CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN (WAXING CRESCENT)Chapter Thirty-Seven: Selfish“Mallory!” He called out, his smile reaching his ears. “I’m so glad to see you!”“Hello, sir.” She said politely, and briefly, remembering how he just laughed at her while knowing the truth behind Leofric’s identity.Benedict seemed not to notice her coldness as he tapped her shoulder. “Are you here to pick a job? Are you fishing finally again?”“Finally…?” Mallory asked, then her eyes looked at the officer behind the desk. He looked away.‘Were they talking about me?’ Mallory wondered before answering him. “No,”She saw him visibly frown. “Why?”Mallory had long prepared an excuse for it. “I need something new to try… I’ve been fishing since I came here, so.”“I thought it was your hobby,” Benedict said, a slight disappointment etching in his voice. Mallory thought she could get away already when the light in his eyes flashed again. “No matter. Mallory, I would like to assign you to fish!”Mallory was flabbergasted.
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT (WAXING CRESCENT)Chapter Thirty-Eight: Invitation“School?” Mallory asked, wondering if she heard right.“Yes,” Leofric answered while brushing away a branch from her face. He looked at her and smiled. “I thought that maybe you wanted to go to school. “I wondered if you also wanted to get into it.”“I can’t. I don’t have enough time.” Mallory said, remembering what he told her.“Why?” He frowned.She explained. “You said that everyone graduates the moment they’ll be having their Blessing Ceremony, and I’ll be having mine next week so…”She saw his eyes increase in size. Mallory embarrassedly asked. “I… I didn’t tell you?”“You didn’t!”“But you came to my birthday the other day…” “Oh, yes. But I still didn’t know.” he paused and thought how stupid he was before bursting out in laughter. “Well, now I do. I guess school is not an option. It doesn’t matter. You’re only interested in the library, anyway. I’ll grant you access to higher books in…
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE (WAXING CRESCENT)Chapter Thirty-Nine: Blessing CeremonyShe couldn’t find any clues. Not at all.However, she discovered a lot of things in a span of one week. And she also accidentally discovered the secret of the pack.One day, when she got so frustrated about her fruitless labor, Leofric noticed and offered her to enter the restricted library. She wasn’t polite and immediately agreed, but, just like the past few days, she couldn’t see anything. She can’t help but create a conclusion.‘Goddess’ Blessed… Am I the first case?’ Mallory can’t help but feel a forbidding feeling. If that’s the case, then she can’t have any guides to follow at all!The future is looking bleak, but she can’t give up.Mallory had to remember everything she and the other werewolves had to go through, and it immediately filled her determination. While reading, slowly, she realized something. She closed the book, and with a complicated look, she called Leofric. “Uhm,”Leofric raised his he
CHAPTER FORTY (WAXING CRESCENT)Chapter Forty: Ceremonial DanceThere are already a lot of werewolves in the square; unblessed and blessed alike. The unblessed were already near the fountain, circling it while chatting with each other. Mallory looked to her side where Oddny was, but she wasn’t there anymore.She looked for her, but couldn’t find even the hint of her shadow, so she decided to just let it be a concentrate on herself.Mallory looked closely at the fountain, especially at the statue.It was her second time seeing it, but the first time she saw it up close. The details of the statue were really marveling, and one can see how the artist dedicated his time and talent to making the Goddess statue and her jar.Mallory gulped. The anxiety not related to her identity slowly crept up to her. It was something she felt because, finally; it was her time.Since she had ravings blaring in her mind every full moon, she couldn’t see a ceremony. Not even once. Now, she had to experience
CHAPTER FORTY-ONE (WAXING CRESCENT)Chapter Forty-One: Fated MateThe hidden rune and ancient patterns on the square grounds lit up as well, engulfing the unblessed standing on top of them.Their parents, loved ones, relatives alike watched from the distance. Nervousness can’t help but hold their hearts suspended.They were afraid—what if a newly blessed werewolf lost control and went on a rampage? The elders and the Alpha were here to stop that from happening, but what if they’re not fast enough?Such dark thoughts made them close their eyes and bring their fists on their mouth and silently prayed to the Goddess, asking Her to look closely for them.Mallory’s random thoughts immediately wiped out of existence the moment the light surrounded her. She felt warm and light, and she could feel the surging power from within.She closed her eyes to nudge it. In the darkness, she could see gentle bulbs of light floating around in a vortex. They were like creating something straight; a line,
CHAPTER FORTY-TWO (WAXING CRESCENT)Chapter Forty-Two: RejectionEveryone felt this.They were all anxious about how the Blessing Ceremony would go when an unknown force made all the bystanders look at the two who were separated by the glowing fountain.Their hearts ceremoniously beat wildly, and without words, they knew—they felt what they were.The music stopped, and all the groanings stopped as well.The newly blessed werewolves—on their wolves’ forms—looked at Mallory and Leofric, and without any delay, all of them knelt on the ground, showing submission and respect.The Alpha of the pack looked at them, and an incomprehensible glint showed in his eyes before he covered them with his eyelids. No one noticed, all the population had their attention on the two. The Alpha exhaled, and after that, he said loudly, “The birth of the new Alpha and the Luna; bow down to your future rulers!”Everyone snapped in their dazed state, and then all of them kneeled on the ground with one knee. It
CHAPTER FORTY-THREE (WAXING CRESCENT)Chapter Forty-Three: The LunaMallory woke up in a foreign place. The ceiling was so high up, and the bed she was lying on was soft and smooth. It wasn’t her room. It was the exact opposite of her room.Without any second thoughts, she sat up, and when she did, the room around her spun. She anchored her body with both of her hands and waited for her state to stabilize before looking around again.“Where am I?” She stood up and walked around the spacious room. Her energy was spent, and she almost sat down again and again. No matter how she ransacks her brain, she can’t remember where this was. She had never been in a room this big before, what’s more, this elegant and grandiose. Her brows furrowed.Mallory’s head was still muddled, and she mindlessly strolled in the whole room until she came across a big mirror.She looked at the surface of the mirror, and there, her figure was reflected.In an unfamiliar dress, it was her with a slightly pale face
CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR (WAXING CRESCENT)Chapter Forty-Four: Their Broken Bond?Alpha Ragnarr noticed her first. He was about to tell something to his son when his eyes landed on him. His mouth closed, and he stared. Leofric wanted to argue more with his father, but seeing his weird behavior, he followed his gaze and saw Mallory.The anger on his face was replaced with nothingness. And he looked at Mallory as if she was an air.Mallory’s heart felt like it was getting pulled into pieces. A servant signaled her with her eyes.She said, ‘Stand up.’Mallory forced herself to stand up, under the table where no one could see was her hands gripping so tightly on her dress to the point of tearing it. The servant once again told her, ‘Greet.’‘So that’s how is it,’ Mallory thought in her mind. ‘In the surface, they respect me, but no matter what, I am an outsider.’Mallory, not knowing the etiquette of the high class, stuttered. She tried her best not to look at the Leofric as she did. “G-good mo