× Trix ×
I sit in my seat, relaxed as I watch other council members agree with Mr. Clyde Rahl, the troublemaker. Seeing his supporters agree with what he says, he continues.
“We understand that the rune is necessary in waking up the sleeping Bamboo alpha, the only one who can remove every trace of rogues in the world. If that is the human's only use, that is not a guarantee that she can be a strong Luna. I mean, she literally just fainted not too long ago, Your Majesty.” With all audacity, Mr. Rahl says, and the hall immediately fills with chatter, everyone voicing their opinions all at once.
"Silence.” I only have to say it once, and the hall goes quiet. “You can sit, Rahl. You are, after all, a concerned councilman, speaking on behalf of my people,” I say, nodding my head in agreement with a blood-curdling smile that says otherwise. I stand up from my seat.
× Dixie ×The place we enter is filled with nothing but grey. The sky is dark and heavy like a storm is coming. From where I stand to the horizon, all I see are dead bodies, burning huts, and weapons sticking firmly into people's bodies. It looks like a battleground.“This is a pack territory that turns into a battleground,” the storyteller confirms my thoughts. “It’s more of a slaughter. At one point, everyone here is alive, going about their day, and then the rogues come. They come in numbers, killing anyone in sight. This is a pack after a rogue attack.”Looking around, my gaze falls on a little boy who is shredded to pieces. My hands shake as I struggle with the reality of how a child can be so brutally killed. I look away, shaking. Seeing dead bodies reminds me of my parents. “Take me out of here,” I look up at the warrior with tears gathering in my eyes, threate
× Dixie ×When I'm pushed back to reality, the first thing that hits me is the aroma of bacon. The warm air also carries the scent of chips and that of a man I know. Blinking repeatedly, I try to adjust my vision as it’s blurry. The last place I had been in had a bright sky with dead people on the ground, but upon waking up, I find myself on a soft bed in a dark room. That's the first thing, aside from the aroma, that I notice.While I'm still taking in my environment, someone suddenly hugs me. “Thank the goddess, you are alright.” I can feel the relief he feels. I know for a fact that it’s genuine. His voice comes out deep and calming. His scent is familiar. I didn't know I missed it until I had it again. It takes me a while for my senses to register that it’s Trix hugging me.“What the fuck? Since when did we start hugging?” I push him away, glaring at him even though he looks back at me with a smile.“I'm glad you are alright.” Again, I feel it in my chest that what he says is true
× Trix ×If only Dixie knows what she does to me every time she looks at me like that. That’s the frustrating part! I feel the attraction from the bond more than she ever will. I have to mask it all every single time so she won’t see me as a freak. I’d rather be called a 'bully' than a 'freak' any day.“Seriously, I don’t get you. What’s the catch? If I remember correctly, you’re so against me having some freedom,” Dixie says, switching on her bitchy attitude.“You act like I choose to be around you,” I blurt out. “You have what my pack needs, and I know you have a knack for attracting trouble. That’s why I have to make sure you’re protected all the time. If I let you go to your grandma’s place by yourself, I give you five minutes before you land in some big shit.”“I’m an adult,” she says so boldly that I laugh. “Please, tell me, what part of grown?”“Asshole!” she spits out before getting out of the bed. She gets a little dizzy when she tries to walk abruptly. At that moment, every
× Dixie ×As always, Trix finds a way to escape answering my question. I throw a glare at him before getting out of the car and slamming it shut.“Be careful, silly. Don’t take out your bitchy attitude on my car,” he yells from the car. Ignoring him, I head straight to the front porch and knock on the door. Grandma should still be awake; she never sleeps early.I can still see the lights are on inside. She’s probably watching TV. I knock again. This time, I hear her yell from a distance, “Who’s disturbing my peace at this time of day?” Her words are followed by a string of curses and threats if the knocking is a prank.“Gran gran, it’s me,” I almost yell, but it seems like she doesn’t hear me. It isn’t until she opens the door and sees me.“Gran gran! It’s so good to see you.” I hug her immediately. “I missed you.” Though I have my arms wrapped around her, she just stands there, stiff, without saying a word or hugging back. When she finally speaks, it’s with a hint of worry in her voi
× Dixie דNo, Gran gran. I don't mean to put myself in danger,” I try to explain to my grandma, but she's not having it.“What do you think you're going to achieve by going out on your own?” Gran gran asks before continuing, “When you were young and hidden from this dangerous world of ours, I was able to protect you from human problems, but now I can't. The only one who can is your mate, Trix.” I feel like she’s not listening to me, so I explain again.“I’m on my own, Gran gran. I’m just getting out of the hospital—” She cuts me off before I can explain.“Hospital?” she exclaims. “How...”“Gran gran, please listen. I end up in the hospital because of this rune in my hand, but that’s not the point now.” I take a deep breath before explaining. “I simply want to take a walk out of the room. I’m on my own. I don’t do anything. Then this crazy werewolf comes at me, pursuing me like I’m some criminal. It says I’m the one responsible for something I didn't do. Trix did it! Not me!”“You’re
= DIXIE =Sweat plastered my hair to my forehead as I pushed through the overgrown bushes. Grandma had warned me a million times about exploring this part of the woods, but boredom was a relentless beast. Besides, who knew what cool stuff I might find? Maybe a hidden cave full of pirate treasure… okay, maybe not pirate treasure, but something cool nonetheless.As I stepped into a clearing bathed in an ethereal glow, a shiver ran down my spine. The air crackled with a strange energy, making the hairs on my arms stand on end. It was like stepping into some fantastical movie scene. In the center stood a massive oak tree, its branches sprawling like gnarled fingers reaching for the twilight sky. A strange pull, almost magnetic, drew me closer.Just as I reached the base of the oak, a guttural growl echoed from the shadows beneath it. My heart hammered against my ribs as a monstrous figure jumped out from literally nowhere. It was a wolf, unlike anything I’d ever seen in a cheesy monster
= DIXIE =The pull was undeniable. Like a magnet tugging me back to a scene of an accident, I found myself drawn to the clearing again. Maybe it was the strange energy I felt there, or the memory of the terrifying yet oddly captivating battle between the two werewolves one being Trix (which I haven’t still quite wrapped my head around). Whatever it was, I couldn't ignore it.Grandma would have my head for this, I knew. She'd warned me a million times about staying away from this part of the woods, but sometimes, the quiet kid in me who always followed the rules craved a little excitement. Maybe that's why I was always a magnet for trouble, even if it meant potentially getting mauled by a giant wolf.Sneaking through the undergrowth, I kept my head down and my senses on high alert. The silence of the woods was broken only by the rustle of leaves and the occasional chirp of a bird. Suddenly, a guttural growl ripped through the stillness. I froze, my heart hammering against my ribs. A m
= TRIX =The meeting hall went quiet, and Alvera's words hung heavy in the air. Dixie had a mark on her hand that she hadn't seen herself, and it was the same symbol that the rogue pack had talked about—the mark of the Blade. It was the same mark that was on the wolves who killed my brother.The memory of that afternoon pricked my veins. I hate remembering it, I so hate remembering that accursed afternoon. Everything was going well, it was not meant to end that way with my brother’s lifeless body dangling from the ceiling fan of an abandoned classroom, but it did. And I only have the gharry scene imprinted in my head from that afternoon to ever be the last memory of me seeing my elder brother’s face.I took a deep breath.Focus on what’s happening now. What’s happening? Dixie, that green and four-eyed blonde-haired bothersome piglet! With how short she is, I wonder why she always seems to stumble into the wrong places and get the attention of everyone in the room.It happened once dur