"ARE you suggesting that we kill Calista and her parents?" Althaia whispered, afraid that someone might hear her.
"You want the throne, right?" Henry clarifies. "The only way you can get it is if we get rid of them.""I am not a murderer!""You just killed our Queen Mother, remember?" Henry sarcastically said.Althaia jumped from the sofa onto Henry, who was standing on the other side of the living room, and they both tumbled onto the wooden floor."Yes, you are my mate, but don't forget I am still your alpha," she yelled like a lunatic before releasing Henry, who was coughing and chasing his breath.*****"I STILL can't believe Althaia didn't even show up at Queen Mother's funeral," Hera grumbled as she ate the ice cream she had bought with Calista and her human boyfriend, Marcus.They're now gathered under a tree in the woods, far from the werewolves' area. They decided to stay there for Marcus' safety, as he is having an affair with Hera, who is a werewolf like Calista.Calista thought of her cousin Althaia as well as the Queen Mother's death. What happened that night was still clear in her memory. What exactly was Althaia doing there that night?Calista and Althaia had a close relationship and treated each other like sisters. However, she has recently noticed that she is becoming distant from her and hypersensitive to everything."Calista, what do you think?"Calista turned to Hera when she felt her gently pushing her to the side."W-what?"Hera repeated, "I said, what could have been the reason why Althaia didn't come to the funeral?"Instead of Calista, Marcus responded, "She's probably heartbroken from what happened."Calista gazed down at the melted ice cream she was holding and sighed.Hera breathed deeply. "Argh! She's not the only one who's in pain.""What are your plans now that your queen is gone? Are you going to lead the tribe now?" Marcus change the subject and gazed at Calista."How can I? I don't even have a single idea how to become a good leader," she said as she handed Hera the ice cream cone she was holding.Calista and Hera both turned their heads toward the direction of the stream when they felt Althaia's presence nearby. They stared at each other for a moment.Calista bid the two goodbyes and immediately went to the stream, where she met Althaia who seemed anxious and resentful.Althaia stopped when she saw her."Where have you been? We've been looking for you for days," Calista said calmly before sitting down on the boulder, next to the stream.Because of the adequate amount of sunlight, the river appears to be a glittering diamond. The chirping of birds and the flow of the river can also be heard all around. Calista lifted her head and felt the breeze on her face.Althaia stood motionless, staring blankly at her cousin. She pondered Henry's words to her. Is she strong enough to carry out his advice?She slowly stepped closer to Calista whose back was facing her. Calista's eyes were closed as she inhaled deeply.She reached out her shaky hands to Calista's neck, but swiftly pulled them back and dropped to her knees behind her. She hugged Calista from behind, sobbing. She can't do it.Calista stroked Althaia's arm around her waist. "Don't worry... It'll be fine... We'll be fine."*****CALISTA and Althaia both became quiet after they calmed each other. After minutes of silence, Calista decided to break the awkward space between them.She asked hesitantly, "Where were you that night?""W-what are you talking about?" Althaia's throat felt dry as she responded to her cousin's question."The night Queen Mother died," Calista said."I'm at Henry's house," she answered, her gaze drawn to the river.Calista could hear Althaia's erratic heartbeats. She was apprehensive because she knows she was lying. "Why are you lying, Althaia?" she asked cautiously. "I saw you."Althaia seemed to be stoned on her feet. "I didn't kill her; it was her fault," she said defensively.Calista was taken aback by Althaia's response. She set her eyes on her. "I never said you killed her, Althaia... D-did you?"Althaia's tears started to fall.Calista was speechless as she looked at her."I didn't mean it, Calista. What am I supposed to do?! Please! Help me!" Althaia panicked and was just about to take her hand in hers when she abruptly avoided it and stepped back. "Calista?"Calista cried and shook her head. "H-how could you do that?" she asked, staring at Althaia full of disappointment.Althaia tried to approach Calista once more, but she was confused when Calista hurriedly stood up and ran away.As she watched Calista walking away, Althaia's heart seemed to fall into pieces. She could not believe that her most trusted companion had abandoned her."You still won't reconsider my plan?" Henry emerged out of nowhere, having been listening in on their conversation.Althaia kept quiet and continued to cry."Your cousin has abandoned you, Althaia_.""Shut up, Henry!" Althaia screamed, tears streaming down her cheeks. Calista's actions have caused her to develop feelings of rage and bitterness. "Let's do it tonight."Unbeknownst to Althaia and Henry, Hera and Marcus were also present at the scene, hiding among the rocks near the river. They had just arrived when they overheard Henry and Althaia talking.*****AS the sun was setting, everyone was busy tidying up the yard of the deceased Queen. Some were making a fire in the middle of the yard while others were taking out the queen's personal belongings to be included in the cremation.It is a tradition of werewolves to burn the belongings of their deceased loved ones. They believe that by doing so, those possessions will follow them to the paradise they will enter after death.While everyone was busy with the ceremony, Hera never stopped seeking Calista. She was frantically moving around, almost asking everyone if they had seen Calista, but no one knew where she was. She saw Calista's father who seemed to be on his way to the Queen Mother's house, perhaps because of the wood he was bringing for lighting. She hurriedly approached him."Hera," he greeted her."Sir! Your family is in danger!" she said while catching her breath.Hera told Calista's father about what she had overheard in the conversation between Althaia and Henry on their way to their house. Because of the loud explosions of the fireworks and musicians playing in the Queen Mother's house, they could hardly hear each other. They also hardly met any werewolves on the road because almost all of them had already gone to the Queen Mother's mansion."I don't understand. Why would Althaia want to hurt Calista? Those two are like sisters," said Calista's father who still couldn't believe what Hera was saying. When he opened the door to their house, he was greeted by the scattered and broken furniture.Their hearts were beating wildly because of what they had witnessed. Calista's father went straight to the kitchen to see his wife, who was covered in blood and not breathing. There was a dagger made of silver stuck in her chest. Anything that was made of silver is very fatal to werewolves.Hera toured the whole house in search of Calista. "She's not here," she told Calista's father. She closed her eyes for a moment and felt the surroundings. With a keen sense of smell, she could smell the scent of Henry and the other werewolves. She knew it was Althaia's pack.Despite being reluctant to leave his wife, Calista's father was forced to leave to save his daughter.*****AFTER spending time in a secluded spot in the forest, Calista decided to return home to join her tribesmen in a ritual to be held at the house of their Queen Mother. Despite her love for Althaia, she knew that she must tell the elders what Althaia did. Althaia must pay for what she did to bring justice to the death of their queen.She was approaching the small path to their territory when she saw her father running in her direction. She was baffled to see blood stains on his clothing."Run, Calista! Run!" he screamed at the top of his lungs.CALISTA was sprinting rapidly while crying uncontrollably from fear and agony. Her father's terrified expression was still vivid in her mind. She wailed as she recalls how Henry savagely lashed out at her father and twisted his neck until his head separated from his body.Even though she's injured and exhausted from running, she could not rest in fear with Henry and his companions getting closer to her. Despite the distance, she could still hear and feel their presence.She came to a halt when someone grabbed her and threw her to the ground. She screamed when she felt the person pinning her to the ground bite her on the shoulder. When she turned around, she saw that it was Henry and had already transformed into a wolf."Grrr!" Henry started growling.Calista pushed Henry with all her might, causing Henry to collide with a large tree. She stood up and ran once more.Henry was overwhelmed because he had been slightly injured. When he heard his allies approaching, he looked behind him. "F
HERA feels nothing but hatred as she stares at Althaia from afar. Althaia was standing in the center of the small stage, wearing what was supposed to be Calista's crown. Today is Althaia's coronation day because her fiancé Henry announced that Calista and her parents have moved away because she is incapable of leading their tribe and they are also ashamed to face them. Hera knew that was a big lie.Hera couldn't believe Althaia could still smile in front of their compatriots after betraying her family.Hera and Marcus spent several days searching for Calista in the forest, but all they found was Calista's father's body. They'd almost made it through the forest, but she couldn't feel or smell their friend's presence. As a result, she gained hope that Calista was still alive."Why don't you just let them know what really happened?" said Marcus, who was with her watching the ceremony of Althaia's sitting on the throne.Hera looked at her father who was sitting in a wheelchair, next to he
5 years later...MARCUS closed his eyes again when the sunlight hits his face. He turned to the other side of the bed to see if his girlfriend Hera was awake, but she was gone. He sat up in a daze and looked around the room. She was nowhere to be seen.He picked up his boxer shorts from the floor and put them on before going to the sink to wash his face. He looked at his reflection for a moment, thinking about where he and Hera would go next to find their missing friend Calista.During the time they were searching for Calista, Marcus suspected that she might be really dead. But no matter how many times he told Hera, she refused to believe him. She continues to believe her suspicion that Calista is still alive, despite the lack of a reasonable basis.Marcus met Calista and Hera when he was twelve years old. He was orphaned and living in an orphanage at the time. Because of his lack of parents and his age, he was frequently bullied by his classmates. Calista, on the other hand, is except
"I AM GLAD to know you know who I am," Clyde said when Callie uttered his name.Callie immediately averted her eyes from Clyde and proceeded to pick up her belongings. Clyde helped her as well."So, tell me, who made you cry?" Clyde inquired as he handed Callie some of her stuff."No one," Callie replied then, started walking to go to her class. She was puzzled when she noticed Clyde was following her. He was still wearing that strange smile on his lips as he looked at her. She halted and looked at him. "Are you following me?"Clyde shrugged slightly and smiled even brighter. "Well, I still didn't get your name."Callie frowned.Clyde smiled and scratched his neck, then took a step closer to Callie. "I just felt it was unfair because you know who I am but I don't know you," he explained. "And now that I mention it, how did you come to know me?" Full of curiosity he stared at Callie. "Well, yeah, I know I'm pretty well-known around here, but the way you said my name makes it sounds like
THE day had finally come for Clyde. He offered to pick Callie up from her home, but she insisted on meeting him at the movie theater instead.As he gazed at the bouquet of red roses he was carrying, his smile never faded. He can't contain his excitement as he anticipates Callie's arrival.He has dated many women in the past, but none of them were serious relationships. He only agreed to be in a relationship with them to relieve boredom and, more importantly, to meet his needs as a man.But there was something strange about Callie that drew his attention. He felt like he had been subjected to magic because he was no longer able to have an interest in other women. He only wants Callie and nothing else.None of the women he met had made him feel intense excitement and nervousness except Callie and that mysterious woman he had seen in the hospital, five years ago.As the mysterious woman returns to his memory, he is reminded of the events of those times.Years ago, because of his troubled
"THIS isn't you, Clyde."Callie secretly smiled after hearing Megan whisper to Clyde.Clyde and his friends are in the library right now. They had no idea that even though they were far away from Callie's seat, she could still hear and see them even though they were all hiding their faces behind their books."I thought Callie was the one you'd get in a week? Look at you, it's not even a week and you've already fallen for her," Spencer said."It never occurred to me that Clyde Martin, who used to be chased by women, is now the one chasing a woman," Andrew joked. "What's wrong with you, Clyde? Are you under some sort of spell or something?""Let me straighten out those twisted thoughts of yours, okay?" Clyde said to his friends. "Listen, I'm not chasing Callie. We have a connection, and I can feel it.""If you're not chasing her, why are we here right now?" Spencer asked with a sly grin on his face."I just need to tell her something," Clyde reasoned with his colleagues, "why did you gu
CALLIE squealed and rocked on her bed, disgusted with herself. She still couldn't believe what she and Clyde did that day.(Flashback)For some unknown reason, Callie was unable to break free from Clyde's kiss. Instead of pushing him away, she turned a blind eye and kissed him back. She went back to her senses when she felt the smile on his lips.She immediately drew back and stared at him, stunned. "Hey, are you all right?" Clyde asked her worriedly. He took another step closer to her, but she didn't let him get near and dashed to her house.(End of flashback)"Get a grip on yourself, Callie!" she mumbled to herself as she felt her cheeks burn.She fixed her gaze on the ceiling. She hadn't realized she was already biting her lower lip while thinking about Clyde."It wasn't supposed to feel like this."*****Clyde's smile remained on his lips until he returned home. The moment he and Callie kissed was still fresh in his imagination."Did you get into another fight?!" his Papa Herman
CALLIE turned her back on Clyde with a heavy heart. At that moment, she was filled with sadness and frustration. Despite her denials, she was convinced that everything Clyde had shown her when they were still together was real. She could sense his sincerity.She leaned against the wall as she reached the corridor. Even though he wasn't visible from her sight, she knew Clyde was still there because she could smell and feel his presence nearby.She sighed as she rested the back of her head against the wall. Even though she knew she liked Clyde, she couldn't tell him because she was afraid he'd change his mind once he found out who she really was."I'm sorry Clyde but I believe this is the right thing to do."*****"FINALLY you're back to your old self!" Andrew exclaimed to Clyde as he entered the bar with Marie, the woman he had just met at another bar the day before.Clyde smiled and stared at Marie, patting her waist. He led his date to the couch, where they sat next to each other. A