That question is like an answer to my strange feelings lately.
Whenever I smell her sweet scent, even the identical, the heat is crawling up to my face. My eyes are excited to see her features. And I feel legitimate lightness in my chest when she's with me. "Uhm... can I have a crush on her?"
"Why not?" He made a teasing chuckle. "Ironically, that's not the design. Have you felt the urge that you want her madly?"
"Aha, I've never been asked such a blunt question as that!" I fake my laugh to be saved from embarrassment.
"It's only natural for werewolves to have those possessive thoughts about the person they're attracted to. That's part of being born wild. That’s the call of mating. But we were created with the same intelligence as humans which makes it possible for the likes of us to act like them. But for us to cleave to humans is neglecting the design of the Moon Goddess. And that leads to a lot of sacrifices."
"... just like you?"
"Yes. Love makes you break any law, escape from your limitations, but too risky to preserve eventually. It's like gambling your future." He sat closer to me and I arose from lying to listen politely. "I bet you know I'm a werewolf, and my wife is a Moon Priestess—a human. Zaeramil is a hybrid. He's suffered from the loss of his mother for the past years. While I'm suffering from longing for her. That is the punishment for disobeying the design."
"Can't we change that fate?"
"I don't think so. But we can overcome it."
"Have you?"
"I was about to."
"But why did you choose to disobey the design? Did you know it will happen in the first place? Why did you take the risk anyway?" I'm so curious I want to be cautious about the beat of my heart now!
"Maybe because I don't want to see other men eating the meal she prepared every day!" Then he chortles. "You want to claim the woman as yours. And we will leave a mark of territory to their body."
"M-Mark?" Which means I am already claimed by someone. I grope my bite mark and show him.
"You already have one without actually mating?”
“Dan also mentioned that my case is mysterious.”
“You're not adapted to these kinds of traits, are you? I am well aware of your situation as told by Lanasia. You have forgotten everything, that's why you're here to figure it out. You should make haste to find your mate before it’s too late then. The bite mark will heal if you haven’t marked your claim on your mate as well… or if you marked someone else."
"Whoa. Speaking of that, why did you know about the secrets of the Moon's Order pack?"
"Hmm, do you mind listening to a short story first?"
Our attention was diverted to Dandeline. "I want to know the answer, too," she requested, then joined the conversation by taking the space beside Matheo and sitting down.
"How long have you been here?" I asked her.
"Not longer than thirty seconds."
I calculate with my fingers to determine if the scope of that time includes the initial topic Matheo and I have.
"What questions do you have?" Matheo began.
Dandeline says, "I prefer to know about Lanasia and her connection with this place."
I ask, "Why is everything glowing?"
"Why is this hidden?"
"Why does the grass taste sweet?"
"And who is the creator of this world?"
"Why didn't they include daylight?"
"Hessuel, make sense."
"What's nonsense about that?"
"I get it. You're both curious about this place," Matheo concluded. "It's a place created by an Eldar. And that Eldar are Lanasia's ancestors who passed the responsibility of stabilizing this world. This world was made for the white wolves during the great war, and until now. This became their hideout. Only a few mages knew about the passages to the nest of the Moon's Order pack, no one else could enter the pack's forest without crossing those passages. That's why this is highly confidential."
"Then how did you know?" Dandeline slouches. "You're not a part of the bloodline, are you?"
"I am now part of the family!" he brags, then chortles.
"Okay, then that made you worthy of this truth?"
"I'll tell you the story. I was among the pack of the Vengeance. I battled on their side against the white wolves. I've been with the Alpha for years. At first, his endeavor to protect his pack impressed me. The victory on our side was fulfilled. Several years had passed. And gradually, the Alpha changed yet I don't understand the reason wholly. He's obsessed with hunting down the white wolves, driving him insane for believing that there is still a living silver wolf until I come up with the thought that his endeavor to win against the white wolves is just being... sadistic.
"He's a ruthless Alpha just like some of this pack said in a contribution to gossip. Since the war has ended, I wanted to choose my own path. I became a lone wolf when I left the pack, part of the reason is because of the Alpha. I traveled and lived similar to humans', that's when I met Lanasia. She smells lovely that day and I can't remove every image of her in my mind. In fact, this place is where I proposed to her."
"Ah, this place reminds you of that, huh?"
I commented, "That was a wonderful plan. I think this place is romantic and perfect for confe—" I pout. From the looks of their eyes, they're like listening to a loverboy. "Confetti. Yes, confetti is wonderful here. Please, continue."
"It is indeed a romantic and memorable place to express your love," Dandeline stated and it's surprising that she's cooperating while deeming herself an aromantic.
Matheo questions the two of us, "Is there anything you want to confess?"
"That's not the subject of our conversation."
"We were... when you said you met Lanasia?" I tried to revert the topic before romance diverted us.
"Right," Matheo continues. "When Lanasia told me the truth that white wolves and a silver wolf still exist, at first I was furious. But when I met the Moon's Order pack, their kindness overflowed and washed my wrath away. I swear to Lanasia that I will keep this a secret. But the Alpha suspected me. He's moving behind his pawns just like when he was ordered to enslave dark-skinned humans to force-divulge the disguises of the silver wolf. I thought it was crazy until the truth knocked on our door."
"Was it the Alpha who caused that ordeal?" I reacted.
"He is. But he used his followers to cover him."
"He's clever in every detail, that's how he became an Alpha. They suspected my renunciation and they're not mistaken about that. They want me to reveal the hideout of the white wolves. Therefore, we made a plan to mislead their suspicion and that resulted in framing Elibur. Zaeramil was still a young boy when his pack ambushed us, Lanasia created an impersonation of her dead body.
"Along with her play, she spread around the world that the Moon's Order pack is nothing but a fictional tale to demotivate anyone who wants to find it. I helped her make it happen by publishing the stories of children's books that have an enchantment to brainwash readers. It worked somehow. But Elibur is persistent in hunting down Lanasia, that's why he never gets rid of me until he finds out the truth. He was condemned because of the framed crime, and now he wants to prove his innocence. And I know that day is at the doors now that the silver wolf appeared."
"I knew it." Dandeline is smiling softly. "Lanasia is at the end of this road?"
"The Eldar prophesied this day. The joyful reunion is about to come once the pureblood silver wolf arises." His smile at me is uttering his gratitude. This was the suffering he was referring to. And I am the key to its ending. I'm just a regular merchant in a noteless village. The world treats me as an enemy while some as luck. He makes his stance, then stretches his arms. "It's time for my son to know the truth, too."
Dandeline agrees. "I'm sure he'll love it just like I did. Lanasia is such a brave priestess."
"But what's taking him too long?" I wonder.
We all look around looking for him nearby but nowhere to be seen. "Hessuel, you can follow his smell on the ground with your wolf form," Dandeline said with gestures.
"Me? I don't know how to sniff yet. Can you demonstrate?" I counter to protect my whiteness.
"Me? You think I'm a wolf?"
"But you already tasted dog food."
She sways a kick on my knee pit yet she misses when I avoided it. "What an audacity to act pure."
"I'll do it." Matheo spares the bet from me. "He's my son and I know his smell anyway." He first bents down the grass and then shifts into a big black wolf. He's sniffing the grass where Zaeramil stepped earlier to trace him. I look at the pissed face of Dandeline then gesture the way to her to let her go first. She did but by flipping her tied hair that smacked my face.
The tracing takes longer than expected. That's how I realize too that this forest is endless. There's nothing different to see. This might be the reason why Zaeramil lost his way back. But he could have used some enchantment at least. I looked above the dark and blank sky and unintentionally, I saw a hook hanging on top of a tall tree. My sight is clear enough to see the rope on the branches connected to that hook. There are pioneers here.
I was about to warn Dandeline when she stepped on a sag ground, then that ground fell! Before she fell into the pit, I caught her on her waist but a foot of mine slipped. Eventually, we both fell into the trap.