Melvin slides toward his broken mask and put it back to his face as if nothing happened. He never said a single word. Not even a simple hi or hello. And his expression never changes either. Right after putting on his half-faced mask, he turned around back to me. "Melvin, please, stop! This isn't you." I tried to convince him while buying enough time for the wounds in my chest to heal. "Don't waste your words, Karen. I highly suggest you focus on killing the love of your life. Because if you are not going to kill him now, he will to you." As soon as the wounds in my chest finally healed, I stood firm again and growled at Melvin. At the same time, I was thinking about how to beat him without us getting hurt. Beating him until he gets unconscious is at the top of my plan at the moment. But how am I supposed to do that? The rest of the men in masks have their eyes on my every move. "Melvin, wake up!" I exclaimed. And I stood my ground, my own glowing eyes focu
"Wait... you haven't answered my question yet, Karen. Are you that man in the mask that I hit with my car was Melvin?" Simon insisted as if he can still accept the truth. "Yes, it was Melvin Parker that we know of," Jelian replied on my behalf. And I almost forgot that we have them in the backseat of Simon's car. "We don't know how, but, those men in masks have something to do with it." Julian added, "They experimented with him just like the others they captured." Simon and I curved our brows in unison. Then I glanced back to the rearview mirror, back to Melvin and those two men in masks. However, I could no longer see them chasing us. "But I thought they were only doing their experiments on the humans and turning them into monsters?" Simon continued. "But Melvin... they turned him into a human?" A part of me suddenly felt jealous of Melvin. I once told him that I wanted to become a human if given the chance there will be a cure to get rid of the monsters insid
"Thank you, Karen," Jackson replied. Perhaps he already noticed that Alex and his vampire friends are not aware of what he did to Melvin. Simon and I haven't told them yet. And we will keep it that way. But, eventually, they will uncover Jackson's mask. After all, Alex and his friends were vampires. "Anyway, we still have our classes in a few minutes," Alex said. "See you later, Ms. Karen." "See you later," I replied with a smile on my face. "Don't forget what Simon asked, later, okay?" Right after that, As Alex and I parted ways, I could not help but feel a sense of urgency. We did not get the chance to discuss everything they need to know about the plan to save Melvin due to Jackson's unexpected appearance. My wolf already learned its lesson not to trust Jackson and considered him our enemy. Taking him out of the picture is the best and right thing to do if we want our plan to be a success. As Jackson and I entered the classroom, my wolf sensed a heavy s
"What about Melvin? We should do something to get him back." I insisted as I tried to remove Simon's hands away from me but his grip was harder than I expected. "Believe me, I know that, Karen," Simon replied. "But today is not the best time to get him back. We need a plan." As soon as we got out of the school exit, Simon grabbed the phone from his pocket and dialed someone while his left hand remained clamped with mine. Apart from us, hundreds, if not thousands of students were also in a race upon reaching the school's exit. Cars, including police patrols and ambulances, were stuck in the middle of the road because the road was swamped with running humans. So I shortly glanced back to the road we took, back to the rugby field. But I don't see Melvin or those men in masks anymore. "Where are you?" Simon asked the second his call was answered. "We already got out of the school, Simon. We don't want to get hurt you know." Alex was on the other line of the ph
"Do you think your plan on separating Melvin from those men in masks is going to work?" Jennie broke the silence between us in her car. At our battle against Melvin, my wolf noticed that those men in masks were all humans. And as a human, Simon agreed that they also have their weaknesses. We plan to use that to our advantage to get Melvin away from them. Since we have no idea how many of them are in that masks, the rugby boys offered to extend help. They played a very important part in achieving our goal. For what is worth, Simon and I manage to clear their thoughts about Melvin being the antagonist of our story. But in order to do that, I dragged Jackson's name to the case. "Why?" Simon replied. "Do you have something better in mind? You were there at the meeting but you barely said a word." "Nah, I don't want to be chased out from the store just like you guys did to Jackson," Jennie said back. "I know you all doubted my dad's sincerity. But I can't blame you
"We are not here for that, Mr. James." I cut him in the middle of his long and nonsense speech. He keeps on explaining things about his work in the laboratory and how he applied them to the school as the owner. None of them was even related to the incident that happened recently as though he was trying to avert our mindsets. Either way, it doesn't change the fact that Melvin and I are still suspicious of him. Diverting things only prove to me that he was hiding something from us. Something that he doesn't want to be caught. "We are here to ask for the list of the monsters you have in the laboratory underneath our school." I continued. "I don't know if you are aware of what was going on in your school but all your monsters got escaped. And yet you're here hidden in this laboratory." Jennie and Simon exchanged glances. Even his very own daughter nodded in agreement as though she was supporting my claims. "We need the file. Just the file for us to know everything
"All right. Thanks for filling us up, dude." Simon heaved an abrupt sigh before clapping Joseh's shoulders. Determination started to light his mood. "Let's start discussing our plan." He then handed us one by one a piece of paper. "Those were the list of the monsters whom Mr. James and his scientists kept in his laboratory underneath our school for months now. All thanks to our friends, Melvin and Karen for capturing them for us." he continued. "If not because of them, perhaps some of us would not be here right now." Undeniably, I felt overwhelmed by Simon's statement. I did not do much about capturing those monsters yet he still gives me the credit to it. It all thanks to Melvin. Simon and some of our friends have been part of those missions, successful ones, to be precise. He was too humble not to mention his name. "Let's begin with the number one on the list." Simon continued. "The Chimera." As far as I could remember, the Chimera was the first monster those men in
"Are you guys just going to look at us?" Simon's dad asked, his voice was a bit rough which caused us startled even more. "Help us with the snacks." Joseph and Glester immediately came to the rescue. Glester grabbed the pouch from Simon's dad filled with food packs while Joseph assisted Simon's mom in distributing the bottled water to us. Still, all of us remained silent when we just lied to Simon's parents that we doing some school project in their warehouse. "Anyway, we heard that the school was in chaos right now. Is this what are you guys discussing?" Simon's mom continued. "Aren't you all supposed to stay away from the school?" My wolf cannot blame them to feel terrified or worried for their son's safety. After all, Simon's rich parents are both humans. And both of them are still unaware of Simon's secret. I'm not even sure if he already considered telling them the truth. But eventually, they will know the truth. "It was tragic. Deaths are increasing." I r
"Poor little wolf," Mr. James uttered. "All your plans failed. Everyone around you died because you encourage them to be part of your vision. With just one stab of my claw straight into your heart, there is no way you could survive. But there is no fun if I do that to you." He shifted back to his human form, and with a sadistic grin, he cruelly taunted me, relishing in his superiority. He unleashed a barrage of punches to my battered face, blood spewing from my mouth with each blow. The agony intensified, yet he continued to laugh, finding pleasure in my suffering. "How does it feel, huh, Melvin?" he continued. "Does it hurt? How about removing your fingers one by one? That would be music to my ears." But amidst this relentless assault, a spark refused to extinguish within me. Determination ignited a fierce resolve upon seeing the clouds from the sky as they started to get darkened. Lightning and thunders began to emerge in the sky. And the cold wind blows straight to
"They're killing our people! Get back! Get back!" Simon screamed, his voice laced with worries and fears combined. "Melvin, do something!" "This is not what we expected to happen, Simon. Let me think first, okay?" I screamed back before digging into the deepest part of my brain on what to do in this kind of scenario. "There's no time to think." Simon insisted. "You must do something!" Simon and I stood outside the entrance of the cave, our hearts filled with terror. Before our eyes lay a scene of chaos and destruction. The dense forest surrounding the cave was already engulfed in dark smoke and flames. The crackling fire licked hungrily at the trees, transforming the once serene landscape into a fiery nightmare. And at the center of it, all stood a colossal werewolf, towering over us with an air of malevolent power. The massive creature was not just content with burning the forest. It continuously released blasts of fire from its gaping maw, directing them n
Two days ago. "So you mean we are not just facing one huge terrifying monster but hundreds of them? Are you fucking kidding me, Mr. Parker?" the Sheriff slapped his hand on the surface of the table in front of us. My wolf some of the highest-ranking officials in the city, including the mayor and the Sheriff are gathered in the mayor's office. Behind me is where Karen and Simon standing still. The urgent meeting was palpable. It was I who called for an emergency meeting as it turned out that our pack got information from a reliable source that Mr. James was busy multiplying his numbers in our neighboring cities. "I'm so sorry, Mr. Sheriff. But getting angry and raising your voice will not solve anything in this case." I replied with conviction. "You already told us in our confession that we will be using everything the police department has to stop these monsters." "Yeah, I did that." The Sheriff replied. "But what I meant to that is to use all our weapons su
"Please, don't talk anymore. The rescue team is on their way." I reached out to her hand and studied her condition. Then I glanced at those werewolf guardians who were rushing in our direction. "Hurry!" I yelled. "Melvin," Jennie breathed out my name. She grabbed something from her pocket and grasped it in my hands. "Take that. Use it for good." Out of curiosity, I opened my hand and looked at what she just handed me. In Jennie's final moments, she presented me with a syringe filled with a mysterious green liquid. As far as I could remember, it was the same serum her father had used to transform me into a human. Her voice trembled as she spoke the instructions. "Please... use this... to stop my... evil dad. He already killed all the monsters and absorbed all their powers inside him. Please, be careful of him. He was no longer the..." she managed to say before her life slipped away. Her last words hung in the air, heavy with sorrow and determination. I clut
My wolf already expected that from him. With the new blood in my veins, I don't need to get worried if things go south. We barged into the village our rifles filled with bullets. On top of that, I already convinced myself that I must do whatever it takes to get the pack from the ruthless and manipulative leaders. And that must be done by hook or by crook time is not on our side at the moment. Meanwhile, a sly smile curled on my lupine face as I locked eyes with him, my voice dripping with concealed menace. "You doubt my capabilities? Perhaps you'd like a demonstration," I asserted, my tone unyielding. "How about a one-on-one battle between you and Julian? If you decline my proposal, know that I will personally end your life, just as I did to those pitiful men in masks." The room fell silent once again, every werewolf present captivated by the intensity of the standoff. The pack leader, although conflicted, understood the truth in my words. And the power I wielded w
Simon immediately shut his mouth, and deny it or not, my wolf started to sense the worries and fears that itched his expression right after confessing to him about the killings. The last I could do is blame him for that. Simon had every right to get suspicious of me when I just got back from my complicated past of being a ripper. Needless to say, I am their most feared enemy a few hours ago. I even almost killed Karen. But I must get to the bottom of everything now that I got back my consciousness. Everything. Even if I may not get the chance to correct the past, my wolf must protect the future. Meanwhile, Simon and I stood outside in front of Jackson's parents' house, fraught with anger and betrayal. The door loomed in front of us, a barrier keeping us from the truth we needed to confront. With a furious determination, I slammed my shoulder against the wooden door, splintering the lock and sending it crashing open. There are no cops around so who the hell do I ca
The mask fragmented into countless pieces. Reality itched me as I glanced back to Karen. She's dead. And it was because of me. I killed her, my mate. And the love of my life. But how? How did it happen? Why did I do it? My brain was frozen without getting any answer to my questions until all of a sudden, an unknown power surged within me - a tempest of raw, untamed energy pushing against the confines of my skin. My wolf stirred in startled wonder; it had never experienced such magnitude of power. My eyes, once blurred, now blazed fiery red. It was the same eyes when Karen became an alpha. Shaking off the remnants of the mask, my newly amplified senses caught whiffs of a brutal battle underway – Simon and our friends combatting the malevolence of the masked men. My gaze swiveled back to Karen's prone form on the ground, heartache seizing me, her peaceful face a harsh contrast to the chaos around me. The alpha blood in me roared throughout my veins with the urg
Everyone in the room fell into a heavy silence and the weight of my accusation echoed in the air. For a moment, not a single police officer dared to speak or move. The statement lingered like a dark shadow, casting doubts and fears among those who had believed in Jackson's innocence. With eyes darting nervously, Jackson's facade finally crumbled, revealing the truths he had fought so hard to conceal. His gaze fell to the ground, unable to meet anyone else's eyes. It was in that moment, amidst the deafening silence, that the harsh reality of his actions became undeniable. As I stood there, my heart heavy with the weight of betrayal, I hoped that the officers would heed my warning. The threat Jackson posed was too grave to be ignored. It was time for justice to prevail, for those in positions of authority to be cautious, lest they too fall victim to the treacherous lies that Jackson had spun. In this moment of immense tension and revelation, the precinct becam
"What the hell is going on?" I could not help but ask myself. "Karen!" Simon called out desperately, seeing me on the verge of turning around. He rushed towards me, gripping his arm tightly, pulling me back just in time. "Don't look, Karen! Whatever you do, don't look!" "What's going on, Simon?" I voiced out my question with my eyes closed. "Why did they turn into stones? Please, do something. They're our friends." Tears welled up in my eyes as the gravity of the situation dawned on me. Fear and disbelief locked in an intense battle on my face. I clutched my arm, seeking solace and answers in my eyes. In front of me were all our friends turned into stones. The worst part of the case was that my wolf, despite my senses being heightened, could barely hear their thunderous heartbeats anymore. "Best of luck, my friends," Mr. James said, his words laced with a bittersweet tone. With a wave of his hand, he and the two men in masks disappeared, leaving only a faint ec