CHAPTER 18
CHAPTER 18
She finally turned around and howled, stomping towards the woods. It doesn’t mean she has accepted them but it also doesn’t mean she rejected or intimidated by them. The other 3 howl delighted and followed her to the woods.
Her palms completely embrace the mother earth with each step, her eye looked forward in full confidence, ignoring the other wolfs around her that kept gazing at her. She loved mother nature, her blow of wind through her fur, the soft cushion of forest floor and the scent of grass mix dirt, the cool temperature of the night, the full moon and the scattered stars on pitch black canvas and the sound of nature around her. The trio practically wasn’t looking at where they are heading, they blindly followed the silver wolf. She headed straight up a mountain deep in the forest. A small body of water, pooled in the middle of rocky mountain, like a large hole and rain water formed narrow streams that eventually filled up the hole. She must have been very familiar with the mountain since she head straight to the waterbody and dipped herself in it. The trios slowed to stop and lay down, snouts on their palms, mesmerized at Selena when wolf are actually supposed to be admiring the moon on full moon night like tonight. She swam happily in the water, dipping her head down from time to time. After a while she came out and shook her body to dry herself, away from the others. She than started climbing the rocks up and rested herself on a flat surface about 100 meters above the others. She looked up at the moon with great admiration. From down, the moon shine through her, reflecting at her silver coat. Orion cooed like a puppy at the view of a magnificent wolf while Grandpa Kai and Zaden didn’t take their eyes off her. The shiny ball on the sky made her happy, happy like you just found your hidden Christmas present. She let out a howl. Zaden blinked a few times, when he finally remembered the full moon and joined her, followed by the other 2.
They stayed the same for hours before Selena stood up, jumping from rock to rock and strolling away from them. They stood up as well and followed her from distance. She never paid attention to the 3 this whole time nor protest against their presence as well. She walked gracefully towards an empty field where she took pleasure rolling over grass, chasing after frogs and fire-flies. The field lead to an
opening and Selena’s house backyard is visible. The silver wolf continued walking, eventually stopping to play with something or brushing the grass with her palm and then back again on its track. It took a leap and reached the roof of ground floor. Another leap to enter the window of Selena’s room. Zaden, Orion and Grandpa Kai shifted to human form and ran to Selena’s room, naked. They slowly opened the door and saw a human figure in the dark room, on Selena’s bed, with her arms tucked under her head as pillow and body coiled into fetal position, her favorite sleeping position to Zaden’s knowledge. Her skin wasn’t visible but from how smooth the curves are, it is clear that she is also naked. So, this is what her routine has been all these years!!! She must have been able to contain or zone out or control the mind of her own wolf to never manifest but when it’s full moon, her body reacts to it causing a panic attack like symptom and she consumes pills to fall asleep. Once she is asleep and loose grip of her wolf, she comes out to play.
They shut the door slowly and turned around to see Leonardo and Aaron, frozen at the staircase.
“Is she here?” Leonardo
“Is she safe?” Aaron, both asking in chorus. The 3 exchanged look and decided to explain to them through their mind link, an ability werewolves in pack poses, a way of communication.
Soon, they got dressed and sat down with a cup of coffee. It was 5 am in the morning. They explained the core of Selena’s issue, that she is a werewolf and that she is an active gene after 5 generation or more of inactive gene, and that her mother suspected so and also about the moon birth mark. Aaron and Leonardo was still in a frozen state when all 3 had fallen asleep on the couch itself. They had a long sleep after a beautiful full moon night., so did Selena. They didn’t wake up again until it was 5pm that day. Once Selena is awake, they showed her the video proof Aaron took yesterday night and explained to her with much excitement and amusement of where they went through and what she did yesterday, turning to question each other once in a while
“Did you see how her fur radiated the moon shine?” Orion to Grandpa Kai. Zaden was exceptionally quite due to the internal battle he was facing. Selena closed her mouth with her palm as she replayed the video again and again and again. After a while, she placed down the handphone. From the corner of her eye, she can partially see Zaden staring coldly at her, waiting for her logical explanation. She didn’t have any and she was embarrassed. She stood up, walked past him, avoiding any contact at all and went to Daisy’s room. She stayed there till it turned dark.
Aaron wasn’t home ever since they woke up and Leonardo is sitting on the swing silently, with his thought drifting to few years back. Zaden saw him but he didn’t know exactly what to say, he was hoping Selena would come to fix the situation but she didn’t as well. Finally, he got fed up with waiting for her and went to Daisy’s room. He gently knocked on the door but there was no response. He opened the door with cautious and when he saw a big lump on the bed, he smiled and walked in more comfortably.
“Are you asleep?” he sat next to the lump on the edge of bed. A small portion of the thick duvet moved up and down, indicating yes. He grinned wide at her childish act.
“You saw the video, right?” It moved again, up and down.
“And where is your logical or scientific or psychological or common sense or…” he said in a calm voice, stretching each word, surely mocking her. She pulled down her duvet in a lightning speed as she sat up. © 2024 Nôv/el/Dram/a.Org.
“OK FINE… I give up, there is no explanation on my part, yet” she pointed her finger at him and started talking fast without caring about her messy hair, falling to cloud her face. Zaden stretched out his hand, gently combing the hair off her face with his fingers while she kept on going.
“Not yet. How am I supposed to come up with an explanation within hours after finding out that I AM a werewolf. But I have a theory. You see, the dodo bird, dinosaurs are all creatures that are now extinct
but proven to have lived. There are also other creatures like megalodon, the giant kraken squid and even mermaids are still under controversy and… and… and… who knows, maybe they are still alive in depth of ocean. Werewolf must have been one of this creatures and…and…” by this time Zaden had already cleared her face and combed through her hair length. He then placed his hand on his lap supporting his chin, listening to Selena with a twinkle in his eye.
“and… you guys are thought” he cut off Selena’s word
“WE are thought” he corrected her. She threw a piercing glance at him
“WE are thought to be mythical when you… I mean we…technically you, because I wasn’t hiding. I was living like how every human should. But you, you and your village, hiding in the middle of..”
“You know your rambling, right?” Zaden cut her off again. She froze for a moment while her eye flickered at the ground, thinking is this considered rambling.
“And you know what I do to rambling woman, right?” her eyes snapped to him
“Choose one” he demanded while he pointed 2 fingers in front of her. She recalled the options, either a tight slap or a kiss, and she didn’t want either. She bite down her lips as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ears and swallowed her saliva.
“ Good girl” He retrieved his finger with a gentleman smile
“Now, you had warning from us days ago that you are a werewolf and still, you are shocked and apparently, losing your mind. Can you imagine how your father and brother would be right now?” she dropped her head down while fiddling with the duvet.
“Exactly, you have no idea. Who do you think can comfort and coax them, me? Orion? Or Grandpa Kai?” he asked her with now a serious expression and a frown. It made Selena feel a burn in the mid of
her chest. He then stood up, pulled away her duvet, grabbed her wrist and pulled her behind him till they reached front door. He came to a stop, pulling Selena forward, past him, making her stop exactly behind the door. She looked back at Zaden for assurance and he smiled at her. She peeped her head out of the door frame, with a wide eye filled with fear. Leonardo noticed and turned to look at her. There was a moment of silence
“Dad…do you hate me?...” deep inside, she had the fear of rejection. All of a sudden, another head peeped above hers. It was Zaden and he mouthed ‘Please’ to Leonardo. Leonardo stretched his hand towards her and wiggled his fingers, signaling her to come. She walked slowly towards him. He pulled her arms to sit on his lap. He sighed out low
“Daisy and I meet when we were working at an ice factory and fell in love, instantly clicking. I believe she told you this…but what she didn’t tell you, is that I was a school dropout, a gangster and a bad tempered man. She changed me in all ways possible but my temper persisted. Until, one day, in a hospital room, she handed me a little thing, wrapped in yellow towel. It was a baby girl, hands soft as peeled and roasted potato, skin so fair that it turned red when you cried and the eye that could bring the whole world to their knees.” He laughed while playing with Selena’s fingers.
“Who am I? A poor, 6 foot man who grew up in orphanage. I kneeled in front of you, not once but almost every day when you stretch your hands up, demanding to be picked up. You had pooped, peeped and threw up on me. You have even hit me with a stone from roadside because I refused to by ice-cream.” Now, even Zaden was laughing behind the door. Selena laughed as well but a drop of tear collected on the corner of her eye.
“Such a naughty brat you were. I had no choice other than to submit to you, I had never lost my temper anymore. Due to that, my boss promoted me to work with customers, we saved a lot of money. That wasn’t enough, I wanted my baby Bambi to be treated like a princess, so I went to your mother and told her I wanted to start a business. She asked what I can do? Filthy mouth, I had to answered ‘ I can
make coffee’. She opened a café with breakfast and lunch. The 2 woman in my life, steered me to what I am now, I consider myself to be very lucky” he went silent for a minute
“Selena, I am not filthy rich or highly educated yet I am the king of the world because of you two. So, I don’t care if you are a wolf or a Bambi, all I want is for you to be happy. If I can endure you working in that zoo and return home stinking shit, I can endure this too” Selena punched his chest before resting her head on his chest. Those last world shot arrows to Zaden’s heart.
“So, I am basically worthless, unwanted, accident, and so on?” Aaron walked from the yard towards them. He had been waiting by the corner for them to finish.
“Hey there little fox!!!” he teased Selena as he ruffled her hair, earning a tongue out from her. Zaden walked away from there