CHAPTER 48Mila—I mean, Mom—woke me up as soon as the sun rose. I had no idea she'd wake me up at that hour, let alone crash our house. But she seemed so excited. When I opened my eyes, there was unrivaled happiness painted across her face, which was a rare occurrence for her.The Mila I knew was the type of person who always half-smiled whenever our eyes hit each other as if she knew every secret I have in my bones. But the woman who woke up isn’t just Mila. She is my mother. A woman I should love and care for."I’m sorry if I woke you up this early." He chuckled and hugged me tightly in her presence. "I apologize again if I need to hug to like this. For the past eighteen years, I've been irresponsible to you. I’ve been absent. I can’t believe we’re together and we’re going to be happy.""What’s with waking up this early?" I loved waking up early, even before. It’s just that I don’t know why she had to wake me up."I prepared breakfast for you and your brothers. I can’t wait for you
CHAPTER 49This is the first time I am going to face Skip after what happened in the duel. Even in our training, he doesn't show himself. Stacey told us he was still recovering. Though I hated him for a bit, I kind of feel that it happened to him because of me.Skip’s house wasn’t that far from the convenience store where I saw Gwen before. I didn’t know he lived this near me because we rarely see each other other than during training with Chaz.Gelo, as the best friend he could be, was the one who told me that Skip wanted to see me. If he doesn’t say so, I wouldn’t be. There’s no way I am going to see him again after all the things he told me. It hurt me. I’m still a human who can’t be as nice as always.I'm not sure what Skip will say to me. Is he going to apologize? Is there a deep reason why he did that to me? Does he want to fight again with me? Hell, I am not going to give that to me. I don’t want to be violent again. I don’t want it to happen to me—being an uncontrollable force
Chapter 50Death is eradicated. Death is someone’s fault. Death is a process.Those were the last lines of the book that I just finished before I got out of bed. I didn’t expect the ending. It was beautifully crafted; the words were picked carefully by the author. Letters are weaved like a blanch of dress.It was indeed a happy ending, but it made me cry. The character didn’t die at the end, yet he lost everything, but he found himself in something that would give him happiness. a thing that will make his life move in circles."What made you upset?" Mom asked, and she starred at me as I consumed my breakfast. I forgot she was around while I was reading. Since my brothers are already used to my reactions to the book that I am reading, I wasn’t paying attention because I had my mom, who wasn’t.Do I look drugged or what so ever?""I just read a book. It’s devastating. It has this feeling that I couldn’t move on."Mom placed his coffee-filled mug on the table and sat beside me. Felix sai
CHAPTER 51The best thing about nights is that I can finally read a book without any interruption. When it comes to daytime, I feel like everything is going to ruin my reading experience. The first time I tried to read a book on school was when I was in high school. At first it was great to read inside the library, but when people started to treat library as a cafeteria, that’s when I lost my focus and passion for staying and reading inside.I closed the book after I reached half of it. The story was about war and orphans. In short, it’s a whole lot of mess. I remembered what Mom said earlier. Danger is everywhere. Danger is inevitable.I placed the book on my bedside table and turned off the lamp. As I was feeling the cold misty air of the night and the comfort of having to sleep on my soft linen bed, I heard noise downstairs.It wasn’t just a noise. It’s a type of noise you would hear when someone is messing over.I couldn’t just let it happen. What if Felix got an allergy and neede
CHAPTER 52How does it feel to lose someone who took care of you ever since you were a child? How does it feel to lose your very best brother who sacrificed his life just to protect you? How does it feel to be the curse of your family? Don’t ask me. I’ll always say it’s nothing.We were forced to cremate Felix’s body since there is no funeral service in this town. Nana said it would take weeks before we could bring him to the nearest one offering a funeral service. So we had to decide.Mom stayed by my side while I was crying for days. She’s also there for Jay, who in return became the oldest one between the two of us. Jay’s the kind of person who also wants to wander around, to be protected. Now, we both lost our protector.What are you willing to do when you want revenge? What can a person do to seek revenge?I always ask myself. Because I can’t let things like this happen again. I can’t let this town ruin my family. I can’t bear to lose someone again. Not Jay. Not my Mom.So when
CHAPTER 53I shouldn’t feel bad about what I did to my father, but why I am crying on my way back home? It was midnight and it was cold, so I could feel the tears warming up my face. I never longed for a father, even before. My past Mom and Dad were there. I never feel any complications in our relationship. I felt full. I felt loved.But when I saw him when he touch him. I felt a pang inside my chest. This man is my father. And this man killed the ones I loved. It wasn’t because I want us to be a complete family. We can’t be like that. My heart aches because the truth is my father is a killer. And I have to live with that truth until the day that I die. It wasn’t a history to tell. It’s a carved mark on my identity.Although there wasn’t any noise on my way, I don’t feel that everything is silent and quiet. My mind was attacking me with all of my thoughts. What are Mom and Alpha living better? What if they got to each other? What if the mess didn’t happen? What if Mom, Dad, and Felix
CHAPTER 54Their jaws dropped. They didn’t expect what I said. But that’s the very best thing that I know that could benefit everyone. Not just me but every family who lost someone because of the alpha.“The alpha killed Mom, Dad, and Felix. He killed more people than we knew. He manipulates people. He’s using his power.”“But you’re not a killer, Catherine!” That’s the first time Jay shouted at me. “Do not let your intrusive thoughts ruin you. You can’t become this kind of person. I know you’re not like that.”“Cath, as much as I want to kill that man. As much as I want to give him what he deserves, I don’t want my only daughter to become a killer. You can’t hold a knife and just kill somebody. Please.”“I talked to him last night.”Spoons clattered on plates when I said that. Gelo almost chokes himself as well. Maybe telling them the truth will make them understand my point more. I have to tell them this now. I know the alpha. He won’t stop getting what he wants until he gets it. He
CHAPTER 55“Chaz! Chaz!” I rushed to Chaz’s house the next day. He should know what we are planning and I know he’s going to join us. He’s one of those I knew who was wronged by the alpha so badly.Chaz didn’t answer. I was so excited to enter his house without knocking. Gladly, it wasn’t locked.The house smelled plain. I saw Chaz making out with Kaz in their living room. Holy shit! My innocent eyes! “Oh, Catherine. Can’t you knock for once?” Chaz said. “You came to bother us.” He stood up from the sofa, as well as Kaz. They only have their boxers on their bodies. I faced my back to them and waited to wear their clothes. “I’m gonna sue you next time. You can face us now.”“I’m sorry. I was just too excited to see you. I forgot that the last time I got here, you were doing the same with Kaz. I promise not to do it again.”“Don’t promise things you can’t accomplish, kid. So what’s with your commotion on ruining my morning sex with the love of my life?”I told him the story. What he ne
FINAL CHAPTERScreams of wolves, whispers of blood, and cries of battle filled in the dawn. My forces, my alliance, the good side of the war is about to win. I did not expect the amount of minions and troops that my father has. He has a lot, almost outnumbering us.I noticed they weren’t trained enough. Some of them were forced. One was a teenage guy whom Gelo spared a life because the guy explained he was scared of what the alpha might do to their family so he unleashes in the fight. However, some are straight-up evil. Just like the alpha, they believed that this is fun. A wholesome entertainment until I came upon and slit their throat with my slasher claws.I’m a bit tired. If this wasn’t a huge fight, I would’ve opted for a coffee break. I need that. Just like how I crave it when I’m reading a book at the very late hours of the night. But no, there’s no way I could until this ends.The alpha is gone. He’s missing. One of the troops, now dead, said the alpha’s family already fled o
Chapter 60As the sun falls into the horizon, the people, or should I say the werewolves, of the town of Dusk and Dawn starts to gather at our place. Tonight the alpha’s madness will end. Tonight, everything will be more normal and free. No more threats and darkness. Only good, light, and life.“We’ll become a victor,” Jay told me while he was in the process of wearing the protective gear Nana personally made for him and Mom. They were the only humans to fight. Heroes, I believe. “It felt like I’m going in a fantasy war with these yet I have a small knife instead of a sword.”“It’s sharp though,” I said, trying the knife on my skin. A little more pressure and it will cut my skin. Nana told them to their brains or the heart. This knife will surely pierce through those body parts. “I’m scared.”“On what aspect?”“To fail. I have planned this. I have committed to this. The scary news is that it is really gonna happen.”Jay faced me and touched my face using his palms. “Darkness won’t end
Chapter 59Gelo wasn’t talking or even showing up to me for days. I hate that it happens because I love talking to him. In this town, he is my favorite person to talk to. My best friend. My boyfriend. But I do understand why. His father died. Another person in his family died. And as far as I know, his greatest fear is losing a person who’s been a huge part of his life.I swear I wanted to talk to tell him I’ll be by his side no matter what happens. I’ve been through what he’d been through before. I lost three important people in my life. Then I found out how fucked up my life is. Being the daughter of the worst man on the planet.“It wasn’t your fault,” Gwen told me when she came over to visit. “You didn’t do anything. It’s just it is that bastard who kills almost anyone.”She wrapped me in her presence. I’ve been longing for this feeling. Gwen is the only female friend I have in this town. I don’t know if I can treat Stacy and other women the same. Gwen listens. It’s just we rarely
Chapter 58“Mom.” I smiled at my mother who died months ago. “Dad.” And to my father who died with her the same night. “I’m sorry if I broke your rule of consulting you out before having a boyfriend. But I have one.”I expected them to throw killer grin at me. I expected them to shout at me for breaking their rule. In the neighborhood I lived in, it is normal for teenagers my age to date a whole set of men. My parents were different. They won’t let me unless I tell them. Maybe my brothers were the only exception, or maybe I am the exception to this neighborhood’s culture.I opened the door so Gelo could enter. He wore his wide and happy smile as he greets my parents on a very nice day. We all sat on the couch, everyone has their own teacup of the hibiscus tea my parents like to bring whenever they’re on a vacation from different states.We all chattered even though I couldn’t understand anything. We were just… talking. Nonstop. My parents seemed so happy to finally meet Angelo. It all
CHAPTER 57This could have been my perfect date with my boyfriend, who happens to be my only best friend in this town. I thought that the place Gelo picked is a safe one. It happens that the alpha is going to be here, ruining my fucking date.He grinned like he wins a reality television show where the father caught his daughter dating someone he doesn’t want to. Why does he always think he’s winning? Why does he’s always the one with power? Is it because he is the leader of the werewolf pack in this town? Or because he is a man?Just because he’s a man, it doesn’t mean he can claim everything he wants.He can never take me away from the family that took care of me. He already killed my brother, Mom, and Dad.After all, he never became a father to me.“What are you doing here?” I asked. Galo rushed behind me. He touched and caressed my hand which somehow calmed my system. The man in front of us is the one who ruined lives in this one. The antagonist of everyone’s story and I don’t nee
CHAPTER 56Gelo asked me on a date! I feel like a normal teenager asked by her long-time crush to go on a date. I never knew what a date feels like. I badly wanted to experience the right person.A perfect date in my head is when a person waits for you outside your house with his fancy car and a bouquet of roses and chocolates in his hand. That’s romantic, even in books.But reality struck me. After fixing myself on my spring-themed dress, I got down to face Angelo. He didn’t bring any bouquet of roses, just a stem on his hand and neither he has a car as well. But that’s love. Neither person or date is perfect. The world was just cruel to provide that for us.I do love Angelo, that’s the only thing that matters for now.“You’re going on a date?” Mom asked me. She pretends to be the evil stepmother who will do anything so the princess could not go on a date. “You’re not even asking me and telling me everything.”“I swear I forgot. Ever since I came here, Angelo’s been the person who we
CHAPTER 55“Chaz! Chaz!” I rushed to Chaz’s house the next day. He should know what we are planning and I know he’s going to join us. He’s one of those I knew who was wronged by the alpha so badly.Chaz didn’t answer. I was so excited to enter his house without knocking. Gladly, it wasn’t locked.The house smelled plain. I saw Chaz making out with Kaz in their living room. Holy shit! My innocent eyes! “Oh, Catherine. Can’t you knock for once?” Chaz said. “You came to bother us.” He stood up from the sofa, as well as Kaz. They only have their boxers on their bodies. I faced my back to them and waited to wear their clothes. “I’m gonna sue you next time. You can face us now.”“I’m sorry. I was just too excited to see you. I forgot that the last time I got here, you were doing the same with Kaz. I promise not to do it again.”“Don’t promise things you can’t accomplish, kid. So what’s with your commotion on ruining my morning sex with the love of my life?”I told him the story. What he ne
CHAPTER 54Their jaws dropped. They didn’t expect what I said. But that’s the very best thing that I know that could benefit everyone. Not just me but every family who lost someone because of the alpha.“The alpha killed Mom, Dad, and Felix. He killed more people than we knew. He manipulates people. He’s using his power.”“But you’re not a killer, Catherine!” That’s the first time Jay shouted at me. “Do not let your intrusive thoughts ruin you. You can’t become this kind of person. I know you’re not like that.”“Cath, as much as I want to kill that man. As much as I want to give him what he deserves, I don’t want my only daughter to become a killer. You can’t hold a knife and just kill somebody. Please.”“I talked to him last night.”Spoons clattered on plates when I said that. Gelo almost chokes himself as well. Maybe telling them the truth will make them understand my point more. I have to tell them this now. I know the alpha. He won’t stop getting what he wants until he gets it. He
CHAPTER 53I shouldn’t feel bad about what I did to my father, but why I am crying on my way back home? It was midnight and it was cold, so I could feel the tears warming up my face. I never longed for a father, even before. My past Mom and Dad were there. I never feel any complications in our relationship. I felt full. I felt loved.But when I saw him when he touch him. I felt a pang inside my chest. This man is my father. And this man killed the ones I loved. It wasn’t because I want us to be a complete family. We can’t be like that. My heart aches because the truth is my father is a killer. And I have to live with that truth until the day that I die. It wasn’t a history to tell. It’s a carved mark on my identity.Although there wasn’t any noise on my way, I don’t feel that everything is silent and quiet. My mind was attacking me with all of my thoughts. What are Mom and Alpha living better? What if they got to each other? What if the mess didn’t happen? What if Mom, Dad, and Felix