Mate For The Bride

Moon Festival

The next night was the Moon festival night. I decided to lock myself home to avoid any misfortune. I could hear them howl from here. It wasn't in unison. It was more like chaos.

"Lora?" the voice that sounded outside my door forces my eyes open.

"Mia?" I opened the door with a wide smile. I didn't think she'd really come.

"Were you planning to lock yourself up in here?" she sighed. "What a scaredy cat. Even if you don't have your own wolf, we can go watch them."

"No, Mia. It's dangerous." I told her. I heard people from the capital will be there. No doubt the General's people too or even the general himself.

If I get in trouble again, no one would be there to save me.

"I know. Instead of going to the festival, we can take a walk. Most part of the city will be empty by now since everyone are at the festival."

"How about you? Don't you need the Moon's essence?"

"I don't. Now let's go."

She grabbed my hand and started to drag me out. I sighed and complied, linking my hands with hers and making small talks as we walked.

There was a commotion in front. People were running and screaming as they rushed towards where the festival was being held.

"What's happening?" I asked. The amount of excitement around was strange.

Mia grabbed a woman who was also running to that place. "What happened there?" she asked, nodding in the direction the woman was going to run off to.

"The King is here!" The woman announced "It's the first time he is attending any of our events. No one can miss this, okay?" She quickly got out of Mia's hold and ran.

"The King..." we both murmured then glanced at each other. We internally counted to three before we dashed forward with the others.

At this moment, I forgot all about my fears.

It completely makes sense if all of this excitement was for the King. We've heard stories about him for years but we've never seen a shadow of him. He never showed himself to the public so of course people were curious about how he looked like. Including me. He was so mysterious leaving people to wonder just what he was like.

One rumour I heard once was that he was an ugly terrifying beast. One look into his eyes and you will piss on your pants. Another one says he was as beautiful and kind as an Angel. But one thing that doesn't change is the fact that he protected the country and it's people with his life.

"Oh my goddess it's true." Mia pinched my arms in excitement as we got closer to the scene

There was a black huge wolf on top of the hill. It's colour almost completely blended with the darkness and only it's eyes remained. It glowed a golden colour. The power of command he held just standing there overwhelmed me. I couldn't take my eyes off the big wolf. No one could.

But maybe he noticed me in the sea of people which was quite impossible so I thought maybe it was all an illusion when he held my eyes for a second before he looked away.

It was too brief to take it as anything.

Why didn't he appear in his human form though?

He suddenly let out a howl in the direction of the red moon which had already formed a circle fully. It was loud, powerful but it wasn't deafening. The others followed, taking his lead as they howled at the red moon.

The power he possessed was not one anyone could resist. Mia already shifted, along with every other person, howling with him. I could only bow my head as they continued to howl.

When I looked up again, the wolf was gone and the moon ritual began. Everyone had smiles on their faces as if something had lit up inside them. As if his sudden appearance brought relief to them.

And maybe it did, because nothing bad happened that day like we expected.

I glanced at Mia who was crouched down on her wolf form just like the others as the ritual was performed.

'And she said she didn't need the Moon's essence.' I clicked my tongue, ruffling her brown furs and telling her I'll be on my way back, knowing she could hear me in her subconscious state.

I literally have no business here so I turned around to leave only to bump into a hard chest.

It was a man. Still in his human form.

I look up to see his icy gaze trained on me. Bright but sharp eyes that reflected the moon, now piercing right into me.

"S-sorry." I mumbled an apology and he just looks away, continuing to stare ahead without a word.

I couldn't help but feel something malicious in his gaze when he kept looking at something I couldn't quite see in front.

I left the place, walking down the empty street. I wasn't surprised at how quiet it was.

The lights hanging around gave me this strange sense of peace as I continued to move my legs, the scene from earlier playing in my head without permission.

The King in his wolf form. He had commanded such power in me that it was almost similar to a certain person in my head. The Devil, Cyrus.

I shook my head when the thought hit me.

That man could only be a notorious gang leader at best.

But it still doesn't change the fact that they had similar auras. Maybe powerful people were just like that.

My feet comes to a sudden halt and the footsteps behind me stops too. My adrenaline level spiked up and for a second, I thought it was him. The Devil. I feel excitement settle in my abdomen and I know it's not normal to anticipate seeing him when I hate him so much but the promise he made last time just wouldn't stop playing in my head.

When I continued walking, the footsteps resumed too but I realize it wasn't the person I was expecting. I didn't feel that creepy gaze tearing through the back of my head and making my heart race like crazy or the cold gust of wind that would brush against my neck.

All I felt was... fear.

The malicious smell of danger and the need to get away as soon as possible.

I hurried my steps, thoughts racing, glancing over my shoulder every now and then to catch the shadows lurking behind me thinking it could hide in the dark.

The eerie silence didn't make this easier for me either. Not even when I turned and saw my stalker drawing out a knife under the street lamp I had personally hung up and my eyes briefly catching the signature tattoo on his wrist, indicating it was another one of the general's man.

Just when will they stop?

My mind mulled over my next step. I know this street like the back of my hand so I wait. I keep walking and when I neared a corner, I burst into a run and I hear the platter of footsteps behind me.

Not just one. Two of them.

My legs moved as fast as they could, quickly finding another corner before they round up. I took two more corners, finally succeeded in confusing them as they spread around to find me.

I was crouched down near the back of a closed shop, clamping down on my mouth with my palms and holding my breath so I don't give myself away as I carefully thought of my next step.

I can't let them catch me no matter what.

I think I was forgetting something. That they were werewolves with super hearing ability. Considering how quiet the whole place was, the sound of my heartbeat alone would lead them to me.

The steps neared where I hid and I close my eyes shut in fear and maybe suspense as it draws nearer and nearer until I think he finally found me and there is no where to run further.

I opened my eyes, preparing to put up one last fight when I heard someone being dragged away from the corners of my vision.

The slashes and tearing and painful groaning that entered my ears makes me freeze. Like completely frozen, unable to move my body even though I wanted to.

I watch the blood that spill into the corner and hear the skin tearing that continues. My eyes widened in horror and I don't know how I found control of my body again but I ran.

I run with no sense of direction because all I cared about was getting away from that monster or whatever it was that killed those men on my tail. I wasn't sure it wouldn't hurt me too.

Who was I kidding though? I didn't get to run too far when I felt big hands grabbing the back of my shirt and forcing me to a stop.

I turn and I'm paralyzed with fear when my eyes meet those familiar dark, souless ones.

"What a scaredy Princess." he smiled.