None of the victims of rabid dogs survived.
Acro informed me. I rushed to the clinic with Sherizzah only to find out that Cormelio is already covered with a white blanket and all I can do is to hug his pale and cold body. Sherizzah consoled. The government provided the graveyard for free for those who died in the rabid incident. I sat the whole day in front of Cormelio's grave.
Curt, my patron, lost a child. People in my hometown were weeping anywhere I cast my eyes. I felt cold not because of the snow, but because I felt the same before: the day I lost my kind. One emotion is ruling me.
I stand on my feet when my knees feel cold from the snow. Looking at the gravestone in front of me, I form my determination. I am a werewolf from the past. I wouldn't be here in the future if it wasn't for the tragedy... if those black wolves never overdosed themselves in pride. They took and are taking everything away from me. All those lifetime cynicism is because of them.
For the person lying beneath this earth... For the massacred souls of my kind... The Beta who killed my mother... the Alpha of Vengeance pack today, the blood of this Alpha shall be their justice.
Alpha Biaco is my prey.
I wasn't aware of the days and nights I'd spent mourning no matter how I tried to avert my mind. Not even the ongoing festival in Plandreas pushed me out of the dark. I was alone in the garden dome, reading Cormelio's journal. He wrote how he regrets adopting me because of how frolicsome I was as a kid.
But he wrote those days when I was away from home; he felt empty and quiet, and he jotted that he cannot go back to his normal days before he met me because I already have an important place in his heart. I became his new home.
'Twas a dark and silent night the moment I wept grievously for the first time after his death. I pressed his journal onto my face, leaned on his cabinet, and slowly slid down to the floor. I bent my knees as I hugged the journal.
'Twas the time that I didn't care how loud I wept. Cormelio was my only genuine family these days. There were times that I blamed myself because I wasn't there to save him. I can't be a hero. I don't deserve that title anymore.
Because maybe I deserve the opposite.
"Hessuel...? May I talk with you?" Sherizzah politely approached me when I already calmed down. She sat in front of me. "I understand your pain. You know I've been there when I lost my father. I don't know any words that will make you feel better. Or there isn't any at all because it's about death. Or maybe it's not the words that can make you feel better!" She shifted into a fat white wolf. ["You can cuddle me however long you want!"]
She waggled her tail and smiled with an open mouth. She pulled me out of my dark thoughts. Therefore, I expressed my gratitude.
We began the march.
We were supposed to ride the train but the blessings did not possess our pockets.
"Tickets," Zaeramil said. "That won't be a problem." He lifts his long sleeve on his right hand, activates the magic circle around his hand, then presses a pine tree. Every single leaf of that tree became a ticket. He plucked two and gave the other one to Sherizzah. "Pick yours. This spell will only work twenty-four hours from now." Acro plucks a ticket for me and the Omegas for theirs'.
Sherizzah folds her arms playfully and says "Well, isn't that smart of you?" And they nudge each other whilst smiling widely.
I told him, "I appreciate you're making yourself useful."
"It sounds more like an insult than a compliment," he complained.
I gesture my hand to call him and come closer, I surround his shoulders with my arm to talk privately. "I have an important task for you," I commanded. This objective is confidential between the two of us and is necessary for my mission. He agreed reluctantly. But he bounced the tense back at me,
"Are you sure about this?"
I rub his hair and walk away towards the train. We all came in because of the fake tickets. There are lots of other people riding as well. I'm with the table of the young couple—that isn't official yet. Acro is on the table and she's been glaring at me because I'm drinking wine as most guardians do while looking at the isolated mansion outside through the window.
"This is amazing!" Sherizzah has been expressing how marveled she is. "Humans can create this kind of creature? It's so fast!"
Zaeramil explains, "This isn't a creature. It's just a cool version of a carriage. Plandreas city will show you more about what humans can do. There are flying sharks in the sky! Hessuel rode there once when they travel to our bar."
"Are you kidding me?"
"I mean... it's called airship—"
"That would be wonderful! Does it need tickets? I want to fly!"
"They?" I lay the glass on the table and ask, "Was I with someone else when I came to your bar?"
And they glance at each other. "Of course, you're not alone. You're with Acro," Zaeramil answered.
"Don't forget about her in every scene," Sherizzah said while she was caressing Acro's bosom. She points at the wine. "Is it human-made? Can I try a sip?" She was about to fill an empty glass with wine when Zaeramil pulled it away from her.
"That's not the right way, your majesty." He fills the glass while elevating the bottle up and down, then tosses the bottle, catches it midair, and lays it on the table. I shook my head and just kept my face towards the window.
"W-Wait... That's the right way? Are you kidding me again? I can't do that! Hessuel has been refilling his glass without that," she mimics Zaeramil's movements earlier, "dancing or whatnot."
"It's a bar tender's freestyle."
I slowly lay my glass on the table. The mansion outside, I've been seeing this view for half an hour. ["Gone,"] Acro snaps the ignorance out of me. I look around us and the other people are gone including the Omegas. It's just the three of us on this train. I caress Acro's head and mutter my praise. While these two are seeing only each other in their romantic world, I kick Zaeramil's foot under the table.
"What?"
"Look around."
'Twas a marvelous sight to see them both stunned. "What the heaven is going on?"
"Your day seems heavenly, huh? We're under a spell."
"Everyone is gone..." Sherizzah mumbled.
"It could be that we're the only ones gone."
Zaeramil manifests his enchanted book to analyze something. A smell of lustful scent suddenly appeared nearby. All this confusing phenomenon has come to light when she approaches our table. She's only wearing a furry bra on top, a huge feather hat, insanely red lips, and fitted pants and boots. "I'm impressed you noticed it sooner, pureblood," and the way she speaks is gracefully seductive.
Sherizzah was choked and promptly turned aside Zaeramil's face. "Ouch—!"
"It's you," I said and folded my arms. "Right. You're the only one who can do this."
"Alpha! W-Who is she!?"
I grab the bottle and sway it against her face but along with the shattered bottle, her figure shattered too on the floor and disappeared. "She's Tanya, the Gamma of Vengeance pack. You both oughta stick together to not be separated like the others. Take care of the Luna," I instructed swiftly before I stood up. Zaeramil offers her a hand and they hold hands before they follow me.
Sherizzah's voice is filled with concern when she asks, "How about you? Aren't you going to hold hands with us?"
"No. Two wheels run faster."
"T-This isn't about cheesy honey cakes, okay!?"
"Stay here. I'll deal with the Gamma."
I open the door to the other division. It's empty. There's another door for division ahead but there aren't footsteps behind me anymore. Acro and I are the only ones around when I turn. "That was fast," I murmured. I kept moving forward to another division until I got bored, I ran and slammed the door down but this train seems longer and the divisions are endless.
["Turn back,"] Acro suggested. When I look at the previous door I've crashed, it's back to its attachment. I did the suggestion and it's a whole new room inside; dim, two single couches, a table in between with champagne on it, and there is Tanya lighting tobacco.
"You made it here!" She greeted me. When the tobacco is lit, she opens my lips and inserts it there. "I don't like to play around the bush since you're my only intention." She crossed her legs as she sat on a couch. On the other hand, I have no idea how to suck this trash on my lips. I sip the smoke and cough because of the bitterness! The tobacco met its junkyard. Tanya made an elegant laugh. "You have no vice. You're not a bad, hot guy either. You can't be a mad boyfriend then. That's boring."
I take a seat on the empty couch. "I don't bother on becoming a man of the norm."
"That's why I like you, Silver babe~!" And then she's biting her long painted nails whilst staring at me. "It's a shame that you're taken. So how are you and that nosy Moon Priestess?"
"Who?"
"What 'who'? I'm talking about Dandeline."
"I have no idea whom you're talking about."
"My! Is this how you do your lover's quarrel?"
"..."
"Ow... I see." She confidently walked toward me and sat on my lap. "It's my chance to own you now." Her finger caresses my jawline, her breasts pressing on me intentionally, and biting her lip; she's exceedingly tempting. However...
"I'm not as lewd as you think," I said. Only my mate can make me like that. I lifted her onto my shoulder—she was screaming a complaint—and laid her back in her seat. I lock her around my arms, glaring and growling silently along with my words, "Tell me exactly why you're doing this. Does your Alpha command you to ambush us on our way to your festival?"
Instead, she snakes her hands to my nape and says, "I was just given the privilege to waste your time wisely. We can be steamier than this." I press my eyes in disappointment. A flirt always sees things as flirting. I called for Acro and put her on Tanya's lap after she enlarged. "What the—!? Gross! Get this dirty bird off of me!!" she reacted. Acro is biting her hat, then her hair, and Tanya can't overpower her weight.
"You're the dirty bird here. Tell me..." There is another thing that nudges me.
"Biaco wants an agreement of peace with you—"
"Who is Dandeline—?"
"Excuse me?"
"What?"
["..."] Acro turns her face at me with her creepy wide eyes.
"Gosh, pureblood, which is it do you really want?" She's throwing a mocking smirk at me.
I clear my throat. "Continue."
"He wants to make this occasion extra special by ending the war with an agreement between two packs. The whole Vengeance pack is gathered in Plandreas and each one of us knows the proposal. Biaco sent me here to inform you beforehand and to avoid commotion if you're planning any."
"And why should I believe you?"
"Oh, please. Because you asked for the answer." She shrugged.
Acro shrinks and rests on my shoulder. I said, "That would be more convincing if you didn't attack us."
"Because you might attack me! I only wanted to chat with you regarding this personally."
"Then you're not trying to harm any of us? End this spell."
"The only way out of here is to return to your seats and wait for the wild ride to end."
"..." Cruelly, I pin her wrists on the backrest. "If I find out your lies," I whisper, "I'll kill you." I left her in the room frozen and speechless in fear. I don't mean it to be terrorizing, it came out naturally. She has pissed me off enough. I wasn't surprised when she laughed insanely after I closed the door.
"My! That was hot!" she screeched.
A sigh came out naturally, too. I had enough of this woman. I have to look for the love dogs first. But I know Tanya won't let me leave like that. The door crashed and she pushed me to the floor and leaned above me in her wolf form, Acro flew ahead.
["I'm so sorry, pureblood. I was given the privilege to be Biaco's messenger. But once you declined the invitation, it's my objective to keep you out of the festival."] She shifts into her human immediately and snaps. All of a sudden, I cannot move a muscle! "Not in my kisses but I put the spell in the tobacco to paralyze you if necessary. So," she leans closer with her tempting trait again, "how shall you kill me, pureblood?"
I can't move! She can do whatever she wants from me—to my body again.