006 Wandering Around

Willa's POV

The Gemini Crescent Pack was HUGE.

Its territory was nestled in the hug of snow mountains, facing a large area of forest. But the best part was, the town's east end met a small woods, with the sea right outside!

I got rid of the worry about Jason, the rogues, the new moon, AND I got the sea within my reach?!

It was like the sun shone into my life all of a sudden.

Ethan dropped us at a three-story house, modern style, nestling among huge woods, separating the house from the snow mountain.

Inside of the house looked fresh new. It didn't look like anyone was living here. So it was just a guest house? It was better than most five-star hotels at popular resorts!

I guess that was one of the differences between huge packs and small ones. Even the temporary guest house was fancy!

"You can rest here and fresh up. Stay off the third floor. The Alpha will be back in a few hours." Ethan told us before he left. It was pretty comfy for a temporary stay.

But I didn't want to "stay".

"I want to check out the sea!" I knew the Alpha said no wandering around, but I couldn't wait.

"Don't you want to check out the river first? The one we passed by on the way into the pack." Granny wanted to "wander around" as well.

"Ohh, the river..." I needed a river for the new moon, "But can't we just use the sea? It would be much better than a river!"

"It's easier to hide in the woods. We can't risk people spotting us on a new moon." Granny rubbed my head with a sorry look.

We got out right after Ethan left. I rode on granny's back once we reached the edge of the forest, heading back to the river.

We found the river soon. The stream was slow, and we followed it upward. It took us a couple of hours to finally reach the source of the river--

A huge waterfall down from a cliff on one side of the snow mountains, far from everything. The stream here was ice cold and rapid. It was clear that the river came down the snow mountain, ran across the forest that surrounded the pack into the sea.

This was the best spot for us to hide away on the new moon!

We didn't linger and headed back to the town. It was best that we could make it before the Alpha realized that we were gone.

He did say "stay in town".

"How do you like the Alpha, Willa?" Granny suddenly asked after she changed into her cloth. We were close to the edge of the town.

"Super weird, a bit moody...better than Jason?" I blinked in confusion, wasn't sure where that question came from.

"That's a pretty low bar." Granny laughed, "I mean, he IS very handsome. Do you think he smells funny?"

I was too occupied with the fury in his eyes in our short encounter to notice his smell. He smelled clean and fresh, nothing would get my nose wrinkle. That was what granny was paying attention to earlier?!

"I didn't notice..." I frowned. How was that even an appropriate question? Granny chuckled.

"Maybe we really could make a home here, Willa," Granny mumbled, "I was thinking--"

Granny suddenly stopped talking. I turned to look at her, only to see the horror on her face.

I turned around slowly as fear clouded my mind--

A huge silver wolf appeared among the woods not 20 feet away from us.

There was not even a shred of other colors among his snow-white fur, which had the dangerous beauty like the reaping hook of the God of Death. Sunshine shone over his huge paws which were the size of my waist.

But the worst part was, his eyes were locked on me with the vicious look of staring at a prey--

A rogue!

Fear took over me.

I had had my share of dealing with rogues, but I had never met one so huge and fearsome. I suddenly regretted disobeying the Alpha-- we really shouldn't wander around.

The silver wolf lowered his head into an attacking position, a low growl rumbled from his chest like thunder as his claws gripped hard and deep into the ground.

I pulled my knife out.

The silver wolf was surprised and his head jerked up at my move. He growled and started panting, as if in frustration at my defensive move. He let out such a loud gnarl that I felt even my insides were vibrating at the thunder-like sound.

I recognized his symptom, and my blood ran cold.

He was a mad rogue.

Among rogues, mad rogues were the worst enemy you could find yourself facing. They were the opposite of a wolfless--

I had my mind all to myself, while a mad rogue had its mind all to its wolf. Whoever the owner of the body was, his mind was no longer in there, or at least not in control.

The hesitation the silver wolf showed was exactly the symptom of its two minds fighting over control.

I glanced at granny, only to see that she was shivering.

She was in fear.

Throughout my life, I had never felt fear from my granny. I almost thought she wasn't capable of that emotion until today. I always thought I had granny to protect me, and it was at that moment that it struck me for the very first time--

It was my turn to protect her now.

I guess I had always had the suicide intent in me, buried deep. Getting rid of an incurable poison and getting my wolf back at 18 sounded so much like a too pretty fairytale. I never believed it for real.

I just chose to believe it.

In the heat of the moment, I did the most stupid thing and slashed open my palm. Putting a cut over an existing wound hurt even more, but I couldn't care less as I ran toward the silver wolf.

His nose twitched slightly, and my heart sank. I was only thinking about my best weapon that I forgot the basic rule -- the smell of blood would only evoke a mad rogue's thirst for killing.

"Willa!" Granny shouted to stop me when I dashed at the silver beast.

She would stand a chance at survival if only I could get my blood on his face!

The silver wolf growled as if in pain even before I could reach him. But instead of tearing me up, he turned in a stiff motion and disappeared into the forest.

"Wow, my blood worked like a charm!" He must have smelled the wolfsbane in my blood! I looked over my shoulder with a surprised grin, only to see the fuming anger on granny's face.

"Do you have any idea what you did?! You could have died!" Granny shouted furiously, her body shaking at fear and anger.

It was scary but I wouldn't call that a near-death experience. Nothing even happened!

"He left. He still had a shred of clear mind in there somewhere." I sighed, feeling bad for the mad rogue, "No rogue has ever done that for me, well, maybe one? But--"

"It wasn't 'for' you! It was a lucky escape!" Granny was obviously still shaken up so I shut my mouth, knowing I couldn't change her feelings toward rogues.

Unlike all the rogues who had attacked me, he was the first to show restrain. He didn't want to attack. He even managed to leave. I didn't know that was even possible for a mad rogue to leave when he was already in a position to attack.

"I feel sad for him," I muttered.

The sad part was, mad rogues died the fastest among rogues. They hunt on instinct and the only protection they knew was to attack first. They couldn't hide and their encounter with ANY pack would put a target on their back until they were hunted down and killed.

The silver wolf would die, sooner or later.

He was like me.

No pack wanted him and no one loved him. His fate was even worse than mine because at least I had granny and Antonia. He had no one, not even himself could give him protection.

I guess being a wolfless girl was not the worst fate, being a mad rogue was.

"Unlike you, a mad rogue is dangerous. You should know, of all!" Granny glared at me.

Of course I did. We had been attacked by rogues so many times that I lost count, including mad ones. But the silver rogue was different.

"I also know the feeling of being feared for no good reason," I mumbled. I was banished only because people "think" my poison was a curse. Just like they "think" the silver rogue lost its mind.

I missed Antonia. She wouldn't be so strict with me. I missed our mind link.

"We have to leave this pack!" Granny grabbed me, heading toward the town, shakened up, "We can't--"

"What are you doing here?!" I shivered at the angry voice before I looked up, and my blood froze in fear.

It was Alpha Kirsch.