The morning came, and the moon has now rested at the foot of the horizon, making way for the golden strobes of sunlight. Most of the Virgo wolves have spent overnight trying to be awake, prayers up to the moon goddess, fingers crossed that no one would come and attack them. Even when there’s one, the men at the front door of the roundhouse would be tasked to protect them… and the women and children knew they’re safe. Alora blended in with the crowd easily, hyper aware of the stares she gets from the women from Eva’s group. She could tell them apart from the rest. They’re the only ones who don’t have a child or a baby cradled on their arms. They’re the single ones, the ones not yet burdened by the role of motherhood. By the break of dawn, Brayden came back to check on her. He sat beside her and talked in whispers so as not to attract any attention from others. However, it didn’t work pretty well. He’s Brayden Lucas, the Great Beta of the Red Blood pack, it would be impossible to tak
Alora gave Brayden one last look and a kiss on the cheek, which he didn’t expect. He subconsciously looked at the gate of the roundhouse, in case Harper saw it. She didn’t. If she did, would he really think it matters? Did he really think she would mind?The voices in his head were louder on his doubts this time. But they all sounded valid.“I’ll see you soon then, Brayden. My Beta.”Alora kept her hand at Brayden’s cheek. A tender showing of her devotion to him. “I won’t forget this favor I asked from you, Alora. Thank you for your help. I’ll contact you as soon as I can. Send me a message when you already reached the camp.” – he said and just right then, they almost reached the front door of the roundhouse.And they separated ways.“Hey, Damon. I got a question for you.” – Brayden said, getting Damon’s attention. Not only his. Also with the rest of their friends. Norton was taking a nap on a long flat stone below the tree and Asher didn’t feel the need to disturb his peaceful slum
Harper squinted her eyes. That’s one thing about her: she knows it when people (or in this case, wolves) lie. It’s easy to tell from the movement of their eyes to the way they stumble to think of an excuse. It’s amusing to observe sometimes, really. But it’s too easy.“No one.” – Brayden said and Harper rolled her eyes. He still hasn’t given up. He’s already caught. “You can’t fool me, Brayden. I already know you’re lying. Stop trying to cover something. Whose is it, anyway?”The million-dollar question. The easiest but the hardest one to answer at the moment. Brayden folded the scarf and placed it on his left shoulder. He wore it like a badge or an insignia of bravery. “Just drop it, Harp.” – he said and walked past Harper. Harper had no intention to “drop it” or whatever. Instead, she pulled the scarf from his shoulder and smelled it. Brayden tried grabbing it back, but it’s too late. The scarf was already in Harper’s possession. She brought it closer to her nose and smelled i
Alora was escorted by two strong men when she arrived at the camp gate. Unlike before, as she remembered it, there are minute changes that has been done on the camp. The gate and most of the walls of the area has been painted with black, white and red graffiti. She remembered those to be neat and clean before. But now, it looked messy and disorganized. “Do you really need to hold me this way? I know where the common room is.” – she said, as the two men are holding her arms too tight. She’s sure that somehow, those grips had caused bruise on her fair skin. “Alpha Draco told us to bring you there this way, Miss.”Alora cursed under breath. It hurts. The way they handle her hurts. But then, she’s feeble compared to the two men. Their strength are incomparable and abstract. She gave up her struggle. She accepted her defeat and composed herself. Any minute now, she has to talk to the Great Alpha to justify her absence. For two weeks, she didn’t inform anyone in the camp of her whereabou
The third challenge for Anthony was simpler than the second. Here, Jay told him that he needed to cultivate his skills in archery. He instantly got the idea. The third task would use bows and arrows.However, there’s a twist in the challenge. And it involved two of his friends.“Wait, is this allowed?” – Anthony askedHe, Asher and the two sons of Marion was on the new location of their training. It’s a place he stumbled upon while searching the meadows. It was smaller than the one they’re used to, but at least here, they’re safer. That’s worth the risk.Asher wasn’t around when he asked Jay about the details of the third challenge. He went to the roundhouse to get a gallon of water for them. Under the prickly heat of the sun, their thirst couldn’t worse.“Yeah. I heard from the meeting that Damon even agreed to do this.”He scoffed. Damon, huh? Does he have that much of a trust in him that he’ll agree to something like this? The challenge that Harper and Norton would be tied to a tar
Marion laughed nervously. He heard rumors about the Redmayne’s unfriendliness with everyone, but he didn’t realize he would experience it firsthand. “I don’t think you understand the weight of this. It’s your friend’s last challenge. Without this, he won’t be the same as the rest of you. He’ll be a stranger in the Virgo. He has to pass this last challenge to belong. Like the rest of you.”Harper sat down at the edge of her bed. She didn’t bother to invite the alpha to sit down.“Is Norton in his room right now? I need to speak with him regarding the matter too.”Without waiting for Harper’s answer, Marion walked to the adjoining rooms. The one on the right was closed and locked. “That’s not his. That’s Asher’s.”Marion nodded and got to the other room. He knocked once… twice… thrice and it was only on the fourth time that Norton opened the door for him. As soon as Norton realizes the identity of his guest, he bowed and greeted him good evening. He had no idea there’s nothing good a
Harper noticed that the moon’s brighter tonight than the usual. Perhaps the moon goddess thought it’s only proper to make up for the other night of the eclipse. Perhaps that’s why the moon now’s on its full bloom, illuminating the premises of the Virgo with golden white light. At least, Harper doesn’t feel too pathetic at the moment. If the night’s as dark as usual, she would feel too low, thinking that on Damon’s hierarchy of priorities, her welfare’s the last one. She’s starting to get used to that idea. She ran to the forest, where she could cry and scream and howl and no one would be around to hear it. The soles of her feet stepping over the twigs, her mind’s divided on the thought of the next night. She imagined herself tied to a huge trunk of a tree in front of the entire Virgo community, with an apple on her head, with the sight of Anthony with his bows and arrows, waiting for it to hit. Just thinking of it makes her angry. The running got a little faster now as she heads t
Harper didn’t mind the “pathetic” comment from Brayden. She’s already used to him calling him anything he wants without him meaning it. It’s like Brayden has a rich vocabulary for all the negative adjectives he could just throw at any given moment and he would be justified by saying it. Just that. It didn’t need to be personal or offensive.“Thank you. I think you’re done here now. You can go back inside.” – Harper said, using the shirt to wipe her wet neck and the back of her legsBrayden raised an eyebrow.“You didn’t tell me anything about why you’re out in the woods yet.”Harper continued wiping her body and this time, looked up at him to shake her head.“You’re pushy, you know that.”Brayden shrugged. So what?“I won’t leave until you tell me. Besides, none of these areas belong to you. You cannot order me to leave or go somewhere.”Harper knew Brayden’s right. She has given up. what harm would that cause if she tells him anyway? Tomorrow, everyone would know about the third tria
“Alpha Draco requests your presence, sir.”The messenger talked in a slow fashion, careful that the Virgo Alpha would hear it properly. Marion just finished settling on an old room inside the common room. It looked like it belonged to a royal she-wolf, based on the expensive paintings on the wall and the hand-sewn dresses inside the closet. “Tell him I’ll be there shortly.”“He said it’s urgent, sir.”Marion nodded. There’s no excuses with the Great Alpha. Besides, he’s not in his territory. He’s at the Red Blood’s, the first time he got out of the roundhouse and housed in a different setting actually. The messenger left the door open. Marion put down the third pillow case he packed with him and followed the former to the main room of the common room. Inside, Alpha Draco was waiting. He’s sipping jasmine tea from a small teacup. A lady in waiting was at his side, holding the kettle by its handle. With a plain breakable plate placed under it.“You called for me, Great Alpha?”He lo
“I… I don’t understand. What do you mean, officer?”Harper was biting the edges of her nails in anxious anticipation. Surely, there’s nothing good that will come out from the end of this conversation. To mention the word “victim” mid-sentence doesn’t constitute good news. “You have no idea, do you?”Harper shook her head… then realized that the person she’s talking to is on the other end of the line. So, her nodding of head is not counted as a response.“I have no idea of what this is about. Please, just-“Harper couldn’t finish her sentence. She’s not even sure if she wants to. what has been unfolded before her eyes the entire day are facts - quickly given facts that either surprise her or catch her in the moment. And these facts aren’t even good news at all. “I’m sorry, miss. I didn’t think you are clueless about what happened in this house. It’s all over the news this past week.”What is?, she thought. But then, it’s Mrs. Keevah’s house. There’s no one else in the house that cou
In front of them were the men, the woman and the little baby that they all hated: the ones they denominated as “rebels”. They were on the front of Marion and Alpha Draco.“We meet again…” – said Damon.Harper and the rest of the group stood behind their alpha. The men were carrying their own choice of weapons, their own poison against the enemy. They stood gleaming at the site of fresh dead bodies on the floor. Proudly. The look on Alpha Draco’s face says it all. He wanted the war to be over. He wanted the war to begin as soon as it can. Right in this moment. Right in this spot. “Finally… I’m tired of chasing after your tail, Damon. You and Brayden can come here and let’s finish this once and for all. I’m tired of chasing and of canceling this to another schedule.”Damon licked his chapped lips. He has the same ideas. He didn’t come here to visit his father. He didn’t come here for peace. None of them believes in peace anymore. “I cannot agree more. Later, then. Once and for all.
Just when the silence stretched between Harper and Brayden, Damon got up from his sleep and pulled Harper closer from the waist.Brayden’s eyes followed where Damon’s hands were and gulped. In a moment, he turned to the other side and tried to forget what he has seen. He managed to turn and keep his eyes and body that way.“You’re up early…” – muttered Damon with a raspy voice.“Yeah… my body clock’s messed up these days.” – replied HarperThat was a lie. Her body clock has nothing to do with it. It’s always her thoughts that keep on saying something to her. It feeds her negative ones instead of empowering her to think of solutions. And of course, the place and the ambience did help with the thoughts. It even made the way for it. It even made her feel worse.“Is that because of the war?”“No, something else.”Harper looked at the ring that’s still on her finger. If Anthony didn’t cause a distraction, would that scary man really cut off her finger? For the sake of proving a point?Are
“Elias! You wouldn’t believe it!”Elias was cleaning the Great Alpha’s office when one of the guards from the office went to approach him. The guard was panting, his sweat rolling down his temples down to his neck and chest area. These droplets of sweat blurs his vision as they get past his eyes. “Do you have some news?” – Elias already has some expectations in his head. Hopefully, this is going to be good news. And hopefully, this is about the Great Alpha too. “Yes. you should go outside to see what’s up.”Elias nodded and then he got up to check if there’s really someone inside waiting for him. As it turned out, there’s a small crowd gathered outside over something. The question is, what’s the cause? Who is there that everyone seemed to be alarmed?“Is that…”The rest of the sentence got drowned in the air. the guard who brought Elias the news did not even let him finish. Whether it was excitement or worry, none of them can tell. However, it’s clear from the circumstances that the
“…and here we are!”Everyone of them looked around, expecting a tavern or a cabin in the woods. None of those things were present. They were only surrounded by different trees and the dark moon above them. “Here?” – Anthony repeated, confused“Yes. Over there.”Brayden pointed on the cavern behind him. The boys walked closer to see what he’s pointing to. Then, Harper followed. She already knows what it is, she only got closer so the others won’t speculate. They cannot know she’s been here before. “This is where your safe place is?” – Asher asked with a huge question mark on his face.“Yes. This is what I meant by that.”They all didn’t look impressed. But then again, they’re hiding from Marion and their men. Anything safe that they can use will do. Just not to be caught. Anything. Just not that. They cannot be captured. Not this time. With Brayden leading them, they approached the mouth of the cave and got inside one by one. Among them, only Hector seemed to be enjoying the show.“H
“Goddamn it, you have a knife! I don’t care if you cut her finger!”Harper’s eyes widened when the huge man on her right got a knife from his back pockets. It’s a new one and surely sharpened just before they went to the roundhouse. The slight shin of the knife reflected the fear in her eyes. Damon’s hip still hurt with the hitting. He was held by four men, struggling as he throws all sort of cure words upon Marion.The man with the knife neared Harper and she stepped back, pulling the two men with her. They can’t be serious. They surely cannot just cut off her finger when Marion tells them to. Or she could be wrong. It’s also possible that these men are Marion’s puppets and would do anything he tells them to. No matter howbrutal or illogical that can be. “Damon, just go… “ – Harper’s vision blurred as the tears welled on the corner of her eyesDamon shook his head. No, he’s never going to leave her. Not this time. Not ever. The man pulled her hand as one man from the side brought
Damon kept on looking behind him. He hasn’t seen Harper yet, the entire time that they were inside. The last time he did was when they were sitting on the benches. Back when nothing seemed strange yet.Aside from that, he hasn’t seen her yet. The thickness of the crowd barred him from doing so. However, he’s sure she’s still inside. The slight gap on the door cannot hold a person going out yet. Whoever attempts may be squeezed. “Harper? Harper, where are you?!” – the question roared in the air. They were stuck in the main room with lots of the Virgo aiming at them. Not to mention that the great number of its members were clawing their throats to make their way out. Aside from that, there are two Virgo men who’s at his back as he shouted. They were trying to catch him and bind him with a thick rope. The rope was too thick and Damon noticed that if that will be used against him, he cannot break it with his fists. He cannot set himself free from those.“Harper!”And then, like a mira
Hearts flutter in a negative manner. This isn’t good. It couldn’t be good.Harper sensed Damon’s tenseness. She looked at his brother and it’s clear that he’s also in his fight-or-flight mode. Any minute now, something is about to happen. She’s positive about that.“I’m sure I’m not the only one feeling there’s something odd here, right?” – Asher voiced out and Damon shushed himAsher nodded slowly. He has confirmed his statement. “… and it is the duty of the alpha to put his pack’s safety first. Even at the middle of the war, the safety of the pack shall not be compromised nor put aside. The safety of the pack has to be the paramount consideration. It is because of that that any threat, no matter how small or insignificant, needs to be gotten rid of.”- Marion ended his speech with a dangerous stare at the Red Blood pack’s direction. “This is not good. Come on. We have to get going.”“What’s going on?” – Norton saidHarper and Damon looked at each other’s eyes. They already understo