Chapter 5

Mira stealthily gazed around, making sure that a certain someone wouldn't stumble upon her. She winced inwardly, the pain in her left leg was throbbing painfully.

She leaned against the wall, sighing in resignation. A trace of coldness flashed across her eyes as she thought of something. Then, her expression was back to normal.

How annoying, she thought. It had been a month since that Alpha rejected her. Lately, she seemed to have been through a lot kind of problems. She has gotten injured, again.

That heart pain from the rejection was hell, that was why she despised that Jason so much. The pain made her weak, and she hated it.

But today, she came across yet another misfortune. Her senses failed to detect who the perpetrator was. A person in black which covered his figure from head to toe had pushed her off the stairs.

It was only through luck that she managed to balance footing in time, resulting in the sprained foot.

"Are you alright?" The masculine voice startled Mira out of her thought. She turned her head in wariness.

The hooded person in black strangely had left just like that after nearly committing a murder. Mira wasn't a good person, and she had vowed that if she finds that person again, she'd tear them into pieces.

A slender boy whose figure and looks could be mistaken as a high school student entered Mira's vision. Mira held back from frowning, her face betraying no emotion.

"Is your feet hurt?" The boy asked again.

"Who are you?" Mira's voice came as a bit sharp. She regretted her aggressive tone a little as soon as those words came out, but didn't make any attempt to correct it.

"Ah, sorry, it must have startled you that I come out of nowhere like this when there's been a case of a werewolf being attacked in the school ground." He scratched the back of his head awkwardly, his tone seemed unsure.

What a blunt person, saying such things when they were alone like this. Mira mulled in her head.

"The perpetrator hasn't been caught. It's not safe for a girl to walk alone. Do you mind if I escort you?" He asked again.

Mira's heart stirred. She narrowed her eyes. In a less aggressive tone, she asked him. "What's your name?"

Mira calmed herself down and thought better of things.

"I am Erwin, from the department of psychology." He told her, paused for a moment, then he asked her. "How about your name?"

"Mirabella. Just call me Mira." Mira answered flatly.

"Oh, alright." Erwin nodded, scratching the back of his head again. "Let me escort you."

Mira didn't say anything. She merely nodded, displaying her tacit approval.

However, Mira had underestimated how the hellish pain when she tried to move with a sprained feet. She winced.

"Let me help you." Erwin immediately took a hold of her hand, helping her to walk as the support.

Mira awkwardly touched his hand, flinching in the process as a strange feeling raised alarm in her head. Her pupil constricted. This boy, despite his innocent look, belongs to those that not to be trifled with.

"What happened earlier?" He tried to pry again.

Mira was also not sure what exactly had happened. The person who had pushed her was very odd. She hadn't noticed their existence at all before a hand made a contact with her back. Thus, she was taken off guard and her body lost its balance.

"There's someone who pushed me off the stairs." Mira decided to tell him the truth. At the same time, trying to find what business this person has to do with her.

Erwin showed a startled expression. "Who pushed you?"

Mira shook her head, she was studying any changes on his face. "I don't know."

"You shouldn't go around the collage ground alone anymore." He suggested. "The person mastered stealth skill very well and seems skilled at hiding."

Mira glanced at his face once more, then she looked another way. His words were ambiguous, seemed to have carried an underlying meaning. This person was very suspicious.

"You know who did it?" Mira asked coldly.

The boy was stunned. His eyes darted around as if he had been caught red-handed doing something he shouldn't. "I-it's not like that. I just guessed that the person who attacked you and that werewolf was the same. That person hasn't been caught until now. So, he must have quite the skill."

Mira didn't know what this person's intention was. She wouldn't be so naive to believe that he had fallen for her delicate looks like most of those who had approached her. If it was just pity, was that the only reason?

After she poured that drink over Violetta's head, she became the topic of attention for quite a while. More people had known her name, most of who either scorned or just think that her action was bold and reckless.

Mira had dealt with the real pure-blood werewolves guy in the basketball team. Why would she bother with a half-blood like Violetta anyway? However, after they'd known that she was part of the basketball team, the scorn had died down a little.

Mira was sometimes mistaken as a male because she often wore a hat. With the long hair tied and hidden inside, making her appeared to have short hair. She was quite skilled at this disguise and rarely let her hair down.

Erwin coughed. "Your feet's recovery seemed to be quite fast."

He had an amazed look on his face as he looked at her feet. The swollen had gone down a little. Indeed it wasn't too noticeable, but it was such a fast recovery for humans.

Mira was pulled out of her thought. Her pupil constricted slightly at Erwin's words. After a moment, she calmed down and answered flatly. "Indeed. I have quite the strong body."

They've walked quite far that more people had begun to appear. Mira even spotted that Jason from far away glaring at her. Talk about meeting enemies on the narrow road.

Mira ignored his gaze.

"Oh, we have arrived," Erwin said to her.

"Thank you for escorting me." Mira still couldn't find what this boy's intention was to approach her out of the blue like this, but she still showed her gratitude. After all, she didn't know who this strange perpetrator was, whose presence that even with a werewolf acute senses couldn't detect.

"Then, I'll get going. See you around." Erwin said, and he walked away. Coincidentally, he was heading in the direction where Jason was.

Mira could see that when Erwin passed by him, Jason had intentionally bumped into him, nearly causing Erwin's smaller frame to fall. Mira's mouth twitched, glancing at the sight with contempt. What a bully.

The pain had lessened that she was now able to barely walk. Mira's eyes shone with complication. She was looking for Azarias. At the same time, her brain worked to think how to explain things to him.

"Bella..." Azarias stopped for a moment, and with a whoosh, he had already appeared beside her. He reached out his hand to support her.

"What happened?" There was hidden anger in that calm voice.

Mira hesitated for a little, then decided to tell him the truth. She recounted the whole incident where she'd gone to look for the spare ball in the warehouse. The place was really quiet at such time. The absolutely perfect chance to hurt someone.

"I'll go look for that person now." Azarias clenched his hand, his whole body moved, ready to depart. 

Mira was alarmed. "Wait, Rias. Don't go."

She had grabbed his elbow. Azarias wouldn't be able to find that person and it was also quite dangerous. Mira pulled her best sad expression. "Are you going to leave me right now?"

Azarias's eyes which shone with anger turned complicated. In the end, he just sighed.

"Next time, you can't be this careless again. To have gotten hurt like this..." Azarias crouched down to inspect her bruised feet with a displeased frown.

Azarias used to beat up bullies for her. Until Mira had finally also tried to protect herself by learning from him. Thus, she became what she was today. She managed to beat up those people who had hurt her by herself.

It had been such a long time that Azarias has nearly forgotten.

"Get on." Azarias turned his body, gesturing at his back.

Mira grinned and she jumped at his back, hugging his neck.

"Now, go," Mira said in excitement.

"I am like your personal car, huh?" Azarias grumbled as he stood up.

"Yep. You are the best car in the world."

Azarias couldn't hide his smile. The two of them could faintly felt that someone was glaring in their direction.

Mira looked in Jason's way and grinned. She poked her tongue out in a teasing manner and called out. "Arlaan."

Arlan was startled. He looked around to find that Jason was in front of him. He frowned, then he noticed Mira and Azarias's presence from far away. Looking at that evil expression, an understanding dawned on him. He muttered under his breath. "That crazy bulldozer is using me again."

Mira could see that after she called Arlan's name, that kid had bolted away like his life depended on it. She shrugged without care and continue hugging Azarias's neck tighter, momentarily forgotten about her problems.

Azarias could only sigh helplessly. His eyes flashed red for a split second before they returned to normal. As if nothing had happened, he began to walk with Mira on his back. Just like how things used to in their childhood.