Paradise

Chapter 3 

He sighed as he remembered the woman his mother brought, he looked at her, and he felt something new, something telling him that the woman needed to stay here in the pack, but she couldn't. She's a human; it will be hard for the pack members to keep their wolf form, primarily when they hunt. 

But then he can't say no to his mother, and the woman looks so lost and hurt. He didn't mind it anymore because he knew he wouldn't cross paths with that human. His mother will be taking care of her. He looked above. The sky was so clear. He smiled as he watched the clouds move. 

Valen Ashton Craige was once a sweet boy. He smiles a lot, does things that others would love, and enjoy not until he learned about something that changed his whole life. He dedicated himself to being a good and great Alpha, following the steps of his father, and doing tremendous things.

He sat down in his favorite part of the forest, the only place where extraordinary flowers grow, near the lake where the water is clear as crystal. This is the paradise of his pack, and only he is the one allowed to be here. 

He thought of the name he has, it screams power and strength, but they do not know that deep inside, he is weak, hurting, sad, and just keeping everything because he wants everything for this pack to be perfect. It's okay for him to keep it even until his grave as long as his pack will be safe and he can live a life where peace is given. 

He doesn't want his pack members to be angry with him once they know his deepest secret and maintain peace in the Red Moon Pack. No one can ever know it. No one. 

Flashback 

I ran freely going back to the main house where my parents were when my best friend stopped me. 

"Liam," I mumbled as I changed to my human form. 

He tapped my shoulders, and I looked at him curiously, not knowing what he wanted to say. 

"Hey, what is it?" I asked. 

He smiled at me. He's toying me! My mood immediately changed, and I was about to attack him when he defended himself. 

"Hey, hey! Sorry! I just want to ask you to go with me later to the city!" 

" What the fuck, man! I thought something had already happened." 

He laughed at me again, but then he sighed. My forehead creased. 

“What?” I firmly asked. 

“Your parents are fighting. I heard them shouting when I passed by in the backyard,” he answered. I sighed and went inside the main house of the pack. 

My parents have been fighting these past few days. I wonder why I never heard them fight in my thirteen years of existence, but then this is something weird because what would be the reason they would be fighting? 

I walked towards the room of my father, he’s the Alpha, and soon I’ll be inheriting his position. I wonder if I would be as good as him and make this pack more extensive and more successful. I heard their voices. They were shouting at each other. The office door is slightly opened, so peek and listen to what they are fighting about. 

I really do not want to meddle with their problems, but I am really curious because it was happening for days almost weeks already. But then maybe I just kept my curiosity with them as I heard what they were talking about. 

“Why Henry?! Why am I only knowing this now?” my mom shouted. My father looked at her with those eyes asking for forgiveness. 

I saw how tears started to form around his eyes, but he quickly wiped them away. 

“I’m so sorry, Elina, and I thought it was not real. That the witch was just threatening me,” he answered calmly. 

“You know that it will happen when a witch gives that kind of threat! What now? I do not want my son to suffer; don’t you see how jolly he is? how he loves being with everyone, but what will happen if he finds out?”

“He’s my son also, okay? I do not know; even if I needed to die to lift up the curse, I would do it; it’s just that I do not know where to find the witch anymore and that she got angrier that you took me back.” 

“I can’t believe you, you cheated on me, and now you get our son cursed?! I forgive you for cheating on me years ago before he was born, but then this? What the hell, Henry?! All I ever did was to love you, support you!” 

My dad bent down on his knees, tears falling already. My mom is also crying. I wanted to go in and hug her. I can’t believe that I cheated on her. If I ever find my mate one day, I swear that I will love her with all I have, and protect her from anything. 

“I’m so sorry, Elina. I’ll do everything to lift the curse that was put on our son. I promise that he will be happy and won’t be in misery. And I really love you, I am so sorry for cheating on you back then, I love you Elina please, don’t leave me huh?” 

“I won’t leave you because I am your mate and the mother of your son. I will be staying here because I will still protect my son. Don't you think he will be broken once he knows that he is cursed and will never find his mate?” 

And that left me dumbfounded, and I immediately felt weak, like all the strength in my body left. What the? Did I hear that right? I won’t ever have a mate, and that I am cursed? Why? Is it because my dad cheated and that my mom took him back? 

I lose my balance, letting the door that I am holding open. My parents looked at me, shocked as evident on their faces.

“Valen,” mom whispered, but I looked at them angrily. I looked at them like I despised them. How could this happen? 

I really love both of them, but why is my future already written like this? I gathered myself and stood up. I looked at them without saying anything. Mom was about to walk toward me, but I immediately turned my back and ran. I even heard them calling my name, saying that they would explain. But maybe not today. 

End of Flashback 

A tear escaped from his eyes, but he immediately wiped it. He looked at the scenery in front of him when he felt someone was walking towards his way. His mood immediately changed because he didn’t want someone stepping foot in this part of the pack. 

But then he heard the whisper, “Wow,” the woman mumbled. The woman that was brought by his mother, the human. He looked at her and studied her features, long lashes, and those eyes screamed something that he could explain; she seemed so happy looking at the scenery in front. 

But then he saw how that happiness turned into sadness, but the woman composed herself and took a deep breath. Her lips, they look so. He didn’t continue looking at it as he felt something weird in himself; this was the first time he was staring that long at a woman. 

“You’re not allowed here,” he said calmly but a little scary. The woman's eyes widened, and she held her chest. 

“Oh my gosh!” the woman loudly said. It looks like he startled her. 

The woman looked at her, and he looked back with his cold eyes. The woman was the first one to break the stare and sighed. 

“I know you do not want me here, and I’ll stay until I figure out what to do with my life. It’s just that right now, I do not have anything in life even though all of it belongs to me, but I will make a way on how I can take it all back,” she said. 

He stared at her. He did not want to answer or if he should comfort because he had never done that to anybody. But for a moment, he wanted to say things to let the woman know that she is not alone and she is allowed to stay and fix everything she needs to fix. On the contrary, he doesn’t want her presence and wants her out of the pack already because the woman is endangering herself. 

Luckily, his mother would never let go of this woman. First, she didn’t have any daughter as he was the only child. Second, her heart is one of the purest. He admires her for that. 

“Anyway, you know, this is the first time I talked to you, and you are not shouting. Aunt Elina talked about you a lot that you really do not want other people here, and this is a paradise, you know? I would love to stay here, but I know that I shouldn’t. I wanted to thank you for agreeing with your mom,” she continued. 

Valen stood up and looked at the woman sitting beside the big stone. 

“Thank my mom, not me, and maybe you should leave after two weeks. I really do not want any strangers roaming around our land,” he said and walked away. He can’t stay there knowing that the woman is there. He just can’t.

………….

Selene was taken aback by what Valen said. Wow, that man is a little rude, she told herself, but she didn’t mind anymore. She knows that he doesn’t want her to be on their land. 

It’s not like she’s a thief. She wouldn’t take anything. She just needs time to create a plan for taking back what belongs to her, but then her phone is lost, and she can’t call Jasper. 

She quietly sat beside the big stone and watched the scenery in front of her. 

“This is amazing, a paradise. I have lived in the City of Bloom my whole life, but I never once thought that there was a paradise here. I wonder if I can go back here once I leave,” she murmured to herself. 

She sighed as she thought of ways on how she should live her life right now. She just hopes that a miracle will come and give her back her old life, or maybe she can start a new life with what her father left for her. 

She stayed a little longer, and it was starting to get dark already when she heard someone calling her. She stood up and looked around and saw something from the other side of the lake. 

“Selene! There you are!” 

She looked at the woman calling her, “Aunt Eina,” she said. Elina smiled at her and held her arm. 

“What are you looking at?” Elina asked, and she immediately shook her head, but Elina looked at the way she was looking earlier, and then she felt Aunt Elina’s hand tighten on her arm, but she didn’t mind it. 

“This is a paradise, Aunt Elina,” she just said and held Elina’s arm that’s holding hers and smiled. 

“Yes, this is paradise, Selene. My son really loves this place but let’s go, and I cooked dinner,” Elina said and pulled her, but then, before she walked, she looked again at the other side of the lake. She knew she saw something. 

In her mind going back to the main house, as they call it, she knows she saw an animal. But that animal was looking at her, and it was big. But then she thought that maybe she was hallucinating but then no. 

Before entering the main house, she looked back again. Although the lake was so far away from the main house, there was only one thing on her mind. 

She saw a wolf…