Chapter 3: Forbidden Bonds

As Hera and Kira moved closer and closer to the center of the werewolf realm, the atmosphere grew more and more tense.

When the other werewolves found out that Hera was there, they kept their distance from her and watched her from a safe distance, looking at her with watchful eyes filled with trepidation.

Hera accompanied Kira until they arrived at the primary clearing in the territory of the Moonlight Pack, which was the location of the huge Alpha's den.

The Alpha King, Davien, was inside taking care of matters pertaining to the pack. After coming to a halt in front of the door, the young werewolf turned around to face Hera.

"Wait here," Kira said in a hushed voice, and she complied with the instruction. Kira added by saying, "I'll let the Alpha know that you've arrived," and she did so.

As Hera waited for Kira to return, she gave a tiny nod and made an effort to quiet the worry that was building up inside of her.

The events that were taking place in the forest were set against an ominous backdrop provided by the rustling of the leaves and the lonely howl of a wolf that could be heard in the distance.

Kira found Davien inside the den having a talk with Eldric and a few other members of the pack.

The conversation was being overheard by Kira. She approached Hera with extreme caution because she was well aware of the potential consequences that could arise as a result of Hera's unanticipated appearance.

Kira alerted Alpha Davien with a note of concern in her voice that there is a vampire outside the den. "Alpha Davien," she said

"There is a vampire outside the den.It seems as though she came to see you, according to what she says."

As Davien took in the information, he made a puzzled expression with his eyebrows and thought for a moment. "A vampire? Are you certain about that, how could that be possible without my knowledge?"

Kira insisted, "I saw her with my very own eyes. It seems like she's not an ordinary vampire, she was a royale princess of their clan."

"She asserts that this is a personal issue."

"Is that so, where is she right now?" Davien said, while his heartbeat starts to go intense. He never thought that the vampire princess that he saved would eventually come back, but this time, he don't know what's her reasons.

Eldric, the wise senior member of the pack, stepped up and addressed Davien, saying, "We ought to be cautious, Davien."

"It is currently hard to determine what her true goals are at this moment in time."

"I know that Eldric, no need to remind me about that. I am always present and active with every kind of dangers that is going around our pack, there is no way that I am going to let this slip away. That's my goal, protection of our pack," Davien added with a fierce look.

Davien's thoughts were going a mile a minute as he considered the various outcomes that could result from the circumstance.

He was conscious of the fact that his actions may be taken in a variety of different ways and that they could potentially threaten the pack's ability to maintain their equilibrium.

"I don't want the pack to be threatened about this, I know that they are not comfortable having the vampire princess, so I must attend to meet her now," he added.

"She's outside, waiting for you, Alpha," Kira answered.

Davien's tone was authoritative as he issued the final command, which was simply, "Bring her in."

Eldric said, "We'll listen to what she has to say," and the others agreed.

Everyone in the room became eerily quiet as soon as Kira and Hera stepped foot inside the chamber.

The attention of everyone was pulled to the vampire princess, who was standing in front of them with a look that was composed of equal parts terror and resolution. Her goddess looks makes it more convincible that she's not a threat at all, she looks very much angelic and beautiful, which is impossible for such creature to cause harm.

In reference to her, one of the pack's participants whispered to another about her, "Who is she?"

The reply was uttered in a hushed tone, and it stated, "That's the vampire that the Alpha saved."

Davien got up from his seat, and the very presence of him in the room commanded both respect and attention from everyone present. He introduced himself as Davien, the Alpha King of the Moonlight Pack, while maintaining eye contact with Hera throughout the conversation.

He asked, "What may be the reason that brings you here?"

Hera paused for a moment to collect herself before discussing the true motivations for the actions she had taken.

"Davien, I wanted to take this opportunity to thank you for giving me a second chance at life. You were the only person who was kind to me when no one else would. I will never forget that."

Her authenticity caught the werewolves off guard, and they exchanged confused glances with one another as a result.

They had been anticipating something more scary to come from a vampire, but the sincerity in her statements made it difficult for them to reject what she had to say.

"And what else do you seek here?" Eldric's tone of questioning was one that contained elements of both caution and interest in equal measure.

"I also came to understand why you helped me," Hera acknowledged, having understood at some time that she had realized this realization.

"Despite the fact that our kinds have been enemies for such a significant amount of time, you put your own life at jeopardy in order to save mine. I am interested in learning the rationale behind it."

Davien gave her question a lot of thought since he was aware of the significance of the answer he was going to provide.

"It is common knowledge that werewolves and vampires have been at odds with one another for an indeterminable amount of time. Despite this, I am optimistic about the prospect of a different outcome and the development of a fresh approach. It is vital that we learn from the mistakes made by our predecessors in the past and look forward to a future in which we are not restricted by the mistakes committed in the past."

Hera's gaze traveled over his face as she searched for signs that he was being truthful in what he was saying. "Are you really under the impression that our many different tribes will be able to live in harmony with one another?"

Davien's response was, "I do," and throughout the conversation, he kept his gaze consistent.

"I believe in peace and harmony, in locating common ground that may serve as a bridge between our kinds and our cultures," the Alpha said.

"It's likely that our meeting was arranged specifically to dispel some of the preconceived notions that others have about werewolves like us."

After hearing their Alpha make his words, the werewolves looked at one other in bewilderment, wondering of how to respond to what had just been said.

A sizeable portion of the population held the heretical belief that it was impossible for humans and vampires to coexist in an amicable manner.

One of the werewolves, a staunch traditionalist by the name of Garret, was unable to contain his rage for much longer.

He exploded and yelled at his fellow werewolves. "Alpha, despite this, they are our enemies! Since the beginning of time, vampire's of their kind have been responsible for the murders of our fellow wolves."

When confronted by Garret's gaze, Davien maintained his coolness and resoluteness in his response.

"And we have done the same thing to them," he added after the pause.

"Nevertheless, we have to move on from our past and figure out a more fruitful way to cohabit with one another in order to go forward. Our peoples' ability to live on into the future depends on this."

Hera was able to pick up on the werewolves' incredulity, which was clear despite the intense tension that surrounded the room.

Despite this, Hera was able to decipher what the werewolves were thinking.

However, she was unable to reject the sensation of optimism that was awakened within her by Davien's statements. It was impossible for her to dismiss this feeling.

Another werewolf, this one going by the name Lyra, approached while maintaining an expression of interest in her eyes.

"Alpha, how can we be confident that those vampires won't eventually turn on us?"

When Davien stated that "We can't be certain of anything," he was being quite serious.

"However, it is up to each and every one of us to choose a new path of action and to rewrite our history. I have the impression that there is a way for us to discover a strategy to build trust between our various tribes. The only way to earn someone's trust is to demonstrate reliability time and time again."

As the talk progressed, Hera realized that Davien's dedication and determination to bring about change had a significant impact on her, and she found that she was extremely moved by him.

She received the idea that his trust in a better tomorrow extended farther than just rescuing her, and that its genesis rested in his ambition to see a society in which werewolves and vampires could be able to coexist in harmony with one another.

She was able to deduce this from the fact that he seemed to be really optimistic about the future.

During the coming few days, the news about Hera's visit to the Moonlight Pack's den spread like wildfire throughout both territories like a forest fire.

They were unable to ignore the influence that their Alpha's activities had, and the vampire clan found that they were just as enthralled by the unexpected events that were taking place. The werewolves were unable to ignore the influence that their Alpha's actions had.

Disagreements between the various tribes became more audible as the mutterings in the darkness became louder and more distinct.

While some werewolves viewed Davien's goals as constituting a potential threat to their way of life, others welcomed the possibility of a new period in which peace could rule and welcomed the new era as a positive development.

Isabella, the strong matriarch of the vampire clan, called a meeting of her council to discuss the implications of Hera's interaction with the Alpha King.

The topic of discussion was the potential fallout from the encounter.

Isabella shouted with a blazing glimmer in her blood-red eyes that, "This cannot go unanswered," and she meant it when she said it.

"If the werewolves want to live in the same area as us, then we have to be prepared for everything that might occur. It is absolutely necessary for the continuation of our clan's survival."

There was still a gleam of optimism that burned brightly in the hearts of certain werewolves and vampires alike, despite the differences and the lack of clarity that existed.

They had faith that, despite the impossible odds, the fortunate meeting between Davien and Hera may serve as the impetus for a big change and provide an opportunity to test the hostility that had bound their peoples for millennia.

This was despite the fact that the odds were stacked against them.

Even as the sun set on yet another day, it was obvious that the future would not hold any definitive answers; nonetheless, there was a whiff of opportunity in the air.

The encounter that took place between Davien and Hera was the first step in a chain of occurrences that would call into question the very foundation on which their tribes were built and lead them toward a destiny that contained the possibility of a new world.

This destiny had the promise of a world in which werewolves and vampires could discover a new way to live together, united under the watchful eye of the moon.