CHAPTER 9

~ Ava ~

It was already dawn when I arrived at the orphanage house. A palette of yellow and orange replaced the dark blue hue in the sky. Chirping birds now filled the once-silent forest and the chilly air finally disappeared—chilly air that really bit my skin throughout the night.

But I didn't complain. I brought this upon myself, after all.

I was supposed to go through the cave again. I figured it would have been an easier, shorter route back to the Black Moon Pack, but because I couldn't remember which path to take with all the winding passages, I didn't choose it. Plus, I wanted to be as far away from the alpha as possible, and as quickly, too. Asking for his help was out of the question. I was already in a tight spot with him as it was.

Bea, being an early riser, was the first person to see me enter the front door. Exhausted and thirsty, the primary thing I was supposed to do was rest and demand for water, but instead I held my hand up and asked: "Kitty? Is she still in my office?"

Bea stopped short in her tracks and fluttered her lashes. "No, I already transferred her to her room upstairs," she answered.

'Upstairs...' my mind registered while looking up at the ceiling.

In haste, I climbed up to the second floor, with Bea following behind me.

"What happened to you, Ava?" she asked, closely mimicking my quick pace. "Where have you been? Michael and I were so worried about you! And wait, what happened to your dress? Why do you have that brown mark on your back?"

Oh, my... Of course, she'd see the symbol. I couldn't hide it even if I wanted to with my blouse burned at the back.

Instead of answering, I asked her my own questions.

"Did Kitty sleep well? Did she have nightmares because her stuffed toy is not with her?"

From my periphery, I saw Bea nod. "She did, but her friends were able to soothe her."

I sighed and continued to Kitty's shared room. It was still six in the morning. All the girls were asleep, including her, but knowing she wanted her stuffed toy badly, I had to wake her up.

Bea remained quiet as she let me enter the room. I tiptoed towards Kitty's side and kneeled on the edge, close to her face.

"Hey, good morning, sweetie." I flashed a gentle smile as she arouse. Then I placed the husky puppy stuffed toy between us. "I'm sorry I took so long. Here's your friend."

A spark of happiness appeared in her eyes as she cuddled the toy. "Thank you, Miss Ava," she said sleepily.

"You're welcome, sweetie." I sighed in content. "Now, go back to sleep."

And she did while embracing her stuffed toy, like she was afraid it would disappear again.

I stood and gave her a last happy glance before I strode outside and closed the door.

"Ava, are you okay?" Bea asked, putting a hand on my shoulder, her chocolate eyes filled with worry, and I couldn't blame her. I looked like shit, after all.

"I'm fine, Bea," I answered and gave her a short smile. "I just need to catch my breath. I walked from the south mountains to here."

"The south?!" she cried out just as I walked past her and into the stairway.

"How did you end up there? The forest you and Kitty got lost in the previous night was within the Black Moon Pack territory, right? So how come you—"

"It's a long story," I cut her off. By this time, we were back in the first floor living room. I took a deep breath and stared at her with gravity. "And you're not going to believe who I just made a deal with."

She folded her arms over her chest and grinned at me. "Well, I'm all ears then."

We went to my office and in there I told her everything that happened to me since yesterday afternoon—from the moment I found the stuffed toy on the cave, to the symbol on my back, and to the time Alpha Darius broke the chains around me. I also told Bea about him and how he was the son of a First Alpha—a member of the legendary but elusive group who were believed to be the first werewolves and lycans who lived in this land.

Bea was attentive. She questioned nothing, nor did she interrupt my storytelling. When I pulled out my blouse and my brassiere, she gasped, staring directly at the symbol in awe.

"Oh, goddess, this symbol is crazy, Ava," she stated, while gently tracing the edges. I could still feel it burning my skin, but not as much as yesterday, when I really felt like I was barbecued on the grill.

"I know," I muttered and looked down at the flower-print of the futon. "I wish I can erase this."

"Do you think a healer can? I mean, I am a healer, so I want to try," Bea suggested.

I instantly nodded. "Please, try."

She stood in front of me, placed her hands on my back, and focused.

Deep inside, I prayed this would help, but when the warmth of her healing energy surrounded me, I didn't feel the symbol disappear. It remained there, still throbbing on my skin, and I still feel connected with it.

"Ava, I'm sorry," she said minutes later, sounding apologetic.

I faced her and smiled. "It's okay. At least, we tried."

She pulled a chemise from my drawer and handed it to me. "We'll figure this out soon. I know we will. Right now, we'll just focus on other things like...oh goodness,"—she paused and dropped her surprised gaze at me—"I can't believe you met the Alpha of the Silver Moon Pack!"

She said it as if the ugly rumors had just crossed her mind. I opted this information out earlier to try and see how informed she was about Alpha Darius, and I guess she was.

"That pack is the rogue pack responsible for the killings. You actually met their alpha! Thank goddess you weren't killed!"

"Ah, yes, about that." I sheepishly rerouted my eyes on the sole window of my office. "They aren't the rogue pack in the rumor, Bea. Maybe it's just a misunderstanding or someone set them up to look like they are the killers."

"I don't believe it," she firmly stated, crossing her arms. "Maybe Alpha Darius is just lying to you."

"Well, I'm here right?" I shrugged. "I'm still alive and untouched. I guess that's evidence enough that they are innocent?"

"I don't care about them," she answered, now using her serious tone. "I only care about you. Damn it, Ava, if you could shift into your wolf form, it would have helped a lot with the long walk."

I bit the inside of my cheek.

"I know..." I thought about it too when I walked through the forest, climbed up the hills, and passed the rocky plains throughout the night. I even tried to pep-talk myself into shifting, but to no avail. I am a she-wolf through and through. I have super hearing, great eyesight, and longer endurance. I just couldn't sense my beast inside of me. I am not even sure if I have one.

"Michael and I went to your father last night," Bea went on. "We were so worried about you, we requested him for a search party."

"And did he deploy one?" I asked, honestly curious about the answer. Maybe inside of me, I hoped he approved their request, but I knew there was zero chance of it from ever happening.

Bea looked apologetic again, and even embarrassed. "No. He didn't, Ava. I'm sorry."

"It's okay," I sighed and undressed myself out of the dirty jeans. "As expected, he never really cares about me or what will become of me." I left the futon and strode to the bathroom. "I'll have to brace myself for another sermon today."

"How about you stay here for the entire day, huh?" Bea suggested as she leaned on the doorframe. "Just rest. Your family knows you're missing, anyway, so might as well take advantage of this."

As always, Bea comes up with the best plans, and she was best at persuading me.

"Great idea." I grinned at her through the mirror. "I'll just return home this afternoon." I hang the chemise using the hook on the wall and grabbed my towel.

"Right then. I'll send Michael to the bakery today and have him buy your favorite cookies. You deserve a reward, Ava. Kitty will be so happy now."

And as always, she knew how to cheer me up.

"Thank you Bea," I flashed my teeth before I entered the bath. "You are a great friend."

"Anything for my boss," she answered with a salute.

I playfully shook my head after I pulled the curtains down, then turned the shower on. As the water sprayed onto my head and wetted my face and body, thoughts of my deal with Alpha Darius filled my head.

He will come for me. He made that clear already. The question is when? And the symbol... What information will he find about the symbol on my back? Will it change my life for the better? Or will it be as sad as now?