It was a huge wolf with red eyes staring et them greedily that almost slit Asteria's throat with its sharp nails. Asteria was breathing quite hard as she tried to recover herself.
Asteria was quite shaken that she had just almost gotten her throat slit. She took a deep breath trying to calm herself. This is not the time to panic. After slightly calming down, Asteria looked at Annie who had dragged her on time.The wolf seemed annoyed that its prey had escaped and let out an angry growl.Asteria looked at Annie apologetically, but she found out that the girl currently wasn't looking at her. Instead, she was staring at the wolf with great wariness and unconcealed hostility.Asteria stood up. Her skin was bleeding slightly as she looked at the wolf with caution.The wolf jumped again and the two dodge on each side. Asteria was a bit slower and it caused her to receive another wound. Luckily that the wound wasn't deep.AsAsteria woke up with pain in her head as if someone was hammering it hard. She brought her hands over her head and put some pressure from her fingers to the scalp, hoping to ease the pain.She thought she had died, again.The wound and some scratch
It alarmed Asteria that she retracted her hands back in shock. It was almost as if electricity had struck her, but somehow this one gave a weird, pleasant feeling. She stared at the man in wonder. Was he struck by lightning before falling down? But what was with this blood? Looked like he got bitten by some kind of wild beasts, judged by the wound on his neck.The man still didn’t react, and Asteria wondered if he was dead. She wanted to confirm again, but she was concerned about that weird feeling. She analyzed the man to see if he was still alive. Asteria was sure that his skin was warm earlier, so she concluded he was still alive.The sight of red coating his neck and dripped into the ground also contributed to her worries. His wound seemed to be quite a severe one, and it seemed he was still losing blood. His wound looked fresh, as if it was caused not too long ago.Asteria winced slightly. With gritted teeth, she finally decided
The man’s eyes flickered with something. He seemed to be doubtful; as slight confusion swirled in his eyes. Asteria’s body jolted as their eyes met and the man retracted his gaze. A frown made its way to Asteria’s face. She looked unsure.“Scram.” One simple word was said. Asteria’s eyes were wide open as she witnessed the silver wolves backed away, running as fast as they could with their tails tucked between their legs.Is he that powerful? Asteria glanced at him, checking his figure before she scolded herself inwardly. Then, her eyes briefly scanned his neck only to find that it had been completely healed. Asteria was astonished.“Sir?” She asked him after seeing that the wolves had left. The man glanced at Asteria and said nothing. He walked away, causing Asteria to feel worried. If this man was going to go just like that, what’s she going to do then?“Sir, you should c
In the chilly night, the girl curled slightly, hugging herself. Her eyebrow creased as her body shuddered due to the cold. Asher looked up from his sitting position, staring at the girl across. The fire had long ago died down, leaving the dust and black charcoal blown by the wind that it somehow had smeared on her feet.She was leaning against a tree while shivering. Human, Asher thought. His eyes didn't leave her figure. Only then he did look away as she stirred, her hands rubbing her eyes. No sound came, and Asher realized that she wasn't awake at all.Asher contemplated for a while. He stood up, walking away.Meanwhile, Asteria frowned slightly in her sleep. She felt so cold that she thought her entire body had been freezing over. Her mind felt clouded.Even when her eyes had opened slightly, she couldn't focus on anything at all. Perhaps, winter had come sooner than she expected. At this rate, if she didn't find a shelter soon, whether it wolves or co
Asteria had calmed herself down after some time. Even though the reality was hard to be accepted, it was still a fact. Knowing less may also lessen your caution, so she thought that with this new knowledge in mind, she had a better chance to survive. Knowing one’s enemy’s strength was the first step to defeat them. Here, Asteria only needed to survive.Nevertheless, though her mind was still as clear as the day, Asteria was more cautious than ever. She often rested on the tree, vigilantly looking around to make sure that the area was safe before continuing to proceed forward.Now that she knew wolves had the same intelligence as humans and could turn into one, how could she not be worried? She would suspect anyone that crossed the path with her as one of those creatures.Asteria looked at left and right. She had been running around in the woods for some time. A day had passed just like that. She could only eat anything edible n
Asteria seemed to be quiet and rarely voiced out her complaints about things arranged to her, even if it was to her dislike. However, under this seemingly docile nature of hers, laid what seemed like a raging volcano. One should know that she wouldn’t be easily angered. Once she did, it was the time for the fiery lava to explode.“What a damned pervert!” Asteria grabbed the branches near her and fiercely throw them at the man who was on all fours naked. Even though he had turned around so that Asteria wouldn’t see his front, the sight of his butt was still appalling.It was not wrong that Asteria suddenly referred to him as a pervert. There were a lot of trees that could cover his body before he changed his clothes. Yet, he just transformed on the spot like that. Did that smack from the man beside her had turned his brain into a mush, or was it a deliberate act?“Wait, let me explain.” The man hastily sa
Asteria had woken up around an hour ago, feeling rather awkward. The man had brought her a roasted rabbit to eat. She had lost her appetite all of a sudden, yet she couldn’t find it in her to refuse his goodwill.It was not without a reason that she was willingly to eat this. She did not doubt that this food must be edible. In case wanted to kill her, that fragile body of hers would’ve turned into a bloody mess a long time ago just by the slap of his hand.A complex feeling showed on her face. But all of this, for what reason?“No need to feel so tangled. From now on we can be considered as friends.” The noble-like man let out a light chuckle. Somehow it sounded slightly eerie, yet not to the point of being disturbing. At least not for Asteria.“What’s your name?” Asteria suddenly spoke.“Ah, I haven’t told you my name yet. You can call me Kaizer.” He said lightly.
They were originally wasn’t this hostile toward her. Those people around the village border would only stare and usually ignore her to mind their own business. Yet, this time, the dislike and hostility on their faces couldn’t be concealed anymore.A woman in her thirties suddenly spoke. “Here I thought she was one like us, stranded in the forest with none to help.”“Mrs. Ford is right. She can’t be like us. It’s impossible to survive in the forest over three days once you got out.” Someone piped in. More people voicing out their opinions resonated in the small gathering.Asteria’s expression didn’t change at all since she had seen Mrs. Ford appearing. She knew that this old lady must’ve been seeking trouble the moment she opened her mouth.A flash of understanding appeared in Asteria’s eyes, however, it changed nothing within her mood. She was still standing the
"Did they bully you?" Asher asked, glancing briefly at the pair of brothers, Nox and Josh, who jolted as soon as Asher's gaze landed on them.Josh and Nox looked at Asteria hopefully, as if she was the savior of both of them. However, Asteria threw them a mischievous glance, causing the two's hearts to almost sink and melt into the ground."No," Asteria said.Asher smiled, said nothing. The pair of brothers who were about to sigh in relief upon hearing Asteria's answer could felt their hearts tightened again, discovering that there was something wrong with the atmosphere."I can ask them to perform some moves right?" Asteria asked Asher mysteriously. "I wonder how their ability compares to Elias right now."
Selena seemed to have known about Asher's confession to Asteria, perhaps Elias did too. There was some hint of teasing in her eyes whenever she spoke about him.Josh and Nox naturally weren't fools. They caught the meaning behind Selena's words, which also can be served as an indirect warning. The two were the ones who suffered the most here. After they received the news, they felt as if they'd been struck by a lightning. It made sense why Asher was so furious and punished them badly.The two brothers had explained everything to Asteria as to make her believe in them."No, it's not like that." Nox hurriedly explained, shaking his head. "Actually, it's not that we were deliberately holding back, but we are weak at the moment. Our power will slowly recover, along with the control over the wolf form."
Asher had confessed everything before Asteria. Naturally, this would affect how he act in front of her. Now, he no longer restrained himself and had even gotten more attentive to her.Asteria didn't reject him, or she could say that she couldn't. There was always some guilt in her heart, yet she was unable to extricate herself from this comfort."Alright then, take care of yourself," Asher said after Asteria told her plan to go to the count's mansion. His face showed a bit reluctant to part, which was rather cute.Asteria giggled and strolled away, climbing the stairs to prepare herself. It was true that she had been enjoying herself for the past few days. However, she also didn't forget to once a while thought about other problems when her mind was clear.
It was dark, with the only moonlight shining down through the gaps in the windows. Asteria wasn't fond of the dark. She lit the lamp, instantly the sight of the room entered her eyes.She threw herself on the bed, careful not to squash her right arm in the process. The left hand reached for the pillow, hugging it to her body while sighing."Lady Asteria, the dinner has been prepared." A maid informed her, followed by the knocking on the door.Asteria, who had just laid down her body and closed her eyes, frowning. She groaned, feeling tired. Opening her eyes, she told the maid in loud voice. "Coming."Changing into the new clothes, a leathered knight outfit, Asteria came out of the room and descended the stairs. Asher had been waiting in the dining hal
Asteria swung her sword forward, successfully slashing the targeted falling leaves, cutting them into two. She inhaled, stabbing and slashing while testing her agility.She had improved quite a lot since the incident where she nearly had gotten killed. After a few days of venting the bottled up frustration by practicing her swordsmanship in Asher's place, she finally regained her calm.Wiping the sweat, Asteria sat down and took large gulps of water. While she fanned herself, her mind wandered.Asteria wasn't sure whether Asher knew or not, but she had actually caught a glimpse of familiar figures among the prisoners besides the so-called princess Adrina.It was Nox and Josh. Their wolf form wasn't that eye-catching, however, she still remembered the
"Enough," Asher stated, not wanting to play along with any longer. "If you still have some dissatisfaction. Just report it to His Majesty."The two guards jolted, maintaining the respectful and fearful expression as Asher and the rest walked away. Their figures disappearing as the door to the next room slammed close.The guards exchanged glances. They were just guards, how could they have the privilege of reporting straight to His Majesty? However, the princess was another problem now. They didn't know what she had done to land herself in this predicament. Judging how Asher didn't even spare her another glance, they seemed not to be on good terms.Currently, that stunning face of Princess Adrina was filled with fury. Glaring at the two guards, making the two hurriedly walked away. When no one was there anymor
Asher brought Asteria out of the room, realizing that the girl had been trembling slightly. She didn't have her sword to defend herself. Even if her body condition had improved somehow, it was still nothing in front of a half-transformed werewolf. Strengthening the body needed a lot of time and patient effort.That blow from that man had blasted the metal bars apart. The room wasn't created like the ones for werewolves, which contained a lot of traps and restraining force toward their bloodline.Annie's body was smashed to a wall due to the shockwave. She was currently unconscious. Thanks to Selena's persuasion that the guard finally allowed them to bring a doctor in."There's no benefit in curing the prisoner who was about to die." Elias shook his head as he explained to Asteria. "If not for us bringing our
Asteria was startled by Selena's straightforward question. She wasn't asking about whether it was true that she had poisoned Bryan, Viscount Raphael's son. The question implied that Selena had already known Annie was the one committing the crime.A complicated mood surged in Asteria's heart. Looking at the previously sweet Annie reduced into such an indifferent state. A moment of silence enveloped the whole room."You already know." A low, raspy voice answered. When Annie looked up, her apathetic eyes gazed straight ahead. The outline of her body had gotten thinner from the last time Asteria met her. It was three weeks ago."You'll be dead," Selena said rather harshly, glaring at Annie. However, there was no malice in those words. Annie's punishment could only be one indeed; execution.
"Do you want to visit her?" Asher suddenly said."Can I?" Asteria asked him with a hopeful look. She wanted to get to the bottom of this."Let's go then." Asher suddenly stopped. "Prepare yourself first."Asteria understood what he meant and hurriedly changed into one of the comfortable dress Selena had brought during her visit. As someone who was slightly tomboy, Asteria prefer the comfortable dress more than the fancy, heavily decorated one. Selena knew better about this.The long-sleeved dress went past her waist, but she combined it with long black trousers. The current style made her look like a modern girl."Let's go." Asteria urged.