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CHAPTER SEVEN.

(Downtown Svetyland. The werewolves territory.)

•T–––M–––V–––P–––L•

Vampires hated the sun, it wasn't news. All supernatural beings knew that well. On the contrary, Damien loved the sun. It was one thing he loved about the earth. How a big yellow globe was hung in the sky, exuding great heat and warmth to him. Although he couldn't go anywhere without his daylight ring.

Damien adjusted the daylight ring on his index finger as he ran his eyes through the place he was. He shut the door to his car, adjusted his suit, and began to move slowly towards the place the Master had told him specifically.

The area was quiet, no one was outside and that made Damien glad a little. He wasn't a fan of werewolves, he hated them for some reasons which were only known to him. As he continued to walk down the road he caught the scent of a werewolf nearby.

On reflex he whipped his head around and came face-to-face with a female and he knew immediately that she was a lycanthrope — a werewolf. She had a smile on her face as she stared at him. She was beautiful. Her auburn hair was packed in a pigtail and her blue eyes were filled with recognition.

“It's you again,” she said as she jogged towards him with her flair pink skirt flying all around. “I never thought I'd see you again.”

Damien was confused. He didn't know what the girl was talking about, so he ignored and continued to walk towards the house the Master had told him to go to.

“Wait, why are you walking away from me?” The girl asked, catching up with Damien. They walked side by side. “You really look great in a suit.”

Damien ignored her. He had no business with werewolves.

“And what are you doing in our territory again?” She asked with a smirk, oblivious to the fact that Damien wasn't interested in talking with her. “You know if my father was home, you wouldn't have as much freedom to walk as you do right now.”

Still, Damien didn't reply as he continued to walk. As far as he knew, he didn't know that girl that was with him, nor did he know her father. And he couldn't begin to comprehend why she was talking to him like they were friends — which he knew they weren't because he could never keep a werewolf as a friend.

He despised them more than his brother did.

Abhorred, not despised.

“Why aren't you answering me? You're ignoring me, huh?” The girl ran forward and turned to him, walking backwards while Damien stared at her as he kept on walking. “Or don't you remember me?”

He stopped walking, so did the girl.

“You?” He pointed at her with a poker face.

The girl smiled, her blue eyes radiating joy as she clapped her hands together. “So you do remember me.”

Damien shook his head and adjusted the collar of his shirt. “I don't know you and I don't want to know you.”

“But we met yesterday night,” her expression faltered as she stared at him. “I'm Tessa, the Alpha's daughter. Don't you remember?”

Damien already understood what was happening and why the girl, named Tessa apparently, was talking to him like she knew him. “That wasn't me.”

“You're lying, it was you,” Tessa crossed her arms across her chest.

“It wasn't me,” Damien deadpanned.

“Then who was it?” she argued. “I saw you. You were with the Master Vampire. And looks cannot deceive me, unless you suddenly have a shadow clone, which I doubt you do.”

“I already told you it wasn't me, or what do you not understand?”

The girl scowled, shook her head, then left in annoyance, while Damien on the other hand rolled his eyes before he continued his walk to where the Master had sent him to.

•T–––M–––V–––P–––L•

Summer was the time for fun and parties, but in Svetyland, the mayor made sure that there was summer school. And it was compulsory for all students of different grades, especially those who attended Svetyland high school.

An older woman stood at the front of the classroom, teaching the students who all had a bored and uninterested demeanor on their faces as they unenthusiastically listened to what their teacher was teaching.

“So that's it on today's topic—” the older woman was cut short by the electronic bell.

Without waiting for her to leave the class, students began to troop out hurriedly. And amongst those students was Ethan.

He was deeply worried and concerned about his sister and Freya, and the fact that they didn't pick up their phones or come back home the other night bothered him a lot.

“Ethan!” He stopped walking and turned to see who had called him. It was Theophilus, one of his closest friends. He was also the assistant captain of the lacrosse team. “How are you doing, man?”

“Great,” Ethan replied to him curtly. He was not in the mood for frivolities. He was concerned about the welfare of his sister, hoping she was safe wherever she was.

He and Theophilus walked together until they were outside the school building.

“Bro, wait a minute,” Ethan turned to see Theophilus' concerned face. “What's up with you? Or are you exhausted from summer school already?” Theophilus asked.

“That's not it, Theo,” Ethan explained to him. Theo was his closest friend amongst all other friends he had in school, someone he could trust dearly. “It's just that…”

“Yeah, I'm listening. What happened?”

“My sister and her best friend went out for a party yesterday night and we haven't heard from them since.”

“Well, have you tried calling their lines?” Theo asked, clearly showing concern towards Ethan. He also knew Elizabeth and Freya, they both were like sisters to him.

Ethan facepalmed himself at Theo's question before replying. “That was the first thing my mum did, but their phones are switched off.”

“Maybe you should try going over to Freya's place,” Theo suggested and Ethan smiled at the thought, wondering why he hadn't thought of that earlier. “You know, they could both be wasted and decide to crash at Freya's place rather than coming home.”

“Thanks bro,” Ethan pulled Theo in for a quick hug. “You really are smart.”

“Oh, you didn't need to tell me what I already know,” Theo sassed, breaking the hug while Ethan just shook his head with a smile now present on his face.

•T–––M–––V–––P–––L•

Freya's house wasn't far away from Svetyland high school. It took just a few minutes before Ethan and Theo could reach there after running by foot. Without wasting time, Ethan knocked on the door with Theo breathing heavily at his back — fatigued from the race they did, however, Ethan on the other hand looked more agile than ever.

When there wasn't any response from the house, Ethan knocked again with anxiety fuming through him.

Still, there wasn't any response.

He was about to knock again when he heard a voice from the house, and he knew that voice well.

“Who's that?” The voice slurred.

“Freya, it's me,” Ethan couldn't contain his joy on hearing her voice. He knew if Freya was home, then definitely Elizabeth would be with her. “It's Ethan.”

“Oh,” with that the door fell open, showing a disheveled Freya behind. She was dressed in only a spaghetti top — which showed the outlines of her nipples, and a denim short. “How are you doing, Ethan?”

Ethan smiled and pulled her in for a hug. He had never been happier to see Freya than he was at that moment. He really thought something bad could have happened to her alongside his sister.

“Okay…” Freya trailed off, caught off guard by the hug. She was out of words.

Eventually, Ethan broke the hug.

Freya gave a nod to Theo who was standing quietly as he watched them. “Hey Theo. You're here too,” she said.

Theo waved at Freya, his breathing had become normal and stable. “Ethan has been dead worried.”

“Why?” Freya chuckled as she invited them in. “What's up with you guys?”

Neither Ethan or Theo said anything until they were both seated at the dining area in the house. Freya served them two glasses of freshly squeezed orange juice, before settling on a chair next to Ethan on the dining table.

“Is Elizabeth still sleeping?” Ethan asked as he took a sip of his drink.

“Huh?”

“Your best friend, Elizabeth,” Ethan rephrased, placing the glass cup gently on the pad on the dining table. “She's here right?”

“No, she isn't—”

“What do you mean she isn't?” Ethan yelled, scared to his wits. “You both went out for a party yesterday night and—”

“Yes we both went for a party,” Freya interjected Ethan's statement, clearly confused with what he was asking. “But Elizabeth left before I did, she even told my friend to tell me she left already.”

“That isn't possible,” Countered Ethan as he stood abruptly from the dining table.

“Wait, so you're trying to say that Elizabeth isn't home?” Freya asked as she stared at Ethan.

“Yes, she isn't home and she isn't picking up her calls.”

“Oh my God.”

Amidst all the tension in the room, Theo just sat gently, sipping his orange juice as he watched both Ethan and Freya with an impassive expression.

To Be Continued. . .