Chapter 1 Nightmare

Xander's POV

Surrounding me was a viscous darkness, and the air was thick with the smell of blood. My legs felt as heavy as lead, my stamina was completely depleted, and every breath seemed to mobilize the muscles of my entire body.

"Don't stop, Xander!"

Just when I was exhausted and wanted to collapse, an urgent call came from in front of me. At that moment, a sudden cacophony of yelling erupted behind me. I turned to follow the sound and saw a vast group of rogues rushing towards my parents and me.

"Xander, quick!"

My heart raced at the sight, just as a fork in the road appeared ahead and my father stood there, waving his hand towards me.

"Listen, Xander. From now on, you're the Alpha of the Blood Moon pack. I'm sure you'll bring the pack back to glory."

My father finished with a small smile before giving me a firm pat on the shoulder and pushing me aside.

"Live, Xander!"

These were his last words to me as he stood his ground, facing the rogues, before running off down the other path my mother had just taken. With the rogues getting closer and closer, I didn't have time to grieve. I dove into the bushes along the roadside, and just after I hid, the crazed rogues stopped at the fork in the road.

The werewolf leading them wore a ball of black cloth over his head, making it impossible to see his expression. He stood still, raised his head in the air to sniff, and then, with a wave of his hand, the other werewolves rushed in the same direction my parents had taken.

As I panicked, two familiar screams suddenly came from the distance. I froze, my entire being instantly becoming muddled, as if my heart was being yanked hard. I closed my eyes in despair, waiting for death to come.

"Run away!"

At that moment, a girl's voice suddenly came from nearby. Immediately after, someone grabbed my arm and dragged me deeper into the bushes with a fierce yank. I opened my eyes, trying to see the face of the person who saved me. But the light was too dim, and in the haze, I could only see an arm as white as jade, with a moon-shaped birthmark on her wrist.

"Who are you?"

I raised my head and snapped with a shaky voice. The man, however, did not respond, and as I tried to get closer to get a better look, a heavy darkness came upon me instantly.

"Shit!"

I sat up violently from the bed, my sheets long since drenched in sweat. The solemn atmosphere of that night and my father's instructions were fresh in my mind, and the strange thing was that no matter how many times I dreamed about it, I could never see the face of the girl who had saved me. I tried to shake my head to clear it. 

But when I saw Selena lying beside me, anger instantly rose within me, and I wanted to tear her apart.

Selena's father was the real culprit who had caused my parents' death!

"Calm down, Xander! Don't forget why you bonded with Selena as a Mate in the first place!"

Just as I was about to be swept away by my anger, Sol, the wolf inside me, spoke up and reminded me.

"Uh..."

I looked at Selena, who was lying on the bed with a sweet smile on her face. Clenching my fists fiercely, my whole body trembled with anger, but I finally restrained my impulses.

"If I can't find out the truth about that year, I really can't guarantee I'll be able to hold back every time."

I got up from the bed and slowly walked over to the window.

"Although it's basically certain that it's related to John based on the investigations over the years, if we act rashly, it could shake the entire werewolf world. So until there's conclusive evidence, you still..." Sol said in a hushed voice, hoping I could remain calm.

I twisted my head to look at Selena, who was having some kind of sweet dream, the corners of her mouth slightly upturned in a smile. But to me, her smile looked like a mandala flower symbolizing death.

"Why do I have to go through this torture every night, while she sleeps so peacefully?"

I thought this as my hand subconsciously climbed up Selena's smooth spine. She didn't seem to notice anything, letting out a sleepy sigh and turning to the other side. Every time my father's determined face popped into my mind, my hatred for Selena grew stronger.

My hand slowly inched toward Selena's neck. A slight push, and all the hatred would dissipate in an instant. Thinking of this, I couldn't help but let a cold smile appear at the corner of my mouth.

"Xander! Now is not the time!"

Just as I was about to touch Selena's skin, Sol suddenly let out a low growl that felt both dissuasive and shocking, jolting my nerves.

"Sol, don't stop me!" I frowned, unable to resist chortling.

"Trust me, Xander, you'll regret it if you do that. It was never that simple back then. We need to discover the traitor in the pack by investigating John."

Sol didn't budge, but when I tried to speak to Selena again, it struggled violently inside me, preventing me from calming down to act on Selena.

"I don't know how much longer I can hold back." I clenched my teeth, a powerless sadness tormenting my heart repeatedly.

"Hmm?" Just as Sol and I were at a standoff, the fluctuations woke up the sleeping Selena.

"What's wrong?" Selena asked as she blinked her long eyelashes and turned to look at me sleepily.