Second Chance

"Yeah. Isn't that enough for you to leave Karen alone?" asks one of Karen's female friends.

I looked Karen in the eye for two seconds and remembered what happened behind the door that scares her - my glowing eyes.

"No. I am more concerned about Karen's well-being." I insisted. "Karen, please, take a pick. Should I tell them about what exactly happened that night? Or about what was going on with you for the past few days?"

To everyone's surprise, Karen flashed out of her seat at the speed of light and pinned me on the chalkboard. She wrapped her hands around my neck and growled.

"Fine!" she growls. "Let's talk outside." then, she kicked me out of the room by force. And I was referring to the other side of her.

All our classmates did not follow us outside. Instead, they remained in their seats and were stunned and dumbfounded when they couldn't believe Karen could do such a brutal response.

Before Karen could do a stupid mistake, I pinned her on the wall and glowed my eyes again. My shoulder was choking her neck.

"Even if you are not telling us something, that doesn't mean I don't know anything. Because I know what is happening to you, Karen. You're turning into like -"

"Like you? A monster?" she growled back. "No. I'm not gonna be like you, Melvin."

Traces of hatred and resentment toward me has been marked on Karen's face while looking at her in the eye. It was no longer fear or worry just like the last time but extreme hatred.

One of the expressions I had since I turned into a monster as she referred to me. Karen used to be sweet and gentle when she is still a human. But because werewolves are prone to aggressive behavior, everything changed about her.

"Yes. I'm a monster, Karen. But never forget this monster has brought your life back. The bite is a gift. Allow me to help you before you could do something stupid that you might regret for the rest of your life."

"Gift, my ass." Karen scoffed shortly. "Then you could have just let me die there, you monster!"

My eyes enlarged upon hearing those words coming from someone who begged me not to let go of my hands that night. I can even recall what her face and voice look like.

Yeah. I already expected that she died back there. But, who could have thought she survives because of the bite? I shouldn't have let her go so the thought could not haunt me every time I close my eyes.

She could have just said "thank you" or "your secret is safe with me" but instead "Gift, my ass?". Is she for real? After almost breaking my shoulders and draining my blood, that's all she could say?

"Is everything all right? Melvin? Karen?" our professor suddenly appeared behind us. So, I quickly let go of my shoulder and straightened my school uniform.

"We're fine, aren't we Karen?" I asked her knowing she is the most furious between us.

Karen crawled her gaze at our professor and smiled, "We're fine Mr. Professor. Melvin and I just had a conversation about the misunderstanding that happened the last time." then, she flashed back to the room.

After the classes, I immediately went back to my apartment to sleep my frustration, annoyance, and outrage against Karen.

I don't want to be an irresponsible wolf but what else could my wolf do when she, herself, doesn't need my help? My wolf simply wanted to correct my mistake and help her with the process.

Karen still doesn't know the threat she possesses to the people around her, especially to our classmates and family members. Chances are, she might kill one of her friends in no time because her patience is getting shorter and thinner.

She must know what will happen to her if she gets angry.

"Melvin, I know your in there, buddy, open the door!" a familiar voice suddenly echoed in my ears. It was Johndale, the werewolf guardian who replaced my spot to keep an eye on the city.

That was an unexpected visit, knowing I am no longer part of the pack. Undeniably, my wolf has missed the benefits of being a werewolf guardian.

One to mention is the free meal before heading for work. But now that my wolf is no longer a guardian, I have to grope in my pocket for that meal. That's why I headed to the apartment to sleep instead of getting dinner.

So, I jump out of the bed and pull the door open.

"Apology for this unexpected visit, Melvin. But the alpha summoned you along with Karen in three days." Johndale handed me a piece of paper coming from Alpha Draku.

"May I know what this is about?" could not help but ask before I read what was written on the summon.

"You cannot read the reason on the paper, dude. I'm not allowed you say this to you, but we're friends since kids." Johndale's tone suddenly changed. "I'm afraid that you need to run and hide."

The summon paper almost slip out of my hands when my brain stopped functioning for a few seconds. "What do you mean I need to run and hide? What did Jelian and Julian tell Draku this time, huh? Tell me?"

Johndale suddenly rested his back against the wall of my apartment and pointed his gaze to the night sky. "After we confirmed that Karen is indeed alive, Draku believes that you turned her into a werewolf that you shouldn't have. It's against his written rules."

"But my intention is to save her from falling into the cliff, not make her into one. In fact, Jelian and Julian know that." I insisted before I crumpled the summon paper.

"Whether you're telling the truth or not, dude, Alpha Draku's decision has been made. If you can't bring Karen to the pack village in three days, you will be convicted of death penalty."

Johndale remove his back from the wall and walked a few steps away from me, readying to take off. "As a friendly advice, you should run and hide if you still want to live."

As soon as Johndale evacuated my apartment, it was my back that got leaned against the wall when getting the death penalty was not what I expected.

I've been doing my job as a werewolf guardian with morals and dignity. Obeyed all the written rules Alpha Draku implemented to maintain peace and order in the city assigned to me.

But why?

The next morning, I went to school as early as before sunrise. I didn't have a good night's sleep last night because I've been busy thinking of a way how to convince Karen to come with me to the pack.

Johndale may have advised me to run and hide but I didn't find that option more suitable to my case. My wolf can run and hide but for how long?

I may have committed a crime that was against Draku's written rules, but it's not enough reason for me to hide. And it is also not an assurance that my life will not be put in danger. Draku is too good to be true if that would be the case.

However, there is this part of me who feels hesitant to bring Karen to the pack since I haven't seen any symptoms of her turning into one.

Kicking me out of the room the other day was not enough for me to consider her experiencing what we, werewolves, referred to as a lycanthrope. The next full moon is still in a few months as well.

But, what am I gonna do when my wolf already has two more days left for the summon? If I can't bring Karen as a wolf to the village, the pack will hang me to death.

On the other hand, if they can also confirm that Karen is one of us, my wolf will still face some punishment. Grrrr. What am I gonna do?

"What are you doing in my seat?" Karen's voice suddenly reverberated in my ears which shattered all my profound thoughts. She was staring at me sharply.

Since when did she get the courage to stare me in the eye? The last time I looked her in the eye, she got scared and was trembling. But right now, it was my wolf that got bothered by her glance.

"Are you just gonna stare at me the entire class, huh?" she added. "Well. I'm fine with that. Let's see who might get suspended this time."

Speaking of suspension, I quickly moved out of her desk and leaped at the back where my chair is. What the heck? She even smiled at me.

After the classes, I followed Karen from afar everywhere she goes. Even inside the toilet, I never let my guard down. We may be far from each other but my werewolf senses stayed beside her.

Two days later, the summon has come to arrive. After two days of following Karen, I was pretty convinced that my venom did not go that far into her system.

On the bright side, I felt at ease when she did not turn into a beast when it could not just ruin her luminous future, but can turn her into a murderer.

Apart from that, I believe that my wolf will get its second chance since my crime is about killing Karen but it turned out she's alive.

"You came alone?" Alpha Draku heaved a sigh before he moves out of his alpha seat and slide closer to my spot. He then asks, "Where's the bitten woman?"

He and the rest of the werewolf elders were having an assembly at the podium where I will be convicted. Perhaps they were waiting for me to appear.

"She's not one of us," I announced to them.

"That's not for you to decide, Guardian Parker." Alpha Draku debated. "With the fact that she already knows our secret, I'm giving you a second chance. But in return, you have to kill her this time. Before she could say anything about us to the world."

"What?" confusion and skepticism immediately dominated my entire werewolf system.