I WAS about to keep searching when I suddenly heard Dad’s howl echoed in the woods. I felt his grief in his every howl. I caught him standing a few meters away from me, there were ashes in his hands. I was paralyzed by the sight of it. I would have wanted to come to him had I not felt a searing sensation just below my left ear where my mark was.“What’s this? What’s happening?” I asked, aware that I was becoming hysterical with each second that passes.Before, despite Alexandra’s condition, I could still feel her wolf. I could still see it each time I would close my eyes but today, I couldn’t sense it. I couldn’t see it. And I couldn’t feel our bond.I felt Giovanni’s tears falling onto my shoulder when he came to give me a tight embrace. “You’ve lost your mark, Luther. The same thing is also happening to Alpha Calypso right now.”“What are you talking about? Why the fuck would I lose my mark?”His voice cracked when he spoke. “Losing a mark indicates… that your mate has died.”Just l
‘DARLING, come here quickly. You know what? I’d been busy the whole day researching what to name our daughter. I wrote a few of them to show you. They all have beautiful meanings. I even got some of them from the bible.’ And then Alexandra gave me her notepad. “If you have a suggestion, we could also add it on the list. So, what do you think?”She looked so excited. Her eyes were even twinkling. I instinctively held her cheek. “I think you are very beautiful. I see you every day but it’s still hard to get used to seeing this perfection.” I brushed my nose against her. “I must have saved the world in my past life to be able to have someone like you in this life.”She giggled. ‘Thank you, darling. That was too much of a compliment but I was not asking feedback about my face. Come on. Don’t just look at me. Look at the paper, too.”Right. The paper. I almost forgot about it. When I took a quick look, I noticed that she listed about ten names on it along with their meanings. She put a hea
(Valerian)I GLANCED at the castle one last time. It was where I stayed for the last couple of years. It had all the luxury and comfort any person would need but I wouldn’t call it ‘home’. Just a temporary shelter. Anywhere with Vampires in it would never be classified as ‘home’.It was the exact replica of the castle where I grew up in, a proof that Kenneth had succeeded in restoring the Vampires’ glory. There were Knights anywhere I look at. The new King doesn’t need me anymore. My time here was over.I turned around. I was already at the gate when the King arrived. It looked like he hurried over here. He was still catching his breath when he stood in front of me.“So, it was true. You really are leaving tonight, Theo,” he said, looking more wounded than ever after seeing my luggage.Kenneth was among the very few Vampires who still call me by my second name.“Yes.”“Without saying goodbye?”“That was because I was not expecting to see you tonight. Besides, aren’t we too old to be a
Maryland, USA“WHY did you stop the car? We’re still far from home,” I told Nick, my driver, after he suddenly stopped the car in the middle of nowhere. It was late at night and it was raining heavily outside.“My apologies, Sir. There is a woman lying in the middle of the road. I can’t tell whether she’s still alive or not. What should we do?”I sighed. The shallowness of some humans still amazes me until now. There were plenty of vampires and wolves who would do anything to live and yet, there were humans who would do anything to die.“Go, check on her. If she is dead, call the cops. If she is just trying to kill herself, tell her not to block the road. There is a cliff nearby. Tell her where it is. She could go kill herself there without disturbing everyone.”Nick nodded before he stepped out of the car. I decided to open another bottle of brandy. I had to drink a lot tonight or else, it would be impossible for me to sleep. On rainy nights like this, liquors were the best company.
“CAN you talk now? Can you tell me your name? If you give me your family’s contact details, my assistant would reach out to them. That way, they could pick you up as soon as possible. You were sick for days. I’m sure they are worried about you now,” I told the stranger when I saw her beginning to calm down.But it seemed to be a wrong move.“My name?” she whispered and held her head. “I don’t know. I don’t remember.” Her eyes widened as she started to become hysterical again. “Why can’t I remember anything? What is wrong with me?”I held her hands when she started pulling her hair. “It’s okay. Don’t hurt yourself. You don’t have to force yourself to remember. I’m here. I will help you.”Her eyes looked very frightened. And I could understand why. Waking up one morning with no sense of identity was indeed very frightening.Her voice cracked when she asked, “You will?”I nodded. “I promise.”That promise had turned my whole world around. I ruined the plans I made and messed the rules I
“OF COURSE,” I answered casually.Here she was, worried about taking my hand when here I was, worried that she might have taken more than just my hand. My heart kept getting weirder each day that I no longer find it funny anymore. It was beating so loudly as if it was sending me a warning… which I ended up ignoring.I squeezed her hand. When she smiled at me for the first time, the entire surrounding seemed to shine. Without the presence of grilled meat, that smile became more rewarding.“Thank you, Valerian, for everything. I don’t know what would have happened to me without you.”“Don’t mention it. You’re just a little lost. And who doesn’t go through that phase at least once in their lives? I should thank you as well. Nick is a boring companion. But with you there, I’m sure it will be different.” I winked at her. “So, thank you for choosing to trust me, Cassandra,” I said. “That’s what I will call you from now on.”I once read a book about Greek Mythology. I learned that Cassandra
Seven years later…(Valerian)“HERE she comes. Let’s all give a round of applause to the woman of the hour, Cassandra Hudson!”Once again, Cassandra took breaths away as she walked towards the center of the gallery. This was her fourth solo exhibit. And as usual, it was a success. The gallery was bustling with people. Almost all of the photos already had little red stickers underneath them. And a while ago, I just heard people requesting the manager for another exhibit while complaining that somebody had already beat them to buying her works.But of course, it all depends on the photographer herself.Looking at how Cassandra faced the people with confidence filled me with pride. She did it. I could see her wings fully spread now.We were traveling in our fourth country when she found her passion. I bought her a camera the very first time she told me about it. I was more than happy to see her finally wanting to do something for herself. It was the first time I saw her eyes sparkle.Unt
(Cassandra)EVEN if I knew I would be late for my dinner plans with Valerian, I still could not stop myself from parking my car in front of an establishment after seeing the Alpha King’s face which was currently being shown through the electronic billboard.And the parking lot was the best spot for it.I first heard about the werewolves when we were in France. It was on the news. That was six years ago. It was the time when their existence was formally introduced to the whole world. Since then, I had been fascinated about wolves, about their forms, and about the places they frequent. I would often visit the woods hoping to see a glimpse of them but so far, I hadn’t had the chance to see any of them in person.I couldn’t explain it, but they were all I could think about since then. I felt a certain type of attachment to them and I know it was weird because I was a human. Now that my exhibit was over and I had completely given up on finding my true identity here in the States, I wanted