CHAPTER 8: A KISS FOR A WISH

CHAPTER 8: A KISS FOR A WISH

That's it.

I kissed him.

It lasted only for a second and I quickly stepped back, not batting an eye after what I had done. It was actually my first kiss, but I wasn't a fan of romance nor the sentimental value it was supposed to have, so it felt nothing to me.

But the look of betrayal in Steele's eyes made me feel like I just stole a treasured thing from him. His lips were parted a bit, his eyes were blank but I saw a glimpse of shock in those earlier for half a second. He stood there staring, unmoving. Was he that shocked that I kissed him? Or maybe it was the first time a girl kissed him?

"What have you done?" His eyes blazed darkly. He recovered from shock and now he is angry as hell. I felt like if he could blow me fire, he would have toasted me on the spot.

I took one more step backward, a little anxious of how annoyed he was. But then I was also satisfied that I did it.

Thanks for Stan's idea. Maybe I should thank him in person some other time?

"A human who kisses a wolf will be granted one wish. Now you have no choice, Alpha. You need to grant my wish," I said sweetly. But I knew he was aware that I was anything but sweet. He knew I tricked him, it was obvious in his furrowed brows.

Based on what I've read, there are sort of ranks in the werewolf clans or packs. Alpha is the highest, and although I am not sure, he gives off that kind of energy of a ruler, a lord of his own, the reason why I have a feeling that if he had ever led his own men, he must be the alpha. No rank would justify his demeanor but that.

"I will kill you," he mumbled.

"Help me solve the mystery of the plane incident twenty-two years ago. That is my wish," I said not minding his fuming gaze. He can get over his annoyance, but I can't get over this matter, so I won't be sorry.

His jaw moved, the violence in his eyes was unforgiving. Clearly, he doesn't like being forced into doing anything, especially being trapped like this. I know this is borderline illegal, but if you can't be stronger, then the least thing you can do to compete is be wiser.

"You can't kill someone you owed a wish to, so you have no choice but to help me. Don't worry, once everything is alright, I will give you my head myself."

He didn't say anything for a few moments. He just stared at me with a cold look, making me feel how he wanted to grab my neck and break it so hard.

"Go on. Murder me in your head," I said and leaned back on the cemented barricade. I glanced at my cup of coffee at the side. It looked already cold. I didn't pick it up and put my hands in my jacket's pockets, bringing my gaze back to the stone man in front.

"I know nothing about that incident. You think I can help you?"

I raised a brow. "Well, you have to try your best then?"

Only a fool would believe that he can't help me. That woman who killed my mom was no human. She must be like him, a shapeshifter. And I have a feeling that she didn't come alone. For a plane to suddenly crash without any human anomaly, that ought to mean something.

"Look, even if it's true that there were shapeshifters in that plane who killed all those people, what can you do? There are always bad guys out there, Detective. It just happened that your family boarded that plane. Coincidence."

"I don't care if it was merely a coincidence or not. I still want to know everything. I want to know who my parents' murderer was. I know for you it's petty to dig on something that happened two decades ago, but I want to know the reason. Why did it have to be that plane? Why was my mom killed first?"

He shook his head and walked towards my side. He also leaned on the barricade, leaving a space between us.

"Since I'm already tied to that damn wish of yours, then I will tell you the truth."

I shifted my weight, facing him. "Truth?"

"Just like humans, all kinds of shapeshifters have the same laws. We cannot harm humans without valid reason. But just like your people, ours also have lawbreakers."

"And there were people like you in that plane, is that it?" I interrupted.

"Let me finish, will you?"

I sighed.

"That year, a group was formed, they did things against the rules. They were not werewolves, but a different kind of shapeshifters. We have some sort of bureau whose job is to get rid of them, but they kept on finding a way to escape. Until that happened, the biggest crime they did. I was told that another kid has Anna's face, which was you, was in the plane, so I decided to meddle. When I arrived, the plane was already about to crash. You were unconscious in your dad's arms—"

"You were there but you didn't save the plane from crashing—"

"Why would I save the plane when everyone else was dead?"

My lips parted.

"What do you mean? My dad was holding me. He was alive. He was keeping me in place—"

"He died in suffocation, the others died the same way, some were hit by objects and some were killed on purpose. The group wasn't there anymore, so I assumed that they knew I was coming so they hurried and just left you alone, thinking that you would die in the plane crash anyway."

"But how were you so sure that no one else was alive? I'm sure you didn't take much of your time looking at those bodies!"

"I was sure because I can recognize a dead man's scent from a living man even in a thousand meters. I can also hear heartbeats. And that moment, the only person who was positive in both was you. Unfortunately, my efforts were wasted because you were not the one I was looking for."

"Sadly, you can't undo things," I murmured, subtly glaring at him.

I wanted to tell him why his efforts were wasted when he saved an innocent life, but I can see now that he's a person who couldn't care less of the matters that don't concern him. An asshole? No. Self-centered and apathetic? Yes.

"What happened to the group, then? Were they found and punished later on?"

"No. They disappeared. Maybe they hid themselves, or were killed. No one knows. The bureau stopped searching for them for some unknown reason."

"Didn't you think of asking why they stopped?"

"It was none of my business. I have my own matters to attend to."

So apathetic.

"Why can't you just forget about it and move on?"

"Move on?" I shook my head, smiling bitterly. "They weren't just random people. They were my parents, yet, they died like that. My mom was brutally killed. My dad died while trying to protect me. I can never forget my mom's bloodied body when I saw her and the woman."

There are certain things in life that you can never get over from, threads of worries and pain you can never let go of. Because if you forget, you would also forget how happy you would have been if that didn't happen.

"All I want is justice," I said in a strained voice.

I looked away, suppressing my coming tears. I've never cried for years, why would I cry in front of someone I barely know?

"Fine, then. Let's get the justice you want," he said all of a sudden.