Chapter Three

“It seems like you've run out of luck, Tricia,” Gamma Leonardo said. “If William didn't kill you, then don't expect me to let you escape. After everything you and your family did to me and to the gammas, don't expect any mercy from me.”

Gamma Leonardo completely transformed into a beast and leaped towards me. I covered my eyes. If this is my end, I hope my parents will forgive me.

My heart was pounding in my chest as I waited for my throat to get cut, but instead, I heard Leonardo growl in pain. Slowly, I removed my hands from my eyes and saw a man in a black robe kicking him in the stomach.

“Do... Don't kill me,” Gamma Leonardo begged.

But the man didn't seem to hear him. He bit Leonardo’s neck and sucked his blood. Then he looked at me with eyes as red as magma. His bloody fangs were sticking out of his mouth. In the blink of an eye, he was already in front of me.

I didn't have the courage to beg him not to kill me. I know my life is meaningless anyway. I have no one now. My parents were probably killed by the pack already. I'm an outcast now, or a rogue, as they call it, and everyone hates me, so it's better to just die. I raised my head, waiting for him to bite me.

“What are you doing?” he asked. His fangs contracted.

Confused, I looked him in the eyes and saw that they weren't red anymore. His face was as pale as the full moon. “Do... Don't you want to kill me?” I asked.

“If I want, I already did, but you don't seem to be glad to hear that,” he said, extending his hand at me. “Come on. Let's get away from here before those troublesome ones come.”

Though I didn't know him, I held his hand. He pulled me up and carried me. He ran so fast, faster than Alpha William in his werewolf form. The surroundings blurred, then I felt my head spinning and everything turned black.

I didn't know what happened next, but those wolves didn't seem to stop chasing after me. I continued running through the dark woods, alone, my heart pounding in my chest, my breathing shallow. I ran and tripped off. Before I could stand up, the pack had already surrounded me. Without a warning, they charged towards me and tore my body to pieces.

“Noooo!” I screamed and opened my eyes. Then I realized it was just a bad dream. After everything that happened, I couldn't believe I'm still alive. Nobody had ever survived Alpha William's wrath before. It might be luck that even though I've killed his wife, I'm still here.

“Are you okay?”

I looked up when I heard a deep, manly voice. It’s the man, nay, a vampire who saved me from Gamma Leonardo. I don't know why he did that. He’s a vampire, and I'm a werewolf. We're not supposed to help each other, and yet… yet he didn't kill me and brought me to this place instead.

“I… I'm fine. Thanks for saving me,” I said in a hoarse voice.

“Don't think about it.” He approached me with a glass of water. “Here. Drink this. You must be thirsty. You’ve been unconscious for five hours. I thought something had already happened to you.”

My heart almost melted at his words. Even though we're strangers, he cares for me. I accepted the glass of water, gulped it, and returned the empty glass. “Thanks.” I tried to smile.

“You're welcome.” He sat down in the chair beside a wooden table. “So, tell me, how did you end up there?”

“I messed up,” I said, though I don’t really want to think about it. It only breaks my heart to think about the biggest mistake I've made in my life. “I’ve killed the Luna of our pack, and I have to run away.”

“By accident?” he asked.

“I don't know if I can call it that. I’m a beta. I should be able to control myself, and everyone was expecting too much of me. I shouldn't disappoint them. But what I did was worse, not just a simple failure. I’ve ruined everything. Now I have nowhere to go.”

“At least you're still alive,” he said.

“I don't know if I should be grateful that I'm still alive. My parents—they are probably dead by now. Everyone hates us. They must be thinking that my parents have raised a monster.”

“I understand the feeling,” he said.

Confused, I looked into his deep blue eyes. “What do you mean?”

“My family hates me too since I got this curse. They are afraid of me and treat me like I'm a monster. I don't really want to hurt them; that’s why I moved away and live here in this cabin alone,” he said.

“I'm sorry.”

“It’s okay. It seems like it’s fate that brought us together. What do you think? Aren't we in the same boat?” he asked.

“Maybe. You're a vampire, and I'm a werewolf. We live in two different worlds, but you still saved me. I’ll be forever grateful for that. What’s your name, by the way?” I asked.

“Just call me Nash. How about you?”

“Tricia.”

We had a handshake before I stood up. I know I have to leave this place as soon as possible before the pack can find me. I don't want Nash to be involved with this either. “I think I have to go now.”