《Alpha's Nala》


 Chapter 1. Legaxy Dyme

    Chapter 1. Legaxy Dyme


    Legaxy


    "Dyme!" Our General Manager, Ms. Susie Marina Dawn, calls out from her office.


    Hearing that familiar urgency from her tone, I automatically dropped every bit of work I had on hand


    and quickly walk towards her office''s ss door ¡ª caring less for the loud click-cking my silver-gray


    heels are making, as it hits the marble-tiled floor.


    When I got inside the well-lighted, white room, I calmly replied with a genuine smile, a ¡°Yes Boss?¡±


    Sadly, she didn''t look up.


    Instead, she shoved a few objects off her porcin desk ¡ª I somehow catch some of it while moving


    closer to her side ¡ª and kept on rummaging her already scattered files. I even heard her grunt in an


    undylike fashion and I knew from there, she was in a terrible mood.


    The tension, as she tries to relieve by rolling her shoulders, was even visible in her eyes ¡ª happens to


    be light blue, like the sky ¡ª as she frantically scans her desk.


    Judging by the looks of it now, she''s searching for something important, and if I guess it right; Ms.


    Dawn was searching for the morning paperwork ¡ª yup, the typical Monday morning routine.


    I sigh in relief upon understanding what was happening. Then, I casually walked around her office, not


    forgetting to ce the things ¡ª mostly stamps and pens ¡ª I had caught earlier on a safer distance and


    space, to find the said files.


    Having to have sensed my presence, finally, Ms. Dawn started rambling about missing royal contracts


    and reports, while her hands kept on checking the messy pile ¡ª flipping sheet after sheet of both long


    and short paper bonds.


    "Dyme, do you happen to see where this pile of," she made weird signs indicating a stockpile, "You


    know, the one I asked you to..." she trailed offpletely.


    Getting what she meant, and already having my suspicion, I made my way to her side drawer which


    was found on the far side of her office space. I pulled the files I was thinking of and when I ced the


    paperwork on the table, she finally ¡ª and instantly ¡ª calmed down. Every tension on her body eased


    and the frustration ¡ª as a frown stered on her oval-shaped face before, gone.


    However, realizing something bad, she eyed me.


    Working for Ms. Dawn; being her secretary for 2 years now, I found myself close to her on apletely


    different level...


    A level ''no employee ever had with her big boss'', which is great because it made everything between


    us so easy to understand; May that be just a single sigh of happiness, to the mostplicated


    bbering you could have ever imagined.


    So when I say I know what she meant by that stare, I know very well WHAT SHE MEANT BY THAT


    STARE;


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    ''She thinks I made her look like a maniac a while ago and eventually, I need to exin that.''


    ¡°You ordered that to be tucked away, SAFELY,¡± I exined, trying my best to stop the smile from


    forming on my face.


    ¡°Oh,¡± was all that she had said. Her wrinkled eyebrows grew smooth as she remembered her


    command, and the blush of embarrassment that appeared on her cheeks, which she tried to hide by


    cing a hand on her face, didn¡¯t go unnoticed by me.


    I couldn¡¯t help myself and giggle at the sight of it.


    She rolled her eyes, knowing all too well that I caught her blushing.


    ¡°Still, did you ¡ª ¡± She started, being serious now.


    ¡°Yes boss, Ipiled it based on what you asked me to.¡± I said, cutting her off, ¡°All the things you need


    to sign today are there. Especially the contracts for the next week''s event.¡± I added.


    Hearing the job done, shepletely changed back to her usualposure and demeanor ¡ª the


    calm and collected one. Then, she quickly scanned the paperwork with professional eyes and said,


    ¡°Yet, is it in ¡ª ¡±


    ¡°Of course Boss,¡± I said, interrupting her again, ¡°As per instruction, I got it in alphabetical order.¡±


    For some, this ¡°cutting off¡± attitude is somewhat rude and unprofessional. But between the two of us,


    cutting off each other''s speeches was just as normal as getting each other to talk about gossip ¡ª Yes,


    this goes to show how close we are. So yeah, not a big deal anymore, and that''s why she kept on


    nodding while listening to me.


    Then, she put on her eyesses and muttered ¡°Good, good...¡± while starting on the files, ¡°So, any


    agenda for today?¡± she added.


    ¡°Only one boss,¡± I stated, quickly checking my notes for a confirmation, ¡°it''s a meeting...with Mr. Heinz


    ck.¡±


    When the name was mentioned, she immediately pauses and eyed me; her cold stare was very scary


    that it almost made me shiver, ¡°The same thing?¡±


    I nodded slightly, ¡°Yes boss, same issue with ¡ª with the werewolves.¡±


    She sighed heavily. ¡°This will be the sixth time this week.¡±


    She became silent then. I gave her that moment as I got into thinking myself...


    We have been experiencing our front office staff being attacked by our werewolf guests for weeks now.


    Most of it was anger issues ¡ª which is kinda normal for their kind, some were pure dissatisfaction and


    misunderstanding from our customer service, others were because of jealousy ¡ª mating season


    nowadays, while a few were high tensions caused by the bloody war that happened 3 years ago.


    This war was mainly between 3 creatures, specifically the werewolves and the mixed vampire-witch


    race. I don''t know much about the details but as far as my knowledge goes ¡ª mostly gossip from my


    co-workers ¡ª that war was the most painful and disastrous wherein it ended up without a winner;


    Vampires and Witches almost got extinct while for the Alpha King, he lost his mate.


    Thankfully, with human intervention, the tension and grudge between the dark creatures slowly ease.


    And that right there was the whole point for the existence of our Hotel; changing everything


    dramatically.


    As per Ms. Dawn, since the day the Mallow Hotel opened ¡ª withplete treaties, rules, and


    protocols to amodate each kind ¡ª everyone, and I mean all creatures and humans, learned to co-


    exist with each other. Harmony started to happen and uniformity was a neww.


    Still, it¡¯s not that easy to heal.


    Honestly, problems still ur, and fear still exists within themunity. But understanding how things


    are and the past is still part of the present, it''s safe to say that these chaos and disturbances are


    normal nowadays.


    Though, we do want to minimize that...


    It can be hard to manage, and I admire my boss for that. I mean, just look at how she ¡ª a pure human


    being ¡ª handles all of it, making everything in order and calm by just talk.


    Be it her staff or wild guests, Ms. Dawn can tame everyone.


    ¡°You know what, before you jump on to things, I''ll get your coffee first,¡± I stated, breaking the tense


    atmosphere with a smile.


    Hearing coffee and seeing me go all ''sunshine'' again, she finally shes a smile of her own ¡ª her very


    first for the day, and she looked younger when she smiles like that. Her wrinkles from old age, well not


    that old, gone.


    ¡°Thank you, darling,¡± She said in a sweet, relieved tone.


    I cue myself to leave and as I got out, I heard her say, ¡°What would I do without you Legaxy Dyme?¡±


    I rolled my eyes at what she had said and continued walking to get her coffee.

 Chapter 2. Her Big Brother

    Chapter 2. Her Big Brother


    Legaxy


    Time flies so fast, and before I knew it, it was already dark.


    Finally, time to go home.


    I packed my stuff, got to say my usual goodbye to boss, then changed to my casual outfit and once I


    dropped the uniform at the uniform shoots going down theundry room, I exited the hotel.


    Since it was a long-distance between home and hotel ¡ª I see not a lot of cars or taxis around either


    and thanks to my overprotective parents, I never learned to drive ¡ª I texted my Dad for a ride home.


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    I waited for a reply but then realized, he works a lot at the Hue Kingdom...


    Considering the fact that the Vampire King stays as a hidden character and never leaves his chamber,


    unless necessary, my Dad fills in most of ''his'' work. That means, my poor father has to handle a full-


    time paperwork duty and has to ept ¡ª without thinking twice ¡ª endless overtime.


    So, to be clear and in short, I don''t know if Papa could spare me that extra time.


    I sighed at the thought.


    Surprisingly, he texted back, and I see a ''YES'' on my screen. I got excited and waited for him but once


    I got picked up by our ck SUV, I was shocked to see my brother, Seth, in the driver''s seat.


    Seth Deo Dyme, the big brother of mine. He''s a vampire, so you can imagine when he got out of the


    car and shed his pearly white smile at me that a lot of human girls were already drooling over him.


    GREAT!


    My cue to do a facepalm...


    I''m gonna say this, sternly and for the hundredth time: I''m in no mood of having another set of fake


    friends asking me how was I doing when in reality, they just want to ask about the whereabouts of Seth


    ¡ª so they could stalk him all day, every day.


    And just the fact that my big brother only shed a smile, resulting in every girl in town to go nuts,


    literally ¡ª I mean, what else am I going to do or say?


    ''Yup, gotta me this on the female hormones again, Legaxy. No offense self, but it''s the truth. ept


    it already.'' I thought, or more like a scold, to myself, making me shook my head out of exasperation.


    Good thing for me though, I already saw that smile before... What am I saying? I ALWAYS saw that


    smile since it''s the regr gesture Seth does when we greet each other.


    But for some odd reason, and unlike those bewitcheddies, I''m acting pretty much ''normal'' around


    that ''smile'' and more importantly, around Seth.


    Not that my brother is ugly or in in my eyes ¡ª His actually drop-dead gorgeous; brown hair, smooth


    white skin, pointed nose, masculine body, pretty green eyes, and perfect diamond smile.


    It''s just that, brother or not, I don''t have that instant attraction towards him; It doesn''t feel right if you


    ask me.


    Confused enough, I''m human myself so his ''charisma'' should affect me as well, right?


    Nope, think again...


    Or perhaps, I am just too familiar with my brother''s features and presence. We did live on the same


    roof once ¡ª so yeah, that was the only exnation I could think of regarding this matter.


    ¡°Hey, cheeky boo.¡± Seth greeted and ruffled my hair yfully.


    ¡°Kuya! (Big Brother in Filipino) I''ve been saving that forter!¡± I eximed, hitting his arm.


    Heughed, dodging my hand, ¡°Still a neat freak, I see. You do know that you look far cuter in ruffled


    hair than your usual hairstyle.¡± He stated, shing a full smile at me.


    I frowned.


    ¡°What''s wrong with my straight hair?¡± I asked, ring at him.


    ¡°Boo, no offense and to be honest, I don''t like the straight locks on you. It makes you look old, dead


    serious... and boring.¡± He murmured thest part, but I still heard it loud and clear.


    I rolled my eyes at him, quite offended.


    At the same time, I momentarily caught a glimpse of humandies still captivated by Seth''s presence. I


    got distracted by this because I saw onedy ¡ª I recognized as one of our Front office staff, Maylene


    ¡ª almost trip, walking our way.


    Cruel as it can be, and as much as I wanted to help my kind to snap out of the trance, but that''s how


    Vampire beauty works for mortals. It captures you without any warning, then engulfs you to the point


    that you cannot escape, until you finally get hurt ¡ª or killed ¡ª without fully realizing it.


    Sure it''s an involuntary response of both the heart and mind ¡ª thanks to the strong magic quality of the


    charm, but I fairly believe that you could only get hurt once you let the enchantment sink in more.


    Though, who am I to judge thesedies, knowing all too well how immune I was towards the said


    spellbound?


    Yeah Legaxy, think about that...


    ¡°Let''s get you home.¡± My big brother said, snapping me out of my thoughts.


    I could only nod at him and from there, we talked about our day. We got to joke andugh around for a


    brief moment, while we casually walk to the car''s side.


    At one point, Seth got to mention things about Dad...


    ¡°Kuya, why''d you picked me up instead of Papa?¡± I asked as we reached the side door of the car.


    Seth shot me a confused look as he took my backpack from me, ¡°You don''t remember?¡± He


    asked.

 Chapter 3. Do Not... Be Afraid

    Chapter 3. Do Not... Be Afraid


    Legaxy


    ¡°Remember what?¡± I inquired innocently, which earned me a re from him.


    ¡°Seriously Legaxy? The Red Moon Ball is scheduled to happen next week.¡± He stated, crossing his


    arms in front of his chest, ¡°Don''t tell me you forgot all about it already.¡± He added, sounding upset.


    I made an ''Oh'' face, and he did get it that I forgot the once-in-a-lifetime party of the Vampire ¡ª Witch


    race, where every single Vampire and Witch finds their RED ¡ª for werewolves, it''s equal to ''mate''.


    Seth only grunts a response at me.


    Of course, he will be angry and disappointed by my oblivious state ¡ª which I may say is temporary ¡ª


    since he always mentioned this to me every year he joins the ball.


    Regardless, like every year, Seth never found his Red. I don''t know why or how the process works for


    them, but sadly, he never gets a match.


    Not even once, if I may add...


    He''s already 28, and I don''t know if he is still willing to look for his Red since he did end up choosing


    the security forces, where he guards and protects, over waiting for someone who never came.


    Embarrassed, I bit my lip.


    ¡°Sorry, I didn''t mean to forget about it. I''ve been a bit... unfocusedtely. Hotel stuff, don''t ask.¡± I


    apologized, chewing the inside of my lip as I abruptly recalled the heated morning meeting session we


    have with Mr. ck.


    All the arguments that took ce, the screams that left the lips, the unfiltered and foulnguage


    bouncing around the room, and the fist pounding on the porcin table causing it to crack.


    Yeah, that kind of stuff, which left me a bit ''distracted'' at the moment.


    I guess I''m not over it as I believed it to be...


    Seth sighed and seeing how ''inattentive'' I really was at that minute, he became quiet for a while.


    All of a sudden, he pinched my left cheek to look at him.


    ¡°Hey, it''s alright cheeky boo. I''m the one who''s sorry here. Stress got the best of me.¡± He sighed again.


    ¡°It''s just... hard, and knowing it''s a big day, everyone doesn''t just expect it to be perfect. Rather, they


    WANT it to be perfect.¡± He exined, shing a sad smile at me.


    I only blinked a few times, getting off of the recollection I was having, before registering into Seth''s


    apologetic eyes.


    ¡°That''s why Dad didn''t pick you up. Overtime ¡ª again, but he said he was sorry.¡± He added softly while


    rubbing my cheek with his thumb.


    I nodded at him in understanding and finally, went inside the car. As he entered the driver''s seat and


    laid my backpack beside him, I caught him sniffing the air.


    I scowled.


    ¡°Do you ever stop that, Kuya?¡± I asked.


    He looked confused as he nced my way.


    ¡°What do you mean? I always do this.¡± He stated.


    ¡°But you''re off duty. It''s not like somebody''s going to jump out of the bushes and hurt us.¡± I protested,


    scrunching my nose in the process.


    He chuckled.


    ¡°It''s better to be safe than never Legaxy. Besides, it''s just a security check ¡ª not the hunting stance.¡±


    He said, backing up the car. ¡°You know pretty well that I will feel hell if I didn''t do this perimeter check,


    knowing we are at a ce where EVERYONE IS WELCOME.¡± He pointed out.


    I sped my mouth shut after hearing that, and didn''t argue further.


    His right.


    Mallow Hotel may be a sacred ground for everybody, and no one is allowed to fight here ¡ª unless


    granted by the head owner, but you never know what each dark mind can do. Especially, a dark beast''s


    mind who''s being unintentionally provoked by their enemies.


    ¡°Oh,¡± was all that I could chirp off; the sudden thought of fear lingering in the back of my mind.


    ¡°Not to mention,¡± he paused and a dangerous grin appeared on his face as he peeks at me through the


    driver''s mirror, ¡°I do love smelling your scent.¡±


    At first, I didn''t think much about it and believing that it was just his normal teasing, I rolled my eyes at


    him, ¡°Shut up. You said no ''hunting stance''.¡±


    Heughed hard as we drove off.


    However, he was not done joking, and from there, I saw a hint of hunger in his eyes ¡ª from green to


    red ¡ª while peeking again at me in the mirror.


    Oh, no...


    ¡°Seriously though, your scent could drive a Vampire crazy... That savory, sweet-sweet scent...¡± He


    licked his lips and swallowed hard, ¡°I know I would boo...¡± His voice was yful at the end, but too low


    and husky ¡ª making me confirm he was hungry for blood.


    Freaking hell no!


    I stiffened hearing that and like a switch, the memories of him almost killing me shback in my head


    ¡ª recing the fear I felt with tremendous rm.


    ¡°I wished you haven''t said that Seth. Particrly, when you''re starving...¡± I muttered, nervously.


    He heard me and the fright in my voice was his realization; His once hungry features immediately drop


    and turned into pure shock, then distress.


    ¡°Shit! I''m so sorry cheeky boo, I didn''t realize I was ¡ª ¡±


    ¡°Don''t... It''s okay, really.¡± I managed to as I sh my smile at him through the rearview mirror ¡ª trying


    to hide the horror I was feeling, ¡°Do you need to feed? We could stop, and I will let you go hunt ¡ª ¡±


    ¡°No, no, I can wait.¡± He cut me off, breathing ragged. ¡°Mom, she ¡ª she will be disappointed if we don''t


    eat dinner.¡± He added, slowly calming down now ¡ª and his eyes, still shifting from red to green which


    means he was fighting for control.


    I just nodded and we both became silent for a while; waiting for him to thoroughly calm down.


    ¡°So, could I safely conclude that the reason why you are nning on leaving home is... us? We scare


    you much ¡ª far too much, don''t we?¡± He queried in a miserable tone, breaking the silence that long


    crept between us.


    I shook my head in a ''NO'' and surprisingly, a giggle left my lips as I thought about his conclusion and


    question about me leaving home.


    ¡°Of course not, silly.¡± I replied, smiling at him in the mirror since I notice he was rxed now ¡ª his eyes


    were in their normal shade of green, ¡°It''s just the idea of independence Seth. Besides, no one in this


    family likes the idea of me driving.¡± I pouted at the thought.


    Heughed, fully breaking the tension that we were feeling at the moment, ¡°True. You''re too clumsy for


    driving.¡±


    I raised an eyebrow at him, ¡°Ah, thanks for the vote of confidence?¡± I stated, sarcastically.


    Heughed harder.


    I rolled my eyes at him, and this time, out of entertainment, ¡°How''s Howard and Axel by the way?¡± I


    asked, changing the topic.


    He stoppedughing and instantly, a wide smile was stered on his face.


    ¡°The boys are great actually. Howard got promoted to Major of the Vampire Army. Axel, on the other


    hand, has been recently chosen as the Head of the Witch Coven Ministry.¡± He stated, proudly.


    I smiled at the news myself.


    Like Seth, my other two brothers work for the Hue Kingdom and currently living there ¡ª leaving me


    with Mom and Dad (Hooray!).


    Well, all my family members work at the Hue Kingdom, except for me because as clear as day ¡ª I am


    a prey there. But it doesn''t matter where they are, or what work they had. As long as they are happy


    with their chosen career paths and the home they are currently living in, then I''m happy as well.


    Especially with the guys...


    They happen to be troublemakers from the past and now hearing how they got what they want and


    blossomed from there, kinda made me want to tear up.


    I was just so proud of them.


    That reminds me though, what about Seth''s ¡ª especially with the ongoing ball? He used to be on royal


    guarding duties whenever this ball urs...


    ¡°What about you? How''s work for you?¡± I curiously ask.


    Surprisingly, Seth stiffened at my question. He didn''t turn, say or answer the simple question I''ve


    asked. He just kept on driving, eyes very focus now on the road.


    Huh, funny...


    ¡°Not that you want to talk about ¡ª ¡± I started nonchntly.


    ¡°No, it''s fine.¡± He interrupted, voice low but too dark with emotion I don''t even know existed within him;


    he sounded ''feral''.


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    I unintentionally shivered... Nheless, I waited for a continuation.


    He sighed, once. I waited.


    Nothing.


    I waited again.


    Still, no word.


    I almost give up and was about to change the topic, when he shot me a look through the mirror as if


    telling me to hold on and wait a little longer ¡ª which I did.


    It took maybe under a minute or so before he sighed another one and this time, it was a bit heavy ¡ª


    like he was carrying a burden so big that he forgot to breathe.


    Then, finally, he talked.


    ¡°To be honest, I''m not liking the new assignment given to me by the Kingdom.¡± He stated in a in


    voice.


    My forehead wrinkled in confusion.


    ¡°Why?¡± I questioned, intrigued.


    He hesitated at first. His eyes were checking me on the mirror ¡ª as if I was somewhat ready or not,


    before shaking his head; he''s having an internal battle with his mind.


    I re at him to continue, which he, thankfully,pelled.


    ¡°First, I was not supposed to tell you anything ¡ª not yet, because the whole family should be around.


    And second, I''m nning tomunicate this matter this weekend, for Howard and Axel will be


    present at dinner. That''s all I could tell, no more.¡± He exined, eyeing me once again through the


    mirror.


    I gave him my best ''beg'' face for more information, that he rolled his eyes at me.


    ¡°Goddess, you''re so pushy!¡± He muttered, almost growling, ¡°Fine, since you pleaded, I''ll tell you one


    thing and one thing only ¡ª and sure enough, you will never going to like it.¡± He stated.


    I became perplexed.


    ¡°What do you mean? You know Kuya, you always share everything with me ¡ª FIRST.¡± I pointed out,


    pouting at him, ¡°Do you hate your job now that you will only give me clues instead of details? And why


    would I never like it? I mean, I am always fascinated by everything you do. Especially, when ites to


    your work.¡± I whined, disappointment was clear in my eyes.


    He shot me a small smile.


    ¡°Oh cheeky boo, thank you. And hey, I still love my job ¡ª always have been. However, there were


    some changes that I need to work on and to be followed soon. Rules, to be exact, that is on strict


    compliance.¡± He exined, I saw him chewing his inside cheek.


    ¡°Changes? What changes?¡± I asked.


    I never knew the Hue Kingdom could do that. As far as I''ve known, they never change anything before,


    especially when ites to their legition.


    That''s a first...


    Real question is, what made them changed theirwful ways?


    Before I could formte an answer to the question, Seth''s heavy exhale caught my attention.


    ¡°The concept now is that I''m not guarding any royal people. Well, not until the Red Moon Ball ends.¡± He


    stated, his voice was once more dark and husky.


    I looked more baffled than before.


    ¡°Oh, congrattions... I guess.¡± I stated, wrinkling my forehead, ¡°But, if you don''t mind me asking, who


    are you guarding now Kuya?¡±


    At the exact time I popped that question out, the car came to a stop at our frontwn. When he turned


    and stared at me, the cheerful Seth faded, and in its ce was a deadly poker face of a soldier.


    His eyes were burning glossy red again and since the moon was full and bright tonight, the color red


    glowed dangerously, making me froze in my seat.


    All of a sudden, and in a husky tone, he mumbled, ¡°You.¡±

 Chapter 4. Red Eyes

    Chapter 4. Red Eyes


    Legaxy


    When a vampire''s eyes turn red, it indicates that he''s either ready for danger, hungry, or in serious


    stress.


    I don''t know which one was clear in Seth''s eyes this time ¡ª hopefully not hunger again ¡ª but I do feel


    that the situation he was in right now was beyond the normal stress or danger level he was


    ustomed to.


    He almost looked distraught...


    Though, I was much more stunned by what he had said earlier, rather than what he looks like right now.


    ¡°Pa-pardon?¡± I stuttered.


    ¡°Oh, cheeky boo.¡± He mumbled, shaking his head in dismay, ¡°You heard me right. It''s you.¡± He


    repeated.


    His confirmation made my eyes grew wide.


    ¡°M-me? Like, really me? ¡° I voiced out, almost like a sob.


    He slowly nodded before getting out of the car with my backpack. When he opened the door for me, I


    could see his eyes changed back to their normal color ¡ª the green ones. That means his calm now.


    As for me, I was beyond calm; I was terrified...


    ¡°But why?¡± I demanded as I step down the car, ¡°I didn''t do anything to be under Hue surveince, and


    to know that it''s you who will be doing the guard duty, then that means I''m in trouble ¡ª like


    dangerously big trouble.¡± I stated, feeling uneasy.


    He didn''t say a word after my statement. Instead, he keeps on staring at me with an intense gaze.


    His holding back something here, I know it, and I could tell on his face he was unsure of what to do or


    say about it.


    That''s not good, and because of that, my anxiety kicks in...


    Seth is part of the most elite forces in the security department ¡ª both supernatural and human world.


    He hunts, guards, protects, and rescues. Knowing all of those are his specialty, a lot relied on him for


    their lives and safety.


    He was well ¡ª respected and highly appreciated because of how clean his work can be; may it be the


    easiest assignment to the almost impossible missions.


    Yeah, that''s howpetent he is...


    And so by having these big achievements and highly ssified experiences ¡ª plus the 100% sess


    rate of his tasks and not to mention, his good looks (gotta do an eye roll for this one), he made a big


    name for himself.


    Those who knew him well, or just heard his name, will either be terrified orforted by his presence.


    That''s why in ourmunity, if Seth''s the one handling you, then it goes to show that there''s


    something seriously going to happen to you ¡ª either good, deadly, or dangerous.


    Believe me, I''ve seen it beforehand and it is very tense...


    Hence, thinking about the problems and possibilities other people had to undergo ¡ª and to be in the


    hands of Seth, made me wonder about myself.


    I mean, what will be the possibilities for me?


    And why me, among all the people in thend of Mallow Key, being guarded by my highly trained


    assassin brother?


    Was it something I did or was it something I said before that got me into this?


    Now that I thought about it...


    Was it because I punched another n memberst week for being too harsh to me?


    Or was it because I argued with another group of mixed Vampire and Witch women for disrespecting


    me?


    Nah, those cases were minor and already closed...


    Shoot, maybe I''m being hunted then?


    Never happened to me before, but it is a possibility...


    Though, who?


    What?


    Why?


    Great! Paranoia is sinking in now...


    Suddenly, I snapped my attention back at Seth, who happens to be chuckling at my predicament; I


    couldn''t help but notice that there was no humor found in that expression.


    ¡°See? I told you, you wouldn''t like it.¡± He finally muttered, getting my full attention now.


    I wrinkled my forehead in difort.


    ¡°Well, I didn''t expect it this way. Especially at the fact that I''m involved with something I don''t know of.¡± I


    pointed out.


    He made an apologetic face, and then, out of nowhere, it turned into pure annoyance.


    ¡°I''m just ¡ª I just can''t exin anything right now boo, I''m sorry.¡± He stated.


    Feeling a bit depressed by his riddles and apologies, I made a begging face again, ¡°Why can''t you...¡±


    ¡°Legaxy, DON''T.¡± He warned, his voice was dangerously low.


    ¡°But...¡± I pushed, without thinking twice.


    Wrong move...


    He red painful daggers at me; deadly red eyes shining in the moonlight.


    ¡°Seriously Legaxy, No BUT talks! Enough is enough.¡± He snapped, showing me his fangs, ¡°We''re


    talking about my loyalty here, and I won''t break it just for you to understand the situation.¡± He added,


    growling viciously at me.


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    Okay, that was harsh. So, OUCH.

 Chapter 5. Promise and A Royal Promise

    Chapter 5. Promise and A Royal Promise


    Legaxy


    Yeah, ouch that I wanted to cry.


    But a part of me knew already what he meant about his loyalty, and knowing how important this is for


    him, I just brush the pain off and tried to look cool.


    Still, there''s a part of me that wanted to be bitchy, stubborn, and be demanding as possible for


    exnations. I mean, it is my right to know what I am dealing with.


    Not that I wanted to scare the living daylights out of me with the answers I might get, and make myself


    go crazy about the situation, but I just wanted to prepare myself for the oue.


    I know from the day I was raised by Vampires and Witches that danger lurks everywhere. That every


    little thing about me screams ''prey'' and ''death''. So when I got the chance, I decided to train and learn


    ways to defend myself, under the courtesy of my strict brothers and overprotective parents, of course.


    Nheless, at the end of the day, I never get to use any of it because my family ¡ª specifically, Seth,


    keeps on concealing things from me.


    I know, even if he doesn''t say it, he doesn''t believe in me and I guess that''s how I get for being human


    ¡ª weak and naive, in my brother''s eyes...


    Anyway, going back to how valuable loyalty is for Seth and understanding the strict rules bound around


    thatmitment, I quickly change my mind and chose not to argue with him.


    I bit my lip, so no further questions are asked. Then, abruptly, I began to think and worry as hell for


    myself as we started to walk down the pathway leading to the front door of our house.


    Seth ¡ª calmed now, may have noticed the change of my demeanor that he put his one arm around my


    shoulder. He then made sure to massage my shoulder de with his palm ¡ª to make me rx, I


    guess ¡ª before finally, letting out a shaky breath; making me think that he was holding it earlier.


    ¡°I''m sorry for saying that boo. I didn''t mean to...I just want you to... I can''t make you...¡± He trailed off


    completely.


    I bit my lip harder, avoiding my tongue to work.


    He didn''t continue, instead, he squeezed my shoulder and kept quiet.


    I hated this part of him because it always made my body tense up from anticipation; The stroke he


    does on my shoulder des did not work one bit.


    Even so, I didn''tin and kept my mouth shut. From there, as much as I dread the silence, I


    patiently waited for him.


    A half-minute passed,


    Nothing.


    Tsk! This again. Yet, as good as I was, I waited.


    Then another half passed,


    Still no continuation.


    I was starting to feel on edge right now, as both my impatience and anxiety eating me alive...


    I bit my lip harder, blood can be tasted on my tongue at the second.


    He must have noticed the conflict I was having that he gave me another soft rub, but this time, it was at


    the center of my back.


    That actually worked; I rxed.


    ¡°Just don''t overthink this cheeky boo.¡± He finally muttered close to my ear, ¡°To be honest, I''m struggling


    right now. I just don''t know how to be patient with this and I... I made a royal promise boo. I''m so sorry, I


    didn''t mention it earlier.¡± He confessed.


    Upon hearing this, my head snapped to face him ¡ª both my eyes and mouth wide open.


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    Seth saw my reaction and if this was any other day, he wouldugh at me. But no, this was a different


    day, and all he could manage to meet me with was an agonizing, sorrowful and disappointed face.


    I winced seeing that expression.


    He caught that, and thinking it was something else, he clenched his jaw and tensed his body.


    ¡°We have no choice, Boo.¡± He started while running his fingers a bit harsh on his brown strands, ¡°The


    order came from the Vampire King himself. Since we are his close men, we are the first ones to receive


    his private information. And to protect such sensitive info, we need to do the royal promise.¡± He


    exined, sounding a bit defeated.


    And from just that tone, I immediately felt his difort and envisioned his struggles upon epting


    that oath.


    I know he didn''t want to do it but, like a good soldier that he is, he has to obey.


    He has tomit to these things without hesitation or reluctance. Even if it means he was hurting


    himself ¡ª or was hurting his own family, he has to do it.


    Otherwise, he dies.


    I could only sigh my distress and touch his cheek.


    ¡°It''s okay, Kuya. I clearly understand what you meant now.¡± I assured, shing Seth my sweetest smile.


    Seeing my reaction and hearing my words, my big brother sighs out of relief and eventually rxes.


    All of a sudden, he hugged me ¡ª oh so tightly, that I almost lost my breath.


    ¡°Thank you boo, thank you.¡± He whispered through my hair, ¡°Though, before anything else, promise me


    2 things first...¡± he paused, and I noticed him tense a bit while waiting for my response.


    Curious, I nod for him to continue.


    I felt his shoulders sagged and then he spoke, a little softer now.


    ¡°First, promise me that you will wait until Saturday to know more about the matter. I know it will be a


    long 5 days wait, but I promise you boo, it will be worth every second of uncertainty and stress...¡± He


    paused again, this time, I felt him stroking my hair with his slender, cold fingers.


    I almost protest but held my ground and nod on his shoulder ¡ª signaling him again to proceed.


    He got what I meant and began again, ¡°Lastly, and for once, keep your lips sealed regarding this issue


    around Mom and Dad. I know you don''t like that, and you were always open to them, but I don''t want


    them to worry about the situation Boo. Especially Mom... So please cheeky boo, will you do this ¡ª for


    me?¡±


    ¡°I..." I paused and shortly thought about it, but knowing nothing good will happen if I argued further, I


    quickly murmured a "Promise,¡± on my brother''s shoulder.


    At that moment, honestly, I don''t care much about my brother''s reasons. Matter of fact, I could easily


    debate with him regarding the issue and demand my questions to be answered.


    However, what made me agree to his terms regardless of the subject was the fact that he made a


    "Royal Promise".


    You see, a royal promise, once made, is DEADLY. It''s like a pinky promise that you SERIOUSLY need


    to keep because it''s equivalent to your own life.


    So, once you break it, you DIE.


    Simple rule, but that''s how powerful the aftermath is.


    That''s why Seth kept on struggling to answer my questions before, and the way he snapped at me


    when I pushed him too far, all clear and understandable now.


    Hearing my agreement, I felt Seth rx even further. Then, his lips softly kissed the top of my head.


    Finally, he broke the embrace but kept one arm around my back as he leads me inside our home.


    Mum and Dad were already waiting in the dining room ¡ª both chatting ¡ª and upon seeing them, I


    straightened my body up ¡ª trying to hide the worry and anxiety I was feeling.


    Seth, being as observant as he was, felt my sudden jerk and tried tofort me by rubbing my back


    once more, while we greeted our parents together.


    Kuya and I didn''t mention anything or even talk, after that.


    Not even after dinner.


    As promised...


    Just having the silence made me feel a lot better about the situation and Seth, knowing how I value my


    personal space, respected that.


    Though our parents, knowing Mum is a Witch and Dad is a Vampire, easily sensed the distance Seth


    and I created. They pointed that out a few times during the meal, but I kept on changing the topic until 8


    pm came.


    Time for Harry''s.


    I didn''t need much preparation for the gig ¡ª except for my hair which I just brush with ab and tied


    using a blue ribbon to look cute ¡ª so, I quickly went out to get an Uber.


    When I bid my farewell, Mum and Dad looked at each other, confused at the moment. They eyed Seth


    ¡ª who stands beside them and was keeping his gaze on me ¡ª and then nced at me.


    ¡°You know your brother can drive you there,¡± Mum pointed out, releasing herself from the embrace.


    I shrugged.


    ¡°No, thank you, Mama. I can handle this. Besides, Kuya needs his rest.¡± I smiled, while I caught Seth


    smirking at me; He knows I''m covering him up and his guarding duty.


    I internally rolled my eyes at him.


    ¡°Are you sure Princess? Your brother could take you there, FAST.¡± Dad pointed out after freeing himself


    from the hug.


    I shook my head in a NO and quickly hug Seth, knowing all too well that he will follow me after this; his


    red eyes were already alert on guarding me.


    ¡°Don''t worry cheeky boo, I''ll be there. I promise,¡± Seth mumbled so low, I almost didn''t understand it.


    I could only nod on his chest ¡ª letting him know I heard him. Then, after pulling off a smile to show my


    audience, I left.


    ¡°Bye guys.¡± I chirped as I fast walk out of the house.


    Before I could even go further, I did hear the three of them grumbled something, and feeling it was


    about me, I hurried for the Uber ¡ª who was waiting at our frontwn.


    Once inside, I quickly told the driver the direction and left for Master Harry''s Bar.

 Chapter 6. Harry

    Chapter 6. Harry


    Legaxy


    Aside from the fact that I''m a human, who''s been living on Mallow Key ind full of supernatural and


    mythical beasts, I''m also the breadwinner of the Dyme family.


    Not to brag, but I have two jobs to keep me busy...


    One is by day ¡ª you all know this, wherein I work as a humble Personal Secretary at the Mallow hotel.


    And the second one is done by night ¡ª this is the first time you guys know about this, wherein I


    perform as your typical solo singer.


    Yes, a SINGER...


    Though, I''m not the professional type of vocalist you guys know that has concerts and does


    international tours, or the popr one that the media kept on talking about. Rather, I''m a local artist,


    and surprising as it can be, I wanted to keep it that way.


    Not that I don''t want to be popr or be recognized outside the ind, but I just want this side of me to


    stay humble and free. That means, NO contracts, NO albums, NO musicbels ¡ª just pure me singing


    my soul out for the local people.


    Besides, this ''singing profession'' of mine is just a little addition to my independence ¡ª nothing special


    about it.


    Still, to be honest, I never have imagined myself doing this in the long run, especially when this side of


    me just started out as a hobby.


    You got it right,dies and gentlemen, the singing me was all but a pastime...


    In my early years ¡ª or as far as my memories go, I was basically a shy and introverted girl. I never


    leave home or socialize as much as my family wants me to.


    I would just stay at home, read a book or two about anything and everything; to keep me upied for


    the day. Then, write a couple of entries to my journal, or draw which by the way, I discovered that I''m


    not good at.


    Apart from that, there''s the delicate side of things where I started opening myself up to my new mixed-


    race family and most especially to the Hue Kingdom, and there, began establishing a rtionship with


    them, and after that, the boring list of learning and development goes on and on.


    Surprisingly, from that record, I never included the joy of watching television. So to entertain my weary


    self, I started leaning my attention to music and at one point, started using my voice to produce a


    symphony.


    It was fun at first, and I was truly enjoying myself with the newly discovered hobby ¡ª well, not until our


    neighbors started listening to me.


    It began with one person, then from one came two. And from two emerged four, until that six


    bystanders became a big crowd of fifty viewers.


    Yep, that big...


    After a while, half of the town''s locals got involved and started asking me to sing for them in certain


    areas, until a few requested for my presence on a stage.


    Because I was so new to the environment, and I don''t know who to trust yet ¡ª aside from my family


    and a few friends, I got to reject the live performances until a yearter.


    Two years after, here I am, performing certain genres of music to my heart''s content...


    Since I''m more of a contractual solo event singer, I can be found performing wherever there are parties


    or celebrations around themunity and bars, and if permitted, I can perform at the Mallow hotel as


    well.


    But most of the time, chill solo live shows are my thing ¡ª making these little jams for two hours every


    night.


    It''s good money all throughout, aside from being a secretary in a hotel, so why not venture into it, right?


    Furthermore, music and being able to sing helps me unwind from the stress the hotel work brings,


    wherein I got to rx my body and refresh both my soul and mind through beats, melodies, and lyrics.


    It''s like my meditation session...


    ¡°Hey Legaxy, dude!¡± Mr. Harry, a bearded middle-aged man, and hippie in style greeted me with the


    biggest bear hug.


    ¡°Hey Harry, too... tight,¡± I uttered, practically breathless.


    When he let go of me, I was already gasping for air. So, I took the time to breathe deeply to regain my


    oxygen supply, while the devil itself wasughing his ass off.


    I wanted to annoy him back but paused when I notice something new about him...


    ¡°Woah, you look good today.¡± Iplimented, pointing out the new hairstyle he has on him with a


    smile.


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    Harry had the clean-cut now...


    Unlike before, he looked more like an old hillbilly with messy red hair, who happens to not shower for


    thest 30 years of his life ¡ª no offense to others, by the way ¡ª than a professional bar owner.


    ¡°Thanks, little dude. I do feel light right now and honestly, it''s good change. I love it.¡± He dered,


    touching his short hair head.


    ¡°You sure?¡± I raised an eyebrow at him, yfully questioning the gesture he made.


    Heughed his hearty, deepugh at me.


    ¡°Of course dude. Houston loves it too. Well, since I did save the beard.¡± Heughed again, touching the


    long, curly red beard he had on.


    Hearing this, I couldn''t help butugh with him. I do recall how Houston ¡ª his wolf, would growl in


    disagreement every time he mentions shaving the long beard.


    ¡°You ready?¡± Harry ended hisughing and asked me, pure excitement on his face.


    He stood up from the barstool he was sitting on and walked to my side. Then, he started leading me to


    the small stage where I always perform.


    I nodded with a smile while following him.

 Chapter 7. Mating Season

    Chapter 7. Mating Season


    Legaxy


    The route going to the stage was a long one since the bar Harry owns was designed to resemble more


    of a fashion runway than that normal baryout. So to keep the silence away, Harry and I conversed


    while walking the wooden pathway.


    ¡°So, I heard you have werewolf problems at the hotel nowadays. How is it?¡± He inquired, walking


    beside me, all serious now.


    ¡°It''s good,,, I guess. A lot of drama to entertain us...¡± I stated, trying to sound amused though, I ended


    up sounding disturbed.


    Harry noticed.


    ¡°Oh, how many episodes this time?¡± His face looked truly interested now, which is quite new since


    Harry never involves himself with Hotel issues.


    Not unless it affects Ms. Dawn...


    As the thought popped inside my head, my eyes snapped at Harry and stared at him funny. Then,


    without warning, my thoughts went right into analyzing the two''s rtionship.


    I know, I may be assuming this, but I''ve seen them care for each other before.


    They respect one another as well,


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    They even talk sincerely about anything and everything, and sometimesugh like there''s no tomorrow,


    asionally, I get to see them go out on the weekends ¡ª guessing dinner dates,


    They also go out to the movies,


    And once, I did notice how intimate their gestures are. Like how Harry kisses Ms. Dawn''s hand in


    greeting, or Ms. Dawn kissing Harry''s cheek a goodbye...


    Oh, gosh! Legaxy, stop! You sounded like a creepy stalker!


    I scolded myself as I felt my cheeks warm up.


    However, it does make me question the obvious...


    Could they actually be...?


    ¡°Ah hello? Legaxy to earth, earth to Legaxy...¡± Harry snapped his fingers in front of my face a couple of


    times, trying to get my full attention.


    I blinked before changing my curious re into a more friendly gaze at him ¡ª still thinking about the


    two''s rtionship in the back of my mind.


    ¡°We have six, this week,¡± I quickly reply, blinking some more at a mad Harry.


    As much as I''m fascinated by their strange closeness, I simply can''t upset Harry right now.


    Like, really NOT upset him.


    Why?


    Because he''s a WEREWOLF...


    Seriously, I need to be as careful and as attentive as possible inmunicating with him, and


    particrly, these are his brothers we''re speaking about.


    Yeah, his werewolf brothers which remind me...


    Having to have observed the werewolf guests'' behavior towards my colleagues this past few weeks,


    and having no exnation to help ourpany to address their violent moods, kinda made me wonder


    if I should open up with Harry regarding this matter.


    Should I really?


    Well, he is the only werewolf I know. So, it''s safe to say that maybe telling him the truth would enlighten


    me about their intense ''mood swings'' ¡ª ooooooor should I not?


    A tempting idea, right?


    But, I know deep down, it''s worth a shot...


    The question is, how could Imunicate this to him without actually offending him or his kind?


    Wait! I zoned out again.


    TSK, focus Legaxy...


    I snapped out from my reverie and nced at Harry. Thankfully, he was in deep thought ¡ª he didn''t


    notice my daze.


    ¡°Such pity. Must be depressing for your boss then?¡± Harry finally utter, sadness with a mix of


    disappointment was clear in his eyes.


    I could only nod in agreement.


    ¡°Yeah, she is. Though, she''s still in one piece... That''s a good sign, right?¡± I countered yfully, trying


    to lighten up his dampened mood.


    It actually works; Harry smiled warmly at me.


    ¡°That''s why I''m grateful she has you.¡± He dered suddenly, ¡°That woman never rests, you know. All


    she cares about was work, organization, and calm talk. But with you around, she seemed to slow down


    a lot and that''s good. She needs it.¡±


    I never knew that...


    And with Harry blurting that out like that, it kind of caught me off guard ¡ª my cheeks heating up at the


    second.


    ¡°I don''t know about that,¡± I finally said, wrinkling my small nose as if to hide the blush I had, ¡°I still can''t


    make her stop stressing about paperwork.¡±


    He chuckled.


    ¡°She still looks for them, even if she clearly instructs you to hide it, doesn''t she?¡± He asked.


    I smirked.


    ¡°Always.¡±


    Harry, seeing he cannot contain his amusement anymore,ughed his heartyugh once again.


    I joined in for a while but then stop after quickly realizing how fond Harry is with Ms. Dawn...


    ¡°You seem to know Ms. Dawn so well Harry,¡± I started all of a sudden ¡ª curiosity got the best of me,


    ¡°Are you two...¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Harry responded, cutting me off instantly. ¡°Susie and I are just friends, not mates ¡ª if that''s what


    you''re referring to.¡± He added, smirking at me now.


    My eyes widened. BUSTED.


    ¡°No! It''s not like that! I ¡ª I was just wondering if... I didn''t mean to... I am not a... I just, I...¡± I stuttered,


    thenpletely trailing off for I know I was already caught red-handed.


    Harry, amused by my embarrassment, shook his head while a small smile appeared on his face.


    ¡°If you really wanted to know, you should ask your boss kid. Yet, bear in mind, she doesn''t open up that


    easily, unless you matter deeply to her ¡ª which I know, you are.¡± He advised, ¡°As for me, I already


    have a mate. My beautiful meadow, and my wife, Ainsley.¡±


    Upon saying his mate''s name, Harry''s face softens and beamed with pure love, making me believe that


    he was telling the truth.


    However, what he said earlier kind of surprised me; Ms. Susie Dawn has a mate?


    Like a real werewolf mate? But she never told me anything about that or even gave me a hint.


    I guess, I never knew Ms. Dawn as much as I thought I had...


    I became interested then and wanted to ask more but Harry, seeing what I was thinking, changed the


    conversation and went back to our first topic.


    I got saddened by that, but the werewolf crises at the hotel were enough reason for me to dly ept


    the change of topic.


    Still, I did a mental note to ask Ms. Dawn regarding her ''mate'' stuff ¡ª or maybe not?


    ¡°Seems like my kind is giving both you and Susie a hard time, and I''m so sorry about that.¡± Harry


    apologizes, a frown found its way to his lips.


    ¡°It''s alright Harry, the situation is manageable anyways. No big deal.¡± I lied, shing a smile at him.


    He didn''t buy that, and for once, he raised a doubting eyebrow at me.


    ¡°Yeah, lie to yourself kid. You know that doesn''t work on me.¡±


    I wanted to deny his skepticism about my statement, but realizing werewolves can easily sense a lie, I


    dropped the act and cave in to Harry.


    I let out a sigh of defeat.


    ¡°Fine. To be honest, there''s something weird about your brotherstely...¡± I confessed, my brain


    recalling the observations I had regarding the werewolves'' bizarre attitudes.


    Harry looked surprised by my unexpected admission that he stopped walking. I did the same and


    watched him blink a couple of times before speaking again.


    ¡°Weird? In what way now?¡±


    ¡°The reports... all are piling up quickly Harry.¡± I eyed him seriously, ¡°I know we already have


    experienced this before, but unlike those days, these cases on hand grew by ten folds. And for each


    case to transpire for only a week? I mean, there must be something wrong, or am I just assuming this?¡±


    I exined honestly.


    Harry furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.


    ¡°Depends on what is wrong for YOU dude.¡± He then stares at me, eyes narrowing, ¡°So tell me, what did


    you REALLY notice nowadays?¡± He inquired, somewhat intrigued by my thoughts.


    I avoided his poker face and creased my forehead in concentration.


    ¡°Well, cases like this ur only once or twice a month at the hotel ¡ª as far as I''m aware.¡± I started,


    ¡°Now this month came. The incident reports rapidly piles up, and it''s been happening day by day. Non-


    stop, to be exact.¡± I added, chewing my lip at the end.


    Harry paused for a moment as if absorbing what I said.


    ¡°What month is it now again?¡± He, all of a sudden, questioned.


    ¡°September,¡± I replied, puzzled.


    Hearing that, Harry''s eyes widened in realization. Then, his heartyughter boomed inside the now


    busy pub.


    I red at him, even more, baffled.


    He noticed and sh a devilish grin at me.


    ¡°It''s mating season dude. The time when all werewolves find their soul mates.¡± He announced,


    resolving my unasked question.


    I could only snort, which earned me a frown from him.


    ¡°I know that already Harry,¡± I informed him, ¡°What I meant by what I said earlier was that, their behavior


    seems so destructive this month. They are very aggressive and they easily snap. They are out of


    control.¡± I exined, staring at him with pure curiosity.


    He quickly got what I meant that his re turned into a thoughtful expression. He then became dead


    serious again.


    ¡°Huh, must be a bad start for them.¡± He muttered while touching his beard absentmindedly ¡ª he must


    be thinking about something rted to the incident.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Well little dude, with werewolf mating, it''s a one-shot process every year.¡± He started, ¡°The mating


    bond, the sparks, the connection ¡ª all of that will click instantly in one piece, like a puzzle, once you


    find all the pieces that you need ¡ª or in our case, have smelled what you''re searching for. And then


    BOOM! Happy werewolf.¡± He made some gestures showing an explosion while smiling.


    I nodded to him to continue; clearly not in the mood for teasing.


    He noticed and went on.


    ¡°However, if you left empty-handed today, you are obliged to wait for another whole year and that right


    there is torture dude.¡± Harry made a depressing face, ¡°The impatience, the pain, anxiety, and let''s not


    forget the DESIRE, are all hard to contain. The wolves inside us be feral and deadly, making them


    a threat to society. They don''t go rogues, thank Goddess for that, but they can go RAMPAGE Legaxy.


    They can hurt or kill somebody without them thinking twice about it. And for what it was again? For


    failing to find a mate... So yeah, that''s how bad it is.¡± He exined, his eyes were focused on me.


    For once, something click inside my brain, and all the dots that I can''t seem to understand before, now


    connected.


    My eyes widened in realization...


    ¡°It''s the same with the RED searching,¡± I mumbled, ¡°though, less chaos,¡± I added.


    Harry could only nod.


    ¡°Exactly... The way my brothers act now is like a tip in the iceberg dude. Yet, do take note that it''s still


    the first step to RAMPAGE. That''s why if I were you, I''d be careful around my kind.¡± He narrowed his


    eyes again at me as if saying that I should heed his warning ¡ª which I did.


    I swallowed, hard.


    Harry took that as a yes and we started walking again.


    ¡°Desperation can easily overtake a werewolf''s mind sweetheart, and knowing how short-tempered our


    kind is ¡ª you''re most likely handling a tick toking time bomb if you know what I mean.¡± He warned,


    giving me the chills now.


    Well, even if it was that frightening, it still exins a lot...


    And now I know why we also have these repeated werewolf guests every year ¡ª alling back to


    stay for another whole week or month.


    They''ve been, and still, mate hunting...


    Surely enough, after today, I need to be more patient with the werewolf guests since I finally have a


    better understanding of what was happening to them.


    Hopefully, I could help them go through this because as far as my knowledge goes, a werewolf without


    a mate can be a danger to all.


    I have to mention this to Ms. Dawn, SOON...


    ¡°Okay, hurry up,¡± Harry said, snapping me out of my thoughts.


    When we reached the tform, he turned to face me with that same old warm smile.


    ¡°Should I say good luck to you first?¡± He joked.


    I rolled my eyes at him and heard another one of his deepughter.


    Suddenly, I was called to perform.


    As I stood on the little stage, I finally caught a glimpse of Seth on the corner of the Tikki bar as I was


    adjusting my mic.


    He was just standing tall there ¡ª kind of out of ce as both of his eyes and body were rigid and alert.


    His face was hard, lips were pressed into a thin line and I could tell, he was giving off his dark aura


    because a lot of customers ¡ª both human and supernatural ¡ª were avoiding his way.


    Yep, he was on guard and ready for duty alright...


    Still, he looks dangerously elegant; I almost envied him.


    Though I''m not gonna lie, I''m still anxious about the fact that Seth was here, watching and guarding me


    against danger I''m still not aware of.


    But as much as I wanted to dismiss his existence, I was still thankful that he was here.


    He was always been myfort and knowing his my haven, I pushed every negative thought about


    him and his presence, and tried to focus more on the task on hand which happens to be adjusting the


    height of the mic stand.


    Then, on my cue, my music ys and as the music intro end, I started to sing.


    At that moment, everything went silent in the space. I felt everyone''s eyes on me and seeing how they


    were reacting, almost as if they were captivated, made my heart smile.


    I don''t know if it''s just because of my music choice or my voice ¡ª I wish, that mesmerized them, but


    who cares anyway?


    I made everyone happy tonight ¡ª and that''s all I care about.


    Well, except for my brother...


    I know he already heard me sing. Yet, upon hearing my voice tonight, I noticed he went totally still.


    Strange...

 Chapter 8. Michael Angelo Cane

    Chapter 8. Michael Angelo Cane


    Michael Angelo


    ¡°Do you hear that?¡± Bear, my wolf, asks. I could tell his ears were standing up out of attention.


    Feeling the sense of urgency from his tone, I put down my pen and listened for a minute.


    Nothing.


    ¡°What am I supposed to be listening to...¡± I started, annoyed.


    ¡°She''s singing again.¡± He cuts me off, fully alert now while I felt his tail wag in excitement.


    Knowing what he meant, my eyes widened in realization. I quickly stood up from my seat and sprinted


    outside my office, heading towards the marble-tiled balcony ¡ª leaving pages of reports, from my pile of


    paperwork, flying to the floor.


    I don''t know what to make sense of this reflex action, but I kept on doing this every time my wolf


    mentions anything rted to ''her''. I know it is unusual but through the length of time, it became a bit of


    a habit, and guilty as I was, I don''t know how to stop it now.


    I''m still expecting for a miracle, I guess.


    ¡°Which direction?¡± I inquired, alert as well.


    ¡°Same ce Mikee.¡± Bear stated. I felt him looking in the direction, quite awestruck at the second.


    Knowing already what lies there, I still directed myself to the West.


    At first glimpse, you don''t see much in that direction other than the vast trees and other wild vegetation.


    Also,rge mountains where the sun sets in the evening and a wideke... That''s about it.


    Desperate though, I did ask some of my men to scout the area once; to try and see what truly exists in


    that ce, and to my dismay, they found nothing but pure soil, more nts, and a few riverbanks.


    It is pure nature out there...


    I sighed heavily, thinking that he must be imagining stuff again.


    He always does this whenever he feels like torturing me, or if he wants me to understand how


    devastated he was with the loss and how he deeply misses her.


    I don''t know if he''s ying a dangerous game of delusion or just trying to ignite the false hope I have


    within me, but sometimes everything just gets out of hand; Bear getting reality and imagination all


    mixed up.


    One thing''s for sure though, both of us are all messed up...


    ¡°She''s not there, isn''t she?¡± He asked, much in wonder now.


    I internally nod at him.


    ¡°You must be hearing things again,¡± I responded to him, and he quickly dismissed it, like he always


    does whenever he was unsure of stuff.


    As for me, like the old times, I stayed there for a little longer. Just listening to my surroundings once


    more, and silently hoping to hear maybe a glimpse of ''her'' pleasant voice.


    Oh, how I adore her voice.


    I always love listening to her, particrly when she sings. I do remember how her soft, cool voice calms


    me whenever I''m in an irritable mood. Or how her sweet husky tunes, when singing nursery rhymes or


    in bads to the pups at the daycare, turns my frown into a smile. And let''s not forget the soothing


    quality of her hums when she''s doing lubies for my sister, whereas it also lulls me to sleep.


    Such peaceful, rxing times, and now, I honestly long for it...


    But unlike my wolf, I don''t hear a thing; No singing mate for my ears to pick up.


    The vibration in the wind to cause sound was definitely calm today. A little whistling of the wind could


    only be heard, and that''s about it.


    I sighed in disappointment.


    This is just pointless because deep down, I know, our MATE was already gone... That she''s


    somewhere far yet safe and out of pain...


    Though, three long years, and here I am, still a broken man...


    Who wouldn''t be?


    I, ashamed as I was, neglected my mate, and for what? For being a mere human and fat, which I


    thought at first was weak and disgusting?


    But I have my reasons, and one of those was my pride. I was the Alpha King and I wanted someone


    strong and fit for danger to be my Luna Queen. However, after meeting her that day at some random


    event and realizing she was theplete opposite of what I wanted for a Luna Queen, I felt RAGE.


    She''s nothingpared to what I have imagined, so I did what I knew was best; I neglected my


    commitments towards her.


    I learned to push her away, that I ended up losing her for good...


    My wolf hated me for that ever since, because he knows what I truly needed, and she was the only one


    I NEEDED. It was not just me though, but the whole Kingdom and pack needed her. Bear always


    reminded me that she was everybody''s strength and oh how she proved that to everyone one day ¡ª


    most especially me... She was literally perfect, and I appreciate that a little toote now.


    I honestly took ''her'' for granted...


    However, I''m still grateful andforted in some way that my wolf can hear her, even after death. This


    just proves how deep we ¡ª werewolves, are connected to our mate, and how strong our love can be


    for them that it cannot be changed by any means.


    It''s not an obsession for some reason ¡ª it''s just how mate bond works for us...


    Some days, I was doing more praying and hoping that wherever she was right now, she''s guiding me.


    Hopefully, directing me to the betterment of our Kingdom and pack, as well as the idea offorting


    me ¡ª like she always does when she was alive.


    Yet, a part of me still begs for a second chance with her. I know it was wrong to pray for that, but I


    needed her here, to be with me at all times ¡ª To help me be the better man she thought of me to be.


    And then I remember her scent...


    Three years and I couldn''t find a scent that matches hers. I attended mating balls and other asions


    rted to mate searching, but I still search for her scent. Wishing it was around and that it was still


    existing.


    But no, it doesn''t exist anymore and no matter how hard I tried to forget about it, I just can''t.


    She was my everything. If only I treated her right...


    Now, I have to live with the guilt and the agony every single day. My wolf agrees with the punishment I


    was in, and just thinking about it now, I felt Bear huff his nose at me with that idea.


    I couldn''t me him for the way he treats me now anyway, so I learned to ept it.


    Suddenly, I heard footsteps entering my room. When I turn around, I saw Lucky ¡ª my Beta, Rocky ¡ª


    my Gamma, and Jay ¡ª my best pack warrior, walking towards me.


    ¡°Alpha King, Queen Nile wants to see...¡± Lucky announces but pauses when he stepped on the


    scattered paperwork.


    ¡°What the hell happened here?¡± Rocky anxiously asks, looking around the messy floor.


    Realizing something, the three of them automatically shot me a suspicious look, like they always do


    whenever they suspected that I had a furious fit, privately RAMPAGED on things, or worst, go


    BLOODLUST again...


    I don''t do any of those now, hopefully never again.


    I''m good, I know... Though, not better ¡ª I wish.


    ¡°Bear heard her,¡± I confessed before they could even utter a word.


    ¡°The singing?¡± Rocky asks, his forehead wrinkled.


    I nodded, walking inside the room.


    ¡°He must be hearing things again, Sire.¡± Lucky stated while picking up the sheets from the floor.


    ¡°I already told him that, and please don''t be too formal around me. It''s just the four of us.¡± I retorted,


    walking back to my desk.


    Lucky snorted.


    Jay frowned.


    Rocky raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°We rather want our heads on, than be headless for disrespecting you Alpha King,¡± Rocky couldn''t help


    but mock.


    I rolled my eyes at him, and they allughed.


    ¡°But seriously, howe Bear keeps on hearing her? Are you sure he''s not hallucinating, or something


    Mikee?¡± Lucky asks, worried now.


    Rocky snorted at him.


    ¡°His only depressed Luck, not ''drug high''. He''ll be okay.¡± Rocky stated, rolling his eyes at a now


    annoyed Beta.


    ¡°Well, fun fact Gamma, depression is one of the triggers for hallucination...¡± Lucky pointed out, crossing


    his arms in front of his chest.


    ¡°So?¡± Rocky raises another nonchnt eyebrow at Lucky.


    ¡°So it means Bear is dangerously depressed, and it''s unhealthy for the both of them. Also, with the fact


    that Bear has been hallucinating about N for over a year now, kinda rms me.¡± Lucky raised his


    eyebrow at Rocky, ¡°Especially, this is the Alpha''s mind. It could destroy them mentally, don''t you think?¡±


    Rocky didn''t answer back, but he did re at Lucky.


    Lucky, knowing he was right, could only smirk.


    Nheless, the topic about Bear''s mental health picked up again, and their bickering continued. I


    almost wanted to kick them out of my office chamber but then paused when I thought about the subject


    thoroughly...


    Bear and I, are we really not that stable like Lucky mentioned?


    I know we are depressed after losing our mate... but Bear, depressed to the point of hallucinating for


    over a year?


    Is it really that harmful?


    And that reminds me, what about me? Was I handling this well?


    I do admit, I tend to lose my cool easily, and my perspective in life is lost somewhere deep in the gutter.


    Not to mention, the uncontroble BLOODLUST I gained to fix my broken heart and soul...


    Was I, both human and werewolf, really not that tough as I thought I was?


    N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    I shrugged my shoulders at the overwhelming emotions and impressions I was having, which I may


    say, were hitting me hard all at once.


    I wanted to seek some answers regarding this, but not knowing what questions to ask made me


    irritated as hell.


    Yeah, I''m clueless for sure, and I freaking don''t like it!


    ¡°I don''t think it''s mental guys,¡± Jaymented out of the blue, he sounded dead serious.


    Hearing this, the three of us instantly shifted our gaze at him.


    ¡°Pardon?¡± I asked, a bit shocked.


    He slowly lifted his eyes from picking sheets of paper on the floor to look at us, his face innocent but


    very serious.


    ¡°I don''t think there''s something wrong with Bear and Alpha''s mind,¡± Jay cleared, ¡°I think the things they


    both have been experiencing this past few years are normal for our kind...¡± He added.


    ¡°Hallucination is not normal Jay.¡± Lucky furrowed his brows at him.


    ¡°And so as depression, thank you very much,¡± Rocky added, crossing his arms now.


    Jay rolled his eyes at them.


    ¡°I know that. What I meant is, if this is hell serious like you two put it, then Alpha should have been wild


    and crazy, or have gone rogue, a long time ago. Don''t you agree?¡± Jay shifted his gaze at me, ¡°For


    some unknown reason, the connection between you and N is still there. It''s present and it''s keeping


    you sane.¡± He concluded.


    The three of us became silent after that, and I know, all we''re thinking of the probability Jay had spoken


    of.


    He''s actually right...


    Werewolves who had lost their mate tend to lose their mind entirely, and that''s one of the reasons how


    rogues are born. So when Jay pinpointed that out, made me slightly hoped that maybe, with a miracle


    or two, N was alive,


    That maybe she''s somewhere out there, living life and breathing...


    Though that didn''t make sense to me to some extent, and as much as I''m happy with the notion, I


    clearly know what I saw; I basically witness what happened to her...


    How could she be alive out of that deadly circumstance?


    ¡°So you are saying Luna Queen is alive, Jayden?¡± Lucky asked, all of a sudden, narrowing his eyes at


    Jay.


    Jay only shrugged his shoulders.


    ¡°But she''s dead, we all saw her fall...¡± Rocky pointed out absentmindedly.


    I, hating the memory, red at him, a deadly growl escaped my lips.


    Rocky, realizing his mistake, quickly raised both his hands in the air, as if surrendering, while his eyes


    widened in horror.


    ¡°All I''m saying is, Mikee is lucky.¡± Jay immediately dered, distracting me from the thought of killing


    my stupid Gamma, ¡°A werewolf with a higher position, let alone an Alpha, is considered dead once they


    lost their mate... So yeah, your very fortunate Alpha to have survived this.¡± He added, cing the


    papers he had collected on my table and shot me a warm smile.


    I could only nod at him, thankful for the reminder he had acknowledged.


    ¡°Okay, let''s stop here. Will talk about thister.¡± Lucky interrupted and faced me, ¡°For now, the Luna


    Queen wants to have a word with you Mikee.¡±


    Calmed and in control now, I followed Lucky to my Mother''s room.

 Chapter 9. Queen Nile

    Chapter 9. Queen Nile


    Michael


    Since Mum''s chamber was only a few rooms down the hall from my office, we arrived quicker than


    usual and in time for a maid with a medicine tray to leave the room.


    I paused.


    Mum was bing weaker this past few days. Her illness was unusual yet treatable. Though even


    with the medication, and our quick healing, the sicknesses back much faster than it disappears,


    and that''s what concerns me... I mean, if this continues, I fear she might leave me as well.


    I could only sigh my frustration before proceeding in opening her chamber door.


    Mum was at her desk, writing something on paper ¡ª I know it was her diary ¡ª when I entered her


    room.


    As if sensing my presence, Mum raised her head and upon seeing me, she encouraged a smile at me.


    From there, I saw her soft beauty ¡ª Mum''s a majestic blonde, with beautiful tan skin, sparkling amber


    eyes, and petite in body size ¡ª and how I was fascinated by the fact that she still looks young. She


    was still glorious and vibrant at the age of 40, especially when she keeps on smiling that perfectly align


    teeth.


    ¡°How are you my boy?¡± she asks, watching me as I walk inside her room, heading towards her ceiling


    to floor height window.


    ¡°Fine,¡± I responded, looking away from her loving gaze and unto the window, starting at the thick forest.


    I still felt her eyes on me, and I know she was still anxious around me. She always had been after my


    mate died.


    I mean, could I me her, knowing I turned into a monster?


    I heard her sighed heavily.


    ¡°You know, Nese will be very happy if you learned to move on and well, start a new life.¡±


    Her voice was soft and gentle when she said that, yet I growled ferociously at her ¡ª my very own


    mother. My eyes grew wide, realizing what I have done.


    She, surprisingly, didn''t mind though, and kept her cool.


    I tried to calm down as quickly as possible while I let the truth sink in. Slowly, it did make me realize the


    possibilities ¡ª but then, it wasn''t good enough to even make me be excited about the future ¡ª my


    future.


    In fact, it only made the guilt I felt worst...


    I winced.


    ¡°I don''t know Mum.¡± I honestly announced, moving my gaze into her cool eyes, ¡°I still feel that exact


    same connection ¡ª I mean, it''s still here. So, if ever I did search for another mate, I don''t seem to see


    how this mate bond works the second time around.¡± I exined.


    Mum didn''t like that, and her cool expression turned bitter.


    ¡°For Goddess grace Michael Angelo, she''s DEAD for almost 3 years! Surely the mate bond will work


    the second time around. Trust me.¡± She affirmed sternly. Her words stinging me all throughout.


    I wanted to protest, but she eyed me so fiercely, I had to bit my tongue to stop myself from speaking.


    ¡°You know how the kingdom is doing right now. The pack, OUR pack bing weaker day by day.¡±


    She stopped writing and focus her eyes on me, ¡°I know you can manage all by yourself, but son, it''s not


    just you who have lost the Luna Queen. WE ALL DID. So for everybody''s sake ¡ª for your agony to


    end as well, you ought to be doing the right thing here and that''s finding your second chance mate.¡±


    She rationalized as she encouraged a smile at me.


    Deep down, I know she has a point and I understand her fairly well. Though I know I have my own


    choices and I choose to be hesitant. She saw that in my face.


    She sighed once more, heavier than usual, and stood up from her table. Slowly, she walked towards


    me.


    ¡°You are my son, maybe your father''s image, but mine in mind and heart.¡± She stated, getting closer to


    me. ¡°I know it''s hard to lose someone you love. I mean, look at me and how I went into total darkness


    when your father died. Then, knowing how ''Nese'' brought back the light to us, to me especially and


    be gone the next...¡± She trailed offpletely, almost sobbing.


    ¡°Mum, please...¡± I started, reaching out for her.


    ¡°Listen,¡± She cut me off, ¡°Yes it''s hard son. But we need to be strong because that is the only choice we


    have right now.¡± She came closer, and there I saw how her eyes ¡ª honey in color ¡ª plead for me.


    ¡°But the mate bond...¡± I tried to reason.


    N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    ¡°The mate bond between you and Nese was destroyed the minute she died.¡± Mum snapped, cutting


    me off harshly, ¡°So please Michael Angelo, let her go.¡± she begged now.


    I was stiff in my position, especially after hearing all the things I don''t want to think about. I know


    everything was true and that I need to let her go for me to move on, but there is still a big part of me


    that keeps on telling me DON''T...


    Yes, the mate bond may have been lost after my mate''s death, but I could still sense the connection. I


    could still sense my N (short for Nese) and I''m not letting that go.


    Jay even spected that I was saved because of the bond...


    So, if the bond is still present and connected then I need to find proof for this myself. I need to confirm if


    it''s there or if it is indeed broken...


    ¡°Mum, I...¡±


    ¡°Son, please do reconsider this.¡± My mum begged once more as she hugged me, ¡°Just try this one


    more time at the mating ball. I promise Mum will work hard on this...I will make a way for you to find


    your second chance mate...¡± She mumbled through my chest.


    Knowing how persuasive my mother is and how her reasons cut me deep every second this


    conversation goes, I just couldn''t say NO anymore.


    I sighed heavily, DEFEATED.


    ¡°Fine, but only this one time Mum. Nothing more after.¡± I said sternly, releasing myself from her hug,


    and dashed out of her room.


    She seemed please as I saw her nodded once at me, a mysterious smile forming on her face...

 Chapter 10. 21

    Chapter 10. 21


    Legaxy


    Friday was nearlying to an end, and I''m still struggling on finishing the rest of my paperwork which,


    by the way, was piled up ¡ª two stacks to be exact ¡ª on my table. I''ve already done so much of it for


    half of the day. But, whatever I do to lessen up the clump, it keeps on adding up.


    I don''t know if this is caused by some kind of magic tricks from my wicked ''friends'', who submitste


    reports, or just colleagues taking advantage of my preupied state, THANKS TO SETH. But one


    thing''s for sure, I am so behind already...


    And being behind like that, which never happened to me before ¡ª if I may add, will earn me a tough


    session with Ms. Dawn since she, like every boss there is, loathes lethargic people. Most especially,


    those who procrastinate.


    Luckily, I''m not one of those people. I''m just that typical employee who gets a bit ''distracted'', but surely


    enough, knows how to bounce back once required.


    Yet, today, I didn''t ''bounce back'' as expected...


    My task, aside from being pending, is iplete; incident reports are still for review, event contracts


    needed to be arranged and signed are nowhere near done, schedules for final interviews are not yet


    set, and the memos that I needed to spread around the hotel are not even prepared.


    So yeah, it''s a long list of to-do lists, and knowing I needed another day or two to clean up such clutter


    ¡ª without any interruption, if I may add, I let out a groan of frustration...


    This is all Seth''s fault!


    If it weren''t for his shady secret and delicate pinky promise four days ago, I would have a focused mind


    right now ¡ª to help me work steadily, and fast working hands ¡ª to get me through the paperwork


    without any pause.


    But no! I took him seriously because promises, and family, for me are so damn important that I would


    protect them until the day I die...


    Yes, I sound stupid but that''s how I am. Seth better be happy about that.


    However, out of the blue, the rational side of me instantly realizes that I just couldn''t me anyone


    here, specifically Seth, for the dys. I mean, I was the one managing the chore on hand, and the one


    exerting the effort to aplish the goal. So, whatever issue arises while performing the assigned


    responsibility, I am the one to me.


    No one else...


    Acknowledging this, I let out a heavy sigh.


    Yup, it''s all on me. And in all honestly, I''m just really ¡ª really anxious these past few days...


    Why?


    Well, I solely made myself believe that I could handle it fine, that I could continue living normally even


    with the knowledge that Seth was around ¡ª stalking me to the point where he knows how many


    seconds it will take for me to blink, or how many breathes I take in a minute...


    Creepy, I know, but that''s how he is and how he functions; You literally can''t hide anything from him,


    that''s for sure.


    Anyway, as it turns out, I was just lying to myself. Let alone, deceiving my emotions to the point where I


    began to appreciate the quote, ''ignorance is bliss''. Effective to some extent, but not as helpful as I


    thought it to be; I don''t like to y dumb, if that makes sense.


    The point here is, Seth being around this much was not simply a bother anymore, but rather a


    tremendous distraction. That''s mainly the reason why my work is so sluggishtely.


    ¡®And here I thought, I was such a strong, independent woman¡¯, I mock coldly to myself.


    I may now assume that the following days will not be the same as usual. Good thing though, Seth is


    just on guard duty and the obligation ends when the Red Moon Ball ends. That means, everything will


    be back to normal after two long weeks...


    Oh Goddess, please let everything be normal ¡ª FAST.


    I groaned one more time, and this time, out of pure annoyance.


    Suddenly,


    ¡°Yow Legx.¡± Came a cheerful, sweet voice.


    I looked up and was momentarily startled upon seeing our Hotel Nurse ¡ª Rain Gayle Isle, smiling


    down at me.


    I had to blink a few times first before acknowledging her presence.


    ¡°Hey, going home?¡± I inquired finally, as I caught a glimpse of her, in her casual outfit already.


    ¡°Nope. Actually, some hotel friends and I are going out for a happy hour. Wannae?¡± She invited,


    eyeing me with her dark brown eyes ¡ª almost ck ¡ª in a way to say YES.


    I could only giggle at her expression.


    ¡°As much as I would want to, but you know my answer Rain, ¡± I responded. Then, I shed her my


    warm but thin smile while my hands started to operate on the bundle of documents again.


    I caught her frowned as she struts closer to my space. Then, I noticed her carefully scanning my paper-


    filled porcin table. Seeing the thick stack I was working on, Rain''s frown grew deeper.


    ¡°You''re really wasting half of your precious life here Dyme¡­ working too damn hard.¡± She mumbled,


    ¡°You workaholic bitch.¡± She added, clearly annoyed.


    Knowing she was just teasing, and me already ustomed to her foul mouth and nasty nickname, I


    yfully darted my tongue out at her.


    N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    She chuckled.


    ¡°Such a baby¡­ Bute on Legaxy,¡± She pushed with a pout, ¡°Time to have fun. I mean, when was


    thest time you ever got out with friends? Do you even socialize outside of work? Or do parties and


    drink?¡± She interrogated, raising a perfect brown eyebrow at me.


    My first instinct was: I wanted to answer her queries honestly and defend myself after. But, knowing I


    certainly don''t do any of those things, except maybe for my gigs, I did the second-best thing I know: I


    keep my mouth shut.


    Then, a little embarrassed, I bit my bottom lip.


    Rain noticed that she shed a sly smile at me.


    ¡°Exactly bitch.¡± She crossed her arms in front of herrge chest, her sly smile widening ¡ª if that''s even


    possible, ¡°Come on Legx, you''re missing out a lot in life... And you''re like what, 20 or something?¡±


    ¡°21, turning 22 this year,¡± I corrected, briefly ncing at her and back to my paperwork.


    ¡°See? At that age, you should be having fun.¡± Rain announced and when I shifted my gaze to stare at


    her, she was beaming. ¡°Trust me, I''m already 27 and I know all the lines and curves of a fun life. You


    just gotta get drunk, be wild, or even be fucked up. You know, that kind of crap... That said, I could get


    you VIP tickets to big parties if you want. Let alone get you drunk by my favorite drinks. And oh! I know


    this one club that does BDSM, we could watch. Or if you feel like ying, I could set a ¡®scene¡¯ for you


    with one of my Dom friends¡­ Wait a second, are you a virgin? Though, you''re already 21... So yeah,


    we could just skip everything I said and get it on tonight¡­¡±


    She abruptly paused her rambling when she noticed myplete absence in the conversation and


    began frowning at me. Then, slowly, she narrowed her pretty brown eyes at me in question.


    I had to blink my shock for a second before deciding to awkwardly look away from her...


    She remained quiet then.

 Chapter 11. Witches

    Chapter 11. Witches


    Legaxy


    She must have noticed me blushing furiously now; my face bright red from the ¡®delicate¡¯ subject.


    Understanding my reaction, and fully realizing I was really a ¡®V¡¯ who was so new to her world, I noticed


    her ¡ª from the corner of my eye ¡ª shooting me another disbelief look before shrugging her slim


    shoulders.


    ¡°Wow... Well I, uh, never expected that. Still, I should have known better. I''m sorry, Dyme... Just act like


    you never heard it from me, okay?¡± Rain stuttered while brushing her ck-brown, semi-curly, long hair


    with her fingertips.


    I shifted my eyes to look at her again, and from there, she shes me her thin, awkward smile.


    ¡°Thanks, Rain.¡± I sh her another one of my thin but warm smiles, ¡°I''m sorry though if Ick


    knowledge in that department. Guess, I''m no fun to talk to now...¡± I stated, biting my bottom lip again.


    ¡°Pssh, bitch, please. People nowadays are not that knowledgable unless they experience it first


    hand¡­¡± Rain started, sitting gracefully in one of my seats which was facing the front of my desk, ¡°And


    besides, I like my girlfriends innocent. Gives me the sole purpose to ruin them¡­ FOR GOOD.¡± She


    added with an evil smirk.


    Already heard that from her and knowing she failed to fulfill that objective on me ¡ª and still trying, I


    rolled my eyes at her.


    Rain chuckled. However, still in disbelief, she eyed me intently; One hand, palm down, under her chin


    while the other rests on my table.


    ¡°So, you''re a virgin, huh?¡± She started, her eyes zing with pure curiosity and interest, ¡°Mind telling


    me why, at the age of 21, you still have your V-card? I mean, no offense but women your age already


    had many experiences being ravished and used. Yet you,,, you''re still untouched like a new bloomed


    rose.¡± She paused and a hint of devilish excitement appeared on her face.


    I narrowed my eyes at her in suspicion.


    She only smirks at me.


    ¡°I gotta give it to your family, Dyme¡­ they sure are serious when ites to protecting their one and


    only gem. Sure, very precious move,¡± She chatters again, ¡°Though, I gotta remind you, bitch, that pretty


    body of yours can''t pleasure itself. It needs a man''s magic touch... Like a freaking SEXY, tall, SEXY,


    muscr, not forget SEXY, handsome kind of a man...¡± She chanted enthusiastically.


    ¡°You''re really into SEXY men, aren''t you?¡± I teased, earning me a re from her.


    ¡°DO NOT pin the hot subject on me, Legaxy Dyme, and for the love of moratorium, answer my god


    damn question will ya?¡±


    I chuckled for a while and perceiving that this would be a very serious subject, I let out another heavy


    sigh.


    ¡°Well, the strict parents and overprotective brothers are already out of the bag¡­ so, let''s get to the real


    focal point then,¡± I started nonchntly while straightening myself up on my armchair, ¡°I don''t like being


    ce UNDER the society by men, Rain. I prefer to be treated as an EQUAL. However, men nowadays


    only recognize women as inferior; Sitting pretty, weak, a trophy wife ¡ª that kind of stuff, which is


    almost upsetting. They thought women are so easy, that they could always get what they want from


    them. I mean, seriously? That''s so low of them to even believe that...¡± I paused to grimace.


    Rain raised an eyebrow at me, quite amused, while a ghost of a smirk ying on her lips.


    I deadpanned her.


    ¡°I know what you''re thinking¡­ that I''m too difficult to handle, right? Don''t worry, I already knew that.


    Both human and supernatural suitors already told me about that.¡± I grumbled with a shrug, ¡°Though,


    honestly, I don''t care about what they say anymore. I just like to challenge men, to infuriate them...


    What''s so wrong with that? I mean, it''s my way to see how far they are willing to go just to have me...


    And I only needed to know if they would continue to pursue me, even if I was pushing them to their


    limit, breaking them piece by piece... Yeah, I know, I sounded so evil.¡± I dered, frowning.


    Rain only snorted.


    ¡°No, you''re not... You just sounded like a real bitch.¡± Shemented, a real smirk stered on her


    pretty face now. ¡°You just get to act as badass as ever, but deep down, your actually one of the good


    ones, Legx. The purest and truest among all souls and hearts I have ever known or seen... Rare quality


    for a human actually. A very rare quality and you have it...¡± She added, almost looking astounded by


    me.


    Rendered speechless by her statement, I could only shrug my shoulders at her...


    Rain then uttered something else. I think it was mostly to herself now, as a small smile appeared on her


    heart-shaped face.


    ¡°Did you say something Rain?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Nothin'' bitch.¡± She smiled innocently at me before standing up from her seat, and eyed me for thest


    time, ¡°So, back to the real question. Do you still want to go out or not?¡±


    I took a moment to consider, but still, in the end, I said NO. This time, and thankfully, Rain didn''t push


    harder and just left.


    As she walked out of the office, I finally got to register how she looks in her full casual outfit. She''s on


    tight ck jeans and I don''t know if it was a mocha sports bra or just a bralette I''m seeing, but it


    showed a lot of skin and I guess, a full view of her cleavage and some abs too.


    Yup, too sexy alright. And well, that''s definitely Rain for you¡­


    It''s normal and I''ve practically seen her in so many revealing clothes already. Though, knowing that she


    was a witch, kinda made me wonder if her ways in clothing were epted by her kind.


    When you look at the witches'' style, they somehow looked so formal; wearing long skirts or dresses,


    long sleeves or sweatshirts, and some long scarfs to hide half of their faces. That''s how my Mum used


    to dress, not until she discovered blouses, pants, and long sweeping skirts...


    But with Rain, I know there''s more to her story. A more justifiable reason behind the sexy clothes...


    As mentioned before, the war decreased the vampires and witches'' poption, to the extent that they


    almost got extinct. So when coexistence became part of thew, everyone changed their ways,


    including their style in clothing.


    Vampires adjusted to that change very well, looking very sharp in suits and rxed infy clothing.


    They look simple yet breathtaking; could attract a crowd without even trying. (Based on experience with


    my god-like brothers).


    While for the witches, they kept the FEAR. Especially women. That''s why they decided to hide either


    their scent by a spell or identity by wearing clothes that cover 70 to 80% of their cursed body ¡ª they


    have weird symbols etched to their skins, some were burned and some were carved there; that''s how


    we know they were witches.


    However, with Rain, the fear didn''t stop her. She made it clear that she wanted to look STRONG and


    BOLD to the public as much as possible.


    But as far as my observation is concerned, I rather use the word FREE for her.


    I mean, she did tell me once how she wanted to free herself from the fear, which her kind embedded


    unto her mind. Fear weakens their confidence, and most especially their magic. So when Rain found


    herself wearing less to express more, made her POWERFUL, very confident of course, and brave...


    Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    That''s when I realized how significant ordinary things are for the supernatural. Like in the human world,


    fashion is just a trend that is taken for granted. But here, in the magical world, fashion gave off


    power. Well, for Rain, that''s how it works.


    Hopefully, someday, some of her kind can find that sense of freedom as well. Yet, with so much


    freedom she had already experienced, sometimes Rain bes overconfident ¡ª making her a little


    wicked, especially with men...


    With that, a memory of her in a guy''sp ¡ª grinding, yed in my brain making me blush furiously.


    Oh, dear Goddess, I did not just remember that!


    I facepalm myself...


    Where is the delete button in the brain when you need one?


    Cursing myself and the recollection, I just shook my head; trying to get the memory out of my brain.


    Then, I massaged my temples gently before proceeding with the paperwork ¡ª being very ambitious


    now that I could down the stack to one, within the next couple of hours...


    Yeah, I could do this,


    If it weren''t for that disruption¡­ And no, it''s not because of Seth or Rain this time.

 Chapter 12. Marina

    Chapter 12. Marina


    Legaxy


    There are two things I love about Ms. Dawn¡­


    One is her sense of CREATIVITY towards work, which I honestly envy and admire at the same time.


    Why?


    Well, her mind, unlike any other human being existing in this world, is like a ''tree''. Whenever it grows


    and branches out, extraordinary and beneficial things happened everywhere:


    Like, incredible ideas to a n are born; making things easy for the Sales and Marketing department to


    advertise, Food and Beverage section to program events, and for the Culinary office to make exquisite


    menus.


    Or how about, unexpected but significant exnations to an issue are developed and hence justified;


    earning an easy way out for the Revenue and Reservations personnel from indecisive booking topics,


    Front Office team from customerints, ounting staff from payment refunds, and


    Housekeeping crew from room switching crisis.


    Not to mention, unusual yet effective solutions to a problem are formted and well-carried out after;


    helping to achieve results for the Human Resource department in terms of employee selection, Sports


    and Leisure regarding lively and entertaining activities, Security division honoring property and


    personnel safety, Information Technology office rting to data andputer equipment, and the


    Engineering section concerning on the repair and maintenance.


    I know, that''s a lot to take in, right?


    But impossible as it seems, Ms. Dawn prefers it that way; the messier, the better she always says. And


    believe it or not, she treats it like a game and never gets tired of handling all of it.


    She''s basically always on the go ¡ª just like Harry said...


    Real talk though, I''m only 21 but I can''t even make a minor decision on what coffee vor to drink at 3


    pm ¡ª coffee break at the hotel, or what casual attire to wear that would go with my mood for the day.


    While for Ms. Dawn, she just took a nce at it, analyze it for a couple of seconds, and then, like a


    quick snap of a finger, a decision has been officially made ¡ª it''s particrly, a DONE and NEXT pace.


    Nevertheless, she''s a genius in a creative and imaginative way.


    N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    And to think that she''s pure human... See why I adore her that much now?


    And two, her sense of HUMOR...


    Didn''t expect that, haven''t you?


    (Smiling internally)


    But yes, you heard me right. Ms. Dawn, behind the hard and serious exterior of a Queen boss, is a


    cheerful and genuine funnydy.


    She''s amazingly witty and tends to joke around when boredom strikes her. However, depending on the


    level of tedium she has, her jests could go from hriously silly, to real crazy.


    Don''t worry though, she doesn''t have any psycho background or something ¡ª a perfectly stable


    woman...


    Besides that, she''s also a huge tease, and do listen when I say be careful with that side of her.


    Especially, when you''re a hot-headed individual.


    Why is that, again?


    You see, when she ultimately finds the perfect moment to pester and victim to poke fun at, she never


    stops then. She''ll pick on you until you cry your eyes out, get mad, or totally turn a darker shade of red


    from embarrassment.


    I know, so cruel of her, but that''s basically her happiness so might as well ept it.


    And by means of ¡®ept it¡¯, I mean by ¡®me¡¯ ¡ª since I''m the favorite person in terms of entertainment¡­


    Sure, it was very annoying at first but as time went by, I found myself enjoying the humor until I,


    shockingly, learned to tag along.


    Still, I have my boundaries.


    Especially if I truly want to FOCUS on work and FINISH the task on hand; much too simr to what I


    REALLY want to happen right now.


    Though Ms. Dawn, as yful as she was, had other ideas ¡ª and yes, she''s the distraction I was


    talking about...


    It started with me and briefly ncing at the clock.


    5:00 pm, I discovered.


    Supposed to be the end of my shift, but I found myself not caring and just be fully engrossed in work.


    In fact, I was too focused on the job that I didn''t even notice Ms. Dawn''s joyful presence beside my


    work area.


    She had to clear her throat, twice, to get my full attention...


    Hearing the second grunt, I finally perked up my head from mybor and set my alert eyes on Ms.


    Dawn, who was standing beside her ss office door, a cup of coffee ¡ª or tea maybe, in her hand,


    and a sly grin on her face.


    ¡°Rain seems to be having a st,¡± She finallymented, sipping her cup.


    Realizing that she must have been eavesdropping ¡ª typical Ms. Dawn, I narrowed my eyes at her


    suspiciously before nodding my head in agreement.


    ¡°Ah huh, she does.¡± I conceded, eyes still looking at her questioningly.


    Her lips formed a silly pout upon hearing my response. Then, she looked at the door where Rain exited


    a moment ago and unexpectedly, zoned out ¡ª I saw her eyes were distant as if she was somece


    else.


    Believing she will not ponder on the subject anymore, I shrugged her existence from my senses and


    shifted my focus back on the chore on hand.


    I didn''t get the chance to finish reading the first stanza of one of the business notes when Ms. Dawn


    spoke up again.


    This time, I caught a glimpse of her slowly walking closer towards me...


    ¡°Don''t you wanna go with her? I mean, no offense about the virginity talk ¡ª and yup, I''ve


    eavesdropped, not guilty about it though,¡± ¡ª Of course she did that I rolled my eyes ¡ª ¡°but I think the


    witch''s right about you... involve some fun in your life. It''s healthier that way. Besides, going to different


    bars every night can''t satisfy your sensual needs ¡ª¡± She said but I quickly interrupted her.


    ¡°Woah, Woah, Woah hold your rainbow horses there.¡± I raised my head again to scowl at Ms. Dawn,


    ¡°Boss, you do know I''m a singer... I only SING at those pubs. Clearly, I DON''T do sin." I exined,


    sternly.


    Listening to this, Ms. Dawn bit her red lips to stop the mischievous smile from forming on her face. Yet,


    much to my annoyance, she still ended upughing anyway.


    ¡°I was just messing with you darling, don''t take it so seriously.¡± She quitughing long enough to speak.


    ¡°I do know you are a virgin because if not, the doctor from the medical checkups should have said


    something to me by now.¡± She added, winking at me.


    Hearing that, my eyes grew wide from horror, and was about to protest when she started tough


    loudly again.


    Oh, great!


    My boss decided to misbehave, and wants to end Friday in a teasing way; Guess BOREDOM hit her


    hard on the head.


    Surely, there was no problem with kidding around now, knowing it''s the end of a work shift. And like I


    mentioned before, Boss loves to disturb when bored and I can''t easily escape it, even if I tried to. The


    only thing wrong here was that I''m not interested.


    Remember: Two stacks of paperwork needed my attention, at the very second. TWO STACKS, and


    here we are bantering at each other.


    LOVELY TIMING, isn''t it? Note the sarcasm, please.


    ¡°Ha, good one Boss,¡± I muttered, resisting the urge to do another eye roll.


    Ms. Dawn, knowing the hidden mockery of my tone, yfully red at me.


    ¡°You''re no fun nowadays, Ms. Secretary,¡± She pouted once more. ¡°To be honest though, if you were


    that kind of gal like Rain, you will be by far the prettiest.¡± She, all of a sudden,mented.


    That abrupt remark didn''t do good to my cheeks because I felt it burning red hot at the moment.


    However, it didn''tst long when I realized what she meant about Rain.


    I frowned at her.


    ¡°Boss, Rain is not a prostitute. She''s just ¡ª¡± I defended.


    ¡°I know, I know. Don''t get your panties all defensive, Dyme. Geez...¡± Ms. Dawn interrupted with a scoff,


    rolling her light blue eyes. ¡°I do understand that she''s just overly expressive with the little amount of


    clothing she put on, h h h. But still, she looks like one, and I''m not taking that back.¡± She


    added with an attitude.


    My frown deepened.


    ¡°That''s not nice.¡± I cried, ¡°But when you ask me, I rather use the word ¡®Free-spirited¡¯ for her. Since she


    always wanted to be free...¡± I added thest part in a mumble, mostly to myself, as my eyes slowly


    went back to the pile.


    Ms. Dawn became silent, maybe speechless, then.


    Guess she heard me, and that''s good.


    Well, honestly, no one knew about Rain''s reason for possessing that sense of style. To her defense,


    she never did tell anyone about it ¡ª except me. So, logically, a lot will judge her for it.


    Still, why the need to criticize her for that?


    Rain, like any living being in this world, was just looking for a way to survive life; trying to push through


    an unending fear, and move on from a traumatized past.


    She''s just striving to be strong for heaven''s sake!


    But no, people still had the brains to condemn her like she evermitted a brutal crime¡­ Clear


    foolishness.


    Now that I thought about it, I made a promise to Rain regarding this. That everything should be kept as


    a secret and only the little witch and I knew about it... A well-guarded secret and you all know me when


    ites to keeping personal things private ¡ª I protect it with my own life.


    That''s why I decided, I will not exin anything to Ms. Dawn ¡ª for now.


    Yup! Should keep my mouth shut for a while...


    Surprisingly, Ms. Dawn kept quiet and the silence grew in the room. I didn''t bother to further evaluate


    the situation and just quickly assumed that she had left me all alone.


    So, I kept on working...


    All of a sudden, I heard her stiletto heels moving a little closer to my area.


    ¡°Freedom, huh? Everybody wants that¡­ But, you and I both know that in this world full of myths and


    magic, not all could obtain such a thing that easily.¡± Ms. Dawn said, breaking the stillness that covered


    the office, ¡°Let alone, have it for free. Ironic, right? Freedom, the only thing that is not for ''free''.¡± She


    added.


    I didn''t say anything; I was baffled by the thought she had described.


    Noticing my confusion, I heard Ms. Dawn let out a soft sigh.


    ¡°Okay, so that fun Rain was talking about,¡± She said, quickly changing the subject, ¡°Do you ever think


    about that? You know, going out and just be young, dumb, and somewhat, free?¡±


    I snorted ¡ª Seth''s red eyes shed inside my brain.


    ¡°I''m good, Boss. Don''t worry about it.¡± I assured her, with no intention of peeking in her direction.


    ¡°Pity¡­ Must be a strict world for you.¡± She stated, sounding a little close now.


    I only shrugged my shoulders, dismissing her remark. I just then tried to concentrate fully on the job.


    Keyword: TRIED... Thanks to Ms. Dawn.


    I heard her sigh once again, and this time in a dramatic manner. Also noted a chair being dragged at


    the second.


    ¡°You know, I see myself on you 20 plus years from now. Being 45 and SINGLE and BORING, and


    ALONE, maybe.¡± She emphasized.


    Instead of ¡®tagging along¡¯ with her usual teasing, I found myself frozen on my seat.


    Wait...


    Did she say ''Single'' ?

 Chapter 13. Marina; An Unhappily Ever After

    Chapter 13. Marina; An Unhappily Ever After


    Legaxy


    If she''s SINGLE then why...


    But Harry said¡­


    And I thought¡­


    ¡°What''s wrong, Dyme?¡± Ms. Dawn, identifying my sudden turmoil, hastily inquired and I heard a ss


    cup being ced on a desk.


    I dragged my gaze up and halted when I found her bewildered face, with a hint of worry, looking


    straight at me.


    ¡°Single?¡± I absentmindedly spit.


    She didn''t understand it at first and instead of discussing it with me, she simply eyed me ¡ª a bit


    dumbfounded at the second.


    ¡°Is that a mock or a question, Legaxy?¡± She finally voices out, raising an eyebrow at me.


    ¡°Confirmation.¡± I inly replied, my eyes intently scanning her perplexed face.


    For some reason, and as quick as she was, she got what I meant that her eyes slowly widened in


    realization.


    Okay, it''s true... But, why dered being SINGLE before?


    Surprisingly, at that second, instead of being mad and throw a denial at me, Ms. Dawn looked more¡­


    embarrassed.


    ¡°Let me guess, Harry told you?¡± She gave me a sheepish look as she straightened herself up at her


    seat.


    I nodded, my initial shock slowly fading.


    ¡°Only a hint¡± ¡ª I wrinkled my nose, recalling the chat ¡ª ¡°since he advised me it''s better to ask you for


    the details ¡ª if you grant me any, rather than getting it from him... You know, out of pure respect.¡±


    Hearing this, Ms. Dawn shed a warm smile.


    ¡°Harry and his Beta ways.¡± She murmured as she shook her head out of amusement.


    Her eyes then shifted from me to the ceiling-to-floor ss windows, looking out at the garden scenery;


    her eyes were, once again, distant while her face was nk ¡ª as if reliving a memory.


    As for me, I was momentarily stunned.


    ¡°Beta? Like a second inmand on a werewolf pack?¡± I asked, sounding shocked and confused.


    ¡°Yes, that kind of Beta.¡± She responded softly and her eyes move back to stare at me, ¡°Harry was my


    mates'' Beta ¡ª¡±


    ¡°Your mate was an Alpha!¡± I eximed while shooting up from my seat.


    Unfazed by my reaction, Ms. Dawn simply nodded her head.


    ¡°Yes, and it''s MATES¡­ as in, plural.¡± She revised, a light blush appearing on her creamy white cheeks.


    Obviously, by now, I''m too shocked to even react to anything. I didn''t even bother to scrutinize the pink


    hue on Ms. Dawn''s cheeks and make fun of it because my mind was somewhere else ¡ª registering an


    unexpected and surprising deration.


    I mean, really?


    First is Harry, a bar owner, was a Beta to a pack? I should really ask him the full story the next time we


    met.


    And Ms. Susie Marina Dawn, the Big Boss of Mallow Hotel, didn''t just confirm to me that she has a


    werewolf mate but also admitted to having two?


    This I need to know, NOW ¡ª me the gossip force inside of me...


    Seriously speaking though, I didn''t expect that and it''s getting me all awfully giddy and, strangely,


    excited.


    Perfect! Another girl talk to cherish ¡ª only if I knew how to get my mouth and tongue to function


    again¡­


    Because of too much excitement flowing inside my veins, my mind''s gears were turning way too fast for


    my liking. It even made all the queries that I wanted to ask, scrambled up inside my brain; I basically


    couldn''t get a single question out of my mouth.


    ¡°Close your mouth, Dyme. You look like a fish out of the water. And please do sit down, you look like


    you''re about to faint.¡± Ms. Dawn pointed out sternly.


    I quickly did as instructed and slowly sat back down on my ck office armchair, certainly embarrassed


    at the moment.


    I cannot believe that I allowed myself to be consumed by the overwhelming sensation to interrogate


    that I hadn''t realized I was actually gaping at Ms. Dawn...


    It was very awkward that I could tell, it earned a spot on my embarrassing book of records.


    (Do an internal facepalm)


    Still intrigued by the deration, I started gawking at her.


    As if sensing my strong need to talk, Ms. Dawn shot me a pleasant smile and made me move to sit by


    her side ¡ª which I did; two stacks of paperwork already forgotten.


    Then, she proceeded on positioning herself on the armchair in afortable posture; her back leaned


    on the seat, one leg over the other, and her hands resting on herp.


    Finally, she spoke.


    ¡°I''m not gonna lie, but the twins were the most powerful and well-respected yet feared men I have ever


    met. They always get what they want, always get their way, and always win whatever battle it is. That''s


    maybe the reason why they were always targeted for their position and territory. It doesn''t help the fact


    that they are the Alphas of the North. They are known to be ¡ª ¡±


    ¡°The North?¡± I repeated in a mumble, interrupting the boss''s talking, ¡°Isn''t that the area where the


    dangerous ck Rock pack is... Waaaaait a minute, you were saying¡± ¡ª I squinted my eyes at her ¡ª


    ¡°that''s them, isn''t it?¡±


    Ms. Dawn nods her head at me¡­ almost timidly.


    My eyes widened in realization.


    ¡°No way! You''re mated to the Killer Alphas of the North?¡± I asked breathlessly, sounding almost curious


    and interested than scared.


    Boss couldn''t help but sigh at my unbelievable enthusiasm.


    ¡°Yes, and shall we continue with the story, or do you have any other questions to ask that needed a yes


    or no answer?¡± She deadpanned me.


    I immediately sp my mouth shut and nodded for her to continue.


    She smiled and began again.


    ¡°My fairy tale is not really that magical¡­ it was almost, ordinary. You see, I met the twins when I was


    working for this financialpany in the South of the Redwood region. We do mainly investments


    there, and word got out how sessful the transactions were that the twins decided to try and check it


    out one day.


    I know it was fate that brought us together because, by the time the twins showed up for the


    appointment, my boss was called out for an emergency. So, being the only person avable to


    negotiate that day, I took the task and present the n to them. Long story short then, they signed a


    contract with us...


    ¡°However, the twins somewhat formed a few ¡®conditions¡¯, ¡± ¡ªshe quote in the air¡ª ¡°in return for the


    signed contract¡­ they privately discussed that with my boss. Iter found out the details through Harry


    when he kidnaps me from my workce and brought me to this 5-star hotel at the North ¡ª ¡±


    ¡°Wait, what? Harry kidnapped you?¡± I interrupted, almost in disbelief.


    Ms. Dawn snorted.


    ¡°Yeah, the moron manhandled me when I said NO to his third request. He did ask me, GENTLY, but he


    was a total stranger then. What did he expect me to do? Just say yes and go with him? Act like it''s a


    walk in the park? Hell no! So I put up a fight, and ended up being kidnap anyway.¡± She babbled, with


    another one of her bratty pouts.


    I could only do a facepalm at my boss''s childish attitude.


    ¡°Anyways, Harry told me about the twins'' n on wanting me close... Like literally moved in the same


    region as them. From there, I already knew what was happening... That I was the twins'' mate. Though,


    knowing how deadly their reputation was, I tried to get my freedom back. I lost, pssh¡± ¡ª she rolled her


    eyes ¡ª ¡°of course¡­ It was two against one. TWO stupid¡± ¡ª she emphasizes and showed two fingers


    in front of me ¡ª ¡°but freaking sexy alphas, against one little innocent me, Legaxy. Clearly, I was


    outnumbered there.


    But the most annoying part was the daily basis. For years of being with them, the crazy twins found


    ways to always infuriate me, seeing it was amusing. And to make up for it, they will seduce me to bed...


    Horny wolf-men.¡± She halted once more, rolling her eyes once again at the memory.


    I, understanding what that meant, felt myself blushing for the nth time today.


    Ms. Dawn noticed, that she huffed her nose and frowned at me.


    ¡°DO NOT make fun of me¡± ¡ª she crossed her arms in front of her chest ¡ª ¡°on that part of the past.


    me the stupid ¡®mate bond¡¯ for it.¡± She told, pouting her red lips again. She looked so adorable that I


    couldn''t help but smile. ¡°Anyway, in the end, I learned to ept everything, especially my fortune with


    the Killer Alphas until I fully submit to them¡­¡± She dered, a small smile appearing on her face.


    ¡°So I assume you have your happily ever after then, Ms. Dawn?¡± I inquired softly.


    What I saw next confused me; Instead of seeing a full beam of happiness, Ms. Dawn apparently grew


    sad.


    ¡°Well, it''s not really a happy ending...¡± She mumbled, awkwardly caressing her blonde bangs, ¡°It was


    more of letting go.¡± She added in a whisper.N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    ¡°What? I don''t understa ¡ª ¡±


    ¡°I mean, they were already married, Dyme,¡± She interrupted. ¡°I was already 28 when I met the twins


    and they were 35¡­ long overdue for mate hunting. So, instead of waiting, they finally decided to go


    with the arranged marriage. Though, what hurts me the most was when they found me. Instead of


    telling the truth, they just made me their mistress. Knowing me, I''m no¡± ¡ª she tucked a tinum


    blonde strand to her ear ¡ª ¡°homewrecker, Dyme. I know they are mine by destiny, but they made a


    choice then. I could ruin them for that, but I couldn''t... I love them too much to even stay mad at them.¡±


    Ms. Dawn exined.


    Hearing this, I could feel my eyes widened once again, and my breathing became ragged.


    ¡°Oh my god! I didn''t know, Ms. Dawn. I''m so sorry. I was not aware, I ¡ª I¡±


    ¡°Hey, hey¡­ It''s okay, just breathe.¡± She encouraged me.


    I did what was instructed and, slowly, even my breathing. When I was finally calm, Ms. Dawn softly


    squeezed my hands.


    ¡°I''m the one who needs to apologize, you know. It was my choice not to tell you... Not that I don''t trust


    you, it''s just too much of a drama and you know I hate those. I was, eventually, nning on it... Well,


    until Harry happened.¡± She frowned then.


    I could only nod at her and for once, I''m grateful for the silence that follows through. Still, as much as I


    wanted to deny it, I cared to know what happened next.


    Was there any conflict?


    Was the infidelity between the Alphas and Ms. Dawn known?


    Any rejection then?


    Who rejects who?


    ¡°If you wish to know, I rejected them...¡± She suddenly uttered, both breaking the silence and answering


    my unasked question. ¡°It was for the best, love.¡±


    ¡°Do you still love them?¡± My stupid mouth couldn''t help but ask after a long pause.


    I internally screamed at myself.


    Ms. Dawn, on the other hand, smiled ¡ª and this time, it reached her eyes.


    ¡°Yes, Always have. But, I chose to move on... It''s healthier that way.¡±


    I nod once more and thought of another topic, much lighter ¡ª I hope ¡ª this time¡­


    ¡°So what are their names, if you don''t mind me asking?¡± I encourage a smile at her.


    Her smile widened.


    ¡°Night and Xavier ck.¡± She simply replied.


    Another surprising moment for me ¡ª


    ¡°ck? Like Mr. Heinz ck?¡±


    ¡°Yes, and if you are wondering¡± ¡ª Boss at this moment, stood up from her seat ¡ª ¡°whom Heinz is to


    the twins, he''s their youngest brother.¡± She exined, stepping away from me now.


    And once again, I am stunned speechless.


    Ms. Dawn turned and saw me like that; a new, warm, smile appeared on her face and her eyes staring


    amusingly at me.


    ¡°I guess, you have enough big surprises for one day. I suggest you go home now, Dyme.¡± She


    dismissed.


    That quickly snapped me out from my daze; the reality of unfinished work came crashing down on me.


    ¡°Eh, boss, about that¡­ you see, my work¡± ¡ª Ms. Dawn briefly nce at my desk ¡ª ¡°is still pending so


    I have to ¡ª ¡±


    ¡°Doesn''t matter. Just shut up and go home, Legaxy.¡± She interrupted while nonchntly walking


    towards her office.


    ¡°But ¡ª ¡± I argued, worrying about the undone pile.


    ¡°Work on that on Monday and just leave!¡± She shouted from her office, ¡°Or I swear to god, I will change


    my freaking mind and make you work here ''til your pretty ass burns!¡±


    And that, right there, is my cue...


    I instantly giggled, knowing all too well she will not follow through with it. But still, I moved and started


    packing my backpack. Then, I checked my phone.


    I was quick to notice that I got no schedule of gigs for tonight and the rest of the weekend.


    Oh, okay¡­


    Guess, I can focus on family time now. Especially, the three boys will be home this weekend.


    Off we go then.

 Chapter 14. Breakfast with a bit of Lie

    Chapter 14. Breakfast with a bit of Lie


    Legaxy


    N?velDrama.Org is the owner.


    Saturday.


    I know I should have listened to my subconscious mind when she told me to stay in bed¡­


    Get ourselves to rest a little longer, letting the cold weather engulfed us in aforting hug, and


    allowing our skin to appreciate the soft sheets ¡ª bothing from the Queen size mattress and green


    plush pillows ¡ª a little better.


    Not to mention, I am off today. So it should be enough reason to pin me down to bed and go back to


    that peaceful slumber some more.


    Yet, I didn''t.


    Instead, and for some anonymous energy, I slowly got up from thefort and tranquility of my bed ¡ª


    just around 6:30 am, and began stretching my stiff limbs. Then, just like a shot of lightning bolt, the


    overwhelming feeling of anxiety kicked in.


    And that''s when I remembered Seth''s promise, which happens to be due today...


    Obviously, my initial emotion for that sudden recollection was relief. Like hooray! I will finally get to hear


    the answers that I have been PATIENTLY waiting for ¡ª


    Wait, hold up... Did I say PATIENTLY?


    Well, about that ¡ª it''s not entirely true...


    Actually, I''ve been dying to know the reason behind the guarding job ¡ª the why me and why Seth


    typical questions bombarding my brain ¡ª that it honestly got me to a point where I became paranoid


    about my safety.


    There were days when I cautiously eat my meals at work, thinking that maybe the food was poisoned.


    Then, there were times when I constantly turn my head to check my surroundings if there were any


    signs of threat. Let''s not forget how I became fully attentive to whom I talk to, thinking that maybe it was


    an imposter and not the real person I knew.


    And to think that, that was only four days ago¡­


    So yeah, you can imagine how d I am that the time hade for Seth to actually spill the beans ¡ª


    if this took longer than it should have, I don''t think my sanity could take it anymore.


    May have gone crazy if the waiting game continues¡­


    Aside from that, I was also hoping ¡ª by spilling out the truth tonight ¡ª to resolve themunication


    barrier issue that came upon our family, which I may say, was starting to bother and annoy me to the


    core.


    You see, we are an open family. Our bond revolves mostly aroundmunication; We don''t hide things


    from each other, rather, we share and express freely ¡ª especially, our problems and secrets.


    So when Seth took that part out of my daily existence for the sake of his loyalty ¡ª bringing me to


    change topic after topic whenever our parents asked us about our weird behavior, or me having to


    avoid simple discussions that included ¡®him¡¯ and his new ¡®role¡¯ in the security forces ¡ª made me feel


    not just terrible about myself, but alsopletely guilty.


    I know, I should never question Seth''s ways and reasons ¡ª let''s remember the ¡®Royal Promise¡¯, shall


    we ¡ª for not informing everybody, but the way he tackled this case and made me lie to our parents for


    four straight days brought doubt to my mind. His fairness on judgment when ites to family matters,


    particrly with me ¡ª whom I should remind him was always the victim here, were not really that fair


    anymore.


    He was bing selfish¡­ or genuinely, afraid ¡ª I don''t know which emotion was stronger at the


    moment.


    Nheless, the overall point here is, I don''t like being kept in the dark for far too long. And this


    situation with Seth and his secret was keeping me there, FOR FAR TOO LONG.


    I need to get out...


    So, to distract myself from the undeniable tension and guilt I was feeling right now, I went down to the


    kitchen and prepared breakfast for the family ¡ª well, for Mum, Dad, and me to be exact.


    As mentioned before, my brothers lived at the pce. Seth, because of the guarding obligation, came


    back to live with us. However, he doesn''t really stay here that long and keeps on returning to the castle


    since his other duty calls ¡ª mostly juvenile training sessions and filing of security reports.


    Anyway, back to the original intention; prepping food for the gang...


    Mum loves bacon and Dad loves eggs, so I concluded on cooking scrambled eggs and honey-vored


    bacon for the two of them. As for me, I only added toast since I love some warm bread in the morning.


    Also, a good excuse for using that imported butter and cheese Mum kept on hiding in the pantry chiller.


    Regardless of the reasons, I readied everything I needed and started cooking.


    It didn''t take me that long toplete the menu and when I finally heard Mum and Dad descending


    from their room upstairs ¡ª guessing all dressed up and ready to go, there was already food on the


    table.


    Of course, at first, they didn''t notice me or the meal I have prepared since they were on the other side


    of the house. However, their senses were more heightened than me so I know they will eventually


    smell the food.


    I was about done washing the pan I had used in cooking the eggs and bacon when they finally smell it.


    I heard them literally ending their lively conversation and within that second ¡ª while I ced the utensil


    on a drying rack, both were hastily shuffling towards the dining room like there was fire or an


    emergency.


    Since our home was a closed floor n and Mum wanting to have some kind of change in the house,


    my parents decided to have the kitchen and the dining room intricately designed to function as a one-


    room ¡ª no walls to divide each space. That''s why, when Mum and Dad entered the big room from the


    living space, they easily locate where I was.


    And boy they look shocked upon seeing me there ¡ª most especially, standing in the kitchen station...


    You see, aside from not letting me drive, they don''t let me cook ¡ª unless Mum was there to direct me.


    They do let me clean the house, wash the dishes and do someundry without supervision, but that''s


    about it.


    The rest of the household chores were either tricky, difficult, or dangerous for me ¡ª as per my family¡­


    ¡°Good morning.¡± I finally greeted, ignoring their rmed gapes as I took a carton of milk from the


    refrigerator.


    ¡°Good morning too baby.¡± Mum greeted back and I caught sight of her scrutinizing the cooked food on


    the dining table. Then, her green eyes widened in horror upon realizing what I just did, ¡°You know, you


    should have called me¡­¡± She uttered as she walked slowly inside the dining space.


    I just smiled softly at her.


    ¡°Mama, it''s no biggie... Come and eat, before you go.¡± I announced as I ced the milk on the center


    of the ss table, ¡°You too, Papa.¡± I added, stopping Dad from his attempt at sneaking out the door.


    Dadughed nervously after being caught. Then, with a little tug from me, both of them sat down


    around the table ¡ª kinda awkward at the moment.


    Can''t me them for that behavior though, since they served both the mixed n and the Hue


    Kingdom their whole life. So, being cared for like this ¡ª especially by their daughter is truly an unusual


    but blissful feeling.


    I can tell because I saw both of them beaming with happiness and gratitude at me...


    Then, with the uneasy atmosphere slowly fading, Mum and Dad gotfortable and both started


    eating the food peacefully.


    Out of the blue, Dad spoke ¡ª breaking the hushed atmosphere of the calm room.


    ¡°Should I be concerned now, Princess?¡± He asked, taking a bite of his toast then.


    I shot him a perplexed look.


    ¡°Concern about what, Papa?¡±


    ¡°Well, it''s Saturday. It''s your usual day off from work and¡± ¡ª finally swallowed his chewed-up toast ¡ª ¡°I


    know your gigs ur only at night. It''s past 7 am and your fully awake already, Princess... Mind telling


    me why?¡± Dad asked, taking a mouthful of eggs now.


    I paused and slowly bit my lip, hesitant at the idea of telling them anything. Especially, the truth


    regarding what was bothering me ¡ª Seth and the promise ¡ª for it could lead to secret after secret to


    unfold¡­ and I can''t risk that.


    Should I lie again, then?


    But, I don''t want to. It hurts to see my parents believing such pathetic excusesing from me.


    ¡®Though, this will be thest... Seth will talk tonight.¡¯ I reminded myself.


    So with an internal sigh of defeat, and as hard as it can be, I decided to lie once more. Still, just to


    sound authentic, I mixed a few bits of truth in it¡­


    ¡°I just... wanna make sure... you two don''t skip breakfast this time.¡± I replied, my teeth gritted a little,


    ¡°You both tend to leave for work with an empty stomach, and that''s not good for beings with busy


    schedules. I just ¡ª I had to do something about it, alright... took the time to cook for the both of you.¡± I


    mumbled and hurriedly hide my difort from lying by taking a huge bite of my buttered toast.


    Dad became silent then.

 Chapter 15. Someones at the Door

    Chapter 15. Someone''s at the Door


    Legaxy


    I panic and returned my gaze at his face.


    Thankfully, he looked pleased with the answer for he was smiling and his crystal blue eyes were just


    sparkling out of pure admiration at me.


    Mum, on the other hand, glowed from joy and adoration at me as a smile appeared on her beautiful


    face as well.


    Okay, it worked.


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    But damn, lying hurts ¡ª it''s like being punched in the chest...


    Seth better tell the truth tonight, or I swear I will do it myself. Brother or not, but this is our parents and


    siblings ¡ª this is family, and they deserve to know as soon as possible.


    ¡°Oh, our sweet baby.¡± Mum finally gushed out softly, giving me a side hug. ¡°But seriously child, you


    shouldn''t have done this... I mean it.¡±


    Her voice turned serious and her expression, as she freed herself from the embrace, was uneasy,


    ¡°What if you burned your skin or get a cut from a knife or worst, get injured from slipping in this tiled


    floor?¡± She hysterically numerate.


    I could only groan.


    ¡°Mama, it''s fine,¡± I swore ¡ª hating the overprotective tone. ¡°I could handle myself with the simple task


    of cooking. It''s far safer than the driving lessons anyway ¡ª¡±


    Mum gasped, much in a dramatic manner.


    ¡°Legaxy Hailey Dyme, are you trying to say that you rather choose to be injured by a kitchen ident


    than a car wreck?¡± She interrupted.


    ¡°No, no no it''s not like that Mama.¡± I whined with eyes wide open, ¡°All I''m trying to say here is that I''m


    already old and independent... I definitely know what I am doing. Sure it''s not easy, and maybe I will


    need your assistance¡± ¡ª I hold her hand which was resting on herp ¡ª ¡°on some other things but


    this, this is a small task Ma... You can trust me on this.¡± I affirmed, encouraging a smile at her.


    She stared at my eyes for a moment before letting out a defeated sigh.


    ¡°I know, I know. But it''s just¡­ I can''t, Lily. You are¡± ¡ª she moved her hand so it is on top of mine and


    squeezed it ¡ª ¡°our only daughter. It''s normal for us, for me especially, to be protective of you. Call me


    an aggressive Mama Bear or an overreacting Mother, but I will do whatever I know what''s best for you.


    Either way, you''ll have to ept that. Know that I''m not changing and so as your Dad or your


    brothers... You''re our priority, Legaxy.¡± Mum dered, now withdrawing her hand from me and ced it


    on the table.


    Listening to that, I wanted to groan once again and protest my defiance when Dad interjected.


    ¡°You do realize that Legaxy has a point too, Margaret.¡± Dad carefully took one of Mum''s hands and


    ced it on hisrge chest ¡ª a habit, ¡°My love, do remember she is her very own person. She can


    make her own decisions without the need for our help. If she ever did fail or made a mistake, then it will


    be our time to assist her. We can''t just always hold her hands and yank her back to her feet every time


    she falls. We need to learn to let her go too, for her to learn to walk freely...¡± He exined while lovingly


    stroking Mum''s hands.


    Mum eyed Dad for a moment and knowing Dad was right, she only nodded her response.


    I, on the other hand, was beginning to believe that Dad was defending me from Mum''s lecture a while


    ago but turns out, he was more of neutralizing the situation as he switches his attention from Mum to


    me.


    ¡°Nheless, Princess,¡± ¡ª He shot me a pointed look ¡ª ¡°your Mom is right. We will not change our


    ways in terms of keeping you safe. You are our number one priority. That''s why, all I''m asking ¡ª on


    behalf of everybody in this family, is for you to stay away from danger. May it be the kitchen work, or a


    car ride, or even the simplest of walking around this home... I wanted you to be always cautious. And


    like what your Mum had said, you''re our only daughter. We can''t afford to lose you, may it be to a


    serious tragedy or the clumsiest of all misfortunes... We want you healthy and whole. Do you


    understand, little Lily?¡± He asked, almost sounding like a plea.


    Oh boy, not this kind of drama again ¡ª they always win with this one...


    I was about to respond when our thunder of a doorbell rang.


    I, being close to the hallway leading to our front door, excused myself and quickly ran to answer it.


    When our arc-style ck door was in sight and a couple of meters away from me, I slowed myself


    down and then tip-toed the rest.


    As I reached it, I didn''t open it immediately.


    Not to be rude, but to be careful actually ¡ª like Dad had mentioned a while ago.


    Why?


    News broke out yesterday about rogue vampires and ck witches roaming around town again,


    hunting and killing innocent civilians either for food or sacrifices.


    So, instead of my usual move of carelessly opening the door and greet the person on the other side, I


    cautiously peeked through the door''s peephole.


    ck clothing and pale skin...

 Chapter 16. The Devils Gold Invitation

    Chapter 16. The Devil''s Gold Invitation


    Legaxy


    I know that type of creature.


    A vampire, for sure...


    But what''s it doing here?


    I took another nce and search for any signs indicating he was a rogue predator.


    Thankfully, he was a clean one; no wrinkled skin, no ugly marks, no long dirty nails, and hopefully, no


    dark teeth and pure blood-red irises.


    Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.


    Yet, still unsure of its purpose, I slowly unlocked our front door and took another peek through the


    crack.


    To my instant relief, it was just Cayden ¡ª our n''s messenger, standing bored on our front porch.


    Immediately, I fully opened our front door.


    Upon seeing me, he gracefully straightened up while a wicked smile slowly spread across his smooth,


    pale white face.


    ¡°What a lovely morning it is,¡± he announced, taking off his hat ¡ª his long blonde hair was tied up in a


    messy bun. ¡°Hello, Ms. Dyme.¡± He greeted in a flirtatious tone.


    Great, a flirting Vampire in the morning... And here I thought, rogue vampires and ck witches were


    far more formidable.


    I just raised an eyebrow at him, suggesting I was in an unpleasant mood.


    Sadly, he didn''t notice that since his eyes found it''s way to my body; busy prowling at it.


    Damn it!


    Remind me the reason why I didn''t change my sexy sleeping wear;posing of a matching white silk


    lace halter top and cami shorts, into a more conservative attire when I had the chance ¡ª Oh yeah


    because I waspletely distracted by the uing event tonight¡­


    ¡®Stupid, stupid Legaxy.¡¯ I internally scolded myself.


    ¡°Cayden.¡± I finally acknowledged him ¡ª coldly if I may add, while covering my body with my free arm in


    a somewhat, discreet way.


    He noticed that but it didn''t bother him at all... No, actually the idiot male vampire finds it amusing that


    his infamous smile widened.


    I couldn''t help but rolled my eyes out of annoyance.


    ¡°Mind telling me why I should NOT m this freaking door, right in front of your face by now?¡± I


    inquired, my other hand which was resting on the doorknob was itching to move.


    Cayden snickered.


    ¡°Oh, still a feisty woman, I see...¡± He muttered and leaned on the door,pletely dominating me with


    his full six-foot height, ¡°You know, I love difficult and tough women in the morning. Makes me want to


    EAT. THEM. RAW.¡± He teased, quickly licking his teeth.


    Instead ofughing and feeling very brave at the second, I stepped a little closer at him ¡ª not disturbed


    by his intimidating height ¡ª and shot the bothersome Vampire my signature cold look; the aloof and


    serious stare.


    ¡°10 seconds, Cayden. Talk, NOW.¡± I warned, crossing my arms.


    The mischievous vampire loved the motion that he opposed me and here we are,mencing a


    staring contest with each other.


    ¡°Or what, Dyme?¡± He challenged while cocking his head to one side, ¡°Know that this door can''t even


    stand a chance. We, vampires, are built to break down mountains woman, so this¡± ¡ª points a thumb at


    the door ¡ª ¡°barrier you trust so much, is not enough to cause harm to me... I might just leave a dent


    here instead.¡± He then smirks ¡ª a naughty kind of smirk.


    I swear, I almost swing a fist at him ¡ª wanting to wipe that smug expression on his face.


    Though, I quickly reminded myself to stay calm and be more in control of myself because I am more


    mature than this ¡ª I''m more steady and clever than this.


    So, I proceeded to the countdown.


    When the ten-second ended and me sticking to my promise of closing the heavy oak door on the


    Vampire''s pleased face, I abruptly halted for I caught a glimpse of a gold envelope shimmering on


    Cayden''s ck zer suit''s pocket.


    I instantly knew what that was ¡ª a VIP invitation to the Red Moon ball.


    Cayden, noticing my pause, blinked. Then, his eyes followed my line of sight and seeing I was staring


    at the invitation on his suit''s pocket, his face beamed.


    ¡°Seems like you have an important message to give us.¡± I pointed out after the sudden silence ¡ª gone


    was the madwoman.


    Cayden, knowing what I meant, took the envelope out from his pocket and yfully waved it in front of


    me.


    ¡°Ah, this...¡± He started, currently disying the card in the air, ¡°I remember now, I was sent here to give


    this to you ¡ª specifically, if I may add. So yeah, you could say that it is an important, YET very


    interesting message¡­¡± He then taps the card on his lips, another smirk slowly forming in there.


    ¡°And?¡± I demanded, raising an eyebrow at him.


    ¡°And? Well,¡± ¡ª with one swift motion, he closed the gap between us, the card is back on his suit''s


    pocket ¡ª ¡°Would you like to know, pretty kitten?¡± He asked while staring deeply into my eyes ¡ª his


    dark brown eyes were changing into a luminous red, like a ruby gem under a full moon night.


    Having been with the n for three years now, I already know WHO has WHAT special abilities,


    especially those who are strong and dangerous in society ¡ª which I am happy to be aware of. So,


    when I saw that glowing eyes from Cayden, I already knew what it can do.


    Very thankful I''m immune to it ¡ª Just like I said before, I don''t know how was it possible to be not


    affected by any of these magic revolving around me, in the first ce, but I sure am grateful about it ¡ª


    or else, I''ll be mythical food in a sh.


    ¡°You know I can''t be hypnotized, right?¡± I finally uttered, a bit irritated by the proximity that we have.


    Cayden, discovering my resistance to his enchantment, jerk back from me like I burned him and


    frowned ¡ª his eyes instantly changed back to their normal color.


    Surprisingly though, instead of contemting on it, he just gave out a darkugh after a long pause


    while further stepping back from me ¡ª giving me that much-needed space.


    I didn''t intervene him, though I did shot him a death re which he, in return, smirked at.


    ¡°Of course, you are not.¡± He finally mumbled, after letting out a deep sigh of disappointment ¡ª maybe


    because of the way his attempt goes. ¡°You know Dyme, you are not like any other human girls I enjoy


    ying with. You have so much fire in you,¡± ¡ª his eyes instantly shed red again and started ogling at


    me ¡ª ¡°so much courage¡­ so much of the control that it''s fucking sexy.¡± He hoarsely murmured,


    swallowing hard then.


    I simply dismissed his difort with another one of my eye rolls ¡ª not minding the hunger I see in


    those red irises.


    ¡°May I?¡± I asked as I reached out for the invitation in his pocket, clearly annoyed and impatient now.


    He must have heard the tone and began chuckling at me.


    ¡°That''s surprisingly the third son''s temper. I wonder how you get that from him knowing that¡­¡±


    ¡°It does not matter, Cayden Smith. Just give me the damn card and leave!¡± I snapped.


    ¡°Okay, okay. Calm down now, tiger...¡± He amusingly said as he handed me the glittering envelope.


    Then, at that second, his crooked smile returned.


    I ignored that.


    ¡°Such wonders, truly you are...¡± He spoke softly now, ¡°I hope the devils were right about you¡­ that you


    are worth every VIP invitebined.¡± He added, much in a whisper.


    Still, I heard it that I snapped my full attention back at him.


    ¡°Devils? VIP Invite? What are you talking about?¡± I questioned with a wrinkled forehead?


    ¡°Oh, nothing babe.¡± He winked at me. Then, as obvious as it was, his attention went back to my


    exposed skin ¡ª lusting at it again.


    My jaw ticked out of irritation but still, I tried my best to dismiss the evil leer...


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I managed to let out.


    ¡°My very pleasure.¡± He replied and I caught him moving closer to me once again ¡ª I stilled.


    ¡°Remember to dress pretty and see you soon, Legaxy Hailey Dyme.¡± He whispered huskily in my ear.


    He steps back again from me, puts his hat back on, tipped it yfully at me, then shot me another wink


    and left. His moves were so graceful and well-executed at that moment, that it almost felt like dancing


    rather than normal gestures, and honestly, I envied it.


    I''m a clumsydy, so witnessing what real elegance means through that foolish of a vampire made the


    woman in me felt ashamed.


    Tsk!


    Now, my overwhelming urge to punch that crazy vampire doubled ¡ª not caring if I was going to act


    udylike.


    Thankfully, Cayden didn''t bother to annoy me further and as he faded in a distance ¡ª moving just like


    the wind, I felt a sudden shiver run down my spine.


    I don''t know if it was because of the aftermath of losing that confidence to finally give in to fear, or just


    the fact that Cayden addressed me by my full name ¡ª which, by the way, is only known by my family...


    OR possibly because of the indirect remark the vampire messenger had made regarding me, about to


    attend the Red Moon Ball ¡ª the same matching ball I have mentioned before, that is intended for


    Vampires and Witches ONLY.


    Oh, now that I thought about it, thest part seemed reasonable enough...


    Wait! Hold that thought;


    That. Doesn''t. Sound. Good.

 Chapter 17. Where them Cars?

    Chapter 17. Where them Cars?


    Legaxy


    I was beginning to believe that Cayden, aside from being a flirt, is likely a psycho.


    Sure, he may have talked and shared some useful things with me that are worth both of my time and


    attention. But him, having to have indirect statements about me going to the Red Moon Ball?


    That''s basically a whole new level of absurdity for him...


    I mean, is he nuts?


    He knows, as much as I know, that HUMANS are considered viands to the mixed-race; that''s the very


    reason as to why nobody cares to invite us (humans) to any of their (mixed-race) social gatherings,


    regardless of our purpose or significance to the event.


    However, listening to Cayden a while ago, he did sound so confident¡­ so sure about the idea of a


    human being ¡ª specifically, me ¡ª attending their ball...


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    Would that mean he was telling the truth then?


    OR, perhaps ¡ª in a reasonable way, I am just assuming all of this?


    Do take note, Cayden didn''t really rify his odd phrases when we were conversing a moment ago ¡ª


    much like irritating each other out, or mostly me getting pissed off by the vampire''s ridicules. Let alone,


    provided any answers, whatsoever, to my simple questions.


    The only thing he did was just left me here, on my front porch,pletely stupefied.


    Nheless, it was obvious he was implying things at me, and as much as I wanted to ask him about


    it, I just didn''t; I admit, anger got the best of me there.


    That''s why, I could only surmise that maybe I poorly did hear his words, or basically misunderstood


    him¡­


    Yet, am I actually that slow to understand what he meant?


    Or am I just a poor listener, to begin with?


    Before I could even further contemte the subject ¡ª thought for a better exnation to give each


    probability my mind was fiddling at, another rush of cold breeze hit my exposed skin.


    And that''s when my brain''s light bulb switched on; it was just the cold September air.


    Of course, that makes more sense now...


    The shiver that I felt a while ago was just because of the pure breezeing up from the snowy


    mountains, near our home. It doesn''t help the fact that BER Months were also starting up, making the


    weather growing colder by the week.


    Not to mention, and let''s not forget, the outfit I was currently wearing.


    Seriously, I will easily get a shudder because aside from the fabric being too thin, the clothes


    themselves were showing off more skin. Especially, my halter top which had the back part styled in a


    very low V-shape.


    So yeah, just the wind ¡ª nothing more...


    ¡°Lily?¡± I heard Mum called from behind, snapping me out of my reverie.


    I quickly turn around and saw her, just in time, walking towards me.


    ¡°Who was that?¡± She promptly asked, her hands fixing her ck topcoat while her green eyes were


    shifting from me and the door ¡ª where Cayden was standing from before.


    ¡°n messenger,¡± I replied while my eyes automatically took a nce at her back, waiting for Dad to


    appear. To my immediate wonder, he didn''t emerge from Mum''s back.


    My forehead, instinctively, wrinkled in question.


    Mum, understanding the expression, shed me a warm smile.


    ¡°If you''re looking for your Dad, he''s probably¡± ¡ª she stopped by my side and gracefully faced me ¡ª


    ¡°out in the garage, getting the car ready.¡± She exined.


    ''Oh, okay.'' I simply thought to myself.


    Out of the blue though ¡ª and much to my wonder again, her smile bent down into a frown.


    ¡°Just so you know, we will be using, for the meantime, the ck SUV as our ride for work¡­ thank your


    CRAZY brothers for that.¡± She quickly informed, her voice as cold as the climate itself.


    I, involuntarily, trembled upon listening to that.


    However, understanding what she meant and recognizing that indifferent tone in her voice, I shed


    Mum a sad smile.


    ¡°Let me guess, the boys'' drag race again?¡±


    Mum, hearing this, barely nodded her reply. Then, her jaw ticked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± she paused and took quick breaths, trying to control her uing temper, ¡°them boys crash the


    red Ferrari first,st Tuesday. Then, the day after that, the blue Lamborghini and don''t even ask what


    happened to my ck jeep,¡± her frown deepened, ¡°my poor ck wrangler¡­ it was not even a drag


    race-worthy but still, they used it. Can you believe that?¡± She huffed while crossing her arms tightly in


    front of her chest.


    Paying attention to this, my forehead creased in question again; thinking that this is quite impossible.


    Them boys? Going back to their old ways again?


    But, I''ve seen them not aspulsive as before¡­ unlike before. That''s why it led me to believe that


    they''ve sessfully grown out of that dangerous impulse and became more careful.


    Yet,ing from Mum, they did it again¡­


    Been drag racing, wrecking cars to pieces, and putting their lives in danger, ONCE AGAIN ¡ª in less


    than a week, if I may add. Unless their reasons for it were that serious or important.


    Ooooor, maybe they just did it¡­ pure passion or justplete madness?


    I truly don''t know.


    But, they promised¡­


    Mum, seeing doubt dancing on my face, grunted.


    ¡°I know what you''re thinking, child. I can hear it even when you don''t speak it aloud¡± ¡ª she rolled her


    eyes at me ¡ª ¡°but yes, you heard me right¡­ your brothers, as responsible¡± ¡ª she snarled at her own


    words ¡ª ¡°as they were, crashed most of the vehicles we owned. The ck SUV is the only one left,


    and in good running condition, to take your Dad and me to work.¡±


    Bestowing my full attention to that, and sensing it was the truth, I couldn''t help but feel disappointed in


    them.


    They''ve really broken their promise, the only one that I asked for them to fulfill¡­


    However, realizing it can''t be helped because that''s just how the boys are with their obsession with cars


    and drag racing ¡ª old habits die hard, as they say,  I let out a quiet sigh of eptance.


    ¡°Let''s just make sure they won''t be borrowing any cars, and by means of ANY, I mean the ck SUV,


    Mama. I, too, am using it for work you know.¡± I finally stated.


    Unexpectedly, Mum chuckled darkly.


    ¡°Oh no, Lily. I already have a better¡± ¡ª she reached for her purse and then disyed in the air my


    brothers'' ID licenses ¡ª ¡°solution for that. There will be no driving for them, for the time being.¡± She


    affirmed, an evil grin slowly spread across her once displeased face.


    I, dismissing that devilish look on Mum''s face, took my time eyeing the IDs on her fingertips and then,


    shifted my gaze back to gape at her; I am, in all honestly, stunned right now.


    However, deducing that they deserve it ¡ª and giving in to my imagination about the boys'' livid


    expressions when surrendering their licenses to Mum, I shook my head out of amusement.


    ¡°You know, they''ll be asking Papa for help about that. They know Papa''s your weakness.¡± I pointed out


    with a smirk.


    ¡°Oh really? I think it''s¡± ¡ª she jerks her thumb, shifting the three IDs aside her fingers, to reveal a fourth


    license ID which happens to be Dad''s ¡ª ¡°the other way around... I am your Father''s weakness. Not me


    to him, remember that.¡± She announced proudly.


    My eyes widened in surprise, and being amused once again, I shook my head.


    ¡°Very cruel,¡± I bluntlymented.


    Mum''s green eyes snapped at me.


    ¡°Oh no, child. This is not cruelty, this is just disciplinary action.¡± She simply stated, ¡°They should be


    thankful I didn''t take their balls out¡­ that would have been a much better trauma to learn from, than


    the IDs...¡± Mum added, coldly again.


    Heeding that, I frowned.


    ¡°Mama, that''s not really nice anymore.¡± I scolded her, crossing my arms around my chest.


    She, looking irritated now, raised a perfect eyebrow at me.


    ¡°Well, if I''m not nice, then they are dangerously reckless, Legaxy. Cars, we could buy that easily. But


    their life?¡±


    She paused and I noticed her body tensed, ¡°No, we can''t buy that... No second chances, child.


    Average witches, like me, can''t bring somebody back to life. Unless otherwise, you''re the Grand White


    Witch who has ess to unlimited magic.¡± She exined while arranging the IDs back inside her


    purse.


    ¡°But that''s the issue Ma, they''re extinct.¡±


    ¡°Almost a hundred millineas now, I know child¡­ That''s the very reason why the ds¡¯ should be


    EXTRA careful now, or else.¡±


    Understanding this, I simply nod my full agreement at her. Then, a sudden realization popped inside my


    head¡­


    ¡®Who will send me off to work then, when there''s no driver?¡¯


    Mum, as if reading my expression, smiled softly at me and simply uttered ¡ª answering my unasked


    question, ¡°Dad will be there. Don''t worry, baby.¡±

 Chapter 18. Boys, Literally

    Chapter 18. Boys, Literally


    Legaxy


    Thankfully, in the next second, Mum change courses and we ended up chatting about lighter topics.


    We started with a few questions about my work, then short stories about my rtionship with Ms.


    Dawn, to my rtionship with my other colleagues, and stopping at a few information about my life at


    the hotel.


    As we were finishing up thest conversation about my difficulty in using my creativity in doing


    business cards, Cayden''s face with the gold card on hand instantly shed inside my head. That''s


    when I abruptly remembered the VIP card...


    Without any word, I took the gold invitation out from my short''s waistband and present it to Mum.


    ¡°By the way Mama, Cayden delivered this,¡± I stated while handing out the envelope to her.


    When she saw the glittering card in my hand, her light mood instantly turned into a more joyous


    expression. She even pped her hands together, expressing how delighted she was upon seeing the


    mentioned card.


    Oh wow, someone''s really excited about the gold card¡­


    ¡°Oh YAY! The invitations are out.¡± She sounded so merrily now, snatching the card from me, ¡°You


    should have seen and heard the Vampire King bbering about this to us, saying all should be


    delivered AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. h, h, h!¡± ¡ª she rolled her eyes ¡ª ¡°The old man should


    really learn to chill. Who cares if he hated the pile at the castle, it''s still a castle you know. Nothing''s


    gonna change there, even if we clean the clutter. Jeez¡­¡±


    Yup, she is really excited¡­


    Her enthusiasm was infectious though, that I couldn''t help but feel giddy as well. I even decided to


    tease her; dramatically gasping at her, pretending to be horrified by what I just heard about the Vampire


    King.


    ¡°Mother, you are allowed to call the Vampire King that?¡± I eximed.


    Mum chuckled and put a finger on her mouth, gesturing me to shush.


    N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    Once again, I shook my head out of pure joy.


    ¡°You''re seriously going to get punished for that,¡± I muttered, a smile curling up on my lips.


    ¡°Oh hush, child. It''s not like he doesn''t hear that from me a million times now.¡± Mum stated nonchntly


    and her attention went back to the card in her hands,pletely ignoring me now.


    When she was about to open the envelope, I noticed Mum unexpectedly halted. Her cheerful


    demeanor subsided and somewhat, realizing ¡ª or much like recalling something, Mum''s green eyes


    grew slightly saddened. She then turned her head to the side and nce from afar.


    ¡°What''s wrong Mama?¡± I asked, concern evident in my tone.


    Mum, instead of answering me, let out a heavy sigh; something was troubling her. The invitation on her


    hands was unlocked midway but, rather than flipping the gold envelope to fully get the ck card


    inside, she just sealed it back and stared at it for a moment.


    From there, I saw, she looked a bit¡­ troubled.


    ¡°Mama,¡± I called, reaching for her.


    ¡°Do you know how old your brothers are now? Like, in the supernatural world kind of sense.¡± Mum


    suddenly asked, her eyes shifted to solely focus on me.


    I ceased my movement towards her and instantly thought about her question for a moment. Then,


    being interested and curious now, I began calcting numbers based on a form I so happen to just


    created at the second.


    However, let''s face it, I don''t frankly know their supernatural age. Aside from me not asking ¡ª out of


    respect, they don''t really talk to me about it ¡ª either shy or embarrassed, whichever was present at the


    time I inquired.


    All I know, at this rate, was their age based on human years; Seth''s 28 years old, Axel''s 26, and


    Howard''s almost 24.


    So, admitting I''m not doing the math right, I let out a sigh of defeat.


    Mum, seeing my defeat,ughed. Then, her long fingers brushed my cheeks.


    ¡°Will you be believed me if I told you they are all over a thousand years old now?¡±


    Oh, thousand years old¡­ make sense.


    Though, wait¡­


    What!


    My eyes widened in realization.


    ¡°A thousand¡­ years¡­ old?¡± I repeated, clearly astonished.


    Mum nodded and touched my cheeks now with her palm, exining, ¡°Seth''s already a two-thousand-


    year-old Vampire. Axel, on the other hand, is a thousand nine hundred and ny-eight Witch, while


    Howard''s a thousand nine hundred and ny-six old Vampire... Two years apart.¡±


    If I''m starring on a cartoon show right now, I would really look like one of those characters with eyes


    popping out their sockets.


    Literally...


    But, I guess, that''s just my way of saying how shocked I really am at the revtion...


    ¡°Wow, that old.¡± I managed to mutter out of my amazement, ¡°Well, that''s cool then. I finally have a


    reason to annoy them, aside from the confiscation of their IDs.¡± I lightly joked.


    Mum giggled at that as she took her hand out of my face and cing it on her chest.


    ¡°Oh, Lily.¡± She mumbled, smiling now.


    However, the smile didn''tst long as her face turned into a more depressing look now...


    ¡°You know Lily, we could live a thousand years more if we have our REDs with us.¡± She started,


    crossing her arms around her chest again, ¡°They are not basically our source of immortality, but we do


    consider our RED as our life... They are part of us, physically and mentally. If we lose them, then our


    life is meaningless. However, not finding one or being matched to one, is more meaningless than the


    losing part. That''s why I worry for your brothers, Lily... They already spend over a millennium just


    waiting for their REDs...¡± She exined, reaching for my hands now.


    I dly held them out for her and upon receiving them, Mum hardly squeezes them; she clearly needs


    support right now.


    ¡°In all honesty, I pity the boys. I know, they don''t want to hear that from me but I can''t help it. It''s just¡­ I


    wanted¡­I needed them to...¡± She paused and took a long, deep breath.


    When she exhaled the air, she suddenly let go of my hands and ced them back around her chest,


    tightly crossed once again.


    From there then, she resumed speaking.


    ¡°I just hope your brothers can find their RED this year, especially Seth.¡± She looked at me, concern


    obvious in her eyes, ¡°I don''t want him to be REDless for the rest of his immortal life, you know.¡± She


    added.


    ¡°Mama, believe in them. Surely, they will find their matches soon.¡± I encourage a smile at her, ¡°Besides,


    they''re too determined for that, too proud to give up. You should know that by now, Mama.¡± I added.


    She warmly smiled at my encouragement. Then her attention moved back to the envelope in her


    hands.


    Looking at the invitation again, I caught a glimpse of Mum''s expression unexpectedly changed into a


    more hopeful look, and then, without second thoughts, she handed it back to me ¡ª not even bothering


    to open it again.


    ¡°I really hope so Lily,¡± Mum smiled warmly now, ¡°I honestly wanted grandchildren from them already ¡ª


    Well, except from YOU. You''re awfully too young for that.¡± She suddenly teased.


    I yfully rolled my eyes at her while epting the invitation from her grasp.


    ¡°As if I even have a boyfriend for such a thing,¡± I grumbled.


    Mum heard that and it was her turn now to lookpletely stunned.


    Like she can''t even believe I just said that.


    Interesting¡­

 Chapter 19. Relationships

    Chapter 19. Rtionships


    Legaxy


    Why do I feel like Mum, after seeing her surprised look a second ago, doesn''t like me being single?


    Is being single that bad?


    ¡°Hold on, hold on¡± ¡ª Mum reached for my hands and squeeze it, lightly this time ¡ª ¡°you can''t be


    serious, right? I mean, you particrly don''t have someone special with you right now?¡± She asked,


    sounding a bit¡­ bothered?


    Woah.


    So it is bad?


    I shook my head ¡ª almost flustered, in a NO.


    ¡°Not even a suitor?¡± She looked, suspiciously, upset by this now.


    Odd, but the tone of her voice was making me pretty gloomy...


    Like, Seriously Mum?


    What''s wrong with being single and having no suitors, anyway?


    I lived this long with no boys by my side ¡ª except for my brothers and Dad. I''m happy on my own, and


    that''s what I believe to be the most important.


    Right?


    ¡°Ma, the only suitors I have ever since I know what that word meant, tried to either break me or kill me.¡±


    I finally stated, my turn to be annoyed now, ¡°Depending on whom was hungry at that time.¡±


    Mum inhaled sharply, her green eyes slightly widened.


    Wait a second, is it just me, or she looks rmingly worried... for me?


    Now, I''m feeling ufortable.


    ¡°What about human males? Those guys from work? Oh, oh who''s that guy again¡± ¡ª she let go of my


    hands and snapped her fingers ¡ª ¡°from the front office¡­ Kevin, was it? What about him? I remember


    him being so close to you¡­ or that male with piercings, who''s very obsessed with you¡­ the


    engineering ¡± ¡ª she ced her fingers under her chin, remembering ¡ª ¡°a guy named Demer...


    Deter¡­ Demeter ¡ª ¡±


    ¡°Demetrius, Mama.¡± I interrupted, squinting my eyes as I corrected her.


    ¡°Yeah, that guy. What happened to him? To them? Please don''t tell me child you broke those poor


    boys'' hearts for the sake of work again.¡± She inquired, I heard a desperate tone somewhere in that


    sentence.


    I snorted.


    ¡°Excuse me? They are the ones who broke my heart, Mama. They''re too afraid of independent women


    that they ended up looking for much more easy prey to pounce on.¡± I replied dryly.


    Mum looked perplexed at this, as she mumbled, ¡°I don''t understand ¡ª ¡±


    ¡°They''re both cheaters, Mama. All of them suitors¡­ all are damn two-timers that I can''t believe I even


    befriended some in the past.¡± I interfered again, scowling.


    Mum shot me a pitiful look and then, within a second, twisted into a more anxious expression.


    ¡°Huh, but maybe not ALL ¡ª all, Lily. I mean, don''t generalized men species for what a few of their


    brothers did to you.¡± She defended, encouraging a smile at me, ¡°Some human fes I know, are all in a


    long-term rtionship already. Five to ten years in maximum... That''s great, based on your human


    culture, right?¡±


    My culture? What''s it got to do with my culture now?


    Recognizing that Mum''s being silly again, I rolled my eyes at her.


    ¡°Sure, sure¡­ unless they are all married,¡± I argued.


    Mum shot me a bewildered look at first, but I noticed she thought hard about it. Then, realizing my


    point, her face beamed inprehension and then into a full-blown interest.


    Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Actually, not all of them.¡± She replied softly. Still, baffled with something else, she wrinkled her


    forehead in question at me, ¡°But it''s still a long-term rtionship, Lily. That''s what counts, right?¡±


    Oh, so that''s what it is¡­


    Nheless, Mum should have known better; I''m no ordinarydy, to begin with. That''s why I shot her


    an ¡®are you serious¡¯ look, earning me an innocent ¡®WHAT¡¯ face from her.


    I immediately rolled my eyes at her once again...


    ¡°Mama, my kind has its own beliefs regarding rtionships, and personally, I respect that. But being


    raised by mythical beings and be surrounded by them 24/7; seeing how your romances go and how


    strong your bonds are, made me believe that there''s more to just years and affection for me...as a


    human.¡± I expressed, seriously staring into her eyes now.


    When she didn''tment or react ¡ª her full attention on me, I continued my talking.


    ¡°I wanted a CONNECTION, Ma,¡± I confessed, swallowing hard now since I never express my thoughts


    regarding LOVE before. ¡°Not just any physical or mental attraction. I wanted it like it was intended for


    me, FEEL it like it was made toplete me¡­ simply just making me WHOLE, Ma... not by heart or by


    mind... but a pure soul...¡± I exined, almost lost in thought.


    Mum saw my struggle, but instead of an apprehensive face, she looked surprisingly proud of me.


    ¡°Oh my baby,¡± She muttered as she engulfed me into a hug, snapping me out of my dazepletely,


    ¡°I''m happy that you know what''s best for you because you are the BEST. You''re independent, clever,


    and strong, and no man knows that unless he is the ONE.¡± She freed a little from the hug to look at me,


    ¡°However, the one you wish for is a bit on the dream-ish side. Are you sure you want that? I mean, I''m


    not saying he''s non-existent... it''s still possible, but¡­ what if, he''s not here¡­ soon?¡± She inquired,


    embracing me again.


    ¡°Then I wait Mama.¡± I simply replied, hugging her tightly.


    I heard her sigh and felt her lips on top of my head, kissing it.


    ¡°I truly believe that he is out there, that there is someone out there for you, Lily.¡± Mum started again,


    much in a whisper, ¡°Don''t ever question that... However, you are too young, so maybe not now. I know


    you''re willing to wait and you are patient... Though, all I''m saying is, not now, okay? You''re still my baby


    and Mummy just wants to have you, just a little longer¡­ please.¡± She pleaded.


    ¡°But, I''m not as young as everyone else here, Mama.¡± I pointed out, my voice thick from emotion, ¡°You


    guys never age a bit.¡±


    Mum suddenly jerked me out from the hug to shot me an ashamed look...


    ¡°Oh Lily, I''m so sorry. I didn''t mean to offend you like that.¡± She apologized.


    ¡°No, no it''s not like that Mama, I''m not offended. I swear.¡± I assured her with a small smile, ¡°All I''m


    saying is, FOREVER is not my ¡®best friend¡¯, Ma and my own RED searching could take a while... I am


    human¡­ and what if my partner turned out to be a mythical being¡­ would he wait for me too? Or


    would he end up REDless because I died¡± ¡ª I gulped ¡ª ¡°already, from old age? Would he even know I


    existed? Or like Ms. Dawn, would he chose to get married to another woman so he could achieve his


    happily ever after?¡±


    Mum didn''t respond to any of my fusses. Instead, she hugged me again and this time, she cuddled me


    a little tighter ¡ª just like I did, a while ago. The warmth it gave off made my smile quiver and there


    were tears¡­ No, I need to be tougher than this, need to be stronger¡­


    I am not hurt, to say the least, but what made me teary-eyed was the idea of finding me a ¡®RED¡¯.


    A.K.A a ¡®partner¡¯,


    Common word, ¡®rtionship¡¯,


    Known term, a ¡®boyfriend¡¯.


    You see, I''m not really as avable as you think...


    If I wanted to check my luck on matching with a Vampire or Witch, I actually can''t. My family DOESN''T


    ALLOW me to take that chance because obviously, it''s too dangerous ¡ª the Hue Kingdom second the


    motion to that.


    Maybe a werewolf?


    Possible but too risky. Not that I don''t want a werewolf as a mate, but having a connection with one is


    considered a CRIME.


    The Hue Kingdom, after epting me as one of them, legited aw that bans me ¡ª Yup, ONLY me,


    since I''m the very first of my kind to be adopted by the mixed-race ¡ª to have any rtionship with the


    ¡®enemy¡¯, regardless if I was their destined ¡®mate¡¯ or not.


    They called the crime, TREASON... And did I mention, it was punishable by DEATH?


    Oh, yeah. I just did¡­


    Human, then?


    Oh hell no! I will NOT take that opportunity, NOPE. Not happening...


    I do not wish for my own kind, especially the males, to DIE in the hands of my n just for the sake of


    loving me. I''m already a living temptation to the Hue Kingdom so I''m not adding another fire to that


    mix... I rather die for them, than them being killed because of me.


    So there you go people, that''s my dilemma for you¡­ my veryplicated life.


    Mum had noticed my long, gloomy silence that I felt her arm shift, and then, felt her hand caressing the


    top of my head ¡ªforting me. When I tried to peek at her through my eyshes, I saw her wanting


    to say something ¡ª maybe words to soothe me. But for some unknown reason, she hesitated and just


    closed her mouth entirely.


    All of a sudden, we heard a car honked.


    We snapped our attention to where the sound was and saw that it was just Dad, sitting on the ck


    SUV and was currently parked at our front house''s yard...


    Realizing it was time to go, Mum freed herself from the embrace, and before proceeding to the car, she


    kissed my cheeks and mumbled an ¡®I love you¡¯.


    I replied, ¡®I love you too¡¯ and kept my eyes on her as she gracefully leaves my side to walk ¡ª much like


    glide ¡ª towards the car.


    Dad, on the other hand, only waved goodbye at me before driving off. I waved back and then


    peacefully watched them leave.


    My attention went back to the invitation on my hands then. I was tempted enough to open it. However,


    when I was about to flip the ck card that was inside the gold envelope, my phone started ringing.


    I quickly slipped the card back and checked my phone.


    Boss calling¡­


    Knowing that it was urgent, I instantly answered the call. Thus, making me ce the invitation on one


    of our cabs ¡ªpletely untouched and well, barely forgotten.

 Chapter 20. Blessy

    Chapter 20. Blessy


    Michael Angelo


    On the Southern part of the Redwood Region, at the Redwood Pack Mansion.


    Saturday,


    Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    5:35 PM.


    I am already aware of the loud music, many chatters, and clicking of sses down the hall.


    However, after a long day of paperwork and dealing with pack issues, my mind and body needed


    serenity.


    And where to acquire it than your very own room.


    So here I am, taking my time on doing my necktie. Making sure it looks neat and presentable for


    tonight''s mating ball when, all of a sudden, a small voice interrupted me.


    I knew who it was, the minute the little wolf entered my chamber, for her scent ¡ªposing of lemon


    and mint ¡ª immediately filled the room.


    Not to mention, her voice.


    I recognize that voice anywhere, for there are no other seven-year-olds in the region that possesses an


    alpha tone, except her.


    ¡°Yes, Blessy?¡± I respond to my sister''s little cry, eyes still focused on the nearly done knot.


    There was no reply from her after that, making me assume that she already left. Though, instead of


    hearing a door closing, I surprisingly caught the sound of her soft footsteps walking towards me. Then,


    like a ray of sunshine, I felt the little she-wolf''s warm presence behind me.


    Almost, immediately, a smile found its way to my face.


    ¡°Oh, busy.¡± She quickly muttered at my back, discovering that I was a bit upied at the moment.


    My smile widened.


    Regardless of her warm existence, what really lightened up my dark mood was the aura my sister


    brought with her; the innocence of a child and the purity of a soul, which so happens to be the same as


    myte mate, N.


    My Nese Marie Snow¡­


    The reminder, rather of infuriating me like thest time, made me calm. And my once frustrated face


    was now beaming with pure peace.


    ¡°In a minute little one, I''m almost done,¡± I stated, and was about to do thest loop when I caught a


    glimpse of her dirty reflection on the full-length mirror I was using.


    Oh dear lord.


    I quickly turned to face her, hoping my eyes were deceiving me. But once my gazended on the little


    girl, fully registering her appearance, I was utterly stunned to see how terrible-looking she really was.


    Hell no, she did not¡­


    Her supposed to be cute little princess gown ¡ª fuchsia in color and full of diamonds ¡ª was already


    brownish on the bottom part, while a couple of dirty handprints at the top. Her blonde hair which was


    supposed to be tied in a bun we''re loosened, leaving her gold tiara hanging on the back of her head.


    Though, what gave me the overall impression that she sneaked out of the castle and y unto the


    forest floor ¡ª AGAIN ¡ª was her hands and face, all covered with mud.


    ¡°Blessica Allison Joy Cane, what on earth got into you!¡± I roared, the shock was evident both in my face


    and voice.


    Receiving no response from her, just a few blinks and fingers fidgeting, I swiftly grab her little arm and,


    as quick as the sh of light ¡ª werewolf speed, made her sit on a chair next to the dresser my N,


    once owned.


    Catching a glimpse of that wardrobe, my anger instantly halted. Then, as obvious as it was now, I got


    momentarily distracted.


    I know I should have thrown that out, or any stuff that belonged to my mate, but I can''t. Not because I''m


    being too sentimental, but because it''s one of those things that keeps me from goingpletely mad,


    or worse, seek sce again to BLOODLUST.


    My ultimate cure, for three whole years...


    As amazing as it would have been, to let myself be an animal ¡ª carefree and wild ¡ª for one day,


    though the danger that it would bring was much higherpared to thefort that I aim to fulfill.


    And I don''t want that to happen again¡­ I had caused enough damage to everybody already.


    That''s why, I still kept it ¡ª every belonging she owned ¡ª here, with me.


    ¡°Mikee,¡± Blessy, in a softer tone now, spoke up again.


    That snapped me out of my sudden stupor, making me shift my gaze from the dresser to her.


    ¡°You want a hug?¡± She innocently asked while opening her mud-covered arms at me.


    Blessy knew about my predicament, and as caring as she was, she always tries tofort me


    whenever she sees signs of my despair.


    I guess that''s what you get when you have a little sister aspassionate as her.


    However, instead of giving in to her hug and sweet gesture, I only frowned at her. Especially, after


    seeing up close how messy her image was.


    Mom will surely be upset with her for this.


    ¡°You know you can''t just go outside and y in the mud as you wish, especially tonight. It''s ball night


    for Goddess sake Blessica!¡± I finally scolded her.


    Though, I was quick to note that, my voice sounded so bitter, so harsh, and dreadful that I almost forgot


    that I''m speaking to a kid who normally gets into trouble, not an adult whomitted a crime of


    murder.


    ¡®You''re stress, Angelo. Don''t give in, or you''re going to hurt our sister. Mika (Blessy''s wolf) will not like


    that.¡¯ Bear stated, trying to ease my impending anger.


    I immediately mind his warning and began steadying my breathing¡­


    ¡°I''m sorry.¡± Blessy softly whispered. Her gentle ¡ª sweet voice echoed delicately inside my ears, which


    was also helping on calming the fury I felt.


    But as sincere as her voice goes, I caught a glimpse of her face. Peculiarly, itcks FEAR, and as


    much as I don''t appreciate what I sound like earlier, she should be shaking from fright by now.


    However, she''s not.


    Instead, she looked pretty rxed for a seven-year-old child being lectured at by an angry parent ¡ª or


    brother.


    Though what really caught my attention, which bothered me instantly, was her tiger brown eyes. They


    look very much dead and cold ¡ª too cold, for a child her age.


    And when she was looking at me, at that split second, it was like she''s looking THROUGH me ¡ª as if


    her eyes were staring right at the soul, rather than the eyes themselves.


    From there, I froze.


    I was not terrified by my youngest sibling if that''s what you''re guessing. I was just overwhelmed


    because I saw a hint of pure sadness in that gaze of her. A longing that I seem to understand, for I


    have it too ¡ª not just in my eyes but also in my heart.


    So it''s not just me who''s still in grief¡­ it''s her as well.


    I looked away, trying to focus more on what I was supposed to be doing when I felt my wolf''s temper


    rising.


    ¡®She''s lying, you know that.¡¯ Bear growled, taking my full attention now. ¡®She should stop that, stop


    apologizing when she doesn''t even mean it, or no one''s gonna believe her in the end, Angelo.¡¯ He


    added.


    I, getting his point of aggression ¡ª Bear is not fond of lying, internally nodded at him.


    I then promptly recalled her apology, and the fact that Bear was right; that it was not as genuine as it


    should be, made me nce back at her.


    ¡°I know what you are doing, Blessica,¡± I stated sternly, eyeing her. ¡°Your pleas¡­ It''s not even true. You


    should stop that or no one''s gonna believe you in the end, sweetie. Especially, once you get to a point


    where you apologize for real for your mistakes, and people already knew what you are capable of.


    Lying is not a game Blessy, so quit it while you can.¡±


    She gazed at me for a second after hearing my short speech and then, realizing that I caught her act,


    she ¡ª instead of feeling ashamed ¡ª look almost¡­ pleased?


    She even shes her little smile at me ¡ª her dimples showing on both sides of her cheek.


    Woah.


    The boldness of this child is even greaterpared to the warriors I have trained in the field. Others


    would have bowed their head at me by now, to submit to their mistakes but her?


    She just simply sh a smile at me. Looking like she didn''t evenmit any mischief whatsoever.


    I felt my lips parted out of pure marvel.


    ¡®Our sister''s brave¡­ too brave for my liking.¡¯ Bear pointed out, sounding almost irritated now.


    ¡®She is. Though, I''m just astounded that she could even smile at me like that at this point. She doesn''t


    do that unless she wanted to cheer me up, you know.¡¯ I replied.


    I felt Bear rolled his eyes in the back of my mind, saying, ¡®Or distract you from her troubles. She knows


    she''s charming and you easily fall for that. You''re pathetic, Angelo.¡¯


    I shook my shock after hearing that and internally lifted a challenging eyebrow at Bear.


    ¡®Says who, who falls for Mika''s whining whenever she needs someone to protect her from Mother''s


    wrath.¡¯ I retorted.


    Bear stilled, his ears down and body hunched.


    ¡®Touche'', Michael Angelo. Touche''...¡¯ Bear said, slowly retrieving to the back of my mind.


    I could only smirk.


    Then, after blocking themunication with him, my attention went back to the little being in front of


    me. She''s still smiling her dimpled smile at me and her focus never wavered from me.


    She must be waiting for my violent reaction¡­ too bad, I''m too amused to be even mad at her.


    I just shake my head at her, in both entertainment and disbelief.


    ¡°Feisty little she-wolf,¡± I finally dered in a husky tone.


    Her smile widened after hearing that as if I justpliment her. Though, I didn''t miss the fact that the


    smile didn''t fully reach her dull eyes.


    Now, that''s strange.


    Was she always this... lifeless?


    I wanted to discuss that matter with her, seeing it held secrets. But not really knowing what proper


    questions to ask or what simple words to say to a seven-year-old, especially when the subject involves


    serious themes, I could only let out a tired sigh.


    Then, realizing I have to do something, decided to scramble towards the bathroom to get a wet towel to


    wipe her. Lastly, kneeling in front of her, I started cleaning her up; face first and then her little hands.


    She became dead silent after, leaving me to wonder what was on her mind at the second.


    I know that Blessy always loves the great outdoors wherein she could explore, learn, and be down and


    dirty. But having her keep on doing it every now and then, for the majority of her life, sounds so bizarre


    ¡ª kinda like OCD (obsessivepulsive disorder) already, if I may say.


    Nheless, the real question here is, was it really that fun?


    So fun that she happened to have forgotten Mother''s wrath?


    ¡°Are you really not afraid of the uproar Mother will bestow upon you? Or just the idea of being grounded


    for another week in your room? Werewolves your age don''t exactly like confinement Blessy, yet here


    you are, kept on going back to that said istion. Do you really want that, sweetheart?¡± I paused and


    waited for an answer, or maybe a change of expression, from her.


    To my astonishment, the little wolf only showed that same dimpled smile at me. As if saying she does.


    Is this bravery I''m seeing?


    Or just her hardheaded nature getting the best of her?


    ¡°Are you even afraid of Mother at all?¡± I inquired once more, still hoping for a different yet rtable


    response from her.


    Hearing the worry and frustration from my voice now, she ¡ªinstead of being concerned or bothered ¡ª


    only offered me a silly pout. Then, observing that it was enough responseing from me ¡ª since I


    was speechless again by her action ¡ª she smiled her dimpled smile at me, and now, she apanied


    it with an innocent giggle.


    Okay, one; she''s ridiculous but so adorable, and two; maybe this is just naiveness.


    ¡®Too naive, Angelo.¡¯ Bear confirmed and after blurting that out, went back to the depths of my mind.


    I didn''t respond and was just consumed by my own thoughts¡­


    Blessy is already seven, and still a baby in our eyes. So maybe the troubles she causes were her ways


    of saying that she''s bored and needed attention.


    A usible reason for such a doll but deep down, I know, it seems not believable enough ¡ª especially


    with the fact that Blessy is a well-loved child.


    Well-love in the sense that she''s the only girl out of the four siblings and the only princess this pce


    has. That means, she gets all of the attention she could ever ask for; All the people she could talk to or


    y with, and all the time in the world to be entertained by all of us.


    Yet, why act this way?


    Why cause trouble just to get our attention?


    Are we not enough attention to her?


    Or the attention we give is not enough?


    Defeated, I shook my head again ¡ª not in disbelief or joy anymore, but out of pure turmoil.


    ¡°Are you?¡± Blessy finally voices out, cutting my train of thought. She tilts her head on the side ¡ª


    looking all too cute and harmless.


    But I knew better than to believe that, which made me go serious on her once again.


    ¡°Sweetheart, I''m already old,¡± I replied, as I resumed wiping her little fingers.


    ¡°Which means?¡± Her little head tilted to the other side, while her forehead wrinkled in question at me.


    ¡°Which means, I get to understand Mother''s rules and obey them like a good kid... Avoiding both


    trouble and punishment.¡± I exined, gently wiping her palms now.


    Her little pink lips frowned at me.


    ¡°I''m not that bad.¡±


    I snorted at that, saying, ¡°Really?¡±


    She hit me on the arm as her frowned deepened.


    I let out another exhausted sigh and paused what I was doing just to stare at her.


    ¡°Seriously littledy, what do you think of your behavior then? Pleasant? eptable? Good?¡± I


    reprimanded her.


    Surprisingly, she didn''t look mad. Rather, she looked more taken back as she narrowed her eyes at me;


    somewhat asking me if all that I have uttered are a series of tricky questions that she needs to find an


    actual response to.


    Then, realizing something, she shed her dimpled smile at me once more.


    ¡°I know! It''s called memories.¡± She dered while beaming, a full-blown smile on her face now, and for


    the first time, it reached her eyes.


    Oh, what changes now?


    ¡°Memories?¡± I asked, stillpletely lost in her sudden change of demeanor.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Her smile widened, ¡°memories that we keep in our head.¡± She simply exined, making me


    understand a little.


    I didn''t pay much attention to that and noticing she''s cheerful now, I decided to tease her.


    ¡°Oh, so you mean you are making memories out of Mother''s outbursts and angry lectures... Nice.¡± I


    lightly joked, recalling all the scolding Mom had done to the little she-wolf in the past few months.


    Bad idea though because, instead of hearing a littleughter from her or a sassyment to counter


    the mock, I heard her growl at me ¡ª her low yet menacing growl.


    ¡°It''s N''s memories, Michael Angelo. Not Mother''s!¡± She yells.

 Chapter 21. Pigtails

    Chapter 21. Pigtails


    Michael Angelo


    Everything in me halted the minute I registered Blessy''s words. More importantly, the way she blurted


    out the name.


    Why does she sound like I messed up big time?


    However, before I could even react to what she just said, my full attention went back to her when I saw


    her cheeks turning red from anger and her eyes growing darker ¡ª the tiger brown eyes became a


    darker shade of amber yellow.


    Apparently, I made the little Alpha Princess upset.


    And that''s not good, ording to the book about Alpha kids¡­


    Shit! No RAMPAGE, please.


    I have to stop Blessy before her control snaps since werewolf kids her age, especially with Alpha blood


    like hers, cause more destructionpared to adults. Their anger, once not stopped in time, could kill


    a thousand lives within an hour.


    That would mean a massacre then, which will be punishable by death. And Blessy''s too young for


    that...


    No! My poor sister.


    ¡®Damn it, Angelo! End your zoning out already and stop her this instant.¡¯ Bear barked in my head,


    making me frantically face my raging sister.


    ¡°I''m sorry Blessy, I didn''t mean to ¡ª ¡± I began to apologize.


    ¡°No, you don''t understand,¡± She uttered, cutting me off, ¡°I''m losing her. I ¡ª I just...¡± She trailed off, her


    lips trembling. Then, without a warning, I saw clear water tears began to roll down her cheeks.


    ¡®Good job, dickhead. First, you got her upset. Now, you made our baby sister cry. Fucking great big


    brother you are.¡¯ Bearmented.


    ¡®I was just trying to make herugh, you ass.¡¯ I stated, annoyed.


    ¡®Well, for the record, you failed dumbhead. Now, tryforting her. Maybe you''re better on that role.¡¯


    He ridiculed me, making me irritated.


    ¡®Will you just shut up and try to help me here?¡¯ I chastised, earning a growl from him.


    ¡®Fine, I''ll talk to Mika.¡¯


    And with that, he disappeared in the back of my head once again; meeting Mika in their wolf realm, I


    believe.


    Blessy, on the other hand, was still crying in front of me and I let her, knowing she needed it. Though,


    seeing her beautiful face turning bright red from the weeping, my panic sinks in.


    ¡°Hey, hey enough crying now, sweetie.¡± I cooed as I rub away her tears with my thumb, ¡°Tell me, what''s


    really bothering you?¡±


    ¡°Mikee, ¡®her¡¯ memories¡­ blurry¡­ it''s all¡± ¡ª she hup ¡ª ¡°blurry... I ¡ª I can''t Mikee¡­¡± She trailed off,


    whimpering while her almost cleaned hands were roughly wiping the tears away from her cheeks.


    Hearing that though, and notpletelyprehending it, made me narrowed my brows at her ¡ª I''m


    still on the panic side to even get a grasp of what she was saying.


    ¡°We all have our own special memories with N, sweetheart. It''s normal to remember as well as to


    cry for it. It''s okay, don''t feel embarrassed about it.¡± I stated the first thing that came into my mind,


    encouraging a smile at her.


    ¡°No!¡± She yells again, ¡°You don''t understand, Mikee. N''s memories¡­ my mind''s¡± ¡ª she touched her


    head and tugged her hair harshly ¡ª ¡°I''m losing her. I ¡ª I don''t want to forget, Mikee...¡± She exined


    through her crying and that''s when I sense, there''s more to just being upset here.


    Blessy, as sensitive as she was, doesn''t cry this much and this badly... unless otherwise, something


    tremendous troubles her.


    And then, I remembered...


    The way she dered the word ''memories'' to me and then further exins that it was N''s, to the


    way she furiously reacted to my silly joke that seemingly involved N, and I didn''t miss that part that


    she said she was disturbed of losing memories of N, made me understand everything.


    This was about N.


    And Blessy, she never moved on from her.


    I tugged her towards my chest and engulfed her into a warm embrace, not caring if dirt-stained my suit.


    There, she cried harder.


    Of course, Blessy is and still broken...


    Three years ago, N was my little sister''s world. Their bond, unlike all of us, was deemed


    inseparable. Perhaps of the fact that N became a second mother to Blessy; this was at the time


    when Mom''s foreign illness showed up, making her unable to function at everything.


    Their friendship started out from the spoon-feeding since Blessy was two when she first met a sixteen-


    year-old N. Then, as Blessy was growing up, the magic of their rtionship also grew.


    N, aside from the feeding, was also trusted to bathe, y and lull Blessy to sleep. When Blessy was


    two and a half, N became her first teacher.


    When my sister turned three, and her blonde locks were long enough to style, N would often do her


    hair and they did, at some point, experimented on putting make-up on.


    But their bond strengthened when Blessy turned four...


    These were the times when boredom strikes them. The two devils would sneak out of the mansion and


    explore the forest floor outside the castle grounds. They usually go to these dirty expeditions just to


    search for insects and flowers.


    However, what they both truly love ¡ª in times of tedium and being outside the pce ¡ª was ying in


    the rain, not caring if mud would stain their clothes, hands, or feet. Sometimes, their faces when things


    got rough between them.


    Yeah, such lovely memories, and as much as I disliked recalling them, I couldn''t help it; I''ve basically


    watched them grow.


    Surely, they''ve been inseparable for that two long years, before N was¡­ And for Blessy, being four


    years old at that time, she couldn''t handle such a loss.


    She actually acquired nightmares because of it...


    Now that she''s seven, and three years of NO N by her side, I''m sure her memories of ¡®her¡¯ were


    slowly fading away.


    That''s why she''s really emotional and scared right now.


    Come to think of it then, those activities in the forest that includes the rain, the mud was all N and


    Blessy''s pastime.


    Oh, so my little sister''s reliving the past¡­


    I smiled inwardly, finally understanding the source of her troublesome behavior.


    Not to mention, and the one that truly touched my heart was, her statement that she doesn''t want to


    forget her, our N.


    I know Blessy loved N, but never did I imagined this pure, unconditional loveing from her.


    I hugged the little girl tighter.


    ¡°Is that the reason why you go out and y in the mud?¡± I asked when she finally stopped crying, a few


    hups and sniffs here and there but she seemed calm now to answer.


    ¡°Yes.¡± She mumbled another hup escaped her throat. ¡°I just want her memory to stay, to still be clear


    inside my head. That''s why I keep on doing the same activities that we did. When she was¡­ alive.¡±


    She whispered thest part.


    I nodded, letting her know I heard her.


    ¡°I understand, sweetheart. N would be very happy about that.¡± I said, lifting her chin to face me,


    ¡°Though next time, before you decided to y outside, bring me. Okay?¡± I asked, wiping the remaining


    tears from her cheeks.


    She scrunched up her nose which, surprisingly, was one of N''s habits.


    I smiled at that.


    ¡°But you never go bored.¡± She argued, her forehead wrinkled in anger, ¡°You always have mating balls


    and I don''t like those whimsy balls anyway.¡±


    ¡°I know that little one, but it will only take an hour,¡± I softly said, taking off her tiara from her tangled


    strands.


    She grunted at me.


    ¡°An hour is too much.¡± She protested with an attitude now. ¡°I''m only 7 Mikee, and 7-year-olds like me


    don''t sit still. Besides, the ball is not for kids. Always for big boys like you, so why bother to have me


    there?¡±


    Great, my sister''s back to her original personality...


    My smile widened.


    ¡°Because,¡± I paused and poked her nose, ¡°you''re my sister and mating balls are a family matter, to


    begin with,¡± I exined, currently brushing her curly blonde hair with my thick fingers now.


    She frowned at my reason.


    ¡°But it''s about mates. Mika tells me I can''t have one until I reach eighteen.¡± She argued once more, her


    fierce eyes looking at me.


    I chuckled at that.


    ¡°That''s true and it''s alright sweetheart, it''s all about me tonight... No one''s looking at you. Besides, this


    ball was already nned by Mother, so it can''t be helped.¡± I noted, encouraging her to smile now. ¡°And


    don''t worry, if someonees for you, I will surely break their necks,¡± I added yfully.


    She gasped and instantly red at me. Then, her small arms crossed in front of her chest as she


    huffed her cheeks at me.


    Iughed at her cute behavior but I then pause, as I suddenly thought of our ruined look. I nce at my


    silver wristwatch and saw it was already 6 pm. Only half an hour before the ball starts.


    We can make it.


    ¡°Come Blessy, we need to clean up. I need to change¡± ¡ª I pointed out my now mud-stained ck suit


    ¡ª ¡°and so do you. I''ll call Nicole to get you a new dress to wear,¡± I said and made her stand from the


    chair.


    Nicole''s her nanny. A werewolf. Lovely olddy.


    Shortly, the dark aura that covers her vanishes, as she happily nodded her head in agreement. She


    dly then took a hold of my hand as we started to walk out of my room.


    Unexpectedly, as we were halfway through the corridors leading to her room, Blessy tugged my hand


    that was holding hers.


    ¡°Mikee, can you fix my hair then?¡± She asked, raising her head to look at me.


    I nced down at her, furrowing my eyebrows out of confusion.


    ¡°Me? Why me?¡± I simply asked.


    ¡°Because I want to.¡± She cheerfully replied.


    Now that perplexed me further.


    ¡°Sweetheart, I don''t do fancy hairs.¡± I paused and lifted her from the ground. Then, I positioned her on


    my arms, dering, ¡°Maybe pigtails, but that''s about it. Let Nicole do your hair the proper way for theN?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    ball.¡±


    She pouted at me.


    ¡°But that''s why I want you.¡±


    I snorted.


    ¡°Because I do Pigtails?¡±


    She excitedly nodded at me, making my forehead creased in deeper confusion.


    I was about to follow up on the question when I instantly remembered something, making me


    understand her request.


    Of course...


    N fixes her hair every day and it''s always on ¡®pigtails¡¯.

 Chapter 22. Embraced

    Chapter 22. Embraced


    Legacy


    I am not careless.


    I was just a bit¡­ distracted.


    Yeah, that''s it. That''s the ultimate reason I coulde up with and in fact, it''s the most honest one I


    got.


    I could lie if I wanted to save my ass. Though, I won''t because this time, there''s no one to me but


    me.


    It was all my fault.


    After that phone call from Ms. Dawn ¡ª more like demanding me to deal with her mates who will be


    arriving this Wednesday, at the Hotel, to spend a holiday, I was quick to realize that I''m not holding any


    VIP invitation.


    I do recall setting it on a t surface, one I do believe was a storage cab. However, being


    preupied with the idea of answering the call, I never really paid much attention as to where I had


    ced the card.


    What''s worse about the situation ¡ª apart from not paying attention to what I was doing and miscing


    an important thing, specifically the VIP card ¡ª was the idea that I may haveid the envelope on one


    of those cabs.


    Not that I don''t like those fancy-looking entryway storages that hold most of the decorations of the


    house, it''s just that it''s also GOLD in color.


    That means, I have to have a keen eye to spot the thin ¡ª and also gold in color ¡ª invitation.


    However, before I could even finish inspecting all of the said cabs ¡ª I''ve only checked four, and it''s


    twenty in total ¡ª and thoroughly ransack each of them, evening came and I have to stop entirely since


    Mum asked for my assistance in cooking dinner for the whole family.


    I know I shouldn''t quit, and just keep my focus on what I was doing, but this is FAMILY and family do


    comes first on my list. This is why I allowed myself to be distracted ¡ª once again.


    The worries about the invitation, at the moment, were temporarily ignored¡­


    In the meantime, my priority is set on the big ss bowl in front of me. Slowly mixing a big batch of


    chicken sd while standing behind the kitchen ind.


    Of course, Mum left me with chores that are not too heavy ¡ª or should I say, not including the element


    of fire or the obligation of using a knife.


    Overprotection alert, I know. But I was too focused on my task to evenin.


    I was about done when a sudden realization dawned on me, slowly reminding me that it''s been a while


    since ourst proper meal together as a family.


    Two years to be exact.


    Our very first was when I was only neen. I just joined this wee gathering at the Hue Kingdom. It


    was one of those days of the year when newborns are named and given a title. It''s more like a


    christening. Though, instead of using holy water to baptized the child, it was more of tattoos for


    vampires and burned or carved marks for witches.


    As for a human like me?


    I was only given a new birth certificate ¡ª thought I got worst, huh?


    Anyway, after the ceremony and been titled as a ¡®Newly Bloom¡¯ ¡ª a rank in the mixed-race that


    represents newborns, there should be a big feast at the Hue Kingdom. However, being so new to the


    environment and culture, my family decided to celebrate at home which I was thankful for.


    Shockingly, when we arrived home, I discovered that it was my family''s first dinner together, as a


    WHOLE. So, I made it my mission to make sure that it was memorable enough to continue in the


    future.


    And boy it did¡­


    That night, we started conversing, sharing stories and when someone tried to tell a joke, a poor one if I


    may add, we all genuinelyughed. It was fun and that was the first time, ever since I stepped out of


    the castle, I really felt love and epted by somebody.


    Let alone, a family.


    It was something I was not used to, so having to experience it that night, made me believe that I am no


    different from them.


    That I am not just a nobody to thismunity,


    Like, I was born into their world¡­


    After that family dinner, more family dinners arose ¡ª like I said and much to my amusement then.


    Though, sadly, the tradition didn''tst long for everybody became busy with work.


    Having all of my brothers worked at the pce and totally live there, having my parents work at the


    pce and be home for a day, and having me work in a different industry from theirs, made things


    understandably harder to simply stay at home and be around the family.


    Every bit of bond that I could think of ¡ª things that we normally do before, became a total struggle to


    us now.


    That''s why everyone got all excited and enthusiastic when we finally set the date and time for such a


    reunion.


    And that is tonight.


    However, acknowledging that tonight will also be the night that Seth promised on announcing the


    secret, made me worried drastically.


    What if something bad happens?


    N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    I know I may sound rude at this part, but I don''t want anyone to ruin the whole family gathering tonight,


    regardless of how important or serious Seth''s information will be.


    I wished to be selfish.


    Besides, this will be our FIRST, after two years. There should be no problem.


    Well, it depends on who''s going to react violently then.


    Hopefully, not me...


    True that I may be a bit of an over-reactor myself once the issue involves my safety. But my response,


    it''s not like one of those frantic women''s reactions that include screaming and be hysterical for a whole


    minute.


    No, I''m not like that...


    I''m more on the calmer side, believe it or not. I am the kind of person that assesses her situation before


    giving out a proper reply.


    Though I do admit, I tend to overthink sometimes. Especially, if I felt a bit pressured or anxious at the


    event unfolding.


    Not to mention, I''m also this assuming-of-the-worse type, wherein if you were just referring to the view


    over the mountains, I''m more focused on the cliffs that would kill me once I step over its edges.


    Yeah, that''s all of me.


    Regardless, I know I have perfect control over my emotions. I make sure no negative feelings get the


    best of me unless it was necessary.


    So, why do I get the feeling that maybe I am the possible ¡®problem¡¯ to arise from tonight''s agenda?


    I internally scowled at myself.


    ¡°Lily? Can you pass me the pepper, please?¡± Mum instructed, snapping me out of my reverie.


    ¡°Oh, sure Mama,¡± I stated, quickly grabbing the tube from the spice cab that was near me and give


    it to her.


    ¡°Thank you, baby.¡± She sprinkled a few on the gravy she was nning on pairing with the roasted


    chicken. Then, with watchful eyes, Mum asked me, ¡°Is it just me or my pretty Lily in pigtails, seem


    heedless tonight?¡±


    I shot her a candid look, not understanding what she meant at first.


    ¡°Pardon, Mama?¡± I finally questioned.


    Mum paused her stirring on the pan, where the gravy was, and curiously eyed me.


    ¡°I mean, you look troubled baby. Is there something wrong?¡±


    Oh, she noticed now...


    Knowing I can''t conceal the overpowering havoc I was feeling, I decided to tell Mum ¡ª well, only a little


    bit of MY issue.


    ¡°It''s nothing extraordinary Ma, I just...¡± I paused and offered a sheepish smile at her, ¡°I miss this... The


    little moments, to be exact. It''s not like yesterday anymore, where we get to see each other four to five


    times a week, even if we were busy. Now, we only get to see each other for a day, or never. So yeah,


    I''m pretty much thrilled that this is finally happening.¡± I exined, trying my best to omit the part about


    Seth.


    Mum shed me her sweet smile; her teeth showing and her eyes were sparkling with joy.


    ¡°We all are child, thanks to you... You always brighten up our day, our little bubbly.¡± She dered with


    glee.


    I beamed after hearing that, appreciating how lucky I am to be part of such a wonderful family.


    And with that, I began to zone out¡­


    The fun, the love, and the care that they all gave me were pure unconditional, that it almost hurts.


    They know how different I am, how TEMPTING I am to be with from the start. Yet, they carry on to


    shower me with affection NO normal family ever does to aplete stranger in their household.


    Not to mention, their sacrifices for me. Particrly, the SELF CONTROL...


    That certain quality presently existing in their lives is not really considered part of their nature. They


    were born predators, and predators like them don''t just suppress their hunger once the prey is present.


    They kill at sight; that''s how their instinct works.


    So, to discipline themselves, to control their carnivorous side for them to not harm a mere human like


    me is extremely impressive.


    I just don''t know if I really deserve it though.


    Especially when I know, deep down, I was only an adopted child¡­

 Chapter 23. Raised by Fangs and Magic

    Chapter 23. Raised by Fangs and Magic


    Legaxy


    I guess it was already an obvious factor from the start ¡ª also mentioned it a few times ¡ª since I do


    have a mixed-race of Vampire and Witch for a family.


    And positively, you''ll find it hard to believe that a human actually exists in that mix, or even born from


    supernatural beings without actually being one.


    So rare¡­


    But unlike other adopted kids out there that were acquired because one family was childless or cannot


    bear a kid of their own, I was adopted because I was a NOBODY.


    ¡®You''re a nobody''s child, hija.¡¯ a voice, in my memory, reminded me.


    Without any warning, my harmless phasing out turned into a more serious condition; another one of my


    ¡®episodes¡¯ transpired.


    N?velDrama.Org is the owner.


    I felt myself go stiff as my brain started to spark up and began reying ¡ª recollecting ¡ª the days I


    first came to this ce. It was like an intense movie, ying from slow to fast-forward on a big screen


    in my head...


    I just watched breathlessly.


    FLASHBACK


    ¡®I don''t remember why I was walking. All I know was I need to get out from there, I need to leave that


    ce...


    Oh, oh civilization!


    I was already worn out and my feet were hurting. My dress was stained and I smell like shit...


    Now, I was walking inside this weird barricaded ce.


    I''m in the forest but why was this ce all fenced up, like it was a horse stable?


    Then, I heard snarls and grunts.


    I turned, I wish I didn''t, and saw a group of vampires and witches, all young-looking. However, what


    made me stilled on my spot was their faces, they were all hungry.


    Among them was Seth; he was hungry as well...


    Instantly, he pounced ¡ª


    ¡ª Fast forward.


    I was being dragged to a cell.


    The cell looked pretty clean and amodating. I could live here if they let me.


    But the ¡®King¡¯ and ¡®Queen¡¯ disliked my presence so I guess, I need to work on ¡ª


    ¡®Is she a spy? Or an ally?¡¯ I heard a male asked, interrupting my daydreaming.


    ¡®She''s neither.¡¯ a female answered.


    ¡®How can you say that?¡¯ the same male questioned.


    ¡®Well, if she''s a spy she should be fighting us to save her ass. And if she''s one of us, she should have a


    tattoo or markings¡­ she''s clean and very innocent.¡¯ the female exined.


    ¡®Useless too. She has no memories¡­ we checked. She''s basically a NOBODY, poor child.¡¯ another


    male announced, making me wince.


    I have no memories¡­ so that''s why they freed me after a week of confinement.


    However, they didn''t let me go.


    I heard them again, the guards I believe. They talked about me. They said the Kingdom decided to


    keep me, FOR GOOD...


    The sun was blinding when I got out of that cell. I was expecting to be left alone but they pushed me to


    this room.


    It was white, tiled, and clean; It looked more like an interrogation room with no tinted ss¡­


    Oh, voices. I heard voices ¡ª


    Two people caught my attention then. Both standing closed to each other; of course, a husband and a


    wife.


    I know because I saw love and admiration in their eyes whenever they made eye contact¡­


    The one I didn''t receive from ¡®him¡¯, I winced.


    The two then talked to me¡­ they are called the Dyme Family.


    The most honorable family in the kingdom in terms of Security ¡ª since the man works as the head of


    the Security department ¡ª and Health ¡ª thedy''s the head doctor of their hospital, the ¡®King¡¯ and


    ¡®Queen¡¯ exined.


    Yeah, them royals arrived a minute ago, asking how was I doing¡­


    Then, them royals ¡ª together with the ¡®Mixed Council¡¯, dered I was officially adopted.


    No, the Dyme couple said ACCEPTED¡­


    They wanted a NOBODY for a child¡­ weird couple.


    As we got out of that ce, the two mentioned that I should call them ¡®Mum¡¯ and ¡®Dad¡¯ starting that day.


    And they already had three boys¡­ soon to be my brothers.


    Brothers...


    A mom and a dad...


    I have a new life, they dered after ¡ª¡ª ¡¯


    ¡°Lily, are you alright baby?¡± I heard Mum asked,pletely snapping me out of my memory.


    Hurriedly, I breathe and blinked a few tears away ¡ªing from the headache, which was an


    aftermath of the recalls ¡ª before shing a lovely smile at her.


    ¡°Yes Mama, I''m fine.¡±


    Unconvinced, and knowing about the painful headache after my recollections, Mum shot me a worried


    look.


    ¡°Does it still hurt, when you remember?¡± She inquired cautiously while brushing my hair with her


    fingers.


    ¡°A little bit, but it''s not like before.¡± I lied, trying to sound convincing.


    I heard her sighed in relief. Then, she took her hand off of me and went back on the pan in front of her.


    Great! Another lie.


    Still, I don''t want her to dwell on it... I can handle this.


    ¡°Thank goodness for that. However, your brain should really stop doing that Lily.¡± She asserted with a


    frown, ¡°It''s giving me a heart attack every time you get into one of your ¡®episodes¡¯.¡± She added.


    ¡°Sorry Mama,¡± I offered another sheepish smile. Well, mostly to myself as the headache subsided, ¡°But


    I can''t help it, you know. It always wants to remind me how lucky I am, and that I should always be


    thankful to the people who adopt ¡ª ¡±


    ¡°Lily, please,¡± she warned, cutting me off, ¡°You know the restrictions when using that word.¡± She added


    sternly.


    ¡°But Mama, ¡± I argued which earned me a hard re from her.


    I immediately bit my lip.


    Mum, catching the action, let out another sigh. Then, her deeper shade of green eyes lovingly stared at


    me.


    ¡°You''re such a good girl Lily, and we all feel like it''s not fair if we acknowledge you like that.¡± Mum


    started, shing me a small smile, ¡°I know you don''t believe me when I say that you are worth it. But do


    trust me when I tell you that you belonged in this family, that you are a Dyme, Legaxy. You are


    PERFECT just the way you are so please,¡± she paused and touched my cheek again, ¡°don''t be too


    hard on yourself. You''ve proven yourself enough to us, child. That''s why, with all my heart, I am so


    proud to call you my human daughter.¡± She dered, engulfing me into a tight hug.


    Hearing that, I immediately felt emotional ¡ª and you should know by now I hate being sensitive in front


    of my family.


    Nevertheless, I never knew Mum was actually observing me so closely.


    And definitely, she hit all my delicate spots...


    As an adopted child, I always thought that I should do better at everything. That I should be formal and


    behave as an angel would.


    Not because I have to, but because I need to in order for my rtionship with my ¡®adopters¡¯ to be


    smooth.


    So, for three years, I did my best on improving myself. I strived to look and act properly; ensuring that I


    speak the words correctly, dress elegantly, and even made the effort to fix my walk ¡ª making sure I do


    that with a straight back.


    Just be a well-mannered kid; sensitive, careful, obedient¡­


    I know it''s too much, but at that time, I truly believe that it''s the only way of giving back to the family


    who epted me; seeing that being decent avoids problems and spares the old folks from headaches.


    Well, just a little bit...


    I''m first to admit that I''ve been involved with some ¡®minor¡¯ fights. Mostly about my adoption or existence


    in themunity, these past few years. Too bad for them bullies though, I''m a bit of a fighter myself


    and when needed, I''m fierce ¡ª I guess, that was already apparent a while back.


    So, I fought them back and eventually, won.


    Anyway, upon acknowledging everything, it does sound like a lot of work for just filling in the daughter


    role.


    But I never was the person who takes things for granted.


    No, I always work for it...


    Especially, earning a spot in their life, earning that RIGHT to be called as a DYME, is considered a big


    HONOR already.


    Primarily because the Dyme family is next in line to the royal throne. And to be shoved into that mix like


    I somewhat deserve it¡­


    It''s just too good to be true.


    That''s why I challenge myself. I made myself work to the point of exhaustion so I could reach their


    level, made myself function the right way to be the right person for the part.


    Like they did for me...


    Abruptly, in that second, Mum''s words recalled inside my head, halting me to fuss further.


    ¡®You are PERFECT just the way you are so please, don''t be too hard on yourself. You''ve proven


    yourself enough to us, child.¡¯


    I guess Mum is right.


    I was working hard ¡ª TOO damn HARD that I let myself be blindsided by the idea that I must be ready


    for the ¡®daughter position¡¯ as if it was work that I needed to do my utmost best so I can be qualified for


    it.


    But it should not be like that...


    Being a daughter to the Dyme family, it was no work, no role, no position¡­ it was simply a ¡®gift¡¯.


    A gift that I needed to ept because this was not an opportunity, to begin with, but a second chance


    at life¡­ Which is why Mum said I was perfect, that I was enough.


    ¡®That''s why, with all my heart, I am so proud to call you my human daughter.¡¯ Her voice reminds me


    again.


    Yes, I should im that...


    I already fit in as their Daughter,


    I already fit in as a Dyme...


    ¡°Thank you, Mama,¡± I mumbled, my voice wavering as I tried to hold back the gratitude tears from


    falling. ¡°I''m so blessed to have you guys in my life.¡±


    ¡°Oh Lily, you''re always, always wee.¡± She mumbled on my hair.


    I freed a little from the hug, enough space to see her looking at me in wonder since her long pause


    caused me to feel nervous.


    ¡°What is it, Mama?¡± I asked, curious about what she was thinking of then.


    Mum''s smile widened.


    ¡°I''m just wondering,¡± She started, brushing my ck hair with her fingertips, ¡°how lovely you turned out


    to be, knowing you are mostly flesh and bone. And to think that you have been raised by fangs and


    magic... Well, we must have done something right to get you here.¡± She mumbled with a chuckle while


    tucking away my hair on my left ear.


    I smiled my soft smile, thinking what she meant; A well-behaved human girl, raised by mischievous


    Vampires and Witches.


    My smile widened at the irony.


    ¡°Sure you all did Mama. You guys save me and I will be forever grateful for that.¡± I stated cheerfully,


    feeling myself blushing and almost crying.


    Mum hugged me one more time, her warmth swallowing me up.


    All of a sudden, I felt her aura changed as I heard her sniff.


    ¡°Oh dear, you should definitely stop inserting drama into every family bonding we held Lily, or you''ll


    make me cry like thest time. I hate that.¡± Mum said sternly, freeing herself from the hug, and red


    at me for a sec.


    I chuckled lightly.


    ¡°Sorry, Mama.¡±


    She sighed and look at me one more time. Remembering something, her wrinkled forehead grew


    smooth and her eyes be blurry from unshed tears again.


    ¡°But you should always remember that the day you became part of this family, was the best day of our


    life.¡± Mum started, a soft smile once again formed on her face, ¡°You know, I always wanted a daughter.


    I miscarriage four times after having Howard, that I had to stop conceiving to save my life. So seeing


    you that day, at the office chamber, gave me unending joy and I''m just very thankful then.¡± She paused


    and kissed my forehead, ¡°You are the love of our lives, our beautiful Legaxy Hailey Dyme.¡± she finished


    as she softly poked the tip of my nose.


    Now it''s my turn to sniff, feeling myself crying the gratitude tears now. But I managed to hold it as I


    direct my attention back to mixing.


    ¡°Okay, drama''s over,¡± I muttered, hastily wiping the tears that sessfully run down my cheeks.


    Mum nodded, giggling as she might have already noticed the stream of tears escaping my eyes.


    ¡°As you wish.¡± She said, getting back into stirring the gravy.


    ¡°Don''t you think this is too much, Ma?¡± I finally asked after a long pause. My eyes started scanning the


    cramped table.


    Four whole roast chicken were resting on the right side of the dinner table, while two bowls of mashed


    potatoes on the left. And there''s the big bowl of vegetable sd sitting in the middle.


    Not to mention, I still have these two bowls of chicken sd and Mum''s apple pie, three pans to be


    exact, that was baking away in the oven.


    Yup, this is TOO MUCH.


    Mum, seeing me disturbed, onlyughed.


    ¡°You do know your brothers'' appetite, Lily. Men as old as them have a higher metabolism, making them


    digest their food easily. That''s why they need plenty of food to satisfy them.¡± She exined.


    ¡°Oh,¡± I paused and wrinkled my nose, ¡°I just hope they don''t ask for seconds. We don''t have any


    reserves for each dish, you know.¡±


    Mumughed at that and was about to respond when we both heard car engines stopping in front of


    our house, followed by our front door swiftly opening. Then, big footsteps ran through the hallway and


    when I turn around to look at the entrance, I saw them...


    My brothers.

 Chapter 24. Wait a Minute

    Chapter 24. Wait a Minute


    Legaxy


    "Hailey!"


    "Flower!"


    Both Howard and Axel yell upon seeing me. Then, without another word, they started racing towards


    me.


    Frozen on my seat, I just watched them boyspete their way towards me. Until, it was Howard


    Martin Dyme, the big and muscr brother of mine, that got to me first.


    He quickly picked me up from the chair I was sitting in with one swift of his broad, firm arms and started


    spinning me around.


    "Oh my goodness! I have missed you so much, Hailey bear." He shrieked gleefully, still spinning


    around.


    "I miss you too, Howie," I muttered, a giggle came out of my throat.


    As he put me down and was about to greet me, Axel David Dyme - my tall and lean brother - popped in


    front of me and engulfed me into a long, bone-crushing hug.


    "Hey! I was here first!" I heard Howardin but Axel ignored him as he tightened his embrace


    around me.


    "I miss you, my little Flower. Haven''t you bloom so well and," he sniffed my hair, making me blush on


    his arms, "you still smell sweet... very, very sweet." He continued in a gentle, quiet tone.


    Why the nickname now?


    Since Axel sees me as a fragile and delicate sister, apart from the reason Mum calling me Lily, he


    thought it would be suitable to nickname me as ''Flower''.


    I know, too cute... Let those eyes roll.


    "I mi - miss you too Ax - Axel," I stuttered, trying to cool down my burning cheeks.


    Though, it wasn''t fast enough. Axel, after freeing himself from the embrace, chuckled when he caught


    sight of it.


    "Still hating thepliments, Flower?" He asked while gently caressing my redden cheeks.


    I swatted his hand away from my face.


    "No. Ju-just the sniffing," I replied shyly, my eyes averting his delicate stare.


    "Oh, just old habits." He chuckled again, "My apologies though." He''s now scratching the back of his


    neck.


    I smile upon seeing that.


    "It''s okay Ax. Just don''t do it again, please."


    He smirked.


    "I''ll try, Flower, I''ll try." He promised and gave me a quick kiss on the forehead.


    And there goes my blushing again.


    "Dude, stop! She''s getting red again." Howardughed while grabbing Axel on his cor, pulling him


    away from me. Then, in Axel''s ce, Howard stand and gave me a formal hug.


    "So, how''s my Hailey be - oh wow, you look cute in pigtails. Did Mum do this?" Howard asked, feeling


    him touching the braid.


    "Nope, I did," I respond casually.


    "Oh, and where did you learn that?" He inquired after releasing me from the hug. His eyes currently


    studying my face.


    The question, for some reason, caught me off guard, making my forehead wrinkled in question.


    "Actually, I don''t know. I just... well, I felt like I could do it. So, I did it and here it is." I slowly exined


    while touching my braided head.


    Listening to this, I noticed Howard giving Axel a bothered look which Axel returned with a concerned


    gaze.


    Then, both of them, at the exact same time, stared at me weirdly.


    "What?" I blurted out.


    "Hailey, don''t you think that unconscious act is part of your memory?" Howard cautiously spoke the


    words and when my silver-gray eyesnded on his cyan ones, I saw he was ufortable.


    "I''m" - I licked my lips - "unsure... I only felt it. Does that count?" I sounded uneasy now and my


    brothers noticed that.


    Axel, with one swift motion, pulled me into another hug.


    "Yes Flower, but don''t think too much about it." Axel whispered, "We just wanted to know if it''s still


    happening... the shbacks. Any episodes this past few days?" He asks, feeling his lips moved on top


    of my head.


    "Only one... happened today actually. But it''s the ''normal'' case." I told.


    "What about the not-so-normal ones?" I heard Howard queried.


    I lift my head from Axel''s chest to nce at Howard. He looks far more serious at the second, that if


    you took one look at him, you may think he was angry.


    "Nothing, for this month." I quietly replied, "Thest one transpired a month ago, with the same voice,


    the same scene in the woods... The same" - I gulped - "screams of pain." I added.


    They didn''t respond after that, increasing the tension I was feeling...


    Apart from the ''episode'' I had undergone a moment ago, there are others that I have no idea about.


    Others that I, honestly, don''t like recollecting.


    Not that it hurts to remember, it''s just unfamiliar memories to me. I can''t even tell if it''s mine or not...


    To make matters worse, I don''t even recall the time on how or the reason why I have this amnesia in


    the first ce.


    I just woke up one day and it''s there; I just have it.


    Odd?


    Very...


    "We are very sorry, Flower." Axel cooed, his blue-green eyes were apologetic. "We were just a bit...


    disturbed, that''s all. We mean you no harm." He added while tightening the hug.


    I only nodded my response and from there, Mum called the boys for help in setting the table.


    I didn''t miss Mum''s wink once the boys came to her side. As if saying she tricked them into doing the


    job and that I needed a break.


    Finally.


    I let out a sigh, feeling relieved since I didn''t just get away from the blushing andst-minute table set


    up, but also from the serious atmosphere, my brothers created from interviewing me about my


    unnerving shbacks.


    Mum knew how I felt for those recalls and as quickly as she can, she tries to avoid me from any


    conversation pertaining to that.


    And thank Goddess for that...


    All of a sudden, out of the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of Seth with Dad - both having a


    serious conversation while standing on the threshold of the room. Then from serious, Dad became


    upset while Seth became wary, which made my mind suspect something was wrong.


    Though I don''t know what it was - or if it was rted to me, because somehow their demeanor still


    looked calm and collected as their discussion continued.


    ''Must be a casual talk,'' I assumed.


    Shortly after, Seth caught my staring and shed me his signature full smile - the one that sparkles, like


    a diamond ring under a bright light. He then excused himself from Dad and approached me.


    Unlike the two boys, Seth only greeted me and we made small talks about our day - no, I didn''t tell him


    about the invitation being misced. It was my fault in the first ce, so - to redeem myself, I will be


    the one to search for it.


    Hopefully, I could find it...


    Then, when I was about to ask regarding the n on how to announce the truth to everybody, Mum


    called us for dinner.


    As expected, everyone talked to everybody during the meal. Allughing and chit-chatting to update


    each other about the missed time.


    I was barely participating in the conversations because one, I was more of a listener than a talker, and


    two, I just love watching everybody enjoying themselves.


    The boys didn''t give up on me though...


    They kept on asking me some random questions to make me talk until they came upon topics


    regarding my work. They were truly pleased with the sess of their attempt because I, eventually,


    opened up about my hotel industry life.


    "Hotel work sounds hard Hailey," Howardmented after a long discussion about the overall work I


    do at the resort.


    Not to mention the errands I fulfill for Ms. Dawn.


    "And brain wrecking too," Axel gently interjected. "Though, Flower, it never really urred to me that


    you have that kind of job; one that requires you to be a follower."


    I frowned at that.


    "Well, what did you expect a Personal Secretary does, Ax?"


    "Don''t take my words as a mock, Flower. Though, if it does sound like one, then I am sorry." He paused


    and sighed, "Yet, I did expect you in a higher position. One that allows you to lead and lets you make


    your own decision." He admitted.


    "I''m actually doing that, you know. It''s part of the responsibilities." I reasoned.


    "Still, you work under supervision," Axel argued.


    My frown deepened and was about to defy him when Mum interrupted us.


    "Okay, stop. You two" - she red at me, then Axel - "quit it. Not in front of grace." She stated sternly.


    Both of us instantly shut our mouths.


    "Still Ax, you should be d." Howard started after the short pause, "Hailey''s work sounds better,


    SAFER than the other jobs she has mentioned a while ago." He pointed out.


    "Howard''s right, Axel." Dad seconded, "You don''t want your sister to go through that task of getting into


    argument after argument with guests. Mainly, with them werewolf guests... pure headache son." He


    ended with a scoff.


    I eyed Dad after his deration and he made a fake innocent face as if asking me the ''what did I do''


    question - I could even hear it in Dad''s childish tone.


    Axel, on the other hand, was convinced and didn''t further question me.


    Even so, I got annoyed.


    "You guys are unbelievable." I finally muttered and they all startedughing at my sour face.


    Well, not all.


    I shifted my gaze at a troubled Seth.


    His absence in the conversation, let alone his anticipatedughter to my funny reaction, made me tilted


    my head in wonder. I was about to ask what was bothering him when Mum got to him first.


    "Seth, sweetheart, is something wrong?" Mum inquired, causing everybody else to quit theirughing


    and turned their puzzled gazes at Seth.


    My big brother didn''t say a word at first and me realizing it might be rted to the secret he was


    holding up to himself, I swallowed hard.


    Oh god, he''s gonna dere it... Though, would he truly?


    Particrly, in full details?


    Knowing Seth, he''s not really good at rying a whole message towards us. Most especially, one that


    is dangerous and involves the whole family or one of its members.


    He kinda has this quality that wants to keep the danger part to himself and tries to solve it quietly on his


    own. So, when you finally heard about the problem, it was already fixed.


    I know, and as I said before, he was bing selfish...


    Or just scared?


    With all eyes on him, he finally let out a heavy sigh and started speaking.


    Still thinking that he may be spilling the truth on the spot, I held my breath and listen attentively.


    "I''m sorry to say this but canine aggression is the least of our worries right now." Seth stated in a rough,


    husky voice, "We have rogue vampires and ck witches to address to."


    Oh.


    That was it.


    ''Okay, not the one I was expecting to hear,'' I thought to myself as I slowly exhale the held breath.


    Nheless, the air in the room became heavy as I caught a glimpse of Dad bing dead serious.


    He was always the cheerful one in the family and seeing him like this made me believe that the subject


    was far more important yet dangerous to ignore.


    Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.


    I gulped, while everyone else around me tenses up.


    "Is there anything that we can do at the moment, to stop them?" Dad consulted Seth; sounds like he


    knew already about the matter.


    ''Must be the casual talk I saw earlier,'' I thought once more.


    Seth, who was very uneasy at the second, shook his head in a NO.


    Dad sighed heavily.


    "The Vampire King and Witch Queen will not gonna like this news," Dad mumbled while pinching the


    bridge of his nose, a sign he was stressed out.


    Well, for a family like ours that solemnly swore to protect themunity in any way we can, who


    wouldn''t be stressed out about this?


    Especially when the issue was causing disarray on the Coexistence Law - aw that keeps the peace


    between mankind and supernatural beings.


    (The same rule being regted at the Mallow Hotel).


    So, if this continues, them rogue vampires and ck witches running around freely - causing mayhem,


    I will not be shocked if another wares out of this.


    I''m not a negative here, but seeing Seth and Dad''s reaction, there can be a possibility...


    Not to mention, with another war means another ticket for extinction for the mixed-race - a total


    ANNIHILATION.


    I swallowed hard at the idea.


    "I heard their numbers are adding up, making the neighborhood unsafe for everybody," Howard


    announced, making me cringe.


    "Stupid creatures. When will they ever stop?" Mum snarled.


    "I just don''t understand," Axel''s forehead wrinkled, "from all the time in the world, why now make a


    scene?" He throws the question directly at Seth, eyeing him.


    Seth stared back at him.


    "They heard about the Ball." He answered our brother, looking pretty upset. "They will be hunting at the


    asion and because it''s their season, expect a massacre to happen." His aura grew dark from here.


    "What?" I asked, rmed now. "No Seth, that''s not right. It can''t be... Does this mean will have to


    cancel the ball then?"


    Dad took my left hand, encouraging me a smile. "Afraid so princess. We can''t afford any casualties to


    take ce at the event."


    So from bad to worst...


    I bit my lip hard.


    Everyone around me became silent after hearing that, especially my brothers.


    In my head, I know it was for the best because we wouldn''t want anyone to be hurt but in return, my


    brothers - and all the REDless out there - will have to suffer. They will have to wait for the next ball to


    ur, which will be next year.


    Poor them.


    My eyes move around the table and one by one, I looked at my brothers'' faces. Just looking how the


    HOPE in their eyes faded, especially in Seth''s, shatters my heart.


    All I could think of then was them and how to help them...


    Though, how exactly am I going to do that since I don''t know anything about the RED matching?


    I don''t even know how it works.


    "The important thing we should focus on right now is how to keep things manageable and low key to


    avoid panic upon the residents. Not to mention, and the most important one is, how to stop this once


    and for all." Seth dered, sounding his signature Vampire husky, dark leader tone.


    Everyone nodded, except me.


    I was currently on a deep level of thought; busy pondering on the intensity of how serious this mess


    was, to the disappointment of the Ball being canceled, and to the point of finding solutions for each


    case.


    I know it is not my battle to fight, but I am thoughtful enough to offer my help because that''s how I am.


    That''s how I function as a human and the family knows that, that''s why they didn''t question my silence.


    So, I kept on deliberating with myself.


    I know there must be some kind of a way to address all of this.


    I just know...


    "Wait, " Axel announced, breaking the silence that engulfed us.


    All our attention snapped at him.


    He looks baffled as he nced at Seth, asking, "Why will they hunt at the Red Moon Ball when all the


    attendees there are Vampires and Witches? Do they meant suicide brother?"


    Upon hearing this, I noticed Seth''s jaw ticked, while the others looked dumbfounded.


    As for me, Ipletely wondered at the question.


    Axel has a point.


    If they want to hunt for food or a ritual sacrifice, they should rather go to a ce or event where


    HUMANS exist. They basically can''t do any of the feeding or rituals to their own kind, even if it means


    for survival -


    Wait a minute...

 Chapter 25. Human Trial

    Chapter 25. Human Trial


    Legaxy


    The Red Moonball is like any other mating ball in this world.


    Yes, it happens once a year, every year. And yes, it has the same goal of assisting mythical creatures


    in finding their other halves.


    The usual setting¡­


    Though, the difference with this particr ball is its concept, in which other species are not allowed to


    join.


    It is tradition for events like this to involve other people, particrly different kinds of existences, in


    order to have a higher chance of pairing.


    However, the mixed-race, knowing how unpredictable they are, choose to ignore the belief and decided


    to keep it for themselves.


    Not to be selfish or strict now, but to be SAFE ¡ª For others'' sake, to be precise...


    Not to mention, they are a PROUD race. They make sure their generations consist only of PURE


    breeds.


    No hybrids, or so they believed.


    N?velDrama.Org is the owner.


    So when Axel questioned the attendance part ¡ª indicating that the ball should be a Vampire and Witch


    party ONLY,


    Then connecting it to what Seth mentioned earlier about the rogue vampires and ck witches'' hunting


    season,


    And me realizing that it should be HUMANS that needed to be hunted,


    My eyes widened like saucers.


    It can''t be...


    But why?


    The pce knew how tempting the mortal race is. That''s why they figured it would be smart enough to


    ban them to the ball.


    And for what?


    Since prey is prey. Surely, inviting one to the asion could cause an uproar, or worse, a war ¡ª and


    wars are not really a good thing right now.


    Then, all of a sudden, I recalled Cayden''s words, reminding me of how real and possible my


    assumption was.


    So Humans, my race, THEY will be attending the Red Moonball¡­


    My breath hitched at the thought.


    I was about to speak my mind out when Howard beat me to it, exining, ¡°Axel has a point. Those


    ¡®pests¡¯, even if impulsive, are not that stupid to go to a battlefield knowing there is no conflict.¡±


    ¡°True, they are careful and strategic beings.¡± Dad nodded his head, ¡°But they wanted to HUNT, at the


    Red Moonball? They do realize the ce will be filled by us once they get there, right?¡±


    ¡°Love, it''s hunting season.¡± Mum, turning to her right to face Dad, reminded gently. ¡°Surely, the ¡®pests¡¯


    will not mind if their hunting ground was packed or not. They only wished to feed and cause mayhem...


    That''s all they seek.¡±


    Dad growled after hearing that.


    ¡°But it''s a foolish move, Love. A wasted effort. They know every time they strike, they will lose. Yet,


    they keep on going. Like dying was some kind of a game for them.¡± He paused and stared at Mum,


    ¡°They were once our brothers and sisters¡­ it''s just annoying that instead of giving us a chance to cure


    them, they taunt us back. Insult us, in a manner of choosing death over family.¡± He ended, pinching the


    bridge of his nose.


    Mum let out a quiet sigh.


    ¡°That''s their fault and not ours, Jacob.¡± She ced her hand on Dad''s chest, ¡°Don''t think too much


    about it. Okay?¡±


    Dad only nodded while stroking Mum''s hand on his chest. Then, the two started ogling at each other.


    Howard had to clear his throat, twice, to break our parents'' moment.


    Thankfully, the two didn''t mind and went back to eating.


    The rest of us followed.


    ¡°I just can''t believe we don''t have any leads as to why they wanted to ambush at the ball.¡± Howard


    started after a long pause, ¡°There''s nothing there to pique their interest,¡± he added and took a bite of


    his roasted chicken.


    ¡°I think ¡ª ¡± was all that I could say before Axel interrupted me.


    And I''m like, seriously?


    I frowned.


    ¡°Which takes me back to my point.¡± Axel snapped, sounding furious now.


    For a sweet guy, and never have I seen this side of him, Axel looks very dangerous when mad making


    me flinched.


    Note to self; always be on his good side¡­


    ¡°If this is about survival, then it''s not us who''s being chased here. It''s somebody else, and that, right


    there, confuses me.¡± He pauses and wrinkles his forehead in pure concentration.


    Then, with a lick to his lips, Axel continued.


    ¡°The pce does not allow other people, primarily mortals, toe to the ball. So why are those


    ¡®pests¡¯ finally decided toe to the ball? On that specific day? What do you guys think draws them to


    HUNT at the event?¡± He queried, sounding almost intrigued and worried at the same time.


    The space became dead silent then; all must be contemting on what Axel just voice out.


    As for me, agreeing that my assumption stays an assumption, I lowered my eyes to our marble table


    and took a sudden interest in my half-eaten te.


    Midway of eating my sd, Dad spoke.


    ¡°Now that reminds me, I actually got this notice regarding a new race joining the ball.¡± He announced,


    killing the silence that devoured the room.


    Hearing this, Howard choke on his chicken while Axel on the water he was currently drinking.


    Mum, on the other hand, snapped her attention at Dad, almost ring at him.


    Seth?


    He remained quiet. Too quiet...


    I didn''t even remember his presence if it weren''t for my sudden headcount.


    ¡°New race? What new race?¡± Howard immediately inquired after drinking the water I had offered him.


    ¡°Humans, that''s the new race.¡± Seth finally uttered, and when I shifted my gaze to look at him, he was


    already looking at me.


    I felt myself go stiff then and there.


    Not because of his stare now, but because of his statement; he just unintentionally confirmed to me


    that HUMANS ARE ATTENDING THE BALL.


    Shit!


    Still, even if I already had an idea about this, I trembled in my seat. While everybody else, who was not


    expecting that, looked shocked.


    ¡°WHAT!¡± Both Howard and Axel screeched.


    Seth, quite amused, raised his perfect eyebrow at the two.


    ¡°You heard me right. Humans will be attending the ball this year, well next year. Thanks to the hunting


    season.¡± Seth confirmed, sounding nonchnt.


    ¡°But, ¡± Howard started.


    ¡°Why?¡± Axel finished the question.


    ¡°Two words, Human Trial,¡± Seth replied, earning confused faces from us ¡ª and I mean, ALL of us.


    ¡°Human¡­ Trial¡­¡± Dad ¡ª who I believe just got out of his shock ¡ª finally spoke, his tongue rolling like


    the word was in a foreignnguage.


    ¡°Care to borate, sweetheart?¡± Mum asked while sitting up straight on her chair.


    Seth nodded at her and one by one, he shot us a knowing look; It''s storytime.


    Everybody made themselvesfortable on their seat and seeing that we are all situated, Seth began


    speaking.


    ¡°To start, let me do a little history lesson first.¡± Seth started and crossed his arms in front of his chest,


    ¡°Three years ago, before the war between the werewolves, the Hue Kingdom encountered a problem.


    This problem revolved around the RED''s difficulty in breeding. And seeing that it was a big issue, the


    elders of the mixed council started questioning our race''s future.


    With this, and being determined on saving the bloodline, the Hue Kingdom step in to work. It took them


    half a year to find the right ways to resolve the conflict.


    For whoever knows what kind of solutions they havee up with and used, our species started to


    sessfully thrive once more. It was small in numbers though.


    Still, it was good enough to keep the generation going. Well, not until three yearster ¡ª the time after


    the war, and happens to be this year, the same old crisis urred. But this time, it''s far worse because


    ¡ª ¡±


    ¡°WORSE! What do you mean worse?¡± Howard interrupted, he sounded troubled.


    ¡°The red match count dropped.¡± Seth bluntly responds, frowning at him ¡ª Big brother hates disruptions


    when he''s talking, ¡°Before, we can reach eight out of ten or even a perfect ten ¡ª with or without the


    formted solution.


    Now, we only get two out of the ten, even with the same procedure and solution used three years ago.


    We don''t know why but we assume that the case is rted to the recognition of the new breeds ¡ª


    specifically, the hybrids.


    Not that we could me them for their existence but it does reduce the chances of finding a pair.


    Hybrids tend to block the scent of the pure breeds, making the REDless confused and somewhat,


    mislead.


    Nheless, the situation was disturbing. Especially, when the elders spoke about how our figures


    decreased this past nine months... We are at our lowest, two percent to be exact. That''s almost two


    childbirths every four years.¡± He exined, his frown turned into a scowl now.


    ¡°So you are saying that we''re probably endangered, brother?¡± Axel straightforwardly asked, worry was


    evident in both his face and voice.


    ¡°No. Well, not yet but we''re slowly getting there. Yet, we do have a n.¡± Seth turned his attention to


    me, ¡°Do you remember what I promisedst Monday, boo?"


    ¡°Yes, ¡± I chirp through my confusion, ¡°you promised to tell me the reason behind your guarding duty.¡±


    Seth only nodded.


    Others look perplexed as to what we are talking about.


    But before anyone could even inquire or proceed, I quickly fired questions at Seth ¡ª mostly inquiries


    as to why I was involved and the reason behind the job.


    me the long wait I''ve experienced from Seth; I just wanted this to be done and over with.


    ¡°Boo, slow down.¡± Seth interrupted my grumble as he chuckles. ¡°One topic at a time, please. And


    before you ask another question, made sure I had already answered the previous one. Got it?¡± He


    added.


    I frowned at him but nodded my head in agreement.


    Satisfied with my reaction, Seth proceeded with his ¡®lesson¡¯.


    Hopefully, my answers are next¡­


    ¡°After the failed attempts, the Hue Kingdom decided to search for another way to solve the breeding


    problem.¡± His crossed arms made their way to the table and then he rxes there, ¡°That''s how the


    ¡®Human Trial¡¯ was born. It''s the same procedure with the RED matching, only more choices since¡­¡±


    All Seth was saying was falling into deaf ears now because my mind went numb the second I heard the


    word, ¡®Human Trial¡¯.


    It didn''t help either when fleeting ideas about the invitation, Seth''s confirmation about Human


    attendees, Red Moonball, mixed-race breeds, Cayden''s words, and the new process they call Human


    Trial swirled inside my brain.


    Calcting, processing all their connection¡­


    And then, like a snap of a finger, I got it.


    I gasped.


    ¡°You will be using humans as part of your breeding process, aren''t you?¡± I asked Seth, sounding more


    concerned than curious.


    My big brother stared at me, surprised by either my quick thinking or my tone. And then, recovering


    from his astonishment, he nodded.


    ¡°Yes, that''s why the Hue Kingdom invited the humans to join the ball, to increase the chances of getting


    matches. Especially the long-term REDless, which includes me.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± was all my response.


    ¡°Your quick, Boo. I thought I need to exin that further.¡± Sethpliments.


    I could only shrug.


    ¡°Not to hurt your feelings brother, but isn''t it all too dangerous?¡± Howard protested, ¡°I mean, hello,


    humans are PREY and we are PREDATORS. That kind of rtionship is not really symbiotic in nature,


    you know.¡±


    Well that, I didn''t think further¡­


    Seth was about to respond when Mum cut him off.


    ¡°Actually Howard, sweetheart, that non-symbiotic rtionship you''re talking about might change once


    you get into the process.¡± Mum said and I caught a glimpse of her smiling at Dad, ¡°You see, when you


    get to meet your RED, you instantly feel this pull towards them, telling you that she''s your other half.¡±


    ¡°And when you get to face them, or even the slightest to touch them, a glimpse of your future with her


    will explode inside your brain, and that would seal the deal for you. The rest will be natural phenomena


    such as falling in love, beingfortable with each other, the chemistry¡­ things like that.¡± Dad


    exined, smiling like a fool at Mum.


    ¡°But the most powerful aspect of the pull that you will feel is the urge to PROTECT. No questions or


    second thoughts, just protect. So if this means the same for the humans, then I can guarantee their


    safety around our kind.¡± Mum, once again, described and good thing the two of them stopped drooling


    at each other.


    I quietly sighed.


    ¡°Of course, you can''t kill what you love.¡± Howard simplified in understanding.


    Mum nodded at that, the rest did the same while I happen to have been fascinated by the exnation.


    So that''s how RED matching works...


    ¡°But wait, ¡± Axel''s eyes went directly to Seth, ¡°what''s it got to do with Flower then and why you, among


    all people, guarding her?¡±


    I paused, almost forgetting that part of the story. However, instead of paying attention to Seth''s


    answers, my senses instantly concentrated on the intention of absorbing ¡ª much like savoring ¡ª all


    the information I heard.


    So Humans at the Red Moon Ball, huh?


    Hopefully, they will be safely partnered with either a Vampire or a Witch, as Mum and Dad had


    dered. Then, their role on helping the mixed-race breed and multiply.


    But would that mean hybrids then?


    Though I honestly can''t picture how breeding would be for Humans, but that''s good. Surely, the mixed-


    race will avoid another extinction issue...


    Yeah, Humans, once they considered prey, are now the main key to save their race...


    Ironic.


    Humans...


    HUMANS?


    Wait.


    But,


    I''m¡­


    HUMAN, too...


    My heartbeat quickened and I felt a shiver run down my spine as the realization hit me, HARD. I quickly


    stood up from my chair out of horror, while making everyone around me shot me a fearful look.


    ¡°Lily, what''s wrong?¡± Mum asked, hurrying to my side.


    ¡°Don''te near me, please, ¡± I said, voice shaking. I held a hand to stop her in time ¡ª I don''t want to


    be touch in any way for now.


    I then pressed my palm on my forehead, feeling something wet bothering me there, and when I check


    the hand, it was cold sweat.


    No, not now...


    I frantically scanned the table to search for ¡®him¡¯, but he was not there. Only the others, who were


    looking upset with me.


    Truly, they would look like that with this kind of behavior for I never did this, well not in front of them. But


    the need to know made me proceeded on searching the face that I wanted to see.


    I made a few frantic steps away from the table and when I turned, I saw him finally beside me.


    His green eyes were full of worry and he was holding me, steadying my weak posture. I then notice


    myself shaking uncontrobly.


    ¡°Tell me, ¡± I swallowed hard, my mouth was dry but it doesn''t matter for I have to continue ¡ª I wouldn''t


    let a panic attack stop me from asking, ¡°am I part of the ball?¡±


    I don''t know if it was loud enough for Seth to hear but I did felt his body stiffened around me. Then,


    without a word, he reluctantly nods to answer the question.


    Instead of a gasp, a whimper came out of me.


    I''m like, WHY?


    I should have never been naive about this, never thought that I would be an exception.


    But can you me me? Especially when I lived my life under a roof full of mythical creatures? Making


    me feel like one of them.


    Still, I should have known better... Should have been more aware.


    Even so, I will be part of the Red Moon Ball...


    I guess being invited to the Lion''s Den is Seth''s reason for guarding me.


    Of course, I''m his sister...


    Guarding me is not because he''s some kind of an elite member of the security team, but because he


    was my brother.


    He genuinely wanted to protect me...


    I understand everything now, making me so dizzy that before I could even think straight, the darkness


    consumed me.


    Making me faint then and there...

 Chapter 26: Corona

    Chapter 26: Corona


    Michael Angelo


    The party didn''t end well.


    For me, exactly...


    I didn''t know what got into me but by the time I couldprehend what I was doing, all of the guests


    inside the ballroom were already cowering from me.


    Like I was somewhat the DEVIL who came for their souls...


    The same goes with my family, and how I despised myself after. Especially, seeing my sweet baby


    sister, Blessy, cry out of horror; it was her first time seeing me like that.


    As for my men ¡ª even if all were terrified of me at that moment, they still kept on dragging me out of


    the pce. All were pleading for me to cool off the rage I was feeling by running around the territory.


    Even in my fury stage, I heeded their request and left the mansion.


    I knew, the minute I shifted and Bear''s paws thundered inside the forest floor, that I turned


    BLOODLUST again.


    I know it was stupid of me to let myself do it, to let my animal instinct take over and ruin the ball.


    But what could I have done better discovering that there was a shrine of ¡®her¡¯, disyed on the throne


    where she was supposed to sit on?


    Yes, a memorial shrine¡­ for myte mate.


    My lovely Mother thought it was a great idea to do that, believing that it would give me the best of luck


    in finding the ¡®second chance mate¡¯.


    Sure, a memorial shrine serves that way ¡ª note the cold sarcasm.


    Nheless, what made me see red was the notion that the shrine was also a way to give respect to


    N since I will be letting her go once I found a new mate.


    Bullshit!


    N?velDrama.Org is the owner.


    That purpose, aside from being ridiculous, almost sounded like an insult.


    And that, instinctively, triggered me¡­


    All I could think of then was the desire to KILL.


    It didn''t help when Bear heard the reasons from Mom and instead of approving her work, he went


    apeshit; almost ughtered two of our guards that were standing beside the thrones.


    Thankfully, the said incident ended.


    Two hours ago, to be specific...


    After running for an hour and the other hour, hunting ¡ª don''t ask, Bear and I finally came to our


    senses.


    Furthermore, calmed down.


    Currently, I''m just leaning against the round pirs of the mansion''s verandah, feet nonchntly


    nted on the edge of the marble banister while my arms are crossed in front of my bare chest.


    I already showered and was wearing only my sweatpants. I thought that doing so could help me feel


    refreshed, stable.


    You know, get my head a bit clearer...


    However, to my dismay, I felt the other way around.


    I felt horrible.


    Numb¡­


    My mood was low and I was simply¡­ lifeless.


    The hollow that is inside of me, the one I was ustomed to sensing, still felt heavy and even with the


    earlier outburst, the empty feeling didn''t go away like it used to be.


    Instead, it grew; taking all the space of what''s left of my chest.


    I ced my hand on where I felt the void, which was on the area where my heart is. The heart''s


    beating there, but too faint for me to even appreciate.


    I sighed.


    This was serious and maybe Lucky was right¡­


    Maybe I was mentally ill and with that kind of episode that urred hours ago, I couldn''t help but


    believe that I was starting to lose it.


    Myposure,


    My control,


    My HUMANITY¡­


    It feels like I''m hanging on a thin thread, walking on thin ice. And just one more snap from me, one


    more step, then I''ll be a ¡®rogue¡¯.


    A cold, mindless demon that kept people inside their homes...


    No!


    Let''s not go there... Not yet.


    I know what I am capable of, I know that I can handle this¡­ I''m still sane.


    Besides, I still have a reason to live.


    I have packs to protect,


    A Kingdom to govern,


    People to strengthen,


    And lives to nourish...


    All that and add my family to the mix, then I could say it is all worth it. That this miserable life still has its


    joys, and that I''m still blessed to see and enjoy it.


    Yep, I still have work to do here...


    I let out a quiet sigh of exhaustion while I kept my gaze in the distance.


    Suddenly, out of the corner of my eye, I caught a movement.


    Among the shadows of my bedroom walls, I could make out a figure which was slowly creeping beside


    me.


    My senses, realizing I was active, became alert and my fight reflex turned on once again.


    Certainly, one wrong move from this person, and I could break his neck without thinking twice about it...


    However, as aware as I was, I patiently waited for the figure toe closer. When it emerges a few


    feet away from the darkness ¡ª giving me only a hint of its broad silhouette, I came to realize that I


    know who it was.


    Not to mention, when a gust of wind entered through my door and out of the verandah, the familiar


    scent of musk and wood invaded my nose, confirming my assumption of whom the individual was.


    Though after what happened earlier at the ball, and feeling upset because of the mess I made, my


    mood quickly dampened making me scowl.


    I then choose to dismiss him and went back to my silent peering over the horizon.


    It didn''t take long before I felt the presence getting closer to me. When my eyes shifted back to look at


    him, he ¡ª at that exact time ¡ª steps out of the shadows and into the light, which the moon was


    providing at the moment; it''s a full moon tonight.


    And there, striding confidently towards me, was my brother.


    Miguelito Amadeus Cane, the second born and at neen years old, looks like a fully matured man.


    It was normal for Alpha males like us to developed fast, both mind and body. And at his age, it''s already


    considered maturity time.


    Still, I could not believe how fast time flies and that my once baby-faced brother looked so manly right


    now.


    His body took the change a bit further though, looking too broad for his age. Too muscr that you''ll


    believe he was working out religiously just to get that body.


    Aside from that, did I also mention how handsome thed was?


    He looks a bit like me; with ck hair, a square jaw, and a pointed nose. The only difference was the


    eyes since he was on the darker shade of brown ¡ª like our Dad''s ¡ªpared to my lighter hazel


    ones.


    Let''s just hope that with those looks, he''s not a heartbreaker like me or a yer like our other brother,


    Benedict ¡ª the third born¡­


    Shortly after, without any greeting, Miggy leaned himself against the marble pirs ¡ª the one facing


    mine. He then reached up to me, shoving me a bottled drink.


    ¡°Thought you might need one.¡± He murmured and took a sip of his beverage which he was holding on


    the other hand.


    I didn''t reply and just epted the drink from him.


    ¡°You know I don''t drink beer.¡± I finally stated when I saw the brand ¡ª Corona, earning a re from him.

 Chapter 27. Indecisiveness

    Chapter 27. Indecisiveness


    Michael Angelo


    I don''t drink.


    But once I do, I wanted my beverage to be heavy or strong.


    Sometimes fancy¡­


    ¡°There''s no wine, nor Scotch, brother.¡± He took another drink from his bottle, ¡°Jack Daniels all gone too,


    and don''t ask what happened to the champagnes¡­ messy story for you. You''ll get bored.¡± he added


    with a shook of his head as if discarding the memory from his mind.


    And there goes my hope... I guess today, I won''t have any.


    I only shrug my shoulders at him and drank my liquor.


    Immediately, the cold brew hit me like cold water on a hot summer day, rxing every tense muscle I


    didn''t know I still have at the moment.


    Finally rxed, I let out another sigh.


    Miggy smirked.


    ¡°You''re wee.¡± He announced.


    I rolled my eyes.


    He didn''t remark any further and there was silence then.


    I was about to ask him what he was doing here when he beats me to it, saying, ¡°Mum asked for you.¡±


    Hearing that, my once rxed expression promptly darkened.


    ¡°You should know by now, brother that I''m in no mood to talk to our Mother.¡± I took another sip and my


    jaw clenched at the memory of the shrine, ¡°Tell her I''m busy,¡± I added coldly.


    Miggy only snorted.


    ¡°Busy with what? Scanning the forest floor in the DARK, while standing in the railing like a gloomy


    phantom? Sure, I''ll do that.¡± He mocked.


    I raised a challenging eyebrow at him.


    ¡°Says who, who just stepped out from the shadows of my room.¡± I simply retort.


    He stopped midway on drinking his liquor and narrowed his eyes at me.


    ¡°I guess that makes the two of us,¡± he told.


    I rolled my eyes again at him.


    ¡°Seriously speaking though, Mom wanted to speak with you. And sensing you''re gonna be like this,¡±


    pointing me and the banister ¡ª referring to me on wanting to be alone, ¡°she made me deliver the


    message to you. She says, and I know you know by now, how sorry she was with building that shrine¡±


    ¡ª I growled ¡ª ¡°but it was meant for good reasons, Mikee. She didn''t mean to disrespect you or hurt


    your feelings.¡±


    ¡°It''s not me, Miggy she disrespected. It''s N!¡± I snapped.


    My brother sigh out of exasperation and was about to say something when I shot him a death re,


    interrupting him.


    ¡°Get out.¡± I coldly ordered.


    He looked up at me, surprised and after just a blink, it turned into a more curious gaze.


    ¡°But you didn''t know what I was gonna say,¡± He argued.


    ¡°I know you too well, Miguelito Amadues.¡± I paused and took a drink, ¡°You''re like Mom... Always have


    excuses, exnations. You both will do anything to rationalize, to make me believe that everything will


    be okay when it''s not.¡±


    He didn''t say a word, so I continued.


    ¡°You know this is hard for me, Miggy. I didn''t just lose a big part of my life, but also half of my soul.¡± I


    ran a hand over my hair, annoyed by the raw emotion building inside my chest, ¡°She was my future,


    brother. She was my everything and I just let that slipped through my fingertips. For what reasons? I


    don''t know anymore.¡±


    Another moment of silence came between us until I heard him sigh again ¡ª and this time, it was out of


    pure sadness.


    ¡°It isn''t just your wolf then.¡± He finally dered, eyes staring from a distance.


    I nced down at him, dumbfounded.


    He noticed and positioned himself in the banister, body leaning forward while his arms resting on the


    marble structure.


    ¡°The guys told me about Bear''s hallucinations. I thought it was just him, being affected and all since I


    saw how you treated N before for being fat and human...¡±


    I winced upon hearing that but didn''t say anything ¡ª too hurt to defend myself.


    Miggy saw and shot me an apologetic smile.


    ¡°Sorry, I didn''t mean to sound arrogant¡­¡± he cautiously eyed me, and seeing I''m in control, he


    proceeded, ¡°Believing you were okay, I just thought that you were just being indecisive, too confused to


    determine your second chance mate at the balls.¡± He paused and sips thest drop of his beer.


    He then ced the empty bottle beside him and from there, he shot me a serious look.


    ¡°Now, after listening to you, I realize that you''re too broken to fix, brother, and the fancy balls were just


    a waste of time.¡± He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair, ¡°Look, you need time to heal. A very


    long time, so I suggest that you give yourself a break.¡± he ends his sentence and turned to leave.


    I furrowed my eyebrows at him.


    ¡°Break?¡± I asked, perplexed.


    He paused and turned back to gaze at me.


    ¡°Yeah, a break¡­ like a vacation,¡± he exined.


    Oh.


    That would be nice¡­


    However, thinking about the duties I need to fulfill this month, I shook my head in a NO.


    N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    Miggy rolled his eyes.


    ¡°Don''t worry about the obligations, the boys and I finished it ahead of time. You''ll be free for a month.¡±


    ¡°What? But¡­how?¡± I inquired, stunned.


    He shrugs his shoulders.


    ¡°I guess, I just know you too well, Michael Angelo.¡± he mimics my tone from before, earning augh


    from me.


    I step down from the banister and gave him a bro hug.


    ¡°Thanks, brother.¡±


    ¡°Don''t mention it. You deserve it, you know.¡±


    I nodded on his shoulder and freed myself from the hug.


    I was about to dash out from the room to ask the Elders for my holiday when Miggy called my name


    again.


    I turn around and was just in time for him to hand me out an envelope. I took it from him, confused.


    He motioned for me to open it, which I did and was further uncertain when I saw a bunch of vouchers


    clipped in one ce.


    ¡°What''s this?¡± I asked him.


    ¡°Vouchers.¡± he replied in a ¡®duh¡¯ tone.


    I rolled my eyes once again.


    ¡°I know that, but for what?¡± I rified.


    ¡°For your vacation... I, uh, bought too much.¡± He said, scratching the back of his neck.


    I raised an eyebrow at him.


    ¡°What?¡± He frowned, ¡°The promo was only half-priced, I couldn''t help myself.¡± he added, sounding


    defensive.


    I could only shake my head out of amusement as my brother turned red from embarrassment. I then


    took my leave to get to the meeting room, where I had asked the Elders to assemble.


    Miggy followed, still exining his reason for how and why he got the coupons.


    I ignored him, trying to stifle myughter.


    Then, while we were walking, I took quick notice of the name of the hotel where we will be dwelling.


    I''m not really familiar with the ce, since I never really visited the western side of our region ¡ª the


    beachside it is.


    All I know is that a 5-star hotel resides there. It was said to be the greatest,ing from my pack


    members who stay there once or twice a year for their mate hunting.


    Not to mention, the only hotel existing too¡­


    ¡°Mallow Hotel¡­¡± I couldn''t help but whisper.

 Chapter 28. Shocking News?

    Chapter 28. Shocking News?


    Legaxy


    ¡°I don''t think that''s really necessary, Mama,¡± I said while cautiously eyeing the red lipstick on her left


    hand.


    Mum rolled her eyes, knowing I was just saying that to dy her task of putting color on my lips.


    She knows I don''t like to do make-up. Never wore one, not even once, and never will I try ¡ª well, not


    until now...


    ¡°Just a little more baby¡­ you''re much paler than I thought.¡± Mum shoved the stick closer to my face


    which I sessfully dodged.


    ¡°Mama, I think it''s just the room''s lighting that makes me look paler ¡ª ¡±


    Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Oh, hush child.¡± Mum interrupted with a frown, ¡°It''s just a teensy bit,e on. Let Mama do her work


    on getting you pretty.¡± she disputed.


    She then grabbed my chin, making my eyes widened in horror.


    ¡°Mama, no!¡± I shrieked, quickly turning my head in her grip to avoid the uing lipstick.


    Thankfully, it hit only my cheeks and since it was just a dab, it didn''t ruin the whole look.


    But before I could sigh a relief, I heard Mum growled out in pure annoyance.


    ¡°Legaxy Hailey Dyme!¡± She eximed, letting go of my chin, ¡°DO NOT test my patience youngdy or I


    swear to God, you''re going to leave this house without any make-up on¡± ¡ª I beamed at that which


    earned me a re from her ¡ª ¡°and without us.¡± She finishes her warning, making my smile drop.


    ¡°You wouldn''t dare...¡± I muttered, terrified at the idea of going to an event ALONE.


    Mum saw my scared expression and instead of being bothered by it, she only smirked at me.


    ¡°Try me,¡± she challenged, crossing her arms in front of her chest.


    I stared at her for a moment, trying to look for any indication that she was just joking, that she didn''t


    mean what she had just said a second ago.


    But then again, I realized, this is Mum.


    Her words of contests and defiance are hidden warnings ¡ª that will make you worry about what you


    will do or say next to her, while her simple smirks and innocent tauntings are silent threats ¡ª that you


    should really take seriously before it''s toote.


    Fortunately, I am familiar with all of that, making me smart enough not to fight back.


    So, as a sign of defeat, I slowly nodded my head at Mum, motioning for her to proceed with her work


    on coating my lips.


    She shed a triumphant smile at me and just like that, she stained my lips with the mentioned


    cosmetic.


    As I felt the sticky wax spreading on my full lips, I let out a loud groan of irritation on Mum''s hand.


    Why such an innocent bar of color be so heavy on the lips?


    And I thought these fake eyshes mixed with the eyeliner and eyeshadows were far heavier than the


    rest of the make-up setup.


    Mum, on the other hand, ignored my noise of difort and solely focused on the task on hand. When


    she was done, she lifted my chin up and gently move it from side to side, carefully inspecting my face


    for any signs of imperfections or ws.


    Once satisfied, FINALLY, she set down the lipstick on my drawer and took a soft tissue to clean the


    small dot of wax from before on my right cheek.


    Then, she firmly ordered me to stay still for she will be doing my hair now.


    I did as told and ordingly, kept quiet.


    I know, by now, a lot of you are wondering why my Mum is dolling me up.


    Well, would you be shocked if I told you that the Red Moonball ¡ª as we all believed to be canceled ¡ª


    was ordered to resume, or more like voted to continue?


    I guess you would be.


    But what really shocked me to the core, making me faint once again, was the information that it was


    because of ME why the ball had to begin again.


    Did you faint too?


    Not yet?


    Oh, okay... Maybe it is just me.

 Chapter 29. Green

    Chapter 29. Green


    Legaxy


    Anyway, back to the breaking news.


    Honestly speaking, at first, I thought the deration was just a sick joke from Dad since for almost


    three days ¡ª after the night I fainted, we ¡ª as a family, were so focused on nning on how to keep


    the neighborhood safe from the hunting season.


    Seeing how big the damage would be and estimating how many lives will be at stake, the Department


    of Defense ¡ª together with the Department of Health of the Hue Kingdom ¡ª solidified the decision of


    suspending the said ball, even if it was hard on the REDless so that we could solely concentrate on


    protecting themunity.


    But with just one plea.


    Yes, you heard me right...


    With just one request to continue from the Mixed Council ¡ªafter they have learned of my attendance at


    the ball, which was clearly odd ¡ª and everything we plotted on defending both people and property


    goes to waste.


    Ridiculous?


    Definitely.


    Dangers are lurking everywhere, threats are currently existing, and death tolls will be at their highest


    when the ball continues to operate.


    Yet, thy majesties still agreed to it?


    Without even questioning it?


    N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    It''s a foolish decision, to tell you frankly, and I am still disturbed about it up to date.


    What were they thinking?


    They were not only risking the lives of their people but also risking the lives of the human race that will


    be present at the asion.


    And why me, exactly?


    This all transpired because of me... But for what reasons?


    True that I am a human and a part of the said event''s new attendees. Yet, among all the humans


    invited, why was I the only soul that got the mixed council''s attention and even made them appeal for


    the ball to resume?


    Questions.


    Too many questions and I''m going mad because this was the first time, in my mixed-race life, that I had


    no answers to anything.


    I felt so vulnerable¡­


    Nheless, one thing that''s keeping me sane and calm right now ¡ª and not run away from this


    impending catastrophe, was the idea that I''m doing this for my family.


    For my brothers especially.


    I know this may sound outrageous now, after all my pep talk and internal discussion, but I already


    epted my fate.


    It wasn''t easy, that''s for sure, recognizing how dangerous this situation was. However, realizing that I


    will be providing some kind of effort to save my n from the verge of extinction, my family from an


    uncertain future, and my brothers from loneliness, then everything is all worth the risk.


    THEY are worth the risk¡­


    Not to mention, bailing out of this means I''m turning my back from my family ¡ª a sign of surrender.


    And I cannot have that on my conscience for the rest of my life.


    Plus, I did ask for a solution once, didn''t I?


    ¡°And my baby¡­ is now¡­ done,¡± Mum muttered, snapping me out of my trance.


    She then turns my seat so I will be facing the mirror attached to my dresser and shortly, she sprayed


    some hair spray on my hair.


    I took a peek and began checking myself in the mirror.


    Just having that small glimpse of reflection made my overall being paused.


    Is this, really¡­ me?


    My face looked so FOREIGN, so new to me. Even if the makeup was simple and natural ¡ª a little bold


    with the red lipstick, it still made every inch of my features pop. Especially, my silver-gray eyes which


    were framed by thick eyshes and dark eyeliner.


    While for my hair, it was intricately braided at the top and then tucked into a bun just below my neck. A


    few curls resting beside my face, making my image softer than usual.


    Everything looks¡­ elegantly beautiful.


    And I know, deep down, this is me. But, I never look so¡­ beautiful before.


    ¡°With that expression, I could tell you like what you see,¡± Mummented and I saw her smiling


    proudly through the mirror.


    I only nodded my head, still speechless with my gorgeous image.


    Mum chuckled and gave me a gentle kiss on my temple. Then, without another word, she took my


    hands and both of us left my room.


    Currently, Mum and I were slowly walking down the grand staircase, talking casually about anything


    when I heard the boys'' cheerful discussions just ahead of us.


    Quickly, my eyes snapped to look forward and, just a few meters away, I caught sight of all theds in


    their evening attire. Hairs all gelled back to perfection, except Axel who always prefers his hair down to


    hide half of his scarred face.


    Then it hit me when I took inpletely their outfits, all were wearing GREEN.


    And mine was color green too¡­


    I dragged my gaze from the ck-tied, green-suited men to Dad for confirmation and to my


    amazement, he was wearing the same outfit and color as the boys.


    Though his suit was on the darker shade and amusingly, as I noticed him drooling over his wife, I also


    was quick to note that Mum was also wearing green; a simple silk emerald green dress that was


    hugging her lovely curves.


    Then, my eyes stopped to assess myself.


    I was wearing an emerald greence mermaid dress with a spaghetti strap. It''s very open and tight at


    the back, exposing my slim back and round bottom ¡ª which I never knew I had. While at the front, it


    was in a low V-neck, showcasing my big boobs and revealing some cleavage ¡ª that, I know, I have but


    never did I intended to show off.


    Regardless, this is strange¡­


    Am I missing something here?


    Some kind of dress code or party theme?


    I nced back at Mum and promptly asked, ¡°Why all the green, Mama?¡±


    Mum, breaking eye contact with Dad, nced at me bewildered.


    ¡°I mean, the clothes.¡± I rified, ¡°Why are we all wearing green?¡±


    Heeding that, Mum shed me her signature warm smile ¡ª the one that always makes me feel safe


    and loved.


    ¡°Green represents our status, Lily... Just like the werewolfmunity.¡± She started, stopping midway


    through the stairs to face me, ¡°The difference with them is, they exhibit their rank all the time by tying


    their respective colored band around their upper arm. While for us, we show it through dresses and


    essories, AND we only sh it at the ball.¡± She exined and started descending the stairs again.


    Oh, well that exins it¡­


    However, with so many colors in the color wheel, why the color GREEN?


    I was about to ask that ¡ª hastily stepping thest step of the stairs and speed walk my way to the


    foyer, to try and catch Mum, who was almost out of the door with Dad ¡ª when I heard multiple intakes


    of breath by my side.


    My head quickly turned towards the direction of the sound, assuming that something was wrong.


    Oh, it was just the boys.


    I was intending to ignore them when I caught sight of their angry posture. All were breathing heavily


    and their knuckles were turning white due to the pressure of clutching it to fists.


    Now, what did I do wrong?


    Anxious, I shifted my gaze upward to look at them and how I wish I didn''t.


    They were all looking at me intently; slowly dragging their eyes from the top of my head, down to the tip


    of my heels.


    But what got me squirming under their attention was the fact that their eyes were now in their


    dangerous color; Seth and Howard''s were in pure red, while Axel''s turned ck ¡ª a witch thing.


    Lord, no¡­


    I made a step back and they followed.


    I tried again, and they still copied me ¡ª now with devilish smirks nted on their faces.


    Shit!


    That''s not always a good sign...


    All I could think of then, as I calcte my distance from the exit, was how to run faster on these four-


    inch heels.

 Chapter 30. Zin and Eve

    Chapter 30. Zin and Eve


    Legaxy


    I did not think that through.


    I mean, seriously?


    Why did I even believe that I could outrun one tricky witch and two broad vampires?


    Oh yeah, because I was freaking afraid!


    It was like a life and death situation ¡ª I had to make a choice.


    So could you me me for choosing to run and flee at the first sign of danger, than to go brave and


    bold?


    Regardless of the rationales, I know it was not the boys'' intention to scare me ¡ª let alone inflict harm


    to me.


    How do I know that?


    Simple.


    They never saw me wore clothes before that reveal my curves and show off my assets, or wear


    makeup for the sake of making myself pretty.


    If I did, I was either at home or work ¡ª hotel and/or gigs, and should be wearing it at their very


    presence.


    Yes, they are that strict...


    I did try wearing it once, at a co-worker''s birthday party and damn, that was the most horrifying


    experience I have ever witnessed because the three boys went nuts; Full predatory stance and it was


    hell on earth.


    I had to go home early that day just for them to calm down and not ruin the celebration.


    I know, it was the worse overreaction I have ever encountered but I already have forgiven them for that.


    Still, it was not easy to forget¡­


    That''s why when I saw that familiar hint of disturbance on their faces; the change of eye colors and the


    devilish smirks, I knew I had to run from them.


    No questions.


    Just run as fast as my long legs could carry me...


    Though as human, as I was, I couldn''t move fast enough. Even if I was the best runner from the


    Olympics or any athletic tournaments, I could not beat these supernatural beings.


    Especially, when you''re wearing freaking four-inch heels!


    Well, that was three hours ago...


    Now, we''re all at the ball.


    As my parents have promised, the asion was safe and free of threats ¡ª both from the mixed-race


    and hunting season. No injuries are yet to be reported, or any episode of getting eaten alive urred,


    for the past few hours that we are here.


    Actually, it was way better than I expected because the human race was wholeheartedly epted by


    the mixed race. While for thetter, they learned to truly tolerate the temptation, improving them to fully


    open their arms and embraced the mortal existence.


    In short, everybody was getting along with each other.


    Not to mention, some RED matches were already transpiring, making this event sessful enough


    that Mum couldn''t help but survey the room to make reports on the said aplishment.


    Just like what they needed¡­


    However, as the circumstance was thriving, Dad was still on edge.


    Typical of him.


    N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    In that few hours at the ball, he already made a lot of quick calls and jumped into short meetings after


    meeting with the high officials regarding the security of all the attendees. He even conducted and


    joined several rounds of those perimeter checks.


    ¡®Just for extra precaution,¡¯ he told me, two hours ago as he left me to do his work.


    While for the boys, they were working on finding their REDs ¡ª yeah, DO NOT DISTURB them.


    As for me, I was beginning to feel rxed, considering the predicament I had earlier.


    You see, aside from the boys'' problems with me all dressed up, they also had issues with me on how


    many heads my evening look could turn.


    Mum and Dad had to step up during this part of the trouble because the boys progressed on not just


    guarding me, but also acting extremely possessive over me, resulting in them putting their priority on


    me instead of searching for their REDs.


    At first, I thought, it was okay knowing my attire was seriously attracting men and I hated the idea of


    getting a lot of attention from them. However, when one male species attempted to converse with me,


    the three men caused a big scene.


    Like, a really big scene where they almost killed a man... Well, thankfully, the dude was a Vampire.


    Or else, authorities in the human world would notprehend the sudden disy of violence towards


    a fellow who just wanted to talk to a dame¡­


    Anyway, discovering that their sense of domination over me was luring more attention than usual, and


    bringing them to forget all about their RED hunting, I asked them ¡ª GENTLY, if I may add ¡ª to stop


    and remind them of their goal of finding their respective matches.


    And that was not easy...


    It took us, both my parents and I, about half an hour; with a little bit of convincing and assurance that I


    would be okay for I have my kind here ¡ª roaming around the room ¡ª before thy men left me and


    started their journey on finding their pair.


    I seriously let out a sigh of relief after that.


    Currently, I''m just chatting around with other human beings. Checking if they werefortable and


    happy with how the ball was going.


    Sure, it was not my job to do that but these people are my kind. So, it''s not that hard to understand why


    I wanted them to feel all wee here.


    As I said, it''s just how I was; how I function as a human, and how thoughtful I was as a person.


    It would be safe to say as well that I was greatly influenced by my work since I was working in an


    industry where hospitality was highly taught and spread.


    Yeah, I know.


    I''m such a goody-two-shoes so let those waves ofughter go and do that eye rolls¡­


    ¡°So Ms. Dyme, ¡± Zinnia, one of the humans I have befriended with for thest two hours at the ball,


    excitedly started, ¡°is it really true that you are adopted by the mixed-race? How was it? How''s life living


    in a house full of the most dangerous beings in the world?¡± she rapid fires me, her tone full of wonder


    and curiosity.


    ¡°Zin, don''t be like that.¡± Yvette, another human, and friends with Zinnia, scolded.


    Zin pouted and yfully sticks out her tongue at Yvette.


    Yvette only rolled her eyes and with an apologetic smile, she faced me.


    ¡°Sorry about Zin''s bluntness, Ms. Dyme. She''s just too excited about the fact that we''re standing on a


    real castle and meeting fictional creatures that we thought only exist in a book¡­ well, not until now,¡±


    she exins.


    I chuckled.


    ¡°Please, for the tenth time tonight, call me Legaxy and that''s okay, Evee.¡± I offered a smile at the small


    brown-headed girl, ¡°we all have different believes in the human world and not one of them includes the


    creatures of the dark.¡±


    The two bobbed their head in agreement.


    ¡°So true¡­¡± Yvette said and took another sip of her wine.


    ¡°But Ms. Legaxy,¡± Zinnia whined, ¡°could you please tell us what you think about them? About the


    Vampires and Witches¡­ What will be our expectations as they be our partner or vice verse with


    us?¡±


    I shook my head at the fiery redhead.


    ¡°There are no expectations from both parties, Zin. You just gonna listen to what your heart is saying.¡± I


    simply exined, earning a sigh of relief from her.


    Hold up.


    Was she really that bothered now?


    ¡°How about standards, Ms. Legaxy?¡± Yvette asked concern was evident in her tone, ¡°Do they have


    one? Should we adjust ourselves for them or them to us?¡± she added.


    She too?


    Okay, now I have to rify something here...

 Chapter 31: Hi

    Chapter 31: Hi


    Legaxy


    ¡°Oh no, Evee. There are none.¡± I responded.


    Then, I instantly stared at the two who looks like they still have a million and one questions for me.


    Seeing that I need to ease them, I shortly shed them my warm smile.


    ¡°Whatever negative thoughts you guys are distressing about, you should stop that now because it will


    not help you control your nerves.¡± I started gently while tucking my loose ck strand around my ear,


    ¡°Being in love with these creatures are very magical,dies. It''s unlike any other forces or sensations


    you will ever experience with a human rtionship.


    You see, with them mixed-race, you can be your true self without any second thoughts. With them, you


    don''t need to adjust, just to please them. With them, you can breathe, you could live and could conquer


    whatever your heart desires¡­ with them, you can guarantee that you will have a future full of


    unconditional love, unending care, and utmost respect.


    That''s how special it is, and to think that it will be you and only you who will feel the magical pull once


    you find your match, is something to be considered as a blessing already.


    So don''t think too much about their standards or preferences. Their likes and dislikes... Your RED will


    certainly ept you no matter what happens and will love you just the way you deserve. ¡± I


    enlightened, prompting the table to go silent.


    Feeling that I said something wrong, stupid or hurtful, I instantly nced up to nce at them.


    Surprisingly, both of them were gaping at me with full of admiration and fondness that I felt my cheeks


    burn.


    Thank you for the being who invented blush powder since it will cover the natural hue from my skin ¡ª


    saving me from embarrassment!


    ¡°It sounds so dreamy, Ms. Legaxy.¡± Zia finallymented with a dramatic sigh.


    ¡°Sure is,¡± Yvette conceded with a full-blown smile, ¡°thank you for that, Ms. Legaxy. It really made me


    believe that somebody is really out there, patiently waiting for me.¡± She added and surprisingly, she


    hugged me.


    Zinnia joined in after.


    ¡°You two are wee,¡± I murmured after I freed myself from the group hug.


    ¡°Quick question though, Ms. Legaxy, have you been in love before?¡± Zinnia inquired, both looking and


    sounding interested in me.


    That caught me off guard.


    Me?


    In love?


    Oh, dear¡­ How should I put this?


    ¡°Actually, I ¡ª ¡±


    ¡°Hailey?¡±


    ¡°Flower?¡±


    N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    Two deep husky voices, which I recognized as Howard and Axel''s, interrupted me.


    I turned from my chair and just in time for the two to be standing behind my back.


    Before I could even acknowledge their presence, I saw Howard eyeing Yvette while Axel was on


    Zinnia.


    Both men have nk expressions.


    Then, their eyes'' irises dted and shockingly, a white mist appeared in their eyes, covering their


    original color and making it look like they had cataracts.


    Woah...


    I looked at the two girls, who were presently standing from their seats, and their eyes did the same.


    Double Woah...


    And then, with a blink, all their eyes turned normal again.


    I was about to voice out my concerns at the guys when the two moved and pushed past by me.


    Unexpectedly, and without any words, they hugged the girls; Howard engulfing Yvette in a tight hug


    while Axel embraced Zinnia more gently.


    That''s when I understood it, the boys found their match¡­


    Holy mother of all grace!


    Does this mean I have sisters then?


    And to think that it''s the girls from the ball, made me smile¡­


    I instantly excused myself and promptly decided to search for the family so I could tell them what


    happened.


    Not knowing where the others are, I decided to go to Dad first, remembering that he was thest


    person I have known the whereabouts with.


    I ascended the stairs, shockingly with a haste even with the heels¡­


    What?


    I''m just excited.


    When I was on the second floor, I was quick to recall that I have no idea where the meeting room was.


    I facepalmed.


    So, I concluded that I will ask somebody for directions.


    I know there are soldiers here, somewhere¡­


    I was just walking mindlessly along the hallways when I finally found someone to inquire to.


    I tried to wave as I thought he saw me, but receiving no response from him, I run towards him.


    Not the literal sense, but still my feet worked with urgency¡­


    Up close, I noticed him wearing a blue-tailored suit with a ck undershirt and a bow tie. His blonde


    hair was long on the top until down his neck, but short on the sides.


    But what really caught my attention was his posture, it was rigid, and that he''s looking at me like he''s


    seen a ghost.


    Odd.


    Still, I need to find Dad so I just bluntly asked.


    ¡°Excuse me, Sir, but I was looking for the meeting room. Can you tell me where it is?¡±


    The tall blonde man didn''t respond to me at first, making me assume that he didn''t hear me.


    I was about to inquire again when I noticed his icy blue eyes looking over my features; starting from my


    face to the tip of my toes. Not in a lustful manner though, but much in surprise.


    Like he knew me but couldn''t wrap his finger around the idea as to where¡­


    Then, his eyes went back to gaze at me. This time, his face softened.


    I awkwardly waved a hi at him.


    ¡°Um, hi? Do I need to¡­ repeat myself or¡­ you just don''t understand what I was saying?¡± I shyly


    questioned.


    The handsome devil only smirked and with a clear of the throat, he mumbled, ¡°It''s on the fourth door to


    the left, Miss. Just walk straight from here.¡±


    Oh God, that voice!


    It was so deep and masculine, it almost reminded me of hot sex on a cold day.


    What!


    Why did I just think about that?


    I felt myself blushed at the sudden naughty thought I just had and that''s when I realized, I hadn''t said


    anything to him.


    Seriously?


    Get a grip, Legaxy!


    You''re clearly humiliating yourself¡­


    ¡°Oh, thank you so much¡­?¡± I timidly eyed him, hoping he gets my point that I was asking for his name.


    Surprisingly, he did and shed me his perfectly aligned teeth.


    I did catch a glimpse of fangs at the front though¡­


    So that''s why!


    He''s a vampire.


    Yet, I''ll be damn...


    He''s very handsome for an ordinary vampire that itpletely enraptured me.


    No!


    I should not feel like this.


    I know, I am more stable than this... Stronger than these abrupt fantasies.


    But with this man¡­


    Ugh, cursed Vampire men and their extraordinary beauty!


    ¡°Theo,¡± he started, snapping me out of my internal conversation, ¡°Theo Callix Gray.¡± he proudly


    dered.

 Chapter 32. Vampire History

    Chapter 32. Vampire History


    Theo


    Times had changed.


    That''s all I could think of as I watched the mortals mingled with my people, whom I should note were all


    creatures of the dark.


    Back in the old days, humans feared our existence.


    Only at the mention of our name, they would cower away from us and tightly locked their homes at


    night. For extra precaution, they always have garlic on their bedside table or bound around their necks.


    Funny thing.


    Through the years, as the fear grew inside of them, resulting in clouding their minds, they started to


    fight back with stakes and crosses.


    I chuckled at the idea.


    Little did they know, those things have no effect on us.


    Let alone, kill us¡­


    For over a millennium, there''s no vampires ¡ª nor witches ¡ª reported dead because of the above-


    mentioned weapons.


    We are immune to all of it; Hollywood''s movie version doesn''t justify any of our weaknesses.


    I don''t even know if they know any of it...


    Until a century ago, they started reciting stories.


    By now, I could tell how perplexed you are about the idea of stories being our drawback...


    It''s unusual and a unique approach, to be honest, but it''s the most effective weapon in human history


    that could actually harm us.


    How?


    Stories about our weakness, anding from thy lips of a human, makes us mortal.


    It could start off with someone saying that a stake could stop a vampire''s heartbeat or holy water to


    burn a vampire''s skin. When a new individual heard about it and told someone else, and that someone


    else delivered the same story to another, and so on, the tale about the disadvantages bes true.


    I don''t know if it''s the power in telling or the strong belief of the human heart that makes it real, but it''s


    there.


    It''s fatal and dangerous, and it''s destroying my race to no end¡­


    So, I decided to hide my kind and learn to adapt.


    It was a cowardly move, I admit that. Though, seeing how famous our fictions of weakness are and


    how powerful the humans'' belief was at that time, I don''t have much of a choice.


    Patiently, I waited in the dark for the fantasies to die down until the mortals no longer believed in it ¡ª


    as we had never been real in the first ce.


    Thankfully, that''s how a story works.


    Humans stop telling them when they do not see the use of it any longer, or if they wanted to begin and


    create a new one.


    Still, it took almost a decade and for another civilization to be established around the area...


    Anyway, sensing no trouble anymore and discovering my people were suffering due to theck of


    permanent residences and food, I started building my empire from scratch.


    It wasn''t easy though...


    I had to undergo a lot of transitions for the past years; had to watched different gues sweep the


    world, and even observed technologies improved and ultimately thrive.


    However, shifting from one identity to another was the least of my favorite. It was one of those things


    that I cannot bear to do for I hated deceiving people.


    Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    I may be a Vampire that is known to do that, but I was raised well and with honor.


    I value my virtue, particrly my honesty¡­


    Still, the frauds and conspiracies were needed since I have to meet the same individual that was


    helping me construct my vision for my people.


    The meetings urred multiple times in a year and surely, they would question me at one point, since I


    never aged or look different by the passing of time.


    Worse of it all, and sadly as it can be, I had to watch them die in the process at a certain age.


    I let out a sigh at the thought.


    Clearly, this infinite gift of life was a curse rather than a blessing...


    But do I have an option to escape this life?


    I could not go back in time and tell my parents to find another one to love and marry.


    Especially when they are destined REDs...


    Presently, I am just grateful that I have provided my people''s needs and performed what was expected


    of me.


    That''s all that matters to me¡­ my people''s contentment and well-being.


    ¡°I was beginning to believe that you were going to bail this out again like you always do.¡± I heard a low


    and husky voice started, ¡°But what really interests me now is your excuse on the question of how long


    will you be standing, by that stone pir, and watch as your dark subjects find their REDs?¡± he added.


    Recognizing the owner of the voice, I instantly ignored him and remained still in my position.


    Shortly, I heard a gust of wind and felt a presence beside me.


    ¡°You know it''s rude to ignore a soul,¡± he pointed out, making me scowl.


    ¡°When did you ever had a soul, Raul?¡± I asked and nced at my foolish cousin.


    Minding that, he gasped and quickly ced a hand on his chest. Then, he shot me a fake hurt


    expression.


    ¡°First of all, it''s Cayden so please stop calling me by my middle name ¡ª which by the way, I hated so


    much. And two, you''re being so brutal for reminding me that I am dead. That''s overkill already, your


    Majesty.¡± he teased.


    I only rolled my eyes at his drama.


    ¡°Well, that''s the point. So what?¡±


    He gasped loudly again.


    ¡°You are so cold.¡±


    I only shrug my shoulders and kept my eyes locked in the ballroom.


    Feeling that I will not speak again, I heard Cayden let out a defeated sigh.


    ¡°Too devastated...¡± I heard him mumbled, ¡°Maybe that''s the reason why the gods above didn''t grant


    you a second chance at a RED.¡±


    My head snapped at him while a growl escaped my lips.


    Cayden, unfazed, only rolled his eyes at me.


    ¡°Seriously speaking Theo,¡± his face currently turns serious, ¡°Casmine''s gone for over a full decade


    now. You should learn to ept that reality and moved on.¡±


    My jaw ticked but didn''t say a word.


    He was right.


    It''s been ten years since myst possession of a RED...


    My first andst was named Casmine Harlow Ray.


    She was like the sun the second she entered my life. She shone my darkest days and provided warmth


    to my cold, lifeless heart.


    Despite our differences, Casmine understood me in one gopared to my parents and friends my


    whole life. She made me a better man then as she expressed her love and cared for my well-being for


    years that came our way.


    She simplypleted me¡­ Until the day arrived for her to leave me.


    Casmine died due to natural causes. Mainly to old age and if I remember it correctly, she died at the


    age of ny-nine.


    She was human after all...


    They say that if you lose your RED, you lose yourself. It doesn''t matter what it was, for the pain was the


    only sense that you will feel at that point ¡ª may your heart be dead or alive.


    Nothing else¡­


    Healing would be possible for us, but it will take some time ¡ª A very, very long time. Till then, you just


    got to learn to ept the truth and well, move on.


    Just like Cayden said¡­


    Apparently, he doesn''t know the truth and it may not seem obvious to me, but nowadays, I am very well


    and healed from the hurt, from the broken heart... From the loss.


    Time truly helps a lot.


    Regardless of the topic, the reactions I made whenever somebody talks about Casmine were more of a


    reflex action now rather than a normal response.


    It does not go away¡­


    Suddenly, the silence of the space brought me back to reality.


    I looked around and discovered that I was alone¡­ Cayden left me to my thoughts, AGAIN.


    I let out another sigh, this time a heavy one. Then, thinking that I am not needed here anymore, I


    started to walk away only to be stopped when I heard clicks of heels on the stone floor.


    I shifted my attention at the disturbance ahead of me and that''s when I saw her.

 Chapter 33. Theo Callix Gray

    Chapter 33. Theo Callix Gray


    Theo


    Seeing her didn''t do good to me¡­


    Instantly, my eyes widened and my breath hitched.


    Not because she looked amazing on that emerald green fitted dress while wearing a small amount of


    makeup, but because she looked awfully familiar.


    ¡°Casmine?¡± I whispered.


    No, it can''t be.


    She''s already in the heavens... She can''t be alive right now.


    Yet, who is this female?


    I inspect the unknown woman further with a held breath as she hurried her way towards me. She did


    wave at me once but I couldn''t bother to respond ¡ª too bbergasted to even move.


    Halting in front of me now, she shed a small smile and politely asked, ¡°Excuse me, Sir, but I was


    looking for the meeting room. Can you tell me where it is?¡±


    Mother of all mercy, her voice; It was the same diction and tone as Casmine''s!


    No, this is a dream... It must be a dream.


    Right?


    I know deeply this is not my RED, that this is not my beautiful Casmine, but I could not help to feel


    completely surprised by this.


    For that, I immediately searched for more signs of familiarity.


    N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    I started on the top; recognizing the same heart-shaped face, to the simr small nose and full pink lips.


    Hair colors the same and even the slightest hint of dimples on both sides of her cheeks were there.


    Then, to avoid being spected as a pervert, I rapidly scanned her body from up to her head and down


    to her toes.


    The same physique, curves, and height¡­


    The only difference I could find upon my assessment was her eyes ¡ª which happens to be silver-gray,


    while Casmine''s were midnight ck.


    So, I am not crazy.


    And this is not really a dream¡­


    Satisfied with my confirmation, I slowly exhaled and shifted my gaze to stare at her once again.


    Seeing this, she waved again at me. This time, she looked awkward and somewhat nervous.


    I wanted to ask why when she spoke first.


    ¡°Um, hi? Do I need to¡­ repeat myself or¡­ you just don''t understand what I was saying?¡± she shyly


    inquired.


    She''s adorable... Unlike Casmine''s grace when approaching, but still adorable.


    I could only smirk as I realized that I had an effect on thisdy; verified with the timidness she was


    disying.


    Clearing my throat now, I answered, ¡°It''s on the fourth door to the left, Miss. Just walk straight from


    here.¡±


    Amusingly, after telling her the directions, I noticed a hint of blush on her cheeks. Whatever thought she


    had with me, I could tell it was not a decent one.


    I felt smug about this that my smirk widened.


    She finally snapped from her sudden dazed and shed me another one of her small smiles, her ghost


    of a dimple showing.


    ¡°Oh, thank you so much¡­?¡± her eyes timidly looked at me, asking for something.


    Getting the clue, I smiled at her, dering, ¡°Theo,¡± and noticing that she just got out from another


    stupor, I proceeded on introducing myself fully.


    ¡°Theo Callix Gray.¡±


    Furthermore, I took her slender hand and kissed it gently while remaining in eye contact with her.


    She gasped and was about to say something when I heard my right hand''s voice,ing from the


    hallways that my back was facing at.


    ¡°Legaxy, baby?¡±


    The unknown dame, who I know now as Legaxy ¡ª unusual name but it uniquely suits her, peeked at


    my back and instantly beamed.


    ¡°Papa!¡± she called out.


    Papa?


    Jacob?


    When Jacob appeared from the shadows, Legaxy gently took off her hand from mine and hurried to my


    right hand and most trusted man.


    Dios!


    For ady with heels, this woman can sprint... Nheless, my forehead creased in question.


    Jacob had a daughter?


    I, after a while, decided to sniff her scent.


    HUMAN.


    Oh, her¡­ I remember her now.


    Jacob, noticing my presence now, shot me a baffled look and before he could even address me, little


    Legaxy spoke up.


    ¡°Papa, I thought you were in a meeting. I was about to get to you.¡±


    ¡°I was, Princess.¡± Jacob frowned, ¡°However, your Mum called and told me you were missing¡­ we got


    worried.¡±


    Legaxy, hearing this, looked embarrassed.


    ¡°I''m sorry, Papa.¡±


    She apologizes with trembling lips.


    ¡®Very, very adorable,¡¯ I couldn''t help but thought.


    Jacob only smiled at her and kissed her forehead lovingly.


    Quickly, I felt a pang of jealousy flooding my body ¡ª particrly, my heart.


    Interesting¡­


    Too, turning his attention back to me, Jacob was about to bow in greeting when I quickly motioned him


    not to.


    I don''t want the girl to know anything about me¡­ not yet.


    He looked further confused but do as I say.


    Thus, realizing something, he shortly excused themselves and was about to leave with Legaxy when


    she paused and smacked a hand on her forehead.


    ¡°Shit! I''m such an idiot.¡±


    I frowned hearing that swears left her full lips.


    She turns to face her Dad and started introducing me to Jacob. I almostughed at her innocence in


    the situation.


    ¡°Theo?¡± Jacob questions his human daughter, as if not believing I let somebody else know my name.


    Legaxy nodded with a dazzling smile, rendering me speechless.


    Such a magnificentdy¡­ in my RED''s face and body.


    ¡°Yes, this is¡± ¡ª she points a finger at me ¡ª ¡°Theo, Papa. He helped me with the directions. I kind of


    forgot where the meeting room was,¡± she exins and her nose scrunched up.


    Oh,


    God!


    That''s the rat face, the one''s Casmine used to do ¡ª aside from the puppy face.


    She has it too!


    I felt like swooning...


    ¡°Sweetheart, I think you should address him properly.¡±


    Jacob eyed me while dering that.


    That snapped me back to the present and I red hard at him to make him stop.


    Legaxy noticed, making her tilt her head in wonder.


    Precious this girl is¡­


    ¡°What should I address Theo, then?¡±


    Legaxy asked Jacob with furrowed brows.


    Jacob was about to answer when I beat him to it, exining to Legaxy, ¡°Just call me Theo. I''m one of


    your Dad''s guards... My rank is Captain to the security department.¡±


    Listening to this, Legaxy beamed once more while Jacob looked both shocked and uncertain.


    ¡°Nice to meet you, Theo.¡±


    She ced her hands in front of me for a shake.


    I took it and we shook hands.


    ¡°By the way, my name''s Legaxy Dyme... I guess you already know that,¡± sheughed, making me smile


    at her.


    Strangely, another foreign feeling exploded inside my chest.


    Both giddy and somewhat¡­ joyful.


    I blinked my eyes, quite amused by the emotions swirling inside of me.


    Jacob, sensing something was up with me, made Legaxy go back downstairs and instructed her to find


    the rest of their family.


    Legaxy agreed and politely excused herself from me to leave downstairs.


    Once alone, Jacob eyed me funny.


    ¡°What?¡± I asked.


    Jacob, instead of answering, raised an eyebrow at me.


    ¡°The way you look at my daughter tells me you fancy her...¡± he narrowed his eyes at me dangerously


    ¡ª the same one he does when he interrogates a criminal, ¡°Are you, in some way, taking an interest in


    her when you fully know that there''s maybe a second chance RED for you somewhere, out there?¡±


    He interrogated.


    That appalled me to the core.


    Am I?


    I closed my eyes and inhaled; little Legaxy''s enticing aroma entered my nose, making me swoon


    again...


    I know this is just a few minutes of infatuation but I''m falling fast.


    Hard... Very hard that my empty chest hurt.


    This should not be normal... but it is happening to me.


    Fuck!


    So yeah, I am.


    I exhaled and upon opening my eyes, I noticed Jacob gawking at me. He looks captivated; he does this


    whenever my eyes change color.


    Being the Vampire King, my eyes don''t change into red. Rather, they go orange; the same shade when


    the sun sets down the horizon...


    ¡°Seriously, what are your intentions to my human daughter, Vampire King?¡± He finally questioned as he


    got out of the stupor.


    ¡°You know what she is and how fragile she can be. As her designated father, I can''t let you have what


    you want with her. Even if you are my King.¡±


    He, in a fatherly manner, directed to the point.


    I cleared my throat, feeling a bit weird as I exined myself to my own right hand like I did something


    wrong.


    ¡°My intentions to your daughter are pure and simple, Jacob. I will not harm her in any way possible.¡± I


    let out a sigh and stared at his eyes ¡ª a hint I was serious, ¡°I know this may all be too sudden, but if it


    makes you feel better, I would like to ask you for your human daughter''s hand in courtship.¡±


    I asked.


    Jacob, not expecting that, looked taken back. His eyes were wide and his mouth was parted ¡ª he was


    surprised.


    ¡°Besides, this may be my second chance,¡± I added.


    Realizing I was right, Jacob eventually nodded.


    ¡°Just don''t hurt her, Sire. I wanted her to have a life full of happiness and love¡­ she deserves it after


    all she had gone through.¡± he voices out with a small smile ¡ª a fatherly one.


    He definitely loves the girl¡­


    ¡°Of course, you have my word, Jacob,¡± I promised and we bro hug each other.


    After that, we both left; him to enjoy the rest of the night at the ball while for me, thinking solely about


    the future.


    Soon, I will have little Legaxy as my chosen RED and then, if it goes well, my wife.

 Chapter 34. Welcome to Mallow Hotel! How May I Be of Service?

    Chapter 34. Wee to Mallow Hotel! How May I Be of Service?


    Michael Angelo


    So this is Mallow Hotel.


    It''s a very tall and wide building, with six floors and a parking lot asrge as a football field.


    Its structure is clean and simple. Noplicated designs or patterns whatsoever.


    There are no bright colors to see either; just in white and neutral colors covered the surface...


    But what really caught my attention was the property''s surrounding area, encircled by vast hectares of


    nature and white beach.


    Like tranquility meets peace in one setting¡­ it was stunning.


    A tug on my shoulder snapped me out of my trance and when I look down at my passenger seat, I saw


    Blessy pouting.


    ¡°What is it, little one?¡± I gently asked.


    She raised an eyebrow at me before saying, ¡°Can we go outside now, Mikee? Please? I''m starting to


    go nuts from sitting here, in this car, for another minute.¡±


    I chuckled at her sassymand before stepping out of my car and as if it was a cue, the boys also


    stepped out of their Lamborghinis.


    Yes, our rides were all Lamborghinis. Different models but still, all Lambos.


    Not to boast, but we like our cars fast and shy...


    We''re royalty werewolves; we own fancy things and live for speed, so what did you expect?


    ¡®Everything alright, Alpha?¡¯ Lucky quickly mind linked me.


    He sounded alert and worried.


    Even at a vacation, a BETA is a BETA.


    I only nodded in his direction, gesturing that everything was okay, and went on to open Blessy''s door.


    Instantly, the little she-wolf jumped gracefully out of the car and went to do cartwheels and flips on the


    cemented pavement.


    Yes, she''s that athletic at the age of seven...


    And yes, she does that every time boredom hits her or just tired from sitting still and doing nothing for a


    long period of time.


    Well, we have traveled far, for five hours and just in a car...


    Yep, a long ride it was, and our wolves hated the confinement and stillness ¡ª brought by the car and


    travel.


    I certainly understand her...


    Still, I couldn''t help but rolled my eyes at my little sister''s stunts ¡ª she''s just overly dramatic.


    While for the boys, they justughed at her.


    Out of nowhere, five bell men appeared from the corner of the lot and took our luggage and car keys


    from us. Then, they proceeded on leading us to the lobby.


    I may say, once we entered the resort, it was far more grand and elegant than what I anticipated.


    The interior of the space,pared to the exterior, was intricately designed and well- thought of.


    The floors were all tiled up with the cleanest bs of marble and stones. While the ceilings were built


    high and fully decorated with the finest ss chandeliers and fairy lights.


    Then there are the walls which are all moured up by unique paintings and other lovely arts and


    crafts. nts and flowers are part of the disy as well, but it was set in a way that it lights up the room


    providing a fresh look instead of crowding it.


    Not to mention, every inch of the room was adorned with luxurious pieces of furniture and appliances.


    Nice.


    ¡°Oh, oh fountain!¡± Blessy squeaks and runs to the gold feature which was disyed in the middle of the


    room.


    It''s also the first thing that could catch your eye, before the front desk.


    Very nice indeed.


    This ce really screams money and power, and with everything I saw earlier, the owner is not afraid


    to show it. Hence, I couldn''t help but wonder who the owner is since, in this part of the region, no


    werewolf I know was rich enough to acquire such an amazing establishment.


    Let alone, build one without getting any help from my Kingdom''s resources or finances.


    Must be a different race then¡­


    Though, which one?


    Humans?


    Or the mixed-race of Vampires and Witches?


    As we reached the front desk, a group of lobby ambassadress, dressed in a white off-shoulder top and


    blue flowy skirts with slits on the side, greeted us.


    They were all tall, slim, and prettydies. It got me specting then if that''s part of the job''s


    requirements...


    Soon after that, thedies offered to get us some beverages while we wait for our turn to check-in.


    The boys, flirtatiously if I may add, asked for some soda ¡ª and the girls'' numbers.


    While I, with a shook of my head at the boys'' coquet, asked for some water.


    ¡®Unmated wolves.¡¯ I heard Bear barked, making me chuckle.


    ¡°Can I have hot choco with marshmallows please! Please!¡± I turned my attention down at my grinning


    sister while she asked one of thedies for her favorite drink.


    Precious.


    When thedy nodded, Blessy''s grin widened and her eyes sparkle with so much happiness.


    Very precious...


    Thankfully, after the RAMPAGE, she came.


    Considering that this was a vacation, I thought of bringing some closepany with me to help me


    unwind.


    N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    However, I could only bring FOUR people as my plus ¡ª as per reading the promo codes.


    ordingly, I started asking people¡­ Of course, I asked the family first.


    Due to the uproar, which I made three nights ago, I couldn''t convince anybody toe, resulting in me


    inquiring another group of people for their time.


    Talk about rejection¡­


    Luckily, when I offered my men in position the said holiday, they quickly agreed to it.


    So that''s four of us¡­


    Having no other person in mind anymore, I gave up the idea of finding the fifth man to join me and


    solely focus on packing.


    By the time we were leaving, Blessy surprised me by asking me to bring her ¡ª more like ORDERED


    me to bring her.


    Alpha kids and their alpha tones¡­


    At first, I was hesitant because I honestly thought she was upset or scared of me. But after telling me


    that she was NOT and that her reaction that night was just a shock, I allowed her toe with me.


    I know I should have brought Nicole with us, to keep an eye on my mischievous sister.


    Though the number of pax had reached its limit and Blessy''s already at the age where she knows how


    to be independent.


    So yeah, we proceeded with her only...


    Funny that that happened only this morning and here we are, all sitting on the lobby''s sofa, waiting for


    our turn to check-in.


    I could tell that the service in this ce was fast. However, I also noticed that the number of tourists


    tops the hotel''s upancy rate because staffs and other managers are everywhere ¡ª all trying to


    amodate as many guests as they can.


    So, it was safe to say that the line to the check-in counter was a very long one.


    Currently, the boys and I were just discussing the water activities that we will be doing while we were


    here when I heard Blessy groaned beside me.


    ¡°This ce needs a bottle of perfume... It stinks,¡± shemented, irritated.


    I instantly red at her rude remark, noticing a few of the hotel''s personnel heard her. I was about to


    chastise her when, for the first time after entering the ce, I smelled it.


    The room, even with the air fresheners and scented candles, reeks of different odors from both


    mythical creatures and humans...


    My nose scrunched up in disgust.


    It''s not my first time sniffing any of these aromas. Still, breathing it all in one go gave me a sudden


    migraine.


    Damn it!


    I tried to shrug it off and continued scolding the defiant she-wolf beside me. When I was done, the


    unexpected ached from before became more unbearable, making me scowl now.


    Blessy noticed.


    ¡°Told you so,¡± she smirked.


    I only ignore her and tried to get back to the conversation I had with theds.


    It didn''t take long since my head began pounding viciously and that''s when I decided, I needed air.


    A.S.A.P.

 Chapter 35. The Untold Black Story - Part 1

    Chapter 35. The Untold ck Story - Part 1


    Michael Angelo


    After informing mypany that I will be heading out for a breath of fresh air, I stood up from the seat


    and dashed out of the lobby.


    I was midway to the exit when I breath in another scent, and this time, I knew who it was.


    More like, who they were, since it was two distinct scents of spice and wood...


    I nced up and was in time to see the Killer Alphas of the North, stepping out of one of the resort''s


    elevators.


    Having to have smelled me too, the two snapped their attention from each other ¡ª because they were


    chatting at that moment ¡ª to my direction.


    Then, on instinct, they immediately strode toward me and when they were in front of me, they quickly


    kneeled and bowed their heads in respect.


    ¡°Our King,¡± they both greeted.


    Ugh!


    Why can''t these people just be casual out of the Kingdom''s premises?


    ¡®Because you''re their King idiot.¡¯ Bear snapped and I wonder what got him in a bad mood now.


    ¡®Down dog, you okay? You''ve been snappy recently. Is there something bothering you?¡¯ I inquired and


    that earned me snarled from him.


    Okay¡­ best not to entertain further.


    Going back to the twins, and seeing they are still bowing in front of me, I couldn''t help but rolled my


    eyes.


    ¡°You two know that you could only do that when we''re at the pce, right?¡± I acknowledged and, for the


    first time, they raised their heads in doubt.


    Recognizing that I was serious, they breathe out a sigh of relief.


    ¡°Oh thank heavens! I thought if we don''t approach you the right way, you''ll cut our heads off, kid.¡±


    Xavier, the ck-haired Alpha, blurted out.


    I wanted toin about the way he called me ¡®kid¡¯ since I was not that young, I''m already twenty-


    four and a fully matured wolf.


    But seeing how relieved he was with my deration, I couldn''t find it in me to be mad at the fifty-two-


    year-old man.


    Instead, and together with Night ¡ª the silver-headed Alpha, we chuckled at him.


    Unexpectedly, as they stood up from their kneeling position, a familiar fragrance hit me.


    It was different from their own, and I know it was because their scents were stronger, and the ones I


    inhaled just now were delicate and sweet.


    A girl¡­


    Thinking that maybe it was just their wives, I quickly dismissed my curiosity and concentrated on them.


    Yet, it stirred something inside of me, causing Bear to immediately became irritated and antsy.


    ¡®Hey, you okay? What''s wrong, Bearamoth?¡¯ I asked, concerned now.


    He only snarled at me.


    As I did earlier, I didn''t ponder further, recognizing that he''s still in a grumpy mood. And do note that


    when he''s this cranky, bad things start to happen between us.


    Much less, another migraine for me¡­ I winced.


    ¡°So what brings you guys here?¡± I asked directly to the twins, trying to distract myself from my wolf''s


    temper.


    ¡°Isn''t it obvious, kid? We''re on vacation.¡± Xavier simply replied.


    Hearing this before, I raised a skeptical eyebrow at him.


    ¡°Thest time I checked, you two asked for a leave of absence because you need to resolve something


    important. Then, the next month, you pleaded again because you were having issues. When I asked


    what, you two never spill any reasons. And let me remind you both, those absencessted for a


    month...¡±


    I carefully eyed them, and funny it was, seeing two elder men bing nervous at a young fellow like


    me.


    I''m not even using my Alpha tone with this one. Still, they reacted this way...


    I quickly felt smug about this.


    ¡°Now, you''re on a holiday again... What''s your REAL purpose, gentlemen?¡± I challenged, crossing my


    arms in front of my chest.


    The two gulped but managed to keep their eyes on me.


    Then, with a shaky breath, Night quietly confesses, ¡°We are here for our mate, your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°Mate?¡± my forehead creased in confusion, ¡°But I thought you guys were already mated¡­ not to


    mention, married.¡±


    The two looked down; a sign of shame and guilt.


    ¡°Was.¡± Xavier spilled.


    I eyed them, more baffled than usual.


    They both shed a gentle smile at me.


    ¡°Amara and Emily are not our TRUE mates. Our marriage with them was fixed, Mikee. ¡± Xavier


    rified.


    Minding that,prehension hitting me like a ton of bricks, my eyes widened.


    ¡°Oh.¡± was all I could say.


    The twinsughed but it didn''tst long and they became serious again.


    Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.


    ¡°We truly believe that our mate was dead since it was not normal to be mateless at the age of thirty.¡±


    Night started with a sigh.


    ¡°Our pack was bing weak, Mikee and you know how important it is to have your LUNA by your


    side to bring that strength.¡± he pauses.


    As if it was a signal, Xavier continued, exining, ¡°So to save our people and territory, we decided to


    arranged a marriage to our neighboring pack since the alpha''s daughters there were mateless as well.¡±


    ¡°Or so we thought.¡± Night interjected, letting out another heavy sigh, ¡°Turns out, Emily and Amara have


    mates. They found them only recently and since we were not fully mated, it was easy to let them go.¡±


    he further exined.


    ¡°So what about your mate? Where did you two meet her?¡±


    I was interested now.


    ¡°Well, it wasn''t really that magical your Highness, if you''re expecting any sparks and glitters.¡± Night


    joked, earning a kidney jab from me.


    He yfully punches my arm and that got usughing.


    Xavier could only shake his head at us out of amusement.


    ¡°Seriously speaking though.¡± Night started with a scratch on his neck, ¡°It was amidst of our married life


    when we found our TRUE mate, Mikee.¡±


    ¡°Her name was Susie Marina Dawn.¡± Xavier proudly says, ¡°She was twenty-eight and working in the


    South when we first met her. She was a financial analyst and it so happened that we were checking out


    a new investment program. Long story short, we epted her offer and after seeing her that day, we


    tried to get her to work for us.¡±


    ¡°Turns out, the woman was feisty.¡± Night frowns at the memory, ¡°She declined every offer we could give


    her. It was frustrating and our wolves were not helping so we kind of decided to¡­ kidnap her.¡± he


    gulped when I shot him a death re.


    Though before I could even explode, Xavier stopped me.


    ¡°We know it was wrong kid, but don''t go all Alpha King at us when you know, deep inside, you''ll do the


    same. Especially in times of RAMPAGE, or BLOODLUST. ¡± he reasoned.


    I even out my breathing as I take in his point.


    ¡°We know it was wrong, Mikee but believed us when we say that we meant well with her... She was our


    mate. Thankfully, after a year, she eventually epted us. However, after three years, she learned


    about our marriage. We tried to tell her beforehand but, it was not that easy¡­¡± Night halted and


    breathed out heavily.


    Xavier, on the other hand, clenched his jaw while his eyes were distant.


    I could tell, the two loathes the memory ¡ª it''s almost painful to watch.


    ¡°Let me guess, she rejected you two,¡± I stated, earning a sad smile from the two.


    ¡°We don''t want to reject her at all, so we requested her to do it,¡± Xavier stated through gritted teeth.


    ¡°We thought at first, she will not do it... She loves us, we saw it in her eyes.¡± Night''s jaw clenched, ¡°But


    she did it anyway.¡±


    ¡°I guess, we hurt her that bad that she ended up doing it. We know she could not do it, still, we asked


    her and here we are.¡± Xavier sighed heavily. ¡°It was all our fault, kid.¡±


    I could only let out a heavy sigh of my own, realizing how hard this is for them.


    ¡°So you two are here now and are trying your best to win her back, aren''t you?¡± I asked.


    They both nodded.


    ¡°It''s not easy though. She keeps on avoiding us when she got the chance¡­¡± Night told with a frown.


    ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°Whenever she heard about our visits, she files her leave and it alwayssted for a month... It''s fucking


    annoying.¡± Xavier groans as he massages his temple.


    I snorted.


    ¡°I guess that''s what you two get for not being patient and honest with her.¡± I teased.


    Bad idea.

 Chapter 36. The Untold Black Story - Part 2

    Chapter 36. The Untold ck Story - Part 2


    Michael Angelo


    When a werewolf is at its peak of emotion, one thing that you should NEVER do is tease or mock them.


    Even if it wasn''t your intention, they spontaneously sense your words as a kind of insult, provoking their


    wolf.


    And when you provoke their wolf, you create tension resulting in mayhem...


    I know I should have just shut up when I had the chance and just let them rant some more. But my


    stupid ass couldn''t help but be arrogant and here I am, in a situation, I never wanted to be in.


    Especially, with the Alphas whom I am close to.


    Without a word, the twin Alphas moved forward and both men now faced to face with me.


    I stared back at them and realized that their wolves were present ¡ª both their eyes were pitch ck.


    That''s not good.


    Perceiving this as a challenge, Bear stepped up from the depths of my mind and instantly took control


    of my body. Then, with one swift motion, he pinned the two broad men on one of the stone walls of the


    resort.


    And that''s when the scent from before became stronger for me to recognize.


    Fresh roses, wild peaches, and a hint of vani...


    That scent.


    Fuck!


    I know that scent.


    That''s ¡ª


    Before I could even finish my thought, a voice boomed inside the lobby and you could tell it was


    another Alpha, for the tone was full of authority and power.


    Oh, boy.


    Hearing this, Bear growled dangerously and, slowly, turn around to see who it was ¡ª He was ready to


    kill the person.


    No!


    For a split second, I gained a little control over him, and that''s when I caught a glimpse of who it was


    standing in front of us.


    At his full six-foot-four height and on a full ck tailored suit was an angry Heinz ck.


    N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    He''s not just the Killer Alphas'' youngest brother but also, as I recently discovered, was the Mallow


    Hotel''s Front Office Manager.


    ¡®We''re in trouble.¡¯ I promptly told Bear and he barks at me.


    Heinz, recognizing Bear and I were in a feral mode, softened his features and kindly requested us to


    put down the twins.


    Surprisingly, he didn''t use the Alpha tone this time with us which I am grateful for, since Bear was


    already on edge.


    It took us about a minute and ultimately, Bear''s anger eased down. Then, with trembling hands, we let


    go of the two old men.


    Fortunately for us, both men were in control too.


    Seeing no injuries were done, Heinz asked us to amend our mistakes and shortly, apologies for the


    episode were said between two parties.


    After that, Heinz took me back to the front desk.


    During our walk, I couldn''t help but noticed that there were no crowds gathered when the incident


    happened, making me believe that it was a daily urrence and everybody here was ustomed to it.


    ¡°Apologies for that, Alpha King. My brothers are not in their best behaviorstely.¡±


    Heinz sighs and runs a hand through his brown locks.


    ¡°I know they are acting this way because of their MATE. It always has been...¡± he added.


    I raised an eyebrow at that.


    ¡°Then why you let them here?¡±


    I asked and he shot me a perplexed look.


    ¡°I mean, why you let your brothers stay when you know it''s not healthy for them to be here?¡± I rified.


    Heinz, unexpectedly, smiled at me.


    ¡°Would it be foolish to say that I love my brothers enough to let them suffer for their own loss?¡± he


    stared at me and it''s my turn to look confused.


    He noticed and chuckled at me.


    ¡°It is just my way of saying, I''m punishing my brothers, Mikee.¡± He interpreted.


    Still notprehending it, I wrinkled my forehead at him.


    Heinz let out a sigh.


    ¡°I hated what they did to Marina, Sire,¡± he started, ¡°When I discovered that they found their TRUE


    mate, I was truly happy for them and advised them to tell her the truth since she deserves that much.


    However, three years have passed. The two morons still didn''t speak up and Marina was already


    pregnant with their first child. As for their wives, since they were not their TRUE mates, they were weak


    to bear any of the twins'' children. Nheless, they all nned to adopt.¡±


    He cringed at this, and with a heavy exhale, he resumed.


    ¡°Knowing that they were fooling the women, both their mate and wives, and hurting them with their lies,


    I had to do something. My conscience was eating me alive, your Highness. So, I decided to tell the


    ladies the truth, and the next day, Marina rejected the twins.¡±


    He exined.


    ¡°You did what now!¡± I yell, ovee by shock and anger.


    Heinz only shrugged his shoulders, like I didn''t just shout at him.


    ¡°It was for the best, your Majesty. Emily and Amara were very good wives and Marina... she''s a sweet


    girl. They will be hurt if I didn''t do something.¡±


    I tried my best to calm myself down, for the second time today, and avoid ripping one of my kind to


    pieces just because of a decision they made using their emotions solely.


    It''s normal for people to make decisions based on their emotions. But us being werewolves, it''s a


    wrong thing to do.


    Much less, dangerous¡­


    We tend to snap once our minds are clouded with emotion and we became the worst decision-makers


    this world has ever seen.


    That''s why, as their Alpha King, I strive my best to assist them.


    Even if I became the bad guy¡­


    ¡°I understand that and it was nice of you, Heinz.¡± I started with my Alpha King tone; calm and collected.


    ¡°However, I hope you''ll understand me as well when I tell you that it was not your problem to solve.


    Yes, you may have saved the girls'' hearts from breaking but did you ever thought about the effects on


    your brothers? What if, after the mate''s rejection, the boys'' go suicidal or vice versa? Or how about the


    child''s sake within their mate?


    You know it''s not good to put stress on a pregnant woman¡­


    Think about this; would you live through the guilt knowing it was you at fault if things had gone wrong


    between the two parties?¡±


    I paused and waited for his excuse.


    He didn''t respond.


    ¡°I know you truly meant well, Heinz but it was a one-sided intention. Knowing your brothers, they may


    have their reasons for taking that long. They must have been terrified or unprepared for the uing


    rejection. Nevertheless, whatever reasons they have, I know, they were gonna tell the truth.¡±


    I exined further.


    Heinz only nodded his response and kept quiet then. He looked understandably guilty and it sucks to


    see.


    I know it''s my duty, as their King, to fix their behaviors and correct their decisions, but it''s still hard to


    see them all guilty and regretful like this.


    Particrly when they thought they were in the right¡­


    I sighed.


    Both of us stayed silent after that until we finally reached the front desk.

 Chapter 37. Vacation! Destination: NALA

    Chapter 37. Vacation! Destination: NALA


    Michael Angelo


    Presently, together with my group, we started the process of checking in only to be told to wait for


    another five minutes.


    Weak and tired, we could only agree.


    Twenty minutes already passed, and still no key to our rooms...


    I groaned my frustration and started marching towards Geneva, the front office staff assigned to handle


    our registration.


    Geneva, upon seeing me, shot me an anxious look. She politely excused herself and from there, she


    approached Heinz.


    ¡°Our contract,¡± Lucky murmured by my side, ¡°it''s still not here¡­¡± he added with a frown.


    Lucky, among my men, has the most sensitive werewolf ears. He can hear even the smallest raindrop


    when it hits the ground.


    Superpower they may say, but we prefer to call it a gift since Lucky was deaf before...


    He was only seventeen when rogues attacked our west border. Lucky, as a newly trained BETA, was


    assigned to do border duty at that time and, as proud as he was, he tackled the danger head-on.


    Treating it as somewhat one of our training sessions ¡ª foolish, I know¡­


    Obviously, he was injured. But the most damaged he gained was the loss of his hearing since the


    rogues brought a bomb and detonate it during a fight.


    Lucky was too close forfort to the explosion, causing his eardrum to explode as well.


    It broke him, to be honest.


    He almost gave up the BETA position and requested to die since he can''t ept the fact that he turned


    deaf.


    Until N came.


    For some unknown Miracle, N brought back Lucky''s sense of hearing through prayers to the Moon


    Goddess. It was impossible at first but she made us believe that it would be possible.


    As persuasive as she was, she got all of us to pray for Lucky''s healing and after over a month,


    miraculously, my beta''s hearing was back.


    Though, he also attained the gift.


    ¡°What contract are you saying?¡±


    I eyed my Beta,pletely baffled.


    ¡°It''s the one where our inclusive and exclusive of goods and services are mentioned since we are


    under a promo.¡± he paused and I noticed him tilting his head to the side ¡ª he was listening.


    ¡°This team needs to have it so they could input it into their database. And since you are here, they will


    require you to sign it¡­ for approval purposes,¡± he simply exins.


    ¡°Pity,¡± I muttered.


    Heinz, after talking with Geneva, faced me. He exined the same thing as Lucky did and that brought


    me to think of the worst-case scenario to our signup process.


    ¡°Well, where is it anyway?¡±


    I snapped.


    ¡°Thest time we checked, it was with our General Manager for a sign of approval. Let me make a


    quick call her and try to verify it''s ¡ª ¡±


    ¡°Excuse me, sir Heinz, Ms. Dyme is on her way. She has the contract.¡±


    Geneva shakily reports.


    Heinz lets out a sigh of relief.


    ¡°Could really count on that girl.¡± he murmured and then turn his attention back to me.


    ¡°Just give us a minute your Highness. Our GM''s secretary will be here with the said contract. Highly


    apologies for the inconvenience though.¡± he bowed but I motioned him not to.


    ¡°That is fine. As long as you could guarantee me that I''ll get my rest tonight.¡± I stated, running a hand to


    my tired face.


    Heinz only nodded and left me to wait, which I did with Blessy sleeping on my arms now ¡ªshe passed


    out fifteen minutes ago.


    Satisfyingly, it didn''t take long ¡ª as promised.


    Heinz called me to the front desk for the contract was near.


    Since I will be signing a paper, I decided to hand Blessy to Jay and continued waiting at the counter.


    Suddenly, I smelled it again¡­ that scent from before.


    Roses, peaches, and a hint of vani¡­


    Fuck this!


    It''s been three years¡­ why now?


    To question further, why here?


    Believing that this was just another migraineing, I massage my temples.


    Bear, on the other hand, was pacing back and forth in my head. He was bing antsy again.


    Shit!


    Soon after, a small guy emerged from the shadows of the corridors and on hand, I recognized the


    contract.


    I sniffed in his direction and the smell wasing his way¡­ mainly on the bundle of papers.


    Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.


    Without thinking twice, I instantly snatched the contract from the guy and sniff it some more.


    The scent lingers here and was stronger than before...


    It was all over it and for more than three years of not inhaling that sweet and delectable scent of ¡®her¡¯,


    Bear and I went apeshit.


    This was my mate''s scent ¡ª N''s scent!


    Before the guy could even run, I grabbed his cor, and with a low cold voice, I asked, ¡°Where is she?¡±


    The guy didn''t respond as his eyes widened in horror ¡ª he was afraid of me.


    But I don''t give a shit!


    I needed some confirmation and my patience already snapped the second I smelled N''s scent.


    I''m now a raging animal ¡ª too wild and untamed.


    ¡°Answer me!¡± I boomed and the guy trembled in my grip.


    ¡°I ¡ª I d ¡ª do ¡ª don''t understa ¡ª and, Si ¡ª Sir¡­¡± he stuttered but Bear and I could hardly care.


    Abruptly, I felt the boys'' hands on me.


    ¡°Alpha! Calm down.¡±


    Lucky attempted to ease my grip on the guy''s cor.


    I didn''t budge.


    ¡°Alpha, do not make another scene!¡±


    Rocky gripped my shoulder, warning me about the impending destruction if I let my animal instincts win


    again.


    At first, it snapped me out of my violent thoughts. However, when we inhaled ¡®her¡¯ scent again, the grip


    I once let go of came back to the guy''s cor.


    ¡°Alpha!¡± my Beta and Gamma both shout.


    I didn''t give a damn anymore.


    All Bear and I want are answers and having none at the second, infuriated us further.


    We wanted BLOOD this instant¡­


    ¡°Answer me!¡± I shouted at the guy, who was currently pissing his pants.


    Pathetic.


    I was about to ask again when the scent hit me for the fourth time and this time, it brings the warmth of


    a presence.


    Bear and I automatically stilled.


    Shortly after, I heard a gasped and my head snapped in its direction.


    ¡°N¡­¡± I rasped.


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