Chapter 3: The Full Moon

At the tallest building in Bunga City............

Behind the chromic steel spacious desk, beyond the stack of documented papers, stood an imposing man dressed impeccably in a tight charcoal suit that stretches with every movement.

Dylan stared to his reflection at the floor-to-ceiling glass windowsill, giving him a full panoramic display of the washed-out blue sky above him and the entire bustling city below. Prominent skyscrapers compete with one another to reach his level, but none have succeeded in surpassing what he had built for centuries.

Even after all the years he had spent here in Bunga, the memories of his past still burn in his head like they happened yesterday. The death of his mate, Laura, her smiling face, and her harrowing death. His son, Myro, was still so young when it happened, a pure life that was taken too early. Though he was looking at the sight that stretched ahead of him, his mind flew back towards the memories that haunted him every single day.

He can’t easily let go of them. Time might fly so fast for him to chase, but his soul was trapped in history.

But there’s one thing that left him confused, the voice that whispered to him when he was put on the stake. It told him that nothing of it was his fault. That, someone, had killed his family.

He wanted to go back to the mountains so bad. He wanted to prove himself to them that he didn’t kill his family, that someone had murdered them and made it look like he had done it. However, he was already declared as a rogue with his pack. Going back would only mean death.

It took him years to adjust to living amongst humans. During full moon was the most challenging part. He had to find a place where he could transform into his wolf form and run, or else he would go mad. Hunting and crafting were his primary skills. Making extraordinary designs of furniture, paid by humans for hunting the most exotic animals as they began to expand their knowledge with the world surrounding them. He then started to bought land deeds from the gold pennies he earned, and as time passed by, he turned those into real estate as what everyone has known now.

He got himself educated, studying the nature of mankind, learning their ways and how a person fitted for the society.

Money. That is what everyone is competing for. Earning a degree, finding a sustainable job, and acquiring a piece of the bill will provide a person with everything he needs. Taking the risk and gambled all his earning in the industry of commerce. Investing his monies in companies in return for appraised profits.

Ranks.

The higher position one can get, the higher respect one will earn. Asymbol of status where other people have to look upon.

Rising from scraps to a billion-dollar owned company, or must say companies, rather.

Dylan earned all of that the hard way. Blood and sweat. Reaching the pinnacle of success. It was all he could do just to divert all his attention and somehow momentarily forget the haunting image of his past.

And now, he’s one of the wealthiest people in the world.

However, despite all that. The world doesn’t recognize him, only his name but not of what he truly is.

Dylan Reed, a young business tycoon at the age of thirty-six still a mystery to the world of media. Nobody had seen his face. Nobody had conducted an in-person interview with him, nor had he been featured in any of the top-selling magazines or billboards.

The world knows only the insignia of his company, a wolf, Lycoon Corporation. Though Dylan’s company was built hundreds of years, he somehow managed to keep the name going without raising suspicions.

The flows of trades continued, and they all thought that he was just an heir to the company. It is not peculiar for a company owner to name the new successor after them to keep their legacy after they have died. Dylqn uses that strategy to keep his secret, and now he is Dylan Reed XV.

He sighs, plunging both his hands on the pocket of his slacks as he raises his eyes on the clear blue sky. Reminiscing his past brought up a whirlwind of emotions deep inside him, but he kept it from showing on his face.

Hearing an incoming footstep, he tipped his head to the side, foregoing the incoming knock of his secretary.

“Come in,” he said without waiting for the knock to come. A small yelp came from the other side of the large mahogany red door, indicating that he had taken his petite secretary off guard.

The door opened without a sound, followed by a small woman with a crown of auburn hair, trimmed cut navy blue blazer with the first button undone showing off a tease of her cleavage, and paired with a knee-high tight pencil skirt, hugging the curves of her body.

“Good day, Mr. Reed. I would like to remind you that the board members will be having a meeting this three o'clock in the afternoon with the Southeast Asian investors. Your presence is highly appreciated.” A high pitch voice reaches his ears, annoyingly reminding him over and over again with the investor’s request to meet them personally, which he always refused.

He could also hear the coquettishness in her voice as if she were doing it deliberately. Though Dylan has grown accustomed to it, he cannot shake the annoyance he feels whenever he hears it.

‘Not with this again’

He brought up his wrist and looked at the time on his watch and fought back a groan from escaping his throat when he saw that he only got thirty minutes before three. Pivoting on his heels to face the petite woman for a moment, she was holding a clipboard in her hand.

“I have already told you what I have to say to this, Grace,” he said out of boredom as he walked over to his swiveling chair, pulled the backrest, and sat down. His fingers are intertwined, and he rests his elbows on the top of the desk, his gaze fixed on his secretary, who is now batting her lashes at him.

He might not show his face on media, but he could also not afford not to show his face to his employees. He had the power to fire them if they stayed longer in his company or send them to another department away from the country. He had no time explaining to them why he doesn’t age. Furthermore, he had explicitly oriented them that it is strictly forbidden to take any pictures of him or else they will be put behind bars with a criminal case at hand and lifetime imprisonment.

That was enough to left them shaken like a leaf and abide by his rule with utter discretion.

Though the investors were indifferent matters. They love the media, and he can’t threaten them just like he can do to his employees. He needed to earn their trust by only using the power of his voice and words, and some technology. He can still seal the deal without having him appear in front of them personally.

His secretary, Grace, bit her lips first before she nodded, “Okay, Mr. Reed. I’ll have the tech team set up the green room.” That was all she said as he dismissed her.

The green room is where he will be going to conduct his virtual appearance, though he’s not going to show his face. He had a tech team who would take care of an artificially intelligent system that would project a different holographic feature in his stand, creating a false image of him on screen.

His team begun setting up the paraphernalia for his virtual meeting and then started with it.

After a long hour, the meeting ended with the successful signing of the contract. Another deal had been sealed with the Southeast Asian investors after tenacious protest of not having him meeting them. Good thing they were also eager to be in partnership with his company, and they haven’t any concern aside from requesting him to show his face.

The day went on faster than he had hoped, and he was the last one to leave the building. It was already ten in the evening when he arrived at the parking area exclusive only for his car.

The roving night guard bid him goodbye as he got into his car. As he was about to insert his key into the ignition, something pulsated at the back of his head, sending his heart into a gallop, not for fear but something else. His phone suddenly vibrated in alarm in his pocket. He fished it out immediately and turned it on, reading what it said.

[TODAY: FULL MOON. ]

“Damn!”

It was a cold night. The bright light coming from the full phased moon was the only one that was guiding Rachel to the dark alley going back to the little apartment that she had rented out from the little pocket money that the military had given to all the Azran refugees.

She was out for this day in hopes that she could find a job. The military gave her a referral letter to attach to her preliminary documents in applying for faster employment. However, the people of Bunga were still wary of the presence of foreign refugees that were slowly settling in their country.

Even though she was disappointed for this day, she was still looking on the bright side and thinking positively that she would soon get a job.

‘Mother, please help me in this.’

She looked upon the night sky. The lonely moon seems to be sympathizing with her feelings as there are no stars visible around it.

Her footsteps were making a soft, thudded noise as they collided with the concrete ground as she took a turn towards the narrow alley. The high apartment buildings obscured the moon from the view, giving only the occasional rickety street lamps to guide her way.

Absorbed by her own thoughts, something caught her attention over the last corner ahead. A flash of silhouetted movement made her stop in her tracks, and her body went very still.

‘What was that?’ Her thought marveled, unable to register what she just saw.

Her heart pounded on her ribcage. She had put her racing heartbeat. Cautiously, she urges her feet to take a little step forward, ignoring the trembles on her knees and made sure not to make any noise. And as she neared the corner where the silhouette figure had gone, she heard a low groan and muffled moan.

At first, she had mistaken it for a couple making out in this dark alley. She remembered very well that it is quite common to happen in this area. However, as much as she wanted to think of it that way, she couldn’t shake the feeling that something was very wrong with the way it sounded.

Slowly, she walked closely on the brick wall, trailing on the pavement, and peered on the end side of it.

A homeless man is what she thought after seeing a man hunch over the in the middle of the alley. He had his back to her and was groaning while clutching his stomach.

‘A hungry, homeless man.’ She deemed internally and breath out in relief. Though she contemplated at first to offer the pennies left on her pocket for today’s budget and give it to him to buy some food.