Chapter 5

Darren didn't leave after sending off Amelia. He stayed in that grove and watched until Amelia’s figure vanished into the station’s building. He waited for a while in the woods and then shifted into his human form. 

Rogues who live in the woods can only survive in their wolf forms. It had been years since the last time he transformed into a human. 

His hair was long and untrimmed, as well as his overgrown beard, plus his disabled right eye, which made him look like a scary homeless man. He didn't want Amelia to see him like that. It may scare her. But she was too fragile for him not to worry.

When he looked at her, he saw a delicate flower that could be broken off even by a gust of slightly stronger wind. Her voice was soft. Her facial expressions were always timid. Though she had the most beautiful smile in the world, whenever Darren looked at her, he saw a fragile soul which might collapse at any moment.

To be honest, she wasn't the strong Luna he was looking for. She had nothing even slightly related to strongness. But when he caressed his fur across her skin, he felt peace and happiness welling up from the bottom of his heart. He knew they were fated with each other.

"Amelia."

He mumbled her beautiful name in his mouth with a smile, then quickly put on those clothes he had stolen when Amelia was still asleep.

It had been forever since the last time he walked with human legs. When he took a step forward, his legs were stiff and his body lost balance. He soon fell on the ground with his head bumping into heaps of rotten leaves. He growled, then stood up and tried again.

It took him another 5 falls before he eventually recalled how to walk as a human. He roughly cleaned the dirt and crushed leaves off his head and clothes, and then quickly crossed the shining railway to get into the station.

In the small ticket office that had a red roof, Amelia had already gotten her ticket. When purchasing it, she hesitated about the destination but eventually did as Darren told her and chose the big city far away.

After that, she picked up a map of that area and began to remember it with all her effort. It may help her to escape again someday in the future. She was so focused on her escaping plan that she barely noticed it when Darren walked in.

He was this big muscular guy about 6 '5 tall. The clothes he wore were obviously too small for him. His face was covered by his long hair and huge beard. There was fresh dirt and crushed leaves all over his body. All of that made him look like a caveman who had just come to daylight. 

The intimidating vibes around him soon scared all the other passengers away, except for Amelia, who was still memorizing that map.

Darren stopped right at the entrance of the waiting room. He found a seat there and then started to look at her. The war was a sure thing. He wasn't able to escort her to the city today. The best he could do now was to see her off to the train. He had some friends in the city who could take care of her for a while. After he finished his task here, he would come to her and take care of her on his own.

By then, he would have so much happiness and joy to share with her.

Amelia didn't realize there was a big scary guy secretly watching her all the time. She purchased the earliest train. Soon it's time for her to leave. She put the map back into her bag and then organized her clothes. 

The staff of the train station guided her to the platform alongside other passengers. When she saw that huge growling machine slowly crawling towards her, she felt her heart throb with slight excitement.

It was her first time leaving home, and her first time doing something alone on her own.

After the train stopped, Amelia climbed up the steps of the train door, following another two passengers. The towns the train passed through were all small. There weren't many people in the compartment. Amelia found her seat beside the window and then settled herself there. There were no other passengers around her. Still, she hugged her packsack in front of her chest tightly in case she lost it. That’s all the possessions she had gotten.

After all the passengers settled down, the train restarted moving. Outside the window, the trees and fields started to run backward quickly. All of a sudden, Amelia saw a black shadow chasing her outside the window. It was Darren and it was his way to say goodbye to her. 

Amelia smiled. She waved her hand to him from inside the window. Darren then stopped and watched her leave.

His heart was loaded with tons of reluctance and pain from parting with his mate. But he put up with it because he knew he must fight for their bright, new future. He was going to build a beautiful, comfortable, and safe home for her. 

He waited there until the train totally disappeared at the end of the skyline. And then he connected his Beta, Roland, after a heavy sigh.

"Did you rearrange our army as I told you?" He asked via the mind link.

The Beta quickly answered, "Yes." But he was curious, "Are we still going to attack the Blue Forest today?"

Darren answered without hesitation, "Yes, of course. We are going to present our Luna with a brand-new pack."