When I got back to the convenience store, Melissa Mondragon, my co-worker who was assigned for the morning shift, got startled upon seeing my entire body covered in soil and blood.
I still don't have a decent place to go so I used the store's stock room as my place temporarily. And the only two people who know about it are Melissa and the branch manager, Iniego. He seldom visits the convenience store so my only concern is Melissa. Melissa Mondragon is also twenty years old and was similar to my situation. She runs away from home because her entire family chases her out. However, the only difference between us is that she is a pure human and has her real family, a mother, father, and siblings who are living under one roof. On top of that, she also possesses a one-of-a-kind beau similar to my fated mate, Cherry. My wolf just doesn't know if she is currently in a relationship though. I'm a bit embarrassed to ask her that private question. Needless to say, I am still new to the field of work as a cashier and sales boy at a convenience store. But she helped me a lot recently. "Ezekiel, what happened?" she asked me with utmost concern before I could step foot into the storage room. "Did someone hit you?" she knows that I am not from here, so she asks me that. Then she even followed me inside the storage room. I had to hide my face from the customers to make sure they will not get terrified or think of me as an outsider when they could see me covered in soil and blood. "It's a long story," I said back and ignored the fact that I take off my clothes in front of a woman. "But to make it short, my stepbrother and I had an argument to the point that he had to use force to shoo me away." That is one of the things my conscience is being honest to Melissa in exchange for helping me in using the storage room. I have a stepbrother that I care about who has been studying at the school a few blocks away from the convenience store. But the other side of me is not ready to tell her about it yet. Even if I am already a lone wolf, I still followed the universal law of being one; keeping our secrets from humans. It is my only way of survival. I am also worried she might get terrified of me once I tell her my deepest secret. Melissa is too kind to get terrified of me. Undeniably, I need her as someone to lean on in order to survive the human world. "Did his new family shoo you away too?" she asked without blinking her eyes while staring at my half-naked body. "But I thought your mom loves and cares for you?" "That's the thing, she was not there when I visited the house. It was his dad and male friends who shooed me away." I uttered, but not the entire truth. The last thing I want Melissa to hear is me, ruining, cursing, or stabbing Razel behind his back. I believe that one day, he and Melissa would meet. At least, when that happens, she will not think of my stepbrother as the bad guy. "So, they were the ones who beat you?" she ask me a question again. Melissa, based on my quick observation, is the kind of woman who will keep bugging or intimidating you if she could not be satisfied with the answer. Not that I hate her for meddling in my personal space and life, my wolf is not used to that kind of scenario. It is my wolf who gets intimidated by that easily. Good thing I am letting my human side take control of everything. "Exactly. The battle is six against one." I said while glancing at my reflection in the mirror to see the cut on my lips. Luckily, it healed before I could reach the store. "Let alone his biological dad is a scary one. Anyway, thank you so much for your concern, Melissa. But, I highly suggest you have to get back to the store. Three men and a woman are now looking for the cashier. Be there in a minute once I'm done taking a bath." Melissa simply curves the tip of her brows and draws a few long curve lines on her forehead, confused about how I know that. Before she could say or ask something, I slide into the toilet room to get cleaned up. In the middle of taking a bath, my helpless brain could not help but think of Felise. My stepbrother was pretty convinced that his girlfriend could not make it out alive after the fall. The thing that confused and intrigued me the most is what he did after seeing Felise falling into the cliff with his own eyes. Did he call his pack right after I disappeared? Or did he reach out to the cops to find her body? But from the way I see it in his eyes earlier, he barely knows that Felise managed to ascend from the land of the dead. I'm not even sure if he believes me or not either. All I know is that he was bothered by the news. The next morning right after my shift, I went to Razel's school. I convinced the security guards that I will be inquiring for the next semester so that they will allow me to get in. Then I stayed in the parking lot and waited for whoever among them to first show up. I remembered Razel is using his dad's bike in and out of school. So I believe that he will not park the bike somewhere else apart from the school's parking lot. An hour later, someone hops out of an expensive car, wearing sunglasses. Her scent cannot deny by my wolf even if she curled her hair and applied facial foundations. It was Felise and two of her female friends. "Felise," I softly breathed out her name to get her attention. Unfortunately, the second she catches a glimpse of my face in the corner, worries and fears immediately consumes her expression. She almost drops the purse in her hands while glaring at me. Our first encounter back in the convenience store didn't go well. Even though she was tough back there, I know deep inside her lies a profound worry or fear. Worry that I might show up again in my werewolf form. That is what her swelling eyes are telling me."Can we talk for a sec?" I added in a calm tone to make sure her friends will not think I am a stalker or someone dangerous. "Do you this guy, Felise?" one of her friends asked before she grabs Felise's hand with caution. "I know her," I said back on Felise's behalf. "No," Felise disagreed. "I don't know him. We better call the cops before he could hurt me again." Again. That was what she confessed to her friends two seconds ago which her friends immediately responded by dialing someone's digits while her other friend screams for help to get everyone's attention. Before everything gets worse, I evacuated the parking lot like thin air in a blink of an eye. But their threats did not scare and stop me from searching for Razel. I know he was also curious about my claim. My werewolf instinct believes that he may have gone to school earlier than me to check it for himself. So I searched for his scent in all of the classrooms. Gotcha! My instinct was precisely right. I found Razel occupying one of the rooms in the building in front of me while Felise and her friends are on their way to the same building where my stepbrother is. Before they could reach the same classroom as Razel, my wolf also managed to hide in the toilet room nearest to their classroom with my senses heightened. "Felise, your alive?" asks Razel, mixed with emotions. My eyes could not see them behind those walls but it was pretty obvious and convincing that he was startled, confused, and felt at ease, all at the same time. "But how? I mean, Ezra and I saw you that night falling into the cliff." "What are you talking about, Razel?" someone asks my stepbrother, but I am pretty sure it was not Felise, but one of her female friends who joined her in the car earlier."Yeah, what are you talking about, Razel? Wait. Are you sick or something? Or are you on drugs right now?" inquires the other student which caused me to roll my eyes to the ceiling. Razel and I have been communicating day and night over the phone but he never mentioned about consuming drugs or any deadly elements that could harm his body. He was too smart enough to ruin his life that easily. As his older brother, I never miss telling him not to use drugs or any harmful elements to boast his confidence or to make it an excuse when his life turns into a mess. Werewolves don't need drugs in their bodies. Not unless you are in the middle of a crisis or desperate. But I know Razel more than anyone. He fell head over heels for his Felise because their relationship, I believe, is in the middle of getting intimate. "I think your boyfriend needs utmost attention, Felise. He's already talking nonsense things." says her friend before she laughed. "Who says Razel is still
After the second failed attempt of convincing Razel to be on my side, I found myself standing in the corner of the convenience store, completely bothered and helpless. And I have been standing and mute for hours. My wolf could barely hide those consecutive cold sighs of dismay and heavy heart while listening to Melissa at the counter entertaining the customers. I could not force my lips to turn into a smile even if it was required for us. "Don't give the customers that kind of face, Ezra," says Melissa right after she comes out of the storage room. She then slaps my shoulder and smiled, trying to lift my mood. Her shift just started. And she was on her way to check our inventory to get the items that were about to expire. Getting inventories that are about to expire means a huge discount for us if we want to buy them. "Smile." she added. "though your heart is aching. Smile even though it's already unbearable and is breaking you apart. Want some bottle of beer af
"So, it happens that I am completely wondering if Alpha Dustine knows about this," I said back, trying to buy enough time to make a better plan without anyone from Melissa and Razel getting hurt. Based on my quick observation, the convenience store only has two exits. The main and exit doors happen to be connected with each other. And that was built in across from me, behind Robert and his two close relatives. There is no way I could rush both Melissa and Razel out of the convenience store without getting caught by one of them. There were also glass walls surrounding us but I highly doubt if our bodies can break them as fast as two to three seconds. One of them could get us. But getting Melissa and Razel out is the only solution my brain could think of right now unless I have to fight and beat Robert and his relatives in front of Melissa. In order to do that, I have to shift into the monster I really am in front of her. That could be the last thing I must do. Or e
"Is your brother gonna be okay?" Iniego asks me the second I stepped foot into the convenience store. Melissa wants to have eye-to-eye contact with me but I avoided them. Perhaps she has hundreds of questions about my conversation with Robert earlier. Robert mentioned us being wolves and brothers of murderers. "He will be, Mr. Iniego. Thanks for the concern." I said back. "May I know what the cops say regarding the case?" Earlier while talking to Razel in the parking lot, I heard Iniego and the cops talking about the store being temporarily closed for a few days until the case against Robert and his relatives get close. What worried me is if that happens, I no longer have a place to sleep and income to support me in those jobless days. The convenience store is the only place I could depend on. I still have no human friends in the city apart from Melissa and Iniego. "They decided to close the store until further notice," says Mr. Iniego the way I expected. "They give us a week but
Razel, as far as I know, did not blurt out because tonight is the full moon. He already shifted in front of my eyes without the influence of the moon's calling. It means to me that his dad already equipped him well when that happens. What scares and annoys him was because of how upfront my wolf is in front of his human friends. On top of that, Razel is afraid that I might say a word about them being notorious monsters in front of them. He said to himself that my wolf has no more value at all. That no pack will protect me because I am already a lone wolf. Mateless. Homeless. Without someone on my side. Little did he know that being a lone wolf also has the biggest advantage the world could offer. And I have been holding onto that one main advantage since the day I step out of the pack. Everyone's secrets are not safe with me. I can disclose and peel off the mask behind their faces if I want to. If I am desperate enough for him to shut off his mouth and listen to me
"Lay your hands on her or you'll see who I really am behind the mask under the full moon." I furiously announce to Razel and his werewolf friends even though surrounded by a bunch of human drunk and wasted assholes. Everyone, including Razel, steps away from the car upon hearing my threatening voice. Let alone let them notice my eyes glowing for five seconds. Short enough that I manage to scare the hell out of them. "Excuse me?" Razel debated in disbelief. He tried to kick the car but one of their pack members stops him from getting closer. "Know your place, you son of a monster." "Are you kidding me right, now, huh, Razel?" I debated with him. "Want to test me who the real monster between us is?" Cursing me straight to my face was not the Razel I know. His sweetness, understanding, and caring type of brother was already long gone. And I blame myself that he turns into a cold-hearted stepbrother. "Don't cause more trouble, Razel," he whispered to Razel. "Not h
"So you were saying I am just going to watch her being taken away by those people?" I debated with Razel. "Is she not important to you, huh?" Razel inhaled and exhaled shortly before he orders his friends to let go of their grip on me. Part of me wanted to ignore his advice but, on the other hand, it also made me think that the werewolf hunters' bullets can move faster than my wolf. I might only worsen the situation if my wolf is going to strike our enemies without any backup plan. "As much as Felise is important to you, Ezra, you cannot change the fact she was once my girlfriend. And I still love her more than anyone in this world. But we must not do something reckless." The only thing I did in the situation is a glance at Felise being taken away by those men out of the woods. She did not fight back because her entire strength was completely drained after her forceful shift. As soon as Felise and the werewolf hunters finally disappeared from our sight, I expec
I could hear the sound of gunfire ringing in my ears as my wolf charged forward. From where my wolf is hiding, I could see Felise chained up in the corner, surrounded by hunters. One of the hunters turned and aimed his gun at me. My wolf was too quick, though. I managed to dodge the bullet and lunge forward, sinking my teeth into the hunter's neck. With a roar of rage, the other hunters turned on me. Their weapons were no match for my powerful jaws and sharp claws. I took them out one by one, feeling my rage burning hotter and hotter. Razel came to stand by my side, his eyes gleaming with feral intensity. Together, we were unstoppable. Felise was cowering in the corner, looking frightened but relieved to see me and Razel. I could see that she had been injured, with bruises and cuts covering her body. Razel then moves to unchain her, growling a warning to any of the hunters who might try to interfere. The hunters were down for the count, and they knew it. They l