It was a sunny day, and the rugby team was out on the field practicing. Aiden was there, among the others, sweating and pushing himself to his limits. Mark and I walked over to the bench and found Penelope and her circle of friends chatting away. As we approached, I noticed that Karen wasn't there. "Hey, Penelope," I said, greeting her with a smile. She looked up and returned the smile, surprised to see me. "Hey," she said. "What brings you here?" "Just wanted to say hi," I said. "How's everything going?" She shrugged. "Same old, same old. Just hanging out with the girls." I glanced around at the group, confirming Karen's existence. "Hey, have you seen Karen these days?" Penelope shook her head. "No, not today. Why?" I hesitated for a moment, then decided to tell her. "Karen's been struggling with some health issues lately. And I am trying to help her out as best we can." Penelope was with her human friends so I choose the words from their pers
It was then that we saw the beast that had caused the disturbance. A new monster will be added to my list. A Bigfoot monster stood before us, towering over us with its massive form. That was what my brain referred to as the monster. Its fur was thick and shaggy, and its eyes glowed with a menacing red hue. But as werewolves, we had to be careful not to shift into our wolf forms in front of the humans around us. That's when Penelope and Lilith, sprang to action. They helped the humans inside the restaurant evacuate through the emergency exit door, ensuring their safety before the monster could cause more harm. "For God's sake!" Aiden exclaimed in disbelief. "Huge monsters seemed to love living in New Orleans. What are we going to do now, huh, Ethan?" "What else could it be?" Mark said. "We have to kill this monster as soon as possible-" "Wait." I cut in. "Ezekiel once told us at the meeting that we must not kill monsters. We must protect them as well." "Are you
Mark, however, was not done. He continued to bully me, despite the others' attempts to calm him down. He seemed obsessed with tearing me down, belittling me at every opportunity. It was infuriating, but I didn't want to stoop to his level. My wolf wanted to be the bigger person, to rise above his petty insults. Aiden could sense my frustration so he stepped in to defend me. He reminded Mark of all the times that I had saved his butt, all the times that I had been a loyal friend to him in the past and a fierce guardian. Mark looked taken aback as if he had forgotten my contributions. My wolf stayed quiet, letting Aiden do the talking. It was a relief to hear him defend me, to know that I had his back. Penelope chimed in too, sharing her own memories of my bravery and resilience. Hearing their words was music to my ears, and it gave me the strength to stand tall despite Mark's harassment. Eventually, Mark grew bored and wandered off, muttering something under his br
"Ethan, do something!" my wolf exclaimed. Among us in the place, my brother is the only one who could help her with his magic spell. I don't want to impose but it was his magic that played a huge part in defeating Karen's monster. "Should we inform Alpha Ezekiel about this?" Conrad worriedly suggested it. "No!" Ethan and I blurted our disagreement in unison. "Ethan can do something about her condition." I insisted. "He can use his magic-" "We have to send her to our school clinic." Ethan cut me in before I could finish my statement. However, he stealth a sharp glance at me. "Doc Jerry can help students like him. He's expertise about monsters." Then he ordered Conrad and Penelope to support him in carrying Karen's heading to the parking lot where everyone's cars are parked. "Where's your car, Penelope?" Ethan added, in a rush. Leaving no choice, I opened the door of Penelope's car and helped Ethan put Karen's body in the backseat. He occupied the drive
Aiden and I exchanged bothered glances when we could not believe Clark managed to hear me casting the magic spell despite the heating situation we are in. Let alone he was the farthest among Aiden and Penelope. And if Clark managed to hear it, I'm afraid Penelope could have done the same. Think, Ethan. Think! You have to get out of this situation. "Are you kidding me right now, Clark?" Aiden finally broke the defeating silence between us. "If my brother could have been a witch, he would rather cast a spell for us to become rich. And he was living in a tiny room in this school patiently working as a security guard." Then he sharpened his glare at Penelope seeking a backup before the situation goes out of hand. "This is not the best time for us to debate about that nonsense thing. We should address the monster's body before anyone could see us." Though Aiden's defense was too much, it somehow worked when Penelope and Clark's moods changed all of a sudden. "Wha
The atmosphere in the room was getting tense. Aiden, Penelope, and I were fuming with anger towards Ezekiel. He had just revealed the truth about Karen's condition - that she was a monster without a cure, and that she had the potential to hurt anyone, including us. "How could you let this happen?" I shouted at Ezekiel, my fists tightening in frustration. "Didn't you know she's our friend? And yet you let her live among these monsters like she truly belongs here?" Ezekiel stayed silent, a grim expression etched across his face. He knew we were angry and that there was nothing he could say to make things right. "Ezekiel, we need to find a way to cure Karen and the rest of the students," Aiden said, his voice shaking with emotion. "We can't just give up on her like this. There has to be something we can do." However, Ezekiel shook his head, a look of resignation crossing his features. "I'm sorry, but there isn't. If there was a cure, don't you think we would have foun
My wolf understood exactly how she felt. The situation was precarious, and neither of us was sure how it would affect the pack, especially with Alpha Romulo hunting down every witch in the vicinity. "I can only imagine," she said softly, trying to be as supportive as possible. "But I want you to know that you're not alone. We'll figure it out, okay?" Upon hearing it from Penelope, I breathed a sigh of relief, and I could feel a weight lifted off my shoulders. "Thank you, Penelope," I said. "Penny-" she uttered. "You once called me by that name, remember? That night in my apartment." "Right," I smiled, but I don't want to put something malice about it, so I added, "Anyway, I planned to visit the pack tonight. It's urgent. This might help me get an answer on how to save Karen. Would you like to come with me?" "Of course, Ethan. Everything for my best friend." was Penelope's words before our conversation ended. Then, I put on new clothes and waited for Penelop
"The book's on the bed, Ethan." Penelope pointed her head beside her, pointing at the book. "I think you were the last person who used it last night. Have you forgotten?" I furrowed, trying to remember everything that happened last night. But the one thing my wolf wanted to know was about how Penelope ended up lying next to me on the bed. If this news reached my brother, I could be as good as dead. He will be furious at me again. And I cannot afford to make that happen So I ordered Penelope to put her clothes on and leave the dorm before Aiden could see us in a mess together. Right after removing any trace of Penelope's existence in my room, I went to Ezekiel's office as Mark told me earlier. Mark, Lilith and I stood in front of Ezekiel's desk, nervously shifting from foot to foot. Ezekiel glared at me from head to toe with a disappointed scowl, making us feel guilty for whatever we had done wrong. But I knew exactly what we were there for; I had messed up
"This changes everything, Ethan," he murmured softly. "We might stand a chance against the witches if we unite our forces." Despite that my wolf still hadn't gotten the picture of his plan, I nodded in agreement, feeling a newfound sense of hope coursing through my veins. "Then we must get this done, Hunter," Aiden replied on my behalf. "The entire city has been hunted by the witches. It was them who are behind this madness." "Count me in," Conrad seconded, "Even if I don't have anything about magic spells or my wolf being the weakest in this group, I will help you with all I could have." "By the way, who are you people?" I could not help but ask those two werewolves Hunter Grey brought with him. They barely open their mouths as soon as they appeared in the bunker. And if I am not mistaken, they are not Hunter's friends or part of his pack. However, my instinct tells me that they were twins or siblings when they did not just have the same physical appearance b
"Okay, I think we plan B?" Conrad asked, his voice strained with worries, especially when Penelope's wolf started getting wild. "Ethan? Aiden? Plan B?" Penelope was now in her full werewolf transformation. And just like the first time that I met her in my dream, even my werewolf eyes could barely recognize her anymore. She was as though everything changed in just a blink of an eye from the once loving and caring Penelope, who turned into a wild murderer werewolf. And it was proven when she just jumped on top of me and began attacking me with her sharp and elongated claws and fangs. Aiden and Conrad were both stunned and dumbfounded by how strong Penelope's wolf really is. They were simply standing on their spots with their eyes wide open while Penelope was trying to bite and rip me apart. But I did not let her do what she really wants to happen. So, I put enough strength into my fist and punched her straight in the face. Aiden and Conrad's jaws dropped to the g
"Who said I am leaving her here?" I asked. "I brought her here so we could save Penelope from the witches. But first, we have to make sure she cannot escape or do something to us." Conrad, without asking further questions, wandered the entire house to look for anything we could use to hold Penelope. Aiden kept on talking to her, begging her to wake up. My wolf, on the other hand, kept my sharp eyes monitoring outside the house. I had to make sure no werewolves managed to follow me, especially since the house we are in has no fences around. Anyone can barge in at any time. Needless to say, our scents are everywhere. Newly bitten or shifted werewolves have more heightened senses compared to us. "Are you sure, Brother Ethan?" Aiden's face started to brighten. "Please, we need to help her. She must remember us as soon as possible." I nodded to Aiden without looking at him. Based on my quick observation, Penelope's condition after getting hit by lightning and thunde
"Penelope?" Conrad and Aiden breathed out her name in disbelief. "Is that really you, Penelope? What are you doing? Why are you with them?" Aiden asked, his voice laced with concern. "Isn't it obvious?" Penelope extended her response with a smile on her face. "I am here to be with you and Ethan, Aiden. And I missed you both so much. Get out of there, Aiden. Come. You can hug me." Despite Penelope's sweet and convincing words, my heightened wolf could barely sense and feel any emotions from her eyes. She managed to spill those words but I didn't sense any sincerity from her voice. Sad to say, Aiden was blinded by it. He begged me to remove the protective barrier so he can hug Penelope. I cannot blame him to fell for her words. My little brother was still in love with Penelope even if he already knew that she no longer belongs to him. Penelope loves me. That is why she accepted my wolf to be her mate. "Please, Brother Ethan," Aiden continued. His tears began pour
"How I wish you won't regret losing us again, Alpha Romulo," I replied, my voice strained with utter regret and dismay. "If we were the monsters you think we are, isn't it ironic that we are still locked up in this hell of a place?" Alpha Romulo's expression remained impassive, save for a flicker of curiosity in his eyes. Perhaps he was intrigued by my sudden shift in tone, my sincerity flowing through each word. After a lingering pause, he nodded to his betas, signaling their departure. They evacuated the place, leaving us alone once again, a sense of resignation settled upon us. We were trapped with no way to escape the inevitable. The hours ticked by. And the weight of our impending doom hanging heavily in the air. "You could have done something, Ethan," Conrad highly suggested it. "The Ethan that I know would do something, everything, in his power to make things right. But you didn't. And I started to doubt if you are the real one." "We are the real ones, Conr
All the information Conrad and Alpha Romulo brought to us was news to me to the point that I no longer knows what to do. Using magic was no longer an option for me. If I am gonna use magic, then what? Aiden and I will be running for our lives again? Where? To the outside world where we could only see burned trees, abandoned buildings, shoved grounds, and empty streets? To start a new life? There is no life outside anymore. We see it with our own eyes. Everyone was already occupying this underground world in order to survive. The three werewolf packs, despite their differences, managed to survive for two consecutive years. It only means there is no hope outside. While holding onto those awful thoughts, I could not help but drop my butt to the ground with my arms wrapping around my knees and my eyes closed. The holding cell was dimly lit, with the only source of light coming from a small window, casting shadows across the cold, stone walls. Aiden and Conrad lay on
"The only person who can answer our questions is Alpha Romulo, Aiden. The two of us missed the chance for two years, remember? And I can't wait to see him," I replied, my voice filled with overwhelming excitement. "Me either, Brother Ethan," Aiden agreed before he shrugged at me. "But do you think he grows old that much in two years?" I don't know what kind of question was that but all I know is that within those years, a lot of things could have happened. That includes Penelope. My wolf missed her so badly. I want to hold her hands. Kiss her lips for like ten minutes straight. But then again, it has been two years passed already. A lot of things could have happened within those long years of waiting. Perhaps Penelope happened to have her new mate by now. After a few minutes walk, Dexter stopped walking. Then Alpha Romulo emerged from the shadows, his tall figure illuminated by the pale tube lights. His intense gaze assessed us from head to toe, suspicion clouding his piercing e
"Yes. He's pretty alive." Dexter replied, his voice calm. "If you have more questions to ask, please, address them to Alpha Romulo. I am not allowed to give you more information about anything. My wolf was simply tonight's in charge to keep an eye on the mansion." Indeed, I had a lot of questions to ask Alpha Romulo. Questions that he was the only one who knows the answer. On the bright side, knowing that he was alive gives us faith and hope. Who could have thought the protective spell I cast two years ago remains strong and become their source of protection? But two years? Sorry, but it was pretty hard to believe when we just stayed in the past for weeks. Meanwhile, Aiden and I walked side by side, our spirits high, as Dexter confirmed the incredible news. Alpha Romulo and some of our werewolf guardians were still alive. For the past two years, they believed we perished in the battle against the witches, but now there was hope shining through. Dexter had confir
"What about the pack?" Aiden highly suggested it. "Perhaps if we go there, we could find Alpha Romulo. After all, he is one of the most powerful wolves I have ever known. Or at least one from the pack, right?" Everything began with Romulo's pack. His mansion has been the haven for the witches. They come and go without being noticed. And as far as I could remember before these terrible incidents happen to our world, the witches were furious at me for breaking the deal. I involved everyone, including Romulo's pack, believing that my plan of saving humanity will work, but it didn't. Perhaps this was the result of what I did. So I highly doubt Aiden's claim to be true. The pack, I believed, was the first target of the witches. Even if Romulo is a powerful alpha, his claws and fangs, or even his wealth don't stand a chance to someone who can cast magic. However, we can't stay in an empty school either. We need answers as soon as possible. I need to find someone to ask