my magic out on my ownˇŞthough she did say that she would charge Luke more for this. I couldn''t help but wonder how much money Luke would have to spend on all of this.

    She held out her hand, expecting me to take it with my own, but I hesitated. The pain from before was too terrible for me to take her hand willingly.

    "It won''t hurt again this time," she ?ssured me, and I reluctantly took her hand. Instead of pain, I felt a warm, tingling sensation run through me when I touched herˇŞit was my own magic. I could feel them much more clearly now, feeling them flowing all over my bodyˇŞand then feeling them outside my body.

    All of a sudden, everything around me turned warmer. Though the room lacked the warmth provided by the only fireplace in the houseˇŞas it was located outside of the roomˇŞI couldn''t feel the cold anymore. It was as if I was wearing a coatˇŞa coat of magic.

    "Wow." The word left my mouth unknowingly as I stared at my own magic, seeing how it was circling around me, just like what I saw with Maggie''s magic. But instead of blackˇŞgreyish smoke, mine was pure white. They felt warm and comforting, as though I was being cocooned inside of my own magic.

    I looked to Luke in awe, eager to show him my magic, but I realized he couldn''t see magic the way Maggie and I could. Despite this, he wore a surprised expression on his face, for reasons I have yet to know.

    "Violet, your eyesˇŞthey''re purple."

 Chapter 104 - No longer human - Part 3

    "Violet, your eyesˇŞthey''re purple." Luke cupped both of my cheeks, wanting to have a closer look at the change in my eyes. "They''re really purple."

    I looked at him, befuddled, not knowing what he meant by my eyes turning purple. Instead of asking, I decided to look for a mirror to see it myself. I got out of bed, wanting to walk to the mirror, but felt my legs going weak. Luke caught me just before I fell.

    "Careful, your body is still weak from before," he warned as he dragged me back to the bed. He then moved away, picking up the mirror on the wall and placing it in front of me. I took it in my hands and peered in the mirror, noticing that I looked like a complete disasterˇŞbut that''s not the point right now.

    The woman had brown hair that fell just below her ?h?st, a pale complexion, and long lashes that batted whenever she blinked. Her small nose and heart-shaped lips were all the same, but her eyes were no longer the jade green color that had garnered so much admiration from others. They were now the color of purple, just like what he''d said.

    I rubbed my eyes, not believing what I''d just seen. What happened to my eyes? Why did they change color? I''ve had green eyes for my whole life, but why are they purple now?

    Worried that anything horrible might happen, I glanced at Maggie, who seemed unconcerned about what was going on. Noticing my stare, she sighed.

    "It''s nothing to be worried about," she said, rolling her eyes. "Your magic must have changed the color of your eyes, and that''s all there is to it. When you let your magic inside, it will most likely return to normal."

    Does that mean my eyes will turn purple whenever I use my magic?

    Luke took the mirror from me, returning it to the wall. When he came back, he said, "You look beautiful with your new eyes too."

    I looked away bashfully but then caught the look of disgust Maggie was giving both of us. Maggie then beckoned for me to move away from her bed, clearly feeling impatient for me to leave her house. She said she''d gotten enough human interaction for the day.

    If I''m not wrong, I think I remember having a dream like this just a few weeks agoˇŞa dream where I had purple eyes. Again, it was a dream where it felt like it was a piece of my memory, but I had zero recollection of it. It was as if the dream was replaying a piece of my memory which I''d forgotten.

    Furthermore, each of those dreams was related to magic.

    Could it be that not only did my mom seal my magic, but she also sealed a few of my memories related to magic? If that''s the case, then it''s no surprise that I had no idea I was a witch.

    Luke helped me get off the bed, offering me his hand to support my weak body. My body must have taken a huge toll from the previous pain since I could feel my legs turning to jelly right now. I couldn''t even stand properly without shaking.

    As we exited the bedroom, I attempted to retrieve my coat, which had been left on the chair, but something fell from the shelf atop the chair before I could reach my coat. Without anyone touching it, a jar fell from the shelf and shattered into pieces when it hit the groundˇŞultimately causing the content inside to leak out.

    Inside was something small and blue, something I''d never seen before. I noticed that it was an animal, which appeared to be a blue lizard. We believed it would be harmless as it was so smallˇŞabout the size of a palmˇŞuntil it flew straight at us.

    I yelped, and Luke quickly smacked the lizard away from us. After the smack, the lizard collapsed to the ground, weakened, and eventually stopped moving. Maggie, who was trying to sleep in her room, walked out to see what all the commotion was about.

    She looked at the shattered jar, then at the blue lizardˇŞdeadˇŞand finally at us. "What did you do?!!" she shouted, her voice as loud as thunder.

    "I swear we didn''t do anything," I raised both of my palms to prove my innocence, but her glare didn''t move away. "I was just trying to retrieve my coat when that jar dropped off by itself," I said, pointing to the shelf, and before I could finish, another jar fell off the shelf.

    Maggie let out another scream when she noticed another jar had broken apart, allowing a strange-colored liquid inside to spill out. Those jars must be important.

    "See, it dropped by itself!" I defended, not wanting Maggie to charge us more money for this incident. Noticing how dejected Maggie was about the dead lizard and the spilled liquid, I nudged Luke to get him to defend himself too.

    "Well, the lizard was flying at us, so I whacked it out of reflex. It looks dangerous, you know, from the color and all. But I don''t think I hit it hard enough for it to die in one hit."

    Maggie stayed quiet for a few moments, sighing over the mess on the ground. She then said that those jars were the ingredients for the potion she was making and that those thingsˇŞespecially the lizardˇŞwere rare ingredients. She said the lizard would even die at the slightest touch, which is why she kept it safe in a jar.

    Though he didn''t do it on purpose, Luke must have felt a little guilty about the dead lizard, so he apologized. "Do you need me to compensate you for the dead lizard?"

    Seeing another chance to rob him of his fortune, Maggie nodded her head yes. She was still dejected, but her mood had visibly lightened up a little upon hearing about the compensation.

    I pulled on Luke''s shirt, trying to tell him that this was the right time to leave since I was worried about his money if we stayed any longer. It just seemed that the longer we stayed here, the more money we would lose.

    I walked over to get my coat but, again, another jar fell from the shelf. I didn''t know what the problem was, but those jars kept on falling whenever I got closer. Maggie looked like she was close to passing out when she saw another jar fall, and even compensation was not enough to relieve her of her anger.

    "I-I didn''t do anything!"

    "Yes, but your magic did!" Maggie yelled, and I finally realized what was wrong. As I haven''t figured out how to control my magic, it appears that my magic has accidentally knocked down a few things in my surroundingsˇŞthe jars.

    "OUT!!"

    ...

    After leavingˇŞI mean, being kicked out of Maggie''s house, Luke couldn''t stop laughing at my dumbfounded expression when I discovered that it had been my fault all along.

    "Stop laughing," I scoffed.

    "You should see your face just now," he laughed, imitating my expression. He kept his eyes wide, his mouth agape, then placed his palm at the front of his mouth. I smacked his head.

    Despite the fact that he had to lose more money, he said that it was fine because he had a good laugh. He also mentioned how wonderful it was to see Maggie being so dejected, rather than seeing her being an ?ss all the time.

    In other words, he was happy upon someone else''s misery.

    Annoyed with the man and his constant laughter, I forced my wobbling legs to walk faster, but he quickly caught up to me. He offered to carry me home, but I refused as I could still manage on my own.

    As we walked, the sun rose and bathed the sky in a golden glow, igniting the perfect flame in the blues of the sky. A new day had arisen, and along with it, I found myself to be a new version of myself. From this day on, I would be living a life of a witch. The upcoming days would be filled with magic, with things I''d never imagined were possible.

    What will the future look like, I wonder? Would it be good, or would it be bad? I hoped that the choice I made today would only lead me down a path where I could use my new abilities to bring help and comfort to others rather than harm.

    "How much money did Maggie ask of you today?" I asked, curious as to how much money he''d spent today. Instead of answering, he returned my question with another.

    "Are you sure you want to hear about it?"

    Hearing it, I frowned. Did Maggie ask for so much that he was afraid I would be surprised when I heard about the amount? I nodded to his question, despite being anxious about the answer. I doubt it would be more than one gold, right?

    "A thousand gold."

    What?! A thousand gold?! I''d never heard of such a vast sum of money before! Is it even possible to have such a large sum of money? I''m pretty sure Maggie was a robber, not a witch. How could she rob him of his fortune like that?

    "W-what can you buy with a thousand gold?" I asked, and Luke took some time to consider his response before giving me an answer that was so shocking I nearly passed out.

    "A house?" I gaped.

 Chapter 105 - Rest day

    Feeling bad about how he''d lost such a large amount of money on me, I offered to do whatever he asked of me to repay it, but he said that every penny he spent on me was more than worth it.

    Clearly, he was a very smooth talker.

    We were now back in Luke''s room, where he told me that it would no longer be just his room but our room. He said that he would need me to sleep in his room every night since he couldn''t sleep well without me. He claimed that he couldn''t sleep without me by his side since he''d grown too accustomed to sleeping with me over our entire stay in GordomˇŞwhich was obviously only an excuse the man had come up with.

    I only agreed because he''d pleaded so pitifully.

    "Can you please pour me a glass of water?" He asked as he lay on his bed, casually flipping the pages of his book. I obediently took a glass of water from the table, delivering it to the man.

    Though it was already morning, I insisted that he take the day off as he was clearly very sleep-deprived. At first, he refused, but then I reminded him that he had Andrew and Jack working for him. He grinned in realization.

    Leaning my head above my folded hands, I lay on my stomach by my side of the bed. I stared at Luke, whose red eyes were now hidden behind his glasses, thinking about how good he looked in them. It was my first time seeing him with glasses on.

    The glasses added something to his face, making him even more attractive than he was before. I had no idea that glasses could make someone appear this good. It was as though the glasses gave him a certain poise that did wonders to attract people. It was unfair how he could look good in almost anything.

    Did he wear his glasses often? I hope not.

    "Do you have bad eyesight?" I asked, and he shook his head no. "Then why are you wearing glasses?"

    "Because I know I''ll look good in it," he looked up from the book in his hands, smirking. "It got you staring, didn''t it?"

    My mouth fell at his answer. I ?ssumed he wouldn''t notice I was staring at him as he was so engrossed in his book, but I must have been mistaken. He caught me.

    "You do realize how cheeky you are, don''t you?" I narrowed my eyes at him, turning my face away. It was so irritating that he recognized how attractive he was. I''m curious as to when he gained that confidence. Maybe he''d been like this since he was a baby.

    "But I''m only stating the truth," he laughed at my words, ruffling my hair. "Weren''t you just wondering about how good I look with my glasses on?"

    "I-I didn''t," I lied, but he clearly saw right through me. Letting me get away with my lie, I heard the sound of his book closing.

    "You know, I really don''t think this is a good book."

    "What book?" I asked, closing my eyes as I was feeling a little drowsy. Perhaps it would be good for me to sleep for a while. Is it because of the magic? Maggie did suggest that I let my magic out for a while as I had been suppressing it for a long time, but it was really taking a lot of my energy.

    "Loving the Crazy Lord."

    ...am I hearing things?

    I sat up straight away, my gaze falling on the book in his hands. ThereˇŞthe book Loving the Crazy Lord was, indeed, in his hands. I didn''t realize he was reading that book as he looked so focused, and it never crossed my mind that he would read that bookˇŞagain. I thought he would read a book about business or something along with that. But this...

    "W-why are you reading that?!" I tried to snatch the book away, but he was faster. He dodged my hand, pulling the book away from me with that annoying smirk of his.

    "Why? I was only curious about what kind of preference you have for books since you snatched the book away from me the last time..." His smirk grew wider when he saw meˇŞperhaps at how my cheeks were turning redˇŞand he added, "...but it doesn''t appear to be that good. I''m sure I can tell you more than this book can ever tell you."

    It seemed that he could never get enough of teasing me. I wanted to get back at him, but I was afraid it might backfire since I knew how good this man could be at making things happen according to his wishes.

    "I-I was going to throw this book away!" Not wanting him to hold on to the book any longer, I tried to snatch it away again, this time, finally successful. I quickly got off the bed and took the book, throwing it into one of the shelves in the room. This book should never be seen anymore.

    He lolled his head back and laughed when he saw me in such a hurry. "You look the cutest when you''re flustered like this."

    "Is that why you can''t seem to stop teasing me?" I asked, frowning.

    He shrugged his shoulders. "Maybe."

    I glared at him, and he returned my glare with that charming smile of his. I turned around and walked to the door, irritated by the man. I decided to tease him back, curious to see how he would react if he knew I was annoyed by his constant teasing.

    "Where are you going?" In an instant, he got off the bed and arrived beside me. I took a step back when I saw him suddenly so close to me, surprised by his inhuman speed.

    "I''m going back to my room," I said.

    "But this is your room," he pouted. "You agreed to stay here with me."

    "I changed my mind," I tried to put on my grumpiest face, still on with my act. He examined my expression, as if he was trying to see right through me just like he always does. He then took my hand in his and pressed the doorknob to pull the door open. "What are you doing?" I asked.

    "If you''re going back to your room, then I''ll go too." He smiled, raising our locked fingers. "Wherever you go, I go. I''m going to stay glued to you for the rest of our lives."

    I opened my mouth to respond to him, but quickly closed it again since I wasn''t sure whether I could continue with my act. His words unexpectedly brought a smile to my lipsˇŞwhich I tried so hard to hideˇŞalmost failing.

    Strangely, hearing those few sentences made me feel happyˇŞdespite the fact that I was currently trying to get rid of him. It just meant that he would never leave me, and I was happy to hear that. But I''m not supposed to act happy right now. I should act mad so that he would stop teasing me.

    "Come on. I know you''re only pretending to be mad," he said, ultimately breaking my facade. "No matter how hard you try, you can''t lie to me. I can see right through you. You tend to avoid my eyes whenever you lie, and that''s exactly what you''re doing right now."

    "I-I didn''t do that," I returned my gaze, widening my eyes at him. He returned my gaze with his widened one also, chuckling.

    "You certainly do," he said, turning my body around and leading me back to our bed. I reluctantly followed, having failed in my attempt to stop him from teasing me. It seemed that he had me in the palm of his hand. "Do you remember the race we had back in Gordom?"

    "What about it?"

    "I remember I have yet to tell you my wish."

    I froze. I''d forgotten that he still had that card up his sleeves. He never mentioned anything about it, so I thought that he''d forgotten about it, just like I had. I thought wrong.

    "Really? I don''t remember you winning the race, though?" I gasped, pretending to lose this part of my memory. I was afraid that he would make an absurd wish, one that would require me to do things that I was not used toˇŞthings that would require me to invade someone else''s personal space. Luke''s.

    "Rabbit, I told youˇŞyou can''t lie to me. I know you remember it," he pinched my cheeks. "I''m going to use that wish now." I gulped.

    Failing to feign ignorance, I succumbed to his wish. Bracing myself, I said, "Tell away."

    Hearing that, he smiled, smiling ever so brightly, knowing that I had no other choice but to follow his wishˇŞwhatever that may be. I just hoped that he would have enough conscience in himself not to give me anything hard to do.

    "I want you to kiss meˇŞone kiss a day."

 Chapter 106 - One kiss a day - Part 1

    "W-what?" Baffled, I turned to him. "What kind of a wish is that?!"

    He folded his arms, tilting his head slightly to the side as he thought. "Should I have said twice a day? One is too little."

    I felt my mouth fall open at his brashness. I''d expected that he would ask for something bizarre, but I didn''t think it would be this bizarre! I didn''t have any problems with kissing him, butˇŞone kiss a day is too much! Do people usually kiss that often?

    "What do you mean too little?" I asked, thinking the exact opposite of him. "One kiss a day is too much!"

    "Of course, it''s too littleˇŞfor me," he said. "Still, you have to grant my wish. If you don''t want to do it once, then I can always change it to twice aˇŞ" I quickly closed his mouth with my palm.

    "One." I gulped. "One kiss a day."

    His lips curled up in satisfaction, and with those same lips, he kissed my palm. I quickly pulled away.

    How come everything he did to me would make blood rush to my cheeks so easily? His touch, his voiceˇŞeverything about him made my pulse beat a little faster than usual every time he got closer to me. And every time it happened, I felt like running away, but he''d always chase after me no matter how far I went.

    I thought we were taking things slowly, but I suppose I was taking it too slowly. Even in the book, Lord Ansel and Melissa had their first kiss on the very first week they metˇŞthough it was by force. But I couldn''t seem to get used to his touch or the sparks that would appear inside me. Perhaps because it was once so foreign, I needed some time to get used to it.

    Maybe this could be a way to get used to it.

    Have some courage, Violet. That way, you can slowly turn the tables around.

    "But you have to make the first move," he said, gazing right through me. "I''ll do nothing but eagerly wait for your lips to touch mine."

    "I-I have to make the first move?" I asked, and he nodded firmly. He sat on the bed, patting the space beside him for me to sit. I followed, feeling my cheeks burning from the thought of kissing him again.

    "Do you not want to?"

    "N-no, it''s not that. I''m just... shy," I looked away, my hand clutching my skirt.

    "As usual," he smiled. He used his hand to turn my face back at him, wanting me to look at him in the eyes. His red eyes quickly drew me in as we met. "Do you know why I asked you to do this?"

    "Because... you like it?"

    "While that''s one of the reasons," he chuckled, "I want you to quickly get used to me so that I can mark you mine."

    "What do you mean?"

    "Werewolves usually mark their mates the moment they find each other to show other wolves that they are now off-limits. That way, no other unmated wolves would dare to approach marked wolves unless they are brazen enough to do so. Touching a marked wolf would be like asking for trouble."

    "And how are you going to do that?"

    "With a bite," he let his fingers trail from my face down to my neck, stopping when he reached the part between my neck and shoulder. "Here," he said.

    I didn''t know such things existed among werewolves. By marking their mates, would it mean that they will only belong to one another?

    I''ve heard a few stories about people who found their partners left them for a new one, or even were in a relationship with two different people at the same time. The maids from back in the days were furious whenever they talked about it, but I found it rather amusing. It was quite fun to hear about such a twist in a storyˇŞbut I doubt it would be as fun when it happens to oneself.

    Would it not happen between werewolves?

    "I don''t mind if you wanted to do it now," I said, and he raised his brows. I''m already yours anyway.

    "I know that you''ll let me, but I''m afraid I can''t do it now," he replied, leaving me confused. Is he waiting for something?

    "Why?"

    "Once I mark you, it will be harder for me to control my... my d?s?r?s," he looked away, his face turning a little red. "It''s manageable up until now as our mate bond has yet to be made, but I don''t know what will happen then. I''m sure I would need something more than a kiss."

    "S-something more than a kiss?" What else could there possibly be after kissing? Even the thought of kissing him would make my heart beats uncontrollably, but he''s saying that there was still something more than kissing?

    Perhaps it would do me good to continue reading the book.

    He cleared his throat. "That''s why I need you to get used to meˇŞto my touch. I wouldn''t want you running away from me whenever I got closer to you."

    So that was the reason behind his bizarre wish.

    Does that mean he was waiting for me? He did say that werewolves would mark their mates the instant they found them, but it has been months since we first met. Maybe it was because I was a humanˇŞI mean, a witch, which was why I didn''t have the same attraction as what he had for me when we first met. It had only started to appear after all the time I spent with him, and he was waiting for that to happen so he wouldn''t force his feelings on me.

    Considering all that he had to endure for me, it would only be fair for me to make the same effort for him. All I needed was a little courage.

    "Come!" I gulped, pounding on my ?h?st. "I... I''m ready!"

    "What was that? He lolled his head back, laughing as he closed his eyes due to the amusement. "You look more like you were going into a war instead of kissing me."

    Did I look too determined?

    He used his fingers to straightened my creased brows, then proceeded to cup my cheeks with his palms. "Calm down," he said.

    "I''m... I''m calm," I said, but when I met his eyes again, it was as if all the determination I had crumbled away. "...or not."

    How come all it took was a single stare from him, and it felt as if my heart was going to leap out of my ?h?st? What kind of magic does this man have on him?

    He moved back, crossing his arms in front of his ?h?st while he waited for me to prepare myself. He then closed his eyes, asking, "Will this help?"

    I nodded but realized he couldn''t see it. I replied yes.

    Have some courageˇŞI told myself over and over again in my mind. I put a palm in front of my mouth, softly blowing warm breath to it. Will he be able to smell my breath? I hope my breath doesn''t smell. It seemed that he noticed what I was doing, hence the chuckle.

    With my racing heart, I pulled him by his collar, closing my eyes as I let our lips brush each other slightly. I stayed there for a couple of seconds, then pulled away. Our first kiss lasted longer, but he didn''t specify how long I should kiss him this time. I suppose a quick kiss would suffice, wouldn''t it?

    Pulling away, my eyes met his, which didn''t seem to approve of our short-lived kiss. Though I wanted to move away, his hands quickly pulled me back, not letting our bodies distanced away. He placed both of his hands on the side of my neck, his thumb ??r?ssing my cheeks.

    "That''s only a peck," he said, his warm breath tickling me.

    "A peck is also a kiss, no?" I looked away sheepishly, my eyes not daring to look back at the red eyes with their piercing stare. That didn''t appear to be the right wish he requested to be granted. "Now that I''ve granted your wish for the day, w-why don''t you let me go?"

    He looked at me with narrowed eyes, clearly disapproving. Instead of letting me go, he raised my chin towards him. His eyes moved from my eyes to my nose, then finally settled on my lips. His thumb delicately stroked my lips before he lowered his head, tilting it to the side and leaning forward for another kissˇŞa longer, deeper one.

    "ThisˇŞViolet, is a kiss."

 Chapter 107 - One kiss a day - Part 2

    Time seemed to stop the moment his lips touched mine, engaging me in a deeper, more passionate kiss. Everything around me blurred away, leaving only the sensation of his lips against mine. Heat rose from my stomach, my ?h?st, my cheeks. The feel of his body leaning against mine as he wrapped his arms around me felt nearly forbidden, and yet, I didn''t pull away.

    The flutter inside me only intensified when I felt him gently pushing my body onto the bed, his elbow supporting his weight as he lay on top of me. He pulled me in, claiming my mouth again as I felt him wash over me like a wave of warmth. His touch felt as hot as a burning iron, and the taste of him was... hypnotic beyond reason.

    His kiss was hungry and intense, almost as though he''d been waiting for this all his life. I clung to him as if he was the lid to my potˇŞas if I''d never been shy to begin with. A low growl escaped his lips when he felt me react to his kiss, and little shivers shot through me as he deepened our kiss. By the time I realized what I was doing, I was already out of breath.

    "L-Luke," I pushed him away, my cheeks burning.

    My breath came out in a wild gasp as we pulled away, my heart uncontrollable.  His red eyes still loomed over my lips, longing for more of what we''d just had. The proximity between us had left my mind in shambles, and winter had never felt this warm before.

    "Your lips... they taste good," he said, and I gulped, unconsciously biting my lower lip. "As good as Bob''s chocolate cake," his eyes flickered to mine before leaning in for another kiss, which I quickly avoided.

    "Y-you only said one kiss a day," I stammered as I turned my face away, wanting to hide myself under the mattress behind my back. The tingles in my stomach refused to go away, while my heart refused to calm its beating.

    Was this the kind of kiss that he was talking about in his wish? If we were to kiss this way every day, then I''m afraid I''d end up with a heart condition in the next few weeks.

    "Can''t I ask for more?" He tilted his head so innocently, as if he was asking for candy instead of a kiss. How could he stay so calm and composed when I was a complete wreck? Seeing me shaking my head, he moved away from me, but not before stealing a little peck on my lips.

    "N-no more kisses," I said, and he only laughed. I couldn''t believe he stole two more kisses from me when he only asked for one!

    After he was no longer resting on top of me, I sat up, unsure where to look after everything that had happened. I cupped my cheeks, feeling them still burning even after minutes of stopping. Luke stood up from the bed and excused himself to the restroom.

    "I''m going to the restroom for a bit," he said, turning around towards his destination. But before he walked any further away, I noticed how he was touching his earsˇŞred. His ears were red.

    Am I not the only one who felt shy? Perhaps he was merely concealing his own shyness, which was why he appeared calm. I couldn''t stop myself from smiling, knowing that I''d affected him just as much as he affected me.

    Looking at Luke, who had disappeared into the restroom, I laid down on the bed, hugging the pillow to my face. Seriously, what was that just now?!

    When he kissed me, it was as if my body reacted accordingly on its own. I couldn''t push him away, almost as though I was addicted to... to the taste of him. Did Melissa also feel like this when she kissed Lord Ansel? It''s weird. I felt giddy, nervous, shy, all at the same time. But whenever I looked back at our kiss, I... I wanted moreˇŞI gasped.

    What did I just say?!

    I must have lost my mind!! How could I say I wanted more?! What will Luke think of me if he overhears me say anything like that?! Will he think I''m a pervert forˇŞwait, will he be pleased? I hurriedly hit my head with my pillow, trying to stop myself from having such ?bs??n? thoughts. Surely I''ve gone mad because of him.

    He must''ve influenced me too muchˇŞin a bad way.

    I took deep breaths in and out, trying not to think about Luke, but before I realized it, my fingers were back on my lips. Ahh, I''m going crazy, really!!

    Well, if I must admit, I didn''t hate our kiss. The feeling of his soft lips against mine, and the burning feeling whenever his fingers grazed my skin, IˇŞI liked them. It felt as if I was floating, and the warmth of his body nearly silenced all thoughts, not letting my mind think anything else but him.

    He captivated me so much to the point that he made me do things that I''d never done before, and yet, strangely, all I felt was an unknown sensation of p???sur?. Whatever things he brought with his lips, the light-headedness, the thrill, the knot in my stomachˇŞI didn''t hate them. In fact, I wanted more of themˇŞthough I was still too shy to let him know my d?s?r?.

    I yearned for him just as much as he yearned for me.

    He was the firstˇŞand most likely the lastˇŞperson to make me feel like this. Just like how he was my first and my last, I wanted to be his first and last as well. I wanted to stay with him.

    I sat up, suddenly feeling my cheeks burning again after all the thinking I''ve been doing. To think that he could make me feel all sorts of things just by his touch made me wonder if... if this is how it feels to fall in love. Is this love that I feel?

    All of the joy, excitement, nervousness, and every other emotionˇŞAre they the emotions that come with love? If being in love meant that he would be in my mind 24 hours a day, and if being in love would make me hate the idea of being apart from him, then... am I in love?

    Just as I was thinking about it, Luke came out of the bathroom with his hair damp. We looked at each other, feeling the awkwardness filling the entire room. Luke cleared his throat as I looked away, fiddling with my dress.

    "Do you... do you want to go eat lunch?" He asked, scratching the back of his neck. I could see a hint of red in his cheeks. "I think Bob is cooking something delicious. I can smell it."

    Hearing it, I stood up, smoothening my dress.

    "S-sure," I stammered, trying to mask my awkwardness by laughing a little. Although it was not before hesitating, he held out his hand, asking me to hold onto his hand just like what we usually do. I, too, accepted his hand with a little hesitation.

    After all the boldness he''d shown me all this time, I didn''t know he could also feel shy.

    Before we could reach the door, someone knocked on the door.

    "Alpha Sir, I''m Zeke," said a man by the other side of the door. Luke opened the door to show a tall man with deep blue eyes, his hair brown with a little curl at the sides. "I''m sorry for interrupting your time," he bowed, then glanced at me. "Luna."

    After all this time, I was still not used to being called Luna.

    "You''re back," Luke patted his shouldersˇŞtwiceˇŞthanking him for his hard work. "Tell me all the things you''ve discovered about the village." Luke led me back to a sofa, asking me to sit while Zeke told us about his report.

    "The villagersˇŞthey acted as if they were controlled by something, day and night. I''ve been watching them for the past two days, and I noticed how they acted exactly the same, as if there was a schedule that they had to follow. When I approached them, they didn''t even spare me a single glance. It was almost as if I was invisible in that village."

    "What did they do?"

    "Just normal things people usually do. Cooking, cleaning, workingˇŞall the usual. Even the children played the same games for two days, all at the exact time."

    Whoever was controlling those villagers, did they do it on purpose to show that those people were normal villagers? Was the church the only trigger for them to abandon their schedules?

    "And what about the magistrate in that village? I''ve been told that he''d fallen ill and hadn''t been seen for weeks. Did you look for him?"

    "I did," he said, holding the same blank expression. "The magistrateˇŞhe''s not sick. He''s dead."

 Chapter 108 - Visiting the village, again - Part 1

    "What?"

    "I discovered his body in a ditch, as well as several other dead bodies that I ?ssumed belonged to the villagers. They appeared to have been dead for weeks."

    "So those bodies were where the unpleasant smell was coming from?" I asked, and Zeke nodded his head yes. No wonder the smell was so bad back then.

    "Were they killed?"

    "I can''t say for sure. When I found them, their skin was saggy, as if their blood had been su?k?d dry from their bodies. However, I can''t find any signs of physical abuse."

    What on earth happened in that village? Dead bodies were left unattended without being properly buried, and no one even cared. If those people were indeed killed, whoever killed them was beyond ruthless.

    "Did you confirm that one of those bodies was really the magistrate?"

    Zeke took a piece of paperˇŞa pictureˇŞfrom his pocket, followed by a golden ring. He handed it to Luke, showing a portrait of a man in his fifties, smiling warmly at whoever was taking his picture. He then pointed to the magistrate''s finger, adorned with the same golden ring Zeke brought to us.

    "I took this ring from him," he said, handing the ring to Luke. Luke took the ring with a sigh.

    "The remaining villagersˇŞwhat did they do during the evening? Did they go to the abandoned church?"

    Zeke quickly denied it. "No, sir. They immediately went inside their houses as soon as they finished their chores for the day. No one was out during the night."

    Then it was without a doubt that the church was what prompted them to act outside of their normal routines. They were most likely guarding the church against intruders since they had something hidden inside of that place. It was impossible to avoid another visit to the abandoned church. We needed to go back there.

    "Then what happened to the monthly report? Who wrote them? They have been diligently sending us their reports without a halt, but there was no mention of the problem in that village."

    "I ?ssumed it was Mr. Wickham''s doings."

    "Mr. Wickham?" Luke lifted one of his brows, inquiring about the man''s identity. He appeared to have an idea of who the man was.

    "The magistrate from the next village."

    "The bald magistrate?" I asked.

    Hearing it, Luke laughed, but it was not a laugh filled with humor. It was a laugh filled with disbelief. There was a lot more than the magistrate stuffing his own pocket with the village funds, as it turned out. He even forged a report from the neighboring villageˇŞreports.

    "Did you give those people a proper burial?" Luke asked, massaging his temples. When Zeke replied that he did, Luke nodded his head in approval before dismissing the man. "Good work. You may rest now."

    As Zeke exited our room, Luke walked towards the sofa, sitting on the seat beside me.

    "Mr. Wickham... I should''ve given him a punch or two back then," he said, a heavy sigh escaping his mouth. "It appears that we''ll need to have another meeting with him. He''ll know what happened to those villagers that turned them that way."

    "Aside from that, I think it''s strange how those villagers could be so triggered when we were in the church. I''m sure they''re hiding something inside that place. We need to get back there as soon as possible," I said, and he quickly agreed. "Oh, right. Do you remember the statue we found there?"

    "What statue?"

    "That statue of a nun in the underground room," I said, and he nodded in recognition. "When I touched the snakes on the statue, I felt the same burning sensation as when I touched Maggie before I broke my seal. Doesn''t that mean the statue is enchanted with magic?"

    "Wait," he raised his hand, stopping me from talking any further. "Snakes?"

    "Yes, snakes." I turned to him, wondering what got him so confused. "Why?"

    "What do you mean, snakes? I didn''t see any snakes on the statue. It was a normal statue of a nun praying, wasn''t it?"

    "No," I shook my head. "Well, it''s a statue of a nun praying, but there were snakes on each side of her arm."

    Luke, too, had a frown on his face after mine. He remained silent for a few moments, thinking, before deciding that we should first return to the church and take another look inside. Now that I''ve broken my seal, it was possible that I''d be able to see things I couldn''t see before. Perhaps there were many more things like the snakes on the statue.

    Considering the chances of those villagers coming after us again, I settled on a simpler dress that won''t disturb me if I had to run later. Changing to a much more comfortable boots, I took my coat and my cape, not forgetting to keep the knife Luke''d gifted me safely in my pocket. I''m sure it would come in handy during a time like this.

    I glanced at the white smoke around my body, seeing how my magic was still refusing to stay under control. Should there be a confrontation, can I use my magic to keep both of us safe? But, given my inability to control my magic, I''m afraid it would be more harmful than useful to us.

    Perhaps it would be better for me to keep my magic inside. That way, I could also save more of my energy.

    I closed my eyes, trying to keep my focus on the flow of my magic. Calm and composed, just like what Maggie said. Feel the magic around my body, then pull them back in. I focused on the warm, tingling sensation around me, feeling them flowing all throughout my body.

    I repeatedly told my magic to come inside, hoping that it would finally listen to me. When I opened my eyes, my magic was... still out. I sighed.

    Why is this so hard to master? I couldn''t even let my magic in and out at will. I wonder if Maggie would be so willing to teach me more about magicˇŞwithout having to pay a big sum of money. I''m afraid Luke would lose most of his money the more I ask for Maggie''s help.

    Will there be any books about magic in the library? Maybe I can learn from a book to keep Luke''s money safe.

    "Are there any books about magic in your library?" I asked Luke, who was busy taking out something from his closet. It was a gun.

    "Of course not. You won''t find any books related to magic anywhere in Wonsvile, as everything about witches is banned. But you can probably find one in the White Church," he explained, pulling out another box from his closet which contained silver bullets. "Why? You can always ask Maggie for anything you don''t know about magic."

    "Well... it would be too expensive to ask Maggie questions," I said, and he laughed hearing it.

    "Are you concerned about the amount of money she''d ask of me?" He took two pairs of gloves, wearing them before touching the silver bullets. "Don''t worry. I have much more money than you can ever imagine. I''m sure I can feed the whole population of Wonsvile for years and still won''t run out of money."

    That much? I mean, he''d always been so generous about money, but I had no idea that he was that wealthy. Was it even possible for us to make that much money by being a lord of a land? Should I rest ?ssured and use as much as I want?

    When he was done loading his gun, he put it in his back pocket and took off his gloves. Noticing how I was looking at him, he kindly explained to me.

    "If we come across a black witch, silver is the easiest and the fastest way to kill them. Keep in mind that all dark creatures are weak to silver, even you. So don''t go around touching silver when you find one."

    "White witches are also a part of the dark creatures?" I tilted my head. "But they''re called white witches."

    "Any beings other than humans are referred to as dark creatures, so yes. White witches are also a part of the dark creatures." I nodded to his explanation. That made me wonder if I ever touched a silver by accident before.

    He took his coat, wearing it before holding out his hand for me. I took his hand and walked towards the door, starting our journey back to the abandoned church. A servant stood just outside our room, bowing upon our presence.

    "Prepare the carriage," came the order from Luke.

 Chapter 109 - Visiting the village, again - Part 2

    Getting on our carriage to the village, I decided to use my time to focus on the flow of my magic. I needed to feel and remember how my magic courses through me to learn how to control it. I needed to get to know my magic.

    Perhaps because it had only been less than a day, magic still felt weird and unfamiliar to me.  ??

    Magic felt warm and comforting, sometimes ticklish, but it was a nice feeling overall. Perhaps because I haven''t used my magic to do anything, I didn''t lose too much energy despite letting them out. Aside from the fact that my magic kept knocking things down by accident, it felt great to have my magic hover around my body. I didn''t even need a coat to stay warm in this cold weather.

    I wonder what kind of things I will be able to do with my magic in the future. Can I magically make things appear out of nowhere? Can I instantly make a plant grow from a sprout? Can I heal someone? Can I teleport? So many questions.

    There would be so many possibilities, so many chances for growth with my newly found magic. Though I was a bit scared of my new identity, I couldn''t say that I didn''t feel a hint of excitement within me about what I could possibly do with my magic in the future. After all, what seemed to be impossible, now became possible with magic.

    It would be nice if I could fly with magic. I''ve always wanted to know what it feels like to fly like a bird. I used to be so jealous of the birds in the sky. I was always locked inside my room, but they could freely go anywhere with those wings. I was jealous of their freedom.

    But now, I don''t have any reason to be jealous of them anymoreˇŞbecause I''ve found my freedom. Luke gave it to me, and I''ll be forever grateful for that.

    I pushed my thoughts aside, returning my focus back to the flow of my magic. I took a deep breath, closing my eyes as I felt the warm, tingling sensation course through me. I tried to memorize every movement, every kind of feeling I felt from the magic inside and outside of me. But the silence in the carriage was soon broken when Luke, who sat beside me, asked.

    "Rabbit, can you try holding my hand?"

    "Why?"

    "I need to confirm something," he said, so I complied. When I gave him my hand, he stared at me with amazement. "Those white smoke around you, is it your magic?"

    How come he could see my magic when he didn''t have magic himself? Surprised, I asked, "You can see my magic?"

    "I think I could," he replied, still staring at the magic around me. He seemed to be in awe as it was his first time seeing magic. "But only when I''m touching you. I didn''t realize it before as I was too preoccupied with something else," he winked, smiling at me as if his shyness from before had vanished into the air.

    "That''s... good," I cleared my throat, turning my reddened face away from him as the memories of what had happened before came flooding back. "T-then you should help me see whether or not there''s magic in the church."

    "Sure," he said, locking our fingers together. "How are you holding on?"

    "What do you mean?" I turned back to the man.

    "You know, with this whole magic thing. It must be strange for you to suddenly find yourself living as a witch after having spent your entire life as a human."

    "Well, with all of the stereotypes surrounding witches, of course, I''d be scared to live as one," I smiled sourly, looking at our interlocked fingers. "But on the bright side, I have this," I raised my other hand, showing him my magic. "Though I''ve yet to know how to properly use my magic, at least I won''t be as powerless as I was before."

    "Do you want to go to the White Church?" He asked, but not before hesitating. It seemed that he was worried that he wouldn''t be able to refuse me if I asked to stay there, as it was where I belongedˇŞwith the white witches. But I would never do that. I would never leave him.

    "Maybe we can find a way for you to ask for guidance from one of the witches there without having to stay there," he added. "I''m sure it would be better for you to learn how to use your magic from a white witch rather than a black witch."

    "But how?"

    "I can always bribe themˇŞor threaten them." He smiled.

    Ah, the classic way.

    "But we have to stay out of the priests'' sight, or else, it would be a problem. Those people definitely won''t let any unregistered white witches roam outside the church."

    "Why?"

    "Because they want to take advantage of your magic. Many people come to the White Church to ask the white witches for a blessing or a cure for their illness, but any profit gained will go straight into the priests'' pockets. Those people are merely there for their useless preaching, maybe sing a song or two sometimes."

    "So they''re basically leeching off the white witches?" He nodded.

    "That''s why it would be better for them not to know about your existence."

    Why did the white witches let those priests leech off them? I''m sure if they wanted to, they could win against humans with their magic. Is it because of the faith people have placed in the church? If they were the witches of the church, people wouldn''t be as hostile, and they could live safely there. But if they live outside of the church, their lives will be at stake.

    So, it''s either giving their freedom away or giving their safety away.

    "But if I go to the White Church, those priests won''t notice unless another witch tells them that I''m a witch, right?"

    "No, they''ll definitely notice," he shook his head. "All of the priests there wear a brooch that will react to magic on their robes. So if you go past them, those brooches will immediately react to your magic, and that''ll be how they''ll know about you."

    "But isn''t the White Church filled with magic? I can blend in with the other witches, and they won''t even notice, right?"

    "Well, in order to do that, we''ll need to find a trustworthy witch who is willing to help you. They might even lend you a book or two about magic if they''re as nice as what everyone says about them. Unfortunately for us, I don''t know any white witches beside you."

    Though going to the White Church will indeed be of tremendous help for a novice witch like me, it remains a question of whether or not those white witches will want to help me learn more about magic. Even if I went there, there was no guarantee that they''d agree to my request.

    "But don''t worry," Luke ?ssured me, smiling proudly. "You have me as your mate. There''s nothing that I can''t do. I''m sure we can find one, and you''ll be able to learn more about your magic in no time. After all, it''s quite hard to learn about something that you have zero clues about on your own."

    I returned him a smile, grateful for his support. Though learning magic is important for me, it''s also important for us to stay focused on the task at hand. We needed to know what had happened to the villagers, as well as what Greta wanted from meˇŞor who this Greta was in the first place.

    This abandoned church will, hopefully, give us a lead about those two things. Now that I''ve broken my seal, I''m sure there will be things that we''ve yet to notice before. Things related to magic, to the witch.

    I looked out the window, seeing how the road had started to become familiar to my eyes. It was the road that I had passed before when I was chased out of the village with Wolfie. It seemed that we had almost reached our destination.

    Fortunately, the sun was still shining brightly, so I''m sure that the abandoned church wouldn''t be as frightening as it was on our first visit. At least, no ghosts would appear during the day... would they?

    After all these years of living in the dark, I couldn''t believe I was still scared of ghosts.

    Busied with my own thoughts, our journey to the village soon ended. The carriage stopped, halting at the front gate of the village. I quickly put on the hood of my cape, keeping my knife safely in my back pocket. Luke, too, wore his cape and double-checked that his gun was ready to fire.

    We''ll never know what''s going to happen in this village.

    The coachman opened the door for us, letting Luke head down first. As usual, he lent me his hand.

    "Shall we?"

 Chapter 110 - Visiting the village, again - Part 3

    There were no guards in sight when we entered the village through the front gate. Everything was the same as it had been two days before, except how there were more people outside now as it was still the time of day.

    Despite the fact that there were more people in this place, the number of people was still far too small for this place to be considered a village. I could only see ten to fifteen people here, maybe twenty at most. Luke told me that even the smallest village in Wonsvile had at least fifty people living in it.??

    It had to be something to do with the bodies Zeke had discovered in the ditch.

    Perhaps because Zeke had taken care of the bodies he''d found, the stench in this place was much more bearable compared to before. Still unpleasant, but much, much, better now.

    We passed by a man sweeping the ground, wanting to see whether Zeke''s claim about us being invisible among the people here was true. This man will be our first test subject.

    The man was frail, bony, and very much haggard. He had a blank expression on his face, and his eyes were bereft of life, much like everyone else''s in this village. Anyone here could easily pass for a living dead, and no one would even question it.

    Luke stood in front of the man, standing right where the man was sweeping with his broom. But instead of stopping, the man continued to sweep the groundˇŞnow Luke''s shoesˇŞwithout caring about Luke, who stood before him.

    "Good afternoon," Luke greeted the man with a smile but was only met with his silence. He didn''t even spare a glance at Luke. Luke continued to bother him, hoping to receive any reaction from the man. Starting from waving his hand in front of the man''s face to patting his shoulders, none succeeded in drawing a response from the man.

    Luke continued with his antics, determined to draw any response no matter what. This time, he swatted the broom off the man''s hands, but still, no response came. The man only looked at his fallen broom, picking it up off the ground before going back to work on his task.

    Getting irked at his indifference, Luke smacked the man. I had to step in to stop him.

    "Sometimes force is exactly what we need to have things our way," Luke shrugged. "But it doesn''t seem to be the case with this one. This guy keeps on ignoring me," he gave a pointed look at the man, very disapproving.

    This time, we stopped by a group of children playing marbles. The group consisted of four children, each of whom took turns shooting for the marbles in the center of the circle they''d drawn on the ground. Their faces told me that it was the most horrendous game they''d ever played in their entire lives.

    Luke shoved one of the children asideˇŞa boyˇŞmaking room for both of us to cram inside their small group. The boy, of course, complied, acting as if nothing had pushed him to fall from his former position.

    When the young boy prepared to shoot his marble, Luke beat him to it by flicking his marble far, far away from the boy. Without saying anything, the boy ran after his marble, then returned to shoot his delayed attempt.

    Luke continued to flick every marble the children attempted to shoot in their turns, each of them reacting in the same way as the first boy. That, until he flicked the marble of the only girl in the group.

    Instead of running towards the marble, the young girl only stared ahead, as if the minor disruption in her hectic schedule had succeeded in affecting her. It was the first time anyone in this village had given us a response, the first person to let us hear her voice.

    "S-save... me..."

    Alarmed, I glanced at Luke, who, at the same time, glanced back at me.

    Tears fell on both sides of her cheeks as the words she''d blurted escaped her lips with great difficulty. Immediately after she said those words, she returned to her previous state, running after her marble just like every other child didˇŞjust like a puppet.

    Though it was only for a short moment, I saw something in her eyes. I saw fear.

    They weren''t the living deadˇŞa corpse being controlledˇŞbut rather, a living human who was under the influence of somethingˇŞsomeone. They needed our help.

    When the young girl returned to the group with her marble, Luke tried to draw another reaction from her, but it was to no avail. The young girl was back under control, and our voices were no longer heard.

    Finally, we left the children alone, letting them play their game with ease. It was time for us to go to the abandoned church and look for whatever things they had hidden inside. Hopefully, we will find something that we can use to help these people.

    But, before we headed to the church, Luke made a quick stop at one of the houses nearby, takingˇŞstealingˇŞa lantern from one of the houses nearby, keeping a box of matches safe in his pocket as it could get dark inside the church.

    We walked deeper into the village, walking along the same path we had taken before with the bald magistrate. I wonder what the man is doing now.

    "What did you do to the bald magistrate?" I asked Luke.

    "I stripped him of his wealth, of course," he said matter-of-factly, not a hint of conscience heard. "I also relieved him of his duties. Such a man is not qualified to work under me."

    Well, there was indeed no need to give a man like him a piece of our conscience. Not only did he let his villagers suffer, but he also used the village fund to line his own pockets. Not to mention how he forged the neighboring village''s monthly reports.

    "So he''s both out of work and out of money," I said, and Luke smiled as if happy with that fact.

    But, once we discover the connection between him and the whole ordeal in this village, I''m sure he''ll face even more consequences.

    Though we were on our way to the abandoned church, I couldn''t help but worry about what we would do if we couldn''t find anything in this church. How are we supposed to help these people? How are we supposed to know what Greta is after?

    If we later ended up finding nothing in this church, perhaps questioning the bald magistrate was our only way to find a lead to all of these problems. He was the one who most likely knew the most about the situation, so it would be best for us to keep him in sight.

    Luke would know best what to do if he failed to comply.

    After walking for some time, the villagers were now out of sight, leaving only rundown houses with no occupants to be seen. Looking at the state of this village, one would guess that this place had been through a war.

    While the houses on the outskirts of the village were still standing, the inner half lay in ruins. The majority of the houses here were in shambles, with debris littering the road. Perhaps because it was dark before, I couldn''t see the exact state of this place. Now I can definitely see how horrible the situation is.

    "What the hell happened here?" I found myself questioning the situation, despite the fact that none of us knew the answer. It was out of reflex.

    Somewhere among the debris in the road, I found a severed hand, with the body nowhere to be found. I noticed another not far away, which I ?ssumed was from a different person based on the size and tone difference. Something wrong surely has happened here. Something very wrong.

    I saw Luke tense up, his rage mounting as he noticed more and more things about this village. He must have felt guilty for not being able to stop such a dreadful tragedy from happening. We had no idea about what had happened, but it was now time for us to find out.

    We took a sharp turn, passing through the bushes and trees, which revealed the abandoned church hidden behind, away from people''s scrutiny. Even with the sun still shining brightly, this place was still as creepy as ever.

    I scanned the building, looking for anything different with my new ability to see magic. From the outside, the church was still the same as it had been two days ago. The damaged walls, the shattered windows, the faded paintˇŞnothing changed.

    Though it was still written in the same language as before, I can now understand what was written there. I narrowed my eyes to read, watching as the words shuffled to reveal a sentence I could finally comprehend.

    "Darkness... will prevail once more."

 Chapter 111 - Something hidden - Part 1

    "Darkness... will prevail once more."

    What does that mean???

    "What did you just say?" Luke, who stood beside me, glanced at me. He noticed how I was staring at the door and decided to follow my eyes, curious about what had me so focused. But when he did follow my gaze, all he could see was a normal wooden door. "Is there something there?"

    If Luke couldn''t see the inscription, it was clear to me that this was a message meant for those with magical abilitiesˇŞfor witches. Instead of answering him, I took his hand in mine, allowing him to see the magic around us.

    Luke''s eyes narrowed as he watched the words appear one by one, and a frown immediately appeared on his face when he finally saw the whole inscription. He was perplexed as to why someone had scribbled such nonsense on the entrance of a holy churchˇŞthough not very holy with this one. He called bullshit on that.

    "Someone was definitely drunk when they wrote this," he mocked.

    "Do you know what that means?"

    "Darkness usually refers to black witches, so I''m sure this one also refers to them," his fiery eyes stared at the inscription, his frown deepening. "They must have thought that they still had a chance in this world."

    Scoffing, Luke opened the door to the church, leading me inside and keeping me close as if he was afraid that I would be left behind and would suddenly go missing. The dust all around the church prompted me to cough soon after entering, and I waved my palm in front of my face vigorously to keep the dust from entering my lungs.

    When the cough died down, I was astounded by what I saw in front of me.

    With the day bright, I could finally see the grandeur of this place, even if it was still the same scary church with all the ruins and remnants. The exquisite carvings on the pillars and walls, the stained glass windows, and the building''s structure were all brilliantly constructed. Even the statues that had previously frightened me now astonished me.

    A few parts of the church were covered by the snow that came through the broken windows, but not too much to hinder our paths. I continued to gawk my eyes at the scene before me, noticing a few greeneries amongst the ruins and snow, struggling to survive the harsh weather.

    As we walked down the aisle, I let my fingers brush across the wooden pews that stood on each of my sides, still sturdy and beautiful even under the dust that settled on them. Though the church was not too big, I''m sure it could have accommodated more than fifty people inside back in its glory days. It truly is a waste to leave such a beautiful church behind.

    We came to a halt in front of the altar, admiring the stained glass windows that had stayed intact despite a lengthy period of neglect. There were three stained glass windows in front of us, one on each side and one in the middle. Each of them depicted a different image that I hadn''t noticed before. Perhaps due to the lack of light or due to magic.

    The one on the left showed an image of a woman dressed in a black gown, while the one on the right showed an image of a man dressed in similar clothing. Both of them stood in each other''s directionˇŞto the image of the woman by the window in the center. One had a fan in her hand, while the other had fruit in his.

    Strangely, I felt a pang of familiarity when my eyes fell on the image of the woman in the center. It was as if I had seen her before, but I couldn''t quite recognize who the woman was. The woman had her eyes closed, long black hair that ran until the bottom of the windowˇŞno, I think it was not hair. With a closer look, I noticed that it was not her hair but snakes. She had snakesˇŞnumerous snakes in place of her hair.

    "This must be the queen," Luke said, staring at the same snake-haired woman. "The Queen of Black Witches."

    The Queen... of Black Witches? I continued to stare at the woman, feeling a tinge of fear and restlessness the more I did so. Was it because we were both enemies? When I stared at her, I couldn''t help but feel a certain amount of uneasiness.

    Noticing my uneasiness, Luke squeezed my hand a little tighter, leading me to look elsewhere. "Let''s go. There''s nothing good to see here."

    I nodded to his offer, glancing at the woman one last time before leaving. We walked over to the side aisle, taking in the murals that adorned both sides of the church''s walls. First, we took a look at the mural on the left side of the church.

    But towards the end, their smiles vanished, their eyes hostile towards each other. They exchanged dirty looks, frowns, and scowls. They drifted more and more apart until they were split into two groups. One was the people with white gowns, and the other was the people with black gowns. Their relationship was no more, and their trust in one another was broken. It was the white witches and the black witches.

    It was not mentioned here what happened between the two groups that broke them apart.

    Moving to the other side of the church, another mural was seen. But, unlike the other mural, it didn''t depict people being chummy with one another. It depicted a war. Red was the primary color in this one.

    It started out as a conflict between the white and the black, who initially fought with their words rather than their powers. However, as they couldn''t find a bright spot after their discussionsˇŞor, should I say, debatesˇŞblack and white smoke appeared. Magic appeared and started the war.

    White against black. Black against white. Either refused to give in.

    Towards the middle, black was winning. Red splattered on the white gowns, and the black cheered. The snake-haired woman stood in the middle, a crown on her head. The four shining figures in white kneeled before her, and so did the rest of the white.

    Celebrating their win, black took the four shining figures and tied them to a stake. For the first time in this mural, people had smiles on their faces. The smiles only grew wider when the four shining figures burst into flames, burning so fierily and wildly in the brightest colors of red and orange. The white then turned to greyˇŞto ash.

    "This is not what happened," Luke said. "Black didn''t win. They lost."

    Continuing towards the end of the mural, the snake-haired woman sat on a chair so grand and so posh, with numerous people in black cheering and kneeling before her. Snakes dominated this part of the mural while dovesˇŞdead on the ground. White was no longer seen.

    "This is not what happened, but this must be what they wanted to happen," I said, staring at the snake-haired woman. Her victorious smile only looked evil to me. "They wanted to kill the doves."

    After seeing the murals, I finally realized that this wasn''t a church built to worship God. This was a church built to worship the Queen of the Black Witches. But why a church? That remained a question for me.

    Was this their plan all along? To kill white witches? But why? They were so close, so kind to each other. Even the mural showed how happy they were. What on earth happened between the two that made them end up like this?

    And who were the four shining figures? They must have been a significant figure in white witch history, given the fact that they were painted brighter than the rest of the white witches. Could they be something similar to the queen?

    When I asked Luke about them, he told me that he''d never heard of them before. This was his first time learning about them, as it was mine. I wondered if Maggie knew something about this. She''d claimed to be very knowledgeable about magicˇŞthough she tends to be very stingy about it.

    Seeing that there were no more things that we could see here, we decided to go to the underground room. We looked for the door that would lead us down, lighting the lantern we''d previously brought to light our way down there.

    There should be something down hereˇŞthere must be.

 Chapter 112 - Something hidden - Part 2

    "Mind the stairs," Luke said in front of me, holding the lantern in one hand and my hand in the other.

    The underground room was very dark, and the only source of light in this place was the lantern in Luke''s hand and the light that came through the open door. The dust here was even worse than what was upstairs.  ??

    Immediately after opening the door, I could smell something unpleasant coming from under here. The smell grew even worse as I walked down the stairs, and I could finally tell what kind of a smell this was. It was the smell of magicˇŞblack magic.

    It was the exact smell that I had smelled on Maggie, but this one was even worse. It smelled as bad as the sweaty guards back in Quinn''s manor on a hot summer day, where they didn''t seem to have bathed for weeks. I didn''t know why they did thatˇŞeven to this dayˇŞbut maybe it was because they were forced to stay alert for 20 hours a day, which only left 4 hours for them to sleep. Though, that''s only my guess. All that I could remember was that they smelled rotten.

    When Luke heard me groan, he turned around, but I told him that it was merely due to the smell. The room was just as I recalled it to be, except it didn''t smell nearly as horrible. Three large racks spanned three out of four walls here, leaving only one empty. When I looked around, there was nothing unusual among the items that had been left behind. The only thing that seemed unusual was the statue.

    "Don''t you see the snakes?" I asked Luke, walking closer to the statue. I examined the statue for any differences from the first time I saw it, but I found nothing. It remained the same as it had been before.

    "I do see them now," he focused his gaze on the snakes before letting go of my hand. He then watched as the snakes vanished from his sight the moment he let go of my hand. "I can only see them when I''m touching you."

    What''s with this statue? Is it just a normal statue? What about the snakes, though? Why can they only be seen by someone with magic? I circled the statue, looking for anything hiddenˇŞperhaps hidden behind or under the statueˇŞbut there was nothing. I frowned.

    I reached out my hand to the statueˇŞvery carefullyˇŞand successfully landed without anything happening to me. When I touched it, it didn''t hurt me as it did previously. Is this really just a normal statue? No matter where I looked, there was nothing wrong with this statue if not for the snakes. But even the snakes look normal to me now.

    "It''s quite strange to have snakes wrapped around a nun," Luke said, examining the snakes. He touched them, but this time too, nothing happened. "Unless... this is not a nun? Though knowing that won''t matter if this is just a normal statue."

    Why can''t we find anything here? I''m sure something has to be here, hidden somewhere. If there was nothing, why were the villagers so agitated about us being in this place? It should have been an abandoned church that no one cares about. But the smell...

    I walked closer to the statue, sniffing, wondering if this was the source of the smell. Though it had a hint of the smell, it didn''t come mainly from here. The source was from somewhere else.

    I sniffed rack after rack, smelling nothing but dust. There were a lot of things here, but none of them had anything to do with magic. Luke questioned what I was doing, worried about me inhaling the dust, but I ignored him and focused solely on my sense of smell.

    I closed my eyes, trying to figure out where the smell was coming from. Following the smell, I walked towards it, and when I opened my eyes, I went back to the statueˇŞexcept for the fact that I was now standing towards the empty wall beside it.

    It came from behind the wall.

    "I think... there''s something behind the wall," I said to Luke, though unsure if I was right about this. "The smell is the strongest here."

    Luke stood next to me, staring at the wall. He then pressed his hands against the wall, hoping to find a secret switch, but there was none. "Do you need me to destroy this wall?" He asked, seriously considering his question.

    "You can do that?" I gaped, unsure of just how strong this man was. Despite being the Supreme Alpha, I doubt he''d have such monstrous strength to destroy a wall with just his punch... right?

    Hearing my question, he took a rock from the groundˇŞsmirkingˇŞthen crushed the rock, which was as big as his fist, almost effortlessly. Seeing the big rock turning to pieces, I did my hardest to keep my mouth from falling while also making a mental note not to enrage the man.

    Now that I think of it, I''ve never seen him angry before. Or have I? I think not. When he needed something from someone, he''d only casually threaten them, but it''d never been to the point where he had to raise his voiceˇŞperhaps because his threat alone was enough to scare people. Even I don''t want to know what would happen if he was angry.

    Luke gave me his lantern and stretched his arms, preparing for his punch. He then waved his hand at me, asking me to move away. He took five steps back, balled his fist, and then lunged forward to the wallˇŞbefore I stopped him.

    "Wait!" I shouted, stopping him right before his fist touched the wall. He stumbled forward, using the wall to support his body from falling. He quickly glanced back at me, surprised at my interference. "Sorry," I chuckled. "I just remembered about the inscription I found here. I need to see that before you destroy the wall."

    I moved closer to the wall and raised my lantern, hoping that the light would ?ssist me in finding the inscription. I recall it being written in the same language as the inscription above the door, so I''m curious if I''ll be able to read this one as well.

    "I think it''s around here..." I dusted the wall, looking for anything concealed beneath the layers of dust. "Ah! There it is!" Cleaning the wall off the dust, I found the inscription in the middle of the wall, still in a foreign language. When my fingers touched the inscription, the words then shuffled into a sentence that I can now comprehend.

    "Hail... all... witches?"

    Right after I said it, the wall moved, instantly shaking the whole room. Luke quickly pulled me behind him, trying to protect me from whatever was hidden behind the wall. The wall slid to the side, showing a stairway leading us even deeper under the ground.

    "So we don''t need to destroy the wall after all," Luke said after a brief pause. He appeared to be disappointed, as he''d just missed an opportunity to show off his strength.

    I stared at the stairsˇŞinto the impenetrable darknessˇŞand swallowed the lump in my throat. Though it was fortunate that we''d finally discovered anything more that could lead us to find the church''s secret, this didn''t look goodˇŞat all. I felt nauseous, very.

    "Are you okay?" Luke asked, catching me right before I stumbled backward.

    "I... I am," I ?ssured him, giving him a little smile. "It''s just that the smell is too strong."

    "Black magic?" He asked, and I nodded. Given how strong the smell was becoming, I''m convinced that whatever was down there was what the witch was trying to hide. We''re getting closer to it.

    "Ready to go?" Luke extended his hand to me, and I took it way too hastily, which made him laugh. I couldn''t help but be a little spooked by the darkness.

    We braced ourselvesˇŞI mean, I braced myself to head downstairs with our hands together, but before we did so, a sound stopped us. It wasn''t a sound that came from both of us.

    "Did you hear that?" Luke asked, and I glanced up at him, nodding. We listened to the sound, trying to make out what it was. It sounded like a hiss. WaitˇŞa hiss?

    I turned around to the statue and realized that the snakes were gone. The two snakes were gone from the nun''s arms. They''re not statuesˇŞthey''re real.

    "Luke, it''s the snakes!" I told him, and he jerked his head towards the statue, also seeing the snakes gone. We listened to the sounds again, to their hisses, trying to look for them. But they were nowhere to be seen. Not on the statue. Not on the ground. Where are they?

    Before we managed to find them, a shriek came, and two snakes appeared. Baring their deadly fangs, they leaped at usˇŞat Luke.

    "Luke!!"

 Chapter 113 - Something hidden - Part 3

    Before he had the time to dodge, the two snakes had pierced their fangs deep into Luke''s arm with no intention of leaving anytime soon. With a groan, Luke tried to yank the two snakes off his arm but to no avail. The two snakes stayed glued, even coiling their bodies around Luke''s arm as they deepened their bites. Blood quickly splattered across the floor, dripping down with each passing minute.

    Panicking, I drew my knife from my pocket and stabbed one of the snakes, but it did close to no harm. Their skin was as hard as a rock, and my knife couldn''t cut through them. Luke slammed his arm against the floor, attempting to dislodge them, but they persisted.  ??

    "Damn it!!" He cursed, groaning as more blood flowed out of his skin. No matter how hard he hit the snakes, they kept their bites strong and deep in his arm.

    What do I do?! I glanced around, looking for somethingˇŞanythingˇŞthat could get the snakes off his arm, but there was nothing better than the knife in my hand. I can''t even stab them without risking hurting Luke''s arm.

    "Violet, take my gun and shoot them!" Luke shouted, still smashing his arm against the floor.

    "What?! No!" I quickly refused, knowing very well that silver bullets could do even more harm to him than those snakes could ever do. "What if I accidentally shoot you?!"

    "I''ll be fine, so quick!! I can''t afford to lose more blood," he said before throwing his gun out of his pocket, causing it to tumble to the ground before my feet. "Aim at their heads," Luke said.

    Though still hesitating, I watched as Luke''s complexion slowly faded away at the amount of blood he''d lost and decided to comply. With my trembling hands, I picked up the gun and aimed it towards the snakes. I walked closer and crouched down, putting my gun to the snake''s head.

    I used my other hand to support my trembling hand, trying to aim better as I couldn''t let the bullet touch Luke. His wounds would be much more severe if I let the bullet touch him.

    "Relax... and shoot," Luke said, and I took a deep breath before counting to three, making sure to aim right at the head before pulling the trigger. 1... 2... 3... "Ugh!"

    Along with his groan, the snake I had just shot let out a screech, loosening its bite. The snake got off Luke''s arm and left the other one behind, squirming on the floor. It wriggled on the floor for a few moments before turning to ash.

    The other snake noticed the danger he would be in as he watched his friend die from the bullet and swiftly released Luke''s arm, slithering away into the darkness. I was going to go after the snake but decided to stay after seeing Luke''s state.

    "Are you okay?!" I ripped off his sleeves, seeing the color of his arm gradually return, but the blood continued to ooze out of his skin. His arm was red from the snakes coiling around it, and four little holes were left on it. I wiped the sweat from his face, seeing him still frowning at the pain.

    To add to the wounds from the snakes, the silver bullet must have grazed his skin a little when I shot the snake, not to mention how he was smashing his arm against the floor. We needed to get him treated as soon as possible before anything worse happened.

    "Yes, I''mˇŞfine," he said after a little pause, forcing a smile. "This will heal in no time," was what he said, but there was no hint of his wound healing. Even the redness failed to move away.

    Is it normal for snakebites to be this severe? Though there were only four small holes, the amount of blood he''d lost from them was insane. He''d even made a puddle out of his blood on the floor.

    "We should head back," I said, and he jerked his head towards me, clearly disapproving. "We can come back here any other day, but we need to get you treated as soon as possible. We don''t even know if those snakes are venomous or not."

    "They''re not," he replied, his veins bulging in his neck as he did so. It was obvious to me that he was enduring pain. "The silver bullet must have scratched my skin a little just now, so it''s slowing my healing ability. We should continue what we are here for," he motioned to the dark stairway, smiling.

    "I don''t want anything bad to happen to you," I frowned at his refusal. At times like this, I really wish that I was a werewolf and not a witch. That way, I''d be able to heal him the way he could.

    "Don''t worry, nothing bad will happen to me," he ??r?ssed my cheek, unintentionally smearing his blood on me. "Oops," he chuckled, cleaning the blood off my cheek with his clean sleeve.

    Seeing how he was being persistent about continuing our search, I took my knife and ripped off the hem of my dress, cleaning it before tightening it on Luke''s arm. Though he was surprised, he quickly smiled and thanked me.

    "We should make it quick," I grumbled, but offered him my hand. Taking my hand in his, we decided to continue our journey to go deeper underground. I took my lantern that I''d previously let go, at the same time, confirming that there were no other things such as the snakes, before finally proceeding downstairs.

    Because of the prior occurrences, it seemed as if I''d forgotten about the foul scent, which had suddenly resurfaced. It was considerably worse this time. Just what exactly is down there that causes such a foul scent? It was the most revolting smell that I''d ever encountered.

    Reaching the last stairway, I realized that it was not only the smell of black magic but also something else. Even Luke smelled it.

    "It smells amazing down here," Luke said sarcastically, scrunching his nose due to the smell. It must have been a lot worse for him.

    I held my lantern up close to my face, attempting to make out the ground beneath my feet. Not only was the scent much worse down here, but the room was also much darker. As one lantern was not enough to light the whole room, we searched for another lantern and found one somewhere in the room.

    After lighting the other lantern, I could see that the room we were in right now was considerably larger than the one upstairs, but there were fewer things here. One large table, a few jars with unknown contents, a very big cauldron, and a whole bunch of papers.

    I approached the table, curious about the contents of the jars. I raised my lantern and gasped when I saw what was inside. I found eyes, fingers, tongues, earsˇŞeverything you''d find in a human body. I wasn''t expecting to find anything good, but neither did I anticipate it being this horrible.

    Moving on, I found a few bottles filled with black liquid. Snakes were coiling around the body of the bottle. Luke raised his brows when he noticed the bottles, as though recognizing them.

    "I know this one," he said, taking one battle to his hand. "It''s the potion the rogues used in the attacks. They used this to enhance their power."

    "So this is where they make the potions," I said, and Luke nodded. Looking around the room, I noticed a box in the corner of the room. "What''s that?" Luke took notice of the box and led me there, not leaving me alone even for one second.

    Opening the box, a wave of pungent smell immediately hit us.

    "Hearts," Luke trembled at the sight, his grip tightening on my hand. "Hearts of my people."

    "Did they use those hearts to make the potions?" He nodded to my question. So they used someone else''s heart to enhance their power. I wonder just how much more disturbing the black witches could be.

    Despite his best efforts to keep his anger inside, I could sense it growing.

    These hearts were supposed to be beating in someone else''s body, but now they were all left behind to rot like this. The owner of these hearts could have lived another day if it hadn''t been for these horrible potions. They were someone else''s father, mother, son, friendˇŞa precious existence to the people who cried for their deaths. But here they lay.

    "Come on," I pulled his hand, not wanting him to face the horror any longer. I couldn''t imagine what he was going through right now. He''d witnessed so many deaths of his people, and here the cause of their deaths was treated as if it meant nothing.

    "It''s not your fault," I ?ssured him, but he couldn''t seem to think the same. "Those who were blinded by their greed and malice are to blame. Those people don''t seem to understand how precious a person''s life is."

    He had always blamed himself for the horrible things that had happened when they were, in fact, not his fault. Perhaps, it was inevitable for him, given that it was the burden that he had to bear by being both the Supreme Alpha and the Lord of Wonsvile. The burden would always be there for as long as he held these titles.

    "But we''re different," I cupped his cheeks, trying to make him look my way. "We know just how precious a person''s life is, so we have to do our best to prevent the same thing from happening again. This is not the time to grieve, not the time to be angry."

    His red eyes finally met mine, the pain palpable in them.

    "We have to save the villagers."

 Chapter 114 - Something hidden - Part 4

    Luke raked through his hair, clearly frustrated at the situation, but he knew very well what we should do now. We needed to figure out what had happened to the villagers and how to help them.

    "You''re right," he sighed, looking at our entwined fingers. "This time, I''m going to save them. I''m not going to let anyone die." When he looked up at me, his eyes burned with rage and determination. "Except the witchesˇŞI mean, black witches."??

    I let out a chuckle, pulling him to continue our search. While Luke searched the papers, I went to the cauldron, curious as to what was inside. It was hugeˇŞthe biggest one that I''ve ever seen. I lifted the lid but released it almost immediately when I smelled something absolutely horrific. It was even worse than those hearts.

    "Hell, what was that?" Luke gagged.

    "I-I don''t know," I, too, gagged at the smell. It was horribleˇŞvery, very, horrible. "It came from here," I said, pointing to the cauldron, then backing away as the stink had intensified since I raised the lid. Though the entire place had smelled bad since I first stepped here, this just made everything ten times worse.

    I wouldn''t be surprised if my nose lost its ability to smell once we''re out of here.

    It wasn''t just one stench; it was a mixture of all the world''s worst odors combined into one. If I had to put it into words, then I''d say it smelled a lot like rotten meat, with the addition of something sickeningly sweet on top. Maybe like a cheese. Or maybe when someone had taken a giant dump, and unfortunately, it turned out to be explosive diarrhea which had been left in the loo for way too long for anyone''s liking.

    "That smells a lot like... a corpse."

    A corpse.

    Covering his nose, Luke walked to the cauldron and picked up the lid, causing the terrible stink to be even more overpowering and sickening. Inside was, in fact, a corpse. I gaspedˇŞthen gagged again.

    "What is a corpseˇŞ" he gagged, struggling to hold back his vomit. "ˇŞdoing here?"

    I peered inside and saw hundredsˇŞthousandsˇŞof maggots, and it was becoming increasingly difficult for me to stay in this awful place. Luke took a stick he''d found on the floor, long enough to stay a few distances away for the safety of his nose, and tried to shove the maggots aside.

    The person, who I ?ssumed to be a woman, had her skin loose, greyish purple in color to be not so intact anymore. I noticed that a few parts of her body were missing, which may be due to the maggots or something else. And it just so happened to be the parts I''d discovered in the jars on the table.

    Though I couldn''t make out the person''s face, I could still see a section of her hair. The person had long, curly ginger hair, and I was suddenly reminded of that one person with the exact same hair.

    "C-could this be... Vale?" I said, and Luke turned back at me, surprised to know that I could recognize the person before us. "She was there... back in the cave with Leonard. She also had long, curly ginger hair, if I''m not mistaken. We don''t find ginger heads that often, do we?"

    Though there was also Lisa with short ginger hair.

    "At least not in Wonsvile. But why is sheˇŞ" Luke stopped his question when he noticed he was stepping on a piece of paper, bending over to pick it up. He frowned immediately after he read what was written there. Reading it aloud, he said, "The wolves failed. The girl escaped."

    And I have to say, we both knew it all too well that the girl in question was me.

    "...we must bring the girl to Her before the day comes."

    Who is Her? And what day? No, more importantlyˇŞwhy?

    Though the smell was more than enough to drive both of us out of this place, there was still more that we needed to find. We already knew that the witches were after me, but we still couldn''t find out why. Furthermore, we have yet to discover the cause of all the things that happened in the village.

    The doll-like villagers, the corpses by the drain, the ruined houses.

    After going over the papers, I noticed they were mostly recipes for making a potion. There were written all of the necessary ingredients and the processes for making the potion, with each one different from the other but equally terrifying.

    There were potions made to turn someone into a toad, grow fungus all over one''s body, cause one to gag continuouslyˇŞwhich would most likely lead to deathˇŞas well as potions to turn someone into stone. There were more, but I''d rather stop here.

    Among the recipes, I found a paper of a different color. This one was larger, brown, and tattered. It was a parchmentˇŞa mapˇŞthat appeared to have been here for years. Shoving the papers atop it, I noticed that it was a map of the three lands. Many areas of the map had been crossed out with an x, as though explaining that whoever owned this map had gone through quite a journey over the three regions.

    "Luke, come and take a look at this," I said, bringing his attention to the map. Seeing the map, I noticed that Wonsvile was the least explored, while Myltha had most of the region crossed out. For Gordom, there were only a few parts that had been left uncrossed. "What do you think?"

    "Looks like someone''s very adventurous," he said, examining all the x''s. "It could be that traveling across the land was their hobby, or it could be that they were searching for something. Considering that this map belonged to a black witch, I found the latter to be far more plausible to say."

    Searching for something? What could be so important for them to travel all across the land?

    When Luke flipped the map over, another map of the three lands appeared on the other side. This time, instead of crossing the map, they circled the map. There were two types of circlesˇŞone was an empty circle, and the other was a full circle. Each land had the same number of circles, and the only differences were whether they were a full one or an empty one.

    "They only circled the villages," Luke said, frowning. "To be exact, they only circled the villages where they only have humans as the inhabitants."

    Seeing the circles in Wonsvile, there was only one full circle amongst all of them. And that one full circle happened to be in the village we were in right now. I drew my brows together, raking through my brain about all the things that we''d found here.

    First, we now knew that they were planning something bigˇŞfor the ''day''ˇŞwhich still remained a mystery to us as to what kind of a day that exactly was. Second, they had been traveling across the regions looking for something. And third, after seeing the circles on the map, it could be that they were targeting those villagesˇŞthe villagersˇŞfor something that could be of help to their plan, as humans were most likely weaker compared to the other two creatures.

    I sighed, wondering what could be the connection between those three things. I attempted to concentrate, but the stench in the room continued to hinder me from doing so. I thought I would soon become accustomed to this smell the more I stayed here, but I must have thought wrong. My nose was close to giving up its life.

    Just when I was about to surrender to the smell, I was suddenly reminded of the inscription I found by the entrance.

    Darkness will prevail once more.

    What could it possibly mean? What will they win over?

    And then I was reminded of the muralsˇŞreminded of how black ruled over white. Though that was not what happened in reality, it was what they hoped for. Black witches were notorious for their tenacity. Therefore, wouldn''t it make sense for them to stick to their goals? For the events depicted in the murals to actually occur?

    Then, doesn''t that mean... they wanted another war? The second Great Axthrone War where the black witches would finally take the win.

    But, with their remaining magic, how could they win the war? If they wanted to rule over the world, they''d have to fight not only the white witches but also the rest of the creatures. Will their remaining magic be enough to win the war?

    Unless... they planned to retrieve the sealed black magic.

    "The black orbs."

 Chapter 115 - Something hidden - Part 5

    "They''re looking for the black orbs!" I blurted, flipping the map over again. "You told me that only white witches knew where the black orbs were kept, right?" I pointed to all of the x''s spread throughout the map, "Because the black witches didn''t know where they were, they started to search all of the regions for them. These x''s had to be the part where they looked for the black orbs, leaving the uncrossed ones to be explored."

    Hearing it, Luke fell into deep thought, seemingly to have made some sense out of the idea I''d come up with. "Are you saying that they want to retrieve the sealed black magic?" I nodded. "But that should be impossible. The white witches had made it in such a way that the black witches would never be able to locate the black orbs, much less recover the sealed magic."??

    "And what if they''ve found a way to do that?" Given that the Great Axthrone War happened over a century ago, they had plenty of time to figure out a way to get their magic back.

    "Then another war is bound to happen," his red eyes met mine, clearly conflicted. "If what you said is true, the day they were talking about could either be the day they recovered their magicˇŞor the day another war would break out. And somehow, you''re a part of their plan."

    Both of us couldn''t hide the grim expression on our faces, wondering why I was involved in their scheme. I was only a white witch, and my ability was no more than a newborn witch''s ability. There was no way that I could be of help to their plan.

    "If war was what they wanted, these villages must have something to do with it." I flipped the map again, showing the circled villages. Luke stayed silent, absorbed in his own thoughts to the point where the stench was no longer an issue for him. I couldn''t say the same about myself.

    "To win a war, they will need force," Luke said, breaking the silence. "And the black witches had lost a great number of allies since their loss in the last war. Don''t you think there has to be something to do with it?"

    Thinking about his words, I finally realized what he truly meant. The villagers were under control. Whoever was controlling them could do anything with themˇŞincluding using those people to make an army.

    "The villagers will be their force," I said, and he quickly nodded.

    I observed the circles, seeing how the circle in this village was full, while the one in the next village was empty. Having visited the two villages, the only difference between the two was the villagers. One was under control, while the other was not. Then that only means one thing.

    Before I could voice my ?ssumption, Luke beat me to it.

    "The full circle represents a village that is under control, whereas the empty circle represents a village that is not yet under controlˇŞbut soon will be."

    We went over the papers once more, hoping to find something useful to help the people, but there was nothing. We couldn''t even figure out what the black witch had done to the villagers to cause them to behave in this manner.

    Luke folded the map into his pocket, being very careful not to rip it apart. Since there was nothing more that could be of help to us, we decided to leave. Another reason was that Luke didn''t want me to pass out from the stench.

    Before leaving, Luke glanced at the box containing the hearts, then decided to take them back with us. He said he didn''t have the heart to leave them here. At the very least, they deserve a proper burial. He couldn''t save their lives, so this was the least that he could do for them.

    "Let me carry the box," I offered, but he quickly dismissed my offer with a hush.

    "Don''t mind me," he shook his head, smiling. "A gentleman should never allow a lady to carry something so heavy."

    "But you''re hurt," I frowned. "Even a gentleman should accept a lady''s help when needed."

    "It''s nothing more than a scratch, rabbit," he raised his wounded arm, then moved it up and down to show me that he was feeling fine. "See? It doesn''t hurt anymore."

    Knowing that he wouldn''t accept my help, I sighed. "If you say so."

    Walking up the stairs, we noticed that the wall had been closed. This made us come to a halt since we didn''t even realize the wall had closed on its own for some time. With the hope that the same words would open the wall, I said the magic words.

    "Hail all witches?" But the wall remained still.

    "Oh, hell no." Luke set the box on the ground, preparing to break down the wall. "Whatever it takes, we''re getting out of here. I don''t want to impair my sense of smellˇŞor yours." Being too focused on solving the puzzles, I''d forgotten about the smell, but now I was suddenly reminded again.

    Luke stretched his arm and balled his fist, ready to smash through the wall. But, as if it sensed what was going to happen, the wall finally slid open.

    Relaxing his fist, he remarked to the wall, "Wise choice."

    ...

    Even after leaving the underground room, the unpleasant smell still lingered in our noses. It didn''t seem to move away, and I must say I was on the verge of puking. I''ve been holding it for way too long.

    "Do you think we''ll get into trouble if you puke in front of the queen?" He chuckled, pointing at the statue before us, which appeared to be the snake-haired queen. We made a quick stop after leaving the underground room as I was getting more and more nauseous.

    "Do you think we will?"

    He gently patted my back, saying, "Well, even if we will, you have me with you. You can puke on her head if you want."

    I glanced up from my hunched position, seeing the queen''s sinister smile. Though that sounded tempting to do, I didn''t want to add a new stench to what already roamed in the air with my vomit.

    "I''ll holdˇŞ" I gagged, "ˇŞit in."

    I put one hand over my mouth and the other on his shoulder, frantically tapping on it to warn him that we needed to get out of here as soon as possible. Though he was also bothered by the stench, he seemed to be much better at retaining his own vomit than I was.

    Upon arriving at the front door, someone''s voiceˇŞshoutˇŞmade us come to a halt. It was the same shout that we''d heard the first time we came here.

    "LEAVEEEEEE!!!!"

    And by the sound of it, there was more than one person out there.

    I quickly glanced at Luke, alarmed, but he remained calm. "What do we do?" I asked, but he acted as if it were a rhetorical question.

    "What else?" Before I could stop him, he pulled open the door. I held my breath.

    "I''m a meticulous man, rabbit," he winked. "Of course, I''d requested several warriors to keep these people at bay, knowing full well that they''d go insane if anyone entered the church."

    I finally exhaled my breath. I thought he was trying to brag about his strengthˇŞagainˇŞby opening the door despite knowing numerous people were waiting outside with crazy murderous intent. I''m glad he was not like that most of the time.

    "Zeke!" Luke shouted, drawing the attention of the brown-haired man who was busy detaining two young men. Even when holding the two men, Zeke kept a blank expression on his face, but I could tell that he was dying to go home. "Burn the whole place down when you''re finished." Zeke nodded to his order.

    "Why?" I asked.

    "To get rid of everything that they''ve been working on inside that church," he replied nonchalantly. "And of course, it''s because I don''t want to let them have this place all to themselves. If they want to use this place, they should at least pay a tax."

    Luke led me back to the village, away from the villagers and the warriors. When we passed by, I noticed a few warriors with jealousy heavily painted on their faces as they watched us leave. They had to stay behind to hold the villagers, but they were not allowed to harm them. Although knocking them out may appear to be a more effective and efficient way to stop them, we couldn''t risk causing further harm to the villagers, which was why Luke forbade them from doing so.

    With the hearts in his hands, we returned home.

 Chapter 116 - Wolf chasing rabbit

    "Fortunately, I didn''t find any poison in the Alpha''s body. The silver must have hindered his healing abilities, but it''s not something that we should be concerned about. His wounds will heal by themselves, but if you''re worried, I''ll prescribe an ointment for them," said Ronald, the pack''s doctor.

    After we''d gotten home, I urged him to call a doctor to tend to his woundsˇŞwhich he quickly refused, insisting that he was fine. In the end, due to his persistence, I had to drag him to Ronald''s house after asking several people for his address.??

    Even after the unexpected visit, the man remained calm and composed, allowing us to enter his abode without much question. Ronald appeared to be in his early forties, living in a house not far from the manor all by himself.

    Anyone would know at first glance that this man was the pack''s doctor. His slick black hair and thick glasses were what gave it away. Everyone here was always so lively and loud, while this man gave off a somewhat aloof aura. I didn''t even need to ask if he was the pack''s doctor to know that he was the right person I was looking for.

    "See? I told you I''m fine," Luke shrugged as he sipped on the tea Ronald served for us. "Those two little worms won''t do me any harm."

    "Have you not heard about the saying ''better safe than sorry''?" I asked, frowning at him. "I''m just worried something bad will happen to you. We don''t know what kind of spell those black witches put on those snakes."

    "I know," he smiled at me, as if content with my concern. "Now that we know that there''s nothing wrong with me, can we go home? I''m sure Ronald is in need of a rest, and so do we."

    I cast a glance at Ronald, who occasionally sends me a smile to not come across as rude with his aloof attitude. "I apologize for being a nuisance to you so late in the evening. I''m just worried about his well-being," I tapped on Luke''s shoulder and gave Ronald an apologetic smile.

    "Please don''t apologize. You''re far from being a nuisance," he returned my smile, then politely bowed. "It is my responsibility to ?ssist both of you, so please do not hesitate to request my ?ssistance. I will always be happy to ?ssist you in any way I can."

    "Thank you," I thanked him and stood up, smoothing my dress.

    "Thank you for your help, Ron," Luke said and shot him a wink. "You do know that you''ve always been my favorite doctor, right?"

    Ronald''s eyes widened slightly as he heard it, but he maintained his calm demeanor. "...I''ll take that as a praise, sir," he said after a brief pause, his courteous smile remaining on his face. Luke nodded at his reply, a wide grin splattered on his face upon hearing it.

    Ronald led us to the door, bidding us his farewell. I thanked him one last time for his ?ssistance, then walked back to our manor.

    "He seemed like a nice person," I said to Luke, gazing at the twinkling stars above. Time had flown by so quickly that I hadn''t even realized it was already this dark. "Is that why he is your favorite doctor?"

    "No," he denied, and I tore my gaze away from the stars. I glanced at him, my curiosity rising expectantly at his answer.

    "Then, why?"

    "Because he''s the only doctor our pack has had for decades," he chuckled, and I finally realized the reason why Ronald didn''t seem to be that happy when he first learned about it. It turns out that even Ronald couldn''t escape this man''s cheekiness.

    "You''re so... annoying," I shook my head disapprovingly at him, and he gasped as if shocked.

    "Isn''t that a given?" he said, and I almost agreed with him when he added, "Annoyingly handsome, right?" I walked away upon hearing it. "Wait for me!" He laughed.

    The road was empty, with only a few people seen outside their homes. It was around dinner time, so it was just right for people to be inside their houses to eat warm dinner with their families. The few people who caught a glimpse of us greeted us with a wide smile, pleased to see us again after such a long absence.

    Along our way home, I noticed the unpleasant smell that still lingered in the air. The stench must have gotten caught in our clothes for them to be smelled even until here.

    "We should''ve changed our clothes before coming to Ronald''s house... right?" I hesitated to ask him the question, knowing full well that I was the one who forced him to meet Ronald as soon as possible. "I''m afraid his house will reek of this smell as well."

    "Do I smell?" He asked, opening his arms as if he wanted me to smell his body. Seeing it, I leaned closer, sniffed his body, and couldn''t even hide the disgust on my face for a second. "Is it that bad?" He burst out laughing at my expression.

    "What about me?"

    Instead of leaning closer to smell my body, he leaned closer to my face. I took a step back in surprise, as our noses were suddenly only inches away. He closed his eyes, sniffing, then opened them with a dazzling smile.

    "Don''t worry," he ?ssured me, ruffling my hair into a mess. "You still smell as good as ever."

    "Y-you shouldn''t lie to my face," I looked away bashfully, pushing him further away from me. "We should quickly head home and take a bath," I said, and he stared at me as if I''d said something weird. "What?"

    "Together?"

    I frowned at his question. What does he mean by together? It took me a while to figure out what he meant by it.

    I subconsciously backed away from him, hugging my body together. "W-w-what do you mean together? Of course, I-I mean we should take a bath separately! W-why would we take a bath togeˇŞ" I came to a halt, unable to complete my sentence.

    "Why not?" He smirked, clearly satisfied with the reaction he was getting. "I don''t think it''s a bad idea." I was speechless in the face of his brashness, but he merely laughed as if he was not the least ashamed of his own remark.

    I felt blood rushing to my cheeks, and suddenly, the weather turned a lot warmer. As I couldn''t afford a reply to his boldness, I walked away hastily, leaving the man behind with his vexing laughter. I loathe this man to the bone at times like this.

    "My little rabbit sure does have a tendency to run away from me," he continued from behind me, his voice a little louder for me to hear. "Fortunately, no matter how far you flee, this wolf will always chase after you."

    ...how is that fortunate?

    I turned back to him, seeing how he stopped going after me when he noticed me doing so. "Y-you should stop saying embarrassing things. It''s... embarrassing."

    He walked closer to me, smirking, then raised my chin with his fingers. "But I love seeing you with flushed cheeks, so why would I stop?"

    Getting annoyed at how he was constantly teasing me, I decided to carry out the plan I''d been thinking about for a long time. To turn the table around.

    His eyes widened in response to the unexpected force with which I jerked him towards me. His red eyes were now in a straight line with mine, and I could feel his breath occasionally tickling my face. I attempted to maintain a calm demeanor, but my heart was the polar opposite of calm. I was hoping that he wouldn''t hear my heart''s furious beatings, else it would break this facade of mine.

    "What if... what if I''m no longer flustered?"

    Stay calm. Stay calm. Stay calm.

    Luke froze, taking in all that was going on, but he showed no signs of being flusteredˇŞwell, maybe a little. I noticed how he swallowed deeply, his Adam''s apple bobbing up and down in his throat, and how his eyes fluttered a little too quickly than usual.

    However, they all left as swiftly as they had arrived. The man has returned to normal, and that smug smirk of his has made its appearanceˇŞyet again.

    "Well... I''m not sure if I like this change," he said, his voice undeniably alluring at this proximity. His smirk then turned more and more upwards as his eyes flicked down to my lips, the same time as he moistened his own. "But I think I''ll like it too."

    Abort plan! The plan backfired!

 Chapter 117 - Scented candles

    As we returned to our room, I opened the door and immediately noticed the puzzled expression on Violet''s face. I had asked a servant to put scented candles all over our room to allow us to forget the unpleasant stench better, so she was clearly confused to see how our room turned out as such. She was wondering if we''d entered the wrong room.

    I smiled approvingly at the candles and the scent that roamed in the air, glancing expectantly at her to hear her express her gratitude to me for being such a considerate man. Even though I had no prior experience with relationships, I knew how to conduct myself in a gentlemanly manner.

    I leaned my body against the door, folding my arms over my ?h?st as I waited for her reaction. She looked around our room, seeing the candles everywhere. Next to our bed, at the table, at the windowsill, in the bathroom, there was not a place that was not lit with a candle.

    I waited and waited, but all I heard was a gasp. She then grabbed my arm and yanked me to the ground before I had a chance to ask if there was anything wrong with it. I was suddenly crouching on the floor along with her.

    "WhatˇŞ"

    "Ssshhh!!" She placed a finger over her lips, her eyes wide in bewilderment. She then looked around the room again as if she was searching for something. "There might be a witch," she warned, immediately alerting all my senses.

    A witch? I quickly sniffed the room, but all I could smell were the candles around us. Shit, maybe I shouldn''t have put so many candles after all. I decided to rely on my hearing sense and concentrated on the sounds around us, but nothing sounded suspicious. How did a witch get here in the first place?

    Did a witch follow us back from the church?

    [What are you doing crouching like a cat?! Get in there and get the witch! We need to protect our mate!] My wolf roared, clearly angered by the fact that I didn''t immediately go inside the room. [Don''t tell me you''re scared of a mere witch?]

    [Don''t be silly, wolf] I retorted. [We don''t know how many witches are there. They could be hiding behind the walls, so I can''t afford to be hasty. Unlike you, I use my brain before I act].

    [Hmph! What a chicken].

    I ignored the wolf''s mockery and turned to Violet, seeing her sniffing the room. "Can you tell me how many witches are there?"

    She shook her head, whispering, "I can''t smell them."

    She can''t smell them? Are those witches that skillful for them to be able to hide their scents? Or is it because of the candles?

    "Then how come you know there''s a witch inside?"

    She beckoned for me to come closer to her, but her gaze remained fixed on our front. "You see how there are a lot of candles? I''ve heard about how witches use candles a lot in their rituals, so this must beˇŞ"

    "Wait," I said, raising my hand to stop her from continuing her explanation. "So... you think there''s a witch inside because of the candles?" She nodded firmly, and I couldn''t help but sigh.

    What am I to do with this woman?

    I wanted to hear her praise me for what I did, but I didn''t expect her to come up with such a conclusion instead. Well, it''s not bad for her to be wary of her surroundings, butˇŞnever mind. I''ll let her off just because she''s so damn adorable.

    I stood up from my former position, leaving Violet still on the floor with her eyes wide as she saw me walking into the room. Her shock was written all over her face. I picked up one of the candles and held it up in the air, showing it to the frightened rabbit.

    "There''s no witch," I said, but her wariness remained. "I was the one who put all these candles here."

    Seeing me beckoning her to come, she finally stood up, slowly walking over to me. She looked around the room again, searching for a witch, but all she could find was her handsome mate in this room.

    "But you were with me the whole time," she said, puzzled, as if she didn''t believe what I''d just said. "How come you can put all theseˇŞ" and then she realized I''d asked a servant to do it through the mind-link. I smiled at her. "Why did you put all these candles? Isn''t one or two enough to lit the room?"

    "It''s not a normal candle, though. It''s a scented candle," I said, and the confused look remained on her face. It seemed that she didn''t know what kind of candle it was. "It''s a candle that produces a pleasant aroma when it''s burning. I thought we''d need this after today."

    "Ah, so the smell came from the candles," she picked up one candle, smelling it. "I-I thought it was another scent of magic that I didn''t know about," she smiled sheepishly, scratching the back of her nape.

    "It''s fine. I don''t blame you for not knowing what this is," I ?ssured her, patting her shoulders. "We don''t find scented candles often in Wonsvile. It''s mostly made in Myltha, and I have a few stocked up just because I thought I might need them later."

    "Well, though I told you that it''s fine, I can''t help but feel a little disappointed after all the trouble I went through to put all these candles," I pouted, despite the fact that all I had to do was ask for a servant to prepare everything. "I wanted you to praise me or thank me for what I did, but to think that I got such a reaction instead..."

    She glanced at me, seeing my disappointed expression, then proceeded to put the candle back on the table. She walked closer and tugged my sleeve, "I''m sorry. I thought a witch followed us back home from the church," she bit her lower lips, wondering what to do. "Were you very disappointed?"

    "You can say so," I let out a sigh, trying my best to look crestfallen. "I don''t think a simple apology is enough to make the bitterness in my heart go away."

    I took a quick glance at her face and noticed that she, too, had a pout on her face. Seeing her make such an expression pricked my heart and conscience, so I decided to stop the actˇŞbut then I heard her utter the magic words.

    "Then... is there anything that I can do to make the bitterness go away?"

    I took some time to think of the answerˇŞdespite the fact that I already had the answer in mind minutes ago. "I think... it would go away if you agreed to grant another wish of mine."

    "...another wish?" She narrowed her eyes at me, already feeling suspicious of it. It appears that the last request I made of her had caused her to question the underlying motives behind my requests. Of course, I''d never make a request that wasn''t beneficial to both of usˇŞthough I couldn''t say that I wasn''t the one who reaped the most benefits.

    Well, what am I to do? I''m a greedy man if it''s about her.

    "I''m not going to fall for the same trick," she glared at me, and I couldn''t help but laugh. "I''m sure you''re going to make me do weird things for you again."

    "Ouch! Is that what you think of me? A man who made his mate do strange things for him?" I put my hand over my heart, feigning pain. "But I''d only make a wish that is beneficial to both of us."

    She quickly denied my remark. "It''s only beneficial for you, though."

    "Really? So are you saying that you didn''t like what we did?"

    No words seemed to escape her mouth as she was taken aback by my straightforwardness. It looked as though she was pondering what she would say in response to my question. What answer would be best? The truth or the lie?

    Seeing how she was hesitating, I was confident that the truth was something that she had yet to have the courage to tell me directly. I quickly smirked at her hesitation. Ah, so it seems that taking a dating lesson from Andrew was not useless after all.

    "So you did like it," I said, and she looked away, her cheeks reddening. It was her signature move whenever she was flustered or embarrassedˇŞavoiding my eyes.

    "W-well, I can''t say that I liked it, but I also can''t say that I... didn''t like it."

    "Then, how about we give it another shot? That way, you''ll be able to tell for sure. Tell me directlyˇŞwhether you like my kiss or not." I pulled her close to me, my eyes following her green eyes.

    "W-what if I say that I didn''t like your kiss?" Such nonsense that came from her delectable lips.

    "...then tell me how you would like to be kissed."

 Chapter 118 - Invitation for tea - Part 1

    "Where are you going?" I asked Violet, who seemed to be going towards the door. After rejecting my kiss, she said that she was in urgent need of a bath and didn''t have the time to do anything else. Moreover, she said that we''d had our fair share of kisses todayˇŞand that I''d stolen a few kisses more than the promised deal.

    Hearing her rejection, I couldn''t help but regret my decision. Instead of one, I should have asked for two kisses a day. Such a great opportunity missed. Maybe I could steal a kiss or two when she was not looking?

    "I need to get my clothes from my room," she replied without even looking back at me, and I grabbed her hand to stop her from walking any further.

    "There''s no need for that," I pulled her to her wardrobe, opening it for her to see that I''d moved all of her clothes here. Her eyes widened upon seeing all of her belongings here, clearly surprised as it hadn''t even been a day since she''d decided to stay in this room with me.

    "...that''s quite fast," she said as she skimmed through her clothes, taking out one nightwear from her wardrobe.

    "I wanted to ensure your stay in this room," I smiled at her, winking. "I know that there''s a big chance that you''ll want to move back to your room, so I decided to quickly move all of your belongings here so that it won''t be as easy for you to move back."

    I heard her mumble under her breath about how there was no need for me to know her that well, and she appeared to be a little dejected about her failed escape plan. After the stun she''d pulled today, I thought she''d be less shy with me, but it seemed to be only momentary courage that had coursed through her.

    It was obvious that she was trying to get back at me after all the teasing that I''d done. Though her sudden change in attitude did catch me off guard, I won''t be that easily swayed. Of course, I won''t let her have things her way that easily. She''d have to do a lot more than that to have me admit defeat.

    However, I couldn''t deny the fact that her bold actions from before had made me feel something inside my ?h?st. I was enthralledˇŞand I was hoping to see more of that side of her. The shy little rabbit was adorable, but the bold rabbit was no less adorable. Much to say, I wanted to learn more about what kind of side she''d show me in the future.

    I''d have to work on her more to be able to see it soon. It seems that breaking down her walls was far more difficult than killing rogues. I''d only need a second to kill a rogue, but with her, I''d need to use months and months to get through her heavy defenses. Will a chocolate cake from Bob help?

    "Then, I''ll take my bath," she said, heading towards the bathroom. Before reaching the bathroom, she turned back and glared at me, saying, "Please don''t get any funny ideas."

    I tilted my head, pretending not to know what she was talking about. "Such as?"

    "Such as... barging into the bathroom to... take a bath together," she turned her face away from me, walking towards the bathroom. She peeked out the door, saying, "I''ll take my bath alone, you too."

    "Only for now," I chuckled, seeing how my previous offer was still bothering her. Her adorableness made it hard for me to stop teasing her. Those pink cheeks were to die for.

    Ignoring my reply, she shut the door on me without saying anything else. I couldn''t help but wonder what kind of face she was making behind the closed door.

    Leaving Violet to take her bath with ease, I proceeded towards my own closet and took a new set of clothes, discarding the ones I was wearing at the time. I took the things stored in my pocket out and made it to the sofa, examining them.

    "We must bring the girl to Her before the day comes."

    Who the hell is Her? And why would they need my Violet? It has only been a few days since we found out about her being a white witch, and Maggie didn''t say anything about her being special. She was just like any other white witch, only that she learned about her magic later than the others.

    I''ve given it a lot of thought, and based on what I''ve come up with, there could be two possibilities. But, of course, that doesn''t mean it''ll end there.

    First, it could have something to do with Violet''s status as a new white witch. While there was a chance of the other white witch tapping into black magic, Violet had never done so. She had never used her magic, so she was undoubtedly the purest of all. Perhaps the core of a pure white witchˇŞthe heartˇŞwas what they were after.

    The Quinn''s manor.

    Could there be a black witch hiding inside Quinn''s manor? Thinking back, Leonard did say that he stopped all the attacks right after I brought Violet home and that the attacks that followed were not under his command. All the following attacks were aimed at kidnapping Violet, while the ones before were only aimed at people''s hearts.

    If there really was a black witch hiding in Quinn''s manor, then everything made sense. They went after Violet because she''d escaped their hands, and they were willing to go to any length to get her back. Perhaps, they''d locked Violet inside to wait for the ''day'' to come, as she would be a crucial part of their planˇŞwhatever that might be.

    I sprawled both the note and the map across the table, attempting to piece together all of the clues I''d gotten from these two things. By the look of it, these two papers exist for the same reason. They both existed to prepare for the ''day''ˇŞwhich most likely was the day those black witches would return to the world.

    If their goal had remained the same as it was a century ago, then it would be to create a world of black magic. This goal of theirs would inevitably result in bloodshed amongst the four creatures.

    To prepare for the so-called day, they wanted to restore their magic to its full condition, and also to have a sufficient amount of power to fight the other forces. Looking at the x''s on the map, I can only ?ssume that they have yet to discover any of the black orbs and were still searching for them.

    But, in the worst possible case where they found at least one or two of them, the villagers were all that was left before they completed their preparation. Even though they''ve only taken control of one village in Wonsvile, the other regions were not so fortunate. And Myltha appeared to be the most unfortunate one.

    Perhaps because there were only humans there, it was much easier for those black witches to infiltrate Myltha. Unfortunately for us, they were smart enough not to turn too many villages to avoid being discovered. But, unfortunately for them, this will soon end.

    For Violet, regardless of why she was needed in their scheme, none of them would ever take place under my watch. I''d never let those filthy witches touch her in the slightest. Not now, and certainly not in the future as well. She''ll be with me for as long as I liveˇŞthat''s for sure.

    Red was not the best color when it came from an ally. It should come from the enemyˇŞand we knew all too damn well who the enemy was.

    Now, for the problem at hand...

    I flipped over the map, observing the circles in Wonsvile. It appeared that I would have to dispatch some personnel to keep an eye on the villages here, as the villagers were at risk of being turned into doll-like humans. We wouldn''t want to give those black witches too much leeway, would we? And I didn''t want to lose my tax-paying citizens either.

    Looking at how the two villages that I had previously visited were located right next to each other, there was a big possibility that the next village to be turned was the bald magistrate''s village. Judging by his fishy behavior, I''m pretty sure that he knew something about this whole ordeal.

    Perhaps an invitation to tea for the magistrate would be appropriate.

 Chapter 119 - Invitation for tea - Part 2

    [Zeke, are you done with your task?] I mind-linked Zeke, my fourth-in-command, who had been extremely busy recently. He had to fill in for Andrew and Jack as they were both too preoccupied with my leftover work, hence why we''re meeting quite often these days.

    I''m a firm believer that too much work is always better than no work.

    [I am, sir] came the quick reply from Zeke. It had been two years since Zeke had started working as my fourth-in-command, and he appeared to be a man with few words who always got the job done. How I wish there were a lot more people like him instead of people like Andrew.

    [Where are you now?] I asked.

    [I''ve just reached the packhouse. Is there something that you need from me, sir?]

    [I''ll need you to go back to the village and call for Mr. Lickham.]

    [Mister who, sir?]

    [Mr. Lickham] I repeated. [Have you forgotten about the man? The bald magistrate. I remember telling you to send him his letter of dismissal along with his other punishment.]

    [Mr. Wickham] he corrected me, but there was no need for me to remember his name in the first place. [And what will be the purpose, sir?]

    [Tell him that I''ve invited him for tea] I said, skimming through the map in my hand, [I''m sure he''ll be ecstatic.]

    After receiving Zeke''s positive reply, I mind-linked a servant to prepare some refreshments for the impending guest. Now that it''s settled, all that I had to do was wait.

    Oh, right. We haven''t eaten dinner since we returned from the church. I hope Violet will still have the appetite to eat after what we saw today. Would all these candles be a little too much? The scent was getting too strong the longer I stayed here. Perhaps we didn''t need to fill the whole room with them. It''s getting a little nauseating.

    [Bob, is dinner ready? I don''t want my mate to be hungry.] I mind-linked my most favorite chef, blowing out a few candles in the room while doing so.

    A few short moments after I sent the mind-link, a chuckle came from Bob. [I''ll bring them to your room right away, sir. I''ve even prepared Luna''s favorite chocolate cake for dessert.]

    While waiting for Bob and Mr. Wickham, I took a quill and a few papers, wanting to write a letter to the two other regions regarding the possible threat posed by the black witches.

    Black witches have been hiding in the dark for years, and they''ve never caused any problems in all of those years. That fact itself made most of us believe that they had given up their initial goal, but it seems that we were very wrong. They had been plotting something major all alongˇŞand we could only hope that their preparations were still far from finished.

    Though the clues I''d found today may not be a hundred percent credible, there was nothing wrong with taking a precaution. After all, it was always better to be safe than sorryˇŞand that two heads are always better than one. Should the black witches proceed with their plan, a lot of lives would be lost.

    We wouldn''t want another war like the Great Axthrone War to happen again. Despite the fact that we won the last battle, we had to make a significant sacrifice. Many lives had been lost, and it had reached the point where even humans were on the brink of extinction.

    As a result, few humans were aware of the existence of dark creatures. Werewolves and vampires were more of a fable to them, whereas black witches were known to be our ultimate enemy. It was only right that all of us knew about the black witches, even if it did lead to the white witches being labeled as enemies as well.

    Now that I''ve learned about Violet being a white witch, perhaps I should make an effort to help clear the white witches'' name.

    Though I didn''t experience the last war, I''ve always heard about how horrific it was from the stories my mom used to tell meˇŞthey were the stories she''d gotten from my grandfather, Derek William. I had never met him before, so I didn''t know just how great of a man he wasˇŞthough I did know that his son was nothing similar to him.

    Just as I was getting tired of waiting, Zeke sent me a mind-link informing me that he''d successfully brought Mr. Wickham to my humble home. He also told me about how Mr. Wickham was busy packing his belongings when he came to fetch the man. Of course, that was not fishy at all.

    I got off the sofa and headed towards the bathroom door, wanting to tell Violet about my absence. When I knocked on the door, a loud thud came from inside.

    "Violet?" I called out, worried that something might have happened to her inside. "Are you okay?"

    "I am," she replied calmly, acting as if nothing had fallen inside. It sounded like she was the one who fell, though. "Do you need something? Ah! Did I take too long? Sorry, I''ll be out in a minute."

    "No, it''s fine. Take as much time as you want," I chuckled. "I just wanted to let you know that dinner is almost ready and that I''ll be out for a little while."

    She didn''t give me any reply, but I could hear her moving in a hurry inside. Not long after, the bathroom door swung open, showing my beautiful mate with her dress still messily worn, her hair wet. A sweet, intoxicating scent immediately washed over me the moment the door opened. Even all those candles in the room didn''t smell as good as the woman before me.

    "You''re leaving?" She asked, a towel over her wet hair. Water dripped down from her hair onto her dress, dampening her already thin dress. I quickly took her night jacket, wrapping her inside. "Where?"

    "Work," I replied curtly, then took the towel off her head, helping her to dry her wet hair. "Rabbit, you should always properly dry your hair. We don''t want you to catch a cold, do we? It''s cold at night."

    "Do you still have some work left?" She ignored my advice and shifted the conversation back to my work, seemingly sad to see me leave. "Even after Andrew and Jack helped you with work?"

    "Hmm," I hummed, then smirked. "Why? Do you hate being away from me that much?" Though my initial intention was to tease herˇŞagainˇŞher response left me a little bit off guard.

    "I do," she said, a small grimace on her face. It was rare for her to express herself frankly about how she felt about me without feeling embarrassed. Is my hard work finally paying off? "Working is not bad, but... I don''t think you should work continuously without proper rest. You haven''t even had dinner or taken a bath, and yet, you''re going back to work. Can''t you take a rest today and get back to work tomorrow?"

    How am I supposed to leave her if she''s begging me not to leave like this?

    Is it even appropriate for me to smile when she was expressing her concern for me? I bit back my lower lip, trying to hold back my smile, but failed, so I pulled her into an embrace to avoid my smile being seen. I didn''t want her to think that I was taking her concern as a joke.

    "Don''t worry," I patted her shoulders, grinning widely behind her back. "Who do you think I am? I''m the strongest Alpha in this whole world. I''ll be fine even after working continuously for a year. BesidesˇŞ" I pulled away, immediately seeing her pout after hearing my answer, "ˇŞI''m going out to meet Mr. Wickham."

    Hearing the familiar name, her eyes flicked towards mine. "The bald magistrate?" I nodded. "Then, let me go withˇŞ"

    "No," I quickly rejected her offer. "You''ve seen enough ugly things today. We don''t need you to see more of it. Your eyes need to rest."

    "ButˇŞ"

    A knock sounded from the door. It must be Bob.

    "You came at the right time, Bob," I said as I opened the door for him. "You wouldn''t want to miss out on Bob''s delicious meals, would you?" I turned to Violet and beckoned to the plates Bob had just set on the table. Her mouth watered as she inhaled the aroma. "I''ll let you know everything I learned from Mr. Wickham once I return, so stay here and eat your meals while they''re still warm, and then rest for the day, okay? I promise I''ll be back before long."

    Though she persisted with accompanying me, she soon changed her mind when she saw the chocolate cake on the table, as well as Bob''s forlorn expression when he realized that none of us would eat his meals if we both left.

    "Come back soon, okay?"

    Ignoring Bob''s presence, I stole a quick peck on her lips, winking, "Don''t miss me too muchˇŞor do. Whatever makes you happy."

 Chapter 120 - Invitation for tea - Part 3

    By the time I reached my officeˇŞthe agreed meeting placeˇŞthe room was already clean of the mountains of paperwork, and Mr. Wickham was already waiting inside. Zeke gave me a curt bow before leaving the room, allowing us to talk in private.

    "Good evening, Mr. Wickham," I offered him my kindest smile, allowing him to take a seat on the sofa. "Please forgive me for my tardiness. I shouldn''t have kept such an important man like you waiting. I''m sure you must be a very busy man," I said, and he only smiled awkwardly, not knowing what to say in response. Perhaps it was because he didn''t know whether I was being sincere or sarcastic with my words.

    "Lord William, thank you for inviting me to your manor," he bowed down, his hands clasped together in front of his protruding belly. "It is truly an honor for me to be here."

    Though his voice appeared calm, the tension in his body was contradictory. The man was trying to cover his trembling hands by clasping them together, and it appeared that he was avoiding my gaze. Not hearing any reply from me, he raised his head and cast a peek at me but quickly averted his gaze away when he realized I was staring at him intently.

    He kept his gaze lowˇŞas if he was searching for fallen gold on the ground. Compared to the first day I met him, he dressed a lot more modestly today. Not a hint of gold was seen on him, most likely because I''d stripped him off all his dirty-earned gold. The man was now as poor as a church mouse. Even the last few strands of hair he had on his head had vanished. I didn''t mean for that to happen too.

    "How are you doing these days, Mr. Wickham?" I took a seat in front of him, and he shortly followed after seeing me seated. "I heard you were busy packing your stuff?"

    "IˇŞI''m thinking of going back to my parents'' house," he answered after a brief pause, coughing a little to buy himself some time to think of an answer. "Thank you for your concern, sir."

    Hearing him, I nodded, then proceeded to pour him a cup of tea prepared on the table in front of us. This kind gesture of mine made him shift uncomfortably in his seat, gulping down the lump in his throat every now and then.

    "Is the room too cold for you? Is that why you''re trembling?" I asked, sipping on my own cup of tea. "Or are you perhaps nervous because you''re alone with such a handsome man as myself?"

    "Y-yes," he chuckled, scratching his neck. My question must have appeared as a chance for him to get on my good side, so he decided to use this time to praise my handsomeness which I''ve always been aware of. "It is because the Lord is too handsome that I''m nervous like this. It''s my first time meeting a man as handsome as you, sir."

    "Don''t worry. I''m sure it''s everyone else''s first time as well." It hasn''t even been ten minutes since he arrived here, but Mr. Wickham already appeared to be a bit tired. I wonder why. "Now, don''t you know want to know why I invited you for tea?" I asked, and it was the first time that he didn''t avoid my eyes today. The look on his face looked like a mixture of anxiety and curiosity. "It is because I wanted to offer you a deal."

    "A deal?"

    "Yes," I nodded my head, smiling. "I wanted to thank you for all the effort you''ve given me while you were working under me. It''s a token of my appreciation for your hard work."

    "W-what kind of a deal, sir?"

    "Oh, it''s nothing much. I only needed you to answer a few of my questions, and then..." he stiffened again upon hearing my request, but his interest remained. It was obvious that his greed would always get the best of him. Of course, I shouldn''t let his expectations down. "...I''ll spare you your life in return."

    His dilated eyes looked at me in complete bewilderment, and now his hands were not the only ones trembling. "W-what do you mean by sparing my life, s-sir?" Seeing how I only smiled at him and said no more words, he knew I was not joking. The man then ran for his life.

    Mr. Wickham ran towards the door, wanting to do a little exercise to reduce the fat on his stomach, but was stopped by Zeke the moment he opened the door.

    "M-move!!" He tried to shove Zeke aside, but unfortunately, lacked the power to do so. Zeke stayed unfazed, towering over the man while Mr. Wickham was growing even more anxious as more time passed. He tried again for the second time and then third, fourth... each time failing miserably. "I said move!!"

    I quietly sipped my tea while watching Mr. Wickham attempt to escape, greeting him warmly when he was brought back to the sofa less than a minute after his foolish attempt to flee.

    "How you saddened me, Mr. Wickham," I let out an exasperated sigh, feigning sadness. "How could you run from me? I thought you were happy to meet a handsome man like me. I suppose that was all a lie?"

    "W-why are you doing this to me, sir?" His voice trembled, and it looked like he was on the verge of tears.

    "What did I do?" I shrugged, ignoring his desperate cry. "I''m only offering you a deal. Answer my questions, and I''ll let you live. Is it that hard of a deal? I''m sure even a toddler could fulfill this deal of mine."

    "T-that''s..." he hesitated, having a hard time answering my simple query. I''m sure he was hesitating because he''d made a deal with the witch, so should he answer me, he''d die by the hands of the witchˇŞbut should he not, then he''d die by my hands.

    "You do have an idea of the questions I''m about to ask you, right?" I asked, and I knew the answer without even hearing it directly from his mouth. I offered him my hand, hoping for him to shake it with his own. But the man seemed to have difficulty doing so, so I offered him a little help. If he refused to make a deal with me, I would simply force him to do so.

    "Mr. Wickham, how many fingers do you have?"

    Taken aback by the irrelevant question, Mr. Wickham raised his eyes from the ground, meeting my eyes for less than a second before returning them to the ground again.

    "T-ten, sir," he answered, but not before confirming that he indeed had ten fingers.

    "Do you know what will happen to them if you fail to answer my questions?" I beckoned for him to come closer to me, asking him to hold out his hand. Despite his unwillingness, he did as told, then ended up with one of his hands pinned against the table. I pulled one of his fingers backward, pulling it in the direction it was not supposed to be. "You''ll go home with ten broken fingers."

    Even only after a little pull, Mr. Wickham screamed as if I''d broken his finger.

    "S-s-sir, I really don''t know anything!!" He cried desperately, struggling to free his hand from under my grip. "P-please let me go."

    "But I haven''t asked any questions," I shrugged. "How can you be so sure that you won''t know anything about what I''m about to ask? Doesn''t that usually mean the opposite?" Having made a slip of the tongue due to his nervousness, Mr. Wickham found himself in an even direr situation. "Now, enough chit-chat. Tell me everything you know about the villagers."

    "T-the villagers?" He gulped, already expecting me to ask about them. "T-they''re doing well, sir. Aside from the poverty, they areˇŞAAAAHHHH!!"

    "Don''t play dumb, Mr. Wickham," I snapped his thumb. Why was he so adamant about concealing the facts from me? Was the witch that much scarier than me? That can''t be right. "You do know I was talking about the villagers in the village next to yours. Careful, you''ll break a finger each time you tell lies."

    "S-sir, I-I can''t tell you anything," he said in between his cries. He then kneeled before me, begging me to let him go. "T-the witchˇŞshe''s going to kill me if I tell you what I know."

    "And do you think I won''t kill you if you don''t tell me now?" I pulled on his other finger, threatening to snap it into two. "I believe you should be more concerned about your current situation rather than your future. After all, you might not make it through the day."

    Being the kind man I am, I gave him some time to think over his decisionˇŞbut, of course, I would only accept the answer that I wanted to hear. I gave him five seconds to consider his answer, but as I waited for those five seconds to pass, my shoe came into contact with something wet on the ground.

    I looked around for what might have suddenly dampened the ground and realized that not only were Mr. Wickham''s eyes crying, but his pants were too.

    "I see that you''ve got a death wish."

 Chapter 121 - Invitation for tea - Part 4

    "So, what happened to the villagers?" I asked, crossing my legs while sipping my tea after I had just broken two more of Mr. Wickham''s fingers. Three broken fingers, and I''ve finally set his mind straight.

    "T-the black witch took control of them," he shivered, clutching his broken fingers to his ?h?st. "S-she referred to them as her puppetsˇŞand it''s been a few weeks since she turned them as such."

    "What did she do?"

    "S-she mixed her blood into the people''s food," he gulped, not daring to meet my eyes. Obviously, he was contemplating whether or not to tell me the whole truth but decided to do so when he remembered the pain from his three broken fingers. "She took advantage of the villagers'' poverty and sent out food every day, mixing a small amount of her blood little by little until the amount was sufficient forˇŞfor the ritual."

    I gave him a small nod, allowing him to proceed. The villagers had no reason to refuse her generosity, so everything must have gone smoothly until the day I found out what happened there. To think that I went there only to find the witch who was after Violet and ended up discovering a whole village being turned into the black witches'' puppets for the impending war.

    I suppose I have to thank Leonard for this, but unfortunately, he''s dead. Perhaps the small Leonard will do.

    "How long until the blood is sufficient for the ritual?"

    "T-two weeks, sir."

    That means the witch has been there for at least a month. Those damned black witches, who allowed them to step onto my land? Those people always lived like mice, always lurking in the shadows and secretly stealing from people. While mice steal people''s food, those black witches steal people''s lives.

    Then, what should I take from them in return? Ah, I should take their heartsˇŞjust like what they did to my people. A heart for a heart, might I say.

    "Then what happened to the corpses thrown in the ditch?"

    If they needed those people to be their puppets, why would they kill them off? Wouldn''t it be more beneficial for them if they took control of more people?

    "T-they''re the failed ones, sir," he gulped again, seemingly being careful with his words. Was there something that he couldn''t tell me? "Not all people are able to withstand the witch''s blood, which is why many die in the process."

    Knowing that the village magistrate had also died, I could more or less guess what Mr. Wickham''s role was in the scheme. It was to forge the village''s reports so that there wouldn''t be any suspicion of the village from my side. But why didn''t the witch ask the magistrate for help instead of Mr. Wickham''s? Why did they let him die?

    "How did you get involved in this?"

    "B-because the magistrate was among the people who died, the black witch needed someone who could help arrange the villagers and also someone who couldˇŞ" he halted, fixing his gaze even lower, "ˇŞhelp falsify the village reports."

    "Then why did they let the magistrate die? Why did they ask for your help instead?"

    He cast a glance at me, surprised that I didn''t send another threatˇŞor break his fingers. The reason was that I didn''t want to hear his scream anymoreˇŞsince it was straight-up disturbing. I''d much rather hear him answer my questions quickly and quietly.

    "It''s..." he bit his lower lip, hesitating. Perhaps he was afraid that his answer would cause him more harmˇŞthough I suppose that he couldn''t get any worse than this. "It''s because the magistrate didn''t agree to help her. He wanted to report this matter to you, soˇŞ"

    I raised my hand to him, already knowing where this was going. So, unlike the other villagers, the magistrate died because he was killedˇŞbecause he was loyal to me. Not wanting to risk being found out, the witch decided to kill him and went after Mr. Wickham, whose greed knew no bounds. Just give him a little something in return for his services, and he''d agree to kill off an entire villageˇŞor more. It depends on how much he''d get in return.

    I glared at him as he held his fingers closer to him, wondering how the hell this kind of man got chosen to be a magistrate. This man has got to be rotten to the core. Nothing was saving him from his death todayˇŞnot even God himself.

    "How long until the two weeks in your village end?" I inquired, and he looked up at me, apparently surprised by the question. What did he take me for? A fu?k?n? moron? Did he think I wouldn''t know about this?

    These questions I had were the only thing keeping him alive right now, and he should be grateful for this little extension of his foolish life. He''d be better off deadˇŞfed to the dogs even. It pains me to let such a man live for another second.

    "T-two days left before it ends, sir," he stuttered, quickly fixing his gaze back on the ground beneath him. I sighed.

    Two days leftˇŞit clearly means that a good amount of blood has entered the people''s bodies. Though it was still unclear what the witch''s blood could do, I needed to stop the villagers from taking any more food from the witch, knowing that they needed a specific amount of blood for the ritual to be performed.

    I''ll have to send a few warriors to keep an eye on the village, as well as the other villages marked on the map. In the worst-case scenario, they could be working on this plan all at the same time, so we need to be wary of all the other villages as well. We can''t give them what they want, as it will definitely cause us harm.

    "How many witches are in this?" I asked, taking out the two letters that I had previously written and handing them to Zeke. A glance at the two letters and he immediately took off. I''ve sent a warning to the other two regions, so the rest is up to them.

    "I-I''m not sure," he said, and I frowned at him, not believing his words. Seeing my disbelief, he defended himself, "I-it''s the truth! I don''t know how many witches are involved, but I''ve certainly met one."

    "What did she look like? A name, maybe?"

    I was waiting for the name Greta to come up, but it seemed that he didn''t have any clue about how she looked, moreover, her name. Mr. Wickham cautiously shook his head, afraid that another finger would soon be broken when he failed to answer more of my questions.

    "I only met the witch once, and she had everything covered up except for her eyes. If my memory serves me well, she hadˇŞ " the man came to an abrupt halt, raising his palm to cover his mouth. His eyes popped out, plainly surprised by what was going on. He then gagged a few times before finally releasing the meals he''d eaten on the carpet he''d just peed on minutes before.

    I rubbed my temples, trying to calm my anger after seeing him made a great mess of my office in his last few minutes of life. If only I''d killed him sooner, this wouldn''t have happened. Just what did my nose do to deserve all this today?

    I let the biggest sigh escaped my lips, wanting to tell him off but realizing that this was not happening because of his mounting tension. I thought he''d stop after puking out his meals, but he didn''t. Mr. Wickham puked the entirety of his stomach, dirtying the office floor with whatever was inside of a human body.

    Realizing the severity of the situation, I cursed and mind-linked Ronald to rush over and help the man, but Mr. Wickham was running out of time. The color quickly drained out of his face as he emptied his stomach, growing weaker as more things poured out of him.

    During his vehement puking, Mr. Wickham made an effort to reach out to me, asking for help, but there was nothing that I could do. He tried everything he could to stop himself from puking his guts, but it just kept coming out. I stood there, watching the man struggle to his death, and finally realized what was happening to him.

    I''ve seen this before, back when I cornered the trespassing rogues. I''d cornered them and asked them who sent them to my territory, and then, the same exact thing happened to them right before they opened their mouths to answer me.

    It was no other than witchcraft.

    A minute passed, and Mr. Wickham finally stopped. His body, which was previously kneeling on the floor, slowly fell. He collapsed to the pool of his insides, blood immediately staining his white shirt. With his eyes still wide open, the man laid there lifelessly.

    Just like that, the brief tea invitation came to an end.

 Chapter 122 - Maggie says - Part 1

    "It must be a magic oath," said Maggie, examining the dead body on the floor. After receiving a few clues regarding the black witches'' plan, I called Maggie to see if she knew anything about this matter. Though she''d complained about being called right before her beauty sleep, the mention of money made her come rushing.

    "A magic oath?"

    "It is an oath made of magic," she said as she knelt down, marveling at the organs that had poured out of Mr. Wickham''s body. "Once made, one is unable to break the oath since the magic will prevent them from doing so. In this case, it looked like this man had taken an oath to maintain a secret, so when he tried to break the oath, the magic stopped him by making him puke ceaselessly to death."

    Was this the reason why Mr. Wickham was so careful with his words? But it didn''t look like he knew anything about the oath. It was obvious that he was as surprised as I was when he suddenly puked out of nowhere.

    "Is it possible to make an oath without the consent of both parties?" I asked the witch.

    Picking up a liver, she grinned and kept it safely in her bag. I frowned, perplexed as to why she would need such a thing. Was it a common pastime amongst black witches to collect organs? "It''s feasible if the witch used her words cleverly. She could trick him into making an oath without him realizing it."

    Given the similarities between what happened to Mr. Wickham today and the rogues in the past, I''m quite convinced that the witch involved was the same person. Though I''d suspected Greta to be involved, this only confirmed my suspicions.

    "Do you know a witch called Greta?"

    Hearing the question, Maggie almost dropped another organ that she''d picked up from the floor. She then turned to me, staring as if I''d breathe out fire.  "How did you know that name?"

    "Why? Is it a name I''m not supposed to say?" I asked, raising a brow at her surprise.

    "It''s our queen''s name," she answered, regaining her composure and picking up the remaining organs, placing them safely in her bag. "I''m just surprised because I haven''t heard of that name in a long time."

    What? Greta is the Queen of the black witches? Why is the queen after Violet? I thought she was just a normal witch seeking more power, but now you''re saying that she was the Queen of the Black Witches? What the hell? The problem just got a whole lot bigger.

    I thought Violet wouldn''t be in any more danger if I killed this Greta, but now that I know she''s the queen, I''d have the entire black witches hunting me down if I did as such. It would put both of us in far greater danger.

    "I believe I asked you about how you came across that name," Maggie repeated her question, finished with taking the organs on the floor. She then took a seat on the sofa in front of me, wiping her bloody hands onto my sofa. I let out a growl. "Calm down, wolf. It''s only a sofa."

    "I prefer to keep my things clean, witch," I glared at her, and she rolled her eyes. Looking at my annoyance, she swept her palm across the dirty sofa, and the blood on it immediately vanished. She then looked at me, using her eyes rather than her mouth to ask if I was satisfied. "I heard from someone that this Greta witch is going after my mate."

    "Your mate? That little white witch?" She asked, almost in disbelief. Her tone sounded as if I''d pulled out a silly joke on her. "You''ve got to be mistaken, wolf. Why would the Queen go after a mere white witch? A newborn, at that."

    I pulled out the note from my pocket, passing it to Maggie for her to see for herself. The frown was palpable on her face when she read the note, wondering what her sisters were doing going after a white witch.

    Now that I know Greta was the queen, the ''Her'' in that note would most likely refer to her. However, this only means that the note belonged to another witch and that there were already a lot more witches around us than we realized.

    "Don''t you know anything about their plans?"

    "What plans?" She scoffed. "I''ve left my sisters for decades. How would I know what they''re up to now?"

    "They''re planning to start another war," I said, sipping on the tea that had gone cold. The note wavered in her hand when she heard me, surprised, but pretended not to be. "And it seems that your sisters are planning to make humans their force. Doll-like humans, to be exact."

    Given the fact that she had left her sisters behind for decades, I had to hold on to the hope that she would stay on my sideˇŞthough it was fairly impossible without the help of my fortune. I''m sure that the price of her knowledge would mean nothing compared to the price of my people''s lives.

    "According to the man whose organs you just so gleefully stole, a witch is turning the villagers into her puppets," seeing Maggie quietly observing the map, I continued, "She mixed her blood into the villagers'' food and will perform a ritual once the amount is sufficient. Do you know anything about a witch who used her blood to control people?"

    "I do," she answered after a brief pause. I could see her balling her fist, clearly infuriated by the mention of the witch. Her eyes glowed with suppressed anger, but she made no further explanation regarding the said witch.

    "Is it Greta?"

    "No," she deadpanned. "It''s my sister." What exactly is she talking about? Of course, I knew that it was one of her sisters. All black witches are sisters, no? Seeing the confusion on my face, she sighed. "My blood sister."

    I let out an ''oh,'' which irritated her even more, but it wasn''t even my fault that she was irritated in the first place. I sat with my legs and arms crossed, waiting for her to continue her explanation about her blood sister.

    "What can she do with that blood of hers?"

    "As you know, control people," she shrugged, kicking Mr. Wickham''s dead body. She appeared to be venting her annoyance on the poor man. "Once she gets a hold of your blood, she''ll be able to control you. And that goes the other way around as well."

    "What an annoying ability," I said, and she chuckled, quickly agreeing. I ?ssumed that the relationship between the two sisters was not all that good.

    "Blood witch is very rare even amongst us, so I can know for sure that it''s my sister that you''re talking about," she remarked as she kicked the deceased man for the second time, prompting me to get a servant to clean the body.

    "Is it possible to be freed from her once she takes control of your blood?"

    "It is," she pulled out three fingers towards me, pulling them back down with every method she said. "The first and easiest way is to kill her," she smiled, as if to say that it was the method she recommended the most. "The second is purification, while the third would require one''s own willpower to be freed of her influence."

    Surely, killing her would be the simplest option. I''ve heard that purification takes a lot of time and energy, and breaking free of her control was not something that just anyone could do. But the problem is that this blood witch is nowhere to be foundˇŞthough it could easily be solved if Maggie agreed to help me locate her.

    "Can youˇŞ"

    "I can''t," she quickly refused, as if she knew what I was about to ask her. "But don''t get me wrong. I''m not refusing your money because she''s my blood sister. I don''t even want to admit that she''s my sister."

    "Then why?"

    "Don''t you realize how many people wanted us dead? It''s only natural for most black witches to take precautionary measures to avoid being located. If not, we''d be long dead."

    "So you''re saying that you don''t trust each other," I said as I allowed the servant by the door to come in and clean up the mess around us. Maggie gave a short, mirthless laugh but said nothing in response to my wordsˇŞprobably because it was the truth, and there was no point in denying or agreeing to it.

    "It is only in the nature of black witches to act in ways that benefit them the most," she remarked, her face smeared with a rare melancholy expression. A brief pause followed, and her voice grew smaller when she added, "...even if it means betraying their sisters in the process."

 Chapter 123 - Maggie says - Part 2

    Maggie frowned as she looked at the clock, realizing it was nearly ten o''clock at night. The melancholy was gone as quickly as it had appeared, replaced by a tinge of irritation. She crossed her arms and tapped her feet impatiently on the floor.

    "What else do you want from me, wolf?" She queried, her eyes sending daggers. "I swear if I don''t get home by ten, I''ll turn you into a dog." She kept talking about getting her beauty sleep, telling me that it was the most important thing to maintain her youthfulness which I didn''t care about.

    "I''ll rip you apart before you do so," I retorted, glaring back at her. "All those efforts won''t even hide the fact that you''re an old lady inside, so why botherˇŞ"

    "Say another word, and I''ll really turn you into a dog," she fumed, using her magic to flip the table before us as she stood. All the plates and cups on the table fell, and the servant I''d called earlier jumped, taken aback by the anomaly. It was then that he realized the woman was a witch, prompting him to finish cleaning and scurry away.

    "Try me, witch," I smirked, knowing she''d never do something like that. She wouldn''t dare. "Let''s see who''s faster."

    She bit her lower lip, clearly annoyed, but knew how to back down. I could see how her mouth twitched as she tried to keep the curses from escaping her lips. Maggie didn''t like the fact that I knew her real age, and I''d used it to annoy her just because she always did the same to me.

    Even though most witches lived relatively long lives, they would still require the ?ssistance of their magic to maintain their youthful appearance and a healthy body. As a result, many witches are like Maggie, who still appears to be in her late twenties despite being in her late seventies.

    Hearing her threat from before, I couldn''t help but return the favor. It was almost natural for me to do so.

    "Tch, I''m only staying because of the money," she grumbled, plopping her body back onto the sofa. "Let''s hurry and get this over with."

    Though I''d planned to stop the villagers from getting any more food from the witch, there was still a possibility that she''d proceed with the ritual. Considering their ultimate plan was to start another war, those villagers were definitely of importance to them. There would be no war to win if they didn''t have the right force to back them up.

    Stopping the food flow would certainly impede their plans, but I don''t believe it would be enough to derail them. We have two days to stop them.

    "I want to know about the ritual," I said, drawing her attention back to me. "About how the ritual will run and also how to stop it."

    Maggie crossed her arms over her ?h?st, seemingly deep in thought after my question. Knowing that her sister was a blood witch, Maggie had a good chance of being one of those blood witches as well. Despite the fact that she''d been staying on my land for years, I hadn''t felt the need to get to know the witch any further until todayˇŞor the day I found Violet was a white witch.

    I almost killed her for trespassing on the pack''s territory the first time I met her. It was nine years ago, a year before I became the Alpha of the pack. I was going on my daily run, wanting to make sure nothing was going on around the pack. I''d made my way to the forest, going through the thick trees when I smelled something unfamiliar.

    I ?ssumed that it would be a rogue, as rogues were notorious for trespassing at the time. But when I followed the scent, I didn''t come across any rogues. Instead, I found a young woman. The woman appeared to be younger than me, and one of her legs was bloodied when I found her. She was limping her way straight to the pack''s territory, and her face was as pale as death itself when she noticed my presence.

    I didn''t know how she got there, but I ?ssumed she was harmless. There was no way she could afford a fight with her current state, let alone harm the pack, so I decided to let her go. I quickly came to the conclusion that she was a human who''d lost her way.

    Despite her injury, I was not so kind as to offer her my ?ssistance. I only gave her directions away from the pack, not wanting her to go further into the territory. I still remember the relief on her face when she saw me leaving, but the relief quickly turned to dread when her young appearance turned into that of an old lady.

    Her long black curls turned white, her skin turning a little saggy. Her straight back became a bit crooked, making her overall height shorter. Except for her appearance, everything about her remained the same. She was still dressed in the same gown, with the same bloodied left leg. But in a matter of seconds, the young woman had transformed into an elderly lady, and I quickly realized that what stood before me was not a human but a witch.

    A witch was trespassing on a wolf''s territory.

    When she realized what had happened, she tried to make a run for it, but her injured legs thwarted her efforts. Her now weaker body fell after stumbling over the tree roots around her, making her chance of escape non-existent. Seeing how there was no way out, she attempted to use her magic to create another chance to escape, but she was too slow.

    Before she could unleash her magic, I threw her against a tree trunk, my hand strangling her neck. Desperate to breathe, she finally surrendered herself. She then admitted to being a black witch but stated that she held no ill intention towards the pack. She was being chased by someone and didn''t know she''d crossed the werewolves'' territory.

    It was difficult for me to believe her words, as she had almost fooled me by pretending to be a normal human if not for her broken facade. But after a few persuasions, she swore to be useful to usˇŞwerewolvesˇŞshould I prolonged her life.

    A few years have passed, and here we areˇŞalways bickering because we despised each other''s guts. I''d long killed her if it hadn''t been for the fact that she''d proven herself useful over the years.

    "We''ll need your little white witch to do that," replied Maggie.

 Chapter 124 - Maggie says - Part 3

    "Her name is Violet, you witch," I scowled, not liking the way she addressed her.

    "And my name is Maggie, you wolf," she, too, scowled. We glared at each other for a good minute, clearly not liking being in each other''s presence, but had no other choice but to be here. She needed my money, and I needed her knowledge. "You''ll need your Violet to stop the ritual," she repeated.

    "Why?"

    Though I''d intended to inform Violet of what I discovered today, I had no intention of taking her with me to the village. I didn''t want to put her in any more danger, knowing full well that dealing with black witches would be dangerous.

    There''s a good chance that she''ll offer to help, but I''d rather have her stay safely in the manor. That way, I''d be able to deal with all of the problems with ease, knowing she was safe at home. She''d given me tremendous help while we were investigating the church and the villages, so there was no need to put her at any more risk. She could rest ?ssured and leave the rest to me.

    "Because you won''t be able to see magic if not with her help," she rolled her eyes, as though telling me that it was an obvious answer. "I''m sure my dear sister will put up a magic barrier all around the village on the day of the ritual because she doesn''t want any uninvited guests interfering with her plans."

    "The same barrier I asked you to put up around here?"

    "The very same one," she nodded. "She''ll most likely trap the people inside while also blocking people from entering, and that barrier won''t let anyone in unless you have magic. Magic always gives too much leeway to other magic bearers, just you know," she snorted.

    Shit. Does that mean Violet is the only one who can prevent the ritual from taking place? Then we''d better be prepared and stay inside the village before the witches put up a magic barrier. That''ll be a better option than allowing Violet to enter the village alone and unprotected. We don''t even know how many witches we''ll be up against, so we definitely can''t afford to let our guards down.

    Underestimating those witches will be the first step to failure, and I''d rather die than lose to them.

    "Don''t be so worried," she laughed, noticing the obvious concern on my face. "Should you be late, your mate can go in and break down the barrier, allowing you and your lackey to enter."

    As if shedding light on darkness, I asked, "How?"

    "She''ll need to find the magic stones that were used to put up the barrier," she answered, making herself at home by brewing her own tea. "Then she''d have to destroy them for the barrier to be broken. The magic stones will be spread all throughout the village, but I''m sure that it''ll be easy for her to find them if she has a keen nose and eyes," she continued, fixing her gaze on the flying cup and tea-pot.

    "Then, all you have to do is to look for the witch who is leading the ritual. You have to prevent her from completing the control spellˇŞor from starting the ritual at allˇŞsince those who bear her blood will immediately turn to her puppets once she''s done with the spell." Finished brewing her tea, she drank it in one go. "Should you find her, kill her."

    "Isn''t that obvious?" I shrugged. "Don''t you go crazy on me when I kill her later."

    "I won''t," she laughed, but it was not a laugh filled with humor. She stared at her empty cup for a few moments, then stood up, readying herself to leave. "Her name is Mary, by the way. And she looks nothing like me."

    "So she doesn''t look like an old hag," I noted, doing it on purpose to irk the witch. Maggie forced a smile, her lips twitching upon hearing. I heard her mutter under her breath, "I swear I''ll kill him one day." I suppose I should wait for another century.

    Maggie, not forgetting to bring Mr. Wickham along with her, turned towards the door. Though I didn''t stop her from leaving, she stopped and asked, "This absolutely is none of my business, but what the hell did you do to your hand?"

    "What?"

    "I sense a hint of black magic," she said as she turned around to face me. She then raised her left arm to show me where she saw the magic in my hand. Following her, I raised my left hand but felt nothing wrong with it. "Pull your sleeve up."

    Even though I didn''t appreciate the tone of her voice, I did as told. I pulled my sleeve up, showing her that there was nothing wrong with my hand. But she didn''t seem to think the same.

    "You..." she stared at my hand, frowning. "Did you get bitten by snakes?"

    "I did," I replied, definitely weirded out by her unexpected question. What did she mean by sensing a hint of black magic on me? The snakes? "I got bitten by two snakes while I was searching for a lead on the witches'' hideout. Why?"

    Hearing it, her eyes widened, and she quickly walked over to me to have a closer look at the bite marks. Her fingers reached towards the bite marks, and her frown immediately deepened when she touched them. Hell, the expression on her face told me that whatever bit me was not a normal snake.

    "You''re doomed," said Maggie.

 Chapter 125 - Maggie says - Part 4

    "You''re doomed," said Maggie, shaking her head, then proceeding towards the door without even bothering to give me a further explanation.

    "Care to elaborate?" I scoffed, annoyed at how she talked crap, and then just left. At least tell me why she thinks I''m doomed. "Are they not normal snake bites?"

    "Of course not," she said as she sat back down, sighing as she still needed to stay longer. "Those snakesˇŞI ?ssumed they were initially a statue, yes? Then they turned to real snakes," I nodded in response to her query. "Those snakes are the guardian."

    The guardian? What a silly name for a snake.

    "And what are they supposed to do?"

    "To kill and to protect," Maggie said with a smile, as if pleased with the outcome. "They''re made to protect whatever lies behind them and to kill anyone who goes beyond them."

    "You mean, anyone without magic?" I asked, recalling what she had said about magic giving the other magic bearer too much leeway. But why am I doomed? Ronald didn''t say anything about the bites being poisonous, and I didn''t feel anything either. I felt fairly well, nothing out of the ordinary.

    "Quite bright, aren''t you?" She chuckled, seemingly content with the disaster that fell on me. "Unfortunately for you, their bites are extremely lethal, and no one has survived them to this day. That, unless they managed to find the antidote."

    I frowned, wondering whether or not I should believe her words. Maggie was known for her lies, and I didn''t want to fall for any of them. I should''ve had a reaction to their bites if they were as lethal as she''d claimed them to be. They didn''t sting, didn''t cause redness or swelling, and certainly didn''t do anything after a few hours.

    "You don''t believe me, do you?" She sighed. "You can only feel the effect of the bites a few days after the incident, which is why you feel fine right now. I''m trying to be nice for once by telling you about your impending death, but what? That frown of yours is all I got? At the very least, a thank you would be nice."

    Annoyed at my constant lack of trust, she decided to leave but stopped when I thanked her for her kindness. She couldn''t even hide her surprise at hearing my gratitude.

    "Thank you," I said, stopping her from leaving. Though she was the one who asked to be thanked, both of us couldn''t help but feel weird about this new interaction. We''ve never said anything remotely nice to each other. The closest thing to being nice was a backhanded compliment. "Tell me more," I asked her, but she didn''t seem to appreciate my tone. "...please."

    She finally returned to her seat.

    "To think that the mighty Alpha would ever ask for a favor instead of an order to a black witch," she guffawed, clearly satisfied with me swallowing my pride. I never thought such a day would ever come either. "I suppose I should lend a hand to the desperate wolf."

    She crossed her arms over her ?h?st and held her head high, pleased that she was in a higher disposition for the first time. This old lady sure knew how to hold a grudge.

    "The poison will take its time to attack all of your organsˇŞwith your brain being the first and your heart the last," Maggie explained, still with that smug smirk of hers. "You''ll probably feel the poison after three days, and should you fail to find the antidote, you''ll only have a week before you take your last breath."

    Three days before the poison took effect, a week before I died. Shit. Was she telling the truth right now? I can''t tell. But one thing I knew for sure was that I couldn''t die. Not when I''ve just met my mate, when I''ve just gotten her to kiss me. And certainly not when the black witches were planning another war and when my people were at risk of dying.

    Those fu?k?n? guardiansˇŞthose snakes. I should''ve killed them back then.

    "Wicked, isn''t it?" She burst out laughing. "They led you to believe that those snakes were not poisonous, when in fact, they were deadly. By the time you realize the danger they pose, you''re already at the point of no return."

    "Very wicked, indeed," I sighed.

    I couldn''t stay as calm as her, knowing there was only a week until my death if we didn''t find the antidote. I still have so much to do. And I obviously can''t leave Violet behind. I''d probably stay as a wandering ghost only to be by her side. How am I supposed to leave when my heaven is here?

    "How do I find the antidote? Do you happen to have it?"

    "Me? Of course not," she answered nonchalantly. "The only thing that can cure you is the fruit of the Wishing Tree."

    "And what the hell is that?" It seemed that I still had a lot to learn about this realm of magic. So I definitely can''t die.

    "It''s a tree that will give you anything that you wantˇŞshould you have the purest of hearts," she couldn''t help but grimace at the word pure. "Do you know a place called Larion?" I shook my head. "Larion is the Land of Magic, and the Wishing Tree stands at the peak of the highest mountain in Larion."

    Larion? It was the first time I''d heard of a place like that. Was that where the witches hid from the people''s eyes for all these years?

    "How come I never knew such a place existed?"

    "It''s called the Land of Magic for a reason," she rolled her eyes. "Only those who have magic will be able to see and feel its existence. You won''t be able to find Larion without the help of a witch."

    "Then it''s certainly possible for me to have the antidote, right?" I smiled at Maggie, hiding the real meaning of my words behind my smile.

    "Didn''t I tell you anything about the Wishing Tree only granting the wishes of people with the purest of hearts?" She scoffed. "Do you believe I have a pure heart?"

    The smile quickly faded from my face, replaced by a heavy sigh. Certainly, Maggie won''t be able to bring me the fruit. No matter how many years from now, Maggie and pure will never be in the same sentence. Hell, it will grow even further apart as more time goes by.

    There could only be one witch with the purest of heartsˇŞmy Violet.

    This is quite troubling. I needed Violet''s help to stop the ritual and bring the antidote to my poison. However, given the constraints of time, it was only right for us to prioritize the ritual. The ritual will take place in two days, so I still have a day left before the poison takes effect. I''m sure I can still handle the poison if it''s still in the early stages.

    "This Larion, is it a dangerous place?"

    "It depends on the weather," she said, shrugging. "If you go there on a sunny day, then you''re in luck. Everything there will be happy and give you a warm welcome. Flowers will bloom with each step you take, and cute animals will guide you to your destination. But if you go there on a rainy day," she paused, shivering at her past recollection, "You''re as good as dead."

    "Can you take me there?"

    She raised one of her brows, then made a gesture with her fingersˇŞmoney. Of course, nothing''s free when it comes to her. I wonder what she was saving all that money for. I''m sure the amount of money I gave her was more than enough to build a house or two. Was she trying to renovate her house? It seems quite plausible, given the fact that her current house looks more like a pile of garbage than a house.

    "I''ll give you enough," I said, and a smile immediately sprawled across her face.

    "Then you should call me anytime you''re ready," she stood up, smoothing her dress. She then glanced at the clock, seeing the time showing that it was an hour past ten. "I suppose our amicable exchange should come to an end here, wolf. You''ve spent enough, and I''ve also earned enough."

    She picked up her belongings, bid her farewell, then returned to her home to take her delayed beauty sleep. Despite the fact that she''d lost an hour of her sleep, the amount of money she''d earned today was more than enough to make up for it. I sighed.

    Perhaps Violet was right. I''d soon lose my entire fortune if I spent any more time with Maggie. To think that I''m spending money on a black witch to solve problems caused by another black witch.

    Very infuriating.

 Chapter 126 - Whats on Lukes mind - Part 1

    I should''ve killed those snakes.

    I grumbled as I made my way back to my room, regretting my decision not to kill those snakes over and over again. If I could go back in time, I''d smash that statue into tiny little pieces before those snakes turned real and bit me.

    At such a critical time, I was poisoned by two stupid snakes who were actually the so-called guardians of the black witches. I wonder how Violet will react to this.

    The hallway was dark and empty, lit only by a few lanterns hung on the walls. The servants and maids were nowhere to be seen, having apparently returned to their respective rooms to end the long day. I, too, was dying to return to my room.

    Was this hall always this long? I remember it being really short while I was taking a walk with Violet, but now I can''t seem to find the end of it. Perhaps I shouldn''t have made this place so enormous. I should have made this manor a little smaller so I wouldn''t be too far away from my mate wherever I go.

    I glanced out of the window, seeing a blizzard happening outside. Bold and strong, the blizzard came with nature''s determination, as if wanting to wipe the whole world white. Even with these werewolf eyes, I couldn''t see anything besides the color white.

    Are there enough logs to keep the room warm? It''s going to be a cold night, and I wouldn''t want to find my mate shivering through the coldˇŞthough, of course, there would be more reason for me to stay as close as possible to her. I wonder if she''s already asleep?

    I hastened my pace, couldn''t wait to see the face of my beautiful mate. There were so many things to talk about, but not one of them was good news. I never wanted her to be involved in these dangerous situations that I was faced with, but before I knew it, she was in deep. I do appreciate her help, but it was just that I didn''t want her to be in dangerˇŞagain.

    She''s already been through a lot, which is why I only want her to experience good things in the future. But the path to a happy future seems to be so far away when the world poses so much danger. Is it even possible for me to create a safe and happy world for her?

    If it''s not, then I''ll have to make it possibleˇŞno matter what.

    Suffering was one of the greatest teachers in life, but what if there was no end to the suffering? Do we still need to embrace it? Am I causing myself another suffering by expecting to live in a world without struggles and difficulties? Perhaps a priest could shed some light on this for me.

    Definitely not the White Church''s priests, though.

    The journey back to my mate soon ended when I met the two-way door to my room, carved with tiny little details that no one cares about. I knocked on the door, being careful not to make too much noise in case the beautiful lady on the other side of the door was asleep.

    Seeing that there was no response, I slowly made my way inside.

    The intoxicating scent from my mateˇŞmixed with the scented candlesˇŞquickly hit my nose, and I suddenly felt compelled to throw out all of those scented candles. Violet''s scent alone was more than enough to make me forget all of the hardships that my nose had to go through today.

    I looked around, wondering where my little rabbit had gone. She was nowhere to be seen, but her scent was too strong for me to believe she wasn''t in the room. Is she not asleep? She''s not in our bedˇŞah, she fell asleep on the couch.

    She was all curled up, as if seeking warmth from the burning fireplace right in front of the couch. But should that be the case, she couldn''t have slept here without a blanket wrapped around her. My exceptional instincts told me that she had dozed off while waiting for me to return.

    That was quite adorableˇŞbut not so much if she caught a cold on this cold night.

    Did I make her wait too long? The conversation with Mr. Wickham and Maggie took a lot longer than I had anticipated it to be. I hope I didn''t make her feel too lonely.

    I carefully took a seat on the remaining space on the couch, smiling as I heard my mate''s soft breathing. Her lips were slightly apart as she breathed in and out, her arms hugging her own body for warmth. Right beside her was a book left open.

    This couldn''t possibly be another book about that crazy love story again, could it? If yes, then perhaps she''s ready for anotherˇŞoh, it''s not. It''s a cookbook.

    I can''t exactly say it''s a shame, can I?

    I gently lifted her small frame, wanting to move her to our bed so that she could sleep much more comfortably. She was as light as a feather, and I wondered if I had fed her too little. She had definitely gained a lot of weight since the first time she came here, but everything that had happened since then had to have taken a toll on her. Her once chubby cheeks had turned a little gaunt.

    I wish she could stay the way she is right now. Calm and peacefulˇŞsafe in my arms. I really don''t understand why so many people were after her. Her father, who treated her like shit, the rogues who tried to use her against me, and now, the Queen of the Black Witches.

    I know that she''s a very lovable person, and not to mention the most beautiful woman in the whole world, but pleaseˇŞfor the love of the Moon GoddessˇŞjust let me be with my mate. I mean, I''ve been looking for her for eight whole years, and now that I''ve finally found her, people are being so gung-ho about trying to snatch her away from me. What did she even do? Breathe?

    I laid her down on the bed slowly, tucking her under the thick duvet. She snuggled deeper, appreciating the warmth provided by the sheets. I took in the scene before me, and I quickly found myself mesmerized by her.

    Her long lashes batted the upper part of her cheeks, and her brown hair sprawled messily across her face. Her small nose was as adorable as ever, and her lipsˇŞoh, how I wish I could meet them again. Morning should come by sooner so that I can quickly use up my wish.

    I decided to leave my mate to sleep while I took my long-needed bath. Despite the fact that there was nothing else I wanted to do but snuggle closer to my mate, I didn''t want to smell like a corpse while doing so.

    But, before leaving, I noticed the frown on Violet''s face. Her brows knitted together, and her fist balled, clutching onto the duvet. It looks like she''s having a nightmare.

    My efforts to chase the nightmare away were deemed useless as I soon heard her groaning, her frown getting deeper. Then there was a mumble, which I recognized as her mumbling my name. I smiled upon hearing her mumbling my name, as it appeared that I was not the only one who was smitten. She even had a dream about me.

    ButˇŞwhat am I doing in a nightmare? A dream where I am in should be the most wonderful dream to have, no? Not everyone has the luxury of having me visit them in their dreams. Well, on second thought, perhaps it was quite alright for me to be in a nightmare. That way, I can at least help make the nightmare a little more bearable. I''d be the best thing there is in the nightmareˇŞso as in reality.

    I continued to pat her head, doing so until the crease on her brows disappeared. I remember how my mother used to sing me a lullaby whenever I had a nightmare, but I''m afraid I''d make her nightmare even worse if I did the same to her. Much to say, I''m not very good at singing.

    One should not excel at everything, right? It will make others fume.

    Seeing how the frown had disappeared, I finally decided to take my leave. The bed immediately rose after I lifted my weight off it, leaving my mate to enjoy the warmth and comfort of the bed all to herself. Not even two steps away from the bed did I hear my name being called by the most enchanting voice in the entire world. This time, it was not a mumble but a much clearer voice.

    "Luke?"

    Ahh, such music to my ears.

 Chapter 127 - Whats on Lukes mind - Part 2

    "Yes, love?" I turned back to her, seeing how her purple eyes were staring directly at me. Despite her struggle to keep her eyes open, she raised her body and sat up. "Did I wake you up?"

    She shook her head weakly and rubbed her eyes, sending me a small smile. "Did you just come back from the office? I didn''t notice you coming in." She then scooted over, patting the space beside her for me to sit.

    I did as told and sat beside her, planting a soft kiss on her forehead upon arriving. A sheen of pink immediately bloomed on her cheeks. "It''s late. You should go back to sleep."

    "What about you?" She turned her gaze at me, a little frown forming on her face. Before receiving my reply, she let out a yawn, her shoulders slouched. Her eyes were heavy with drowsiness, as if the effort to open them had been too much for her at the time. But she kept her eyes on me regardless.

    Was it because she was sleepy? She appeared ten times cuter than usual, and I was having a hard time holding the urge to pinch her cheeks. Not even a pup was as cute as she was.

    "I''m going to shower and eat my dinner before joining you in bed," I said, eventually giving in to the urge to pinch her cheeks. She stared at me, looking as though something was bothering her mind. "What''s wrong?"

    She answered me with her silence before a huff escaped her lips. She thenˇŞvery unusuallyˇŞdrew me into an embrace, leaning her head against my ?h?st. Though a little taken aback by the unusual occurrence, I wrapped her small frame between my arms, warming her with my own body heat.

    "I had a nightmare," her voice came as a soft gush, small but as captivating as ever. When I told her I knew about it, she glanced up while still leaning her head against my ?h?st, asking, "You know?"

    "You had a frown on your face," I hummed, gently ??r?ssing the back of her head. "I couldn''t help but wonder why you were muttering my name while you were having a nightmare. You should''ve called my name with a bright smile, but instead, you called it with a groan."

    "But you were the only good thing in that dream," she defended herself, her body vibrating along with her chuckle.

    "Obviously," I replied, knowing that fact all too well. Her chuckle quickly faded away as the memory of her nightmare rushed in, and I could feel her clutching my shirt. "What is it about? The nightmare."

    "About the black witches," she began. "There were tons of them, and they had this really dark magic around them. It was the darkest color I''d ever seen in my entire life. Darker than the shades of night," she shuddered at the memory of the black witches. "They were standing on top of a heap of dead bodies, and those were the bodies of people dressed in white gowns."

    Even without her telling me, it was obvious that those people were white witches. She must have had a dream about the mural we found back in the church.

    "And among them, I found you." She held me closer, as though she was afraid of me letting her go. I stayed quiet, allowing her to continue her story. "You were... bloodied, wounded. The shine in your eyes was no more. You were controlledˇŞand they were trying to put an end to you."

    Put an end to me, huh? Of course, no matter how hard I tried to laugh such things off, death was inevitable for most of us. Even now, I am at risk of dying if I didn''t find the antidote to my poison. Well, to tell the truth, I don''t fear death. But I''m afraid of what will happen to VioletˇŞto the people I will leave behind when I die.

    What will those people think and feel when they look at my grave? Will they suffer because of my passing? Though the sorrow of death was proof of love and the bonds that existed between us, I''d rather not have them suffer because of my death. And, I will not die before I can ensure the safety of my people. I''d only leave when the world is safe and peacefulˇŞwhen there is no longer any danger or suffering.

    I wanted to be remembered as someone who brought peace to the worldˇŞif that was not too much to ask.

    "I don''t want that to happen," she added, her voice small, almost a whisper.

    "Of course, that won''t happen," I chuckled. "Who do you think IˇŞ"

    "The strongest Alpha wolf," she cut me off, as if she''d heard me say it too often. I could almost guess that she was rolling her eyes right now. "But even the strongest of men will be able to get hurt. You''re always going around protecting peopleˇŞprotecting me, but who''s there to protect you?"

    "I don''t need anyone else''s protection," I said, sounding a little too smug even though I didn''t mean to. She glanced up at me, a pout on her lips. She then poked my cheeks.

    "Even you, the strongest man in the entire world, will find it difficult to protect both others and yourself at the same time. We feel pain all the same, so why can''t someone protect you as well?" She pulled away, but her gaze remained fixed on me. "Which is why, I decided to learn how to fight more diligently and learn how to use my magic correctly. I''ll be the one to protect you while you protect others."

    "That''s... really nice to hear," I laughed, couldn''t contain the amount of joy I felt upon hearing it. "Are you confessing your love to me right now?"

    Her eyes went wide, not even realizing that her words sounded a lot like a love confession. Though she''d never explicitly stated her feelings for me, I could tell that I held a special place in her heart. I was no longer the man she''d accidentally stumbled into while fleeing her houseˇŞbut I was the man she''d looked for every now and then throughout her day. And that was enough for me.

    "I... that''s just how I truly feel," she lowered her gaze, faltering. "You''re not the only one who doesn''t want their mate to get hurt. After all, you''reˇŞyou''re my whole world," she said, blushing. "The moment you saved me that night, you became my everything. You showed me a lot of things I''d never seen before, took me to beautiful places, and taught me things I didn''t know even existed. Every new experience I''ve had in my life has been with you, and now I can''t even imagine what my life would be like without you. That''s why... I want to protect you."

    "Is that... really how you feel about me?" I went into a trance, unsure of how to express how I''m feeling right now. To think that I thought I was fine with her not telling me how she truly felt about me. To think that I thought everything I received from her was more than enough.

    I didn''t know words could make me feel this happyˇŞthis delightful. It felt like I was the happiest man on earth, and there would be no one in this entire world who could be happier than I am now. She nodded shyly, and I quickly pulled her back into my embrace.

    Was this why the Moon Goddess bestowed upon us a mate? I thought the day I met her was the happiest day of my life, but now I knew there was more to come that would make me feel like I could fly. She told me that I was her entire world, but to me, she was my whole universeˇŞmy entire being.

    "You should do this more often, rabbit," I said, feeling her hugging me back. "You have no idea how happy I am to hear that. From now on, you don''t need to be shy and just tell me everything about you. I feel like I''m the happiest when you''re being honest with your feelings."

    "Can I really tell you everything?"

    "Why can''t you?" I chuckled.

    "Well, I haven''t told you this, but people back in the days used to tell me that I shouldn''t let them know what I was feeling," she mumbled her words, and I immediately knew who those people were. "When I told them that I was in pain, they''d tell me that I was weak. When I told them I was sad, they''d tell me that I was ungrateful. I thought what I''m feeling was not important, so I tend to keep them to myself. Not every time, but, well, a lot of times."

    It was my first time hearing about this. I thought she was only being shy about her feelings, but to think that there was something like this too in her head.

    "Violet, listen to me," I pulled away, holding her shoulders. "Those are the words of foolish people. Don''t listen to them, but listen to your heartˇŞto what you truly wish for. Don''t let others define who you are, because only you can define yourself.. Remember, you''re the owner of your own life."

 Chapter 128 - Whats on Lukes mind - Part 3

    She lowered her gaze, the melancholy palpable. Silence followed both of us as she reminisced about the memories of her past, though they were not entirely worth remembering. I could feel my blood boil every time she told me about the horrible things she had to go through in that house.

    If the devil were a person, her father would be oneˇŞso as her stepmother. Hell would be a far more fitting place for them to live in than that manor of theirs.

    I''d offered to teach them a lesson for hurting her, but she rejected the offer saying that she''d rather stay as far away as possible from them. She didn''t want to meet them, nor did she want them to know about her whereabouts. She said it''d be better if they thought of her as dead.

    "It wasn''t the case back then," she forced a smile, and I resented the fact that she had to do that for me. "I didn''t own my life. My life was nothing more than a toy for them to play with, and I had to suffer each day only to suffer again the next."

    I hid my curled fist behind her back, enraged by what she had to go through. If only I''d met her sooner, she wouldn''t have had to go through so much pain. I knew there was nothing that I could do to help her forget the pain she''d endured her entire life, but I couldn''t stop wishing as such.

    I wished I could take all of her pain and make it mine, just so that she wouldn''t have to carry it with her for the rest of her life. She deserved so much better.

    The day I met her surely was the best day of my life, but when I looked back at that dayˇŞat the state she was inˇŞmy heart ached. The ragged and bloody dress, the wounds, the scars, the b?r? feet, the tear-stained cheeks, the fear. It was something I hoped I wouldn''t have to see again in her for the rest of her life.

    If I could have two wishes granted, the first would be for me to turn back time. I''d turn back the time just so that I could get her out of that house as soon as possible or save her mother from being killed by those rogues, should that be the major turning point in her life. Perhaps that way, her father wouldn''t go berserk, and they would live as a normal, happy family.

    And then, my second wish would be for her to be happy for the rest of her life. There was nothing else that I could ever wish for if not for her happiness. No matter where she is, I''ll always, forever, wish for her happiness. That''s for sure.

    "But that''s all in the past," I said, cupping her cheeks and meeting her eyes, "I know I can''t do anything to change your past, but I can surely do everything in my power to make your future much, much better than your past."

    Her tears welled up in her purple eyes, but she refused to let them fall. Her tears were far too precious to be wasted on those people. The only tears that should fall from her eyes were tears of joy, not sadness.

    "That''s why, Violet," I leaned my forehead against hers, smiling as I said, "You can do whatever you want and say whatever you want to say because now, your life is yours. You can leave all of your burdens with me and live your life the way you see fit. Live your life so when you reach the end of your time, you can look back on it with a smile on your face and say, ''That was a good life.'' I want you to do that, not for meˇŞbut for yourself."

    A chuckle soon came from her, and the sound of it instantly relieved the pain in my heart after seeing the sadness in her eyes a moment ago.

    "I''ll do that," she said softly, her voice no longer tinged with melancholy. "I''ll certainly do that by the end of my life that I''ll spend with you. So Luke, can you please promise me one thing?"

    "And what could that be?"

    "Promise me that you''ll stay with me until the end of my time."

    I opened my eyes, immediately meeting her purple eyes that were staring at me. People say that the eyes are the windows to the soul, and they are right. In those eyes, I saw so many emotions, one of which was love. I could see her affection for me, her trust in me, her hope for me. I could see them so clearly and deeply, as if her eyes could speak more truth than her mouth could ever do.

    In those eyes, I found my forever home.

    When I said that her eyes were beautiful, they were never a lie. For it was never about the color but more about the emotions, the gentleness, and the loveliness that are so clearly there. I could drown in those eyes and not even complain. My wolf can''t swim, but I sure can.

    "Isn''t that a given?" I chuckled, then nodded my head. "I promise to stay with you until the end of your time. I promise you a hundredˇŞno, a thousand times."

    The smile on our faces complemented each other''s, our feelings and hearts in sync. I took her hand in mine, kissing the back of her hand with my lips. "Promise sealed."

    ...

    "So... is there anything that you want to say to me?" I asked, smiling as I tilted my head. "Something that you''ve kept in your heart and didn''t have the courage to say it until now?"

    She narrowed her eyes, crossing her arms over her ?h?st as she ponders my question. Her mouth pursed, her finger tapping rhythmically on her hand.

    "I can really tell you anything?" She frowned, seemingly to be unsure about what she had in mind. "Anything?" She confirmed once more.

    "Anything," I nodded. "I can take anything that you want to say to me."

    She fiddled with her fingers, still unsure despite my ?ssurance that I could take anything she had to say to me. She hesitated for a few good minutes, then looked up at me, her eyes going back and forth between me and her fingers.

    "Well, it''s not something that I''ve kept in my heart for a long time, but it''s something that I''ve kept since before," she bit her lower lip, lowering her gaze. She opened her mouth a few times, still hesitating before telling me what was bothering her.

    "It''s fine. Tell me what''s bothering you," I patted her shoulders, nodding and smiling at her.

    After my continuous ?ssurance, she set her heart and decided to tell me what she had in mind. Needless to say, I didn''t expect her to say something like this.

    "You smell awful," she admitted. "I''ve been meaning to tell you this since you keep on hugging me, but the timing doesn''t seem to be right. I can''t even push you away in case you think I''m avoiding your hugs, but it''s getting increasingly difficult for me to keep a straight face when you smell like... like this."

    Immediately after saying it, she pinched her nose, waving the air in front of her. The smile on her face had vanished into a grimace, and I must say that she looked utterly disgusted. I never expected to receive such a disgusted look from someone else, much more my mate.

    "I... I see," I got off the bed, walking a few steps away from her. I was aware of my smell, but I must have forgotten about it while talking with her earlier. I expected her to confess her hidden feelings for meˇŞwhich was why I encouraged her to say anything on her mindˇŞbut to think that I''d receive such an attack instead... "I suppose my bath is long overdue. I''m sorry for being so close to you while I smell this terrible. You must have had a hard time."

    She smiled wryly, as if she felt a little guilty for attacking me like that, but at the same time, very relieved. She didn''t even try to hide her relief when I stepped away from her.

    "Well then, your smelly mate will go ahead and take his bath now," I bid my farewell but decided to tease her again by going back to her. She backed away as soon as she noticed me stepping closer, but unfortunately for her, she was a step too slow as I''d first caught her back and planted a little kiss on her forehead. "Good night, my little rabbit."

    She faked a gag and shooed me away, not wanting her to reek as well. In this case, however, another bath would be inevitable for her after the amount of time I spent hugging her. I must say that she did quite a great job taking in the smell.

    I turned around, laughing, but not after three steps away did she stopped me by pulling my hand, jerking me down towards herˇŞtowards her lips, which then landed on my cheek.

    "Good night, my wolf."

 Chapter 129 - Whats on Lukes mind - Part 4

    Am I dreaming?

    I''ve been sitting on the bathroom floor for the past ten minutes, with my hand on my cheek where her lips had landed. I was in a daze, and my mind was filled with the memory of her voice. My wolf, she said.

    I raked my fingers through my hair, smiling ear to ear as I recalled the way she called me before. Strangely, I really hated it when Maggie called me ''wolf.'' But hearing Violet call me as such made me feel happyˇŞgiddy, even. I suppose it was because she didn''t only call me wolf, but MY wolf.

    I stood up, walking to see my reflection in the mirror. So this was the kind of expression I had right now. The man there was still as handsome as ever, but the smile made him look a bit like a fool. His cheeks were unusually flushed, and the corner of his lips couldn''t seem to go down. Andrew would have a year''s worth of teasing if he saw my expression right now.

    It was very rare for my cheeks to flush, but maybe it''s becoming more common as Violet began to open up to me more frequently. To think that she could make me have such an expression with only two words from her.

    "My wolf," I repeated, hand clutching my ?h?st. Is this what it was like to have a pet name?

    Back when I hadn''t met her, I used to hear about people bragging about the little things they did with their mates. They went on and on about how wonderful it was to have met their mate, almost as if they wanted me to be envious of them. But now I know that that wasn''t the case at all. Because even the smallest thing we do with our mate could bring us the greatest joyˇŞand Violet has proven it true.

    Wolfie has been urging me to let him take control since before, but God knows what will happen should I allow him to be out on the surface. I''m sure he would be all over Violet.

    [Mark her! Mark her!]

    Wolfie paced around, his tail wagging excitedly with the same smile sprawled across his face. Obviously, we were both very smitten with our mate.

    [Not now] I replied. If I mark her now, everything I''m feeling will be doubled, and I''m not sure if I''ll be able to hold myself together. I didn''t want to mark her until she was completely comfortable with my touch. I didn''t want to force my feelings on her when she was not ready for it.

    Truthfully, I have waited a very long time. Other werewolves usually mark their mates the moment they find each other, and then they''ll complete the bond when they feel ready. It has been months since we first met and yet, I still haven''t marked her. It was fortunate that no other werewolves, mostly the elderlyˇŞor should I say, Emma, asked about this matter.

    Emma was my mother''s friend, and she had been filling in for her since my mother''s passing. I was grateful to her, but she could be a little too curious at times. I couldn''t even count the number of times she asked me about finding my mate before I found Violet.

    Every time a pack found their new Luna, a Luna ceremony would be held to commemorate her ascension. It was a ceremony in which the Luna would receive the people''s blessing, indicating their willingness to be led by the new Luna. It was also a ceremony to mark the beginning of Luna''s reign alongside the Alpha of the pack.

    [But it''s mating season soon] Wolfie wh?n?d, clearly unhappy with my answer.

    Right, mating seasonˇŞthe worst season to ever happen to werewolves who haven''t met their mates. Mated werewolves will become overly chummy with each other, displaying their affection for each other in almost every place possible. Females go into heat, and males become even more protective of their mates. While unmated ones... they go crazy.

    Much to say, a lot of unintentional accidents happen around this time. That''s why it was safer for unmated males and females not to meet each other during this periodˇŞshould they wish to keep their chastity for their mates.

    Will I be able to make it through the mating season? I had no problems during the previous mating seasons because I always kept myself busy with work, but now that I''ve met my mate, I''m not so sure. If I didn''t mark her, other males might want to try their luck with herˇŞjust to satisfy their d?s?r?sˇŞbut if I mark her, I''m not sure I''ll be able to keep myself at bay. Both options were equally dangerous for her, but the latter was clearly the better option.

    If she bears the mark of the Alpha, no one will dare to try to do anything to her. The scent that came from the mark will be enough to drive other males away, keeping her safe from other werewolves. Should the danger come from a human male, perhaps a beating would be appropriate to keep them away. I''m not letting anyone near my mate.

    [We should mark her before then, right?]

    Wolfie nodded, jumping around and wagging his tail excitedly. The idea of finally marking her as mine seemed so perfect, knowing that she was completely mine and only mine. I belonged to her, and she belonged to me.

    [And then we should make pups!!] He exclaimed, and I choked.

    [I-isn''t it a little too early for that?]

    I was only thinking about forming the bond during the mating season, not about completing the bond. I''m not sure if we''re ready for that. While I do act quite boldly with Violet, this was also my first experience with this type of relationship. I... I needed some time to better prepare and educate myself. I''d want to touch her, but that''s all there is to it.

    Besides, I don''t think Violet is any more prepared than I am. We were still in the process of getting to know each other and becoming more comfortable in each other''s company, so I don''t think we should rush things. After all, we have all the time in the world to be with each otherˇŞshould I survive this poison inside me.

    Didn''t I just promise to be by her side until the end of her time? How am I supposed to tell her that I''ve been poisoned and that if we don''t find an antidote, I''ll die in a week? I have no plans to leave anytime soon, but no one knows what the future holds. All we could do was hope that things would turn out for the better.

    I took off my clothes and prepared for my long overdue bath, finally getting my mind off Violet. My thoughts had always been so preoccupied with her that she had almost become a part of them. This made me wonder how hard and how deeply I had fallen for her.

    I was born to love her, or rather, the mate bond made me love her. It was not my choice to fall in love with her, it was my destiny. Though my feelings for her blossomed initially as a result of the mate bond, my feelings for her grew stronger as I spent more time with her. It was hard not to love someone as lovely as her.

    Sometimes during the day, a question would occasionally pop into my head. If I was human, would I still love her the way I do now? I would die for her, do anything for her just to make her happy. But will I feel the same without the mate bond? I didn''t know the answer.

    Obviously, I''d say that I''d love her the same. But how am I to prove it? The mate bond made me feel attracted to her, made me develop certain feelings and connections to her that I certainly don''t have for any other woman. But here''s what''s certain.

    I won''t be able to live without her.

    She''d become such a big part of my life that the void she''d left behind would be impossible to fill. My eyes would look for her the moment she was out of sight, my mind would run to her at every given opportunity, and my heart would yearn for her with each passing day. It was simply impossible for me to live a life without her.

    It felt good to know that she couldn''t imagine her life without me because that''s exactly how I feel about her.

    [That''s why you should hurry and mark her!!] Someone must be growing impatient.

 Chapter 130 - One day before the ritual - Part 1

    The singing of the birds woke me up from my slumber, slowly and softly pulling me away from the world of my dreams. Their songs were rhythmic and cheerful, a soothing melody to my ears. They were ready to meet the day, so very in love and mesmerized by the sun glistening in the sky while I was still struggling to open my eyes.

    The day started warm, in contrast to the cold I had slept through the night before. Every morning when I woke up, I couldn''t help but realize how lucky I was to be able to feel the comfort and warmth of my bed. It was something I used to long for, something that was too luxurious and grand for me to have.

    Sleep used to be the only thing I could look forward to throughout the day, as I wouldn''t have to deal with the humiliation and mockery that people used to heap on me while I was sleeping. I''d just let my consciousness drift away and wished that I could sleep longerˇŞlonger than anyone could have ever imagined.

    Even so, nightmares would occasionally come to my sleep, waking me up from one nightmare to another nightmare called reality. I was treated no less than an animal, but there was nothing I could ever do about it. All that I could do was hold outˇŞfor reasons I didn''t even realize I had.

    My life was a living hell, a life in which I''d either be beaten in the underground room or locked in the attic. But now, when I look back, all of those things seem so far away. The life I''m living right now feels so much like a dream that I''m afraid I''ll eventually wake up from itˇŞbut Luke always reminded me that it was not a dream.

    His soft and tender voice, his gentle and teasing touches, his warm and loving gaze. Though all of those felt very surreal, they were, in fact, real. The uncontrollable heart and bu??erflies in my stomach told me so, and I was more than glad to have them as proof of the realness of the situation.

    Though I desperately want to sleep for a few more minutes, I''m already too far away from my dreams to do as such. It was time to greet the day, to confront whatever misfortune lay ahead.

    Successfully regaining my consciousness, I fluttered my eyes open, seeing how the room was dimly lit by the sunlight that seeped through the window blind. I could feel something heavy holding me down from the moment I woke up, and now I finally know what was wrong that made me unable to move even an inch away. It was Luke.

    The man had wrapped me around his arms, and then wrapped us both together under the thick duvet. I was sandwiched between him and the duvet, hence why I couldn''t move. While there was nothing wrong with him hugging me, there was one thing that was very wrong. He was shirtless, and there was nothing I could do to get away from his b?r? ?h?st.

    Why was he shirtless in the middle of winter?!

    The room was warm but not warm enough for people to go around shirtlessˇŞI mean, most human. I''ve always known that he was ripped, but that fact was made even clearer by the proximity I had to his holy muscles. Rather than his two eyes, I was met with his two protruding ?h?st muscles.

    I never expected to see his two small mountains the first thing in the morning.

    I tried to break free from his embrace, but he''d wrapped his arms so tightly around me that I couldn''t possibly move without waking him up. Why is he so strong even when asleep? I moved my eyes away from his ?h?st to his eyes, noticing that they were still closed.

    Should I wake him up? But it wasn''t even late in the morning, and I wanted him to sleep a little longer. He''d been working way too hard right after we got home, and I was worried he''d be too exhausted. He wasn''t the type to open up about his problems and flaws. Maybe it was because he was an Alpha and didn''t want to appear weakˇŞor perhaps because he didn''t want me to be worried about him.

    But, just as he wanted me to tell him more about my feelings, I wanted him to do the same. Not only when he was feeling happy or good, but also when he was sad or troubled. Isn''t that why people choose to stay with someone else? To rely on each other. We''d have someone to celebrate with when something good happens, and we''d have someone who''d console us when something bad happens.

    At least, that was what I got after reading some books.

    There were quite a few books in which they talked elaborately about love, and I might have gotten one thing or two from them. Love, as they say, is the most wonderful feeling one could ever feel in their life. They said love was like the feeling of coming home after a long day, the comforting and warm sensation you get after a good, delicious meal.

    They said being in love was when someone began to take up space in your mind, and when someone became the first thing you thought about when you woke up and the last thing you thought about before going to bed.

    Love is the trust you put in someone, despite living in a cold and harsh world. It was a place of refuge, a place for you to heal from your pain, and a place for you to grow. It was a feeling like no other, and it was always more about the other person than yourself. Love is being selfless, being comfortable, and being true to yourself and the other person.

    If all of that was love, then... I might be in love. I''m in love with this man, whose ?h?st is very much b?r? in front of my eyesˇŞand is shamelessly pretending to be asleep.

    "I know you''re awake."

    A chuckle quickly came from him, his voice deeper than usual. His pearly teeth showed up, but he kept his red eyes closed. "How did you know?"

    "I can see your eyes moving under your eyelids," I tried to move my hand but forgot that I couldn''t move. "Can you let go of me now?"

    "Why? Are you not enjoying the sight you''re having right now?" he asked, and I couldn''t think of anything to say in response to his shameless question. "That''s strange. I''m sure most women, not to mention men, would die to be in your place right now."

    I found it rather irritating that he was aware that he was attractive, and it was like nothing could save anyone from this man''s shamelessness and cheekiness. Not even himself.

    "Don''t worry, though," he added, his grin only becoming wider. At least he was starting the day with a smile. "The seat is exclusively reserved for you, my one and only mate."

    "I''m not worried," I said, rolling my eyes. And it was the truth. I''m not worried that he''ll later find another woman because that would almost certainly be impossible. Well, based on everything he''s done for me, I know he genuinely loves me and will only look at me.

    "I''m just worried that you''ll catch a cold in this weather," this time, a lie. I knew for a fact that it was almost impossible for him to catch a cold with his werewolf body. "You should wear your shirt. It''s... distracting me." I mean, his muscles.

    Can I really be honest about this too?

    "Why, isn''t that wonderful?" Instead of letting me go, he held me tighter. His musky scent came crashing into my nose, and I soon found myself getting dizzy from it. "I don''t mind you getting distracted by my muscles. They''re here for a reason, aren''t they?"

    "IˇŞI mind!" I struggled in his arms, but he only laughed at my struggles. "It''s not appropriate for a lady to... to be distracted by your muscles. I-I mean, they''re nice, but, " I stammered, not even knowing what I was trying to say right now, "J-just get your muscles away from me!!"

    "But I''m feeling rather lazy to move," He snuggled closer, breathing in my scent. I could feel my cheeks getting warmer by the second, my eyes looking anywhere but at the muscles that were so very clearly displayed in front of me. Should I relax my neck, I''d be leaning against his b?r? ?h?st again. "I think I''m going to go back to sleep."

    "You can''t!!" I desperately wriggled around, disturbing him from going back to sleep. "At least let me go first before you go back to sleep!!"

    Without even opening his eyes, that same smug smirk that I''ve seen so many times came back upon his annoyingly handsome face, irritating me even more.

    "Kiss me, and I''ll wake up."

 Chapter 131 - One day before the ritual - Part 2

    "Kiss me, and I''ll wake up."

    Really? That''s what he was thinking first thing in the morning? So this was the reason why he didn''t bother opening his eyes despite waking up moments ago. The man was quick to use his wish card.

    "You''ve been plotting this since you woke up, haven''t you?" I narrowed my eyes at him, ignoring the fact that he couldn''t even see the face I was making right now. He seemed to enjoy kisses, judging by how frequently he asked for them.

    Is physical touch that important in a romantic relationship? I still can''t really fathom that. Perhaps it was because I was so used to being in my own personal space that I couldn''t help but feel uncomfortable when it was invaded. I''d never been so close and intimate with anyone else until I met Luke. Hell, I''ve never even thought about spending my life with someone else. The most that I could ever afford to think about was whether or not I would survive the next day.

    Thinking back to the conversation we had last night, I realized that I was still too caught up in my past. I was still stuck with the perspective I used to have when I was locked in that house. I knew I was living a very different life nowˇŞI mean, I''m a completely different creature nowˇŞbut it wasn''t easy to forget everything I''d been through for years.

    I needed some time to break through my shell, to tear down the walls I''d built around me to protect myself from other people. It was mostly because most of the people I knew back then were just so horrible that it was difficult for me to believe that not everyone was as bad. I used to think that people like Anna were rare, while people like my father and Fiona were common.

    They led me to believe that the world was full of evil, that there were no angels like the ones in the storybook I read. They made me lose hope, made me surrender to my fate. I wouldn''t have lived to see the kindness the world offered if it hadn''t been for AnnaˇŞif it hadn''t been for Luke.

    I still remember how skeptical I was of Luke''s kindnessˇŞof his gentleness. It was as if I had hopped into a completely different world from where I was before, and everything there was just so strange for me to behold. The kind and welcoming smiles people gave me, the delicious warm meals, the soft and comfortable bed, the friendly tone in people''s voices. It was almost as if I was witnessing something otherworldly or something that would only happen once every three centuries. To say that it was crazy would be an understatement.

    It didn''t take long for me to realize that the world could be hopeful again, and that it was okay for me to put my trust in other people. And yesterday, I learned that my feelings were just as important as those of others.

    "Wrong," he corrected, "Since before I fell asleep."

    "We can stay like this all day if you want," he said, snuggling closer. It was as if he was purposely shoving me against his ?h?st, making me feel how toned and hard his muscles were once more. I could even hear his steady heartbeat, which contrasted sharply with my uncontrollable one.

    I needed to get away from him, kiss or no kiss. It was getting a little too hot for me to stay in this position, and the heat from his body didn''t help one bit.

    "C-can you at least let me drink some water?" I asked, and he was quick to refuse. He pursed his lips, waiting for me to come and meet them. Fine. It''s just a kiss. We''d already kissed a few times, so one more wouldn''t hurt.

    I looked up to see him with his eyes still closed and his lips pursed. I bit my lip out of hesitation, then leaned forward to give him the kiss he wanted. But much to my surprise, he shook his head, saying that it was not enough of a kiss.

    He kept his eyes closed and his arms tight around me, demanding more kisses. I should''ve known he''d do this, given his history of turning situations to his advantage. Despite the fact that his demands exceeded the promised wish, I decided to comply with his request for the sake of convenience. I gave him a second kiss, but again, the man was not satisfied. Just how many more kisses does he want?

    Getting irked, I gave him a third kiss, but this time, followed by a bite.

    "Ow!" He cried, finally opening those red eyes of his. He looked at me, bewildered that the soft kisses had turned into a full-on bite. A smirk slowly formed on his lips, asking a question that left me dumbfounded more than anything else. "How did you know I like it rough?"

    I thought he would let me go, but I never thought that he would take that bite for something else! "WhatˇŞ"

    Luke threw himself on top of me, pinning both of my arms against the bed. With his hands supporting his body, he leaned in closer, careful not to crush me beneath him. My heart went erratic, and my mind turned into a horrible mess seeing him getting closer and closer to me. I could see in his eyes that he was hungryˇŞhungry for me.

    "W-w-what are you doing?" I turned my face away, not having enough courage to look him straight in the eyes. I didn''t hear his response, but I felt his lips on my neck. The sensation of his lips on my neck sent bu??erflies to my stomach, and I didn''t even realize I was holding my breath.

    "Do you know how hard it is for me not to mark you right now?" He asked, this time, moving to my collarbones. His kisses were soft and gentle, but the impact they had on me was explosive. I clenched my fists and gulped, feeling my entire body burning. I felt feverish. "Look at me."

    Touching my chin with his fingers, he turned me towards him. I immediately noticed those red eyes that were staring straight at me, as well as those distracting muscles. My breath hitched, almost as if I''d forgotten how to breathe.

    "Are you ready for me, Violet?"

    "W-what do you mean ready for you?" I asked. My voice sounded a little shaky. This tension between us is driving me insane.

    "Ready for my everything," his eyes not moving an inch away from mine, staring so intently that it appeared he could see right through me. "For my touches, my kisses, my body, my love."

    The rest of the world seemed to fade away, leaving only us alone. I could clearly hear every breath he took, his heartbeatˇŞwhich was gradually becoming fasterˇŞand his voice, which seemed to melt in my ears. I could feel the heat radiating from his body every time our skins brushed against each other and how strong his hands were on my wrists.

    I couldn''t seem to get any words out of my mouth, as if I''d suddenly lost my ability to speak. My brain was so preoccupied with processing what was going on that it forgot about its other functions.

    "Tell me, do you want me to mark you?" He asked, and his grip tightened along with the question. I could see how he gulped down as he waited for my reply, showing his high expectation of my answer.

    Do I want to be marked? A mark from LukeˇŞit would mean that I belonged to him, as he was to me. We''d form a bond that would bind us together for as long as we shared the same love, the same affection for one another. I''d be able to feel his emotions, hear his thoughts, everything so very deeply. And in return, he would feel mine.

    I knew I''d be nothing without him, and I knew that I wanted to be with him. I knew that he''d become such an important part of my life that I couldn''t live without. And I knew he felt the same.

    He was amongst the few people who showed kindness in my miserable life, showed me warmth, and showed me what love was. He painted my life and turned it into a life full of color. He showed me the light in my darkest time, pulled me to see the other side of the world that I''d never seen before. Everything was at ease when I was with him. He was my hopeˇŞwhether in the past, present, or future.

    He was my forever.

    "IˇŞI do," I replied. Truthfully, it didn''t matter whether or not I bore his markˇŞfor I was already his the moment I searched for him during the course of my day and the moment he started to cloud my mind. Even unknowingly.

    His eyes immediately lit up upon hearing it, and a smile so wide and so bright sprawled across his face, dashing like the morning sun. He''d been waiting for this for a long time, and it showed. He opened his mouth to say something but quickly closed it again, as he couldn''t keep himself from smiling. After a few moments of him smiling at me, the words he''d been holding back finally came out.

    "Say no more."

 Chapter 132 - One day before the ritual - Part 3

    Luke sat me up, finally letting go of my hand. He then locked his gaze on me, as if he wanted to ensure that I wouldn''t backtrack on my words. We exchanged minutes of staring at each other, which ended when I gave him a sheepish smile.

    "Are you sure you really want me to mark you?" He asked, holding me by my shoulders. I''ve always found myself drawn to those red eyes, more than anything else. It felt like I could get lost in those eyes, and it wouldn''t even matter if I couldn''t find my way back. They were like the jewels I found in my father''s vaultˇŞwhich often fell victim to the servants'' greed. "There''s no going back once I marked you."

    "What about you?" I asked, "Do I have to bite you too?"

    He froze, as though he was thinking about how to respond to my question. I''m pretty sure we were the first witch and werewolf mates in the whole history of werewolves, and even he wasn''t entirely clear on the subject.

    Though the pack knew I was human and accepted me for it, will they still accept me if they find out I''m a witch? From what I''ve seen, werewolves don''t think of witches that wellˇŞany witches.. Has word spread that Luke has found his mate to all the werewolves in the other packs? I wonder what they think of meˇŞa humanˇŞbeing their new Luna.

    Up until now, I wasn''t officially the Luna. But, if we go ahead with the markings now, doesn''t that mean it''ll be official? I knew that I wanted to be with him, but I was not sure if I wanted the title, because I knew the title Luna was not to be taken lightlyˇŞfor a Luna was more than just the Alpha''s mate. A Luna will hold as much authority as the Alpha but also hold as much weight to carry. She''ll need to lead the pack, look after the people, and be someone they can look up to.

    Am I fit to be such a person?

    But... if I''m not, I can always change. I may not have the requirements to be the perfect Luna, but I do have the ability to change. I knew for a fact that the current me wouldn''t last a day out there without Luke''s help, or anyone else''s for that matter. I knew I was weak, and I knew I didn''t know much about the world. But again, I knew I could grow.

    If I''m going to stick by his side, I have to be someone who can help him rather than just a dead weight. I have such an amazing person by my side, so I have to be just as amazing. I can''t keep being the way I am nowˇŞI can''t be weak.

    "Well, other werewolves usually leave a mark on each other, but in our case, I suppose I''m the only one who could leave a mark on you," he replied, seemingly only realizing it now. "But if you insist, thenˇŞ"

    "I''m just asking. I''m not insisting on anything," I quickly interjected, not wanting him to get any funny ideas. The purpose of marking was to let others know that the person was no longer available, that they were now off-limits. But, if I''m the only one with the mark, how will others know that Luke is no longer available? I''m sure there are a lot of women out there who have kept their eyes on him. "Then how will others know that you''ve found your mate if you don''t bear my mark?"

    "Won''t it be too obvious?" He shrugged. "Because you''re the only woman I''ve ever laid my eyes on. People were all aware that I would never accept anyone who was not my mateˇŞthough it didn''t stop them from falling in love with me. It''s quite a hassle, really. I wish I wasn''t born this perfect."

    There he goes again.

    "Can werewolves fall in love with someone who is not their mate?"

    "We certainly can, but it''s probably only before we meet our mate. And it''s almost certain that those loves will not meet a good end. It''s deemed to fail."

    "Because they''re not the ones destined by the Moon Goddess?"

    "Yes," he nodded. "But don''t worry, it certainly won''t happen to us because we''re destined to be together by the Moon Goddess. Fate brought us together, and our love will keep us forever."

    Upon saying this, his smile grew into that of a dashing one, extending from his lips to his eyes and deep into his soul. It was a smile that silenced the birds outside, as even they were mesmerized by it while they were stealing glances from out the window.

    Though he wasn''t so modest about his handsome looks, it was undeniable that he had a face that would make you stop in your tracks. Even now, when I wasn''t supposed to be mesmerized by his good looks, I was. Even more so after the sweet words he''d just spouted.

    I couldn''t even blame those ladies for falling for him. The man had a way with words that were even more lethal when combined with his good looks. He knew how to make the most of his advantages.

    "Don''t... smile at me like that," I said, and he raised his brows, intrigued. I knew for a fact that he was getting ready to tease me. I turned away.

    "Why?" He asked, following my face to see the blush growing on my cheeks. "Did I make your heart flutter?"

    I avoided his gaze, looking anywhere but him. Annoying as he was, he kept on following my gaze wherever I looked, not letting me take my eyes off him even for a second. His grin widened as he continued to tease me, claiming that I couldn''t help but fall for him. He said no one could ever resist his charms.

    "Y-you did, okay?!" I said as I caught his face, forcing him to turn his face away from me. "You made my heart flutter, so get your face away from me," I looked down, feeling my cheeks getting warmer. "Why do you have to be this handsome? It''s... annoying," though it was a small whisper, he heard it all too clearly.

    He let out a hearty laugh, pleased with my honesty. It was my first time admitting his good looks, and he was beyond satisfied. He looked like he could fly with that pride of his.

    "I''d gotten so used to people complimenting my looks that those compliments seemed insignificant to me, but it turns out I''d been hearing it from the wrong person all along," he continued to laugh, taking my hands off his face and turning to face me, "It feels different to hear it from you."

    "IˇŞI told you to get your face away from me, didn''t I?" What was wrong with my heart? It was like it couldn''t function properly whenever he was looking at me with those eyesˇŞwith that smile. Is it because I''m nervous because he''ll mark me? Or is it because he''d bewitched me?

    "But we still have some things to do, don''t we?" He tapped between his neck and collarbones, then showed me his teeth, which had transformed into canines in a matter of seconds. He scooted closer, and I unknowingly scooted away.

    "W-wait! Will it hurt?"

    "It will sting, but I promise to be as gentle as possible," he replied, giving me a reassuring squeeze on my shoulders. "It will be over before you know it."

    I gulped, seeing how sharp his canines were. It looked like it could tear my skin apart with only a small nibble. A small bite can''t possibly hurt that much, can it? I have a fairly high pain tolerance, so I''m sure I''ll be fineˇŞhopefully.

    I pulled my dress a little, allowing him better access to my skin. I took a deep breath and scooted over, closing the gap between us. He stared at my skin for a few moments, then took a deep breath before leaning closer to my neck. I held onto his still b?r? shoulders, feeling how tense they were.

    "Ready?"

    "Ready," I nodded, gulping once more.

    I closed my eyes and held my breath, feeling his warmth wash over me once more as the distance between us shrank. He gently soothed the part he was about to bite, making me flinch at the touch and my whole body tense.

    Would it be better if he didn''t tell me when he was going to bite me? I feel like it''s even more nerve-racking when you''re anticipating something that you know is going to happen. Those few seconds of anticipation felt like an eternity.

    After a few long seconds of waiting, I finally felt the sharpness of his canines, the tip grazing my skin. I could feel my blood flowing out of my skin only after a little contact, stinging like I''d accidentally stabbed myself with a needleˇŞa lot of them.

    I tightened my grip on his shoulders, unknowingly digging my nails into his skin as the stinging pain intensified. I braced myself for the moment he bit even deeper, deeper into my flesh. Luke, too, tightened his grip on my shoulders, ?ssuring me that it would soon be over.

    But, all of a sudden, a loud knock came from the door, interrupting us. The knock was so loud that I opened my eyes out of surprise, and Luke immediately stopped what he was doing.

    "Alpha! Alpha!" Screamed a man behind the door, his voice desperate and urgent as he knocked vigorously. "The ritualˇŞit''s starting!!"

 Chapter 133 - Ritual - Part 1

    Ritual? What ritual?

    Luke came to a halt when he heard the man, cursing as he slowly pulled his canines out of my flesh. He carefully licked the wounded part, easing and healing the pain he caused. He got off the bed and ran off to get a clean towel to clean my blood. He seemed to be in a hurry.

    "Are you okay? I didn''t get to finish," he said as he wiped my blood, concern filling his eyes as he waited for me to answer. I nodded, confused at how he was in such haste. Is there something urgent going on? "Quick, change into something warm. We have to go."

    Seeing how he was in such a rush, I didn''t question him and immediately heeded his words. I quickly changed into a comfortable dress in which I could easily move around, wrapping myself in a coat to fight the cold weather. Though I didn''t know where we were going, the mention of a ritual was enough for me to know that we were not going for a walk.  .

    When I finished changing, I saw Luke loading his gun, his clothes still messily worn. He didn''t even bother tucking in his shirt. There were two guns in his hands, both loaded with silver bullets. I ?ssumed one belonged to me.

    "Come on," he pulled me by my wrist, swinging the door open in a flash. Standing outside was a man I had never seen, but he was wearing the same attire as what the pack warrior always wore. "Bring Nox over," came the order from Luke, and the warrior nodded, sprinting away to complete his task.

    NoxˇŞLuke''s white horse. It has been quite some time since I last saw him, probably since I last took my horse-riding lesson. Nox was his fastest horse, and he told me that he would always ride him whenever he needed to go somewhere where he couldn''t be seen in his wolf form. Luke asking for Nox only meant that we were now heading to a place where a lot of humans live.

    Are we going back to the village? Is this perhaps related to the things he found out from Mr. Wickham last night? We haven''t had the time to talk about it.

    The warrior from before said that the ritual was startingˇŞbut what ritual? I wanted to ask Luke, but by the look on his face, he seemed to be busy mind-linking someone. He''d always have this frown on his face whenever he was talking through the mind-link.

    I heard I''d have the ability to talk through the mind-link too, once the mate bond was formed. Only with Luke, though. It''s a shame that we couldn''t finish the markings just now. It would be convenient at times like this if we could communicate through the mind-link. I''d be able to hear his voice even when we were not together.

    We dashed out of the manor, immediately seeing the blankets of snow lying outside. There was a lot more snow than usualˇŞand it was significantly colder. Did something happen last night? The whole place was painted white, and even the green of the trees could no longer be seen. There was no other color other than white, almost as if the snow had taken over the whole area. Though layers of snow piled everywhere, the pathway was clear of themˇŞmostly because the servants had woken up early to clean it.

    Not long after we went out the door, the sound of a horse galloping through the snow could be heard. Nox''s glossy hair shone under the sun, his white body matching the snow. He looked as majestic as the first time I saw him.

    The same warrior from before could be seen riding on Nox, jumping off when he reached us. Luke lifted my body off the ground, helping me get on Nox without sparing any seconds after the warrior got off Nox. Luke followed suit, holding Nox''s reins with his left hand and holding me with his right.

    And so, we took off to a destination I''ve yet to know.

    ˇ­

    "So, you''re saying that a blood witch named Mary, who is apparently Maggie''s younger sister, is controlling the villagers with her blood," I repeated, confirming the information I''d just learned. "And now, this Mary is trying to perform another ritual in order to gain complete control of Mr. Wickham''s villagers?"

    "Yes," he confirmed, riding at full throttle. "The ritual was supposed to be performed tomorrow, but it appears that they were aware that their plan had been discovered, so they changed their plans and moved it up to today. We have to stop them before they turn those villagers into their puppets."

    So that''s what it was all about. I had no idea there were other types of witches besides the white and black witches. Is a blood witch another kind of black witch?

    "But there''s a problem," he added, tightening his grip on the reins. "Mary has put up a magic barrier around the village, so no one can enter or leave the village. There is no one protecting the villagers as even the warriors I dispatched this morning arrived too late."

    Then how can we stop them if we can''t even enter the village? If we fail to stop them, they''ll be able to do whatever they want to those villagers. Turning those people into their puppets is the same as killing them.

    It''s horrible to even remember the state of the doll-like people in the other village. It was clear that they were still alive, but they had no control over their own bodies. Their soul was trapped within their bodies, struggling to even scream for help. Those witches are using those people as they please, not allowing them to live nor die.

    We can''t let them have their way any longerˇŞwe have to stop them.

    "...do you think you can do it?" He asked, and it appeared that I was too preoccupied with my thoughts to hear him.

    "Huh? Do what?"

    "Break the barrier," he answered. "You''re the only one who can pull it off. Only those who are permitted and those with magic can pass through the barrier."

    "W-wait! How am I supposed to break the barrier?" I asked, surprised by the sudden task. Can I really pull it off? It was the first time for me to do something this big.

    "You have to locate and break the magic stones hidden throughout the village. They''re the size of a palm, and Maggie said it''ll be easy to find them if you keep your eyes and ears sharp."

    Can I really do it? What will happen to those villagers if I don''t succeed? We won''t be able to save them, and everything will be the same as it was in the other village. My failure will cost us numerous innocent lives.

    Luke, noticing my nervousness, gave me a reassuring squeeze on my hand. "I know you can do it. I trust you."

    I glanced at him, seeing him giving me a warm smile. He''s right. I can do itˇŞno, I have to do it. The current me has the power to change, the power to help people for the better. I''m no longer powerless, and I''m no longer oblivious of the ways of the world. I can''t be the same timid Violet because I now have people who believe in my abilities and others who need my help. It''s time for me to spread my wings and break free from my cage. It''s time.

    Nox kept running through the wintry wind, the speed causing the wind to blow hard against me and turning my hair into a tangled mess. Maybe because of the magic around me, it''s not as cold as it''s supposed to be.

    I''ve been using my free time to learn more about my magic, and I''ve finally figured out how to control the flow of my magic. They can be a little stubborn at times, coming and going as they please, but it''s definitely a lot better than before. At the very least, I can let my magic in and out at will. I finally realized what Maggie meant by holding the urge to pee.

    After a few more moments of running, we finally made it closer to the village. Even from a few meters away from the village, I could smell the scent of black magic roaming in the air. I took a deep breath, calming my nerves for the big task ahead of me. I have to succeed.

    As I got closer, I noticed what appeared to be a massive black wall surrounding the village, reaching as high as the sky. The wall was so dark that I couldn''t see what was inside, and there was no doubt that this was the magic barrier Luke told me about.

    "Can you see that?" I asked, gaping at the humongous wall ahead.

    "See what? I could only see a normal-looking village," he said, so I touched his hand, causing him to pull on Nox''s reins and stop. "Shit."

 Chapter 134 - Ritual - Part 2

    Nox stopped right outside the massive barrier, joining the group of warriors that were standing outside. Though the barrier was not visible to those with no magic, there was an invisible wall that prevented people from coming in and out of the village. They could only see a normal-looking village in which the people were walking around happily with a smile on their faces. How ironic.

    The witches had made it in such a way so that the passers-by around the village''s vicinity would not be suspicious of this location, oblivious to what was actually happening. Though I couldn''t see what was inside the barrier, it was obvious that the people were not smiling happily as shown.

    A few warriors were seen trying to break the barrier, but all of their attempts were to no avail. Nothing seemed to pass through the barrier, and their strikes would simply bounce back. Knives, swords, gunsˇŞevery kind of weapon was used, but none of them could break through. There isn''t even a speck of a hole. A warrior tried to throw a rock inside, but the rock immediately bounced back when it came into contact with the wall.

    There were about five to six warriors, and among them, I found Jack and Andrew who happened to be looking in my direction.. They immediately made their way to us when they realized our arrival, greeting us both before expressing their frustration.

    "Alpha! What should we do now?" asked Andrew, frustrated at how he couldn''t get in. "There''s nothing breaking this damned invisible barrier!" He threw another punch at the barrier, stumbling backward at the impact.

    Unlike Andrew, Jack stayed calm and composedˇŞalthough the frown on his face was palpable. Getting off Nox, Luke helped me down and straightened my coat, a sigh leaving his lips.

    "We''ll have to rely on Violet for this," he said, taking care of my tangled hair. "She''ll get in there alone and break the barrier."

    Jack and Andrew stared at Luke as if he just said something funny, not believing his absurd idea. "What are you talking about? Nothing could pass through the barrier, so how could sheˇŞ" he stopped, finally remembering something he''d forgotten. "She''s a witch."

    His eyes flickered to mine, revealing a glimmer of hope as well as his concern. Anyone could tell that this was a dangerous and risky plan, but unfortunately, we didn''t have any more options but this one. It was our only hope of helping these people.

    I glanced at the wall, then proceeded to reach out my hand. To my surpriseˇŞand everyone else''sˇŞmy hand could penetrate through the wall, my palm disappearing into the barrier and leaving the rest outside. Well, it was expected, but still surprising.

    I took a deep breath to calm myself, then smiled wryly at the three men. While they needed me to get in there, there was also a sense of unwillingness. It was undeniably dangerous for me to get in there alone, especially with the possibility of a few black witches around and their puppets nearby.

    Should they find my presence, even death would not be a surprise. No, waitˇŞaccording to the note we found back in the church, they needed me for something in their plan. So, if they find me, they''ll probably take me to the ''Her'' they were referring to rather than killing me right here and now.

    I don''t know what''s worse, thoughˇŞbeing killed now or being taken into the den of black witches. I think both will inevitably result in my death.

    "Thenˇ­ I''ll be going now," I said, watching the worry getting more visible in the three men. I gave them a reassuring pat on the shoulders and turned my back towards them, then started to walk towardsˇŞ

    "Wait!" Luke pulled my arm, stopping me from entering the barrier. "You forgot this," he said, handing me the same gun I''d seen in our roomˇŞthe one loaded with silver bullets. One wrong move and I could either kill a black witch or myself. "You know how to use a gun, right?"

    "I learned it from a book."

    He nodded at my answer, but still didn''t let go of my arm. He only let me go when I wriggled my arm away. He was hesitant, but did it regardless. This time, I turned my back again, going in for real.

    I put one of my arms in first, ensuring once again that I could really pass through the barrier and not crash into it. Confident that I could get in, I closed my eyes and finally stepped intoˇŞ

    "Wait!" I felt my arm being pulled again, causing me to return right outside. I was ready to complain, but realized that it must be hard for him to let me go alone. I suppose I only need to brace myself again.

    "Why?" I asked.

    "Iˇ­" his brows drew into a frown, and the heaviest sigh escaped his lips. "Listen," he said as he grabbed my shoulders, his grip strong and firm as if he didn''t want to let go of me. "If you find yourself in danger, run. Leave everything behind and run back to me, okay? I''llˇŞno, we''ll wait for you right here. So please, stay safe. Your safety is the most important thing to me."

    "I know," I smiled at him, then pulled him into a hug. Though I was nervous, I tried to hide it by gently patting him on the back of his head and ?ssuring him that I''d be fine. "I''ll be right back."

    As I broke off my hug with Luke, I gave Andrew and Jack one last look, seeing Jack nod in response and Andrew with his hands up in the air, curled into a fist as if to say, "You can do it".  I returned the kind gesture.

    Turning around, I finally went to start my mission.

    ˇ­

    Going into the village, the air immediately suffocated me, and the pungent scent of black magic was more than overwhelming. A series of coughs left my lips as I breathed in the seemingly intoxicated air, my eyes getting teary. This place was brimming with black magic.

    The whole place was a mess. It was as if a hurricane had blown through and turned this village into a jumbled mess. Is this because of last night''s blizzard? A few dead animals were seen lying on the ground, their carcasses left for the flies to feast on. Many trees had fallen off their roots, blocking the wayˇŞbut none seemed to mind the mess here.

    The peopleˇŞthey looked hollowˇŞnot exactly like how they were depicted on the other side of the barrier. They appeared to still be in control of their bodies, but it was only a matter of time before they succumbed to the black witches'' control. They were walkingˇŞdragging their bodies around, looking like they were going to faint any time soon. The children, too, didn''t seem normal. They were playing with the dead animals.

    I needed to make haste.

    I looked around, trying to locate where the magic stones were kept hidden. As the whole place was already contaminated with black magic, it was hard for me to find the magic stones by smellingˇŞeven harder knowing that those magic stones were only the size of a palm. I could only rely on my eyes.

    Where should I even start looking? Could they have hidden it inside these houses? No, VioletˇŞthink about it. If you were those black witches, where would you hide those magic stones to create a barrier that would reach the entire village? It certainly won''t be in random places.

    If I were one of those black witches, then... I''d probably put the magic stones at opposite ends of the village. If that''s the case, I can simply follow the barrier from where it began to where it ended.

    Let''s see... because the magic barrier started at the gate, I have to return to my starting point and search for the surrounding area.

    Following my guess, I drew the hood of my cape up over my face, making sure no one could see me. I tried to walk stealthily, despite the fact that the people were not exactly in the right state of mind to even care about me. As I didn''t know where the black witches were, I had to be extra careful in case they were hiding amongst the people. I don''t even know how many of them are involved in this. It''s possible that Mary had a few accomplices.

    I walked through the shadows, making sure not to bump into these half-alive people. Reaching the gate, I looked up and down the gate, searching thoroughly for any sign of magic stones but found nothing. I couldn''t find anything on the ground either.

    Weird. Did I make a wrong guess?

    I glanced at my feet, raising them to find something bulging hidden under the snow. I crouched down and swept the snow away, a glimmer of hope coming at the speed of light.

    Please be a magic stone. Please be a magic stone.

    To my delight, I discovered a palm-sized stone that resembled a jewel in the color black. I picked it up off the ground and held it up closer to my nose, and I have to sayˇŞI''ve never been this happy to smell the scent of black magic. FinallyˇŞa magic stone.

    A wide smile immediately sprawled across my face upon finding the magic stone, but it quickly vanished when a question popped into my head.

    "How am I supposed to destroy this?"

 Chapter 135 - Ritual - Part 3

    "How am I supposed to destroy this?"

    Though Luke did say I should use my magic to destroy it, he didn''t tell me how. How am I supposed to destroy this stone when I can b?r?ly let my magic in and out at will?

    I stared at the magic stone in my hand, turning it around to examine its body. When I got a closer look, I realized that the stone wasn''t black at all, but rather transparent. The black magic flowing inside the stone was what made it appear to be the color black.

    I put the stone back to the ground, took a deep breath, then yelled out as I pointed at the stone, "Shatter!" Nothing. "Destroy!" Nothing. "Perish!" Nothing. "Gone!" Still nothing.

    Am I even doing it right? I''ve heard about how witches often use a magic spell of some sort to perform magic, but why is this not working?  What''s the point of finding the magic stones if I don''t know how to destroy them? I sighed.

    Not wanting to give up, I continued to use every word I knew to destroy the stone, but still received nothing as a result.. I tried smashing, throwing, stomping, nothing worked. What is this even made of?!

    I can''t stay like this. I''m wasting way too much time. The people are in grave danger while I''m screaming at this stone like a fool. I should first look for the other magic stones and figure out the way to destroy them along the way.

    Just as I was about to stand, I heard someone''s voice behind me.

    "What are you doing?" I froze.

    Oh no. Am I caught? I quickly hid the stone in my pocket, racking through my brain to come up with an excuseˇŞor come up with an escape.

    "IˇŞuh, I wasˇ­ I was looking for this!" I pulled a kerchief out of my pocket and smiled at the girl, hoping to convince her. "My mother gifted me this when I was young, and it''s the only thing I have left of her. I thought I''d lost it for good," I faked a sigh, acting relieved as I hugged the kerchief.

    She only stared at me, an unknown expression on her face. She blinked. I blinked. Moments passed with an awkward, nerve-wracking silence until she smiled brightly at me, clapping her hands as she said, "So you were on a treasure hunt!"

    "Y-yes, something like that," I faked a laugh, also clapping. "But the hunt is over now, so I''ll be going. You should go play with your friends." I waved her goodbye as I walked away, but the gesture was not reciprocated. The girl kept her smile and continued to clap, standing at the same spot as she watched me walk away. Her eyes never left me.

    I take back my words. She''s not any saner than the rest of the people here.

    I hastened my pace, hoping to quickly leave her sight. After walking a little further away, I decided to look back at the girl, wanting to see if she had left, but no. She was still there, still smilingˇŞclapping. And her eyes were still on me. I spun around faster than the speed of light.

    Hell no.

    I made a turn and hid behind a house, seeking safety among the shadows. The people were still the same, dragging their bodies around for whatever reason there is. By the look of it, the ritual hasn''t started. There haven''t been any witches in sight either.

    Where are they hiding?

    It''s strange. Why are they still hiding if they''ve already made a magic barrier around the village? No one but a witch will be able to enter, so what was the use of them hiding? They could literally do anything they wanted without being interrupted.

    They said a witch could instantly recognize another witch, but I hadn''t seen one since I entered the village. I could only see these half-mad people around here.

    I took the magic stone from my pocket, sighing as I saw it was still in perfect condition. If only I was better at magic, destroying this stone would be a piece of cakeˇ­ probably. No, stop. This is not the time to be miserable. I have to find the other magic stones as soon as possible.

    I glanced out of the shadows, making sure that no oneˇŞthe young girlˇŞwas no longer in sight. I put the stone back into my pocket, ready to move out of the shadow when I heard a crack.

    WaitˇŞa crack?

    I quickly pulled the magic stone back, surprised to see a crack in its body. Though happy, I was confused as I had no idea what I had done to it. I reenacted the way I pulled the magic stone in and out of my pocket, hoping to widen the crack, but it was to no avail. What did I even do?

    Let''s seeˇ­ I pulled the stone out of my pocket, stared at it, and sighed. I held it for a few moments before putting it back in my pocket. Then it cracked. Which action could have possibly broken the stone?

    Is it perhaps reacting to my magic because I held it for a long time? If it''s true, then it''s worth a try. I put the stone in my palms, trying to focus my magic on the stone in my hands. I closed my eyes.

    Stay calm and focus. Feel the magic flow all around your body, notice how they move and how they hover around you. Don''t let them control you, but control them. Focus on their movement and lead them to your hands, let them gather.

    Stay calmˇ­ Stay focused...

    CRACK!!

    I did it!! I broke the magic stone!!

    I was right. The black magic inside the stone reacted to my magic. Now all I needed to do was to look for the remaining magic stones. I had to find them before the ritual started.

    I pulled my hood to cover my face and went out of the shadows, going deeper to reach the end of the village. Everything was going well, until a loud bell was heard.

    The bell rang so loudly that it echoed throughout the village, and I''m sure people outside could hear it as well. Upon hearing the bell, the people who had been dragging their bodies around suddenly stood up straight, as if mesmerized by the sound.

    What''s going on?

    "Sisterˇ­ sister is calling," a woman with a terrible raspy voice said, turning to the direction on my left. A few people followed behind her, also mumbling about how their sister was calling. Everyone but me started to walk in the same direction, following the sound.

    By sister, did they perhaps mean the black witches? If so, then it''s only a matter of time before the ritual starts. I should hurry. We''re really running out of time.

    I immediately ran past the people, going in a different direction than the others. Should someone see me right now, I''d definitely stick out like a sore thumb. But there''s a bigger problem than that.

    I ran as fast as I could, utilizing every ounce of strength I had in me. I kept my eyes on my surroundings, hoping to come across a magic stone along the way. How many of them are there? Should there be more than two magic stones, then I''m doomed. We all are.

    Deciding that it would be faster for me to use my nose, I crouched down and sniffed the ground, hoping to find something that reeked of black magic. Surprisingly, I found one right away. The scent was too terrible for me to miss it.

    I picked up the stone from the ground and placed it between my palms, repeating what I had done with the first stone. I took a deep breath, then started to focus on the flow of my magic, leading them to my palms. But not long after I started, I was interrupted by a voice behind me.

    "What are you doing?"

    It was the same young girl.

 Chapter 136 - Ritual - Part 4

    Surprised to see the young girl again, I promptly stood up and hid the stone behind my back. What is she doing here? If she''s one of the villagers, shouldn''t she have responded to the call? What made her different from the others?

    Is she not under control? Is it possible that she didn''t eat the food Mary had provided? Is she a normal young girl? Questions after questions came flooding my mind at the sight of the young girl, seeing how frail and small she was.

    Given the poor condition of the village, it''s fairly possible that the people didn''t have enough food to feed everyone. But Mary obviously won''t let that happen if she wants to turn all of them into her puppets. Are young children not qualified?

    While I desperately wanted to believe she wasn''t under Mary''s control, what had happened before was far too strange for me to believe so. It was strange how she looked at me and how she remained in the same position for such a long time.

    Besides, the other young children in the village were exactly the same as the other half-mad people. She was the only one who was different.

    "What are you doing?" She asked again, a flat expression on her face..

    "T-treasure hunt!!" I said, racking my brain about what other things I should be searching for now. "I-I heard someone hid a treasure around here."

    She said nothing but only stared at me, walking a little closer to me step by step. I backed away as she approached, wanting to keep a safe distance between us. She looked harmless, but at the same time, dangerous. I reached into my pocket, gripping the gun Luke gave me before. I was ready to pull the gun out but stopped when she smiled brightly, again clapping her hands.

    "Treasure hunt!! Can I join?" She asked, her eyes sparkling with excitement.  "The other friends are acting weird," she said, lowering her head as if sad. She tilted her head, fiddling with her feet as she waited for me with great anticipation. Looking at her now, she looked like a normal kid. But I still can''t trust her.

    "S-sure," I said, releasing the gun in my pocket. She didn''t seem harmlessˇŞfor now. "How about you search around here and I''ll search somewhere else? It''ll be easier for us to find the treasure that way," I gulped the lump in my throat, sincerely hoping that she''d agree. I can''t stay with her.

    "Promise to share the treasure with me?" She asked, holding her little finger out. I begrudgingly agreed, wanting to leave as soon as possible. "Okay!" She giggled, immediately searching through the snow.

    "Thenˇ­ I''ll be going," I hesitated before leaving, still feeling unsure about the little girl. Right now, there was a 50/50 chance that she was both dangerous and harmless.

    If she is just a normal girl, as she appeared to be, it would be dangerous for her to stay alone like this. But if she''s under control, staying with her will be risky. Nonetheless, I can''t take the risk of her being dangerous to me. The most important thing for me to do right now is to break the barrier.

    I gave her one last look before leaving, realizing she was no longer interested in me. She was digging through the snow with glee, a wide smile on her face.

    I turned around and pulled the magic stone to my ?h?st, seeing it still intact. I should hide somewhere safe and quickly destroy this stone. I was about to start running when the little girl called from behind me, asking a question that gave me shudders all throughout my body.

    "But lady, haven''t you found the treasure already?" She asked, making me freeze in place. "Why are you running away with the treasure in your hands?"

    Shit. How did she know?

    I hesitantly turned around, gasping as I found her only two steps away from me. The smile had vanished from her small face and been replaced with a scowl, and her hands were curled into a fist as she glared at me. The possibility of her being dangerous immediately rose to ninety percent, and I''m almost sure I was right about this.

    "W-what do you mean?" I stuttered, swiftly putting the stone in my pocket. I then raised my hands at her, showing that there was nothing on my hands. "I haven''t found anything."

    "But you promised to share the treasure with me," she ignored my remark and continued to glare at me. She stepped closer, her eyes never leaving me. If looks could kill, it would be like this. "Lady, do you know what Mama told me about someone who broke their promise?"

    I backed away as she asked, feeling something was very wrong with her. I had a feeling that whatever the answer to her question was, it wouldn''t be a good one. I shouldn''t have made that stupid promise.

    "They die."

    I turned around and attempted to flee, but my path was blocked by a man who appeared out of nowhere, his eyes milky white. The man was tall, two times my size.

    What should I do? I looked down at the stone in my hands, gripping it tighter in the hope that it would break quickly. I must keep my cool. I can''t let my emotions get the best of me. Maggie told me that my magic would react accordingly to my emotions, so I needed to remain calm. I can''t panic.

    "KILLLLLLL!!!" The man let out a monstrous screech, moving his neck in a strange manner as he stumbled closer to me.

    How the hell am I supposed to stay calm?!

    I should go hide inside those houses, but if I run forward now, this man will catch me right away. Furthermore, I''m not sure what this kid behind me is capable of. It''s obvious that she was under the control of a witch, or that she was a witch disguised as a kid. Both are as dangerous.

    If I can''t go forward nor backward, I''ll have to turn in other directions. There is a reason why a compass has four main points.

    I spun around and ran to my right, giving it my all for my dear life. The man, too, gave it his all to chase after me, his murderous intent skyrocketing along with his screech. All that I could say was that it was a screech that was not well appreciated by the ears.

    I didn''t even dare to know how close the man was behind me, and all I could think about was to run from the man. I desperately held the magic stone, frustrated at how it was yet to be broken.

    PleaseˇŞjust this onceˇŞplease listen to me. I begged, hoping that my magic would listen to my desperate plea and finally break the stone. Should I fail here, it won''t only end my life, but also the lives of many others. I can''t afford to fail.

    My heart felt like it was going to burst from the man''s screeching and the ringing of the bell. Adrenaline rushed through my veins as I ran as fast as I could while clutching the stone even more tightly.

    I tried my hardest to remember how I felt before, but all the running made it difficult. Even more difficult when I felt the man''s hands reaching for me, which I avoided with all my might.

    Unfortunately, the man was faster and managed to catch up to me, ultimately gripping my hair and pulling me backward. I yelped and fell back to the ground, accidentally letting go of the magic stone in my hands. The stone bounced off and stopped a few steps away from me.

    "KILLLLLLL!!" Another screech came from the man, his hands strangling my neck. I frantically scratched at his hand, attempting to rip it away from my throat. Am I going to die now? If that''s the case, I''d better die after I''ve broken through the barrier. I''m not going to let numerous others die with me.

    I eyed the stone and reached out for it, desperately wriggling to reach the stone. Justˇ­ a littleˇ­ moreˇŞthe stone got stolen away.

    "NoˇŞugh!!" I coughed for air, feeling my life slipping away. The same little girl appeared beside me, holding the magic stone in her hands. She stared at it with fascinationˇŞas if it was her first time seeing it.

    "I got the treasure now, lady," she said as she watched me struggle to tear the man away, moving the stone triumphantly left and right. "Remember to keep your promise next time, okay?" She giggled.

    With one last glance at me, she walked away with the stone in her hands, heading in the direction where the people had gone before. Not wanting to give up just yet, I drew the gun from my pocket with the last of my strength, aiming it at her handsˇŞat the stone.

    Please hit the stone. Please hit the stone.

    I did everything I could to maintain my focus and aim. With my vision getting blurry, all I could do was pray it hits the right spot. I finally pulled the trigger, ready to fire.

    A deafening sound from the gun came, thundering the whole area along with the scream of the young girl. And in the midst of that, the barrier vanished.

    I did it.

 Chapter 137 - Ritual - Part 5

    The young girl screamed at her now bloody hand, scared to see blood flowing profusely out of her hand. She was crying uncontrollably, just like how a normal childˇŞor personˇŞwould react in her current situation. I''d accidentally shot her hand along with the stone, leading to this monstrous crying. ;

    She sobbed over her bloodied hand, crying out for her mother. She looked around for any sign of her safe haven, but all she found was a man strangling a womanˇŞme. When her eyes fell on me, her eyes widened, as if it was her first time seeing me. ;

    She looked more like a normal child now compared to before. ;

    She backed away at the sight, and I could see the fear in her eyes when she saw how I was struggling for air, trying to tear the man away. I was getting dizzy, my vision blurry as my lungs fought for the limited oxygen supply. Despite my best efforts to pull his hands away from my throat, he refused to budge and kept his hands tight, for he had only one thing in mindˇŞto kill. ;

    To my surprise, the young girl ran and took a rock, throwing it at the man.. ;

    "B-bad!! Bad man!!" She screamed through her tears, throwing more stones at the man. Her efforts succeeded in making him loosen his grip, allowing me to tear his hands away from me. Without missing a beat, I elbowed the man in the face and stood up, not forgetting to keep my gun close by. ;

    I coughed vehemently, finally getting the air I needed for me to breathe accordingly. Though the light-headedness was still there, I couldn''t afford to spare a second longer to catch my breath.

    The man quickly turned around and went after me again, running at such a speed that it caught me off guard. I pointed my gun at the man, my hand trembling at the thought of shooting an innocent man. Though he was trying to kill me, it was not of his own volition. He was controlled.

    When the man was going after me, the young girl threw yet another stone at the man, diverting his attention to her. The young girl stood a few meters away from me, with her entire body trembling in fear as she threw the stones. Why was she being like this?

    Just a moment ago, wasn''t she the one who asked this man to kill me? If not for the magic stone, she wasn''t even in the least interested in me, but now, why is she trying to help me? It''s like she was a whole different personˇŞis she? ;

    Was it because of the silver bullet? Did it help in removing the control the witch had over her? ;

    Perhaps angered, the man turned around towards the girl, changing his target. He swiftly ran towards the young girl, not minding the stones thrown at him. The girl stumbled backward, falling as she watched the man run at her in full tilt.

    No! I have to do something! He''s going to kill her at this rate.

    My only choice is... in my hand. I looked down at my gun, my hand trembling as I pointed it at the man. But he''s innocentˇŞthe thought kept clouding my mind. How could I shoot someone who was innocent? But so was the child. She was another victim, yet her life is in danger as of now because of another victimˇŞand also because she was trying to help me. The only possible way for me to stop him at this distance is to shoot him, which will inevitably leave a wound in the man''s body. I have to do this. I have no other option. ;

    Please forgive me. ;

    BANG!!!! ;

    The same thundering sound came from the gun as I pulled the trigger, trying to shoot the man but shooting the air instead. I was shaking all over, and I had no previous experience with a gun until today. It was obvious that it was pure luck that got me hitting the magic stone right on. ;

    BANG!!!!

    Again, I missed it. I was getting even more anxious this time. There aren''t many bullets left, so I need to aim carefully. Stay calm, I reminded myself. I took a deep breath, aimed, and fired the gun again.

    BANG!!!!

    The man fell to his side. ;

    Successfully shooting him in the shoulder, I screamed at the young girl, "RUN!!!" But she only sat there, stunned by the scene she''d just witnessed. She was trembling terribly, too scared to do anything. I had no other choice but to run to her before the man regained his composure, knowing very well that the wound wouldn''t affect him much in his current state. ;

    I immediately pulled the girl''s hand to run, not even knowing where to go. The girl followed after me, her tears flowing out profusely while doing so. She held my hand tightly with her own small one, her trembling hand also meeting my trembling one. ;

    "H-he is coming," she sobbed, her short legs running a bit too slow for our current situation.

    "Don''t look back, just run!" I said, turning to hide inside one of the houses. I slammed the door open and dragged the girl inside, immediately moving the furniture inside to block the door. I moved tables, chairsˇŞwhatever things I could use to prevent the man from opening the door.

    I couldn''t help but question why the man suddenly turned to the girl, when it was obvious that he only had his eyes set on me before the girl came to her consciousness. Was it because the witch had lost her control over the girl? Was it why the man didn''t listen to the girl any longer?

    What should I do? I only have one bullet leftˇŞand I haven''t even met an actual black witch. I searched through the house, looking for anything I could possibly use as a weapon against the man. I found a knife in the kitchenˇŞquite dull, but it was still better than nothing.

    I pulled the girl to the deepest part of the house, hiding in a dark corner. I hugged her close to me, covering her ears so she wouldn''t hear the banging of the door. She whimpered with every bang the man made, trembling as she hugged me tighter.

    SLAM!!!

    The door slammed open, and all of the furniture I''d used to block it collapsed at the same time. I put my hand over the girl''s mouth, trying to make as little noise as possible while holding my own breath. I held my knife tighter, my mind set on using the dull little knife to attack the man. ;

    Walking inside the house, the sound of the floor creaking with every step he took filled the whole room. I bit my lower lip, feeling my mind going crazy the louder and closer the sound got. ;

    Please leave. Please leave.

    I prayed in my heart, despite the fact that I knew God never heard any of my prayers. I didn''t believe in God, but there was nothing else that I could do but pray in this situation. As usual, my prayer soon went straight into the dumpster when the young girl accidentally let out a sob, a small sound that sounded very loud in this quiet house. I cursed.

    I put a finger over my lipsˇŞtelling her to be quietˇŞbut it was too late. The man heard her. He walked straight to where we were, his shadow showing up on the walls.

    I stood up from the corner, asking the girl to stay quietly where she was. The moment he saw us, I had to attack him and give the girl a chance to escape. Should this knife fail to wound him, I have no choice but to use the last of my bullets. I only have oneˇŞtwo chances. ;

    With a knife in one hand and a gun in the other, I waited for the moment the man showed up from behind the wall. I''ve got to catch him off guard. I steady my trembling hands, my entire body tensing in response to the mounting anxiety and fear.

    A few long seconds passed and the man''s shadow came even closer, the sound of his steps getting louder and louder. I tightened my grip on my weapons, immediately swinging my knife at the man the moment he came into my sight.

    "Take this!! YouˇŞ" the man quickly noticed me and grabbed my wrist, tackling me to the ground in the process. I lost my footing and fell, but I never made it to the ground. Startled, I opened my eyes, expecting to see a pair of milky ones but saw a pair of red eyes instead. ;

    Luke.

 Chapter 138 - Ritual - Part 6

    I opened my eyes, relieved to see a man with eyes as red as a ruby, hair as dark as the night, and a voice as deep as the ocean. It was the man I''d grown to love over the course of our few months together, the man who''d become the refuge I sought.

    I couldn''t even put into words how relieved I felt just being in his presence. Even tears had unknowingly escaped my eyes, blurring my vision. Luke slowly put me down on the ground, taking my trembling hands in his.

    "Are you okay?" He asked, his concern palpable in his voice. "Are you hurt anywhere? Another question came as he carefully took the weapons from my hands, replacing them with his warm hands. He looked around frantically for any wounds and was relieved when he couldn''t find anyˇŞuntil he saw my neck. There were red marks from where the man had strangled me. "Who did this?"

    "W-where is the man?" I ignored his question and asked my own, still feeling my heart beating like crazy. The adrenaline rush I''d felt before was still there, and it was likely to last until we successfully stopped the ritual from taking placeˇŞfinishing.

    "What man?"

    "The tall man with milky eyes."

    I''m not sure if it was because of the relief I felt, but my body immediately felt weak when I realized it was Luke and not anyone else. It was fortunate that Luke was quick enough to stop me from stabbing him.

    He frowned, but then seemed to realize who I was referring to when he pointed to the open door, which then revealed the same man I was talking about passed out just outside the door. "You mean, him?" So he took care of him.

    I nodded, feeling even relieved to see the man knocked out. I couldn''t even stop the man after giving it my all, and yet, Luke took care of him in a matter of minutesˇŞor seconds. Though I already knew that being strong was necessary to survive in this world, it became clearer to me today.

    I spun around, seeing the little girl still curled up in the dark corner. Could I still protect her if it wasn''t Luke who came but the manˇŞor worseˇŞa black witch?

    Given that I couldn''t even answer yes to that question, it was obvious that I needed to be stronger. I need to get stronger so that I can protect whoever I want in the future. I don''t want to lose anyone dear to me because I''m weak.

    Not again.

    Luke also noticed the little girl and helped me up, supporting my still trembling legs. I wiped the tears blurring my vision and walked towards the girl, gently holding her shoulders.

    "Are you okay?"

    The little girl looked up to me when she recognized my voice, her eyes swollen from the tears she''d shed. She''d been biting her lips to keep herself from making any noise, despite the fact that she was in a lot of pain from the bullet wound I''d accidentally caused her. She was stained with blood all over.

    I tore the hem of my dress and tied it around her wounded hand, trying to stop the blood from flowing out. She winced at the pain but let me do whatever I wanted, knowing full well that I was doing it to help her and not to harm her.

    "What is your name?" I asked, carefully holding her hands in mine. I had just noticed she was wearing nothing but a ragged dress and not even a shoe to protect her feet. Anyone could see that she wouldn''t be able to handle the cold in such thin clothing. I took off my cape and wrapped her small body around it, hoping to ease her trembling.

    "Doris," she answered in a voice as small as a whisper, wiping her tears away as she did.

    "Doris, we have to get out of here," I said, wiping the new tears that had just escaped her eyes. "It''s dangerous hereˇŞwe have to get you somewhere safe. Will you come with me?" Perhaps scared to go out of the safe little corner, she avoided my eyes. "There will be a few warriors out there who will be able to protect you from... from everything that is going on here."

    "But lady, what is going on?" Her voice trembled as she recalled the events from before, the memory of the man still fresh in her head. "Iˇ­ I don''t remember anything. I was playing with my mommy, and then all of a sudden I felt this pain right here," she raised her wounded hand, showing how the cloth I''d just tied was already turning red with her blood.

    I hesitated, not knowing if I should tell her the truth. What would she think if I told her that her parentsˇŞthe entire villageˇŞwere being turned into puppets? And that she, too, was one of them?

    "You see, Doris, there''s a really bad group of people here in the village," I said, quickly receiving a question from Doris.

    "Like the man from before?"

    "No, like the people controlling that man," I shook my head. "The man from before was controlled by a bad group of people, and they wanted to make that man and all the other people in this village to be bad like them."

    Upon hearing this, her brows drew together and her mouth fell downwards. Her eyes were getting teary again as she asked, "Mommy and daddy too?"

    "Yes, mommy and daddy too," I gave her a wry smile. "But don''t worry! There''s a really dependable group of warriors out there and they''ll certainly save your mommy and daddy. You see that man behind me?" I pointed at Luke, who raised his brows at me. "That man is also one of the warriors, and let me tell you, he''s really strong! He''ll go and beat up the bad people and make things like it used to beˇŞno, even better!"

    "Really?" Doris peeked at Luke, who then stuck out his tongue and made weird faces at her. She didn''t seem convinced. "Is that man really strong?"

    "He is very strong, so you don''t need to worry about your mommy and daddy," I smiled, softly patting her head. "All that you have to do is to head to safety and wait for your mommy and daddy there. Can you trust me?"

    She took a couple of seconds to stare into my eyes, pondering her decision before nodding to my question. I smiled and helped her up, tightly holding her hand in mine.

    As the magical barrier has already been broken, I no longer have to worry about having to do everything by myself. All of the warriors must have gone into the village and proceeded to stop the ritual from being completed.

    We went out of the house, immediately seeing how the village was empty of the villagers. All of the people must have gone to where the ritual was taking place, leaving only the warriors around. The sound of the bell had died down, making the area to be grave quiet. I assumed the bell was used as a way to call the people to where the black witches were.

    There were a lot of warriorsˇŞway more than the amount I''d seen before I entered the village.  They were spread all throughout the village, searching for where the people were. Even till now, there was no sign of a black witch.

    "Here!! I see people!!" Shouted one warrior, making the rest of the people shift their attention to him. We soon followed to where the warrior was, seeing a group of people in front. Those people had their backs towards us.

    One of the warriors turned one person towards us as we walked closer, then immediately backed away when he saw that those were not peopleˇŞbut puppets. Soon after the first person saw us, the rest of the people also turned their bodies towards us, charging at us.

    Their limp bodies charged at us in full tilt, eyes white and teeth bared. All of the warriors immediately drew their weapons, trying to eliminate the sudden threat.

    Those peopleˇŞI''d seen them before. These are the people from the next village!! The first group of puppets. Did Mary call for them to prevent us from stopping her?

    "Get behind me!!" Luke said, pulling me behind him.

    As the people came charging at us, I took the time to see what was beyond them. I noticed that behind this group of puppets, was another group of peopleˇŞthe villagers. They were standing in a circle, with children in the middle. They were singing.

    This is badˇŞreally bad. With all of these puppets preventing us from going closer, it would be hard for us to stop the ritual. I needed to find a way to sneak between the chaos and stop the ritual. I needed to stop them at any cost.

    "Doris, can you stay here andˇŞ" I halted, startled by the color of her eyes. Again, it was those same milky eyes. "Doris?" I called, but she remained quiet, only staring at the group of people in front.. She then slapped my hand away and ran towards them. "Doris!!"

 Chapter 139 - Ritual - Part 7

    "Doris!!" No matter how many times I called, she kept running towards the people, not minding how they were going on a full rampage towards us. The people also didn''t mind Doris, who ran past them and only let her go.

    "Violet, stop!" Luke quickly grabbed my wrist, pulling me back behind him. "What are you doing?! It''s dangerous!"

    The warriors had formed a big circle around the two of us, seemingly to be protecting their Alpha and Luna from the people''s rampage. As most of Mary''s puppets were normal civilians, it was not hard to knock them out. Even so, we were easily outnumbered by them.

    Though Luke had called for more warriors, we''d underestimate the number of Mary''s puppets. We assumed that she wouldn''t have that many puppets as there was only one village under her control, but we were mistaken. There were a lot more puppets than the villagers from the last village.

    Kicks and punches were thrown, but none of them were meant for the owner of the bodies. They were meant for the witch controlling these poor people, and with each punch, our resentment grew even stronger.

    MaryˇŞno, the black witches were evil for using these people to achieve their goals. They single-handedly destroyed these innocent people''s hopes and dreams, all for the sake of their own. They wanted to create a world where they could live happily, where they could roam freely without feeling wary of their surroundings. But, in their quest to find their happiness, they failed to consider the happiness of others. They were simply too blinded by their goals to realize that others'' lives were as important as theirs.

    Be it in the past or in the present, their selfishness was what brought us doom.

    "But Doris, sheˇŞ"

    "Did you not see her eyes?" A line appeared between his brows, frustrated and angered. "She''s one of them."

    Though I didn''t want to admit it, he was right. She was one of the puppets. There wouldn''t be any problem should she go and join the other puppets, but the short moment I had with the real Doris made it hard for me to let her go. It was hard because I knew she was only a frightened little girl deep inside. And so were the others.

    "Listen, I know you''re worried, but we have to find a way to get past these people firstˇŞtogether," he looked around, trying to find a gap, but found none.

    We were surrounded by both our warriors and the puppets, who were being knocked out one by one by the warriors. If we got any closer to these puppets, they would undoubtedly try to harmˇŞkill usˇŞin the most inhumane ways possible. They would either choke us to death or beat us to death. Even some of the warriors had already had the privilege to taste their deadly chokes first-hand.

    These puppets came swarming like bees, and they absolutely knew no return. They would only stop once they got knocked out or we got knocked out.

    Luke started to rummage through his pockets, giving me a gun and a knife. He also tied his cape around me, pulling the hood to cover my face. He then took another glance at the puppets in front of us, thinking of a way to break through this wall of people.

    "I think this might be the fastest way," he said, then without a warning, his body instantly doubled in size and smooth black fur started to crawl from beneath his skin. His sharp and long claws appeared, baring his canines as a howl came. "Hold on tight," he said before turning into a full wolf.

    Now, who stood before me was a big black wolf, surrounded by the warriors and the puppets who were beating the hell of each other. The big black wolf let out a howl, loud enough to be heard by everyone in this entire village. It was a warning.

    Is he thinking of breaking through all these people here?

    Wolfie stepped closer to me, nudging his head against my hand. He stared at me with his brilliant red eyes, seemingly to have realized my uneasiness. If he could talk right now, I''m sure he would ask me to trust him.

    Even though his plan was riskyˇŞfor both us and the peopleˇŞwe had no other choices. Wolfie could accidentally hurt these people while breaking through his way, and these people could do the same to us. Intentionally.

    I put the two weapons into my pocket, hopping onto his back right after. I positioned myself and held onto Wolfie, praying so that I wouldn''t let go of his back before we got through these people. It would be a disaster should I fall midway.

    As if on cue, all of the warriors immediately made way for us the moment Wolfie started to dash forward, running straight into the sea of puppets. Even with the people in front, Wolfie didn''t hesitate for a bit and bumped past them, causing them to fall at the impact.

    Both of us became the center of attention as all hell broke loose, with the warriors staying behind to prevent the puppets from going after us. A few people tried to pull me away from Wolfie, but he was too fast for them. He continued to run, not caring about whether he was stepping on the ground or on people.

    Just as we were about to pass them, someone grabbed my hair and pulled me backward, causing me to fall off Wolfie with great force. Immediately after my fall, most of the puppets started to run towards me, their eyes set on my throat. I was basically a fish thrown into a sea of piranhas.

    I yelped, feeling sharp pain all throughout my body. Before anyone could reach me, Wolfie came back and shielded me with his own body, taking all of the hits from the people while I was still on the ground. He let out an earth-shattering growl, kicking and clawing at the people around us.

    I took the chance to attack them by pulling their legs, making them lose their balance and fall. As those people crowded around us, they had little to no space to fall on empty ground. They fell on the people beside them, one by one falling like dominoes. They were persistent, but they lacked power.

    I didn''t waste any time and jumped back on Wolfie''s back as he stepped away. The rest of the warriors took advantage of the opportunity to knock them all out, not allowing them to stand. Among them, I noticed Andrew, who was singing a lullaby to the puppets as he threw punch after punch.

    Successfully going past the puppets, we were met with another group. This time, half-puppets. They were standing inside a circleˇŞno, a sigil. There was a sigil shaped like a star in the middle of a circle, all drawn with blood.

    There were about twenty to thirty people, and they were standing in two circles. From what I''ve perceived, adults stood right outside of the sigil, circling the children who stood by the inner side of the sigil.

    Just like Andrew, they were singingˇŞbut not a lullaby. It was a song led by the children, their voices cheerful as they went round and round their circle with their hands clasped together.

    "Come, come, sister is calling.

    Cast a spell, cast a spell.

    Let us bathe in the darkness.

    Wicked, wicked, they call us.

    As snakes killed the doves."

    They continued to sing, smiles spread wide in their faces. When the children stopped spinning, one by one of the adults walked towards the children. Each child had a knife on their hands, using it to cut off a finger of the adult''s hand.

    Finger after finger fell to the ground, making the sigil even darker than before. The previously blank expression on the adults'' faces brightened when they cut off their fingers, piling them together as they continued to sing.

    With each finger, the smell of the black magic grew even stronger, making me nauseous. I couldn''t shake off this suffocating feeling in my chest. It was as if someone was choking me.

    Maggie said that we should stop the one leading the ritual, but who was leading the ritual? There were no signs of black witches, only puppets were seen. I watched the horrendous scene unfold before me, searching for someoneˇŞanyoneˇŞwho looked different from the others. Wolfie, who usually lunged at his enemies at first sight, also stopped and observed the people''s behavior.

    Most of the people here had milky eyes, their bodies limp and lifeless. Even the smiles on their faces looked eerie, as so were the children''s. At first, I couldn''t find anything different from these people. They all looked the same, from the adults to the children. But after closer observation, I finally found something that stood out from the others.

    Among the children, there was one child who didn''t have milky eyes. She had thin, vertical pupils that were similar to those of a snake.

    It was Doris.

 Chapter 140 - Ritual - Part 8

    Doris stood in the middle of the circle, watching the fingers pile up as she continued to sing. While other children were busy cutting off fingers, she only stood there, watchingˇŞsmiling.

    "It''s her," I said, getting off of Wolfie. "It''s Doris."

    Wolfie let out a low growl as he glanced at Doris, looking for any way to get inside the circles. We have to stop them, but how? Should we step inside the sigil, what will happen to us? Will they gain control of us as well?

    They were standing in two circles, with the sigil being drawn on where the children were standing. The fingersˇŞit was as if they were absorbed into the sigil, making it even darker than before. With each disappearance of a finger, the sigil grew wider and wider, going into where the adults were standing.

    Will they gain full control of the people once the sigil reaches everyone here?

    Right now, the children were still cutting off the adults'' fingers, and there were only about five or six people left. If my guess is right, then they will probably succeed in turning these people into their puppets once their fingers are absorbed into the sigil and the sigil reaches where the people were standing.

    What about the singing? Is it something akin to a spell to get the ritual going? To make the sigil absorb the fingers and expand? If Doris is the one leading the ritual, it will be right for us to stop her first. That way, the ritual will come to an end once she stops singing. Hopefully.

    "Wolfie, can you help me distract them?" I glanced back at the warriors, seeing how they were still busy with the mad puppets. "You have to stop the children from cutting off the remaining fingers."

    He nodded, but he didn''t take off right away. He looked at me, as if he was wondering what I was going to do in the meantime.

    I was around eighty percentˇŞno, ninety percent sure that something bad would happen to us if we stepped inside the sigil. It was possible that they''d be able to take control of us if we were standing inside the sigil, regardless of whether we consumed Mary''s blood or not.

    That, if I was not a white witch.

    Maggie once told me that black and white witches were on opposing sides of magic and that each other''s magic would act as a purifier of the other''s, rendering them neutral. Because they were born sisters, neither side of the witches could use magic to kill or harm the other. They were meant to live together, but unfortunately, things took a turn for the worse.

    Just like how I can go in and out of the magic barrier, the sigil, too, will have absolutely no effect on me. But that won''t be the same for Wolfie and the other warriors. So, I have no other choice but to stop Doris myself. I''m the only one who can stop her.

    To stop Doris from singing, the only thing that I could do was to knock her outˇŞjust like what the warriors were doing to the puppets. Even if she couldn''t harm me with magic, she could still harm me with her physical abilitiesˇŞand not to mention, the people under her control.

    I let my hand roam to my pocket, grasping the weapons inside. If things don''t go according to what I want, I have no other choice but to use these weapons.

    "I''ll go and stop Doris," I said, immediately seeing his red eyes filled with worry. "You have to stay away from the sigil," I added, and he frowned at the mention of me going alone, but decided to put his trust in me. Though worried, he believed in me.

    Wolfie took off and jumped into the first circle, running straight to the people who were walking towards the children. He lunged at them, knocking them to the ground one by one. He let out a growl to intimidate those people, but they remained calm and composed. They didn''t say anything in response to Wolfie''s intervention and simply stood up, as if nothing had happened.

    The children, too, didn''t give any reaction and only smiled, still singing the same song. They were acting as if nothing happened and kept the ritual going, despite Wolfie''s constant interference.

    Seeing Wolfie already on his task, I quickly followed suit, going around the circle to attack Doris from behind. I snuck in between the people standing behind Doris, forcing them to make some room for me to butt in. I tried to shove them aside, but they were very persistent about the spot they were standing on. I have to force my way through the little gaps between these people to get inside.

    After several attempts, I finally succeeded in going past the first circle. I have to say, these people really act like a doll. They didn''t give any attention to anything else that they were not told to do. It was fortunate that they acted in this manner during such a difficult time, but it was at the same time, very creepy.

    Because once Doris told these people to kill me, they''d do exactly just that.

    Doris, seeing how Wolfie kept on disturbing the ritual, raised her right hand. I had no idea what she was doing, but I could definitely hear something coming. It was a hissˇŞa lot of hisses.

    Snakes.

    Numerous snakes appeared from all directions, going straight for Wolfie. With their fangs bared, they were ready to work together to take down the big wolf who was disrupting the ritual. They moved at such a speed that they had reached Wolfie in a matter of seconds, creating a series of curves with their bodies as they moved.

    Wolfie let out another growl, but those snakes knew no fear. Though they were not stronger in terms of strength, they were stronger in terms of numbers. Wolfie had to fight twenty to thirty snakes all by himself.

    Surprised by the sudden appearance of the snakes, I was ready to leave everything behind and run to him, protecting him with all that I could. But before I could do just that, another growl came.

    It was a furious growl, but not that came from the Alpha. It was a growl that came with the appearance of a brown wolf, quickly followed by a grey one. They were the Alpha''s most trusted menˇŞhis Beta and Gamma.

    I came to a halt when I saw them snickering at each other as they ripped the snakes in half with their canines, showing no mercy to whoever or whatever dared to come close. It wasn''t until today that I realized how strong the three strongest men in the entire werewolf population were.

    While Doris continued to sing, it was obvious that she was getting irked by the three wolvesˇŞeven more when seeing her snakes losing to them. As the three wolves and snakes fought between the children and the people, the children were unable to continue cutting the remaining fingers. Wolfie succeeded in his task.

    Now it''s my turn.

    I took advantage of the opportunity to sneak behind Doris, keeping my steps and noise to a minimum. Fortunately, Luke had previously taught me how to knock someone out during the few times we had sparring lessons, which will come in handy in this situation.

    Though he did teach me a few techniques for knocking someone out in a single hit, I''ve never tried it in real life and I didn''t know whether I could pull this off or not. Regardless, I clenched my fist and prepared to strike her jaw with it.

    I raised my fist and hurled forward, trying to land a blow on her but got taken aback when I saw her turning around, her eyes meeting mine. Doris quickly dodged and lunged at me, still singing. She didn''t seem to want to stop the ritual any time soon.

    I stumbled backward and fell with Doris on top of me. But with her being a little kid, it was quite easy for me to turn the tables around. I toppled over and laid her on her back, shutting her mouth. Despite my attempts, she continued to sing behind my palm.

    "Stop singing!" I said, pressing my palm harder against her mouth, that I was afraid I''d suffocate her. Her serpent-like eyes stared at me, clearly amused.

    Even though Doris was under the control of a black witch, she was still the owner of this body. So if I hurt her, I''d be hurting the real Doris, not the black witch. And sheˇŞthe black witchˇŞwas well aware of this.

    Though mumbled, Doris continued to sing, staying calm even when I was suffocating her. She didn''t put up a fight but instead let me do whatever I wanted, and I could feel my hands trembling when I realized she was out of breath.

    Not wanting to kill her, I lifted my hands slightly, allowing her to take a breath. When she noticed my hesitation, she used it to land a hit on my face and knock me backward, putting her body on top of me once more. She then moved her small hands up to my neck, choking me.

    "Doves don''t killˇŞbut snakes do."

 Chapter 141 - Ritual - Part 9

    "Doves don''t killˇŞbut snakes do."

    She tightened her grip on my neck, the smile on her face growing wider as she did so. Her serpent-like eyes glimmered, a hint of excitement seen as she choked me.

    The sigil stopped absorbing the fingers the moment Doris stopped singing, but the people remained controlled. The three wolves were still fighting with the snakes, struggling as there was no end to them. They only kept coming.

    "I''ve always wanted to kill a white witch," Doris grinned, licking her lips as if she was hungry for blood. The thought of killing me excites her so, and I was not in any way willing to help her in achieving her dream. "You disgust me," she spitted out.

    I struggled beneath her, trying to tear her hands away from me. I hurriedly rummaged through my pocket, pulling out the knife Luke gave me before. Feeling it firm in my hand, I stabbed the knife into her sides, immediately causing her to cry in pain.

    Blood immediately stained her dress, flowing out profusely to even reach my dress. Though I didn''t want to hurt Doris, I had no other choice. If I don''t fight, I die. I flipped her over as she weakened her grip on my throat, swapping to a more favorable position.

    One question has been bugging my mind since before. Why were her eyes like this? If she was also under the control of a black witch, she should have had the same milky eyes as the others. But what made her different? Black witches were known for their serpent-like eyes, so how could Doris have such eyes as well?

    Is Doris a black witch?

    If she is, what should I do now? What should I do to stop her from continuing the ritual? I glanced around, looking for any answers to my question. People. Snakes. Fingers. Sigil. What''s the most important thing here?

    I looked down at Doris, knowing that she was the most important thing here. Even if I knock her out, it doesn''t necessarily mean that the ritual will be over. She could proceed with the ritual once she came back to her consciousness, and nothing would change as we couldn''t release these people from under her control solely with our power.

    Doris was the only one who could return these people to their previous stateˇŞshould she really be the one controlling these people. But what about Mary? Maggie said that she was certain that it was Mary who was controlling these people, knowing full well that a blood witch was a very rare existence among the black witches.

    Mary was the only witch who had this ability to control these people with her blood, and yet, she was nowhere in sight. There were absolutely no black witches in sight since the beginning of the ritual, and Doris was the only person who could be suspected of being a black witch after looking at the state of her eyes right now.

    "Stop the ritual," I said, pulling out the knife from her sides, then moving it to her throat. Blood gushed out of her sides and splattered all over the ground, but I paid no mind. Blood was not a rare sight to me, so I was used to it.

    Though I was holding a knife to her throat, I wasn''t sure what to do next. Do I kill her?

    Doris simply laughed despite her pain, amused at how I was threatening her. She acted as if it was something that she would only see in her dreams.

    "Why would I?"

    "Why?" I was dumbfounded by her question. How could she be this apathetic? "Because you''re stealing someone else''s life. You''re stealing someone else''s son, daughter, mother, father, all for the sake of your greed and dreams. You''re sacrificing someone else''s life to make yours better, and you still dare to ask why?"

    Angered, I drew the knife closer to her throat, grazing her skin ever so slightly to cause her blood to flow out. Why am I so angry? Was it because I felt a similarity between me and these poor people?

    Black witches used these people to achieve their dreams, whereas my life was used to entertain othersˇŞmy father and his beloved wife. The feeling of being unable to do anything despite your unwillingness was something that I never wanted to experience again or for anyone else to experience. It was horrible.

    "Don''t make me laugh," she snickered, but anger gleamed in her eyes. "Why do you care so much about the people you don''t even know? I doubt they will do the same to you."

    Why? Isn''t it something that anyone would do if they saw someone suffering? Butˇ­ she was right. People never cared about me. Not even when they knew who I was. If it weren''t for Anna, no one would have felt sympathetic to the situation I used to be in. Luke and the others were the first to show me the compassion Anna showed me.

    Compassion was an unfamiliar feeling to me, but I couldn''t help but have such feelings when I saw the terrible things happening to these people. Isn''t it human? For me to feel this way?

    "Ahh, is it because you''re a white witch?" She raised her brows to the question, rolling her eyes. The mention of a white witch always irked her. "Always so self-righteous. You always think the things that weˇŞblack witchesˇŞdo are always wrong, don''t you?"

    "And do you think what you''re doing right now is right? Taking people''s lives?"

    "It''s for the greater good," she replied nonchalantly, and I couldn''t sense a hint of doubt in her voice. She meant exactly what she said. She didn''t care about these people.

    "What exactly is the greater good for you?" I asked, feeling my anger boiling up. It''s been a long time since I last met someone this evil. Perhaps there are a lot more of them in this world. "For black witches to rule over the world? For you, snakes, to kill us doves?"

    Hearing my question, she let out the loudest of laughs, not minding the blood that was flowing out of her sides. Something I said must have sounded funny to her, especially the last part.

    "You''re quite smart for a white witch," she said in between her laughter, then stopped laughing when she said with a glare, "We''re doing exactly what you did to us.. It''s payback."

 Chapter 142 - Ritual - Part 10

    What? Payback? What does she mean by payback? What did white witches do to black witches?

    I didn''t know much about the history of witches, but from what I''ve seen from the murals in the church, they were good friends. Even if they were not blood-related, they treated each other like sisters and did everything together.

    The murals didn''t tell me what happened between the two that separated them. One day they were having a nice dinner, and then the next, a war started between the two. We all know what happened after that brought us to this day.

    Was she talking about the thing that caused the war between the two?

    "What do you mean?"

    "Oh, sweetie, do you think white witches are all that pure and kind as you appear to be? When you were the one who started the war?" She rolled her eyes, gasping at my poor knowledge of our history.

    What? The white witches were the ones who started the war? But, why? I thought white witches preferred to live quietly? That''s what everyone said. Everyone says that white witches are kind, unlike black witches.

    "At least, black witches stay true to their nature," she hissed, now showing her serpent-like tongue. "We don''t pretend."

    "Are you saying white witches are pretending to be kind?"

    As I''d never met a white witch in person, I couldn''t confirm the rumors going around about them. Everyone said white witches are kind, so I assumed they were. I was relieved to find that I was a white witch rather than a black witch. I was relieved because I thought being a white witch was a good thing, knowing that we''re not as despised by others.

    But what am I supposed to feel now that I know the white witches were not as they seemed to be? I thought I''d definitely side with the white witches no matter what happened, but now I''m not so sure anymore.

    No, she could very well be lying. I shouldn''t trust her words so blindlyˇŞor anyone else''s for that matter. I should confirm their words with my own eyes and decide for myself. While most of us think that black witches are wicked, evil beings, when we see it from their perspective, we''re the wicked ones.

    We hunted so many of their kind and chased them out of their homes, shunning them out completely. They were hunted, burned, decapitated. All because of our fear for them. We see them as a threat, but what if someone made us think in such a way to their advantage?

    Like the white witches, for example? After all, Doris had claimed that white witches were the ones who first started the war between them. This can happen.

    But is it possible for the rest of the creatures to be fooled? The fact that most of us hated black witches was enough proof of their wickedness, no? There must be something that the black witches have done to us for them to be this despised... right?

    Regardless of who was in the wrong, what the black witches were doing right now was unforgivable. It''s wrong for them to take someone else''s life and use them to their liking. Each of them was someone with their own dream, their own future, but black witches took that from them.

    "Why are you asking that to me?" She scoffed. "You should ask your elders, or rather, ask yourself. Are you pretending right now?"

    "I''m being human," I said, the knife trembling in my hand. "Not everyone likes to watch others suffer."

    "Do you want me to stop the ritual?" She smirked, and it was obvious that she had something in mind. Whatever it was, it won''t be good for me. I gulped the lump in my throat, waiting for her to continue. "Kill me then."

    "What?"

    "I said kill me, and the ritual will stop." She raised her hand, showing the blood staining it. "You''re already close enough."

    Upon her absurd demand, she started singing again, making the sigil glow and absorb the fingers laid atop it.

    "Darkness is our light, curse is our song.

    Snakes as our Queen, doves as our enemy.

    Let us go to our castle, together we chant.

    Hail all witches, as black remained."

    She continued from where she left off, smiling so widely that her teeth were made public. I panicked, seeing the sigil quickly growing wider to where the rest of the people were.

    W-what should I do? IˇŞI don''t have the courage toˇ­ to kill. I pulled the knife away, using my other hand to support my trembling hand.  I looked at Doris beneath me, seeing the blood which continued to flow out of her sides, making a pool of blood around us.

    Is the one talking with me right now the real Doris? Is she really a black witch? What about the little girl from before? The one whose hands trembled as she threw the stones to help me?

    If I kill, will I kill the real DorisˇŞor will I kill the black witch controlling her?

    Doris looked at me with amusement in her eyes as she sang. Fingers after fingers vanished into the sigil, and more people transformed fully into puppets. Each time the sigil reached a person, a monstrous scream came from them as the magic pushed its way into their bodies.

    There was a brief moment where they regained their consciousness, and in that same moment, all they felt was pain.

    I could feel my heart beating fast, so fast that it was not normal. The sound of people screaming at the top of their lungs, the growling of the three wolves who struggled to fight the never-ending snakes, the sound of Doris singing close to my ears.

    All of the sounds surrounding me were too overwhelming, and my mind felt like it was about to explode. I had to stop the ritual, but the only way to stop it was to kill. If I didn''t do what she said, I''d be sacrificing the lives of numerous people here. But if I did as she said, I''d be killing a young girl who hasn''t even lived five years of her life.

    Doris continued to sing, tilting her head as she waited for my decision. Why is she letting me do this? As countless questions came flooding my mind, another scream came, turning my mind into a jumbled mess.

    Then came a ferocious growl, a growl of anger and pain. The big black wolf had its body wrapped around a few snakes, enduring the pain of the bites the snakes had given him. Blood dripped down to the ground, and the sight of red coming from the wolf was what made me make up my mind.

    I have to end this.

    With my trembling hands, I raised the knife in the air, ready to do whatever it took to end this whole ordeal. With one last glance at the serpent-like eyes, and another at the smile that stretched across her face, I pierced the knife right to her heart.

    Doris immediately stopped singing, but the smile never disappeared. "You''re going to be a good black witch in the future," she said, and the serpent-like eyes turned into that of a normal person.

    Along with the disappearance of the serpent-like eyes, I saw somethingˇŞa mistˇŞa black mist, going out of Doris''s body and dissipating into thin air. Her brown eyes were wide open when she looked at me, blood filling up her mouth.

    "L-ladyˇ­"

 Chapter 143 - After Ritual - Part 1

    Doris coughed up blood upon waking, tears welling up her eyes. She had no idea what was happening, and all she knew was that she was in pain. As if there was a hole in her mind, she had no recollection of what happened. One moment she was running, and the next, she was lying on the groundˇŞa knife set on her heart.

    "L-lady, w-why does it hurtˇ­ so much?"

    I backed away, tremblingˇŞshaking in fear. My breathing became erratic, my heart pounding violently. The way blood flowed out of Doris''s chest, the way the color quickly drained from her face, terrifies me.

    DorisˇŞthe real DorisˇŞwas dying right before my eyes. And though I never wanted this to happen, I was the one who did this to her. I gave her the pain she was suffering right now, the pain she never asked for.

    "D-Doris, IˇŞI''m sorry," I fell to the ground beside her, my hands not knowing where to touch. I didn''t dare to touch her, scared that a little touch would make things worse for her. "I-I didn''t mean to do this to you," I said, and before I knew it, tears streamed down my cheeks.

    W-what should I do? She''s going to die at this rate. IˇŞI have to do something, but what can I do? Do I pull the knife? Do I stop the blood from coming out? How?

    "D-doctor! Let''s go to the doctor! There has to be a doctor here somewhere," I let my trembling hand go behind her back, trying to carry her to the nearest doctor. "I''m not going to let you die," I said, but then Doris held up her hand, pushing me away.

    "N-noˇ­ don''t," she struggled to say the words, her breath heaving with every word.

    "What? W-what do you mean don''t?"

    Her brown eyes met mine for a split second before moving to the horizonˇŞto the star-lit sky. She smiled ever so softly, and I could immediately tell that it was a genuine smile. It wasn''t like the eerie ones that I''d seen from everyone else here, but it was a smile that showed her happiness.

    "I see angelsˇ­ beautiful angels," she said, almost a whisper. Her voice seemed to be getting smaller by the minute. "They''re calling for me. They saidˇŞ" she coughed out more blood, but she didn''t mind it. I did.

    "Doris, stop! Stop talking," I grew even more frantic after seeing the pool of blood around us. Despite Doris''s refusal, I carried her in my arms and dashed towards the gate, hoping to find someoneˇŞanyoneˇŞwho could help her. "W-we need to find a doctor right away."

    "ˇ­I can eat as much as I want," she continued, still staring at the sky. I kept running, not minding the blood which was staining my dress. I ignored everyone else and ran with all my might, hoping to find a doctor in the villages around here. I can''t let her die.

    "L-ladyˇ­" Doris called as I ran, moving her hand to my cheek. I felt the shivers when I felt her fingers touching me, feeling them cold against my cheek.  "Thank youˇ­ for freeing me."

    My heart fell at her words, but I didn''t have the courage to look down at her. Even when her hands fell limp, and even when she took her last breath, I didn''t look at her. I kept my eyes straight at the road ahead of me, running at a speed I never knew I had towards the gate.

    "Ack!" Feeling my legs weak, I tripped and fell. Doris escaped my arms, falling into the snow in front of me. Her blood immediately stained the white snow, making it deep red in color.

    Everything around me blurred away, and I could only hear the sound of my rampaging heart. With the snow that fell, a beautiful soul left the world. The young girl who dreamed of a little food left for a better world where she could eat as much as she wanted.

    Ahh, it''s cold.

    The angels she talked aboutˇŞthey would surely treat her well, right? I turned around and looked up at the sky, at the falling snow, wondering and questioning whether I had done the right thing. If I was stronger, would I be able to save her?

    Was there really no other way? Why must I kill in order to save? Was it because I''m too young? Too weak? Too dumb? Or was it becauseˇ­ the world is too cruel?

    Why can''t we live happily alongside each other? Why can''t we live without the constant fear of danger? Why can''t we be more compassionate, be more selfless towards others? Why must we fight for peace?

    Perhaps greed was the root of it all.

    If only reality was like the stories I used to read, we''d all be able to live happily ever after. But, sadly, in each of those storybooks, there was always a villain who took everyone''s happily ever after and turned them into a doom ever after.

    In order to win, we have to fight.

    I took a deep breath, trying to gather my courage to look at the young girl. I was scaredˇŞscared to see the pained expression on Doris''s face, scared to see the knife on her chest. I was haunted by the memory of my mother''s dead body, and I was not ready to add another corpse to my memory.

    Will she have a frown on her face? Will she be as pale as the snow? What would she look like now that all that was left was an empty shell? The body was missing the soul that made it a person, yet once it had been. There was once a time where she laughed, cried, ran around the village like the young kid she was. But now she lay on the cold snow, stiff, rigidˇŞlifeless.

    Do I have the right to mourn for her death? When I was the one who brought death upon her? Do I?

    At the very least, I have to remember. I have to remember every line on her face, every stain of blood on her body, every memory of her. I should live with the guilt of killing her for the rest of my life. That way, I might be able to atone for my sin of robbing her of her supposed birthday cakes.

    I stole her from her fifth, tenth, twentieth birthdays, and yet, she thanked me for freeing herˇŞkilling her. Those words made my guilt even heavier, knowing that I killed such a beautiful soul who even had the time to consider my feelings right before her death.

    People said that God tends to take the most beautiful of souls faster, taking them and keeping them by His side. But why? Why must they die such horrible deaths in order to be by His side? Mom, Anna, Doris. All of them left only after a terrible death, after a terrible pain when they were the kindest, most caring, and most beautiful people I''d ever met.

    The question of why never stopped comingˇŞuntil today. The answer came as clear as day.

    Death was never pleasant to begin with.

    Decided to fight my fear head-on, I sat up, then turned towards Doris. She was still there, pale, unmoving. Blood had stained almost all parts of her body, also the snow beneath her. Everything was the same as how I''d expected it to be, except for her expression.

    There was no frown, no creases between her brows, nothing close to a pained expression. Rather, she had her eyes closed, her mouth turned upwards into a smile. She was smiling.

    My tears immediately fell like a waterfall, and my heart broke into a million pieces. I wanted to scream, as loud as possible, but I lacked the strength to do so. There was nothing I could do but mourn her death, for the loss of such a beautiful soul.

    "I''m sorry. I''m so sorry," I pulled her into a hug, feeling her body heavy and cold. "I''m sorry for being weak. I''m sorry for not being able to save you. I''m sorryˇŞfor everything I couldn''t do for you, for the chance we never had."

    I wanted someoneˇŞanyoneˇŞto say that all of this was a joke, a big fat joke someone had made to laugh at. But I had no such luck. No one came to my rescue, and only my tears came ceaselessly out of my eyes.

    Until her very last breath, she knew nothing of how she ended up like this. She never met her parents, her friends, or ate her last meal. She stayed confused, hungry, lost. But she accepted her death.

    She knew that it was inevitable, and she knew that there was nothing more she could do to keep living. She knew this was the end for her, so she smiled. It was a smile brighter than any of the stars shining in the endless skyˇŞa smile that will live on in my heart forever.

    On a very cold day, Doris became an angel.

 Chapter 144 - After Ritual - Part 2

    Did we make it?

    The number of the never-ending snakes seemed to be decreasing, while the number of headless snakes wriggling on the ground increased. It has been roughly ten minutes since they came out, and I could finally see the end of them.

    Are these snakes made with black magic too? There were too many of them, fiftyˇŞor moreˇŞI believe, so a few bites were inevitable. I''ve gotten a few bites here and there, and none of them have healed yet.

    [I think this is the last of them], said Jack, panting and gasping for air as he continued to sever the heads of the snakes.

    [Did I just hear our little Gamma panting for air?] came a response from Andrew, ready for his teasing even in the midst of a fight. [Oh, Jack. Don''t tell me these worms are giving you a hard time.]

    Jack ignored him for a few long moments, biting and crushing snakes in half until he got fed up with Andrew''s constant taunts.

    [Didn''t I tell you? You''re still light years away from taking my position as the BeˇŞ]

    [Shut up before I cut you in half], he growled, definitely annoyed, but Andrew only took his words as a joke. He never took Jack seriouslyˇŞbut Jack always meant what he said.

    Sometimes I wonder if I chose the wrong Beta, but whenever I saw Andrew in a fight, he never failed to chase my doubts away. No one could beat him in a sparˇŞexcept me. His quick thinking and situational awareness made him one of the best fighters, and it was one of the reasons why I chose Andrew over Jack, despite his damned personality.

    Jack, on the other hand, is much more reserved and serious than Andrew. He''s also an amazing fighter, but he''s easily swayed by his emotions. Doesn''t look it, does he? Although nothing really showed from his expressions, the way his body moved gave it all away.

    Just like now, he''s biting and crushing snakesˇŞa lot more harshly than before because of Andrew''s taunting. He took almost all the snakes away from us, which is quite a good thing in this situation. But what if the situation was different? Things can really take a turn for the worse whenever there''s an emotion involvedˇŞespecially in a fight.

    Although Jack had gotten a little better at controlling his emotions, Andrew was especially skilled at pulling his strings. It was almost like his hidden talentˇŞannoying the Gamma. Perhaps always losing to Andrew in a spar was one of the reasons why Jack was so irritated with him, and also one of the reasons why Andrew was getting more and more pompous.

    With Andrew, who cleverly brought the best out of our Gamma, the snakes'' attack soon came to an end. We were too busied with the snakes that we failed to see our surroundingsˇŞto see that our Luna had gone missing.

    [Where is Violet?] I asked, but neither of the two knew the answer.

    Shit.

    I looked around and saw that the people were still there, but the little girlˇŞDorisˇŞhad vanished. Violet and Doris were nowhere to be seen.

    The people remained in the same condition, as did the sigil drawn in the middle. But what was different was that all of them were as still as statues, no longer singing and smiling. They looked hollow.

    I quickly shifted back to my human form, took a pair of pants from one of the villagers, and walked towards the last place I saw Violet. I found bloodˇŞa lot of blood on the ground. I crouched down and touched the blood, only to notice that it was still wet. The pool of blood then turned into droplets of blood, going in an unknown direction.

    This is bad.

    Whose blood is this? I don''t think it''s possible to even stay alive after losing this much blood. If this is Violet''s, I swear I''m going to turn this whole place upside down. I''m going to kill each of the black witches involved in this shit.

    [Search the whole village!! Our Luna is missing] I mind-linked every one of the warriors present, using everything I had to search for Violet. What the hell happened?

    By the look of it, Violet had successfully stopped the ritual. But again, nothing changed with the people. They still looked like they were under control, only that no one was controlling them. There must be something we have to do to return them to their normal state.

    Did the black witches take her away?

    I followed where the blood was going, getting even more anxious as more time went by. What if the black witches really took her away? Given that they had been after her for a long time, it''s not out of the question.

    Damn it! How can I not notice she went missing? I should have paid more attention to my surroundings rather than those snakes. I''ve known for a long time that I hate snakes, and now I have even more reason to hate them.

    Stupid snakes.

    I looked around, trying to catch any sign of my mate, but all I found were several people lying on the ground. I assumed that these people were the puppets who had given my warriors quite a hard time. It''s nice to see them sleeping like babies instead of going beast-mode.

    I could see my warriors checking every house, trying their hardest to find their Luna. I tried to smell the air, but there was too much smell to even distinguish one from another. Though I can definitely smell the blood. It was a bit too overwhelming compared to the other smell. It was a smell one can never forget once you learn about it.

    I continued to follow the blood which seemed to be going towards the village''s gate, then stopped when I finally saw my mate. She had her back to me as she sat on the snow, holding something I could yet see.

    Relief immediately washed over me, feeling rest assured now that she''s under my sight. Things don''t really go well when we''re apartˇŞspeaking from experience. I don''t want to put myself or Violet in any further danger by staying away from each other.

    Just as I was about to walk towards her, I suddenly felt a stinging pain in my head. It felt like something was strangling my headˇŞstabbing my skull, and the pain was so intense that I fell to my knees.

    What the hell is happening?

    Everything turned blurry as the world spun around, the pain getting increasingly worse as more time went by. Wolfie, who also felt the pain inside me, whimpered and curled his body. It was the first time he felt the same physical pain I was experiencing, and it definitely meant something was very wrong.

    Did I perhaps inhale something bad?

    [SNAKES!!] Wolfie growled, giving me the most probable answer to my question.

    Yes, those damn snakes. I raised my hand with great difficulty, seeing a few bite marks were still visible. Is this perhaps the poison working its magic? However, Maggie told me that most people would have three days before the poison took effect, and I''m only on the second day. Did the new snake-bites accelerate the poison? If so, then I''m doomed.

    It felt like someone was pounding at my skull while also prickling it with numerous needles at the same time. One minute I felt it on the back of my head, then on the sides, then somewhere between my eyes. It felt as if the pain was trying to push its way out through my eyes, gnawing on my brain with rusty razor teeth. So that old black witch didn''t lie. This shit hurts like hell. I don''t have the time for this.

    I closed my eyes and concentrated on my breathing rather than the pain, hoping to chase it away. Though I''d been through worse, this was definitely up there with the worst. Maggie wasn''t lying when she said the poison of those guardian snakes was extremely lethal. At this rate, I might really die.

    I needed to find the antidote.

    I opened my eyes when I finally felt the pain gradually getting better, regaining strength in my legs. Those black witches weren''t playing, huh? They really tried to kill anyone who went past those guardian snakes. I should really return the favor once I get my hands on the antidote.

    With the pain that was going away, everything started to return to its normal state, and I could finally see my surroundings again. The first thing I noticed when I opened my eyes was a shadow of a person, wearing all-black from top to bottom.

    I couldn''t recognize who the person was as she had her face covered with a mask and her hood, but it was definitely a she.. At first, she appeared to be like a normal personˇŞwhich is quite weird in this villageˇŞuntil then I found her running towards Violet, knife raised high.

 Chapter 145 - After Ritual - Part 3

    The woman charged at Violet at full speed with her knife raised high in her hands. She''d been staring at her for a while, like a predator stalking its prey, only running when she was certain she''d succeed. UnfortunatelyˇŞor fortunately, she failed to notice a new presence around the area. She didn''t notice there was another predator hunting for another prey.

    I shook off the dizziness in my head and ran towards the woman, trying my hardest to keep my legs moving. To hell with this poison. I have a killing to do.

    With my vision still a little blurry, I ran at full tilt, blocking whoever that woman was from getting any closer to Violet. I lunged at her and threw her to the ground, strangling her neck.

    "Who the fuck are you?" I let out a growl, angered. How dare she raise a knife to my mate.

    The woman fell at the impact and yelped, clearly appalled. She coughed at how hard I hit her neck, but I had no intention of releasing her any time soon. I didn''t mind killing anyone who had the audacity to even think of harming my mate. Allowing such a person to live would be a waste of oxygen. I wouldn''t dare.

    The hood of her cape fell as she laid on the ground, revealing the black mask that covered half of her face. Whatever was hidden behind that mask must have been disastrous for her to even think of hiding it. Taking the pain in, she opened her eyes, showing the infamous serpent-like eyes.

    "A snake," I glowered, seeing how even her lips were black.

    "YouˇŞagain," she hissed. She struggled to break free, swinging her knife towards me, which I swiftly caught and stole from her hand. Again? What does she mean again? "You smell a lot like a dog."

    "And you smell a lot like a disappointment," I retorted, quickly getting an angry attempt at a punch. "What do you think you''re doing with my mate?" I continued to choke her, not minding how she was slowly losing her breath.

    "Why should I tell you?"

    "Because you''re going to die if you don''t," not that anything will change if you do.

    Hearing it, she burst out laughing, laughing so hard that I thought I''d unknowingly made a hilarious joke. Funny how I wasn''t even joking.

    "Do you think we''re so easy to kill?" She asked in between her laughter, not even trying to hold them back. "That''s a werewolf for youˇŞalways so full of themselves."

    "Well, that''s how it was a century ago," I smirked, and she immediately stopped laughing.

    "Not anymore, you dog," she hissed, angered by my words, and I was suddenly reminded of the vicious snakes I''d just cut in half a moment before. Perhaps killing another one wouldn''t be so bad. "We''re back and stronger than ever, and it''s time for you low lives to submit to us. When the time comes, I''ll definitely be the one to kill you."

    Though I was more than happy to give another comeback to her words, she suddenly let out a screech, and then by the next second, the ringing in my ears returned. My headache washed over me like a wave, drowning me as the world spun around like a damn wheel.

    "But I''m afraid the poison inside you will kill you first before I could," she smiled, then kicked me away from her. I had no other choice but to succumb to the impact, falling back and releasing her from my grasp.

    She took her knife and stood up, ready to escape, but I managed to catch her before she could run. I pulled her sleeve, ripping it in the process, revealing a tattoo hidden under it. It was a tattoo of a snake, coiling around her wrist like a bracelet. An ugly one, at that.

    "Don''tˇ­ make me laugh," I groaned, feeling the headache getting worse than before. "I''ll never die at the hands of the black witches. I''d rather kill myself than let that happen."

    She swatted my hands away, throwing me back to the ground as if I was a child''s play. Her eyes blazed with hatred, and I could clearly see the rage in her face even when it was hidden behind the mask.

    I''d rip that head of hers if it weren''t for this poison. I''m sure It would be full of bullshit and stupid jokes. Even dogs wouldn''t want to eat her head. It will only make them dumb.

    "I''ll be sure to see that happens," she said before vanishing into the shadow, leaving me groaning at the pain she caused from her ugly screech. "Before that, take good care of your little mateˇŞbecause we''ll come for her."

    I cursed as I watched her leaving my sight, annoyed by the fact I couldn''t chase after her. One reason was because of this damn headache, and another was because I couldn''t leave Violet alone.

    They''ll come for her, she said. But for what reason? Why the hell is Violet involved in their scheme? Why can''t people just leave her the fuck alone?

    I turned my head towards Violet, seeing her still in the same position. What is she doing there? As she was still a few distances away, it''s possible she didn''t hear the commotion behind her. I needed to get her away from here. At least, I have to take her to where the warriors are.

    [I found her] I mind-linked the warriors, almost forgetting to do so after the scene that happened. A reply immediately came that Andrew and Jack would be coming, while the rest of the warriors would take care of the mess in the village.

    I forced myself to stand up, closing myself a bit to ease the pain before walking towards Violet. I thought the poison wouldn''t do much to me, but I thought wrong. It was so strong that it felt like I was walking on thorns. Or worse.

    The snow fell harder as the night fell, the stars blinking and the moon shining. Is she not cold? I found myself asking as I walked, searching for anything I could give to warm her up, but found none as I was only wearing the pants I stole.

    Getting closer, I called her name a few times, but each time, I received zero response. This made me wonder if it''s my voice that was too small, or if it''s something related to her ears being broken.

    "Violet?" I called again, still nothing. I inched closer, then finally realized what she was holding from before. A young girl, dead in her arms.

    I immediately crouched down and held her shoulders, shaking her. "Are you okay?" I asked, examining her body to search for any wounds. She had a few bruises here and there, but nothing too serious that would cause a lot of blood to come out of her system. So it was the dead girl''s blood. Doris, was it?

    She remained silent, only staring blankly at the girl. Her eyes were puffy and her lips were dried, as if she had been screaming and bawling her eyes out for some time. I glanced at Doris, noticing the knife I gave her stuck on her chest. Did she do this?

    What on earth happened while I was fighting snakes?

    "Violet, look at me," I cupped her cheeks, trying to get her eyes to meet mine. "Please."

    She slowly moved her gaze toward me, and I swear I could hear my heart breaking at the sight. Blood and dried tears stained her cheeks, standing as proof of the hard time she went through today. She looked exhausted, and the sadness was clear in her eyes.

    "Are youˇ­ okay?" I asked, and even I wasn''t sure if that was the right question to ask. I''m sure she wasn''t.

    The question ''are you okay'' was both the right and wrong question to ask someone who had just experienced something bad. It will only bring back the sadness they tried so hard to keep at bay, but also the sadness they needed to let out in order to relieve their pain.

    Tears immediately filled her previously hollow eyes upon hearing the question, her lips trembling as she tried to hold back her tears. Even without hearing it from her, the answer was obvious because I knew the feeling all too well. The feeling of killing someone for the first time.

    "IˇŞI killed her, Luke," her voice came small as a whisper, trembling as it escaped her lips. "Iˇ­ I didn''t want to, but Iˇ­ I killed her. I killed Doris."

    Her tears fell drop by drop, then came like a waterfall down her cheeks. I immediately pulled her into an embrace, soothing her sobs with a pat.

    "I know," I said as I felt her melt into my arms, leaning on me for support. "It''s going to be hard, but I know you''ll be fine.. It won''t be today, and that''s okay."

 Chapter 146 - After Ritual - Part 4

    The first time I killed someoneˇ­ when was it? Was it when I was ten? Eleven? I don''t really remember. But I do remember it being really hard.

    Born as the son of the Supreme Alpha, I had to live up to everyone''s expectations since the moment I was born. Everyone expected me to grow up to be the strongest, the smartest, and the bravest man of them all. I was never given any toys, only given books and swords. I spent every waking moment striving to be the best, to be someone worthy of everyone''s expectations of me.

    I woke up earlier than everyone else, worked harder than everyone else, studied harder than everyone else, but still, I fell short of their expectations. My father''s expectations.

    Between werewolves, strength and power were everything. To stand at the top of the pyramid, you have to be the strongest. There was even a saying between werewolves that everyone knew aboutˇŞthat being weak would be as good as dead. It was a saying that my father held close to his heart.

    Every month, my father would hold a sparring match between the youngsters. He said it was a way for the childrenˇŞthe future leadersˇŞto learn about the ways of the world. But in truth, it was his way to look for any threat, for anyone who could stand in my way of becoming the next Supreme Alpha.

    He wanted me to win every match, so he would force me to spend the majority of my time on the training ground, practicing endlessly so that I could hike to the top of the pyramid. Unfortunately, back then, I wasn''t the strongest of the kids my age.

    There was this boy, claiming to be the son of the second strongest Alpha in Wonsvile. One day, he came unannounced and swiftly took the victory of the sparring match, handing me my first ever defeat. It was the first time I felt defeat, but I didn''t feel sad. Above all, I was terrified of what would happen nextˇŞof what my father might do.

    Seeing how there was someone stronger than me, people began to wonder if I would follow in my father''s footsteps. At first, my father tried to implicitly explain how I wasn''t feeling my best, saying that I''d just fallen ill a few days before. But the reliability of his words came crashing down as I suffered my second, third, fourth defeatˇŞall in a row.

    Furious was an understatement for what my father felt back then. He started to lament how useless I was, cursing his misfortune at having such an incompetent son. He would never accept defeat, especially if it would affect him and his honor. He took away the hours I would normally spend resting, adding them to the time I have to spend practicing. I had to practice for more hours than the warriors whose job was to protect the people. All at the age of ten.

    Yes, now I''m sure it was when I was ten.

    Turns out, the boy, who goes by the name Alex, had been tagging along with his father while he was hunting for rogues. He had far more experience than I had in real fights, and that was what made him better than me.

    Knowing the reason why I was lagging behind, my father took me out for the same occasion. Hunting for rogues.

    At the time, rogues were starting to become a problem for us. Though they never caused major problems except for looting a few items or food, they still received a fair amount of hostility whenever they got caughtˇŞas being a rogue means that you have made a grave mistake and have shown your disloyalty to the pack you used to belong to.

    For your information, werewolves placed a high value on loyalty, which was why many people disliked rogues.

    Usually, the punishment for rogues who get caught stealing would be a few months to a few years of confinement in prison, but my father was different. He wanted to annihilate themˇŞhe wanted me to annihilate them.

    I didn''t know it back then.

    I was feeling a bit nervous, a bit nauseous, but I didn''t dare to let it show. I was nervous as it was my first time engaging in a real fight, but little did I know that I would not only have my first real fight, but also my first kill.

    I watched my father as he dragged the rogue to his knees, beating the life out of him. It was my first time seeing so much blood come out of someone, my first time seeing someone dying right before my eyes. As if that was not enough to see, I had to end his life with my own hands. I had to kill him.

    I can still recall every single detail of that day vividly in my mind. The way he crawled, the way he pulled my legs as he begged for his life, the way he trembled in fear. They were still as clear as day. Too clear.

    "F-father, I can''t kill him."

    That was what I said in the fear of killing the rogue, but the answer that came after was even more terrifying than the killing itself.

    "Then you''re no son of mine."

    ˇ­

    We all knew how it ended, right?

    Being only a ten-year-old, I was afraid that I would be abandoned and turned into a rogue, so I had no other choice but to comply with his order. He thought I was too weak, too soft-hearted, and he thought killing would be the best solution to solve it. He was wrong.

    My fear of him was the only reason I grew stronger.

    That day, I made a decisionˇŞthat I would never let anyone beat me in a match. If I lose, then I''ll be as good as dead. I made the decision to take every victory, no matter the cost. It was the only way for me to survive.

    And so, I took the victory of the next sparring match. It wasn''t entirely because I was stronger than Alex, but it was because he realized my desperation. Perhaps he knew from the way I punched him, or the way I strangled him, that I''d do anything to take the victory. Even killing.

    I suffered countless sleepless nights, scared that the memory of that day would come and hunt me. More than anything, the guilt of killing someone to save my own life was what made it ten times harder. I''m sure it''s the same for Violet.

    "It''s not your fault that things turned out this way," I said, patting her back.

    "Ifˇ­ if I was stronger, thenˇŞ"

    "There''s no if, Violet," I quickly stopped her, pulling her away. I raised her chin, meeting her in the eyes. "That''s just how the world is. You can never achieve anything without making any sacrifices."

    Tears continued to stream down her cheeks as she glanced at the now paler-than-ever Doris, the guilt still gnawing at her.

    "I know this is not the best end, but you saved more lives than you lost. We can never save these people without your help," I said, wiping away her tears. "You did well. Very."

    Hearing it, her teary eyes looked up at me, questioning the truth in my words. "Did I, really?" She asked, her voice trembling.

    "Yes, you did," I smiled, then softly pinched her cheeks, trying to turn those lips upward. "So stop crying. You''re breaking my heart."

    She wiped her tears, forcing herself to smile with her trembling lips. I laughed at her attempt, seeing how her lips were smiling but her brows were still drawn into a frown. I ran my thumb across her brows, easing the line between them.

    I then stood up, helping her up along the way as I held her by her shoulders. I then examined her body top to bottom, searching for any wounds.

    "Can you walk?" I asked, she nodded. "Good. We still have a few things to do before we can finally call it a day."

    I took her hand in mine, leading her back towards where the villagers were when she stopped me, asking, "What about Doris?"

    As if to answer her question, Andrew and Jack came out from the shadow, dressed in the same attire as what I was wearing. Stolen pants.

    "Jack will take a good care of her," I said, causing Jack to look around in confusion until he found Doris lying on the ground. He didn''t even look surprised. Andrew, on the other hand, was relieved that he wouldn''t need to come into contact with any more blood.

    Assured that Doris wouldn''t be left alone in the cold, Violet finally agreed to leaveˇŞbut not before giving the young girl one last look. I could still see the sadness in her eyes, the reluctance to leave her behind.

    Despite her unwillingness, the night was yet to be over. Life may be lost, but time didn''t stop tickingˇŞand it never will. No matter what happened, life goes on.. So we, too, can never stop running.

 Chapter 147 - After Ritual - Part 5

    "How are things going?" I asked Andrew, who accompanied us back to the villagers, leaving Jack behind to take care of the corpse. Though AndrewˇŞvery unwillinglyˇŞoffered his help, Jack refused, saying that he would only be a pain in the neck. He wasn''t wrong about that.

    "Not very good," he huffed, shaking his head. "We''ve tried many ways to get some sort of reaction from them, but they stayed still as stone."

    I let out a big sigh, tired that things are yet to be over. I thought everything would be over once we stopped the ritual, but it seems that it won''t end as smoothly as I thought. Should we leave them be, those black witches would surely come back and continue the ritual somehow.

    "We haven''t tried setting them on fire, though," he grinned, half-joking and half-serious. Or was he seriously considering that option? His grin immediately vanished when he saw me glaring at him, quickly adding, "ˇ­that will send our purpose straight to the dump, I know."

    I looked at our surroundings, seeing how a few warriors were carrying the knocked-out puppets inside the houses. Though they are currently our enemies, it won''t be any good for us if they die from the cold weather. By the look of it, the real owner of those bodies was still aliveˇŞyet trapped under the control of the black witches.

    Perhaps we can still save them by calling the white witches to perform the so-called purification Maggie told me about. It will take us a long time, but it''s still better than nothing. If this purification thing can free the puppets from the black witches'' control, then it will surely be able to return those people to normal too.

    The problem is that the White Church is located at the very far end of Wonsvile, and it will take us about one to two hours to go there from here. The time needed for them to arrive would be approximately four hours, and I don''t have that much time to waste.

    I had planned to send a letter to the White Church about this matter today, but the ritual happened way faster than expected, so I didn''t have time to do so. Even if I did send the letter, I have no idea if they would agree to my request.

    I''m not sure about the white witches, but I do know how the priests there didn''t want anything to do with black witches. After all, they''re sick bastards who only care about their own needs and greed. They will only use the white witches'' ability for their own benefit, and nothing else will matter. Not even when someone else''s life was on the line.

    You may be wondering how such people were chosen to be priests there, but this dates back to when the three lands were first formed a century ago. When we were split into three, everyone agreed that the ones who had contributed the most to the Great War should be given the largest of the three lands. This made us, werewolves, who took the lead in the war to be the strongest and largest community amongst the other dark creatures now.

    Humans, despite their littleˇŞclose to noneˇŞcontribution to the Great War, were still given Myltha as their land after looking at the fact that they had the largest population of us all. It was not possible for them to wander around without a place to live, so Myltha was the least we could give to them.

    As there were a lot more humans compared to werewolves alive at that time, Myltha was crammed with people whereas Wonsvile was pretty much empty. Might I say, Myltha wasn''t even half as big as Wonsvile which is why this problem happened.

    To solve the overpopulation problem, humans made an agreement with both werewolves and vampires. If we let half of their people live on our land, they promise to provide us with food supplies and any other things that only humans can produce at that time. Though humans were far below us in terms of strength, they were far more advanced in terms of technology and knowledge, so we agreed to their offer.

    Given that Wonsvile was bigger and emptier than Gordom, the majority of the human population relocated to Wonsvile, making us the bigger contributor to the agreement. Those first groups of humans who migrated to Wonsvile ended up multiplying in number, making it into the Wonsvile now.

    How can this be related to those priests, might you ask? Well, among those first groups of humans, there were a few people who came up with the plan to make a small church for the white witches to live in. It was purely out of compassion, and the white witches appreciated their kindness. However, it won''t be possible without the werewolves'' agreement to build such a place for the white witches to live.

    As humans were the ones who came up with the plan, they were also the ones carrying it out. Werewolves had nothing to do with it except for giving consent, so everything related to the White Church belonged to the humans.

    Grateful for their kindness, white witches offered them their services. Their white magic soon became a big thing among humans because of its effectiveness, and the White Church quickly gained a lot of followers.

    For the first few months, everything went swimmingly well. White witches and those humans lived together as priests, and it was as if they were living in the best place in the whole world. But unfortunately, what started as compassion soon turned to greed after seeing how well they were doing, and those so-called priests turned the White Church into a place of business.

    So basically, those priests were chosen from generation to generation, and the White Church has turned into a large family business over the years. Even with knowing this fact, I can''t do anything to put an end to them due to the popularity they have amassed over the years. I didn''t want to cause a useless commotion just because of their stupidity.

    After all, their stupidity had nothing to do with werewolves.

    "See? They''re still not moving," Andrew sighed, shoving a man who remained in his position despite the impact. "They''re more like a statue than a person now."

    I watched as Andrew continued to harm the people, receiving nothing but silence. Why are they still like this even when the ritual is over? Be it in the past or now, everything related to black witches is always troublesome.

    I think I have no other choice but to ask for the white witches'' help. We have to spend at least four hours on the journey, and yet, we won''t even be able to guarantee their willingness. It''s fairly possible that we could spend those four hours of journey in vain, but I suppose it''s worth a shot. Spending those hours will be better than letting the black witches have it their way.

    [Zeke] I mind-linked the man, wanting to entrust the task to him as he was the fastest wolf around. I looked around, searching for him, but stopped when I saw Violet behind me.

    She still looked forlorn, only staying quiet the entire time. With her puffy eyes, she looked at our surroundings, finally noticing the people and the sigil on the ground. It looked like she was too lost in her own world that she didn''t even notice she''d returned to where the villagers were.

    "Whatˇ­ what''s wrong with them?"

    Zeke, who I had previously called, appeared and bowed, seemingly ready to receive his mission. I shifted my gaze between the two, wondering what decision I should make.

    That''s right. How can I forget? I have a white witch right here. Though she hasn''t learned much about her magic, she''s good enough to stop the ritual, no? Perhaps she could find a way to return these people without having us spend another four hours waiting for the other white witches to arrive.

    "They have been like this ever since you stopped the ritual," I said, taking her hand in mine. She glanced at my hand, then at me. The confusion on her face was clear enough for me to see without her having to ask any questions. "Can you please lend me your help again? We need to find a way to return these people to normal."

    "That''s a given, isn''t it?" She frowned a little at my question, seemingly unhappy to receive it. "Iˇ­ I don''t know if I can be any help, butˇ­ you don''t need to ask such a question."

    Hearing it, I smiled, happy to hear such words come from her lips. It just showed that we shared the same feeling, and we were both as willing to do anything for each other.

    "Thank you," I said, still smiling widely, "You''re definitely a big help. A wonderful and beautiful one, at that."

    She gave me a small smile and nodded, returning her gaze at the people.. She then started scrutinizing them one by one, as if looking for any hint of magicˇŞas I wasˇŞthen released her hold on my hand. She started walking towards the sigil, staring and thinking hard, then held out her hand, asking, "Do you have a knife?"

 Chapter 148 - After Ritual - Part 6

    "Do you have a knife?" She asked, turning around to face me. Her purple eyes shone brighter under the moonlight, and her fatigue looked clearer than ever. Even though the events from before took a toll on her, she refused to let them hold her back. If not, it only fueled her determination. I can see it from her eyes.

    "What do you need a knife for?" I returned her question as I pulled the pocket of my pants, showing her that there was nothing inside.

    "I need to... check something," she said, rubbing her hands together as she looked at the sigil on the ground.

    "Andrew!" I called, making him stop his antics at once. He was on his knees, pinching the cheeks of one of the children around. As the ritual was already over, there was no problem with us non-witches stepping inside the sigil. "Do you have a knife?"

    "A knife? Why would I have a knife?" He frowned, standing up as he brushed off his pants. "A strong man like me wouldn''t need a weapon to fight," he walked towards me, shrugging his shoulder as he continued to brag about his strength. "Well, maybe someone like Jack would need one because he''s dumb andˇŞ" he stopped, finally realizing the meaning behind my question. "You''re asking me to look for one, aren''t you?"

    "You''re getting smarter," I smiled.

    He had a questioning look on his face when he heard my words, as if he wasn''t sure whether they were meant to be an insult or a compliment. Either way, he didn''t like what he heard. I''d much prefer to let his little brain think about the answer himself.

    He turned towards one of the houses, still thinking about the meaning behind my words with a frown on his face. I''ve known for years that his brain isn''t one of his best qualities.

    I let Andrew slip out of my sight, returning my attention to my mateˇŞbut not before noticing Zeke, who always looked like he had somewhere else better to be. Still, he always got the job done, so I have no complaints about him. A man with few words who excels at his jobˇŞmy absolute favorite.

    Should I ask him to relay the message to the White Church? Even if Violet found a way to return these people to normal, I still need the other white witches to purify the puppets. It wouldn''t be a bad idea to let them know about this as soon as possible, regardless of whether or not they agree to this request.

    It would be good if those white witches were like Maggie. Blinded by money. Things would be much easier if that was the case.

    "Zeke, I need you to tell the White Church about the situation here," I said, seeing him nod to my order. "Just to be safe, pretend you''re going there to ask for a blessing or whatever things they do there. We only need the white witches, not the priests."

    He gave another nod, ready to leave, but stopped when I grabbed his cape. He glanced at me, confused, but said no word.

    "Do you mind if I borrow your cape?" I asked, and he gave me his cape without further question after seeing my very bare chest. I''ll say it again: Zeke is my favorite warrior. Andrew stands absolutely no chance.

    With Zeke gone, I hunched down to level with Violet, who was scratching the sigil on the ground. The sigil wouldn''t even smear no matter how hard she rubbed it.

    "Did you find something?" I asked, covering her small body with the cape I got from Zeke. She gave me a small smile, thanking me for my gesture.

    "I think it has something to do with this sigil," she said, returning her gaze towards the sigil. She continued to rub the sigil, but the blood wouldn''t go away. "Did you see how the sigil is connected to the people here?"

    At first, the sigil was shaped like a star inside of a circle, but now, the lines which formed the star inside continued outside of the circle, going towards where the villagers were standing. Some lines were completed, and some stopped mid-way. While the adult villagers were standing outside of the sigil, the children remained inside.

    "Can you see it? The difference between those whose feet were touching the lines and those who weren''t."

    I glanced at the people and frowned, seeing no difference between them. They looked the same, as still as a statue. Pale, unblinking milky eyes, bluish mouth, rigid body, hollow face. They looked dead. AliveˇŞbut dead.

    Seeing the confusion in my face, she seemed to realize something and quickly took my hand in hers. With a single touch from her, the world I see immediately transforms into something entirely new. Now I see it.

    Magic.

    Though they appeared the same before, now I can clearly tell the difference between them. The people who were touching the lines had some kind of a mist, something black hovering around them, whereas those who didn''t touch the lines didn''t have it around them. Wait, noˇŞthey too, have it, but very light that it''s hard to notice.

    No wonder I couldn''t find anything when I looked at them. It turns out it''s only meant to be seen by those who possess magic.

    I quickly glanced behind me, to where the puppets were and noticed that they were surrounded by the same mist, albeit a darker mist.

    "What do you think?"

    "That clearly means they have black magic on their bodies, right?" I asked, and she nodded. "The darker the mist, the greater the control those black witches have over them. Those mists are the black magic controlling them, aren''t they?"

    "I believe so," she said, nodding again. "I think the sigil is what links them to the blood witch. The reason why we can''t see any sign of a black witch during the ritual is because she''s using her fully controlled puppetˇŞ" she halted, frowning, "ˇŞDoris, to do the ritual in her place. I saw the same black mist coming out of her body when I stabbed the knife in her chest."

    "But what about when I found you with Doris?" I asked as I tried to wipe the blood from the sigil, but to no avail. "She looked pretty sane to me."

    "I shot her with a silver bullet," she let her gaze fall, feeling her guilt getting back to her, but continued, "The silver must have temporarily hindered the witch''s control over her."

    That makes sense, but it still doesn''t explain why Doris was different from the other puppets. It looked more like Doris was possessed by the black witch rather than controlled.

    "So, we have to remove this sigil in order to return them back to normal, right? Do you have any idea to do it?"

    "I do have an idea..." she paused, as if unsure whether to tell me. "ˇ­but I don''t know if it''ll work."

    "We won''t know unless we try," I smiled as I assured her, giving her a sprinkle of confidence. "Care to elaborate?"

    "It''sˇ­" she bit her lower lip, stealing a few glances at me before continuing, "Do you know how white magic is opposite to black magic?" I nodded. "Well, apparently, when both sides meet each other, they will naturally neutralize the opposing magic, making it to be non-existent. That''s what happened when I tried to destroy the magic orbs."

    "So?"

    "Soˇ­ don''t you think it will work the same with blood?" She asked, and I finally knew why she was hesitant to tell me. She was well aware that I would not allow her to do anything that would harm her.

    "Are you saying you''re going to use your blood to neutralize the blood on this sigil? That''s why you asked for a knife?" I asked, and she nodded only after a few seconds passed. "VioletˇŞ"

    "But you said we won''t know unless we try!" She quickly intervened, knowing full well what I was about to say. Obviously, this is not the right way. I know we''re desperate to find a solution to this problem, but harming her is not one of them.

    "You''re weak enough as it is," I grabbed her shoulders, making her look straight at me. "I can''t let you do that even if it''s for the sake of saving these people. I''d rather wait for another four hours for the other white witches to arrive than let you do that."

    "You said we won''t be able to achieve anything without making any sacrifices," she mumbled, using my words to get right back at me. "I''m trying to do just that."

    "I know, butˇŞ" I groaned, knowing that she wouldn''t back down until I let her. "ˇŞI''m not losing you in order to save these people. Did you see the size of that sigil? Even if what you said is right, I don''t think a single drop or two of your blood will be enough to do that."

    She frowned at me, clearly opposing.

    "I''m doing it," she said blatantly. "I''m not going to let those black witches turn these people into something likeˇ­ like Doris, again."

    The pain was visible on her face, and the determination that came from that pain was what drove her to be so stubborn with her decision.

    I know where she is coming from butˇ­ to me, she is much more important than these people. The thought of letting her do that to herself didn''t sit right with me. I didn''t want her to be in any more pain than she already is.

    Am I being selfish?

    Just as I was about to refuse her suggestion, Andrew came back and scratched his head, asking, "Uhh.... do you guys still need a knife?"

 Chapter 149 - After Ritual - Part 7

    Taking the knife from Andrew, I let my finger slightly graze the knife, wanting to check its sharpness. The knife was small and a bit blunt, but still sharp enough to cut your finger.

    "Are you sure about this?" I asked Violet, seeing her quickly nodding in response. She didn''t even take a minute to reconsider her decision.

    "I am," she said, holding out her hand, waiting for me to hand her the knife. Her purple eyes looked straight at me, and not a single hesitation was seen. She wasn''t scared of hurting herself, but she was scared of letting those people turn into puppets. Right now, nothing else matters if it means saving them.

    I sighed.

    She''s right. The reason why we''re here in the first place was to save these people, so there shouldn''t be any reason not to save them now that we''ve finally found a way to do so. I''m sure anyone would do the same if they were in her shoes.

    Furthermore, it was the first time that I''d ever seen her with such tenacity. She didn''t stutter like how she usually does when she has to make a decision or like when she''s in a pinch. She was certain of her decision, and I don''t think even I could change her mind.

    She wanted to save these people just as much as I do, so obviously, I''m in no place to stop her from doing so.

    "Do it moderately, okay?" I said as I handed her the knife, not releasing it until I heard her confirm my words.

    She gave me a small smile as if to reassure me, then walked towards the outer part of the sigil, right at the point where everything connects with each other. She walked past the statue-like people, who were standing a few meters away from the sigil, then crouched down.

    I watched as she walked away, seeing her back towards me. I knew that behind her small frame, she was hiding an amazing ability that even the black witches were after, but I couldn''t help but be scared that she would break someday.

    It was still unknown to us what kind of ability she had, but no matter how strong or weak she was, I couldn''t shake off the feeling that I had to protect her from harm. Even if the world is falling apart, I want her to stay safe and sound. Perhaps that''s the reason why I didn''t want her to do what she''s trying to do right now.

    It sounded a bit funny for me to say this when I was the one receiving her help right now, but that''s just how I feel.

    "Is it just me, or does our Luna look different these days?" Andrew, who was also watching Violet walk away beside me, asked.

    "How?"

    "Hmm," he drew his hands together, then folded them across his chest. "How should I put this? I suppose she appears moreˇ­ confident? I remember seeing her for the first time and feeling like I was looking at a scared little kitten. Now I think she''s finally evolving into a cat."

    "You''re right," I chuckled, also thinking the same.

    Were the circumstances to blame? We were forced to become stronger in order to survive in this world where there are so many dangers and obstacles that we would be unable to overcome if we were any weaker than the others. To stay alive, we can''t stay as prey to those who hunt. We have to be the hunters.

    I''m sure she realized it today, or it became clearer to her that this is the kind of world we''re living in.

    It''s ironic that the world I want her to live in is the exact opposite of the world we''re living in right now. One day, I''ll turn the world into somewhere better so that she can only walk down a flowery path ahead of her. I''ll make sure of it.

    It sounds like a dream, but I''m sure no dream is impossible to achieve.

    Leaving Andrew behind, I walked towards Violet, seeing her preparing herself to take out her blood. The sigil itself was drawn on an empty field, and the size was big enough to fit ten to fifteen people inside. If we''re trying to neutralize the black witch''s blood by using Violet''s blood, I''m sure we''d need a hell lot of it to do so.

    Will she be fine?

    Not wanting to disturb her, I stood right behind, not saying anything until it was absolutely necessary. I can''t even tell her to stop, so it''s best if I don''t bother her while she''s concentrating. Even if something bad happens, I''ll be right behind, so I''m sure she''ll be fine.

    She raised the knife to her palm, slitting her skin open with little to no hesitation. I could feel myself getting alarmed, again, wanting to stop her, but stopped myself instead. I have to keep reminding myself that this is the best option for us in order for me to keep still.

    A yelp escaped her lips the moment the knife grazed her skin, her revolve wavering slightly in the face of the pain. Taking a few moments to relieve the pain, she then squeezed her palm, letting her blood fall onto the groundˇŞonto the sigil.

    One drop, two drops, three drops.

    She waited for something to happen, but all she saw was her blood blending with the dried blood on the ground. She let a few more drops fall, but still, nothing happened.

    "Is it too little?" She asked herself, then brought the knife back to her palm, clearly thinking of making her wound bigger.

    I quickly crouched down and caught her hand, taking the knife away.

    "What are you doing?" I asked, getting annoyed by how easily she could harm herself. "Why don''t you just cut your whole arm off then?" I bit back my lips.

    Ah. I got mad.

    "ˇ­I told you to do it moderately," I said in a lower voice, keeping my tone calm. "If nothing happens, then so be it. You don''t need to make a bigger wound." Because it pained me.

    I did everything I could to keep her from danger, to keep her safe, and yet, she could so easily hurt something that I tried so hard to protect. I knew it was for the people, but I still didn''t like it. And the thought of her hurting herself because she wanted to help me solve this problem made me feel like I was not good enough.

    She looked at me with widened eyes, clearly taken aback because it was the first time I''d ever raised my voice at her. She must have realized as well that creating a bigger wound doesn''t necessarily mean something will happen to the sigil. If a few drops of blood produce no reaction, then a larger amount of blood will only be a wasteˇŞthough this does not rule out the possibility of the opposite occurring.

    "IˇŞI''m sorry," she let her eyes fall, her hope shattering. "I just want to quickly find a way to help these people."

    "No, I''m the one who''s sorry," I sighed as I weakened my grip on her hand. "You''re helping me. I shouldn''t have gotten angry at you."

    I looked at the blood on her palm, slowly getting its way to my hand which was holding hers. The sight made me frown, as the color red never looked good when I saw it on the people I care about. Especially on her.

    I brought her wounded palm to my lips, using the special ability given to me as her mate to heal her wound. She flinched at the touch and tried to wriggle her way out, but I wouldn''t let her. "I hate it when you get hurt."

    "L-Luke, I''m fine! You don''t have toˇ­ do this," she fixed her gaze on something behind meˇŞpossibly Andrew and the surrounding warriors, as well as the statue-like people around usˇŞand her cheeks went red. "M-my blood! It''s dirty!"

    "I can lick anywhere and find nothing dirty about you," I said, making her keep her face as low as it could possibly go to hide. Andrew must have shown her some faces, but I didn''t care.

    I smiled as I saw her reaction, happy to see her with flushed cheeks again after such a long day. Seeing her all flustered like this is one of the joys I look forward to in a day. Too adorable.

    I continued to heal her, not minding the blood that was getting all over my mouth. I could even taste her blood and couldn''t help but wonder if it was the same taste that vampires get when they drink blood. Sweet.

    As I was healing her wound, I could feel something hot beneath my feet. It wasn''t noticeable at first, but it gradually became hotter and hotter until I opened my eyes, realizing there was something wrong with the ground I was stepping on. I quickly stood up and pulled Violet away, taking a few steps back.

    The sigilˇŞit was on fire.

 Chapter 150 - After Ritual - Part 8

    I quickly took Violet and jumped out of the sigil, seeing it on fire. The fire came without warning, rushing in to burn the ground along with the lines on the sigil as if they were the fuel for its flame. The blazing golden sparks outshined even those who shone in the sky, leaving us on the ground bewildered.

    "Did you do this?"

    "Noˇ­" she shook her head, watching the fire with pure astonishment. "IˇŞI didn''t, right?"

    The fire quickly showed us the glory of its flames, devouring almost everything in its path. It was getting bigger, but never to the point where it went beyond the sigil. It was burning the circle around the sigil, trapping the children inside between the flames and separating us from them.

    Is this what happens when you mix the blood of a white witch and a black witch? They caught on fire? Or, is this someone else''s doing? There could be two possible answers.

    First, Violet started this fire, and it is helping us destroy the sigil. Second, this fire was started by another witch, and it is preventing us from destroying the sigil.

    "Water! Water!" I heard Andrew shout, running away from the fire as if he was going to die anytime soon. "No, snow! Throw the snow in!!" He shouted, looking directly at me. I frowned. Is he ordering me right now?

    Andrew''s shout caught the attention of the surrounding warriors, who were busy carrying the puppets, making them rush over to help.

    "Wait," I said, raising my hand to stop them from coming. I beckoned for them to return to what they were doing, ignoring Andrew''s frantic wails.

    I expected the blood on the sigil to simply vanish after mixing with Violet''s blood, but who knew this fire would come up instead?

    I glanced towards the people around us, feeling my brows drawing together when I saw them still in the same state. Is this fire not supposed to destroy the sigil? And what should we even do with the children trapped inside?

    I turned towards Violet, seeing how she was staring so intently at the fire that the purple in her eyes seemed to turn to the same color as the fire in front of us. The look on her face didn''t exactly say that she was appalled by the fire, but rather, she was intrigued by it.

    She looked like she was in her own world, lost in a world where her surroundings had vanished away, leaving only her with the fire before us. She then reached out her hand, as if to touch the fire, but I caught her hand before she could do so.

    "What are you doing?" I asked as I stopped her, seeing her finally coming back to her senses after being hypnotized by the fire.

    "Huh?" She tore her gaze from the fire, then smiled sheepishly as she woke up from her trance. "Did I do something?"

    "You were trying to touch the fire," I said, weakening my grip on her hand. Did she not realize what she was trying to do?

    "Iˇ­ did that?" She scratched her head, seemingly confused about what was happening. She then returned her attention to the fire, which had now calmed down, circling around the inner part of the sigil that still remained untouched.

    "Is something wrong?" I asked.

    She stayed quiet for a few moments, thinking about what was wrong with her. Pulling the two of her hands, she rubbed them against each other as if she was feeling cold when there was a scorching hot fire right in front of us.

    "IˇŞI don''t know," she shook her head, frowning. "I feel weird. When I see this fire, I feel a strong urge to go closerˇŞjust like what happened when I saw the blue flowers around your manor."

    If such was the case, then there''s more to this fire than meets the eye. It was strange enough that this fire appeared out of nowhere, and now it became even stranger knowing that it has the same effect as the blue flowers.

    "Andˇ­ the fire doesn''t feel hot," she said as she walked closer to the fire, holding her hand outˇŞthis time, consciously.

    "What do you mean?" I followed suit, staying a few steps behind her to avoid getting too close to the fire. Though I can stand extremely cold weather, hot weather can be quite the challenge. "It''s scorching hotˇŞeven from here," I said as I grabbed a handful of snow, smearing it all over my torso.

    "It''s hot?" She asked, as though she couldn''t believe my words. She said she couldn''t even feel a hint of warmth. "That couldn''t be," she hesitated before opening her fingers, again trying to touch the fire. "Do you think I started this fire?"

    Given that the fire appeared shortly after she mixed her blood, it''s fairly possible. And the fact that she couldn''t feel the heat from the fire could be due to the fact that she was the one who started it, so the fire had no effect on her.

    "Most likely," I said.

    She held out her hands for a few more seconds before turning to face me, her uncertainty gone from her voice.

    "I think I need to go inside the sigil," she said, picking up the knife on the ground. "If it''s true that I started this fire, then it only means that this is a way to destroy the sigil. I need to add more blood to the sigil so that we can burn it as a whole and return these people to normal."

    "How do you plan to step inside the sigil? The fire is separating us fromˇŞ" I came to a halt when I noticed she was dipping her hand into the fire, making me pull her hand out without sparing a second longer. "What are you doing?!"

    This womanˇŞis she trying to give me a heart attack?! I''ve never seen anyone so bravely jump into a raging hot fire, almost as if she was asking to be burned.

    When I pulled her hand out, she showed no reaction but only smiled so innocently, saying, "It doesn''t burn."

    Though I didn''t believe her at first, I changed my mind after seeing how her hand had no redness and didn''t feel hot despite being roasted in the same manner as a roasted turkey. The fire really had no effect on her.

    She freed herself from my grip and waved her arm into the fire, moving it right and left as she was intrigued by this fact herself. "See? The fire won''t harm me, so I can walk right through it."

    I put a hand over my chest, trying to calm my racing heart after witnessing her brave yet hasty act. I suppose this is another situation where non-witches will be unable to relate to what is going on. Witches are scaˇŞamazing.

    "What about the children?" I asked, pointing at the children who stood still by the middle of the sigil. She may be unaffected by the fire, but the same won''t happen to those childrenˇŞprobably.

    With a closer look, I noticed that the children were standing together by the middle of the sigil, a few feet away from the lines that drew the sigil. If the fire will only burn the sigil, all they need to do is withstand the heat of the fire.

    Violet smiled as she realized I''d gotten the answer on my own, preparing to enter the sigil. Though I wanted to follow her inside, the heat was too much for me to handle. I won''t be able to walk right past it as she did, or I''ll be burned alive.

    Knowing that I''d be worried, she patted my shoulders, saying, "Trust your mate."

    Andrew was right. She''s changed. She''s no longer like the scared little bunny I found on the side of the road, but a brave rabbit who will throw you a flying kick should you get into her way. She''s no longer someone who needs my help in a lot of things, as she has matured into someone who can give you her help instead. She had found her power, and all that I had to do was to believe in her.

    Though it didn''t look like she would mess up, I could simply break through the fire if I found her in troubleˇŞno matter the cost.

    Violet turned her back towards me, facing the raging fire in front of her. With the same knife in her hand, she took a deep breath, then walked right into the fire. Her small figure vanished into the blazing golden flames, leaving me behind to cling to my faith in her.

    The flames welcomed her inside, burning even hotter when they met. The previously calm fire became harsher, rising to my height the moment she stepped into the sigil.. In the midst of the raging fire, I found her standing brave, untouchable, burning with determination as hot as the fire around her.

 Chapter 151 - After Ritual - Part 9

    I feel like death.

    My whole body ached, and to say that I was tired would be an understatement. It feels like all of my energy has been sucked dry out of me, leaving only my willpower to keep me going.

    Today has been harshˇŞtoo harshˇŞboth for me and everyone else here in this village. But I think it was especially hard for Doris. Even when I''d only known her for less than a day, I knew that she must have been a sweet little soul who wanted nothing but happiness. Too bad someone else''s greed took that away from her.

    When I heard her last words, I couldn''t help but wonder how difficult it must have been for her to thank me for killing her. To her, death sounded like a better option than staying alive in this stateˇŞshe was only five. Then, what about the others? Would they think the same?

    Even when I felt like giving up and when my legs couldn''t take it any longer, this question kept me going. I knew they were suffering, so how could I not help them? I knew I was the only one who could help them right now, which is why giving up doesn''t seem like the best option to choose.

    For a momentˇŞa very brief moment where I witnessed Doris''s passing, I''d let my guilt and doubts wash over me. The thoughts of how useless I was clouded my mind, believing that there was no difference between who I am today and who I was a few months ago.

    The only difference is that I am now a witch, but that doesn''t change the fact I am still as useless and powerless as I could be. It was a terrible feeling to know that if I had been stronger, I could have changed someone''s fateˇŞsomeone''s life.

    But what good can such useless thoughts do? As long as I''m willing to give it my all, I don''t care how useless or powerless I am. Because in the end, I know that my efforts will not be in vain. It won''t be a big help, but it will be a help for anyone who needs it. And that is enough.

    This decision led me to this pit of fire, which was burning so fiercely all around me. The fire stood taller than my lines of sight, causing me to see nothing outside this circle. All I could see was the raging fire and the children, who were as still as ever.

    Though I had no idea where this fire came from, the fact that it didn''t harm me was more than enough to convince me that it was on my side. All I had to do now was add some more blood to this sigil, and perhaps another wave of fire would come up and burn it down.

    As I''d confirmed that none of the children were standing right on the lines, I pulled out my knife and walked to the middle, bracing myself for another attempt of self-harm. I have to say, though, it hurts a lot more than I thought it was going to be.

    The first time I did it, I did it with little to no hesitation as I was determined to find a way to help these people as soon as possible. But now that I know how painful it was, I''m starting to feel a hint of hesitation rising to the surface.

    The children were circling the middle section of the sigil, where they had previously cut the adults'' fingers, each holding a knife on their hands. Two boys on my left, and three girls on my right, with one standing slightly behind me. I cringed at the sight of a few fingers that had yet to be absorbed into the sigil and shoved them slightly away, making some room for me to stand in.

    I crouched down and considered where to cut, eventually settling on the same spot I''d previously used. Thanks to Luke, the previous cut has completely healed with no visible scars, but unfortunately, I now have to cut it open again.

    Although it was very helpful, I still can''t get used to how his healing abilities work. I can still remember the smirk Andrew had on his face when he saw Luke licking me. It was ratherˇ­ unsettling.

    Just as I was about to cut my palm, I noticed something moving in the corner of my eye. Being very cautious of the current situation, I quickly turned towards it, knife raised high. But there was nothing around, only the children.

    Was I so tired that I started hallucinating?

    Seeing nothing was wrong, I went back to what I was doing, holding my palm out towards my knife. As the knife was a bit dull, I had to use a lot more strength and pressure in order to cut my skin. This led me to cause a bigger injury than I''d intended to, also spilling more blood than I''d intended to.

    "Ouch!" I cried in pain, and I swear I could hear another voice following behind. It was something along the lines of a grunt. "W-who''s there?!" I shouted out, standing up from my former position. I''d be damned if someone was here to fight me.

    I was met with silence, only hearing the crackling of the fire. I looked around for a few moments longer to make sure nothing was out of the ordinary before returning to the blood. Perhaps it would be better if I could wrap this up sooner. I''m desperate for a good night''s sleep.

    I noticed that the girls on my left were about Doris''s age, while the boys were a bit older. They were wearing the same ragged attire, and they were all on the skinnier side. Perhaps too skinny. Were they Doris''s playmates?

    Though I myself didn''t have a happy childhood, it pained me to see these children being controlled by a greedy and selfish group of people. Children their age are supposed to live a life free of burdens, where all they do is play all day.

    Most childrenˇŞmost fortunate childrenˇŞalways have a smile on their faces, going about their daily lives in their innocent ways. I suppose we''re the least fortunate children.

    Perhaps the greatest luxury we ever had was being envious of those fortunate ones.

    I squeezed my palm, allowing more blood to come out. My blood fell and mixed with the blood on the sigil, causing the same reaction as it did the first time. No reaction.

    I waited and waited, but the fire didn''t come up as it did before. Did I use too little blood? I squeezed my palm again, dropping a little more blood before stopping when I remembered how Luke was angry at me for using too much blood.

    Though I was surprised he got mad, I knew where he was coming from. I''m sure he didn''t like seeing me hurt as much as I didn''t like seeing him hurt. It was a mutual feeling, but I failed to see it from his perspective when I was the one hurting. That''s why he got mad.

    I wanted to help these people as soon as possible, so I thought it would be fine if I used a little of my blood. Perhaps what I saw today made me forget that before helping others, I have to care about my well-being first. I was too scared that I''d witness something like what happened to Doris again, which was why I rushed myself.

    Perhaps because this was my first time getting such an important taskˇŞespecially one involving numerous livesˇŞI''ve been putting a lot of pressure on myself to do everything wellˇŞto save everyoneˇŞwhen I know some things in life are inevitable.

    I was blinded by my fear, and Luke was the one who brought me back to my senses. Unlike the stories in the storybooks, I am not a hero with crazy supernatural abilities and immense luck. I''m only someone with the human decency to help someone in need, fighting for justice and peace. I need to know that things don''t always go the way I want them to, and that''s perfectly normal.

    As I waited for the fire to appear, I finally noticed something different. It wasn''t the blood, wasn''t the fire, wasn''t anything that I expected it to be. It was a shadow.

    I froze when I noticed a shadow coming from behind me, realizing that it wasn''t a shadow that belonged to one person, but multiple. I wasn''t hallucinating. I wasn''t the only one here.

    What do I do?

    For the umpteenth time, I squeezed my palm, letting even more blood fall in the hopes of seeing the fire. And, even though I''m afraid to turn around, I have to see who''s standing behind me. I gripped the knife tighter in my hand, bracing myself for whatever was waiting for me.

    I promptly jumped forward from my former position, distancing myself from the people behind me.. With my feet firmly planted on the ground, I turned around, immediately seeing five children with a smile on their faces.

 Chapter 152 - After Ritual - Part 10

    My heart pounded furiously in my chest, surprisedˇŞpetrifiedˇŞto see the five children standing next to each other, each with a smile as eerie as the night sky. It was unusually darker than any other day, with the moon nowhere to be seen and the stars hiding behind the clouds.

    They stared at me, unblinking, and I couldn''t help but stagger backward. Their stares were so intense that I seemed to know what they were thinking in their headsˇŞif they were thinking at all. The black mist hovering around them was enough to tell me that whatever was coming was not going to be good, and the knives in their hands were a dead giveaway.

    I thought they were the same as the rest of the villagers, but how can they move? I haven''t even burned the sigil! Did they let me in on purpose?

    "I-I''m not a bad person," I said, not sounding very convincing as I held my knife towards them. "I''m only here to help you out," but I knew they were here for the exact opposite.

    What should I do? If they''re still under the control of the black witch, then there''s no denying that they''re here to kill me. They will either mutilate me to tiny pieces and send them to the black witches, or they will cut off my head andˇŞ

    CLANG!!

    The knives in their hands fell to the ground, leaving them with no weapon to use.

    Huh? Are they not trying to kill me? Did I touch their hearts when I said I''m here to help them?

    I kept my knife still, not wanting to trust them so easily when the black mist surrounding them was so obvious to my eyes. One thing I knew for certain was that black never sided with white, and we''ll forever be at the opposite end of the spectrumˇŞshould things remain the same as they are now. It''s obvious.

    I watched the children as they continued to stare at me, still sending me those eerie smiles of theirs. There was a certain tension between us, a tension that made the silence too suffocating to bear and the dread too great to ignore. What''re they on now?

    One of the girls among the children held out her hand, reaching for me as if she wanted to hold mine. She was quickly followed by the girl next to her, and then by the rest of the children. Now, all five of the children were reaching out their hands to me, and I had no idea what they wanted from me. They''re not asking for a handshake, are they?

    "W-what?" I asked, but no words seemed to escape their mouths. There were five people here, and not one of them agreed to shed some light on me. Which one of them? Was it because they couldn''tˇŞor wouldn''t? "I''m not holding out my hand before you tell me what you''re trying to do."

    When they heard my refusal, the smiles on their faces turned into scowls, the kind that would scare a wild boar away. Their scowls were followed by a terrible, ear-splitting scream.

    "KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA," they screamed after one another, looking like a child throwing a tantrumˇŞa big tantrumˇŞbut not because they wanted toys or sweets.

    It was meˇŞthey wanted me.

    The children started to make their way towards me, ultimately making me run away from them with legs as weak as jelly. With their hands outstretched and teeth bared, they took their knives from the ground, wielding them towards me.

    This is bad.

    I ran as hard as I could, avoiding the five children as best as I could. They ran from different directions, but all with the same purpose of harming meˇŞkilling me. Their screams grew louder, fiercer, their eyes milky white.

    What should I do? What should I do?

    Question after question filled my mind, but no answer came to light. Should I run outside the sigil? Can I get back in after leaving the sigil? If I can, will they let me in? If not, what will happen to the people? How do I start another fire? How do I use magic? How do I fight?

    I desperately squeezed my palm, hoping that the more blood I used, the faster the fire would start. I ran all the way around the sigil, letting my blood fall as I went. I could feel my legs getting weaker, my wound getting even more painful, my fear getting the best of me.

    I''ve never believed in God, but if they exist, shouldn''t they help me? I''m running for my dear life, and all I wanted to do was to quickly get this over with and get a good night''s sleep! Was that too grand of a wish?

    As if to answer my prayer, I bumped into one of the children and fell, tumbling to wherever the impact took me. They then swarmed after me like a swarm of bees looking for honey, hungry and mad.

    I quickly rolled over to my side, just in time for a knife to become stuck to the ground where I had been a split second ago. If I had been a second slower, a knife would have pierced through the back of my head, forcing me to bid life farewell.

    Not wanting to waste another second laying on the ground, I jumped back up, but not before a knife grazed my arm, and then another on my back.

    "Argh!!!" I unconsciously yelped at the pain, staggering forward and dropping the knife in my handˇŞwhich wasn''t much of help given its dull state. Despite the stinging pain, I swung around, not wanting to have my back towards them.

    Even though the knife was pretty much useless, I could feel how my heart was beating faster and my breath was getting shorter the moment I lost the only weapon I could rely on in this fight. My mind was a complete wreck, and everything I did right now was solely based on the flight response in my body.

    As the children wouldn''t stop chasing after me, I had no choice but to keep running. This time, I was convinced that I should run outside this sigil if I still wanted to live a bit longer. I won''t die here because I have to keep my promise to LukeˇŞthat I''ll stay with him for eons to come.

    And I also won''t die because I still want to take another bite of Bob''s heavenly chocolate cake.

    I kicked the kid closest to me, then threw the leftover snow on the ground at another one right behind, blinding his eyes for a moment. I then took the opportunity to run as fast as I could towards the fire circling around us, not daring to look how close they were behind me.

    With my awful luck, someone among the children managed to reach my hair, pulling me behind so that I fall straight to my back. The next thing I saw immediately after falling was a girl with her eyes wide, smiling as she pointed her knife straight to my head, ready to pierce through me. I''d be too late even if I tried to move.

    Ahˇ­ is this it? The moment I die?

    People say that when you''re about to die, your life flashes before your eyes, but how could Luke be the only thing that came to my mind right now?

    I closed my eyes, bracing myself for the impactˇŞbut it never came. I couldn''t feel the sharp knife between my brows, nor could I feel the pain of death. All I could feel was warmth, something hot and burning under me, beside me, everywhere around me.

    Fire.

    I begrudgingly opened my eyes, immediately seeing a strike of golden flames, blazing so fiercely around me. It was warm and comfortingˇŞhealing, even. The girl, who had her knife a small distance away from my death, stopped and burned in the fire.

    I gathered the remaining strand of my strength to move away from her, planting my feet firm on the groundˇŞtried to. The sigil was burning, and so were the children.

    I stood there in utter horror as I witnessed the scene, seeing how the fire burned all five of the children with such ferocity. They all stopped in their tracks, slowly falling to the ground as the fire continued to devour them.

    I could feel my entire body shaking, not knowing what to do. I wanted to run from them, but I didn''t want to kill themˇŞthe real children. Now they''re burning in the fire I made, suffering in pain they never asked for.

    "N-noˇ­"

    The sound of the fire crackling and burning drowned out my voice, making it sound smaller than a whisper. With my remaining courage, I tried to pull the girl out of the fire, but stopped when I felt how hot her skin felt against mine.

    "S-stopˇ­ please," my voice came as a desperate plea, but it was a plea that even I didn''t know who to address. "I-I don''t want thisˇ­ I never wanted this to happen," my tears fell, but such tears were not enough to stop the fire.

    Finally, with the fire that came, the day came to an end.. But sadly, it wasn''t the only thing that it ended.

 Chapter 153 - Is It Over? - Part 1

    With Violet gone, I had nothing to do but wait for her to return. In the meantime, I''d asked the warriors to clean up the village, taking all the knocked-out people inside the houses and returning the village to its originalˇŞto a better state.

    Now that we knew what the black witches were doing, no village would fall victim to their outrageous plan again. The other lands have also started to strengthen their defense, so it would be hard for the black witches to proceed with their current plan.

    But knowing their persistence, they would surely come up with another plan to provide more power to their side for when the ''day'' arrives. We don''t know when the ''day'' will arrive, but we do know that we need to step up our game.

    The Great War occurred over a century ago, and the black witches must have gone through many changes since thenˇŞchanges that will lead them to greater power. Although these changes affect not only black witches but also other dark creatures, they have the greatest changes as they only live for one purpose.

    Why do you think they survived for over a century when they were on the verge of extinction? Quite the rhetorical question, no?

    They remained quiet by living in the dark for years, but for all that time, they had one goal in mind: vengeance. They wanted to take back the victory weˇŞsupposedlyˇŞtook from them, wanted us to kneel under their feet, wanted us to be at their mercy.

    A big dream, indeed.

    As we knew that they would eventually make a comeback, we stayed cautious and watchful of them for the first few decades. Any sighting of a black witch will result in a stake burning, and this tradition continues to this dayˇŞthough not as vigorously.

    Perhaps because it had been so long since they last appeared, people began to forget about them and became more preoccupied with their own lives. This could be one of the things that allowed this disaster to happen.

    I let down my guard for once, and these worms began to squirm back into the world. How infuriating.

    "Do you think she''ll be okay?" Andrew, who waited alongside me, asked. It was unusual to see the pack''s jokester being concerned about someone.

    "She will," I nodded, watching the fire standing tall in front of me. "She is our Luna. Of course, she''ll be okay. I trust her."

    Though I did say that, I''d be lying if I said that I wasn''t worried about her. The sight of the fire growing taller and fiercer the moment she stepped inside the sigil was enough to make me worried about what would happen inside. To make matters worse, I couldn''t see her from where I was. I hadn''t seen her for ten minutes.

    Why is she taking so long? Did something happen inside?

    I tried to get as close to the fire as I could, but all I could hear was the fire burning. It''s almost as if the sigil was sound-proof.

    Maybe she''s just waiting for the fire to start? According to the previous event, the fire didn''t immediately ignite when she used her blood. It took a few minutes for us to feel the heat of the fire.

    Deciding to assure myself as such, I stepped back and took a seat on the ground. Now that I had the time to rest, I could finally feel the fatigue rushing in. Is it the poison? I''m not usually this frail. Based on previous experiencesˇŞI could fight for as long as two days, and it''s not even a day yet.

    Andrew followed suit and sat beside me, sighing as he waited for the time to go home.

    "I think I''m dying," I said, making him turn his face towards me in an instant. He looked at me with a funny face, thinking that I''d just made a silly joke to lighten the mood.

    "You''re not the best jokester," he sighed again, playing with the snow on the ground. He took a handful of snow and rolled it into a ball, scanning the area for whereˇŞwhoˇŞto throw it to. He didn''t glance at me.

    I watched him throw the snowball at Jack, who had just come back from burying the little girl. Jack glared at him and quickly made a bigger snowball, throwing it back to Andrew as if he was planning to send him straight to hell with that one hit.

    "I''m not joking," I said, and he froze. "I got poisoned by the snakes in the church, and now the poison is spreading even faster after our fight just now. I could feel it."

    A moment passed with no reaction, so I looked over at Andrew, only to see him staring at me with wide eyes, the snow melting in his hands. Jack soon joined us two.

    "Are you being serious right now?" He asked, still couldn''t believe the ''joke'' I''d just spouted. It does sound like a joke. "You mean our fight with the snakes just now?"

    "The very same one," I nodded. "Did you get bitten?" Both men shook their heads no, and I assumed those damned snakes knew I already had this poison in me. Or the black witch knew.

    "Then what should we do? Are you really going to die? Is there no cure? What about Ronald? Have you looked for him?"

    With Andrew''s train of questions, Jack seemed to grasp what was going on. He fell to his knees to listen more closely, throwing the snow in his hands.

    "Ronald won''t be able to cure this," I smiled wryly, taking pity on this situation. "The only cure is somewhere in Larion."

    "And where the hell is that?" asked Andrew, while Jack appeared to have heard about the place.

    "Land of Magic," he answered Andrew''s question, and I nodded. "I''ve been there before," he said, and Andrew looked at him strangely, as if to ask, ''Why would you go there?''

    Not liking Andrew''s doubtful expression, he added, "Maggie''s yearly trip."

    Right. One of Jack''s jobs was to accompany Maggie on her trips to collect her magic ingredients, so it was only natural that he knew about Larion. I think he''d mentioned it once or twice in his report, but I paid it no mind as it has nothing to do with our jobs. I didn''t expect I''d be going there.

    "What do you think about the place?" I asked Jack, wanting to confirm how dangerous of a place it was.

    "It smells funny," he said after taking some time to think about it, only giving the answer I didn''t particularly care about. Seeing that I was still waiting for more answers, he started to re-think his answer. "A strange place? I once saw aˇ­ crocodile with wings there."

    "You mean dragons?"

    "Dragons," he confirmed. He glared at Andrew before he could mock him, but Andrew was quicker to taunt him. "Stupid assˇŞ" a snowball smacked Andrew right in the face.

    I had no idea dragons existed. I assumed they were just myths, but given that werewolves and vampires also existed, it didn''t come as a surprise. There are far too many wonders in the world.

    After successfully closing Andrew''s mouth, Jack inquired, "What will happen if we don''t find the cure?"

    "Then I''ll die within a week," I said, noticing how they both flinched at the answer. "ˇ­which will not happen because we will find the cure. We can''t let Andrew become the Supreme Alpha, can we?"

    Andrew gasped.

    "Not that I want you to die, but are you perhaps underestimating my ability? Wait until IˇŞ"

    "Of course, we can''t," Jack cut him off, being firm and resolute with his answer. "We will surely find the cure," he nodded reassuringly at me, ignoring Andrew''s complaint. He swore he''d bring me the antidote even if it meant crossing every ocean there is.

    "How dependable," I chuckled. "Now I don''t need to worry about dying," I said, and though Andrew didn''t like the reason behind it, he said nothing.

    Just as we finished our conversation, a strong wintry wind blew over and swept through our bare chests, making even a werewolf shiver at the cold. With the wind that came, the statue-like villagers began moving, slowly falling to the ground.

    The warriors behind me who noticed the movement immediately yelled and rejoiced in success. It''s time to go home.

    "She did it!"

    "Our Luna did it!!"

    "My mate did it."

    I stood up right away, as did the two men, waiting for Violet to come out of the fire. I stretched my arms and prepared to pull her into a big hug, a smile already decorating my face. I knew she could do it. I always knew.

    The flames moved with the wind and went out when another strong wind came, filling our vision with smoke for a brief moment. After one cough or two, we could clearly see that the sigil was no longer there. The fire had successfully erased the sigil, while my mate had successfully saved the villagers.

    She truly is our Luna.

    I immediately ran towards the circle, wanting to show my gratitude for the hero who saved the day. When the smoke dissipated and I could finally see my surroundings more clearly, the smile I had on my face fell.

    There, I saw six people lying on the ground, with one being my mate.

 Chapter 154 - Is It Over? - Part 2

    The cheers quickly faded, all stunned at the sight of our Luna lying so helplessly on the ground. Red decorated her body, a pool of blood forming around her. She was lying on her stomach, showing a big wound on her back.

    This wasn''t the sight I was expecting to see.

    "Violet!!" I quickly ran over and pulled her up, supporting her body with my arms. I pressed my fingers against the side of her neck, hoping to feel her pulse. I noticed how it was beating faster than usual, and I''m sure it didn''t mean anything good. She''d lost too much blood. Her body is suffering from the blood loss.

    I tried to wake her up by tapping her cheeks, but her eyes remained closed and her lips pale. Without wasting any second, I licked the wounds on her body to stop more blood from flowing out, but the wound on her palm was so deep that it took me a few minutes to completely stop the blood flow. Just how much blood did she use?

    Though she wasn''t so badly injured, the amount of blood she lost had to be more than her body could handle, so it was only natural that she would pass out. The question is, why did she get hurt when all she did was mix her blood?

    The wounds on her back and arm told me that it was a knife wound, but how did sheˇŞ

    The sight of the few knives lying on the ground made me stop, immediately receiving the answer to my question. It was these children. She didn''t only mix her blood, but she also fought with these children.

    How did they move? Aren''t they supposed to be the same as the other villagers?

    "Andrew!" I called, and a blonde wolf immediately appeared before my eyes. Regardless of what happened just now, the most important thing to do right now is to get her treated as soon as possible. Her body won''t be able to handle losing even more blood, and I''d never let her die on me.

    Is there a doctor nearby? If we wait until we get to Ronald''s house, I don''t think we''ll make it in time. It would be best for us to look for a nearby doctor to give her a first-aid treatment before going back to the pack''s house.

    I picked her up off the ground and carried her to Andrew''s back, who immediately went off to find a doctor. Andrew appeared to have grown used to becoming my means of transportation whenever I was short on time. He doesn''t exactly have a smart brain, but at least he''s got fast legs.

    Seeing the emergency, the surrounding warriors quickly opened up a way for Andrew to pass, with us three going in a direction that is not this village. Given the state it was in, I doubt we''d be able to find any help here, so there''s no point in wasting any more time in this village.

    Should I have not allowed her to do this? We did achieve what we came here for, but at what cost? I know I might sound really selfish and insensitive, but I''d rather have these villagers wait a few hours longer rather than have my mate in such a state.

    Coming from me, I sounded like a shitty lord. But still, Violet will always be my top priority, and that''s not going to change.

    Andrew ran at such a speed that it rivaled the wind, which was both strong and cold to the skin. The night has fallen deep, with the moon raised high in the sky, hiding somewhere between the stars. It was darkˇŞtoo darkˇŞthat I was afraid no one would be around to help us.

    As most doctors prefer to work closer to the heart of Wonsvile, we''ll have a difficult time finding a doctor in small villages like this one, especially if it''s a poor one. Though it is unfair to people who live in small villages, money is everything in one''s eyes, as it was in the doctors''. So, all we could do was hope that we''d be lucky enough to come across a doctor.

    Just in case, I''d asked Jack to go and get Ronald over.

    It enraged me that I had allowed such a disaster to happen. I wouldn''t have known what was going on with these people if Leonard hadn''t told me about the witch who was after Violet. I thought I''d managed my land well enough, but there seemed to be a few rats who so brazenly roamed around under my watch, secretly creating havoc.

    How did we go from catching the witch who was after Violet to catching the black witches who were after yet another war?

    We soon arrived at a village not far from the last village, albeit bigger. The village was dark, only lit by a few lanterns by the few houses here. Two guards were seen asleep by the front gate, with one of whom was treating the ground as his own bed.

    Deciding that it would be faster for us to ask the guards rather than search the whole village, I got off Andrew''s back and walked towards them, still carrying Violet in my arms.

    I tapped one of the guardsˇŞslappedˇŞtrying to wake him up as gently as I could. There seemed to be a few problems with the guards in the villages around here. They''re all either drunk or asleep.

    "Is there a doctor around?" I asked, seeing the man scratching his neck to relieve the itch caused by a mosquito that had just flown by. Though I''d given it a few tries, the two guards couldn''t seem to wake up, almost as if they were dead rather than asleep.

    "Don''t bother waking them up," I heard someone say behind me, a man. "They sleep like a log," his blue eyes shone through the darkness, scrutinizing me as he said. The cold wintry wind gently blew his snow-like hair, turning it messy and unkempt. He looked peculiar.

    The man didn''t come off as dangerous, but something about him felt different than normal people. Was it his white hair? I''ve never seen anyone with such bright hair, if not the elderly. The day was dark, but I could clearly tell that he wasn''t any older than me.

    The man walked out of the shadows, making his features more visible under the moonlight. Perhaps shocked, he froze for a moment when his blue eyes shifted to the woman in my arms, seeing her in a blood-stained dress. "Are you looking for a doctor?"

    "Who are you?" I asked as I looked around for Andrew, seeing him already hiding between the bushes. It wouldn''t do us any good if humans saw us werewolves.

    "I might be the doctor you''re looking for," he shrugged his shoulders, and I frowned. What does he mean by ''might be''? "I can help youˇŞher," he pointed at Violet, then beckoned his head towards the village. "My house is just right there."

    Do I trust him? He doesn''t exactly look the part.

    Without hearing my answer, the man walked towards the direction he''d just shown me, seemingly trying to guide me to his house. Though I wasn''t yet convinced that he really was a doctor, I followed behind, thinking that having a place to rest wouldn''t be a bad idea.

    Even if he wasn''t a doctor, I could wait for Ronald to arrive while keeping Violet warm and having her rest in a bed. And if he was trying to do something funny, I could show him what hell is like. It''s a win-win situation.

    Opening the door to his house, he lit a lantern and allowed me to go after him, being considerate enough to warn me about the stairs. My doubts quickly faded when I went inside his house and saw a few beds lying around, exactly like the ones you''d find in a hospital.

    "Do you trust me now?" he asked as he took off his coat, placing the lantern by the table. "I might not look the part, but I''m this village''s most trusted doctor," he said, almost boasting.

    "Where do I put her?"

    "Here," he pointed at the one bed by the corner, preparing a blanket for her to use. "It looks like she lost a good amount of blood," he said as he examined her, but then frowned when he saw no wounds. "Did she?"

    "ˇ­she did," I scratched my head, unsure how to explain this. Do I say I licked her to treat her wounds?  "She''s quite a special case," I said, wracking my brain to find something that would make sense, at least. "Her wounds always heal very fast, but it''s not quite the same with the blood loss. That''s why I''m here to ask you to check on her."

    The doctor gave me a funny look, but then proceeded to examine her body. He brought his ears close to her chest, closing his eyes to listen. Then, without opening his eyes, a question came from him.

    "You''re a werewolf, aren''t you?"

 Chapter 155 - Is It Over? - Part 3

    "You''re a werewolf, aren''t you?"

    Hearing the word "werewolf" come out of his mouth made me stop in my tracks, surprised that he was aware of our existence. Not many humans do. Given how calm he was when he said it, I suppose there was no need to hide.

    "There''s no such thing as a special case," he said, shrugging his shoulders as he glanced at me. "I knew of your ability. She must be your mate."

    I thought he was the same as the other humans I''ve metˇŞfoolish. Perhaps I shouldn''t have underestimated the doctor. This one doesn''t seem to be as dumb as the others.

    "I''m surprised you''re aware of us," I folded my arms together, leaning my back against the wall behind me. I watched him as he pulled the drawer beside the bed, looking for something amid the mess that was there.

    "I''ve been to way too many places toˇŞ" he halted, struggling to pull the jammed drawer, "ˇŞbe fooled by you," he finally yanked it out just I was about to lend him a hand, unintentionally pulling the drawer off its slides and toppling it to the floor.

    A series of crashing and shattering sounds thundered across the silent night, and it was enough to wake the few houses nearby. The doctor acted as if nothing happened and turned over the fallen drawer, letting the items inside fall to the ground.

    There were a few syringes, band-aids, medicines, napkins, books, dolls, apples, candies, just about anything that you wouldn''t expect to find together. He appeared to have just thrown anything in this drawer.

    He went over them, throwing aside the things that he didn''t need without the intention of tidying them up. He picked up the candy and offered it to me, which I refused, as I was a bit concerned about the cleanliness of the candy. I wouldn''t want to be poisoned by both this candy and the witch''s snakes.

    After setting them aside, he finally found what he was looking for. It was a small transparent bottle containing a red pill, which seemed to be in much better condition than the rest of the items here. The bottle looked relatively new, compared to the band-aids and books that have revealed their true ageˇŞnot to mention, the wrinkled brown apple. They looked like they had been here for years, desperate to be thrown away.

    "What''s that?"

    "A pill I got when I went to Gordom," he let out a sigh of relief as he held the pill in his hand, probably thinking that he''d lost it. "A vampire gave me this after I helped him treat his dog, a sign of gratitude, as he said. I don''t even know why he thought I would need this. Perhaps for today."

    He knew about vampires too? What kind of things did he do for him to know about us? Though there are some humans who know about our existence, there are only a few of them. Most of them were the elderly, as they knew more about our history. Is he older than he looks? His hair is undeniably similar to that of an old man.

    "What can that pill do?" I asked, being the first time seeing such a pill.

    "Generate more blood in your system," he answered, walking towards a room that seemed to be his kitchen. Though he didn''t light any lanterns, I could still see how messy his kitchen was. The sink was full of dirty dishes, and food was sprawled all over the dining table. Is this really the house of a doctor?

    It was a good thing Andrew wasn''t here, or he would have gone insane over how messy this house was. It''s still not as bad as Maggie''s, though. Hers was absolutely horrendous.

    "It''s called a blood pill, pretty similar to a candy for vampires. They would eat this when they needed or craved for some blood," he took out a glass, wiped it clean with a cloth, then filled it with water. "We should have done a blood transfusion for your mate, but there''s no one around to offer her their blood."

    "But I''m here," I offered myself, making him look at me with slanted eyes.

    "Why do you think a dog''s blood and a human''s blood can be mixed togeˇŞ"

    "A dog?" I frowned, clearly unimpressed at how he addressed me. Do I need to show him my claws? He wouldn''t dare address me as such then. How offensive.

    "A wolf," he corrected, smiling as he cleared his throat. "A mighty wolf''s blood won''t go together with that of a human. And besides, blood transfusion isn''t an easy thing to do. The best option is for us to let her drink this pill."

    He proceeded to crush the pill into tiny pieces, then mixed them into the water. He stirred the water with a spoon, making the clear water slowly turn red. He walked over to Violet, then used the spoon to dampen her mouth.

    "Do you mind lending me a hand?" he asked, handing me a basin. It didn''t look like he cared about whether or not I agreed to his request. "Go to the lake and fill this basin with water. We need to clean the blood off her."

    Doesn''t this sound more like he was ordering me around than asking for a request?

    "What lake?" I asked, not knowing the existence of a lake on this side of Wonsvile. Wonsvile wasn''t really blessed with many water resources, as there were only a couple of rivers and lakes surrounding the vast land.

    This caused a few parts of Wonsvile to suffer from severe drought when summer came, and it mostly affected small villages like this one. But hearing that there was a lake around here, I suppose summer won''t be too bad of a season for this village. Is it man-made?

    "Go around this house, head straight for a couple of minutes, and you''ll see a lake in no time," he said, then looked at me up and down, shaking his head in disapproval. "Maybe you can go and wash yourself while you''re at it."

    I looked down at my body, noticing how much dirt and blood were stuck to it. From a stranger''s point of view, with my chest still bare and my pants torn, I do look a bit like a beggar. Except that no beggar would look as good as I do.

    Though I knew I was a bit dirty, receiving that disgusted look from someone whose house looked like a dump irked me.

    "Why don''t you go there, and I''ll stay here to take care of her?" I proposed, and he didn''t even care to glance at me. He was nearly as vexing as Andrew.

    "Can you help her if something were to happen while I was away?" he replied without wasting a second to think about my suggestion, continuing to damp Violet''s mouth with water bit by bit.

    Though I didn''t want to admit it, he was right. I may be her mate, but I''m not a doctor. I wouldn''t know what to do if something were to happen while he was away, given that I had close to no medical knowledge aside from using my saliva to heal.

    [Andrew, keep an eye on the house for me] I mind-linked the Beta, not wanting him to do something funny while I was away. I wouldn''t even think of being ordered around by a mere human if he hadn''t been a doctor and was helping Violet.

    I walked out of the house and went in the direction he told me to, holding the basin in my hand. With Violet in such a state, I couldn''t possibly ask her to go to Larion to retrieve the cure for me. Should I look for some other white witches?

    It''s been three days since I was bitten, and things are only going to get worse from here. I glanced at my wounds from the snakes and saw that they were still there, fresh. They should have healed by now, but they haven''t. This clearly indicates that something is wrong with me. The previous episodes I got from the poison were hellish.

    After a few minutes of walking straight, I heard the sound of water moving. The lake was hidden behind trees and bushes, away from prying eyes. The lake reflected the bright moon above, and they met with such grace that it would bring a smile to anyone''s face once they laid their eyes upon them.

    The cold weather failed to cause the water to freeze, with the water dancing so freely along with the cold wintry wind and the swaying trees. The water was clear, almost transparent, and it was nearly possible to see the bottom of the lake. How can I not know about such a beautiful lake? I''m sure Violet would love to see this.

    Not wanting to spend too much time away, I quickly filled the basin in my hand with the water, immediately feeling the cold piercing through my bones upon the touch. I heed the doctor''s suggestion and briskly wash my body, removing the grime and blood from it.

    Whoever made this lake deserves my praise. Such a beautiful lake. It''s a shame that not many are aware of its existence. Is it the moonlight? This lake had the most enchanting scenery compared to the other lakes I''ve seen. The water here seemed to glisten with light and sparkles.

    After a few brief moments of being enchanted by the lake, I finally tore my gaze away from it. Perhaps because all of the things I''d seen today had been too gory, ending it with a beautiful lake like this might just be what I needed.

    I decided I''d given enough time to appreciate its beauty, so I walked away, carrying the basin in my hand.. Though I did notice the beauty of the lake, I failed to notice that the wounds in my body were starting to darken in color.

 Chapter 156 - Is It Over? - Part 4

    It was dark. I couldn''t see anything. But I could hear whispers.

    The whispers came one after another, each time getting louder and clearer to my ears. Then came a gust of wind, cold to my skin. I shivered and held my body closer, but the cold never went away.

    I looked around my surroundings, seeing nothing but darkness. I was in a room so wide and so big that I could never see the end of it. There was no one around, but it didn''t sound like I was alone.

    "You killed me."

    A whisper came from behind me, and it was followed by a cold breeze that blew through my hair. I quickly turned around, seeing no one behind me. Another whisper came, but still, there was no one there.

    Where is this? Why can''t I see anything?

    I started to walk around, trying to find a way out. No matter how long or how far I walked, I stayed in the same place, almost as if I was walking in place. The whispers came and went, following me everywhere I went.

    "Stop!" I shouted, covering my ears with my fingers. As if mocking me, I heard laughter, then cries. Then the whispers that only came once every few seconds started coming continuously, ringing so loudly in my head without a halt.

    "You killed me."

    "You killed me."

    "You killed me."

    "Stop!! Stop!!" I shouted again, but it was of no use. They ignored my pleas, happy to see me drown in the misery they gave me. Their whispers soon turned into screams, and all I could do was listen.

    I closed my eyes and covered my ears even more tightly, hoping that I could chase the sound away from me if I did so. It was a foolish hope, really, but what else could I do if not hope for it to stop?

    Why do they keep saying I killed them? I never killed anyone! Why would I kill? I''ve never even thought of killing anyone! That''s horrible!

    "You killed me."

    I opened my eyes.

    All of a sudden, I found myself surrounded by five children, each holding an expression as vile as the others. Their eyes burned with resentmentˇŞresentment that was meant for me. It was the same expression that I was so used to seeing, yet I hated it with a passion.

    "W-who?" I fell backward, surprised to see them surrounding me.

    The whispers stopped as soon as their eyes met mine, but the silence was much louder than the whispers they gave me. Five pairs of eyes stared at me, staring so intensely that they seemed to burn right through me.

    I could see nothing good about those eyes that looked down upon me, seeing and feeling their resentment so clearly before my eyes. It felt as if I was the most repulsive thing in this whole world.

    "You killed me," said one of the girls, while the others remained silent.

    "I didn''t!!" I quickly denied her faulty accusation, staring right back at the girl''s eyes. "I''ve never killed anyone!!"

    "You did," a new voice came, coming from someone that was not the children around me. The voice was distant, but grew closer as the voice walked towards me. I could hear her footsteps, then watched as the children made way for the new person to reveal herself.

    Another young girl appeared, her hair short and curly, her dress bloodied. She had no shoes on her feet, but she had a knife in her chest.

    I knew her.

    She walked closer to me, then knelt down, taking my hand to her chestˇŞto the knife in her chest. "You killed me."

    The moment I touched the knife in her chest, more blood spilled out from her chest, adorning me in red. Then, as if on cue, a bright golden flame appeared, burning the rest of the children.

    "You killed us."

    I watched the scene in horror.

    Blood continued to spill, flowing from her chest to my hand that was forced to hold the knife, then to the ground. The other five children danced under the fire, their eyes wide, still directed at me. I wanted to run.

    "N-no!! IˇŞI didn''t kill you!!" I cried as I tried to free my hand, but her hold was too strong for me to release it myself. "Iˇ­ I never meant toˇ­"

    I brought my face closer to my chest, no longer wanting to see whatever gruesome things were happening in front of me. It was too horrible, way too horrible for anyone to seeˇŞor rememberˇŞor experience.

    "Look at us," Doris said to me, her grip getting stronger as if to crush my wrist. "Look at what you did to us. You have to remember."

    With my fear getting the best of me, I tried everything I could to break free from her, eventually succeeding, but only after accidentally pulling the knife out of her chest with me.

    Blood immediately splattered everywhere, forming a pool of blood beneath her. I quickly threw the knife away from me, my hands shaking uncontrollably as I watched Doris fall to the ground.

    "N-no... no..." I shook my head and crawled backward to get away from her, trying to run, but finding the other five children behind me. They were still surrounded by the golden flames, their now red eyes still staring wide at me. It was clear what they wanted to do. Get back to me.

    They started to inch closer, raising their hands at me as if trying to choke me. I was terrified, but my legs were too weak to run. My heart pounded so loudly in my chest, and it felt like it was going to burst anytime soon.

    I wiped the tears that were blurring my vision, trying to find a way to escape. But instead of feeling tears on the back of my hand, I felt something thicker than tearsˇŞblood. It was blood, but not mine. It was theirs.

    "S-stop! Get away from me!" I shouted, waving my trembling hands in front of me to prevent them from getting closer. My breath started to grow shorter and faster, and I could feel myself getting lightheaded. "Pleaseˇ­ leave me alone."

    As I continued to back away from the children, someone from behind me suddenly grabbed my neck, choking me.

    Doris, walked forward to show herself in my lines of vision. She appeared with her fingers around my neck, eyes filled with hatred. She stopped me from running away, ultimately allowing the other children to move closer.

    "You killed us," she said, her finger getting tighter around my neck. I tried to pry her hands away from me, gasping for air as I did so. Instead of letting go, she ignored my pleas, letting the other children reach out to me as well.

    I started to feel the heat from the fire surrounding me, burning me under their intense resentment and grudge. More and more fingers grabbed my neck, hot against my skin. The stares they gave me burned more than the fire itself, and I could feel it in my bones.

    No longer able to put up a fight, I fell to my back, feeling the air leaving me. I grew weak and numb, my vision slowly turning darker and darker. My hands that were trying to pry them away from me fell limp, and my eyes grew heavier as more time went by. There was nothing else that I could do besides let the golden flames devour me whole.

    "Now it''s our turn."

    ˇ­

    "Violet! Violet!"

    A distant voice called for me, shaking my body. The voice started to grow louder and louder as my consciousness came back to me, pulling me away from the world of my dreams.

    "Wake up!!"

    I opened my eyes with a gasp, feeling my heart beating faster than normal. My fingers immediately went to my neck, finding no other fingers there besides mine. I perilously gasped for air, recalling the sensation of them choking me so clearly and vividly.

    It was a dream, but the fear was real.

    "Are you okay?" I found Luke, staring at me with his eyebrows drawn together, his eyes dilated with worry. "Breath," he said, holding my shoulders with his two strong hands.

    I followed him, watching how he breathed in and out to help me find my pace. His dark red eyes stared into mine, but I couldn''t sense the same feeling of dread I had in my dream. Instead, his stares gave me a sense of security and peace, chasing away any kind of fear I had left in me.

    "Are you okay?" he asked again, seeing me finally regaining my composure. Despite the cold weather, his forehead was adorned with beads of sweat, his hands were slightly trembling.

    I slowly nodded to his question, letting out a big sigh after successfully escaping my dream. It felt so real. Too real.

    Luke, too, let out a sigh of relief and pulled me into his embrace, wrapping me in his warmth.

    "Shit," he cursed. "You scared me. You were gasping for air in your sleep, and you wouldn''t wake up no matter how many times I called for you. Don''t scare me like that," he stopped, giving me a tighter embrace, "I thought I''d lose you."

    I also thought I''d lose myself in that dream.

    It didn''t feel like a dream. It felt more like they came to haunt me after what I did to them. What happened after the fire? Did I faint? Did Iˇ­ really kill them?

    "Whatˇ­ what happened to them?" I asked, hesitating as I was scared to find the answer. What if I really killed them?

    Luke pulled away from me, staring as if he didn''t know who I was referring to.

    "The children," I added. "Iˇ­ I didn''t mean to do that to them," I let my gaze fall, feeling my tears starting to blur my vision as I recalled the blazing fire around their bodies. "I only meant to erase the sigil, but the fire suddenly came up andˇ­ and burned them."

    The memory from yesterday right replayed in my mind like a cursed theater, and I could still remember how the golden flames blazed so fiercely and wildly as they devoured the children. Though they didn''t show any reaction, I could still see the real them in their eyes.

    Their pain, their sufferings, their fear.

    "Did Iˇ­ did I really killˇŞ"

    "What are you talking about?" He cut me off, frowning as he listened. "The children are fine.. You saved them."

 Chapter 157 - The Doctor - Part 1

    "What? They are safe?" I asked, couldn''t believe what I was hearing.

    How could that possibly be? It''s great that they''re safe, but that''s impossible when I clearly saw them burn in the fire. I saw it far too clearly to be mistaken.

    "They are," he said, nodding. "I saw them with my own two eyes. They''re not hurt anywhere, just unconscious. I asked Jack to look after them and the rest of the villagers." Perhaps noticing my confusion, he asked, "Why?"

    "But I saw them burn," I added. "The fire burned them alive, and you''re saying they got out of that fire unharmed? How is that possible?"

    "Well, it appears to be possible," he shrugged, though not knowing the answer to my question. "But that''s no longer important, is it? The most important thing is that they''re safe, and you''re safe too. That village would be dead if it hadn''t been for you."

    He is right. Perhaps it doesn''t matter how they escaped the fire alive. All that matters is that they are safe and that I didn''t kill them as I thought I had. Doris''s death was already more than what I could handle.

    "So, is everything over now?"

    "Technically, yes," he said, pulling away from me. He turned my body side to side, looking for any wounds or discomfort. "But that does not mean the black witches'' plot is over. We''re simply putting a stumbling block in their path."

    After last night, it scares me what more could happen if the black witches persist with their plan. Would the Great War happen all over again? Would there be many more deaths and sufferings? Would there be any peace at all? Would I live to see another year?

    The puppets were only one of the many plans that they had thought of for many years, and there must have been a lot more that we were unaware of. Each of those plans would bring the world closer to its end, and unfortunately, I was involved in one of those plans.

    The only way I could avoid being taken advantage of by them was to learn how to control my magic. I have to protect myself. I was lucky enough that I managed to use my magic last night, but I wouldn''t be so lucky every time. Many times, I''d have to rely more on my abilities rather than my luck. And surely, I didn''t have that ability yet.

    Though I do have a gist on how to use my magic now, I still didn''t have a clear understanding of it. If I want to help LukeˇŞif I want to help peopleˇŞI need to change. I need to be stronger, or I won''t be of any help. Hell, I won''t even survive in this world.

    "How are you feeling?" He asked, caressing my hair as he tidied it. "Do you feel sick?"

    I gave his question some thought and focused on how I was feeling, noticing that I wasn''t in any discomfort. I felt fine, almost as if I had just awoken from a very good sleep rather than a faint.

    "No, I feel good," I answered. "Too good that it''s weird, actually."

    Given that I fainted, it''s weird that I felt this good. It surely didn''t feel like I was just about to die from exhaustion the night before.

    "That''s good," he smiled, patting my head. "I suppose he''s a good doctor after all."

    "Doctor?" I asked.

    After several minutes of waking up, I finally noticed that we were in a place we were not familiar with. It appeared to be a normal house, with a few beds like the one I''m in strewn around the house. I could smell the smell of medicine, but mixed with an unpleasant smell that appeared to be the trash laying around the house.

    I looked at the ceiling and noticed a part of it had a hole in it, allowing the snow to come inside the house. There were also a few puddles on the floor, each filled with a questionable liquid. This house didn''t appear to be very well-kept.

    Although it still didn''t help the fact that this place didn''t seem to be a healthy environment for sick people to be in, at least the owner kept the area where the beds were cleaner than the rest of the house. Perhaps it was out of conscience.

    "Are we in a clinic or some sort?" I asked, trying to confirm that we were indeed in a clinic.

    "I''m just as surprised as you are," he said, nodding. "It''s my first time seeing a house this messy after Maggie''s house. And to think this is a clinic," he sighed. "At least he''s got the ability."

    "Where''s the doctor then?" I asked, seeing no one else besides us two in this place. I should at least thank him for helping me last night.

    "Who knows," he shrugged. "He''s been out for a few hours now. He told me to leave once you woke up. I''ve called for a carriage toˇŞ"

    Someone knocked on the door.

    "Hello? Is anyone inside?" A woman from outside the door asked, her voice as cheerful as the morning sun. "The doctor told me to invite the patient for a nice, fulfilling breakfast."

    Luke stood up and walked to the door, opening it to reveal the woman outside. There, I saw a plump lady, smiling brightly as she greeted Luke. She was wearing an apron over her body, similar to the one Bob always wears.

    "Oh, what a handsome man you are," she said, clapping her hands. "Are you the patient? I''ve just cooked a warm soup and wondered if you wanted to join me for breakfast. The doctor told me a patient came in last night and that you''d be hungry by now."

    "Good morning," Luke gave the woman a little bow, returning her smile. "The patient is the beautiful lady over there," he pointed at me, then continued, "So you might want to ask her instead. Thank you for the kind offer, though."

    "Oh," she peeked inside the house and found me, promptly walking over to me. I got out of bed to greet her, which she accepted warmly. "Good morning. How are you feeling?"

    "Good morning," I smiled, receiving a hug from the woman. "I''m feeling quite well, thanks to the doctor."

    "He''s a capable man, indeed," she nodded in approval, tapping my hand, which she was holding right now. "Are you hungry? I have a big bowl of soup back home, and it would be really nice if you and your husband could join us for breakfast."

    I glanced at Luke, seeing him with raised brows at how she addressed him as my husband. He was clearly content with the lady.

    "That would be really nice, but I''m afraid we will have to leave soon," I said, immediately seeing the disappointment in her face. Though the woman was kind enough to offer me breakfast, I didn''t want to eat anything from someone I''d just met. I learned from experience that I shouldn''t trust people so easily.

    Before the woman could say anything more, the sound of my stomach grumbling interrupted us. The mention of breakfast must have awoken my hunger, given that I''d spent a lot of energy the day before.

    "Your carriage can wait, but your stomach can''t. Right, Mr. Husband?" She cast a mischievous glance at Luke and laughed after hearing my stomach''s fury, pulling me towards the door. "A lady should eat more to give more," she whispered, winking at me.

    I asked Luke for some help, but he only laughed and let the lady pull me to her house. He followed behind, mouthing, "It''s okay. I will let Andrew taste the food first."

    ...

    "Coming through!" said the lady, holding a big pot she brought from her kitchen.

    We were sitting at a dining table, accompanied by two little children, along with Andrew. The children were no more than two years old, and they seemed to be fascinated by Andrew''s blonde hair.

    Andrew, being naughty as he was, wouldn''t let the children touch his hair and ended up making them cry. Surprised, he quickly offered his head to the children before the lady could notice them crying because of him.

    Placing the pot on the table, the lady joined us on the chair in front of me, helping us with our bowls.

    "It''s nothing much coming from a small village like this one, but we always try our best to welcome our guests," she said, handing each of us our bowls. "I hope you can make yourself feel at home and eat comfortably."

    "You''re too kind, ma''am," Luke said, then nudged Andrew to eat his bowl. He wouldn''t let me eat before Andrew did.

    As we were about to dig in, a man came in from the door, seemingly to be the head of the family. "Oh? We have guests."

    "My dear, they''re the doctor''s guests," the lady said, waving her hands at the man as she beckoned him to come. "Quick, remove your coat and join us for breakfast."

    The man did exactly what his wife told him to do, joining us at our table after we had exchanged our greetings.

    "If it''s the doctor''s guests, of course we have to give them our warmest welcome," he guffawed, making a pun out of the warm soup we were eating right now. They seemed to have a very high opinion of the doctor.

    "Is he that amazing of a man?" Andrew asked, slurping his soup while still letting the children pull his hair. When the lady asked the children to stop pulling his hair, he could finally sit with his back straight. "Thank goodness. I thought I''m going bald."

    "Of course, he is!" The man exclaimed. "If it weren''t for him, I wouldn''t be here today. Right, my dear?"

    "Oh, please don''t mention that," she hushed. "It still scares me when I think about that day."

    The man laughed at his wife, letting us in the story his wife didn''t wish to tell. "There was once when I went to the forest to hunt for deer, but I ended up shooting my arrow to the wrong target. I thought I saw a deer, but turns out it was a bear!

    The bear was so mad that it immediately ran towards me, striking me with its forepaws. I was lucky enough to escape its rage, but I didn''t manage to escape unscathed. I went back home with blood running from my chest to my legs, basically dying. I almost made her faint when she saw me."

    "It still amazes me how you managed to return home with all that blood with you," said the wife, recalling the events from her past. "When I saw him in that state, I ran all over the village asking for help, asking if anyone knew a doctor, but no one knew." She put her spoon in her bowl, pushing the bowl away from her.

    "And then the doctor magically appears," the husband went on, raising his hands and opening them in opposite directions. "We''d never seen or heard of him before, but he appeared out of nowhere and saved me from the brink of death. I thought I''d at least be crippled after such terrible wounds, but no! All it left was a scar."

    "I didn''t know he was that amazing," Luke praised, but mumbled, "I thought he was a brat."

    "If he''s that amazing, shouldn''t we have known of his name? A good doctor is a treasure," Andrew said, rubbing his hair. "What''s his name? Maybe we have heard one or two things about him."

    When the couple heard his question, they looked at each other, puzzled. The man frowned as he thought of the answer, and the lady scratched her head.

    "His name? What was his name again?" The husband asked his wife, but the wife was just as clueless as he was.

 Chapter 158 - The Doctor - Part 2

    The couple exchanged glances, both clueless about the question.

    "We just call him the doctor," the wife explained, and the husband quickly agreed. "That''s odd. How come I can''t remember his name?" She mumbled to herself as she ate another spoon of her soup.

    "The doctor is a busy man," the husband said as he fed the children one by one. "Even though he''s very well-known in this village, he''s not always present. He only visits every few days or weeks."

    "Is that the reason why his house looks like that?" Luke asked, blatantly showing his disgust. I''m not sure why, but I had a feeling he didn''t like the doctor.

    "Well, yes," the lady laughed. "We usually help him tidy his house, but with the winter at its peak, we''re too busy providing for ourselves to care about anything else. Winter isn''t the best season for us to live. It''s always a struggle to survive winter."

    "Why?" I asked, accidentally letting my ignorance slip out of my mouth. Maybe I shouldn''t have asked.

    Instead of laughing at my ignorance, the lady smiled and kindly explained, "Because the majority of the villagers are farmers, and most plants don''t grow in winter. We make money by selling the plants we grow, and we survive by eating the plants we grow as well."

    "At least we won''t die from cold," the husband laughed. "Do you know about the lake by the village?"

    "There''s a lake here?" Andrew asked, glancing at Luke for confirmation. Luke nodded, and he gasped. "I didn''t know Wonsvile had a lake around here."

    "The doctor made it for us," he added, proudly boasting about the doctor. More than anyone else here, I think the man had the highest praise for the doctor. "When he first came to the village, we were suffering from a severe drought during the summer. Crops died, cattle died, and people were dying. Most of us thought it would be the end of us. Although the government did give us some help to survive the drought, it wasn''t enough."

    Hearing that, Luke tensed up, most probably feeling guilty about the situation he failed to control. It seemed like it was his first time hearing about this. Even Andrew noticed his grim expression and looked away.

    "Many people were dying because of the disease that was going around, and also because of the lack of clean water to drink and use. The doctor saw the severity of the situation and tackled the root problem, which he did overnight. When the morning came, the drought was over."

    "A lake magically appeared on the barren land," the lady continued, smiling fondly at the memory. "People were cured of their illnesses, and this village came to life as it had never before."

    "And to add, the water of the lake is always cool during the summer, and it''s always warm during the winter! How amazing is that?" The man guffawed, accidentally spilling the soup on his youngest kid. The little girl cried. "Oh!"

    The three of us exchanged glances, surprised to hear about this anomaly. Even Luke and Andrew, who knew a lot more about this world, were as surprised as I was. How is that even possible?

    "How did he make a lake overnight?" Luke asked, intrigued. Perhaps this could be a way to help Wonsvile overcome future droughts.

    "He never told us how," the lady shrugged. "He only said he had a connection with a few capable men who helped him make this happen. We didn''t ask any further, as he obviously didn''t want to tell us."

    "We simply call it a miracle," said the man, wiping the little girl''s mouth as he cooed her. The little girl got back at him by spilling soup on his pants. "Lily!"

    "A miracleˇ­" Luke mused, frowning after hearing the story. What was he thinking?

    "Do you happen to know where the doctor is?" I asked the lady, seeing her giving a napkin to her husband. "I never got to thank him for helping me last night."

    "Unfortunately, I don''t," she regretted. "He never told anyone where he''d gone. He always comes and goes as he pleases."

    What a pity. I wanted to meet him. After hearing such high praise for him from the couple, I wanted to see what kind of person he was. It looks to me that Luke also had a few questions to ask of the man.

    It''s a bit odd, though. Despite knowing the doctor for quite some time, the couple knew nothing about him. Not even his name, which is weird. All they had were praises for the man, but even they themselves were not familiar with him.

    "Our carriage is here," Luke said, standing up from the table. He glanced at me and offered me his hand, taking both our bowls with him.

    "Oh! Please leave it to me," the lady quickly stood up and took the bowls from Luke, carrying them to the sink herself. "It was a pleasure to have breakfast with you three wonderful people. Please don''t be shy and visit us again next time," she smiled, bidding us her farewell. "Under better circumstances, of course."

    "The pleasure is entirely mine," Luke said as he bowed to both the lady and the man, flashing them his most dashing smile.

    Andrew went to the two little children and let them touch his hair one last time, pinching their cheeks. To his surprise, the children refused to let his hair go. The father had to carry the two little children to their room to separate them from Andrew. Did I just see a bald spot on his head?

    "Thank you for your kindness today," I said to the woman, welcoming her hug. "Please relay my gratitude to the doctor as well."

    Finished bidding our farewells, we went out the door and greeted the cold weather, seeing our carriage already waiting for us outside. Andrew walked ahead of us and went inside the carriage first, saying that he was itching for a good night''s sleep.

    I followed behind and got into the carriage after him, leaving Luke to be the last to enter. As he raised his foot to step inside, he suddenly stumbled and bumped his head onto the carriage floor, taking both me and Andrew by surprise.

    "Are you okay?" I asked, quickly receiving a nod along with a laugh from him.

    "Low blood pressure," he said calmly, then stepped into the carriage as if nothing had happened. Although he quickly dismissed my concern, his expression for the remainder of the ride was not as good as he''d claimed.

    ˇ­

    The ride home was quiet, with the three of us trying to rest after everything that happened. Luke was the fastest to sleep, as he immediately drifted off to dreamland the moment his butt hit the cushion.

    I leaned my head against the carriage wall, trying to spend the time resting. But perhaps because I''d gotten too good of rest the night before, I couldn''t seem to fall asleep. My mind wouldn''t let me to.

    Knowing that I wouldn''t be able to sleep, I opened my eyes, wanting to enjoy the scenery instead. But the moment I opened my eyes, I found a pair of eyes staring at me. Andrew.

    "Do you think elephants can jump?"

    The question caught me off guard, as I didn''t expect him to ask such a question now of all days. Where did elephants suddenly come from?

    "Why can''t they?" I said, actually clueless about this matter. "Can''t we all jump?"

    "Uh-uh," he said, shaking his head and moving his finger right and left. "Elephants can''t jump. Their legs aren''t built to do so. And to add, they''re too heavy to jump."

    "Oh," I nodded in understanding, but I couldn''t shake off the sudden awkwardness between us. "Why are you telling me this?"

    Though he was the one who said he was itching for sleep, when we got into the carriage, he was the one who was the least drowsy. He kept on shuffling on his seat, acting as if it was a big struggle for him to sit still for more than a minute.

    "Just because," he answered nonchalantly, shrugging. It looked like he was waiting for me to open my eyes just so he could have someone to talk to. He knew Luke wouldn''t bother answering him, so he turned to me instead. We''d only been in the carriage for a little over an hour, but he was already bored to death.

    After passing a few villages, we went into what seemed to be a forest, going up to the mountain road where the packhouse was located. Andrew, not wanting me to fall asleep, kept on telling me lame jokes, saying to not trust these trees because they seemed shady. I thought he would stop after a few jokes, but he continued to move his mouth until what seemed to be an eternity.

    "Talking about trees, do you want to know about that one story where I found a treehouse and met a group of singing squirrels?"

    Now I finally understand why Luke didn''t like the idea of riding in the same carriage as his Beta.

 Chapter 159 - Andrew And His Antics

    "ˇ­and I became their first audience!" Andrew bragged, boasting about his experience with the singing squirrels. "They gave me tons of acorns, and I gave them my hunt in return."

    Andrew has been talking for the last twenty minutes, and I didn''t know how to make him stop. It was fun listening to his story for the first ten minutes, but now it''s getting a bit tiring. He looked so excited, looking like a child with his chocolate, so I didn''t have the heart to tell him to stop.

    "What did you hunt?"

    "Foxes," he said, folding his arms together as if proud of his past decision. "They were terrified," he guffawed, lolling his head backward as he laughed. At first, I didn''t know what was funny about it, but then he added, "You see, foxes prey on squirrels."

    I gasped.

    "Why did you give them foxes?" I asked, feeling bad for the poor squirrels. It must be bad luck for them to meet such a mischievous man like him. "You could have given them flowers."

    "Wellˇ­" he turned to the window, recalling his past memory. "They''re not exactly good singers. I had to visit Ronald on the way back because my ears kept on ringing."

    No wonder he was their first audience.

    "It was hilarious when I saw them shocked out of their wits, but then they bit my butt!" He huffed, slanting his eyes as if remembering the pain. "I was only five, surrounded by five angry squirrels. It was traumatizing, " he shook his head. "Ever since then, squirrels have become my nemesis.

    I can''t even decide who was more unfortunate. Perhaps the squirrels. They only wanted to sing, but unintentionally hurt others by doing so. Little Andrew must have been a little too adventurous and obnoxious than most children. His parents must have had a hard time raising him. Even as an adult, Andrew was already hard to deal with.

    Even so, I''m jealous of him. I didn''t have any fun childhood memories to brag about. I was locked for as long as I could remember, so even if I share my story with people, all I will see from them is their pity. I don''t want to be pitied.

    "But how come you can already hunt for foxes when you were only five?" I asked. "I don''t think squirrels are any scarier than foxes."

    "Well, what can I do if I''m born so talented?" he said, and I could almost see his shoulders rising with pride. "The only thing stopping me from being an Alpha is the Alpha blood," he said, and I quickly glanced at Luke, relieved that he was still fast asleep. "If only I was born with the blood, thenˇŞ"

    "Then what?" Luke barked, and Andrew grew silent. Was he only pretending to sleep? I swear his eyes were closed two seconds ago.

    "Then I''ll still be your Beta, of course," Andrew laughed, slapping his thighs as he did. "There''s no way that I could replace you as the Alpha even if I was born with the blood, right?" He laughed louder, acting as if it was the most hilarious thing he''d ever heard in his whole life. "Only in my dreams, I guess."

    "Aren''t you asleep?" I asked.

    "I was," he smiled to me, then glared at Andrew, "But a certain someone kept on making such a racket that I couldn''t help but wake up. It was hard to keep sleeping while listening to the absurdity he was spouting."

    Andrew gasped.

    "Excuse me? Could you please tell me which of my stories you find absurd?" He protested. Though he was just avoiding eye contact with Luke a moment ago, it seemed that the comment which talked badly about his past adventures offended him.

    "All of them," Luke groaned, raking through his hair lazily.

    No longer wanting to respond to Andrew''s yapping, he glanced at me, then raised his palm so that it cupped my cheek. He stared at me for a few moments, then smiled as he caressed my cheek with his thumb.

    W-what''s with him? Why is he giving me such a soft smile?

    My cheeks grew warm when I saw him with a smile so handsome, making my heart flutter at the sight of him. That smile was the prettiest thing I''ve seen in a while, and those red eyes were the most enchanting of all. Is he really mine?

    "W-what''s wrong?" I asked, blushing.

    "Nothing," he chuckled, happy to see me acting this flustered again after such a long day. "You''re just too pretty."

    "Ha!" Andrew gawped. "What kind of discrimination is this? You''ve never looked at me with such dreamy eyes! You''ve also never spoken to me in such a soft tone, and we''ve been together for years! God, I can''t stand this anymore," he threw his hands up, as if surrendering, "Sir! Stop the carriage! I''m leaving!"

    I beckoned Luke to deal with Andrew, using my eyes to point at the angry Beta sitting across from us. Instead of stopping him, he smiled brightly, saying, "Don''t mind him."

    Complying with Andrew''s request, the carriage soon came to a stop in the middle of the mountain road, surrounded by the trees he told me not to trust. Even though he would have no problem hiking the mountain road all by himself, I felt bad that he had to leave the carriage.

    "Andrew, you don''t have to leave," I quickly grabbed his hand as he opened the door, stepping down the carriage.

    He looked back at me with a sad smile, feigning a sob in order to guilt-trip the AlphaˇŞwhich obviously didn''t work.

    "Please don''t mind me," he sobbed, his palm covering his mouth, "All these years of friendship..." he turned away, then clenched his hand around his heart, "ˇ­curse this loyal blood."

    I bit back my lips, trying not to laugh at his antics. How did Luke even find someone like him? He''s easily one of the most dramatic people I''ve ever met.

    I thought he would come inside the carriage once he knew his tactics failed, but it turns out he was being serious about getting off the carriage. Luke, too, didn''t care about the Beta leavingˇŞrather, he looked quite content with the outcome.

    The carriage soon started moving again, leaving Andrew behind to stare at us teary-eyed. Not long after the carriage moved, the sound of birds flapping in the sky and many more animals running was heard.

    Birds, rabbits, monkeys, foxes, all kinds of animals were seen running away from the mountain, running in the opposite direction to where we were going. They were in such a rush that I saw a few animals stumbling down as they ran, looking as though they were running for their lives.

    The carriage soon came to another halt, this time due to the animals blocking our path. A few animals collided with the carriage, causing us to shake inside while we worked hard to keep the carriage stable.

    "Andrew!" Luke called for the Beta, immediately receiving a response from the man who had fallen out of his act. "Search the surroundings!"

    Andrew, who was behind us, immediately dashed past us as a blonde wolf, running at such a speed that he made the carriage look no less than a sloth. He jumped to the swarming herd of animals with no hesitation, fighting the wave as he ran in the opposite direction of the others.

    "What''s happening?" I asked, taken aback by the sudden change of situation. Luke shook his head, heaving a sigh.

    "I don''t know, but this usually means someoneˇŞsomething is threatening these animals. They''re running to avoid the danger up ahead."

    Danger up ahead? But ahead is the packhouse. What danger could there be in the packhouse?

    "For now, we should stay in the carriage," he said, asking the coachman to start the carriage once he saw a clearing. "It''s safer here. And if anything happens, I''ll protect you. So don''t worry."

    Even though his voice sounded calm, the expression on his face showed the exact opposite. He was obviously worried that something might have gone wrong with the packhouse while he was away.

    Right now, the only one in charge is Lisa. Lisa is the Beta female, so I''m sure she''s as strong as the others, but what if something happened to her?

    What if an enemy took advantage of this, knowing that Luke and the others had been going out a lot in the past few weeks? I''m afraid it would be like what happened with Leonard again.

    Luke had his brows furrowed and his fist clenched as he watched the animals run down the mountain in terror. I put my hand over his, trying to assure him that no matter what happened, I''d be by his side.

    "ˇ­I''ll protect you too," I mumbled.

    Hearing this, I found him smiling, saying words that showed his faith in me without even glancing back at me.

    "I''m sure you will."

 Chapter 160 - Where Is Lisa?

    Arriving at the manor, Luke pulled me out of the carriage and ran inside, looking for anything out of the ordinary. The manor was still as beautiful as before, but no one was seen inside. It was completely devoid of people.

    He ran so fast that I was having a hard time keeping up with him, but I didn''t want to slow him down. His panic was written all over his face and his movements.

    "Lisa!" He called out to the Beta female, either with his voice or through the mind-link, but received no response. He cursed. "Lisa! Where are you?!"

    What''s going on? The manor was never empty. Even when Luke told everyone to stay away from the manor the first time I arrived, there was always a servant or two around. But now, there was no one, not even a maid or a servant.

    We ran through every room in the manor, but all we found was an empty room. Luke was getting even more frustrated upon seeing his empty manor, anxious that something had happened to his people.

    "Luke! We should go to your office," I suggested, thinking that Lisa might be there working.

    Luke immediately heeded my suggestion and ran to the other building, where the hardworking people usually gathered. We went to the building covered in white, a place where Luke usually spent most of his time.

    Same with the manor, there was no one around. His office was left untouched, and not even a soul was seen in the training grounds. Every meeting room felt haunted, dark, and secluded. Where did everyone go?

    Did something really happen? Did someone sneak in and kidnap everyone here? But how is it even possible to kidnap so many people at once? I would still believe it if only one or two people were missing, but that is not the case now. There were dozens of people all around the manor.

    Just as we were about to pass the second floor, I found a door that was left slightly ajar. The lights inside escaped through the space created by the door, catching my attention as we passed by. I went my separate ways and walked towards the door, opening it fully.

    It was Bob''s kitchen, the table scattered with bottles of wine and beers, left unattended. It looked as if the people here left in a hurry, with no time toˇŞdid I step on something?

    I looked down, seeing a hand under my foot.

    "AHH!!"

    I screamed and fell to my butt, frightened to see a hand out of nowhere. Luke, hearing me scream, ran at the speed of light and almost slipped when he ran through the door.

    "Violet! What happened?!"

    I pointed at the hand with my trembling hands, "I-Is that a corpse?!"

    Luke looked at the hand and walked forward as I stepped away, sighing as he pulled the cloth covering the table. Under the table, we found a woman whose hand was sticking out of the table, completely knocked out with a few bottles of beer around her.

    "Lisa?" I approached her and tried to pull her out of the table, only to discover that she was not alone under the table. "Bob?!"

    After successfully pulling her out of the table, I tapped her cheeks to wake her up, but she wouldn''t wake up. Worried, I put a finger to her nose, relieved to feel her still breathing. Knowing how much she loves alcohol, it wasn''t a surprise to see her like this. But with Bob, it was a whole different story.

    "Why did they drink so much?" Luke asked, waving his hand to his nose to chase away the strong reek of alcohol coming from the two. He then approached Bob, struggling to get the man from under the table. He cursed as he pulled, complaining about Bob''s weight.

    I tapped Lisa a few more times, seeing her finally responding to my calls. But instead of waking up, she snuggled closer to the bottle in her arms, smiling as she kissed it. "One more bottleˇ­" she muttered in her sleep, smacking her lips as she returned to her dreams.

    Is she still dreaming about drinking even after getting this wasted?

    I took the bottle from her hands and slapped her arm, determined to wake her up. Annoyed, she swatted my hands away, muttering curse words. Still not losing my determination, I pinched her nose, making it difficult for her to breathe and forcing her to wake up.

    When she felt her breathing getting hitched, she tapped my hands, trying to rip it away from her nose, but I persisted. Still, with her supernatural strength, she managed to pull my fingers away from her, ultimately waking up as she did so.

    "Gah!! Who the hellˇŞ" she sat up, frowning as she turned to towards me, looking as if she was ready to breathe fire to my face. "Violet? You''re back!!" Her frown vanished as soon as she realized it was me, hugging me with such glee. "Gosh, it feels like I haven''t seen you in ages. Is it because I''m always surrounded by stinky men? It''s nice to have another woman around."

    I was worried that something might have happened to her, but looking at how energetic she was, perhaps my worry was not needed. I was worried that someone might have poisoned her with all this alcohol to the point that she wouldn''t wake up. It turns out, it was only her nature.

    "Lisa, what happened to the manor?" I asked.

    "Huh? What do you mean?" She returned the question as she stroked the hand that I stepped on before, wondering why it was hurting.

    "Did something happen while we were away?" Luke continued my question, having given up on waking his loyal chef.

    "No," she said proudly, shaking her head, "What could possibly happen while I''m here? Everything is under control."

    "Then where is everyone? Why can''t I see anyone around?"

    "Ahh," she laughed, finally grasping the Alpha''s worry, "I sent everyone on a one-day holiday. Winter is at its peak. It''s the best time to hibernate."

    Do wolves even hibernate?

    "I''ve been training the warriors like crazy these past few weeks, so I figured they deserved a break. I decided to give the maids and servants a holiday too, just to be fair," she continued, then glanced towards Bob, smirking as she saw him still out cold. "That''s why there are only two of us here, having a drinking contest, the winner of which is already very obvious."

    When he heard her response, Luke let out a huge sigh of relief, relieved that nothing bad had happened to his people. He sat down beside Bob, releasing the tension that had been building up. Lisa gave him a weird look, then looked at me, as if asking what was wrong with him.

    "Actually, on our way back, we saw a lot of animals running down the mountain as if their lives depended on it. We thought something might have happened to the manor, that''s why we were worried sick when we saw no one was around."

    "Animals running?" She frowned, her face turning green. Is she worried or is she feeling sick? "I haven''t heard anything about this. Have you searched the mountain?"

    "Andrew is searching the area right now," Luke said, and the green in Lisa''s face brightened for a moment. "We have to wait for him to return to know more about the situation."

    Now that I think of it, I have never really seen Lisa and Andrew together. I have seen them together on several occasions, but I never really saw how they acted around each other. Will Andrew still be as goofy as he is now when he''s with his mate?

    Regaining more of her consciousness, Lisa stood up from her previous position, seemingly still a little dizzy. I wonder just how many bottles she drank yesterday to make her this hungover.

    "You shouldn''t have let him drink too much," Luke scolded her, pointing at her drinking rival from last night, "You know Bob can''t handle his alcohol well."

    "But he sure is no coward," she guffawed. "I only teased him a little, saying I''d clean his kitchen for a year if he beat me in a drinking contest, but he ended up having to make me his legendary chocolate cake forˇŞ" she abruptly came to a halt, then brought her palm to her mouth, her eyes widening.

    When Luke noticed Lisa''s face turning greener, he quickly drew me aside, just as Lisa poured out her insides to demonstrate the power of alcohol. The kitchen quickly turned into a mess, thanks to Lisa, who successfully painted it with vibrant colors.

    Bob would definitely cry when he saw all this mess in his kitchen.

    Luke shook his head at the sight, frowning disapprovingly when he turned to me, giving me advice like the one a mother would give to her children.

    "This is why you shouldn''t drink."

 Chapter 161 - Luke - Part 1

    Leaving Lisa to take care of her mess, we decided to head back to our room for a well-deserved rest. I wanted to help clean up the mess in the kitchen, but Luke told me that she had to do it herself for her to learn her lesson. He said she''d done it so many times that he could even remember the horrible smell of her puke.

    For the safety of Bob''s heart, we helped move him to his room so that he wouldn''t see the mess in his kitchen in case he woke up before Lisa finished cleaning the mess she made. Bob wasn''t the type to cause trouble, but like most werewolves, he had a pride to keep. Lisa knew about it and took advantage of it, engaging him in a drinking contest to have a drinking buddy for the night.

    Seeing Lisa like this, I can see why the Moon Goddess chose Lisa and Andrew to be mates. One needs to find someone who is as crazy as they are in order to have someone who can keep up with them. Then how come I''m chosen to be Luke''s mate?

    I wonder what kind of qualifications I had for the Moon Goddess to choose me as Luke''s mate. Was there some sort of election when she chose someone as each other''s mate? No, wait, the real question isˇŞis she even real?

    I glanced at Luke, seeing him with a frown on his face. He had his brows curled together, beads of sweat forming on his forehead all the way to his neck. Is something wrong with him?

    "Is something wrong? You don''t look well," I asked, placing a hand on his shoulder to stop him from walking.

    He glanced at me and smiled, but even the birds would know that he was forcing himself to do so. "Nothing," he said, taking my hand in his and locking our fingers together.

    "But you''re sweating so much," I added, wiping the sweat off his forehead with my other hand. He, too, wiped his own sweat, appearing to only have realized that he was sweating buckets in the middle of winter.

    "It''sˇ­ a weird thing my body does," he chuckled, brushing away my concern as if it was unneeded. "I sweat a lot in winter."

    Seriously, what''s wrong with him? It''s obviously a lie. Does he need to go to the toilet? It sure looks like it. Is he too embarrassed to say that he needed to go for number two? He didn''t have to be.

    Thinking that my assumption was right, I didn''t ask any further and pulled our tangled hand, asking him to continue moving. "Come on, we should hurry and head back to our room."

    He looked visibly relieved that I didn''t insist on asking about his condition, and it made me sure of my previous assumption. Perhaps it was his way of releasing the tension that had accumulated within his body, now that everything has calmed down.

    Even though nothing happened at the manor and everyone is safe, this does not mean that nothing is going on outside the manor. Something was definitely going on outside that caused the animals to run from the mountain. I wonder what that is. I hope it''s nothing too seriousˇŞthough the possibility seems a bit low considering how frantic those animals were.

    Why does trouble keep coming? I thought everything in my life would go well once I escaped my father, but it really is trouble after trouble.

    After walking at a faster pace, we finally arrived at our lovely room. It''s only been a day since we left for the village, but it sure feels like it''s been weeks since we were last here. There''s really no better place than your own room. I wish I could stay here forever.

    I let Luke use the bathroom first to take care of his business and took a warm bath, while I waited for him as I sat on the sofa. I threw more logs into the fireplace, letting the fire warm the whole room.

    I watched as the fire grew bigger and bigger, devouring the logs to fuel itself. The sight of the fire reminded me of the fiery flames from before, the sensation of it around me still as clear as day.

    Weirdly enough, I liked the sensation of having the fire around me. It was comforting, as if I was being engulfed in a warm embrace. If only the circumstances were better, it would be a nice experience to be surrounded by that fire. I''d love to feel it one more time. With that in mind, a question came to me.

    Will it hurt if I touch this fire?

    I held out my hand, inching closer to the warmth provided by the dancing flames. If it doesn''t hurt, does it mean I can control fire or something? I know every witch has something that they are good at, like the blood witch, but I haven''t found what mine is. Perhaps this could be myˇŞ

    "Ouch!" I guess not.

    As my hand got closer to the fire, the comforting warmth quickly turned into a painful warmth, shattering any hopes I had for a new discovery about my magic. Right now, my magic is pretty much a puzzle, something that I''ve got to solve in order to discover.

    Though I''ve grown accustomed to feeling my magic around me, I still haven''t gotten the hang of it. I knew how to let my magic in and out, but I still couldn''t control the flow of my magic.

    Maggie told me that magic is very vast and that it can be used to do almost anything. It''s exciting to think about doing so many things with magic, but at the same time, the thought of magic controlling me rather than me controlling my magic scares me. If you can''t control it, magic is practically a double-edged sword.

    I heaved a sigh and leaned back on the sofa, pulling the blanket to my chest for extra warmth. It would be perfect to have a cup of hot chocolate while watching the snow fall outside my window.

    As I was thinking about going back to the kitchen to make myself a cup of hot chocolate, someone knocked on the door.

    "Alpha," called the person, and by the sound of his voice, Andrew was the one standing behind the door. I walked towards the door and swung it open, allowing Andrew to enter. "Oh, you''re here too," he said as he entered, then noticed something was amiss.

    He looked around and noticed a few things that didn''t seem to be Luke''s laying around the room, and his smirk grew as he put the pieces together. "This is no longer Luke''s room alone, is it?"

    "He insisted on sleeping together," I explained.

    "Of course," he said, folding his arms over his chest and smiling from ear to ear like a proud brother. "Perhaps you should start thinking of a name for yourˇŞ"

    "Andrew," Luke finally came out of the bathroom, looking better than before. He scowled at his Beta, telling him to shut his mouth with his eyes. Andrew laughed and pretended to zip his mouth, but the smirk on his face only grew wider. Without beating around the bush, Luke asked the man, "What did you find?"

    "Just a bunch of scared animals," he replied, taking a seat on the sofa in front of me. "They all left their houses in a hurry. Even the squirrels didn''t have the time to take their acorns out of their secret stash," he said, then rummaged through his pocket, taking out a bunch of acorns. "So I took them instead."

    What''s with Andrew and squirrels?

    "Did you find out why?"

    "No," he said, shaking his head. "I didn''t find anything, but I smelled something while I was running through the forest. It smelled like there was another wolf in the area, someone who was not part of our pack."

    "Is it a rogue?" I asked.

    "Rogue usually smells like shit, but this one didn''t smell as bad," he replied, shaking his head once more. "It certainly is an unfamiliar scent, but for some odd reason, I feel like I''ve smelled it before. I can''t seem to put my finger on whose scent it is, though."

    Is someone from another pack paying us a visit? If so, shouldn''t Luke have known about it? And why would their appearance scare the animals?

    Luke, hearing about it, calmly brewed himself a tea, taking his time to think of his next decision. "Send a message to the other packs and ask if anyone has entered ourˇŞ" he abruptly came to a halt, the teapot trembling in his hand.

    By the next second, the teapot slipped from his grasp and shattered into tiny little pieces on the ground, spilling the tea inside. I quickly jumped to my feet and ran towards him, catching him just as he was about to fall.

    "Luke!"

 Chapter 162 - Luke - Part 2

    "Luke!" Both me and Andrew simultaneously rushed towards him, catching him before he hit his head on the floor. I brushed the broken teapot aside, not minding a few pieces that accidentally grazed my feet. "What''s wrong?"

    I helped him sit and leaned him against the wall, allowing him to relax his body. Though it was my intention to let him relax his body, the excruciating pain in his head wouldn''t allow him to do so. He grasped his hair with both hands, trying to withstand the pain.

    Along with the pain that came, he lost the strength in his body, even the strength to answer my question. The sweat that had vanished started to reappear, and the veins in his temples started to show. It was my first time seeing him in such pain.

    "Andrew, call Ronald! Quick!" I said, but then I felt Luke''s hand on mine, stopping me.

    He shook his head weakly, struggling to even utter a word.

    "Mˇ­ Maggieˇ­" he said, his voice as soft as a whisper. Andrew didn''t spare a second longer and immediately rushed out, doing as he was told to.

    Maggie? Why look for her now? Shouldn''t we look for Ronald in a case like this?

    Though I was confused, my concern was bigger than my curiosity. I could feel my heart beating faster as I saw him wriggling in pain, panicking as I didn''t know what I was supposed to do now.

    What on earth is happening? He did look unwell before, but I thought it was because he needed to go to the toilet. He was fine just a minute ago, so why is he suddenly hurting?

    "D-do you need anything? Water? Pillow?" I asked as I looked around, trying to find anything that might help him with the pain. "I''ll go get some water," I said, but then he grabbed my hand, preventing me from leaving.

    His grip was so strong that it hurt my hand, but that alone was enough to answer my question without him uttering a word. He needed me.

    What should I even say to someone who is in pain?

    "It''sˇ­ it''s okay," I said, hesitating as I didn''t know whether those were the right words to say, "I''ll be here. It''s going to be over soon," I squeezed his hand, trying to give him the support he needed.

    Think, Violet, think. What can I do to ease his pain? I took a moment to think about the best way to help him, but I couldn''t help but be distracted by his constant groaning. He was someone who never showed anyone that he was suffering, but now, he couldn''t even hide it even if he wanted to. This can only mean that he''s in a lot of pain.

    What do people usually do when they find someone in pain? The first thing would be to call a doctor, then what? I was always the one in pain, but no one really came to my aid. Anna would come by my room every now and then, but all she did was give me some ointment and some warm soupˇŞwhich was more than enough for meˇŞas she had to do it discreetly to avoid being found out by the two devils in my house. Aside from that, all I did was cry myself to sleep as I endured the pain.

    "Damn snakesˇ­" he groaned, saying every kind of curse word that I didn''t even know existed for the aforementioned snakes with extra struggle.

    What snakes? Wait, no! I shouldn''t keep getting distracted! I should hurry and come up with aˇŞwait, distract? That''s right! I should distract him so that he wouldn''t be so focused on his pain!

    "Dˇ­do you want to hear a story about a girl and a prince?" I asked, trying my hardest to come up with a story with my limited imagination. Though he didn''t manage to give me an answer, I started my tale, assuming that he had agreed to hear about it.

    "There once lived a girl in a haunted house, where she lived there all by herself with the ghosts that existed there. Every day, the ghosts would keep on bothering and harassing her, making her life a living hell. And as much as she wanted to escape, the ghosts wouldn''t let her out and locked her inside.

    She struggled in that darkness for years, and her only solace was in her dreams. Every day, the only thing she could look forward to was for the day to come by quickly, as only then would she live in a world better than the one she was living in."

    Though he was still groaning in pain, it didn''t seem to be as bad as before. Perhaps distracting him was the right solution.

    "She dreamt of the vast blue sea, the sweet chocolate, and everything she saw in the old books left by her motherˇŞwhich were her only source of entertainment in those hellish years. But then one day, a prince from another country came to that haunted house and chased away all the ghosts she couldn''t.

    He broke the chain on her legs and brought her out of that house, showing her all the colours of life that she had long forgotten. The prince brought her to his palace, giving her his utmost care and attention so that she wouldn''t feel uncomfortable living in an unfamiliar place. The prince was the kindest, bravest, strongest, and most handsome of men. Everyone in the country admired him, and almost everyone liked him. ThenˇŞ"

    The door suddenly sprang open, making a loud noise as it collided with the wall behind it. Two figures, Andrew and Maggie, appeared from the other side of the door and rushed in to see the Alpha''s conditionˇŞwell, only Andrew.

    "How''s he?" asked Andrew.

    I shook my head at his question, telling him that he was still in pain. Maggie shoved Andrew aside and crouched in front of Luke, snorting as she saw his condition.

    "I told you their poison is deadly, didn''t I?" She asked him, not caring about how he was still in too much pain to answer her. "Then why do you have more of their poison inside of you instead of that damned antidote?"

    This being my first time hearing about it, I couldn''t help but ask what all this nonsense was all about.

    "What are you talking about? What poison?"

    She looked at me, dumbfounded by what she had just heard. She then glanced at Andrew, who shook his head lightly as if to answer her questioning look. Then she laughed.

    "It seems that your mate cares more about your well-being than his own life," she said, which didn''t help at all and only added to my confusion.

    "What do you mean?"

    How did he even get poisoned in the first place? We were always together, and nothingˇŞpoison? When he cursed those certain snakes, were they perhaps the two snakes that bit him back at the church? But when we got it checked with Ronald the last time, he said he didn''t find any poison, so how did this happen?

    And why didn''t he tell me if he knew about it?

    Seeing that I was starting to realize what she meant by it, she smiled at me and started to explain more clearly what was happening.

    "He," she said, pointing to Luke, "got poisoned by those snakes at the churchˇŞwhich we call the guardiansˇŞand if he doesn''t take the antidote to the poison within a week, you might have to bid your handsome Alpha farewell."

    I glanced at Andrew, seeing him nodding his head to confirm her words. I felt my heart fall at his confirmation, not wanting to believe that this wasn''t a lie. He only had four days to live, and yet, he didn''t even tell me about this? How could he do that? He could at the very least tell me about it so that we could think of a way to solve this together.

    How am I supposed to live if I lose him?

    "You knew, so why didn''t you tell me?" I asked Andrew, biting back my lips to hold back my anger.

    "IˇŞ" he paused, clearly feeling guilty, but continued, "I didn''t mean to. He didn''t want to worry you, so he tried to sort this out by himself, butˇ­"

    "Don''t you think I''d be more concerned if I found him squirming in pain for no apparent reason?" I felt myself fuming, but I knew it wasn''t his fault. He was only doing what he was told to, but I couldn''t help but let a little of my anger out.

    "Soˇ­ are we going to save him or what?" Maggie stepped in before Andrew could respond, unintentionally sparing him my wrath.

    At the same time Maggie asked the question, Jack appeared and came to a halt when he saw what was happening with the Alpha. Unlike me, he recognized what was going on right away.

    Andrew stood up and helped me move Luke to the bed, using the most serious expression I''ve ever seen on his face as he announced,

    "We''re going to Larion."

 Chapter 163 - Larion - Part 1

    Larion, the land of magic.

    It was the first time I''d heard of such a place, as well as the Wishing Tree, a tree that will grant your wish if your intention is pure. To save Luke, we must ask the Wishing Tree for its fruit, which has the power to heal all illnesses in the world.

    With all of the benefits that come with the fruit, the road to finding it is said to be extremely difficult. Maggie said that even finding Larion itself is difficult, as the gate''s location changes every two days and there is no way to know where it will move to next.

    Though I didn''t want to leave Luke behind, I was the only one who could help him find the antidote. Not wanting to leave him alone, I had to ask Lisa to take care of him while I was away, and she immediately sobered up when she saw his condition. Apparently, it was her first time seeing the Alpha so vulnerable.

    When we decided to leave, Luke had passed out from the excruciating pain he was feeling and had no other choice but to be bedridden. The last time I saw him, he was sweating all over, and the color on his face had faded away.

    "He''s going to be fine," Jack crept beside me and whispered in a soft, yet solemn tone. "He''s the strongest werewolf alive. Such a measly poison is not going to kill him."

    "Right," Andrew chimed behind, nodding. "If he was that easy to kill, I''d have been the Supreme Alpha long ago."

    I forced a laugh, trying to look as calm as possible to not worsen the situation. Even though these two men looked at ease, I knew that they were just as worried as I was. After all, they had known him longer than I had, so there was no way they were not affected by this.

    Just as how Luke is staying strong to fight the poison, I, too, have to stay strong and bring him back the antidote to help him win the fight.

    All this time, he was the one who went out of his way to help me, and now it''s my turn. I won''t waver just because of a slight hindrance like this, because I know he''s not going to leave me. He promised.

    "I know," I smiled at them as I tightened my shoelaces, holding my head high as I stood. "Because we''re going to save him."

    With one last look at the manor, I walked towards Maggie, who stood by the start of the forest, looking for something inside her bag. When she finally found the thing she was looking for, she pulled out a doll, smiling when she saw it.

    "Hell, where did you pick up that doll?" Andrew mocked the doll, scrutinizing it with a disapproving look. "Anyone would believe you if you said it was cursed."

    The doll looks like a bear, but at the same time, it doesn''t. It was brown, with one of its eyes nowhere to be seen, as well as its tail. It was holding a cane, a candy cane, and it was no bigger than Maggie''s palm.

    I didn''t know why Maggie was looking for a doll out of nowhere, but then she whispered something to the doll, and the doll started coming to life. Andrew, who was still mocking the doll, suddenly got punched by a fluffy paw and fell backward out of surprise.

    "Did it justˇŞ" he stared at the doll, clearly taken aback by the fact that he had been punched by the so-called "cursed doll."

    "That''s a warning to not judge his appearance," Maggie laughed, content with what happened with Andrew. The doll then sprang out of Maggie''s hand and stood on its own two feet, clinging the candy cane to the ground for support.

    "What is this doll?" I asked, trying to ease the confusion on the two men''s faces, including mine.

    "Call him Coco," Maggie introduced him, and he bowed down to both me and Jack, but not to Andrew. "He may be small, but he will lead us to Larion. And unless you want to feel his fluffy punch, don''t call him cute or any other insult."

    "Who on earth will call this thing cuˇŞ" Andrew was cut short by another fluffy punch to the stomach, grunting as the punch was getting stronger than before. "Is he made of bricks or what?!"

    No one responded to Andrew''s grunts and started to walk forward, following Coco and leaving Andrew behind. Is this what magic can do? Making inanimate objects come to life? It seemed that Coco could understand what we were talking about, but had no ability to respond in words. Instead, he responded with his actions, as what was shown before.

    Maggie pulled out a map of the three lands, putting it on the ground for Coco to see. Coco sat by the middle of the map and closed one of his eyesˇŞwhich was all he gotˇŞand folded his paws to his chest.

    A few moments passed, and Coco finally stood up, walking around the map with his eyes still closed. After walking around the map for one full circle, he settled on a place and opened his eyes, tapping the map with his paw.

    "He said it''s somewhere in the Shadow Woods," Maggie said, and both Andrew and Jack groaned. "It''s time for you two wolves to shine, no?"

    Not knowing what she meant by it, I turned to Jack, asking for an explanation.

    "Shadow Woods isn''t exactly a good place to go to. There are a lot of wild animals, and the trees are so dense and tall that it''s hard for the sunlight to even get through them."

    Right. Though I''ve only seen the Shadow Woods briefly while I was on the way back from Gordom, I remembered it being really dark and eerie.

    Andrew squatted down and nudged Coco, asking, "Are you sure this is the right place? It might be good if you could check it again, just to be sure."

    Coco briefly glanced at Andrew, then looked away without giving him any response. I could almost hear a huff from Coco.

    Andrew gasped at the disrespect.

    Jack, following Andrew, squatted down and asked the same question, immediately receiving a nod from Coco. Andrew gasped again.

    "How dare he..." he said, glaring at Coco''s small and round back. He then mumbled something about hiding Coco''s candy cane while he slept.

    As we made our way down the mountain, I could see that our surroundings were empty, and even the hums of the birds couldn''t be heard. All the animals we had seen before had gone to hide, yet it was still unknown what or who they were hiding from.

    According to Andrew, he could smell another wolf in the area, but it was neither a rogue nor someone from our pack. When he asked Jack about it, he said he could smell it too, but he also didn''t know whose smell it was.

    As there was still a chance that this presence would pose a threat to us, we gathered a few groups of warriors by the manor, led by Lisa and Zeke. If the news of Luke''s condition spread, it would undoubtedly create a huge opportunity for anyone interested in the position of Supreme Alpha to take action. We have to make haste.

    Wanting to go at a faster pace, Jack and Andrew shifted to their wolf forms and became our means of transportation for the day, running through the cold winter breeze. We''d usually have to travel for two hours to get to the Shadow Woods, but we cut it down to one hour by taking a shorter route which humans usually takeˇŞultimately risking ourselves being discovered by them.

    Thankfully, there weren''t many people around, and those who were around didn''t seem to notice what we were riding on as we were running at an inhuman pace.

    Following Coco''s instruction, we went out of Wonsvile''s gate and dived into the dark forest, immediately finding ourselves surrounded by tall and daunting trees. Though it was still early in the morning, it looked like it was past midnight here.

    It was dead silent, and the only sounds were those of the two wolves. We ran fearlessly, going deeper into the forest without knowing what would appear in front of us. Due to the darkness and the speed, Coco got a little confused while telling us the way, but it soon became a small matter when we reached the mouth of a cave.

    "We''re here," Maggie said, followed by Coco''s energetic nods.

    Both Jack and Andrew shifted back to their human forms, and their clothes immediately appeared out of thin air with a single word from Maggie. She said she didn''t appreciate the sight she was seeing. Andrew protested.

    As we got ready to enter the cave, a few growls and hoots came from behind us. We turned around and saw a group of animals, ranging from lions to a handsome looking birdˇŞwhich was said to be an eagleˇŞthat appeared to have been following us from behind the shadows.

    "I swear, if this isn''t the right placeˇŞ" Andrew sighed, his gaze fixed on Coco, "ˇŞsay goodbye to your candy cane."

 Chapter 164 - Larion - Part 2

    Andrew stepped forward and hid me behind him, his eyes shooting daggers at the animals. It was the ultimate fight between werewolves and the king of the jungle.

    There were all kinds of animals you''d expect to see in a jungle, except they looked much, much fiercer than the ones you''d see in a storybook. Perhaps because most of the animals in fairy tales are cursed by a witch and are actually princes from other countries. These ones are not.

    A few animals'' mouths watered at the sight of us, as if we were a scrumptious meal ready to be eaten. Little did they know that it could most likely be the other way around.

    "Let me show you who''s the king," Andrew said, puffing out his chest towards the few lions and tigers before him. "It''s time to show the power of the second strongest werewolf alive."

    Hearing it, Jack cleared his throat, reminding him that he was here. "Third strongest."

    "That''s you," Andrew winked, poking a finger into Jack''s chest. Jack immediately swatted his finger away. "Let me show you the power of the second and third strongest werewolves alive."

    Though Jack still didn''t like the order, he didn''t want to bother arguing with him when he himself already knew the truth about who actually was the second strongestˇŞhim. Obviously, Andrew didn''t think the same.

    Before either of them could prepare themselves, a lion jumped and lunged at Andrew, tackling him to the ground. Seeing the opportunity, the other animals also lunged forward, marking their targets.

    One of the lions in the group eyed me, snarling and baring its teeth hungrily. I hurriedly picked up a tree trunk on the ground and used it as my weapon. The lion jumped forward, ready to claw into me, as I picked up my weapon.

    I froze for a moment when I saw the lion flying through the air, tightening my grip on my weapon. But then I saw another lion flying towards it and colliding with each other.

    "Very impatient, aren''t you?" I heard Andrew say, brushing off his shoulders. He stood up and cracked his knuckles, warming up his body. "I guess it''s very hard to resist my charm. I''m almost irresistible."

    "Bullshit," Jack spitted out, kicking a smaller lion angrily. It seemed that Andrew''s words had unintentionally riled him up. Baring his own teeth and claws, he walked towards the group of animals fearlessly, his eyes a brighter shade of blue.

    Maggie, who had been quietly watching the scene unfold, whispered to Coco, and all of a sudden, Coco grew ten times larger. Upon seeing the tiny Coco turned into a giant, Andrew stopped wondering why his fluffy punch felt like he was punched by a real bear.

    "Let''s go," Maggie said to me, turning to the cave. Without waiting for my answer, she walked inside, leaving Coco with the two werewolves to deal with the hungry animalsˇŞwho were starting to rethink their decision to go after us.

    Seeing that I couldn''t even give them the help they didn''t need, I decided to go with Maggie to look for the gate to Larion. They quickly gave me a nod and a thumbs-up when I told them I''d be going in first, so as to not waste any more time.

    Not long after I stepped into the cave, everything around me turned pitch black, and I was having a hard time seeing what was in front of me. The place was completely deprived of sound, and not even the growls and snarls from outside could be heard.

    "Maggie?" I called for her, not knowing where she was. "Are you here?"

    "What?" She snapped, and it turned out she had been standing right beside me the whole time. I jumped a little at how close she was to me, not noticing her presence beside me until now. "How come you still can''t use your magic? Make it brighter."

    Is she saying to make some lights with magic? I can''t even move a pencil with magic, so how am I supposed to do that?

    "How?" I asked, and I could almost see her making faces at me. WaitˇŞdo I have to pay to ask her questions?

    "With magic," she replied nonchalantly, and I frowned. Perhaps sensing my disappointment, she added, "Your magic will listen to your wishes, but you must first accept them as your own. Be one with your magic."

    Accept them as my own? What does she mean by that? Haven''t I done that already? Isn''t it enough that I''ve accepted the fact that I''m a witch?

    "But I already accepted them as my own," I said, and I could hear her chuckle.

    "Have you, really?" She asked, making me question myself. "Even I could tell that you and your magic weren''t one. A part of you still wishes you weren''t a witch, right?"

    I stopped.

    Is there still a part of me that wishes I wasn''t a witch? Why would I wish to remain the same powerless, weak human? I will have unlimited power with magic, and I will be able to accomplish things that I would never be able to do without it. So why would I?

    Perhaps, fear.

    I''m afraid of what this newfound power will do to me, afraid of what people will think of me, and afraid of what I will be able to do.

    Despite the fact that I was still far from being a powerful witch, the thought of having unlimited power with this magic frightened me. What if, as I grew stronger, I turned into my father, who abused people with his power? What if I turned into the monster that he is?

    It was unavoidable that I would need to be stronger in order to survive and help others, but what would I do if these compassionate reasons to get stronger eventually turned into greed over time? Then I''d undeniably bring more doom to the world, no?

    And... if it weren''t for the fact that I''m a witch, Luke wouldn''t have to worry about his people rejecting me as their Luna, would he? I mean, I don''t even know if they''d accept me as their Luna even as a normal human, and now that I''m a white witch, it would only add to the possibility of being rejected, wouldn''t it?

    He never told me this directly, but I knew that it was somewhere on his mind.

    "So I''m right," Maggie snorted, taking my silence as a confirmation of her question. "Magic is everything to a witch, so don''t expect to be able to use it properly if you haven''t fully accepted it as your own. It would be like trying to fit into someone else''s corset, which would be either too loose or too suffocating."

    Am I too much of a coward?

    I haven''t even gotten started, and yet, I''m already scared of it. How am I supposed to walk forward if I''m being this way? Is it even right for me to be like this? Then what''s the reason of me being born a witch? To cower in fear?

    I''ve spent my entire life wasting my time doing nothing. Do I want to keep living that way just because I''m afraid of what''s to come?

    Though all I''ve been doing with my magic is harming people, this would not be the case if I could gain control of it and be one with it. I have to remember that as long as you use it for good, magic is good.

    If I''m afraid that I won''t be accepted by others, all I have to do is show them that I can be useful to them rather than a burden, right? I can show them that not all witches are bad and that there will always be two sides to a coin.

    If I have the power to change for the better, why hesitate?

    "Well, maybe our little trip to the land of magic will help you get to know magic better," she said, rummaging through her bag. I could hear bottles clinking against each other inside her bag, and the sound died down when she finally pulled out what she was looking for.

    I sensed her shaking something in her hand, and all of a sudden, a bright blue light illuminated the dark space we were in. The sudden light blinded my eyes for a brief moment, and it took some time for my eyes to adjust to the change in light.

    The light, it turned out, came from the bottle Maggie was holding, which contained a potion that would emit a bright light when shaken. It appeared to be a fairly ordinary potion, but with a little bit of spice.

    Why did she ask me to make some light with my magic when she had to use a potion to do it herself? Though I wanted to ask, the question immediately left my mind when I noticed hundredsˇŞno, thousandsˇŞof pairs of eyes staring down at us from above.

 Chapter 165 - Larion - Part 3

    "Oh, wow," Maggie bowled over the thousand pairs of eyes staring at us, all dangling upside-down up above. Is this what a bat looks like? "It seems that we had just trespassed on someone else''s home. How about giving us a warm welcome andˇŞ"

    The mention of a warm welcome immediately triggered the bats, who hurled themselves down from the cave''s roof as they swooped at us from all directions. I had no other choice but to duck down, protecting my head with my arms.

    "Maggie, doˇŞack!" I could feel their wings slamming into me as they flew by, not leaving any space for me to raise my head and stand. "DO SOMETHING!!"

    I heard Maggie cursing as she heard me, probably as desperate as I am to leave this place. I wish all the books I used to read taught me how to scare these bats away instead of telling me about their sleeping schedule, which we had accidentally disrupted.

    "I''M TRYING!!" She replied angrily, trying to rummage through her bagˇŞagainˇŞwhich was actually the reason why we were in this situation in the first place. Maggie threw her bag to the ground, spilling everything inside. I could hear the clinking sound of the fallen bottles, which appeared to be another collection of her potions.

    Magic. What can I do with my magic? What is my wish? I want to keep these bats away from us. But how? Shouldn''t I figure out a way to do it before telling my magic to do its thing?

    More importantly, where did all these bats come from? How come there are so many of them? Even after leaving their roosts for a few minutes, there didn''t appear to be an end to all of them. Did we just voluntarily step into a cave full of bats?

    Before I could figure out a way myself, Maggie threw one of her potions to the ground, breaking the bottle to pieces and spilling the content. Immediately after she broke the bottle, a strong scentˇŞsomething along with the scent of rotten meatˇŞrose in the air, prompting me to puke out the soup I had eaten for breakfast.

    "Did you fart?!" I asked amid the chaos, now moving one of my hands to pinch my nose to prevent myself from inhaling the outrageous scent.

    "Does it look like my fart would smell this shitty?" She grumbled, also pinching her nose. "Bats have a sensitive nose. This should keep themˇŞ" a bat slammed into her face, knocking her to the ground."ˇŞfucking bats."

    She stopped her explanation and started attacking the bats, pouring her anger out on them. The bats, which previously were only passing by, started attacking Maggie, who had become a threat to them.

    A colony of bats gathered around Maggie, biting and pulling her hair. There were so many of them that I couldn''t even see her under all these bats, with no way to pull her out.

    "DO SOMETHING!!" Now, it''s her turn to scream for help.

    "Do what?!" I returned her question, not knowing what I was supposed to do.

    With all the bats that gathered over Maggie, there were fewer bats that came my way, so I walked a little to the side to get away from them. There should at least be one of us who lived.

    "I DON''T KNOW!!"

    "You should apologize to the bats!!" I said, and I could hear her cursing even under all those bats. Even though she didn''t like the idea, she soon complied, wanting to do whatever it took to get all those bats away from her.

    "IˇŞ" she halted, pondering about whether or not to continue, "I''m sorry, okay?! Now get the hell away from mˇŞack!" I''m not sure what happened, but she seems to be saying a lot more curse words now than before. "I SAID I''M SORRY!!"

    Perhaps not feeling her sincerity, the bats didn''t stop harassingˇŞpunishingˇŞher, teaching her how terrifying a bat''s wrath was. Now she knows.

    For a fleeting moment, I considered leaving her behind. But then I remember that she would know more about Larion than I do, so having her around would be beneficial. Besides, if I didn''t follow her around, I wouldn''t be able to find the Wishing Tree. So I decided to stay behind, trying to figure out how to get her out of there.

    Come on, Violet, you can do this. Feel the magic coursing through your veins. Feel how they move around you. Feel their warmth. Then make a wish.

    I held out my hand, reaching towards Maggie and the bats, then closed my eyes. I kept repeating the course, feeling my magic become clearer and clearer until it reached the tips of my fingers.When I opened my eyes, I found oneˇŞout of the thousand batsˇŞon the ground.

    "YOU CALL THAT HELPING?!" Maggie mocked, perhaps seeing the bat on the ground before her.

    "I''m trying!!" I said, then tried my best to focus all over again. Magic is hard.

    "Look for a frog!!" She suddenly said, and I couldn''t help but wonder why she would want me to look for a frog. Do frogs live in caves? And are bats scared of frogs?

    When I voiced my confusion, she screamed again, "The doll!! On the ground!!"

    Finally understanding what she meant, I searched the ground for the things she had dropped before, looking for the frog doll that she had mentioned.

    Thanks to the light potion, it was easy to find the doll amongst other colourful potions, though a little challenging because of the bats.

    The doll looked just like a normal frog, but with a crown on its head.

    "What now?" I asked.

    "Kiss it!!"

    Given the critical situation, I did as told, despite the questionable requestˇŞorder. The moment I kissed the frog, it glowed with bright light and jumped out of my hand, growing bigger as time went by.

    After a few moments, the frog transformed into a man with deep black hair and eyes red as ruby.

    "Luke?" I was so taken aback to see him here, knowing that he was supposed to be lying on his bed back at the manor. "What are youˇŞ"

    "STUPID!! THINK OF SOMETHING USEFUL!!" I heard Maggie scream, desperate as she had been attacked for too long. "KISS IT AGAIN AND THINK OF SOMETHING TO GET US AWAY!!"

    What is she on about? Is she saying that the frog will turn into something that is on our mind?

    Assuming that my assumption was true, I tried to think about what could help us with this situation. But what could it be? Maggie told me bats have a sensitive nose, so won''t it mean it should be something related to scent?

    Think of something smelly. Think of something smelly. Think of something smelly.

    When I finally thought of something, I pulled LukeˇŞwho doesn''t seem to be as handsome as the real oneˇŞand kissed him. The moment our lips touched each other''s, Luke turned into someone that had been on my mind.

    Luke turned into the guard back at my father''s house, who only washed himself once a month and smelled extremely vile. I gagged, remembering his scent.

    I pushed him towards the swarming bats, but apparently, he wasn''t smelly enough to chase them away.

    "QUICKLY!!"

    I pulled the smelly guard back to the side, racking my brain to find something smellier than this man right here. Is that even possible?

    WaitˇŞa skunk!!

    I remembered reading about it in a book, and it was said to have the ability to spray a liquid with a strong and unpleasant scent. I even saw a few characters in the book fainting due to it, so perhaps this could be good enough to chase these bats away.

    More importantly, do I really have to kiss this man?

    When I heard another of Maggie''s desperate screams, I decided to just screw it all up and do it.

    I took a deep breath and repeated the sacred mantra, "It''s only a doll. It''s only a doll."

    I begrudgingly pulled the man by his collar, pouted out my lips, andˇŞI don''t have enough courage to say it, but I did it.

    The man then turned small, turning into a black fluffy four-legged animal with white stripes on its back.

    I pushed the tiny skunk towards the swarming bats and it immediately released the outrageous liquid from its butt, making me stagger upon the first inhale. It''s no wonder that people faint when faced with their amazing ability.

    The bats, who have a better sense of smell than humans, immediately flew away and left Maggie behind when they smelt the skunk''s spray. I think I even heard a few of their cries.

    With the bats that ran away to escape the skunk''s ferocious attack, I could finally see Maggie for the first time in a few minutes. She looked... amazing.

    I stayed quiet as I waited for Maggie to catch her breath, too scared to even say anything to her. When I found her eyes looking at me, I smiled awkwardly, but then heard her say,

    "F#&@ you," purposely sensored for our peace of mind.

 Chapter 166 - Larion - Part 4

    The cave was dead silent, with only the distant sound of water flowing through the tunnels and our steady breathing to be heard. After the previous events with the bats, Maggie grew quiet, perhaps too tired to actually do anything.

    Her usual long black curls had become an unruly mess, and it would require extra effort and patience to restore them to their normal state. She was also wearing a newly designed cape, which had several holes around it to make it even more stylish and unique, all thanks to the bats.

    "Stop looking at me like that," she hissed, noticing the way I''d been stealing glances at her. "ˇ­or I will throw you to the bats."

    Though I doubted she''d dare to do it after what happened, I stopped looking at her and walked straight ahead, holding the light potion close to me. I meanˇ­ she always acted like she was one hell of a witch, but then she couldn''t even escape the bats if not for my help.

    "Just so you know, I didn''t ask for your help because I was weak, but because I don''t want to waste too much energy when we haven''t reached Larion yet," she continued, wiping the little blood on her body with a napkin.

    Did she just read my mind?

    "I know," I said, not wanting to say anything more. I knew that the more I brought it up, the more upset she''d become. I''d like to continue with our adventure in a calm and peaceful environment.

    Despite my wish to end the conversation, she continued on, wanting to clarify whatever had occurred just a moment before. Her pride would not allow us to leave it behind without a clear explanation.

    "Besides, every witch has a specialty in magic, and mine, coincidentally, is not attacking."

    "Then what is it?"

    "What do you think it is?"

    "Bluffing?" I jokedˇŞwell, half-joking, half-serious.

    "I make potions, you idiot," she angrily threw the frog doll at me, not liking the joke I''d made. "And I craft magic items like Coco and that frog."

    Oh. No wonder she had all those strange-coloured potions in her bag, not to mention the few questionable-looking dolls.

    "But can''t all witches do that?" I asked, knowing that witches are known for their potions and magic items. This question is not meant for me, though.

    "Yes, but not everyone is good at it," she said as she kicked a small rock on the ground, creating an echo that ultimately became the loudest sound in this place. "A few of them may end up hazardous, and a few potions may end up as poisons instead. But everything I make is always guaranteed to be effective, and there''s no potion in the world that I can''t make," she tossed her hair behind, slapping my face in the process as she bragged about her amazing ability.

    She said that every witch has their own specialty in magic, but I wonder what mine is? Do I even have it when I can''t even control my magic properly?

    "Do you think I will have my own specialty as well?" I asked, holding the frog in my hands.

    Maggie appeared to have sewed both Coco and this frog to life, but the more I looked at it, the more I realized Maggie had absolutely no talent for sewing. Both of the dolls I saw had to live with a few of their body parts that were torn or sewed in an unusualˇŞno, rather, unique way. Even this frog had to live without knowing where to look, as its eyes were sewn in opposite directions.

    "Why are you asking that to me?" She huffed, and I could almost see her rolling her eyes at me even when she had her back towards me.

    As expected, it would only be good to ask her questions when there''s money involved. Ah, wait. Don''t IˇŞLuke need to pay for this expedition as well? I guess I do have to be careful when asking her for a favor.

    Should I ask her to pay me if she needs my help again later?

    "You could have oneˇ­ if you try hard enough," she suddenly added, jerking me away from my thoughts as I began to consider how much money I should charge her for my service. "For us, witches, using magic should be as natural as breathing, so I don''t understand why you''re having a hard time controlling your magic."

    Using magic should be as natural as breathing? How come it''s not natural for me? Is it because it''s been trapped inside for too long? Even someone who doesn''t talk for a very long time will have difficulty speaking when they finally do, so I suppose this answer makes sense. Perhaps my body has forgotten how to use my magic naturally after losing it for such a long time.

    But really, why did my mom seal my magic inside me? And why didn''t she tell me about it?

    "If I try hard enough, what kind of specialty will I have?"

    "There are a lot of them," she came to a halt, placing her palm on the light potion so that it won''t be as bright, "Some of it is something you were born with, and some of it is something you have to learn and master. It can be as simple as talking with the animals or as terrifying as resurrecting the dead."

    "Were you born with yours?"

    "As if," a laugh full of irony escaped her lips, and yet another rock was thrown deep into the cave. "I went through hell to be as good as I am today. I''m not as lucky as a certain someone," she clicked her tongue.

    A certain someone? Is she talking about her sister, the blood witch? Now that I think about it, she never really talks about how she got separated from her sisters. Given the fact that there were only a few black witches around, and also the fact that they were being hunted, wouldn''t it be safer for her to stay with her sisters? Why did she decide to stay by herself?

    Just as I was contemplating whether or not I should ask about it, Maggie pointed in the direction in front of us, where something that looked like a way out could be seen. There was finally another light source ahead, other than the light potion.

    "I think this is it," she said, walking a little faster than before. "It should be around here..." she pulled the light potion from my hand, holding it closer to her face. She started looking for something on the ground but remained tight-lipped about it.

    Couldn''t she at least tell me what to look for?

    We walked closer to the exit, to the blinding light with genuine happiness, but when we finally reached the exit and were ready to step out of the caveˇ­ I realized there was no exit, to begin with.

    "Ouch!" I winced in pain as I felt myself collapsing against something hard and sturdy with far too much force than I''d prefer.

    "Stupid, there''s no exit there," Maggie said, shaking her head in disapproval as she did. "It''s an illusion."

    "You could have told me soonerˇ­" I whined, rubbing my nose to ease the pain. Did I break my nose?

    I carefully extended my hand and looked up to the exitˇŞto the blue sky and the flying birdsˇŞbut all I felt was an invisible barrier that prevented me from exiting. It could very well be the cave''s wall.

    "I didn''t know you were that stupid," she replied nonchalantly, shrugging her shoulders as if she didn''t give a damn about me after seeing me crash into the wall with her own eyesˇ­ that is, until I noticed the tip of her lips curling upward.

    That old witchˇ­ she was waiting for that to happen.

    I brushed the dust off my cape and stood firm on the ground, glaring at the woman who was trying hard not to laugh in front of me. "You can stop pretending," I said, and she immediately burst out laughing. This woman has no shame. "What are we supposed to look for?"

    She took a moment to respond to me, distracted by her laughter. Her previously poor mood appears to have improved after witnessing my misfortune, which I''m not sure is a good or bad thing. I''ll just take it as a good thing.

    "A rock," she said, her eyes twinkling with glee as she bent down to pick up a rock. Is that what she was looking for? The color of the rock in her hand appeared to be darker than that of the normal ones, and it was also rounder and less prickly than usual. "Or ratherˇ­ a bomb."

    Immediately after, a smile so wide and bright appeared on her face, giving me no time to respond to her nonsense before she threw the rock to the ground as the world beneath us crumbled.

    BAAAMM!!!

 Chapter 167 - Larion - Part 5

    "AAAHHHHHH!!!" I screamed at the top of my lungs, flailing my body as I suddenly fell from the sky, even seeing birds flying and staring at me weirdly.

    The fall went on for a couple of secondsˇŞwhich felt like hoursˇŞand all sorts of thoughts passed through my mind in that short yet long moment. Mostly about how I''m going to survive this fall, or how I''m going to meet my death.

    The thought of being saved by the birds around me passed through my mind, but none of the birds were kind enough to help me with their wings. Then the thought of me falling straight to the ground passed, but I didn''t dare think about how many bones I''d break before I succumbed to my death. I haven''t even reached eighteen years of age. At least a few more months...

    The horrifying thoughts and dread that surged through me were deemed useless when I felt myself falling onto something soft, minimizing the impact from the fall and drifting me away from all sorts of unwanted pain. I did die a little, though.

    "I''m aliveˇ­" I let out the heaviest sigh, slowly opening my eyes to see the blue sky above me. The moment my body made contact with the soft, fluffy thing beneath me, I could feel something tickling my nose, making me sneeze a couple of times upon landing. "Ah-choo!"

    Wanting to see if my body was still intact, I tried to sit up, using my hands to support my body, before realizing that I couldn''t move.

    W-what''s going on?! Did I get paralyzed from the shock, or did a part of me unknowingly get separated from me while I was flying with the birds?!

    "H-hello? Is anyone around?" I desperately called for help, but no one was around toˇŞ

    "Ssshhhh!" I heard someone say from beside me, but with me unable to move, I couldn''t turn my head to see who it was. "Are you trying to get us killed?!" By the tone of her voice, it couldn''t be anyone else but Maggie.

    "I can''t move!!" I said, hoping she could help me or, at the very least, tell me if I still had my limbs attached to me. And wasn''t she the one who was trying to get us killed?

    "It''s because we''re stuck in these damned flowers!" she said, annoyed, but kept her voice low, as if she was afraid someone else would hear us. "Keep your voice down!" she hushed.

    What flower? Is she saying that this fluffy thing under me was a flower, and a very sticky one at that?

    "What do you mean?" I whispered the question, trying to look around as best as I could with my eyes. There was only the blue sky and the flying birds, and then something like a yellowish powder roaming in the air.

    "We''re stuck in the fairies'' trap," she groaned, and it sounded like she was also trying to get herself out of this sticky situation. "I didn''t know the entrance would be right above the fairies'' garden."

    "Then we should ask the fairies to help us out of here!" I suggested, knowing that fairies were kind creatures who loved to help others. "And maybe also ask them to show us the way to the Wishing Tree," I smiled, then breathed in, "HELLO? IS ANYONE AROUND? WE''RE STUCK HEˇŞ"

    "What are you doing?!" Maggie quickly cut me off, and by the panic in her voice, it looked like I''d just made a huge mistakeˇ­ which was probably true when I suddenly felt the world shaking under me. "I swearˇŞ"

    Thump. Thump. Thump.

    SomeoneˇŞsomethingˇŞwas coming, and in every step, I could feel a mini earthquake that seemed to shake this whole garden.

    What''s going on? Is it not a fairy that comes? Maggie was cursing non-stop, like an unstoppable train. It was hurting both my ears and my peace of mind, which was almost gone by this moment.

    "Wow! We got two!" I heard a very hoarse voice say, then the ground shook even more ferociously as it ran towards us. A second after, I could no longer see the bright blue sky, but a massive purple-skinned creature with two little horns on its forehead.

    It was so big that it immediately took up every space in my line of sight, and I haven''t even seen its body. What is this thing? It was my first time seeing a creature this big.

    "What is it? What is it?" Another someone said, and this time, it was a very high-pitched voice. Another purple-skinned creature appeared, shoving the first one aside to take a look at both me and Maggie. They were almost identical. "They''re tiny," it said, and the smile on its face immediately vanished. "We won''t get full by eating them."

    Eat? Are they trying to eat us?!

    "It''s okay," said the hoarse one, offering a suggestion to its twin that didn''t sound like good news for us. "We can keep them for dessert."

    The idea of keeping us for dessert brought a smile to their faces, showing me their yellowish teeth and blue tongue. I was too stunned to even say anything, but not with Maggie, who kept throwing curses at the two creatures.

    "Is this one broken?" The question made the two tilt their heads, confused as to why Maggie was throwing a tantrum and spitting holy water from her mouth.

    "WE''RE NOT A FOOD!!" Maggie screamed, but they couldn''t seem to hear what she was saying as they were too tall.

    "Brother, what if it''s poisonous?" The hoarse one asked, and the other patted its shoulder to assure it that nothing bad would happen. It seemed that the one with a hoarse voice was the sister, and the one with a high-pitched voice was the brother.

    "Then, should we boil them in hot water to make sure they''re clean?"

    "FUCK! I SAID WE''RE NOT A FOOD!!" Maggie screamed yet again, and fortunately, this time, one of them seemed to have taken a hint of what she was trying to say.

    The brother leaned closer towards Maggie, blowing a mini typhoon as it breathed. "Are you saying something, little one?"

    "We''re not aˇŞ" Maggie coughed as she was forced to inhale its foul breath, almost fainting and losing her spirit upon her first inhale.

    "We''re not a food," I helped her explain, holding my own breath as I did so.

    "Then why are you stuck in our flowers?" asked the brother, making the sister lean in to listen to our voices.

    "It was an accident."

    The two looked at each other, wondering whether or not to trust us. "If you''re not a food, what are you?"

    "We''re witches," I said, and they gasped. They quickly picked us up from the sticky flower, helping us clean the yellow powder off our bodies with their big fingers as soon as they realized who we were. Maggie looked taken aback by their gesture.

    "What is a witch doing here?" asked the sister, her voice getting even more hoarse by the minute. They gently put us down on the ground, cleaning every bit of the sticky yellow powder from our capes. "Do witches still live here?"

    "No, we live in the human world," said Maggie, pointing up to the sky, "We came in through the entrance that was right above your garden, which was actually the reason why we were stuck in your trap."

    Maggie took a step back, keeping a safe distance between herself and the two creatures. Despite the fact that they had already helped us out of their trap, she lacked the ability to trust their good intentions.

    "Why did you come here?" asked the brother as he sat down on the ground, making the ground shake once more. "It''s not safe for you witches to be here if the weather is bad. Everyone is going to turn very vile."

    "We''re looking for the Wishing Tree," I said, and another gasp came. "Can you help us find the Wishing Tree? I need toˇŞ"

    "Stupid! Do you think they would help us?" Maggie pulled me closer, whispering. "We were just their food a moment ago! I''ve had my fair share of fairies, and my past experience told me thatˇŞ"

    "The Wishing Tree?" Both of them asked the same question, tilting their heads in the same manner. "Why are you looking for the Wishing Tree?"

    I looked at Maggie''s desperate eyes, which were telling me to not trust them just yet, and then at the two creaturesˇŞthe fairies. From what I can tell, I think Maggie was being too paranoid. These fairies didn''t appear to be a threat to us in any way anymoreˇŞwell, except for their size.

    "I was told that its fruit can cure any illness in the world," I replied, ignoring Maggie''s baseless concerns. "I need it to cure my mate."

    The two fairies then looked at each other, frowning and shaking their heads. They turned to look at me with a solemn expression on their faces, drawing their thin brows together.

    "But the Wishing Tree is dead."

 Chapter 168 - Larion - Part 6

    "But the Wishing Tree is dead," said one of the twins, causing Maggie, who was unwilling to look their way, to turn her head towards them in confusion.

    "See? They won''t help us," Maggie scowled, folding her arms to her chest. "Fairies are not kind creatures," she whispered, making sure to keep her voice low so that they wouldn''t hear her.

    "What do you mean it''s dead?" I asked the fairies.

    "Someone came here a few days ago and killed the Wishing Tree," explained the brother, quickly followed by the sister. "We had just crawled out of our holes yesterday, so we didn''t know who or what had come and wreaked havoc here. But everyone is very angry."

    To me, the news sounded no less than a tragedy, as it meant that I wouldn''t be able to save Luke from the poison, and that all of my efforts to come here would be in vain. That couldn''t be. That shouldn''t be.

    "Don''t try to make me laugh," Maggie faked a laugh, still thinking badly about them. "Who in the absolute hell would be able to kill the Wishing Tree? It''s a tree so sacred that it would purify the darkest of hearts with a single touch, and you''re saying that it''s dead?"

    "You can see it for yourself if you don''t believe us," the brother said calmly, not taking Maggie''s constant annoying behavior personally. "There will be no more leaves or fruits on the Wishing Tree. All that''s left is a dead tree."

    Then what should we do if what they said was true? There was no way that I would go back empty-handed, and there was also no way that I would go back without bringing back the cure for Luke''s poison.

    "I don''t believe you," Maggie said, ignoring the words of the two fairies. "All the fairies I''ve met aren''t exactly the kindest creatures, so what made the two of you different? I know that honesty is not your strongest suit."

    Is she not being too straightforward?

    "Have you ever met a fairy who refused to eat the prey that got caught in their trap?" The brother responded to Maggie''s distrust, making her fall silent in response to the question. She had never met such a fairy before. "We used to have a witch as our friend," he looked at his twin sister, smiling wryly at the memory. "But then she left us to live on the other side. We only have each other now."

    Despite the fairies'' gloomy backstory, Maggie still refused to trust them. Just what kind of past encounters did she have with the fairies that made her think so little of them? I don''t think they''re all that bad.

    Though they didn''t look exactly like the fairies in the storybook, they must have had a similar kind nature, right?

    "We can lead you to the Wishing Tree if you want," the twin sister offered, making Maggie raise her brows questioningly. "But before that, we will need you to help us with something."

    "What is it?" I asked expectantly, sincerely hoping that it would be something that I or Maggie could help with. Though they claimed the Wishing Tree was no longer alive, I''ll have to see it for myself to believe it. I refused to go back without even trying.

    "Do you see this garden around you?" The sister then opened her arms wide, gesturing to her very own sticky garden. "There used to be hundreds of sticky flowers around here, but there are only a few of them left because of the last storm. It will take them around one to two months to grow into a fully functioning trap, so we were wondering if you could help us with it."

    "It''s hard for us to look for something to eat with such little sticky flowers," added the brother. "It has been days since our last meal."

    Now that everything has calmed down, I took the time to admire the massive garden we were in. The flower that saved my life was red and possibly twice my height, surrounded by a yellowish powder that hung in the air from its root to the very top of its body.

    I turned to Maggie, knowing full well that she was the only one who could help us with it. Among her potion collection, there should be a potion that could help the fairies solve their problem, right? And even if there isn''t, she could easily make one with her amazing potion-making ability, no?

    Maggie, noticing my stare, turned to look at me and immediately scowled.

    "Stop looking at me like that," she hissed, clearly unimpressed with my expectation of her. "That kind of trick will only work with your mate."

    "But they''re our only choice!" I urged, pulling her hand. "We won''t have to waste too much time looking for the Wishing Tree, and it''s safer for us to go with them!"

    "Safer, how?"

    "Just look at their size!" I said, pointing at the two fairies whose knees are taller than me, "Who in their right mind would attack a creature this big?"

    "Exactly! What if they attack us?"

    "Then do you know how to get to the Wishing Tree? We don''t even have Coco with us."

    Both of us fell silent at each other''s question, both not knowing a better solution to the problem at hand. While what Maggie said about not trusting them was true, we can''t waste any more time going around this place looking for the Wishing Tree.

    Our biggest problem was our limited time.

    Frustrated, Maggie raked through her already messy hair and cursed loudly, making even the fairies to be surprised by her choice of words. They have never heard of someone spouting bad words with such ease.

    "If anything goes wrong," Maggie pulled me by my shoulders, squeezing them with her palms. "It''s on you."

    Swallowing the lump in my throat, I nodded reassuringly to Maggie, telling her that this was the right choice. Even if something were to happen, that would be a matter we should worry about later. I''d prefer to worry about the matters at hand rather than the matters that have yet to happen. It would only make my head hurt.

    Going through her belongings, she pulled out a bottle with bright green liquid inside, with the bottle only the size of her palm. Though she did say that she could make any potion in the world, I didn''t expect her to go around with so many potions in her bag. How did she even fit so many bottles inside a bag that wasn''t even as big as her head?

    As Maggie pulled the lid off the bottle, a green mist could be seen coming out of the bottle, and the liquid inside started to make bubbles as if it was boiling. She then asked for the flower''s sticky powder from the fairies, adding it to her potion.

    She swirled the bottle around, mixing them together, before she finally poured the potion onto the ground, letting the magic happen. But to my and the fairies'' surprise, instead of growing more sticky flowers, the potion made the previously red flowers turn brown, wilting as if it was fall.

    The fairies, who were watching the scene unfold, quickly became enraged and shouted an earth-shattering shout.

    "YOU!! WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY FLOWERS?!"

    "M-Maggie! What did you do to the flowers?" I panicked, desperately pulling her hand for an answer. Did she intentionally do that to the flowers because she didn''t like the fairies? If so, then we''re all dead!! Shouldn''t I take back the money I kept aside for her?

    Unlike the three of us who had a rise in emotions, Maggie stayed calm and only sighed, beckoning for us to watch the garden for a little while before barking like a dog, as she said.

    As she watched us all panicked and mad, the ground under us started to shake, but not because of the fairies. It was shaking so badly that even the fairies were swaying left and right, making the ground shake even more.

    Both Maggie and I didn''t have any choice but to be controlled by the force, holding onto the fairies'' legs for dear life.

    After a few moments, a bunch of newly born sticky flowers appeared from underground, painting the scenery with both the colors red and yellow at the same time. Their stems grew as tall as the fairies'' waists, fresher and stickier than ever. The previously barren garden was now filled with tall flowers, solving the fairies'' problem at once.

    Seeing the magnificent result of her potion, Maggie couldn''t hide the smirk on her face, which I had no choice but to notice, making her hold her head high, ready to boast about her creation.

    "Ha! Did you see howˇŞ" before she could boast about her potion, her sentence was cut short by a loud scream, which happened to come from someone falling from the sky.

    "COCOOOO!!!! I''M A WOLF, NOT A FREAKINGˇŞAAAHHHHHˇŞBIRD!!"

 Chapter 169 - Larion - Part 7

    "COCOOOO!!!! I''M A WOLF, NOT A FREAKINGˇŞAAAHHHHHˇŞBIRD!!"

    The loud scream made all of the people in the vicinity look up at the sky, wondering where the sound came from. There, I found Andrew, who was flapping his arms like a chicken trying to fly. Within a minute of his appearance, he soon landed on one of the newborn sticky flowers, saving him from breaking a few bones.

    His arrival on one of the sticky flowers made the two fairies to be overjoyed, as they got a new prey on their flowers immediately after letting us away.

    "Wow! Another one!" The sister squealed with delight, her yellow teeth taking up half of the space on her face as she smiled. "We should have planted more sticky flowers faster! It''s all thanks to the witch," she said, causing Maggie to grin at the praise.

    "At this rate, we won''t have to starve anymore!" The brother quickly chimed in, seemingly to be as happy as his sister. Looking at how happy they were, it hurts me to tell them that Andrew was not their food, but a friend of ours.

    Not long after, I saw another person fall from the sky and land on one of the sticky flowers. But unlike the last person who came in, he remained calm and composed, and there wasn''t even a sound coming from him. He was holding a smaller-sized Coco in his hands, and Coco looked as comfortable as ever in his embrace.

    "Yet another!" The sister quickly jumped to her feet, making the trees sway and the ground shake. "Hurry!! We should quickly head over before they run away!!" She beckoned for her brother to run after her, and the twin brother didn''t even hesitate to heed her words.

    The ground beneath my feet started to shake even more furiously when the two fairies started to run, eyes glued and stomach grumbling at the sight of their prey. Despite my wish to stop them, my body wouldn''t act accordingly and stumbled backward, making me trip and fall from all the shaking.

    "W-wait!!" I screamed at the two fairies, but they were too focused on their prey to hear me. "They''re not your food!! They''re my friends!!" I screamed again, louder, this time, but nothing changed. I quickly turned to Maggie. "Hurry!! Stop them!!"

    "Why would I?" She rolled her eyes, as if she didn''t mind if those two fairies ate ourˇŞmyˇŞfriends. Unlike me, she still had both her feet planted firmly on the ground, making me question how the hell she could still stay balanced with all these shakes. "They''re annoying, anyway."

    "But your Coco is also there!! They will definitely sacrifice your Coco first!!" I reasoned, trying to convince her to act quickly and help them. "And you won''t have anyone else to order around if not them!!" She groaned.

    Convinced that it would only bring her more bad than good if she let the fairies eat the two wolves, she decided to lend us her help, but perhaps with an extra fee that she would soon decide according to the difficulty of the task.

    Maggie ran after the two fairies, preparing something inside her bag as she ran. But looking at the size of the garden and the distance between us, it would be impossible for her to reach Andrew and Jack before the fairies do. Perhaps it would be better if I prayed that both Andrew and Jack could at least give them a fight to buy us some time.

    With the ground still shaking, I struggled to find my balance, falling and stumbling a few times before finally settling in. By the time I rose to my feet, the two fairies had already looked a lot smaller than they actually were, and I couldn''t seem to find Maggie among the tall flowers.

    Think, Violet, think. How can I keep up with them despite the distance, or how can I stop them at this distance? Not wanting to waste any more time, I prepared to run, trying to think of a way as I run. But then I felt myself stepping on something soft, something that was not the hard and damp ground, which then turned out to be the frog king.

    That''s right!! I have the frog king to use!! What could be the most helpful thing he could transform into in this situation? Should I think of the twins'' father or mother to stop them? But I have never seen them before, so it''s impossible because I don''t even know what they look like. Come on, there''s got to be somethingˇ­ something that could stop them, or something fast that could help me keep up with them.

    ˇ­a horse!! I can use a horse!!

    I quickly picked up the frog king from the ground, kissing it again for I don''t know how many times today and think about Luke''s brilliant white horse, hoping that my memory wouldn''t do me wrong. Please turn to Nox.

    Upon the contact, the doll then turned into the image in my memory, growing bigger and taller until it became the white horse in my mind. Within a minute, the frog doll turned into a magnificent white horse, looking as majestic and beautiful as the horse I remember.

    "Nox!" I smiled when I saw the horse, not wasting any time getting onto his back. Though I wasn''t confident with my horse-riding skills, I could still at least remember one or two things that I learned about riding a horse during my lesson with Luke. It wasˇŞfortunatelyˇŞenough to make Nox move according to my wish.

    Nox was as fast as I remembered, running past the wind and the flowers at the speed of light. Given that this was magic and not a real horse, it seemed to have a mind of its own and moved according to the wish I had in mind, which then I found did not need an actual horse-riding skill. I was more than relieved. Perhaps the sentence Maggie said about magic will listen to your wish was true.

    The distance between me and the fairies quickly shortens, and I even found Maggie running among the flowers with a scowl on her face. She looked at me wide-eyed as I ran past her, surprised that I was all of a sudden riding a horse that appeared out of nowhere.

    Getting closer to both the fairies and the two wolves, I could hear someone desperately screaming for help.

    "AAAAAHHHHH!!! I''M DYING!!! I''M DYING!!! I CAN''T MOVE!!!!" Why does it feel like I''ve heard of this before?

    I saw Andrew stuck on the sticky flowers, back towards the sky, face flat on the flowers. I''m sure once we got back to the manor, everyone would know about this terrifying occurrence he was currently experiencing. It must be worse than his showdown with the squirrels.

    Fortunately, with the speed of the fake Nox and the slowness of the fairies, I quickly managed to catch up and even got ahead of them. I quickly pulled on the reins, stopping Nox from going further.

    "STOP!!!!" I yelled at the fairies in the loudest voice I could muster. "THEY''RE OUR FRIENDS!" The fairies, however, ignored me and continued running, alerting me to the sudden danger of being stepped on. "H-HEY!!! STOP!!! LOOK UNDER!!!"

    I don''t know if it was a coincidence or not, as the fairies did come to a halt, but not of their own volition, but because they tripped over something. Turns out, it was Maggie''s doing. I''m not sure how she did it, but she managed to grow a lot of vines and took control of them, using them to trip the fairies.

    Nox, who saw the fairies falling towards us, grew smaller and smaller, leaving me behind as he shrank back to the frog doll. I watched the fairies in utter horrorˇŞeven more than the first time I saw themˇŞthen turned around to run for my dear life. Literally.

    I didn''t dare look back, only dared to run as I tried my hardest to avoid being crushed by the two fairies. I had no idea that this could be a way to die. I suppose we can learn something new every day.

    "AAAAHHHH!!!" It was the scream of the two fairies, and also mine when I saw their shadows covering my own.

    BAAAMMMM!!!

    A loud thump could be heard as another mini earthquake happened, and everything around me grew dark.

    ˇ­

    Did I die? But what is this foul smell? Does death smell?

    I begrudgingly opened my eyes, seeing nothing but darkness. Perhaps I''m in hellˇŞno, I didn''t do anything wrong. I must be in heaven. But does heaven smell like poop?

    "Come out!" I heard someone say, distant but demanding.. Is that the voice of an angel? Come out from where? "Come out!" The voice said for yet another time, but I didn''t leave the darkness. Can I even move? "I said, come out, you little witch!!"

 Chapter 170 - Larion - Part 8

    "GAAAHH!!" I breathed hard, trying to grasp for more fresh air as I was pulled away from the foul smell that was suffocating me. The bright sun immediately blinded my eyes for a moment, leaving the darkness that I had mistaken for death just a while ago.

    When my eyes started to adapt to the sudden brightness, I found myself still in the same garden, having only been pulled out of the fairy''s hair. I gagged.

    The voice that was calling for me was far from an angel''s, as it turned out to be Maggie, who was annoyed that I was taking my sweet time under the fairy''s hair. Little did she know that I was struggling to survive their deadly attack.

    "Hurry before they get up!" Maggie said as she pulled me to my feet, urging me to run towards both Andrew and JackˇŞwhile she ran for her CocoˇŞfreeing them from the fairies'' trap. According to Maggie, these fairies would be veryˇŞ

    "WHO DARED TO STOP ME?!" The twin brother growled, trying to move his twin sister, who fell on top of him, away. "WHO DARED TO PLAY TRICKS ON ME?!"

    ˇŞfurious.

    "HURRY!" Maggie urged, dragging me along with her as she ran. She then took two bottles from her bag and handed one to me, immediately pouring out the potion inside into the flower where Jack and Coco were stuck on. The flower immediately wilts upon contact, quickly turning brown and releasing Jack from its hold.

    Seeing the work of the potion, I ran towards where Andrew was with my thumping heart, scared that the fairies would soon catch up to me. Should I get caught while trying to free their prey, would I turn to their food again?

    Not wanting to experience the disastrous situation, I quickly threw the potion on Andrew''s flower, making it wilt within a second of contact. The slightest movement made the terrified Andrew even more terrified, and I could hear him muttering his final words.

    "Dear Moon Goddess, I swear I''ve been a good man. I''ve never wronged any manˇŞonly the squirrelsˇŞand I''ve always done what I was told to doˇŞonly rebelling a few times. I always ate my vegetables andˇŞAAAHH!!" He stopped confessing his inner feelings to the Moon Goddess when he felt the flower wilting, freeing him from its sticky powder as he fell to the ground.

    After a brief moment of helplessness, Andrew could finally feel the sensation of stepping on the ground again, which then made him begin to appreciate the land he was stepping on more. He said that he would now recite his gratitude on every first step he took each day.

    "Iˇ­ I can move again!" He rejoiced, smiling as if it was the happiest day of his life. He hugged himself out of thankfulness, but I cut his excitement short when I pulled him by his arm, pointing at the fuming fairies behind us. "ThankˇŞ"

    "ANDREW! RUN!"

    He turned his head and looked behind, and his eyes immediately grew two times larger when he saw the purple-skinned fairies turning yellow out of anger. When they saw the two of their prey escaping, their horns grew bigger and fumes came out of their noses.

    "Brother! They''re running away!" Yelled the sister, her voice still as hoarse as the first time I heard her.

    To be honest, if it weren''t for their voices, I wouldn''t even be able to tell them apart. And to be even more honest, I still don''t believe that the one with the hoarse voice was the sister and the one with the very high-pitched voice was the brother. It didn''t sit right with me, but I suppose everyone is unique in their own way.

    "WHAT THE HELL ISˇŞ" Andrew screamed, shouting and pointing at the fairies, but didn''t even have the time to be surprised.

    "HURRY!!"

    I dragged Andrew away from where he was standing, running to keep up with Maggie and Jack, who had already gone on their way upfront. Now that all of our personnel were freed, including Coco and the frog, all we had to do was run from the enraged fairies behind us. Though we didn''t know where we were heading to, we had no other choice but to run as far away as possible from the purple-skinned giant.

    Finally grasping the urgency of the situation, Andrew started to run ahead of me with his supernatural speed. Naturally, with him holding my hand, I got dragged into his speed and stumbled a couple of times before falling to the ground. Then the ground shook.

    "Ah, shit! I''m sorry!" Panicking, he lifted me off the ground and carried me without a second of thought, placing me on his shoulder as if I were a sack of rice. "Why is the groundˇŞAHH!!" I guess he saw the fairies moving behind us.

    Another earthquake occurred, but it didn''t stop us from running, nor did the fairies. They were more than enraged, as not only did we trip them, we also freed the prey that was supposed to be their food. They were both angry and hungry, running with such determination to catch their prey, which amounted to four now.

    With the amount of sticky flowers around, it was hard for us to not bump into them while we were on the run. We had to break through their sticky powder and sneezed a bunch of times, using extra strength to avoid being trapped in their stickiness yet again. But the hassle that came from the newly-grown flowers didn''t stop only there.

    They were red, bright red, and they were everywhere. It was starting to get painful for our eyes to look into such bright scenery for a long time, and not to mention the addition of the bright sticky powder roaming in the air.

    "Why is this garden so uselessly big?!" Andrew shouted as he ran, panting and grunting. He swatted the few flowers that were on his way, getting his hand stuck on the flowers from time to time.

    Though the color of the flowers was the most problematic, their height and quantity were also an issue. They were so tall and densely packed that it was hard for us to see what was ahead of us, so all we had to do was pray to our lucky stars that whatever was ahead wasn''t worse than what was behind us.

    "Maggie, don''t you have more potions?" I shouted, hoping that Maggie could hear me despite the fact that I was shouting to Andrew''s butt.

    "What, do you think I''m a potion factory?!"

    Perhaps out of personal grudge, Andrew made a suggestion that made Maggie''s blood boil even more. "Then Coco can grow bigger and fight thoseˇŞ"

    "Why are you asking my precious Coco to fight those giants?! Why don''t you wolves go fight thoseˇŞ"

    "But I''m also precious!!" Andrew retorted, not happy with her suggestion. "Jack! You go and fight them!" What is he implying?

    Though Jack didn''t say anything during our run, it seemed that he still listened to the conversation, which was proved when he showed his discontentment by looking back at Andrew, shooting him a dirty look. I could even see the disappointment on Coco''s face through the gap between Andrew''s legs. Andrew couldn''t care less.

    Unfortunately for usˇŞand fortunately for the fairiesˇŞthat short moment where Jack looked behind earned him a stumble, causing him to trip on a branch on the ground and fall head first.

    "You littleˇŞ" Maggie, who was behind him, had no time to stop to avoid him and fell on top of Jack.

    And then, like three peas in a pod, we followed after one another, resulting in another collision between both Maggie and Jack with our last runner, Andrew, who was carrying me on his shoulder.

    "AAHH!!" Both my and Andrew''s screams mixed together, creating a harmony that we never wished to happen. "Move, youˇŞ" too late.

    With us running at full speed, the force from the collision made the four of us tumble forward, leaving our bodies and gravity to run in our place without our consent and willingness.

    Much to our surprise and delight, we tumbled and reached the end of the garden, which we realized by the sight of the wooden fence ahead of us. It was delightful news that we found while rolling on the ground, yet the delightful news didn''t last long when we tumbled past the wooden fence, going out of the fairies'' territory, which turned out to be on top of a cliff.

    "NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!"

    And here, another unwanted harmony was created, coming from all the people and creatures that were present in this place. It was a harmony filled with regrets, fears, disappointment, and misery.

    Funny how we screamed the same word at the same time, all without the intention of doing so. How exciting.

    At this rate, perhaps we would be friends with the birds and learn how to fly from them by the time we returned to the manor.

    A first for everything, they said.

 Chapter 171 - Larion - Part 9

    "ˇ­Luna! Luna!"

    I heard a distant voice calling me, slowly becoming clearer as I woke up from the darkness where my consciousness left me. The moment I felt it returning, my head immediately hurt, and my whole body felt as if it was going to break anytime soon.

    "She''s not waking up," another voice chimed in, and it was from the only woman among the other two men. "Is she even breathing? We should force the air into her if she''s not. You do it," she said, pushing the person in question.

    "What?! Are you crazy?! I can''t kiss her! Luke will killˇŞno, Lisa will kill me!"

    "I doubt they would rather she die than have you kiss her," Maggie replied to Andrew''s unwillingness, her voice calm yet demanding. "And it''s called mouth-to-mouth, not kissing."

    "Jack, you do it! You don''t have a mate, soˇŞ" he stopped mid-sentence, only to realize that he had accidentally said a taboo word. "Shit, I meanˇŞuhˇ­ I-I will do it!"

    I could hear Andrew cursing to himself, not knowing whether or not he should really do it. For him, it must have felt like he was being forced to choose between two options that would both lead him to the same placeˇŞhell. If he didn''t do it, I would die. If he did it, he would die. It was either of the two.

    Not wanting him to do what he was going to do, I decided that it was the right time for me to wake up.

    "Pleaseˇ­ don''t," I said, my voice coming out weaker than I expected it to be. A big sigh of relief immediately escaped Andrew''s lips, who was just about to invade my personal space out of guilt and anxiety.

    "Oh, thank the Moon Goddess!" Andrew rejoiced, throwing his hands up in the air. "Are you okay? Do you need anything?" He asked, and Jack, by his side, was more than ready to provide anything I might need.

    "What happened?" I coughed as I shook my head, replying to his question. "Howˇ­ how are we alive?"

    "We fell into a river," Jack explained, pointing at hisˇŞand everyone else''sˇŞdamp clothes, and also at the river not far from where we were. "We would be dead if not for the river."

    The sound of water flowing filled the whole place, the sound was calm and peaceful. There was also the sound of the birds chirping happily, as if nothing bad would ever happen to the worldˇŞwhich was a complete lie, as we were just being chased by two giant fairies and barely escaped the door to our deaths.

    The sun soared high in the sky, illuminating the world with its light and warming us with its heat. There was no sign of the cold winter, but there were a lot of signs of spring all around us. I looked up and saw the cliff where we fell off, then looked at the surrounding forest which was filled with trees and colorful flowers. It was brimming with life, the complete opposite of Mount Elard, where I was previously forced to venture by the rogues.

    I tried to sit up, but Maggie stopped me from doing so.

    "Rest," she saidˇŞorderedˇŞpushing me to lie back on the ground. "It would be a hassle if you collapse on us once we start our journey. There''s still a long way to go to find the Wishing Tree, so I need you to rest your fragile body."

    "I''m fine, so we should hurry and get going," I assured her, sitting up again. "We shouldn''t waste any moreˇŞ"

    "Ah! I''m hungry," Andrew cut me off mid-sentence, standing up and stretching his body left and right. "Are there any squirrels around? I''m a bit allergic to hunger. We will go and look around for some food," he suggested, tapping Jack on the shoulder to get him to stand and tag along.

    Without giving me time to stop them, they ran to the forest, leaving me and Maggie with the magic dolls. Seeing them leave, Maggie leaned against a tree trunk, closing her eyes to rest and find a little peace.

    Though I was thankful for their considerate act, I still think that it was better for us to keep going. The thought of Luke lying on his bed in pain kept bugging my mind, clouding it with millions of thoughts and possibilities.

    What would happen if I stayed here for a second longer, and something worse happened to him? What if he needed me but I wasn''t there by his side? What if he could bear it no longer?

    Even so, they were right. I needed to rest. If I kept going, I''m afraid my body would break into two. If I wanted to go back faster, I''d have to find the Wishing Tree faster, but I wouldn''t be able to do so if I broke down along the way. We didn''t know what was waiting ahead of us, so the most important thing right now was to rest and replenish our energy.

    "Coco, is the Wishing Tree far from here?" I asked Coco, patting him to wake him up from his sleep. Now that we have Coco with us, it shouldn''t be a problem for us to look for the Wishing Tree without the help of the fairies.

    Coco rubbed his one eye, holding his candy cane close to him. It seemed that Andrew didn''t take it away from him, or more like he couldn''t. Coco then nodded his head, pointing his paws in the direction in front of us, where a mountain of many colors could be seen from afar.

    How come a mountain looks like that? There was red, blue, yellow, pink, almost every color that existed in the world. The colors painted the mountain like a rainbow, only that there wasn''t any rainbow. Perhaps the colors came from the trees and flowers, or perhaps from the magic itself.

    "What will you do if what the fairies said about the Wishing Tree is true?" asked Maggie, still with her eyes closed as she wondered about the question.

    "That the Wishing Tree is dead?" I asked, and she hummed in response. "I will look for ways to revive it, or look for ways to find another antidote."

    "How optimistic," she chuckled, shaking her head. She then opened her eyes, staring into me as if she was staring straight into the depths of my soul. "If the Wishing Tree is dead, so is your mate. You won''t find any other antidote to cure him of the poison."

    How come she could always manage to find something worse than all the other words that she had ever said? This should top the listˇŞthe current list.

    "I don''t want to waste my energy thinking about what-ifs," I said, although I just did that a while ago. "It''s already tiring enough to live in the present."

    Maggie then laughed, nodding as if to show her agreement. Though she rarely says something nice, all of the things that came from her mouth were true. She was only stating facts, but unfortunately, the truth isn''t as pleasant as we had hoped. It made me wonder which one was better, a sweet lie or a bitter truth.

    Seeing that our conversation was over, I closed my eyes, pulling Coco into my embrace to act as my doll. Contrary to his fierce appearance, he was actually a sweet dollˇŞif not provoked. He didn''t even refuse when I pulled him into my arms.

    If we''re going to rest, I might as well get some shut-eye before we continue our journeyˇ­ was what I was going to do until I heard the bush behind me rustling.

    I promptly rose from my position, alarmed and ready to hit whatever came from behind the bush. Is it Andrew and Jack? But why wouldn''t they just come out instead of hiding and rustling behind the bush?

    I pushed Coco forward, asking him to check on the bush. It was cowardly of me, but Coco would be a better option, might there be something dangerous behind the bush. He could grow big and become strong, while I couldn''t.

    Not long after I heard the rustling, something came out of the bush. It was a tiger, a baby tiger, the color white with a hint of black stripes. Coco growled upon seeing the tiger, and so did the tiger. It was like seeing two babies growling at each other.

    "Aww," the word simultaneously left my and Maggie''s lips, weak at the unexpected cute attack. The tiger rolled on the ground with Coco, fighting as if their lives depended on it, while we were here watching their cuteness as if our lives depended on it.

    When the baby tiger heard us, it glared and growled at us, still with the cutest growl I''ve ever heard in my life. But when his eyes met mine, his glare softened and his growl vanished. Instead, a voice came.

    "Master?"

 Chapter 172 - Larion - Part 10

    Huh? Is it talking about me? Why is it looking at me? Moreover, how come a tiger can talk?

    "Master!" The tiger beamed and jumped towards me, licking my face with such glee. Contrary to its excitement, I was terrified.

    "Aahh!!" I screamed and threw the tiger away, only feeling guilty when I saw it rolling on the ground.

    "Master!"

    The baby tiger quickly got on its feet, smiling and jumping back at me. The word ''master'' came out again, and I still had no idea why it was calling me its master. It was my first time seeing a tiger, let alone raising one.

    The tiger jumped onto my shoulders, making me fall to the ground as it started to lick my face. I froze, not knowing what to do with the tiger. It didn''t seem dangerous, butˇ­

    "My, my. Luke will be jealous if he sees this," Maggie joked, didn''t even bother to lend me a hand.

    Coco, seeing me in ''danger'', pushed the tiger with his candy cane, the only thing that is not fluffy about him. Seeing Coco, the tiger growled yet again.

    "You silly bear! Don''t you know who I am?" The tiger growledˇŞor purredˇŞstanding firm on its four feet. "I''m the ruler of this forest! How dare you touch me?! Only my master can do so!"

    The tiger, who sounded exactly like a young boy, hurled himself towards Coco, again engaging him in yet another fight. While the two fought, Maggie seemed to have found herself a fallen apple on the ground, eating it as she cheered for her Coco.

    "Coco, go kick his ass! Don''t let himˇŞ"

    "W-wait!" I shouted, stepping between the two babiesˇŞor, at least, tried toˇŞbut the two were so engrossed in their fight that everything else seemed to fade away, leaving only the two of them in their own little world. Is this how parents feel when they see their children fight? "You two, stop it!"

    The word ''stop'' made the tiger freeze, immediately releasing Coco from his claws. This gave Coco a chance to hit the tiger on his head, making a loud thump that could be heard throughout the forest. Even Coco seemed surprised by the sound. But Maggie cheered.

    "L-little tiger!" I ran towards the tiger, yet I was still unsure of whether or not to touch him. "Are you okay?" I gave him a little tap, pulling him away from his dizziness and back into the world. The tiger then leaned into my hand.

    "Masterˇ­ why did you stop me?" He whined, placing his paws over his ears. "The world is spinning because of that silly bear," he continued to whine, staring at me with eyes welling up with hopeful tears.

    "Silly? Who are you callingˇŞ" Maggie, unhappy with how the tiger continuously called her precious Coco names, tried to retort, but stopped when I held out a hand to calm her down. The tiger didn''t seem like a threat, so it would be foolish of us to try to attack each other.

    "Why are you calling me your master? I''m not your master," I told the tiger, and he tilted his head, confused.

    "Why are you not my master? You are my master," he returned my words, still convinced that he hadn''t mistaken me for someone else. "I came here because I smelled your magic. It''s the scent that only my master has," he squinted his eyes, as if to smile. "I''ve been waiting for you to come since the day I was born."

    I turned to Maggie, only to see her shrug her shoulders, as if to say that she was as clueless as I was. Is this perhaps the specialty Maggie talked about? Owning a tiger?

    "Are you sure it''s not someone who smells similar to me? No one told me about me owning a tiger," I said, and the tiger beamed.

    "No one told me my master would be this beautiful either!" He giggled, then rolled on the ground out of excitement. "The sole purpose of my existence is to serve you, that''s why I was born on the same day as you wereˇŞon the last day of the year."

    "That''sˇ­" How did he know about it? Is he telling the truth? Am I really his master? "But why? I''m just a normal witch, so whyˇŞ"

    "How come you are just a normal witch?!" The tiger jumped to his feet, appalled by the words he had just heard. "Have you not met him? Your predecessorˇŞhe is the most powerful witch in the whole world! He''s also my father''s master!"

    "W-wait! Predecessor? Are you talking about my father?" I asked, and even Maggie dropped her apple out of curiosity, keeping Coco calm in her arms. Is my father a witch? Did I get this witch blood from my father, rather than my mother, as I had assumed?

    "Father?! Is he your father?!" He returned the question, looking as surprised as I am. "But my father said his master has never even touched a woman''s hand! There''s no way that he would have a daughter this big and beautiful!"

    Just as the tiger, whose name I still have yet to know, finished his sentence, Andrew and Jack appeared from behind the bush while carrying a bear and a bunch of apples in their hands. Coco jumped seeing a real bear.

    "Coco, look what I found!" Andrew raised the bear higher for Coco to see, scaring him even further. "ThisˇŞis a real bear. Though I admit that your punches are deadly, butˇŞ" he stopped mid-sentence, noticing a new presence in our group.

    When Andrew and Jack saw the baby tiger, they stopped dead in their tracks, unconsciously snarling at each other. The same goes with the tiger, but it only lasted for a fraction of a second. It could very well be their natural instincts when seeing another predator around.

    "Master! Why are you hanging out with this silly group of people?!" The tiger stood firm on his four legs, ready to jump towards the two wolves at any given moment. His piercing blue eyes glared at them, showing them his canines as he stood in front of me.

    "What''s that?" Jack asked, raising one of his brows as he pointed at the tiger.

    "That''s a tiger, Jack," Andrew replied, as if to answer a five-year-old''s inquiry. Though there was nothing wrong with his answer, the tone of his voice seemed to have annoyed his companion. "Wait, did you just call us silly? Well, Jack is, but I''mˇŞack!" a punch came, but it didn''t stop him from finishing his sentence. "ˇŞnot."

    It''s rare for Andrew to be so calm after seeing something so unusual. Perhaps after seeing the giant purple-skinned fairies, a talking tiger doesn''t seem to be as surprising.

    "Master! Do you want me to eliminate the threat?" The tiger asked, feeling a mixture of anxiety and excitement for his first task. "My claws can easily eliminate them!" He said, but all I could see was him threatening them with his cute little paws.

    Seeing Andrew walking closer to him, the tiger jumpedˇŞstraight into Andrew''s embrace.

    "What''s this kid''s problem?" Andrew asked, picking up the tiger as if he was a little puppy. The tiger growled and flung his paws, but it only met the air. "Why does he keep calling you his master?" While waiting for me to put the words together to explain the situation, Andrew came to his own conclusion. "Oh, no! Our poor Alpha! Did the tigers recruit you to be their Luna?!"

    Hearing Andrew''s assumption, Jack turned his head towards me faster than the speed of light, surprised at what he had just heard. Not knowing how he came up with such a conclusion, Maggie sighed and Coco shook his head, while the tiger, continued to growl.

    "N-no, there''s no such thing!" I quickly replied, then explained the situation to put some light on them. After I finished my explanation, the two finally exhaled the breath they were holding, relieved that their Luna didn''t get stolen by someone else.

    "You can put him down now," I said to Andrew, causing the baby tiger to run towards me upon release. "Little tiger, all the people here are my friends, so don''t go around asking for a fight, okay?" I lightly tapped his head, eventually finding him adorable rather than scary.

    Though he was still unhappy with the bunch of people around me, he nodded his head and sat beside my feet, listening to my words. Now that we were all standing on the same ground and everyone had calmed down, Maggie finally asked the question that I have been meaning to ask.

    "Hey, tiger. You mentioned something about the most powerful witch, right? Who is he?"

    The tiger gasped, surprised that we had no idea who he was referring to. He was so taken aback that it appeared as if his world was collapsing after the unexpected question.

    "How come you''ve never heard of him?! It''s the fire witch, Ignacio!"

 Chapter 173 - The Strongest Witch - Part 1

    Ignacio? It was the first time I had heard of the name.

    I turned to Maggie, wanting to ask her if she knew about the witch, but found her laughing at the baby tiger''s remark.

    "How come he''s the most powerful witch when I''ve never heard of him?" She guffawed, assuming that the tiger had just spouted a joke to lighten the mood. "Is he your neighbor?"

    The tiger gasped yet again, then tugged at my feet with his little paws.

    "Master, why are you hanging out with these imbeciles? They don''t even know who Master Ignacio is!"

    Uhˇ­ how should I explain this?

    "I hate to break it to you, butˇ­ I also don''t know who Ignacio is," I told him, making him stumble and fall back to his bum. "L-listen, I really think that you''ve got the wrong person. I''m not your master. It must be only a coincidence that we were born on the same day."

    "You are! YouˇŞyou must beˇ­" His voice trembled, eventually becoming more unsure of the truth. His excitement and bubbliness gradually faded, replaced by sadness and loneliness. It must have shattered his heart. He had waited for his master for so long, and now that he thought he had found the purpose of his life, it turned out to be the wrong person. "If you are not my master, then who is?"

    He let his body fall to the ground, hiding his face under his paws. Then came the sniffles, the cry of the little baby tiger.

    "H-he''s crying!" Andrew shouted, and I''ve been told that a crying creature was one of his weaknesses. "It''s not me! I didn''t make him cry!" He announced, then ran to hide behind the bushes.

    Jack, seeing the tiger cry, offered him the bear he had just caught before. He thought it would cheer him up to see good food, but it only made him cry even louder. Apparently, he was afraid of bears. Coco was the only exception.

    "Just leave him be," Maggie said, as she couldn''t care less about the crying tiger. She started packing her bag, preparing herself to continue our journey. "We have places to go, and we don''t have the time to wipe the tears off this kid."

    "Butˇ­" I hesitated, not knowing what to do. Though Maggie was right, it didn''t feel right to leave the tiger alone.

    Before I could decide what to do, Coco walked closer to the tiger, putting a paw on his back. Unlike his indifferent owner, it looked like Coco cared enough about the tiger to try to comfort him. Perhaps the fight from before created a certain connection between them.

    When the tiger looked up to see whose paw it was, Coco''s paw moved from his back, going up to his face, thenˇŞPOW!!

    "Coco!!"

    Coco punched the tiger.

    ˇ­

    "Ah! So you''re here to look for the Wishing Tree?" The tiger asked, bouncing a little as he walked beside me. "It''s still a bit far from here."

    After Coco punched the tiger, a little fight occurred between them, and we had no other choice but to ask him to come travel with us out of guilt. Fortunately, our little company seemed to have lightened his mood. He must have been lonely.

    "Have you ever been there before?" I asked as I nodded to his question, smiling at how adorable he was. He was so small, standing shorter than my knees.

    "Of course! It''s one of the best places to takeˇŞ" the tiger stumbled, tripping at a rock on the ground but quickly got onto his feet and acted as if nothing happened. "ˇŞa nap!"

    Gosh, could he be any more adorable than this? I thought tigers were scary, but perhaps the storybooks I used to read were telling lies. How silly of them to publish a book without confirming the accuracy of its contents.

    "Why?" I asked, trying hard to give him a proper response rather than squealing over his adorableness.

    "Because the weather is always good up there," he replied, and I knew it''s not relevant, but I wonder what his name was. "The flowers and trees are always kind, and even the birds sing the best there."

    "It sounds like a wonderful place," I said, making him nod vigorously.

    After walking for some time, we finally arrived at the foot of the colorful mountain I saw before. Thankfully, the sky is clear and the sun is bright, causing the mountain to welcome us with delight.

    Flowers bloomed in all their grace at every step we took, filling the air with their wonderful scents. The scene that we were beholding was colourful, and everything seemed to be at peace in this place. The wind that blew as the trees swayed was soft and gentle, lulling the few rabbits and deer to sleep.

    Maggie went crazy as there were a lot of ingredients that she could use to make her upcoming potions. I heard her whispering to herself that she would definitely make a potion to kill off bats in one go. From Maggie, I learned that grudges are scary.

    Unlike Maggie, who found this place to be like heaven, Jack found the place to be hellish. It seemed that he was allergic to a certain flower amongst the group. He couldn''t stop sneezing, and Andrew couldn''t stop laughing at him whenever a snot escaped his nose.

    "Wow, you could make a whole waterfall with that amount of snot," Andrew jeered, and out of annoyance, Jack walked closer and wiped his nose with Andrew''s shirt. "AAAHHH!!"

    Andrew and Jack then started a game of tag, with Andrew desperate to swap his shirt with Jack''s. I found that Andrew had quite a few things that he disliked. If squirrels and crying creatures were the second and third things that he disliked the most, being dirty was the first. Jack knew about it and made good use of that knowledge. He seemed to have had enough of Andrew, after a few long years of self-restraint.

    Is it the place? Everyone seemed to be a lot livelier.

    "Master? Why are your brows drawn together?" The little tiger asked, tilting his head as he looked up at me. If not for him, I wouldn''t even have noticed that I was frowning.

    "I-is it?" I quickly laughed in response, not wanting to make him worry. "I''m only exercising my face muscles. It feels a bit stiff today," I told him, but even for me, it didn''t sound very convincing. "Well, to tell the truth, I''m worried about my mate. He''s very sick right now, and I couldn''t help but wonder if he''s eating wellˇŞor if he''s even conscious at all."

    The tiger nodded his head, and the look on his face became dimmer.

    "Did you come all the way here to wish for the Wishing Tree''s fruit to cure his illness?" He asked, to which I replied yes. "I''m sure the Wishing Tree will be willing to give you its fruit. The Wishing Tree is very kind to kind people."

    "Have you ever wished for anything from the Wishing Tree?"

    "I have," he replied, a wry smile on his face. "But it couldn''t grant me my wish."

    "What did you wish for?" I asked.

    "I wished for my parents to be back," he said, lowering his head, perhaps to hide the tears that were welling up in his eyes. "I was afraid I''d forget about them one day, so I wished to be with them again, but the Wishing Tree told me that it couldn''t bring back the dead. Instead, it brought them into my dreams every night so I wouldn''t forget them. The Wishing Tree is very kind."

    He''sˇ­ a lot like me. We both lost our parents at a young age, leaving us to carry on with the void in our hearts left by the space they once occupied. I struggled day after day to accept the fact that I no longer have my loving parents, but even after so many years passed by, it''s still hard to accept the truth. Does he feel the same?

    At the same time as our conversation that was turning more depressing, the sky above us was also turning. The bright blue sky was no longer, replaced by the gloomy grey that came with a storm. The calm and gentle breeze turned harsher, swaying the trees off their roots. The flowers died, and the birds cried.

    The change was so quick that we didn''t have the chance to prepare ourselves.

    "M-master! We have to hurry and hide!" The little tiger shouted, making his voice louder to fight the ferocity of the wind. "If we stay outside during a storm, we will wake theˇŞ"

    "GROAAARRRRRR!!" A deafening, earth-shattering roar filled the entire space, drawing the attention of those preoccupied with their own worlds. Maggie quickly hid the flowers she''d plucked behind her back, while Andrew and Jack, who were still attempting to swap their shirts, quickly made up when they heard the roar.

    "ˇŞthe spirit bear!!"

 Chapter 174 - The Strongest Witch - Part 2

    A big, white-coloured bear appeared, towering over all of us. The bear was taller than all the trees around us, its fur white as snow. Its roar came as strong as the storm, scaring the squirrels and bunnies to their homes. A scratch from its claws, and you will be gone forever.

    We immediately ran when we saw the spirit bear, not even waiting for the little tiger to finish his warning. I gathered all of my remaining strength and ran as if it were the end of the worldˇŞwhich it very well could be if the bear caught me.

    The storm that came quickly turned into a blizzard, the combination of wind and snow made it difficult for me to see what lay ahead. One second I was running on the green grass, and then on the soft pile of snow the next.

    All this running I''ve been doing today made me realize that I might be a better runner than I initially thought. Or perhaps I was forced to be better, as death was right behind me.

    Though I didn''t have enough time to prepare myself for this, I had enough time to notice that this bear was no ordinary bear. Well, its massive size alone was already unusual, but the fact that it was running on air was even more unusual. The spirit bear, as the tiger said. Is it not a real bear?

    I was trying to catch my breath to ask my question, but the little tiger beat me to it.

    "Don''t slow down! If the spirit bear touches you, it will immediately take you to the spirit world and there''s no return!" Shouted the tiger, burning our spirit even more.

    "What do we do?!" Asked Andrew, turning his head a little only to find the bear closer than ever. "AAAHH!! WHAT DO WE DO?!"

    "Keep running, you dumb wolf!" Maggie replied with her kind choice of words, clearly stating the obvious. Unfortunately, right after she answered the question, the seemingly unconscious Coco fell out of her hands. "Coco!!"

    "Maggie, no!" I shouted to stop her, but she didn''t listen and turned back to retrieve Coco, not caring about the little distance left between her and the spirit bear. The spirit bear quickly caught Maggie and Coco with its claws, throwing them straight into its mouth. "MAGGIE!!!"

    "Master, hurry!!" The little tiger bit my dress, pulling me to run and hasten my pace. "We have to save ourselves first!"

    Though unwilling, what the tiger said was true. I have to save myself before I can help anyone else. Acting rashly in this situation isn''t going to get me anywhereˇŞwell, it only gets me to the door of death.

    That silly Maggie! What is she doing, ignoring the tiger''s warning? Is her creation more important than her own life? She acted like she was all that smart and great, but what is this? How are we supposed to get her back from the spirit world? No, rather, can we even do that?

    At this rate, I don''t even know if we''ll ever find the Wishing Tree. There doesn''t seem to be an end to all these troubles. First giant fairies, and then the spirit bear. What''s next? A flying crocodile?

    This crazy bearˇŞhow long is it going to keep this up? My legs felt as if they were about to separate themselves from my body, and I don''t know how much longer I could last.

    Perhaps God, I suddenly heard a voice in my head.

    "Do you want me to help you?" The voice was soothing to the ears, familiar, yet strange at the same time. Where did I hear this voice? "I can help you."

    "Did you guys hear that?" I shouted, asking everyone present in the area.

    "I did!" Shouted Andrew, but I shouldn''t have expected anything from him. "The sound of my heart giving away! I think I''m having a heart attack!" He then proceeded to use the same reason to beg the spirit bear to stop chasing after us.

    "They won''t be able to hear me," the same voice resonated in my head, sounding too clear despite the storm. "You have to decide for yourselfˇŞdo you want me to help you?"

    "Who are you?"

    "God?"

    Wait, is this real? Am I really talking with God? The God who never responds to my prayers?

    "I''ve been busy," the voice said again, and it seemed to hear what I was thinking. "But I haven''t forgotten about you. Now, do you want me to help you?"

    What is this? Why am I suddenly talking with God? Is it because I''m in a life-or-death situation? But I''ve been in such situations numerous times, and there hasn''t been a single instance where this happened. Am I hallucinating? I don''t think I''m religious enough for God to come looking for me.

    Decided that there was something in the air that caused me to hallucinate, I ignored the question that came from the voice, believing that it was the result of my desperate pleas.

    Despite not knowing where we were going, I kept running, following right behind the two wolves and the tiger. The spirit bear chased after us relentlessly, appearing to want to chase us all the way to the depths of hell.

    "Hey, I''m real!" The gentleness that came from the voice soon vanished, replaced by an unhappy tone. "Don''t ignore me! I can help you!"

    Weird. Why is the voice getting louder? Did I inhale something bad?

    "I''m not your hallucination!" said the voice, clearly unhappy with the outcome. If there''s one thing I know, it''s that a thief will never admit to being a thief. "Okay! Okay! I lied! I''m not God, but I can help you!" Why does it seem like it needs my help more than I need its help?

    "Why do you want to help me?"

    "Because I can''t meddle in human affairs unless you call for me!"

    "Who are you?"

    "Someone from the spirit world," the sound, which now I recognized as a man''s voice, said. "I can help you stop the bear, and also return your friend who got eaten."

    Maggie?

    "Yes, that Maggie."

    Did I say it out loud? Ah, right. He can hear my thoughts. Wait! Why can he hear my thoughts?! That''s an invasion of privacy! It''s tolerable if he truly is God, but he isn''t! Can I even ask for help from someone who has no regard for my privacy? I don''t think I should put my trust in just anyone. What if he later asks for my organs in return?

    "Why would I ask for your dirty littleˇŞ"

    "Stop getting into my mind!"

    "Well, I can''t help it!" He replied angrily, and I must have been insane to think his voice sounded good at first. "I was born with that power, okay?!"

    Weird. Where did I hear this? The more I listened to his voice, the more familiar it got. I remember there''s someone who speaks in this same obnoxious tone... but who is it?

    "Geez, I don''t have all day!" He said, getting impatient with my dilly-dallying. "Do you want me to help you or not?"

    I turned my head around as I ran, only to see the spirit bear, who didn''t seem to have any intention of stopping any time soon. My legs were starting to give up, my breath was getting shorter, and I knew that it was not possible for me to keep going for much longer. Although I''m still skeptical, there''s no other option besides accepting his help.

    I mean, what could be worse than being eaten by a spirit bear and transported to a world teeming with spirits?

    "Help me," I said, and as if on cue, the blizzard came to a stop.

    The strong wind turned into a gentle breeze, and the cold snow melted under the warm sunlight in an instant. The bear''s roaring stopped, and the adrenaline rush I felt in my chest gradually subsided. I turned around, and I was left stunned.

    The bear, who had been chasing us so viciously before, was now rolling on the ground, smiling and giggling like a puppy. There was no more sight of the wild, ferocious bear from before, and all that was left was a picture of a pet and its owner.

    A man with long red hair stood under the sunlight, his hair gently swaying in the breeze. His hair grew to the length of his waist, and it was as bright as fire. He smelled like the burning sun, the kind of smell you get after being outside all day. And there he stood beside the bear, playing with it gleefully as he rubbed its belly.

    He then turned around, and a pair of amber eyes immediately caught mine, staring boringly into my green ones. It was only then that I realized who he was.

    He was the man in my dream.

    "Took you long enough," he smirked.