

THE WEREWOLF NOVELS:

******Book One******

The New Dawn

******************

by

Phil Sirap

Copyright © 2013 Phil Sirap

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashword.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

#  Contents

Prologue: Endogamy

Chapter 1: First Sight

Chapter 2: Cue

Chapter 3: Visitor

Chapter 4: Master

Chapter 5: Hunger

Chapter 6: Accident

Chapter 7: Unbelievable

Chapter 8: Spirit

Chapter 9: Weredog's mare

Chapter 10: Dinner

Chapter 11: The Truth

Chapter 12: Promise

Chapter 13: The Pack

Chapter 14: Betrayer

Chapter 15: Hoax

Acknowledgment

About Author

#  PROLOGUE

#

# : Endogamy

THE BRIDE WAS CLARA CABOT.

Because she was still a teenager when she reached her maturation, by nature she was hot-tempered, wayward and envious. Her love was only scrummage and competition.

Ms. Cabot didn't care the love match. She just knew and felt that she wanted that guy as her mate for the rest of her very long life, thus she would do everything to get him. She wasn't a kind of ugly girl who planned to blackmail man with things like video clip, alcohol or leaked nude pictures. On the other hand, her beauty could lure many men to die for her but she didn't. For this guy, she just wanted him, wanted him all time.

But however, she was still a girl like others. Excitement inside her human form just worked its duty as soon as she saw many people in her wedding ceremony that she, her family and the unfortunate man's family deliberately threw. Were there any girls who didn't feel this kind of excitement during the marriage? Walking slowly along the path in her small village, she could see every villagers in both sides. The crowd of faces all focused on her.

With the long soft mahogany dress and flower crown on her head that matched her black ponytail and Mediterranean tan skin, she could aver that no one in this village was more gorgeous than her. Clara found him at last, standing before an oaken arch overflowing with wild flowers.

This man wasn't much older than her, maybe just a few years older. But he was kinder, more patient, more reasonable, more virtuous, and in earthshaking fact, he was really too good for being one of carnivores.

They weren't really right for each other.

Like an angelic wolf was going to get married with a demonic wolverine.

The wedding ceremony of this tribe was very simple. Father of the groom was standing by groom's right side, and a priest behind them both. Near the bride's side was her father who had been here to give her away. Not much different from traditional wedding ceremony. The vows were the common, classical words that had been spoken a million times, though not often by a couple like them.

"I do," she whispered, her eyes staring into the groom's tired eyes.

Then it was his turn to speak. His head turned slightly. Both parents glared at him. He had to speak even though he didn't want to.

"I do," he vowed, sounding emotionless.

But he had smiled and no one noticed the pressured tone of his voice. The priest declared them husband and wife, and then he was forced by the tradition to reached up to cradle her face very gently. He leaned and hesitated but she pulled him into a passionate kiss he never wanted, he never dreamed for.

The crowd erupted into applause, and they turned their bodies to face their folks.

No one knew what this guy would see in the future.

The unwilling couple marched through the crowd with feigned expression of fake pride and happiness, passed from embrace to embrace, the warm hugs of the whole tribe.

Finally, the new couple were led to their room.

The bed was huge and white, with many vines of tendrils and wild flowers floating down from the covering to the floor. The solid teak floor matched the stone walls. The room was decorated with floral variegated cobblestones and scented hanging wistarias. Their parents waved them good bye even though one of them would still guard in front of the locked door.

"I'll take a shower," the groom said coldly.

"As you wish," she breathed.

The groom didn't get interested in the answer, he wasn't already in front of the darkened color wooden door. He opened the door, put off his clothes and entered the bathroom.

He leaned forward, placing his hands and then resting his forehead on the cool tiles under the wooden shower head as he rolled his shoulders against the cool needles of water pouring from it. He winced slightly but he kept his anger as low as he could. He didn't want to hurt anyone around him including his new wife. He turned immediately when Clara opened the door, entering the bathroom with her body naked.

"Can I take a shower with you?" She asked with her soft pleading voice.

"Get out," he said a little bit angrily.

She didn't stop her paces.

He glared at her with his eyes changed from black to golden wolf eyes. "Get out!" He snarled through his teeth, his fangs stretched an inch longer.

She shrugged and smiled subtly. "We're husband and wife, you know? I guess you don't want the whole tribe to know our secrets, right?" She smiled wider. "Calm down and do what I want."

The man breathed, shortening his canine teeth and shifting his eyes back to human-like.

"What do you want?" He asked calmly, turning away from her and resting against the wall.

She walked over to him and slid a soft, smooth hand up his back. He took a deep breath and swallowed it through his throat. "You know very well what I want," she whispered.

He started to turn her to push her out of the shower and swiftly changed the direction until her back came up against the tiles on the wall furthest away from the shower head. "Damn you!" He growled at her angrily.

She smiled a small satisfied smile. "C'mon."

He rushed to her very fast, as fast as greased lightning. His first strike was hard enough to satisfy her sexual need, making her let out a soft groan. Her mouth opened wide in the alien feeling, her hips move unstably to meet him. Her fangs stretched and growled out a loud cry as he fucked her hard. He nipped and sucked at her lips, squeezing her breasts as he manhandled her breasts.

Along both her legs, the blood of her virginity had been flowing down to the stone floor.

He grasped her head with both hands and fucked her harder and harder at every second. His attack was quite fast, as fast as a rate of knots. His force was very powerful, smashing her against wall with his anger, wrath and hatred. "You want this?"

"Yes," she snarled as she wrapped her arms around him.

"I won't let you reach it, girlie," he whispered.

But she didn't care his words anymore. She cried as he penetrated her much harder, and roughly massaged her breast, pulling, pinching and stretching the hard nub of her nipple.

He began to grunt with the strain of each stroke, his jaw clenching as his balls started to boil. "No time of this action," he added with a sharp lupine roar.

"You belong to me, Steven," she cried out loudly as he thrust himself into her frequently.

"Naw!" He roared. And then he was going to climax. He quickly withdrew and threw her to the other side of wall just before he fired his white seed down to wet floor.

"You will never get my heart, Cabot bitch. I shall never love you. I shall never change my mind. Remember this, you fucking bitch!"

#  CHAPTER 1

#

: First Sight

Chapter 9: Twilight

Chapter 9: Evening Date

After I walk into the night sky, I have my eyes widened. He is there, waiting for me. Oh! Edward Jameson Ronald looks quite better with black suit and that white necktie on him. He walks toward me with a bouquet of red rose.

"Hello, Anne," he says.

"Edward, why are you here?" I ask, even if I knew very well why he is here right now. He is going to ask me to...

"Oh. Edward," I say in surprise. "I thought you had already been at your..."

His soft laugh interrupts me. "No, Anne."

"What?"

"Why?"

Edward should have been at the plane station but he is here now with flowers. Oh! How stupid I am? Shit! He is going to... Wow! That will be great, very good.

"I...I" He falters. "I think...I"

Come on, Edward. I'm waiting for those words.

"I...I" He starts to blush.

Then...

Allyson Phillip stopped writing. She stared at the last page she had written and then shook her head, pen flying above the writing pad about the size of standard A5 with a picture of big white moon and title tag 'The Love Song of Wolf' pasted on its cover. Then, she put down the pen and tossed it with the writing pad to the bedhead.

Every line of this chapter was completely not good enough for sale.

She stood up from her soft pink bed and glanced around the pink bedroom decorated with a few big pinups of book covers.

Black Moon. A Novella by Allyson Phillip.

Chasing the Vampires. A Novel by Allyson Phillip.

World War V. A Novel by Allyson Phillip.

All her works were paranormal fictions. She sighed and walked slowly toward the bathroom, a room near the right side of bed.

Relax for a while, she ordered herself. She washed her face, brushed her teeth and then got dressed. She had a job to do this... afternoon. Yes, she thought, It's time for breakfast. Hmm. Breakfast in the afternoon. She sighed and went down the stairs.

In the living room, Stephenie Deveraux was reading 'On The Road by Jack Kerouac' fixedly on a red couch in front of a wide screen LCD television. Stephenie was Allyson's housemate. Even so, they looked more like twins. They had brown eyes, strawberry blonde hair and pale skin. And they liked reading and writing books, but Stephenie had one thing different in her characteristics.

"Good morning, Stephenie. Did I just miss my breakfast?"

She looked up and put off her glasses.

"Ally, there is no breakfast for you." She pointed to a grandfather clock in the left corner behind her. "Look, Ally, it's 1:30 P.M. Why are you still calling it breakfast?"

"Oh," she exclaimed. "Sorry. I thought it was just nine."

Stephenie put her glasses down on a coffee table lightly, and stood up. "Allyson Phillip, why don't you care for yourself? You know very well what will..."

"I know. Thank you."

"Next time, just don't skipping breakfast again, girl," Stephenie sighed. "I know you love writing books. I also, but I have never missed things about myself."

"Thank you again, Stephenie," Allyson cut short. "I won't."

"Okay," Stephenie said, sat down and continued her beloved activity on this warm Saturday.

Allyson walked pass the living room into the kitchen. She opened the refrigerator and quickly imbibed a bottle of milk. Allyson still kept her head thinking about her new novel. Edward should do better than that. Maybe, maybe, I should let his words flow simply. First, see if the agent accept the first three books about vampires.

She left the empty bottle into the bin and walked back to meet her boring Stephenie in the living room.

"Stephenie-"

And she turned away from On The Road.

"Did you see any letters from Agent Maria?"

She paused.

"Oh," she said in realization, pointing to a bookshelf near a window at her right side. "It's there. On shelf. I didn't do anything to it."

"Thank you," she said and rushed across the room to take a white envelope from the third level of the mahogany bookshelf.

From: Maria T. Connor  
2438 Dogwood Road  
Tempe, AZ 85282

She swiftly ripped the envelop apart and read what was inside it. A sheet of white A4 paper said:

Thanks for your query.

As to your material I'm afraid I will be passing -- I'm just not enthusiastic enough about the concept of your story to feel that I'd be the right agent for the project. I realize it is difficult to judge your potential from a query; nevertheless please know that I give serious attention to every letter, outline, and writing sample I receive.

Sorry I couldn't give you a more positive reply. Thanks for thinking of me, though, and best of luck in your search for representation.

Sincerely,  
Maria Connor  
Mandy Monroe Literary Agency.

Allyson's expression changed from one to other. Stephenie put her book back at the shelf next to one closest to Allyson and walked over to her housemate. "What does it say? Did she accept your books?"

Without a word, Allyson handed the paper to Stephenie who flashed a glance on it before she followed her friend to a couch.

"I'm sorry," said Stephenie softly.

Allyson smiled up. "That's alright, Steph. I just hope that the next one will be accepted."

Stephenie sat down and patted her shoulder.

"Don't dwell on it, Ally," she said softly. "Perhaps, the agent just missed the great books because she was lazy to read them. Did you read the reply carefully, Ally? She didn't even read your samples."

Allyson smirked. "Just like you told me that every agent is a little bit like living automatons."

Stephenie laughed. "Ha ha, did I?"

Allyson's smile was wider. "Yes, you did."

"Look, Ally, your books are all great. You know and see them on the net. You made ten sales a day on Amazon. Don't ruin this. It means your books aren't so bad, unlike some others that never make any sales. You get?"

Allyson nodded solemnly.

"But it's still not enough."

Stephenie smirked and hit her back lightly. "C'mon, Ally. Let's get out and find something fun to do."

"I think reading and writing are fun."

Stephenie shook her head. "No. We can't keep ourselves in here. Let's go and see the world. We haven't gotten out to sun light for almost three days." Stephenie's laughter chimed. "Ha ha, I think we're going to become corpses here. Let's get out for lives."

Allyson considered that. It may be very great. Perhaps, I'll get some better ideas. Steph can make more sales of her books than I can for mine. Listening and following her idea may be able to help me, at least before I will make a lot of mistakes to my new novel.

"Sounds good," Allyson agreed. "I think that can help me for some good ideas."

Great, Steph thought. At least, this will draw her attention away from those papers to the outside. At least, just for a while, for herself.

The two exchanged a big smile.

"Thank you for a good advice," Allyson said.

Steph smiled again. "Never mind, friend. You find something better to wear."

Allyson rushed from the couch and sprinted through the stairs back into her bedroom for some better clothes. Steph chuckled and waited. Allyson opened her drawer and searched through each dress inside.

Dressed in casual pink T-shirt and blue jeans, Allyson walked down the stairs when Steph had tried starting their old Chevy.

"Is it ready?" Allyson asked.

The truck jerked a bit then stopped. Steph tried again. "It just takes a little while," Steph answered.

"As I told you, we should sell it and buy a new one." Allyson walked towards their truck as Stephenie tried hard to make its engine alive.

"Yes, we should. But we don't have much enough money for that," Steph added. "And we both were just fired. It's really hard to find new jobs."

Allyson shushed her. "Beware, Steph. If Catherine knows..."

"Ally! Steph!" called an old woman from the house next to theirs, turning their attention. Both were startled.

"Mrs. Rosh," they said together.

It wasn't her very flabby pale Caucasian skin, ugly tousled white hair and frightening green eyes that scared them but...

"Hmm." The old woman walked slowly toward them. "I think you don't forget me, right?" She smiled joyfully and reached toward Allyson who was closest to her. "Rent," the old woman demanded. Both Allyson and Stephenie couldn't do anything but smiled. They didn't have enough money yet.

"Please, Mrs. Rosh..."

"Catherine please."

"Catherine, please. We promise you next two days," Allyson begged.

"Two days," she interrupted. "I can remember but the rich man offered me more. If you don't pay me in next two days, I may have to drive you away."

"We promise," Allyson said surely. "We'll definitely pay you."

"Okay," Catherine sighed, and gave them a faint smile that almost reminded them of a kind of zombie from movies they had ever watched. Catherine left them, walking as a strong elder back to her house.

Allyson fetched and turned to her friend. "She scared the hell out of me," she whispered, very sure that the frightful renter didn't hear. "This damn car ready?"

"I've been trying."

With one hard twist, Stephenie started the old truck. A heap of black mist was exhausted like one boom shot from ancient Roman artillery. The two coughed. "Good," Allyson said. "At least, this fucking truck didn't anger me too much. Let's go."

Allyson entered the house suddenly before the large mist of carbonmonoxide could gobble her and leave her a weak curse of lung cancer.

"Where shall we go?" Allyson inquired.

"I don't know," Steph answered.

Allyson frowned.

"What do you think?" Steph asked.

Allyson thought. Maybe just find some place quiet and green. There it is. Slide Rock? No. No. No. Other place???

"What do you think?" Allyson returned.

"How's about Tonto Natural Bridge?"

Tonto State Park? The only problem is our car. Can it move up to 70 miles?

"It's too far," said Allyson.

"Hmm," she considered. "Yes. Too far."

"I think just some place for some fresh air and sun light," Allyson said to Stephenie who sighed and turned the steering wheel, starting to drive to the north.

Wind ruffled their hair through the open window as they looked ahead. Stephenie just drove her car carefully as usual and kept her speed not too fast to catch the eyes of some cops. The road was very quiet as their car moved through. They were going north.

Stephenie stopped her car when they reached at a desert area where they could see some trees and the whole view of their town.

Under a shadow of a big tree, they just took a break there, feeling soft wind and looking at the view, seeing their village at nine o'clock in the south.

"Have a nice fictional view, friend," said Steph as she handed Allyson a small can of coke.

"Thank you." She opened the can and sipped it as her friend sat down near her side.

"I don't think this can help," Allyson said, "This may waste your time, my friend."

"We have a lot of time to waste, Ally. You know? When I was young, I used to come here very often."

Allyson turned to Stephenie who inhaled very deep and looked up to the leaves on top of the big tree.

"My parents used to take me here for picnic every first Friday. It's not any of special places but it has a good view on top of a small hill where we can see the thorough view of our town in horizon," murmured Steph, closing her eyes and breathing calmly. "It's exactly special for me."

"Yes," Allyson agreed. "It's so special." She'd been thinking about the date in the desert like this place but what she had to think more carefully was that her Edward and Anne was at Anne's home where was a little bit away from any desert. "This can be very good place for date scene but there is a problem."

"What is it?" Stephenie asked in interest.

"Don't worry," Allyson breathed, lying down. "I'll think about it later."

The day passed again. Time of human lives ended very fast. Allyson and Stephenie, two common young women who'd lived their lives as others in a small town near the city of Phoenix, Arizona. Why these women? They were young, clean and poor. Why them? Allyson and Stephenie could only be sample of usual lives of two authors who'd lived together in a rented house.

The Sun set by its nature.

The Moon raised over the dark sky of cold night as the two poor authors had their mortal journey along the road back to their house.

The desert in the night was quite cool. They just drove slowly along the quiet road. The darkness of their way back to their home was terrifying them, but it wasn't so terrifying as what they saw...

...something like a figure of a big ape moved in the twinkling of an eye pass in front of the house so that Stephenie had to step on the brake immediately. The unknown animal or something was really fast. A smell of blood flowed with a sudden blow of wind into their car. That thing had to be a flesh-eating animal. But it wasn't only the animal that was a threat to Stephenie but a small Sedan moved very fast behind them. Stephenie had to avoid, whirling her steering wheel with so much force as she could as the loud sound of that Sedan's honk crashed through their ears.

The truck lost control as the Sedan passed safely, spinning around but...

A dark humanoid figure got to the Chevy very fast, as fast as greased lightning. It approached at the truck's door near Allyson's side.

In that second, Allyson's heart beat quickened but slowed when...

...her eyes met its yellow eyes.

That ape had yellow eyes. She could notice only the eyes which opened widely at a sudden meeting in a split second.

Her eyes opened widely, and at that short moment her heart almost stopped beating. Her eyes half-closed but not because of her fear, that damn bad thing of humanity wasn't there.

It was human. She could tell.

The beast's eyes were a little bit like ones belonged to a wolf but in its depth, a kind humanity was behind the golden pair of balls.

It gazed at her for a fraction of a split second, the deep eyes seeming too intelligent for a wild animal. Its breath rushed through her with a fishy smell. She couldn't explain the attraction between her and that beast during a second their eyes met in less than no time.

Everything had passed too fast for her to completely see how the creature looked or what the creature was.

The truck had gotten to a stop.

And the beast was gone.

It had disappeared with unnatural speed.

Allyson turned around and searched for it but the only thing she could see was two small distorted areas in shape of two big palms at the right door and at the right side of truck's cab.

Shocked, Stephenie breathed heavily. She slowed her breathing and turned to Allyson.

"Ally, are you okay?" She asked, worrying.

But Allyson didn't answer anything.

"Ally," she called.

Allyson still stiffened.

"Ally!"

And this time, it startled Allyson who quickly turned to meet her friend's anxious look. "What, Steph?"

"Did you get hurt, Ally?"

Allyson shook her head, the picture of the golden beast's eyes were still in her head unforgettably.

"What is it?" Allyson murmured with herself.

"What?!"

Allyson looked at Steph again. "What?" Allyson's eyes were frightened. Steph could notice them different from usual.

"What's wrong, Ally?"

Allyson took a deep breath, and gave her a big smile. "Nothing. I'm okay."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm okay," Allyson insisted.

"Okay," Stephenie sighed and tried starting her old truck again.

Allyson turned her attention away, searching for that unnatural beast. She couldn't see anything. Around her, it was just a desert under a bright full moon. All ideas Allyson had thought for her novel had gone away with the instant meeting with that humanoid creature. It wasn't just an animal.

Stephenie successfully started their outdated truck, then she headed for home.

A pairs of eyes watched them from shadows of cliff. A top-naked male human stood on top of cove where he could see their truck driving back their home. Steven smiled, and giggled with himself before he walked away.

#  CHAPTER 2

#

: Cue

Edward gives me the rose and tells me that he has a very special place for me. He's blinded my eyes with a thin hankie. He drives very carefully and quietly. I can't hear even the sounds of his engine. There is no song but it seems everything has been shut around me.

"You'll be very happy to see it, Anne," he has whispered whilst driving.

I can't take not to smile bashfully.

He laughs.

I feel the car stop and hear the sounds of door opening. His voice rings into my nice ears. "We're here, the nice place for you, darling."

He undoes my eyes, revealing a very nice view on top of a canyon somewhere in a desert closest to my village. It's really a nice place. We're going to have a great date. I'm so sure. I see a table with two chairs and candles. He reaches his hand toward me and smiles warmly. "Come, my sweet heart."

"Oh, Edward. This is wonderful." I blush and take his hand gently.

He smiles. "I told you."

"Yes", I agree. "You told me. It's really beautiful. I mean-" My gaze moves to see the bright full moon. "- that moon."

"It's time for me," he murmurs.

What? What? What?

"What?" I wonder. He turns and gives me a big smile.

"My heart beat is now uncontrollable," he tells me. "It's too much for me here. The moon is too powerful. I'm sorry, Anne."

He looks up to the moon, and it's white trail across the desert. I don't understand what he has said about. He walks toward the edge, as if he were about to jump.

"What are you doing, Edward?" I demand.

At that moment of her writing, the story itself reminded Allyson of what she saw an hour ago in the desert, the first time she felt something special inside the beast that moved incredibly fast, actually, faster than even cheetah.

The moment dragged out and then with the slightest shake of her head, she turned back to her unfinished chapter.

The idea of that beast still existed in her head.

Edward smiles a wide smile that gleams in the moonlight. "You need to know this, Anne."

Or he is going to... "Edward, don't do that!"

He smirks and turns back to me again. "No. I'm going to reveal you the truth about me, about what I am."

It's quite wrong.

And Edward has something wrong. A gentle man I know. A very romantic guy who jumped in and took a bullet in his lung for me to keep me safe from Jason's range. A man who leaped to me when I was almost cashed with a speeding car, and shoved me out before he took the damage for me. A very warm musician I have been in relation for three years.

I walk over to him. "What are you doing? Aren't we here for date?"

"Sorry I didn't tell you about this before," he whispers and stretches his arms, bathing himself with the moonlight.

He shakes his head back and forth.

I can't say anything. What has happened to him? A shudder ripples through the romantic musician, along his shoulders and down his spine. "Arggh," he roars painfully.

I touch him with worry. "Edward, what's happening?"

His cry is unusual.

"You need to know," he snarls at me, his muscles seeming bigger at every second and his hair lengthened. "Arghh!"

I feel like I'm getting hurt too. What is happening to him?

Another shudder, a convulsion, heaves through his body. He throws his head back, a real wolfish growl tearing from between his teeth.

"Edward!" I shout.

He falls forward then roars up to the moon. His fur is longer, dark and silver. I have no idea about this. It's too fast, too much. No. He's become something else, the other side of a very good man. The dark silver-furred beast turns to me.

His eyes... they're...

It reminded Allyson of that beast's eyes.

Werewolf?

The beast's eyes were a little bit like ones belonged to a wolf but in its depth, a kind humanity was behind the golden pair of balls.

She continued writing.

E..Edward is a...a werewolf.

"I'm a werewolf," he says like human.

Then he growls.

I can't move. He's very close. He may be able to kill me easily. I can't scream at that moment.

He roars at me again. "You...dead!"

Uncontrollable, the werewolf moves toward me and pounces on my head.

I wake with a start—my eyelids popping open wide—and gasp. I am at my room. Just a dream, I tell myself. It was only a nightmare.

Allyson stopped writing. She examined the whole two pages she had just added to her story. She needed sleep. It was now 11 P.M.

Knock! Knock!

"Ally, it's me, Steph."

Ally turned and shouted, "Come on in, Steph. It's not locked."

Stephenie opened the door and entered Allyson's room with a glass of milk. "I think it's time for some sleep, Ally," she said as if she were Allyson's mother. "This glass for you."

Allyson took it. "Don't be like my mother."

"Are you angry?"

Allyson then chuckled. "No." Allyson smiled a wide smile. "Ha ha. You know me. I've never been angry long."

"Finish the glass," she commanded.

"Okay," Allyson accepted, lifting her glass and chugging all her milk. "Ah, thank you." And handed the empty glass back to Stephenie. "And how's your money? You checked it? Amazon sent you any?"

"Hmm," she said. "Yes. But we still don't have enough money for next month. I think we must find some part-time jobs."

"Really?"

Stephenie nodded seriously. "Yes, there's a small diner just open in the corner of 4th Eve and Tomahawk Road. Just 150 meters up from The Lighthouse Church. I think we should try. I have heard that they want three waitresses."

"I'll try," Allyson agreed.

"No. Not just you. We," Stephenie corrected.

Allyson smiled gladly. "Okay. We will. Good night, Steph."

"Good night," Steph said quietly.

Allyson lied down on the bed. Steph turned off the light, pressed on the lock, stepped out and slowly closed the door behind her. She headed for her own room in next door.

Allyson covered herself with her creamy white blanket, wallowing on her soft bed. An image of the beast's attractive eyes yet echoed in her mind. She shook her head, and rolled to the other side. The flash moment of that monster rushed through her head again and again.

What is it? She asked herself.

As always, there was no answer.

She hadn't seen it in clear. She could see only the eyes in a flash. Its movement was too fast to be a normal bear or a trained cheetah.

Werewolf? She wondered. No. No. No. That's going to be a crazy thinking. Werewolf only existed in myths, folklore, fictions and fables. It wasn't real.

But then, what was that beast?

Allyson sat up. Nooooo! Don't think about it!

"Don't. Think. About. It," she whispered to herself, concentrating in her mind and ordering it not to think of those ancient wolf-like eyes.

It'd taken her nearly half an hour to sleep. Although she couldn't forget the pair of golden eyes she saw during the accident. Who could? An unknown wild animal just helped her and her friend from possible death. She knew it helped her, she knew it balanced her car with its unnatural strength but she couldn't tell this to anyone. Only thing she could do tonight was sleep, at least, she had to sleep for 6 to 8 hours a night.

The night was very quiet. No one got interested in whatever happened at this time. No one walked on the road during this time. This midnight was very clear that there was no cloud on the sky to outshine the full moon.

He'd stood there, on the footpath opposite side of the girls' rented house. Steven Papandrea looked exactly like a normal man in a T-shirt and jeans.

But he wasn't.

He'd just finished his hunting some jackrabbits in the desert. He'd watched through the window.

For a moment he wondered, again, if he should go away from this town or go back to be under his hated wife.

He'd traveled across the ocean to run away from her. He knew she would catch up someday but until that day, he'd become powerful enough to resist her. He was tired of being with one he didn't love, thus he needed to move on and on, went away as far as he could.

He didn't want to meet that Cabot bitch again.

But he was also tired of running. He wondered if this could be a safe life. What made him think that he could live without her sight?

He looked up to the full moon. A smile faded, replaced by a grimace. He thought he could keep himself away from her, hiding his wolf scent and just holding his human form as long as possible.

This full moon wasn't powerful enough to keep his demon form long enough. He'd been able to control his hunger and retained his human form after all.

Steven appreciated respect for himself. He was old enough to control every evil side inside him, factually, he just concealed it from public.

New diner?

He was sure he would meet them soon.

Steven walked away from the house of two girls. In his mind, that moment still echoed and made him feel the weird attraction between him and that young brunette girl he met whilst saving them.

He didn't move any faster than other humans.

He just headed to the east. He'd had his new home in this new town to start. He'd had a unique goal of his life: to live among humans as a common human.

Although, he couldn't lie to himself about what he was.

The night passed again. It was a very boring rule of the world and every place in the universe that time had its own journey faster than everything around or inside it, and it actually wouldn't wait anyone.

What are you, Edward? I think with myself.

Then the diligent author paused. A scene of that beast approaching so fast at their truck still effected her idea. The golden eyes flickered in her sight, prompting her of that moment with a monster. She thought she might be crazy to think of a wild animal that way. She shook her head, jerking off the bad sudden thought.

And continued writing.

Edward is down the kitchen. Maybe I am wrong about what he is. Maybe I should waste those thoughts. He isn't a werewolf. He's just a man, a very gentle and smart one.

I run through stairs to the first floor where I can see him there, in the kitchen, cooking. On the dinning table, plates of food are arranged orderly as ones on a table of quality restaurant. Oh! Edward.

He turns immediately when I reach the open maple door.

"Good morning, Anne," he greets me with a usual warm smile.

"Edward," I say.

"Is it better?"

"What happened last night?" I ask him softly.

"You got drunk," he croaks.

What? I'm drunken. Oh! How bad I am.

I try to recall myself about what had happened last night. Is the date real? Is it? I try to search through my fucking bad memory system.

Hell!

"I had to take you back your home," he adds.

"Did you put me to bed?"

"Yes." His face is impassive.

Oh! And this Pjs?

"Did you undress me?" I whisper.

"Yes."

I blush, and squirm bashfully.

"Did we have..."

He smiles and laughs. "Naw, Anne."

Oh! Fuck!

"I can't do that, Anne," he says. "I'm still a man. I don't like fucking drunken woman."

"I'm sorry," I whisper.

"Never mind," he says with a big smile. He gestures me to the food. "Are you hungry, Anne? I think you should eat some for your new day."

"Thank you," I say quietly.

"Ally! Where are you? You're going to miss breakfast again!" The voice drifted faintly up from below. But it was loud enough to bring Allyson back from her fictional world. He'd almost fallen in love with her own characters, gentle Edward and Anne.

Allyson hissed. "Oh, Steph."

She sighed and shouted, "Okay. Okay."

Allyson closed her unfinished manuscript, grabbed her towel and walked into her bathroom. The clock said: 08.45 A.M.

She was late.

Dressed in her casual indigo dress, Allyson ran through stairs down to their kitchen.

"Okay, I'm here," Allyson said aloud. "Not late. Where's my breakfast?"

Stephenie had been just burning something on the stove. There was nothing on the table.

"You lied," Allyson said to her furiously.

"It's only way to make sure you won't miss your breakfast again," Stephenie responded. "Today, we'll go to attend for the job. You remember?"

Allyson nodded. "I do. That diner, right?"

"Yes," Stephenie assured her, laying two plates of pork omelet on the table. "I get the forms."

Allyson frowned. "When? I didn't see you..."

"'Cause you never get up at six, Ally. So you don't see where I go and what I can get, also what I do for us."

"I'm sorry," Allyson whispered, and smiled disgracefully. She always got up at 8 or sometimes at around 9. She could thank only to her parents who gave her the beautiful look throughout her heredity.

"Never mind." Stephenie put two glasses of milk on the table. "Let's eat. We have a lot of things to do today. We may have to eat eggs all this month if we can't attend any jobs. Self-publishing won't be enough for us both."

"It's okay," Allyson said, sounding bored.

Stephenie shrugged and sat down her seat. Allyson sat opposite side of her. This breakfast was very boring as other breakfasts Allyson didn't missed. They ate eggs every day, but not every time they had pork, some meat or some vegetable to mix with.

"It'll be better if you have our own computer," said Steph as she was chewing her first bite.

Allyson swallowed her first one and began to talk, "I agree with you. Derek won't be always happy to let us borrow one every month."

"With one computer, I think we'll get better," Steph murmured, and continued eating.

"Sure."

"So..."

"We'll buy it next month," Allyson added.

"Don't tell Derek about it," Steph ordered. "I don't want anything from him. You know he's spent much money to buy us some furniture because you lied to him that I want them."

Allyson giggled and ate another bite. "I promise."

"Sure?"

Allyson smirked. "Yes. I won't do that again."

"Good," Steph said, looked down to her plate and continued eating.

#  CHAPTER 3

#

: Visitor

Allyson had her new big mission this afternoon.

The application was done. Things got ready. At least, she didn't have to think anything about her bad experiences from all her previous jobs and low grades from university.

She thought she wouldn't have to change her job again this year even though she'd already changed four jobs in the first three months. If they were lucky, the manager was there, they would be interviewed, and if they were luckier than that, the manager would admit them.

Lives were like this. They didn't know how best they could do but they did all they could.

By her nature, Allyson'd become ready since she decided to try this applying. Waitress. Waitress. It wouldn't be that bad.

Both their lives in university three years ago weren't so perfect like some of their friends, like Derek who became an owner of a small computer shops in Phoenix, like her other friend who became a journalist or like the other friend who became a new family woman with many successful self-published Kindle books.

Stephenie was right.

Ally, you had to leave your book for one day and tried this job application. It's for our future. Maybe this can become our key that will lead us to our goal of self-publishing.

Allyson combed her hair and looked to the mirror all time, making sure that she looked good enough for being a waitress. It was going to be so hard as the examinations throughout four years of her university life.

After finishing the first part of her new examination on her curly long hair, Allyson came down to meet Stephenie who was already ready with a man in the living room.

Derek had been in romantic relation with Stephenie since the first year in University of Arizona. Derek Greene was a very friendly, informal and diligent guy they had ever known. He looked very young with a baby-like face and has Mediterranean tan skin, slightly curly black hair and very attractive cold blue eyes. A very nice guy in casual clothes every day, Derek had never been so choosy about his own clothes. And today, this guy came to meet the girls with just a casual thin jacket over a white vest and blue jeans.

"Hi, Ally," the young man greeted Allyson very friendly.

Surprised, Allyson responded with a small smile. "Hi, Derek."

They share a quick warm hug.

"It's been three months," said Allyson.

"Yes," he agreed. "Very long three months. Have I been late paying a visit to you both?" He turned to Stephenie at his right side. "I worried about you so much. Why haven't you answered my call for a month, Steph?"

Stephenie shrugged, and flashed a wry smile. "We sold our cell phones and our telephone have gone crazy for almost a month, so that we can't connect to any friends." She took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, darling."

"Oh," said Derek. "And you didn't call for the repairer? You can use cardphones."

Allyson cut in, "Derek, we...", but Stephenie shot a look to her. Don't tell him. She shook her head. Just don't.

Derek turned from Allyson to Stephenie and from Stephenie to Allyson. He knew Stephenie was a courteous woman, and knew that he wouldn't get the truth from them.

Okay. At first, the phone didn't have any problems but it was their problem. Their phone connection was cut.

Derek stared hard at Allyson. "What is it?"

Allyson turned to Stephenie but she shook her head, insisting to the idea. Don't tell him!

Stephenie walked over to Derek and gently placed a hand on his shoulder. "Just nothing, Derek. We just sold our cells for some money to buy a new iMac. It's good for our self-publishing. I and Allyson just wanna make more sales with more beautiful graphics on the covers of each written books. You know better covers mean more sales."

Derek knitted his brow. "So, why didn't you go to my shop and ask Manny for it? You could take one with my credit."

Stephenie kissed him on his cheek. "Because I don't want to take it free, Derek. I want to get some money and buy it myself, you understand?" She whispered in his ear.

Derek turned around to meet her. "Don't you think that, Steph," he told her. "You didn't take it but I gave you. I know you don't want it but I just want to give it to you."

Stephenie smiled a big smile and flashed pecks on both his right and left cheeks. "I told you I don't want anything free."

Allyson looked at them with happy smile. In her thought, both of them were really like a couple from a romance novel.

Stephenie looked over Derek's shoulder to Allyson. "Ally," she called her silently. "Ally."

Allyson eyed her gesture. Go. I can manage this. Go now when you have a chance. I'll handle this.

Allyson gave her a gesture, Okay. Good luck.

Then she left them.

Stephenie looked up to the face of Derek who'd been breathing uncommonly harder and faster. She smiled and started massaging around him, sliding her hands along his chest.

"Oh," he moaned.

Stephenie quirked up. "You like it."

He nodded quickly. "Yes." But... "But I feel like I'm being lied by you."

"What lie is it?" Stephenie asked.

Derek sighed, "Forget it."

And made a fast move.

Stephenie and Derek fell their backs on the sofa, one of his arm wrapping around her back to save her from the hard fall whilst kissing her passionately. When she saw that Derek closed his eyes emotionally, she quickly moved to push her own application away from his sight and down under the sofa.

Stephenie managed to control her emotions and let it happen with him. She let her hormones work naturally and helped Derek in control to keep their kiss so long and so sweet.

After a few seconds of hot kiss, Derek broke it and jumped off. No, it's wrong to do. Derek found himself almost too late to stop. He breathed to become normal.

"What's wrong?" Steph moaned.

"No, Steph," Derek whispered. "I don't love you for it. I love you. I just love you, Steph. I just want you happy. We don't need to end up with this."

Stephenie looked a little bit disappointed.

Oh, Derek. C'mon. Stephenie shook her head. "Derek, I..."

He walked closer to her again. "No sex."

"I've got it," she breathed, finding her voice.

He sat down near her side. "I'm sorry," he said honestly.

She frowned. "For what?"

He slowly reached for his jacket. "For what I started and didn't end it well. For more mistakes I did to you."

"It's the ninth time now that you break it."

He smirked, and put his jacket on. "I'm sorry."

She stood up. "It's okay."

He looked at her. She wasn't okay. Every time she was about to have sex with him, he would always jump off. Why? He'd never told her why, and had never told anyone too.

He just kept his secret from public. He'd kept it for a long time. Until he was sure that Stephenie was ready, he would never tell her what it was and why he didn't want to have sex with her even though he loved her very much.

"Steph, I'm sorry," he said it again.

As usual, she turned and beamed. "That's alright, Derek."

The diner was close.

It was Saturday. Somewhat weird, Allyson thought when she reached the front of a new small diner. Allyson saw every window and glass door concealed by white curtains. All walls were painted light green and the roof was red. Is this really a Mediterranean diner? It looked even more like a house.

Allyson looked around the diner, looking for some persons working here. She walked up the stairs in front of the entrance but only thing she could see was the door with everything inside concealed by a curtain and a small red label that said, 'close'.

As soon as one of her foot stepped on the parquetry floor, it clacked aloud.

Shit. Didn't they use tyanize? Allyson wondered.

He heard it, the sound of his floor. He knew someone came...

His feet pulled himself up from a mattress. His head jerked to the front doors reflexively. When he didn't sense the sign of enemy from the scent that flowed through some tiny space between the molecules of lime and wooden walls, he relaxed.

Steven walked through his own diner to the front doors, unlocked and opened it for a young woman who'd come for her job.

"Hello," they greeted each other at the same time. She chuckled at the unexpected unison between her and the guy she felt like she'd ever met before.

Steven had the first smile of day on his face now. This was the woman he wanted to see. He'd ever planned to go to see her someday but right now, she came to meet him herself.

Allyson leaned out the inside of the diner.

This diner was decorated like other common diners she'd ever seen along the streets, and even inside the campus she had left. The walls were painted creamy white, and graced by some pictures, paintings and charcoals. Generally, the arts were about Mediterranean civilizations, twelve Olympians (especially pictures of Zeus) and the lycanthropes. The anomaly was that the other usual diners were always decorated with anything about food, drinks or anything about beautiful nature.

But however, the fact was still the fact. This diner belonged to a mysterious man who had come from Greece to keep himself away from his hated wife.

"Lady, can I help you?" He asked uneasily, but still kept every word as gentle as he could.

Lady? She smiled bashfully. He was very attractive, so young and so attractive. And then he was unexpectedly gentle. He was tall, dressed in a fit vest and navy blue jeans. His black eyes were very bright. Wow! He is so muscular. Sexy!

For a short moment, the depth of his eyes were like a spell that programmed her mind to think of the beast she met last night. Oh, hell!

"Lady," he called her.

She licked her lips.

"Lady." His voice was louder.

Her eyes flashed a move, looking to him with a start. She smiled a small smile. "Sorry," she said and smiled again. "Pardon me. What did you say?"

He exhaled. "I asked you, 'Can I help you?'"

"Oh," she said, picking the finished application from her carryall.

"Oh, that's a surprise," he said with a grin.

Allyson smiled timidly. "I'm here to send this application."

"Hmm." He paused. "You may not know that we already..."

"Please," she begged.

He looked up at her. She really needs help. Help her, Steven. Give her a job. You could hear it last night.

"Okay," he said simply.

Yay! Allyson almost said it. Her look changed immediately. A happy grin showed off on her face.

"Please come in," he said, his voice very warm and welcome. "I can help you."

She hesitated.

"Come on in," he urged. "I don't bite."

Yes, he doesn't bite her.

He didn't want to.

She looked around attentively before slowly stepped into the diner. The first feeling when the air from the inside blew through her. Oh! Oh! Her hair raised unnaturally. The light smell of blood, animal fishy blood breezed into her noses. She could only guess that this smell might come from fresh meat they hadn't gotten into the freezer yet.

She took another accurate step forward. The smell faded a little bit. And she felt more comfortable.

"Lamb's blood," he told her. "It does smell better than all other kinds of animal blood. They've just delivered us some lamb and we haven't had much time to handle it. I didn't know that you would come."

Allyson sighed relievedly. At least, she wasn't alone with this sexy guy. In her mind, he wasn't truly a threat to her but it was her who could be a threat to him, she thought she might do the crazy thing. This guy was very handsome.

"We'll clean up," he added. "Let's go to my office and we'll talk about your job, lady."

Office?

Allyson followed him through the big room into a long plywood corridor near the kitchen. Her job would be at the counter in front of that kitchen. Everything looked so clean as if those tools and equipment were all new from shops.

He led her to his office, the second room in the left side of corridor.

But she heard something.

There was a real soft growl from a room in the end of the corridor. Behind the wooden door, there was something.

Allyson took each step very slowly. Her curiosity controlled over all her body parts. She wanted to know. A growl became louder, enough for her to hear and consider about what kind of this real growl came from. Every step was as quiet as a light leaf. The terrifying wolf growl became clear. It was from a wolf. In addition, the smell of lamb's blood got more and more.

"Miss," his voice was very low behind her.

Come, my prey. Come for me. A hallucination of blankness called her again and again.

But she still continued her way toward the door which was now at a few meters away in front.

Come, my beloved prey. The unknown voice called into her head again.

"Miss," the angelic voice called her again.

Allyson didn't stop.

Come here, damn you!

"Miss!"

Allyson's consciousness returned at the last call from Steven. Startled, she quickly turned back to face him who had already stood a few inches behind her.

"Miss," he called her again.

"Yes?"

"Are you okay?" He asked in a low voice.

"Yes," she answered uneasily. But she still wondered how she could come here, why she was here and why she had wanted to get into that mysterious room for a while. She remembered that there was a voice calling for her from that room but she had lost control. She felt like someone or something in there just mesmerized her.

"Are you sure?" He asked again, putting one hand on her shoulder and looking directly into her eyes.

Unsure but she nodded anyway.

"I'm okay," she breathed.

Then she gave him a relieved smile.

"I'm okay," she said again.

"Let's get to my office and talk about our job, lady," he urged her, trying to unlearn her about whatsoever happened a moment ago.

"Okay," she repeated, following him.

Before she entered the office, her eyes shot a quick glance to the door again. Something was there, she was sure.

"Miss," he called her, and she quickly turned away from that door.

"Okay," she responded and entered the office.

#  CHAPTER 4

#

: Master

It was such a simple office with many shelves full of folders. Everything in here didn't show anything very special even though it belonged to a man who was very special.

They sat at his desk. His gaze roamed around the pages of thin portfolio. He frowned, but then smiled. It was really hard for her to study him from his expression.

"So, you graduated English department from University of Arizona," he said, his look a little bit contented. "Your grades are low but I think they seem not to be a problem. I don't understand why you tried to..."

"Excuse me, Mr. Papandrea..."

"Steven please," said he.

She smiled. "Steven, in fact, I have tried to apply for many vacancies about what I'd learned for but I was always rejected because I had a problem with one."

"One?" He stared at her hard, seriously. "Can you...?" But he couldn't complete his question. He could guess that she didn't want to say anything about the past. He smiled, the only thing he could do.

"Okay," he sighed.

Allyson's eyes were kept on him. Her breathing had been harder than usual. She didn't know why she felt very excited. He flipped to the application form and glanced over it.

"Part-time?" He quirked up at a line. Oh, no! Lady, why part-time? Please. Tell me it's just you ticked on the wrong choice.

"Y...yes," she replied uneasily. "Or you want a fully-employed?"

"Yes." Especially you.

"Honestly, I...I just..."

"You want to spend some time with your book?" He guessed. She could have done many self-published work or something for some little money to live through each day.

She was a bit surprised.

He smirked. "I can guess."

"I'm sorry for disappointing you," she stuttered.

Steven just shrugged. "No, you didn't. I understand. Everyone has their free wills to think for their own lives."

What, she thought. He is a very degage boss, isn't he?

"No one likes to be under other person's power," he added. At least, it's better than that she disagrees to do this job. However, I still see her from Monday to Friday.

"Yes." She shrugged. "This is an independence country of America."

He inhaled sharply. "I think so."

"So..."

He closed the portfolio and put it gently on the table. "I admit you, Miss Phillip."

"Thank you," she said with a beam.

"Do you have any questions? About your job? Your income? About me? Or anything else you wanna know?"

And that was it.

"I want to know what is inside that room. Why did I feel so...?"

"Just one empty room before cold storage," he answered quickly.

Her eyebrow raised. "Isn't it?"

He didn't look pleased.

"I apologize. Just the damn curiosity," she clacked. "It's not my right to suspect."

"No," he said with a slight head shake. "You can ask me anything," he said informally.

Allyson sighed.

He reached to touch her shoulder and smiled. "Don't be serious. Just think that you are talking with a friend."

"I think I don't have any questions."

"Oh, come on, Miss Phillip. I want you to know more about me, about your job or about this diner. I know from you much. I think it's only fair to let you know some about me or this job." His black eyes are burning with curiosity, staring directly to Allyson.

"Sorry I can't really think of any more questions," Allyson said.

Hmm. He sighed, "Okay. I think you will find out some to ask me later because it's a nature of every human to have questions."

Then they paused for a few seconds.

"Do you have a car or bike to go home, Miss Phillip?" He asked.

"No," she answered.

"And how did you come here?"

"Walk, sir," she replied.

He frowned. "Oh. Hell," he whispered to himself. Then looked up to her. "That sounds very tired."

"My car is emptied."

"Sounds very bad," he commented, and stood. "Let's go. I'll drive you back your home."

"Thank you, Mr. Papandrea," she said. "But I'd rather to walk back home."

"So, please let me walk with you," he said with a soft pleading voice.

He's interested in me, she thought at that moment. I should let him. Just a walk with some conversation. She hesitated. But can I trust him? Even though I like him, but I don't want to be... Oh! Shit! Don't think about that.

"Okay," he breathed. "I understand," he added with a small smile. "I'm just a new guy in your life, I know. It's too fast."

Damn! She hissed at herself.

"So, I should say, 'Have a nice walk, Miss Phillip'," he sounded anxious. He held out his hand. "It's my pleasure to meet you."

"Thank you," she said again and shook his hand. "Mr. Papandrea."

He knew and understood that she was a young female, so it was really hard for her to walk or go with a man she just met for the first time.

He watched her walk away from the corridor. His heart beat fast. It was his first time to feel this pressure from the inside. He calmed his breathing and his heart, controlling over the monster beneath his good look.

He turned around to the door. She almost died. He turned back, and found that she was gone. No one else was here.

He walked toward the door.

And opened it, revealing the one hell small room full with blood. There were many bloody corpses of jackrabbits disordered around the room. Fur and blood were like a work of a ruthless artist who changed the normal white room to be like a field after a seat of a war.

A man was panting hard in the center of room, and putting down a rabbit's dead body. He'd killed at least ten jackrabbits to stop his hunger.

He was a man now, a top-naked man soaked with blood.

He still sat on his knees. "I'm sorry, Mr. Papandrea," he said, his voice child-like and very soft. "It's very bad. Damn it!" He raised his hands and looked to both. "I can't manage it very well. I killed these animals again. And I...I almost..."

"You almost killed a human," Steven added.

The man turned to face Steven. He was so young! Still a teenager. He was 5'5" tall, and slender with white skin, dark curly short blonde hair, big wide eyes and full lips.

"I'm sorry," he said tearfully. He stood and turned to Steven. "I'm truly sorry. The gravitation was too much."

"You are just a newborn, Josh," Steven said. "You will need some time. It's me who wanna say that I'm so sorry about this."

"No." Josh shook his head, his tears were streaming down his cheeks. "You shouldn't be. If you didn't do it, I would..."

"Shh," Steven shushed him. "Don't say it, Josh. It's neither your fault nor my fault. I couldn't see you died long-suffering like others." Steven pulled Josh onto his feet. "It's only one choice and I'm saying that not often a person can survive the change. You get it? God chose you to protect humans, not to destroy them." He pushed some tears away from Josh' face. "You must try. Just train to control it. I'm very sure that you can protect many people with it. Understand?"

Josh nodded very quickly. "Understand."

"Okay," Steven sighed. "Then take a shower and come back to clean this room before anyone can see it. Can you?"

Young Josh wiped his own tears. "I can. I can. Yes, master. I can."

"Good," Steven said and stroked the boy's right shoulder, he loved this teenager like a father who gave birth to him.

The boy walked away from him. He headed to the room at the right side of the corridor, the one closest to this room. It was a shower room.

Steven walked back to his room and continued his meditation there. He had to control his own self too. Even though he was old and vegetarian but he still needed to concentrate to keep his true instinct not to show off.

Because it wouldn't be a great show on stage.

But he couldn't win over the new distraction. Her smell had surrounded him, telling him that she hadn't gone too far away from him. I must make sure she's safe on her way. He made a decision. He stood and shouted, "Josh! Keep your eyes on this place and don't try to eat anyone. I'm going to get out for a while!"

"Yes, sir!" Josh responded. "Good luck, sir."

"Thank you!"

Then he followed her.

He could see her walking very fast. She might walk everyday. Her legs were very strong. Each pace was fast. Each step was forceful. Possible for her to have strong legs. That old truck she used wasn't well at anytime she wanted it to be, thus she needed to walk sometime and that could exercise the muscles of her legs as well.

Allyson walked alone on a foot path. She was almost at home. She still had him her head all time she walked back home. She liked him. She knew why and how herself told her that.

He was very attractive. He seemed a little bit like Derek but more attractive. She could feel the weird attraction from this guy she'd never felt from anyone else before.

But the problem was that his eyes just reminded her of the crazy thing in her head, the golden eyes of the beast she saw last night.

Allyson laughed with herself and hastened her paces to cross the zebra cross but she didn't even notice a speeding car from the right road.

The honk cried aloud.

But the thinking about him was even louder.

The honk cried forcefully, and this time it could alert Allyson but it was too late...

Allyson screamed in fear.

The car came too fast to pull to a stop in time. Her eyes opened wide. Her mouth gaped. Her heart rate exploded to be very high. Nooooo!

"Allyson!" Someone called her. She didn't remember whose it was.

At that second, a strong man came in a flash, took her with him in mid-air, and they both fell to the asphalt as the car ran through where she had been. The movement of that man was fast enough and he could spin to get her on top of his body during the fall.

She felt his chest thick and very strong. The fall didn't make any serious efforts to him. The driver of that car didn't care if they were okay, he just drove through and drove away.

Her eyes still closed, with some tears flowing through spaces in every edge of the eyelid. Is this the underworld? The first thought came to her mind, asking to the blankness in her mind.

She was now in his embrace.

"Allyson, are you okay?"

No. This isn't. I'm still alive. Allyson started to open her eyes slowly after she'd heard Steven Papandrea's low, frenzied voice in her ear.

Oh! God! He'd just saved her from a speeding car that had moved at the rate faster than a human to run away or prepare to jump. He was really strong and fast, and she guessed he might be once a champion athlete.

It was quiet there. No one had been there. No one had seen exactly what had happened. There were only a few groups of people or families who saw the result, the conclusion of Mr. Papandrea's heroic action.

"I'm fine." Her voice sounded very surprised.

He let her go from his iron hold. She stood up and looked around. The people were rumoring about the event.

He pushed himself onto his feet. He seemed very alright. His back had fallen to the asphalt very hard but he could stand on his feet as if nothing had just happened.

"Are you okay?" He asked her again.

She looked around. Oh! Hell. She looked to him, she could remember it. She had been absent-minded for a few seconds when the car nearly crashed her. A fast and powerful movement came and took her, jerking her away from where she had been, then appeared Steven embracing her in protective hold.

"I'm okay," she stuttered.

"Sure?" He asked to make sure.

She nodded quickly. "I'm okay," she insisted.

"I apologize, lady," he whispered. He took her hand and brought her to the foot path faster than she could move to resist his trespass. It wouldn't be good to stand on the asphalt any longer. And he quickly let go of her hand.

"H...How could you get there so fast?"

"I was walking after you, Miss Phillip," he said, his tone serious again. "I was just a few inches behind you."

She looked at his concerned, innocent expression. No. I hadn't heard any steps behind me since I started walking from that weird diner. He had to be somewhat farther, far enough that I couldn't hear his steps. I hadn't heard anyone tracking me. She was right. He'd followed her distantly. But she wondered why he got to her very very fast.

"You were far from me," Allyson said to him.

His expression turned hard. "No, I was close enough to jump and push you."

"I haven't heard your steps. You had to be far enough to make sure that I wouldn't have heard your paces."

"You may be wrong about that," he chuckled. She shook her head. He smiled faintly. "Okay. I'm far from you but I'm fast enough to jump to you and save you from that car. Instead of saying crazy things, I think you should thank me, Allyson."

"Okay. Thank you," she said sarcastically.

He giggled. "That's alright."

She started to turn and thought. Maybe he was close, and I was too distracted that I couldn't hear any steps behind me. She guessed another surmise. Or maybe he's trained much enough to act like an Olympic runner. But it was still too fast. At a few seconds, during the quick death delivery, he moved incredibly fast to take me away from that car. But then she cleared her head. There was the more important question to ask...

"Then why were you tracking me?"

And this question was even harder to answer than the doubt about his unusual speed, stamina and agility.

He smirked. "Naw! I was just jogging. Then I saw you with that speeding car coming. The first thought was to help save you." He shrugged. "Just an adrenaline rush. You know." He looked at her hard. "Hmm. I think I should walk with you. At least, it can make sure that you will be completely safe."

"Thank you," she said. "But I'd rather walk alone."

He smiled wider. "I think you're not safe from yourself, Miss Phillip."

She frowned, her head cocking to one side and regarding him intently.

#  CHAPTER 5

#

: Hunger

A doorbell rang.

Both Stephenie and Derek, dressed in the same white T-shirts with nice screens of romantic red rose and new pink jeans, laughing and racing enjoyably to the downstairs, opened the door and found Allyson arrive with a stranger.

"Hey," Stephenie greeted them, surprised.

"Steph, wow!" Her eyebrow raised as she saw them with the same clothes.

Stephenie spun around. On the back of Stephenie's T-shirt was a pretty bold pink tag of word, 'Girlfriend.'

With happy smile, she asked, "Girl friend on my back and boyfriend on his back. How is it on me?"

"It looks very nice on you, Steph," Allyson admired with wide eyes and big smile. The stranger just watched Allyson's pretty response with a joyful smile.

Allyson's gaze roamed to Derek. "Did you buy one for me?"

Derek smirked. "Yes. I did. Upstairs in Stephenie's room."

She became very pleased. "Thank you so much. You're a very kind friend."

"Oh! If I forgot to buy one for you, I would be punished very brutally," he said comically. The trio laughed, Allyson punched playfully against Derek's shoulder.

"I'm not that brutal," she hissed at him and pursed childishly. They stopped laughing for a few seconds then the trio laughed again.

Stephenie eyed the stranger.

"Hey, Ally. Who's this guy?"

Allyson turned. "Oh! Steph, this is Steven Papandrea," Allyson said, waving a hand toward him who came forward, looking her squarely in the eye. "He's my new boss."

"Hello," Stephenie said friendly.

"And Steven, this is Stephenie Deveraux, my house mate."

He gave her a small smile and held out a hand toward her. "Hello, Miss Deveraux. I almost thought you were Allyson's twin sister."

"Many people say ao." She shook his hand firmly without batting an eyelid. He looks quite nice. Hmm. Let me guess he likes her.

His gaze moved to Derek.

"Oh," said Allyson, waving one hand to Derek. "This is Derek Greene, he's...Stephenie's boyfriend."

Steven and Derek, with glad smiles, moved for a hand shake. But their friendliness changed instantly when they grasped each other's hands.

Their eyes rolled up and gazed deeply into each other. At that moment, it was like enemy just met. Derek didn't like him. He didn't trust this one, he never liked anyone of this kind. They firmed their grasps, two equal forces of two strong men fighting undiscouragedly.

"Hmm," said Steven, giving Derek a joyful smile. "You're really strong, Derek."

"Three years as pro in the university," he said. His eyes gestured to the two girls who had watched them both with interest. It wasn't a time to act. Not now. These girls were all innocent. They nodded solemnly to each other.

Derek smiled another friendly smile. "It's nice to meet you, Mr. Papandrea."

"Yeah," Steven responded the same. "It's nice to meet you too."

They let each other go.

"Wow," Stephenie spoke out.

"Let's get inside," Allyson cut in.

"That's what I was saying," Stephenie added with a low chuckle. "C'mon, guys. Let's get inside. Mr. Papandrea, please let us give you a glass of water before you go. You may get tired. Some water can be very good for you."

Steven smiled to Stephenie. "Thank you, ma'am."

"You're welcome," she retorted.

They all entered the house and Derek closed the door behind them, his eyes staring hard at Steven's back with a hot flame of wrath. He took a deep breath, relaxed his mind.

It was so bad for Derek to see his own girlfriend befriending that beast. The girls brought him a glass of water and let him sit on a couch inside their house easily. They welcomed a monster into their house, a stranger who they hadn't known much.

So was he. He also had a terrifying secret he'd never been ready to tell them. He sighed, and walked to them.

Steven just sipped from the glass.

"So how's your business?" Stephenie asked. "From what I have heard, it seems your diner got very good credits for Mediterranean potato salad."

"Oh, yes," he said. "The secret is fresh oregano. We need to add it very carefully. Accurately one teaspoon. Don't add too much more or less. We get many rewards from this exclusive dish."

"It really provokes my salivary glands very much, Mr. Papandrea. You don't look like that young one who was presented to be the owner of the diner," Stephenie wondered.

"That's my brother, Josh," he replied. "I don't like being with many people."

"Oh! I get it. You don't like to answer many questions, huh?"

"No," he replied. "I don't want my face appear on the newspaper."

"I see. And..."

"Jesus, Steph," Allyson cut in, elbowing her in the hip. "He's not here for an interrogation."

"Okay," Steph sighed.

"Buddy," Derek spoke friendly, getting Steven's attention. "Stephenie had a very famous alias during the last three years in university. Everyone in her department knew her as 'the super interrogator'."

Stephenie shot a look to Derek who chuckled. Steven's response at this time didn't seem hostile. He beamed.

And he sipped from the glass again.

"Is every vacancy filled?" Steph asked. "I mean if I can apply for one."

"Seriously, we haven't accepted part-time job any more." He didn't say why he admitted Allyson for the job. "If you really want to do this job, I think I can help you, for it seems you really need a job to do."

"No," said Steph. "I want to do everything myself and I don't need any exceptions. If anyone out there know that you offered me this job easily whereas the others have tried to apply for this job." She gestured to Derek who had stood behind Steven. "Ask Derek. He offered me many easy ways to gain money but I graduated English from the university, I want to do everything I want to do, not the things that makes me rich or comfortable."

"Yes," Derek assured her. "She never wants anyone pity her or helps her without gratitude."

He nodded. "Okay," he sighed.

"I have my store," Derek said. "Once I offered her one vacancy but she rejected. She..." Stephenie glared at Derek, silencing him. He chuckled.

Steven quirked up. "Hmm."

"I can find a job and I hate exploitation," Stephenie said seriously.

Steven seemed very happy to be with these new friends. But something was going wrong. Deep inside him, he felt something twitch. The smell of the girls that flowed into his nose started to have a small effect to his hidden instinct. He needed to go. It was the time. Shit! Damn the hunger – it was coming again and this time it was more powerful than ever.

Allyson noticed his uncommon symptom. "What's wrong, Steven?" She asked, turning everyone's attention to him.

Steven was now holding his belly with his teeth gritting. It wasn't much painful but it felt like someone in some dark and covered chamber was going to break through his place and show off, and then it would kill them if he couldn't take control over it.

His boring hunger began.

Derek didn't want to help but he needed to help this mysterious guy. He knew what would happen and what would happen next, but he couldn't explain the truth to the girls right now.

Protective, he moved over to the hungry guy and kept the girls right behind him. "What's wrong with you?" He whispered.

"I need food," he said uncomfortably. "I need it much." Steven could be with himself, concentrating. "I'm so hungry."

"Did you just miss your meal?" Stephenie asked cleverly. "You have a gastritis, right?"

"Yes," he answered.

"Fuck!" Allyson hissed.

"What do you have?" Derek asked them.

Both girls shared a look.

"Eggs and some vegetables," Allyson said.

"Good," he said. "'Cause I'm a vegetarian."

Derek's eyebrow raised in surprise.

"Really?"

"Really," he confirmed.

"I'll make one veggie dish for you," Stephenie hinted with a beam.

Derek might know things about his kind. Steven had thought for a moment. At first, he seemed very negative to Steven but after a while, when Steven was hungry, he tried to help him. They both sat at the table in the kitchen while the girls were cooking for Steven who was sitting still, trying to jerk his hunger away. However, he wouldn't kill anyone.

"Are you okay?" Derek asked, his eyes staring at the man in front of him. "What does it feel like?"

"Painful," Steven said quietly, relaxing his mind as many ideas about him killing and eating from the girls and Derek flashed through his subconscious powerfully.

To Derek's surprise, he said silently, "You're very tolerant. I haven't seen any of you can do this so long."

"You know what I am?" Steven whispered in a low voice that the girls couldn't hear.

His lips quirked up. "Yes."

Steven glared at him hard. Don't tell them what the hell I am, understand? Hopefully, this guy won't say it.

But Derek's look changed, and his lips formed a warm smile. "Yes. I know. A very hungry guy who has a fucking gastritis."

When he heard that from Derek, Steven was relieved. This guy may be just a man who doesn't trust me at first. Just that.

"Mr. Papandrea," Stephenie called him. Steven's head slightly turned to meet the girl who was facing him. "Next time, you shouldn't miss your meal again," she warned him. "Seriously, it's really dangerous. A doctor told me once, so I haven't missed any meals."

"And that's why she's always been so prissy about every meal," Allyson added as she turned and served Steven a plate of veggie omelet.

"Thank you," Steven said to Allyson who beamed.

"You're welcome."

Steven started eating, take a deep, wide, ravenous bite of cooked omelet. It'd been very long time for him to train himself on this new lifestyle.

Was this why he left he? Sure, this wasn't. Clara was a vegetarian. But that wasn't why he didn't love her.

He didn't have any feelings for her. For him, she was the most powerful antagonist to his own independence all his life. With her, he might be forced to eat many innocent lives. Alone, he would eat just some unlucky small animals to decay his terrifying hunger.

Steven finished the omelet very quickly. "Thank you," he yelled happily. He was now relieved but the hunger wasn't so kind like that. His stomach wasn't yet full. He needed to go. Steven checked his watch. It was now 2.30 PM. Lie to them that you have a business, subconscious commanded him, and he agreed.

"Oh! I really need to go and..." He dug his small purse for a banknote of ten dollars. "...this is for..."

"Oh! No, it's free,"Allyson and Stephenie said together.

"But I really want to give you," Steven insisted. "I know you don't want anything from me. But please take this."

Stephenie turned to Allyson and nodded. She knew very well what to say. Allyson stepped forward. "Mr. Steven Papandrea, I think you may not know one fact about us."

He looked confused. She won't take it. She is going to reject.

"I know you want to help." Allyson held his right hand that had picked the money and slowly forced it away from her direction back to him. "Money doesn't value so much as generousness. You have helped me a lot. One plate of omelet is just a little thing." She smiled. "I can't take this money. Please get it back to your purse."

This girl isn't greedy. Like those cops, those agents or even those crackers, Steven thought. He returned his money to his purse and got it back to his jeans. "Okay," he sighed.

"You're welcome, boss. And then it's my turn to thank you. Thank you, Mr. Papandrea."

"For what?" He frowned.

"For accepting me, saving me, walking me home and trying to help us," she murmured, her eyes gazing him as if she were seducing him. "Thank you," she repeated, and finally blushed. Derek walked off.

Steven smiled gladly. "You're welcome, lady."

A cough from Stephenie turned his attention.

"Aren't you going for your business, Mr. Papandrea?"

He pretended to glance his watch again and acted a rush. "Oh! I have to go."

He walked toward the front door where Derek had already stood by.

"Oh! And!" He turned back. "See you again tomorrow, Miss Phillip. I'm really glad to have you work in my diner."

"I will," Allyson promised aloud.

He grinned and turned to leave.

"I hope I won't see you feed on any humans in Arizona, wolf," Derek intimidated in his ear silently, his voice was low but enough for only Steven to hear. What? He knows. Steven couldn't say anything. From Derek's odor, he could note that this guy wasn't one of his kind but his strength and his words presented him a non-human life. He could be a threat at some point but his honesty to both girls was real and he seemed very protective to mankind.

"You know what I am?"

"Yes," he admitted. "But you are good. I'm really surprised. I haven't seen anyone of your kind trying self-control whilst meeting the food. Vegetarian? It's new. So I let you live. If you kill any humans I know, I'll try all my best to kill you."

"I promise," Steven whispered.

"So I won't tell your secret to anyone even though I hate your kind very much," Derek acceded and opened the door for Steven.

"What are you?" Steven doubted.

"It's not your business to know, Mr. Papandrea," Derek whispered.

"Okay," Steven accepted, walking off.

Derek turned back with a laugh, acting as if he had just talked something funny with Steven.

The girls marched across the hall toward him.

"Derek, what did you talk to him?" Stephenie asked curiously.

Derek shrugged. "Nothing."

Derek turned away but Stephenie turned him back to face her, staring into his eyes and smiling. "No. No. No," she babbled. "Don't lie to me. What did you talk to him?"

Derek flashed a bashful smile and flushed. "You will know soon."

Stephenie studied him.

"What's your secret? Why not now?" Steph demanded.

"Yes, Derek," Allyson agreed with Stephenie. "What did you talk to him?"

But smart Derek was never cornered. He had his idea to survive from the girls. Thanks to the idea used by Steven, Derek quickly glanced at his watch.

"Oh! I really have to go now." He flashed a kiss on Stephenie's cheek, shocking both girls and running away.

"Wow," Allyson said, surprised.

Stephenie smiled bashfully before she closed the door and walked upstairs. "Hey, Steph! Do you want to eat anything special?!"

"No," she answered. "I'm already full."

"But it's not good to miss a meal!"

"Okay. Just one glass of milk. Thank you!"

"Okay," Allyson responded and smiled. Then, with a shake of her head and another smile, she headed back to the kitchen.

#  CHAPTER 6

#

: Accident

The digital alarm cried out aloud as it hit 6 AM on Monday, its light glowed to a mirror on the far wall. Allyson had dreamed about many characters mixed in her mind. Edward Jameson Ronald and Anne Wilson had been still in romantic relation in her head but in a while later, that beast she never saw its full shape and the guy named Steven Papandrea, the new boss in her real life popped up and distracted her from all the characters she'd been imagined.

It was the second sleep she dreamed of Steven Papandrea. The clock started to blare louder. Then every confusing pictures in her head was blown off, waking her.

Welcome back to your reality, Miss Phillip.

Drowsily, Allyson slapped against the fucking digital alarm and pushed it down to her bed. It shut down the annoying sound.

It'd just take a while.

Allyson crushed her hair crazily, upset with the hurried morning of the new day. Damn Stephenie Deveraux – she set the alarm too carefully and too cruel for Allyson.

Allyson hadn't wakened at 6 for almost a year. It was nearly too much for her. Allyson crushed the small gum in both eyes and controlled herself to stay awake.

She calmed her madness and picked the shut digital alarm. "Oh! Hell. Steph, why have you done this to me? The diner opened at nine not seven." Allyson hissed and tossed the clock back to the bedhead. "Fucking TCL 200."

Allyson let her breath out in one long rush. She looked around the room and asked herself, "What have I been doing? Is this a life of graduated girl?" She hadn't expected to work there. It was even worse when she knew that she had to face him all time. "Fuck," she reviled to herself. Look, my hair is fucking bad now. I did this myself? Oh! Shit! And faced him with bad look. Allyson shook her head. She worried about herself now. She could hardly figure out how her future would turn. Now a day, an author had to work at the diner from 9 AM to 3 P.M. every Monday to Friday.

Allyson sat up from her bed and walked to the bathroom. Hot water from the shower head anointed her slowly and flowed along the surface of her naked body. Her body completely woke up like a vampire got out of its coffin at night. The new soap Derek had given both her and her friend smelled very aromatic. Smell of rose and many wild flowers harmonized, better than a bottle of perfume.

"Oh, good," she moaned happily. "Thanks a lot, Derek."

Allyson brushed her teeth three times, making sure her mouth wouldn't kill anyone. When she was done, she grabbed a huge white towel off the rack and wrapped it under her arms.

She came out of the bathroom with her chin held high and her eyes completely opened. Allyson put the most formal suit on her. As long as she didn't yet get the uniform, she wouldn't have to wear like other waitresses.

She had one question she forgot to ask him.

Where was my uniform?

He hadn't said anything about the uniform. No one said.

Allyson looked at herself in the mirror as she brushed through her tangled, damp brown hair. Allyson glared at the Irish German girl in the mirror. Eyes of German father. Skin of mother. Allyson sighed after she'd finished her hair.

She walked down the stairs and...

Holy crap!

He was here, dressed in casual clothes, standing in the hall and smiling up at her.

"Mr. Papandrea," Allyson said, surprised.

"Good morning, Miss Phillip," he greeted her.

"Morning," he said, her eyes looking at him, stunned. "You come here to take me?"

Before he could answer. Wow! He seemed very surprised with something very new on Allyson. It wasn't her clothes but her fragrance.

"New perfume?" He frowned.

Allyson giggled. "No. New soap. My question?"

"Yes. I'm here to take you. I always have to go for some meat in some shops. I pass your house every Monday and Wednesday. I saw your friend at 5 AM this morning so I thought it should be very good to take you with me to the diner. One way. One car. Save the energy. Do you think so?"

"Hmm." She paused.

Stephenie walked across the hall to meet them.

"Hey, the breakfast is done," she told Allyson, and turned to him. "Please join our breakfast. I think you may get hungry."

"Thank you," he acknowledged with a beam.

"What?" Allyson hissed.

"He'll have breakfast with us," Stephenie confirmed. She'd invited him so simply.

"Since when have you done this?"

"It'll be fun," Steph said and quirked at Allyson. She could learn from his look that gazed to Allyson with interest and Allyson didn't seem to be comfortable when she was with him. They liked each other. Stephenie could know that easily.

Stephenie led them to the kitchen. No one noticed a blush on Allyson's cheeks, even Allyson herself while they were walking to the small kitchen. There were not enough chairs for three. Stephenie had a plan. She grabbed her plate and walked off. "You two sit there."

"Shit," Allyson murmured.

He chuckled. Stephenie blinked at Steven. He turned and raised his eyebrows.

"Oh," Allyson sighed, sitting down.

Steven walked to sit on the opposite side.

"Very basic breakfast," he mumbled.

"Yes," Allyson agreed. "It's like this every morning. Omelet."

"The yolk is loaded with anti-oxidants and B vitamins, you know?" He wondered.

"Yes. I have ever heard that," she retorted, eating the first bite from her plate. He started feeding on his omelet too.

"White also contains the high quality bioavailability of the amino acids," he added. "Omelet is a very simple dish which isn't so simple. It's worthier than most people appreciate it."

"Yes. You're right."

"Eggs are very good source of proteins, the most important nutrients our bodies mainly need," he explained. "Those proteins are good at its job like acid killers."

She grinned.

"Oh! Is that a joke? Acid killers?"

"Yes," he agreed. "Why? Is it unfunny?"

"I don't wanna say." It'd better not to kick in his teeth directly.

"Okay. I understand. Some people say that I'm too old to think of any new jokes," he muttered.

"How old are you?"

Then it was the hard question. Just tell her how old. It wouldn't been so difficult to say if he absolutely wasn't hundreds years older than her. He'd better lie.

"32," he told her. He hadn't had much time to think about this when he and his creation, Josh, created fake IDs for them both.

"What?" Sounded very surprised. "You are 32 years old?" She looked around him, unbelievable. "Oh, God. You look so young. I guessed you might be 20 something, maybe younger than I am, but you are really 32?"

He nodded. "Yes. I'm really 32." He smiled. "Many people say that. I look so young."

"Do you have a secret?"

He chuckled under his breath. "Very popular words, Miss Phillip. You are what you eat."

"So, I will become an egg soon," she joked.

He laughed with a humor. "Oh, I have no idea about you becoming an egg." He continued his laugh louder.

She laughed enjoyably. "Funny Allyson."

He smiled, and sighed joyfully. "Yes." Then he laughed again. "Funny Allyson."

Allyson finished the omelet on her plate.

"Since when have you been vegetarian?"

He smiled. "When I was young, when I was still with friends in my tribes, my family, brothers and sisters."

"Tribe?"

He finished his last bite. "Yes. The goal was to avoid the competition with the other tribe, our enemies, the ones believed strongly in the Vrykolakas."

"Wow! Is that real?"

"Yes," he answered. "My tribe migrated several times and we tried to live away from other humans. My tribe is unknown to any historians or even common humans. We didn't befriend with any tribes and we went away from the main social, as far as possible. The last place was a big deep glade in a forest near the west slope of Mount Olympus."

"Why?"

He shrugged. "Just what my parents told me."

"Why did that tribe need to attack you?"

"Territories," he said with dark look.

But it still didn't make sense.

He could see the confusion on her look. As long as she didn't know the truth and he didn't want her to know the truth, he had to tell her only a little more about him.

"We can't share the same food sources sometimes – wild animals. We had to disobey our old belief to make peace to both tribe but finally, the enemy tribe didn't want to feed on animals anymore and they changed their lives. They opened war to many small tribes and drank blood from people. They believed that human blood would strengthen them."

"Blood," Allyson moaned.

She started to feel like she really wanted to vomit. The words about things like blood, blood drinkers or a group of humans feeding on living humans might be too foul.

He smiled. Good. She won't want to know more. He seemed a little relieved. He didn't have to try anymore.

"Do you want to hear more about me?"

She looked up at him. "No."

His expression turned hard.

"But you look..."

"I want to hear more. It's really hard. You just kinda woke my curiosity up from its bed. You won't be able to calm it to sleep easily," Allyson insisted.

"Hmm." His gaze roamed down to his watch. "I guess it's time to go to work now."

Allyson thought about it. "Will you promise to tell me more later?"

He simpered. "I will."

"Thank you," Allyson said cheerfully.

He stood up, walked over to her and reached out his hand. "Let's go, lady." Allyson smiled up at him bashfully and took his hand.

"Let's go," she repeated his words, standing up.

Allyson waved hand to Stephenie and went with Steven who took her onto his modern red BMW F13 M6 coupe. Though it was almost two years old but its design was still smart and luxurious. Allyson didn't notice anything wrong about this car. The first feeling was the softness of its seat. He said he'd gone out for some business but the car looked to be too clean for having traveled any farther than just a few kilometers.

Steven drove very carefully even if sometime he took the opportunity to flash looking at a pretty brunette girl near his side.

The wind blew her hair fly like beautiful brown tentacles. He'd never lost much attention from the road as many cars drove through.

His heart pumped, giving him the new power. But this time, he didn't feel any special pressure from his deep concealed instinct. He felt the new power over every wickedness.

Steven screeched to a stop in the edge of his parking lot, the area very close to the road at the right side of his diner.

He jumped out of his car skillfully.

Allyson watched as he walked toward her side and opened the door for her. "Wow! You're so skilled, my boss."

He frowned. "Oh! Come on. Please call me Steven."

Allyson smiled. "Okay, Steven."

Steven checked his watch. It was now 8 A.M. It was now the time to prepare to open his diner at 9. Must find something for her to do. It's yet not her time to work.

"Allyson, it's just 8. I'll get in and get things ready. So..." He paused for a second. "So you can do whatever you want to do around here and come back at nine, okay?"

She nodded.

"Can I go with you and see how you prepare to open your diner?"

He grinned. "So you get the packages out of the car and put them all there." He'd pointed to the area a meter away from the back of the BMW. "I'll need a cart from the kitchen to get them all into the cold storage. Can you do that for me?"

"Yes," she answered quickly.

"Well," he said, using the key to open the trunk. "I'll return soon." He smiled and slowly walked toward the back door. There was only one car in the parking lot so she could see him very clear from this point. He's very smart as he walks. What if I walk with him? Then she shook her head away from the all fucking lame thoughts.

"Smart guy," she sighed. "Good boss."

She shook her head again and turned to the open trunk, finding three heavy foam boxes. Allyson tried lifting the first one. It was much heavier than she expected. The packages were all not too heavy for a woman to lift.

Allyson tried it again.

She gnashed her teeth and managed to lift it with all her force. She had to lie it down very carefully. That was a hard problem but not too hard for a fully grown woman. If she had exercised more, she'd easily work on these packages.

No one is perfect, she thought, breathing heavily after she had laid the boxes on the area he wanted.

A few seconds later, he came out with a cart.

Just then she heard an odd sound from the road. It was a high-pitched screech, and it was too fast. It came too fast. She looked at the direction of the sound, startled.

"Allyson!"

He screamed her name as he started his movement towards her. Josh got out from the door behind him and saw the two movements very clear, their direction was one – right toward a car and a girl. He was too late to start running to help.

But he did.

The white van lost control. The driver opened his eyes after he'd dozed off. Allyson couldn't move away. Instead of the incredible work of her adrenaline rush, she had a consternation that kept her feet at place.

One warm hand pushed her down to the asphalt ground, as a van turned to a stop right before her face. Allyson could only hear the shattering crunch of the van folding around the BMW door. Her head had cracked against the edge of the open trunk cover.

Everything had happened in a short moment.

And he was there. He'd been holding her on one of hands and his other strong hand had already sank into a dent in the side of the van's body. Glass popped onto the asphalt.

Then there was a silent.

"Allyson, are you alright?" His voice asked softly into the ear.

"I'm okay," she said, her eyes still widely opened. She had seen everything in both eyes. Steven had just moved from twenty meters away from her and had reached her before the van would crush her soft body and kill her. And there, the strong hand which stopped the van, it wasn't what a human could do easily. She saw blood but wasn't sure if it belonged to her or to his broken hand.

"I smell your blood," he told her. "Your head hit hard?"

She didn't answer anything, eyes looking directly to the bump on the van's body.

"I'm fine," she said to both herself and him.

#  CHAPTER 7

#

: Unbelievable

An empty parking lot had turned to be a crowded.

"Get him out," Steven commanded Josh as he propped Allyson up on her feet.

"Yes, sir," the boy answered. He pulled the door out, threw it across the lot and took a fat man out of his driver seat.

"Allyson, your head hit definitely hard."

"I'm fine," she insisted.

"But I smell blood from you. It can be very dangerous. If your brain has a congestion, you may die very soon. You have to go to the hospital."

"But I..."

"Don't worry, Allyson," he interrupted. "We can manage with the expenses."

"Sir, this guy..."

Steven could see the bloody wound on the guy's head. "Josh, you take care of the diner. I'll take them both to the hospital."

Faster than everyone could expect, the police and the ambulance arrived the place in only a minute. Someone else had called them. Josh, the other incredibly strong man, shifted the van far enough from the scraped BMW.

Josh took care of the diner.

Steven, Allyson and the van driver were all taken to the hospital so fast. They put her and the driver in the emergency room, a long room with a line of beds parted by faded-patterned curtains. Steven men were led to bandage their wounds by three nurses.

The van driver, the fat, bald, redheaded middle-age man, was wrapped tightly around his head. He looked quite ten times worse than Allyson. His right arm was broken. His left shoulder was bruised. He looked at the girl on the bed next to him very anxiously.

"Woman, I am so sorry!"

"I'm fine, man. You look more awful than me, are you alright?"

He shrugged as a nurse began unwinding his soiled bandages. "It's just some wounds. I have taken this every week. Just they get bigger than ever at this time."

"Good."

"Are you alright, Miss?"

"I'm fine," Allyson said. "Like you said, just a wound."

"I'm so sorry," he apologized again and again. "I have come too fast. Mr. Papandrea don't want anything late. I was afraid that I would be fired if I failed the first job."

Allyson giggled. "I'm sure he won't fire you."

"Why can you laugh?" He looked confused.

Allyson shrugged. "I don't know. It's just...I...I don't know why I have to cry or just sit still. I think laugh is better sometimes."

"Then why are you so sure he won't fire me?"

"'Cause I have seen him very kind, gentle and reasonable," Allyson replied fast.

The guy smiled. "We'll see." He sighed. "And I know very well it was my fault."

Allyson smiled friendly. "I'm not dead. He's not dead. It's gonna end well."

"Thank you, Miss."

Allyson smiled again. "I'm Allyson."

"I'm Laurent."

"Please don't blame yourself about this, Laurent," Allyson pleaded.

"Thank you for forgiving me, Allyson. Thank you very much."

After a few seconds, they wheeled her away then, to X-ray her head. She told them she was okay, she felt fine. Yes, she was right. Thanks to Steven's unimaginable speed and strength, Allyson was completely safe from anything – congestion, broken bones or fatal wound.

"Okay," the nurse sighed. "There's nothing wrong with your head. Just one small wound caused when your head scraped with the car."

"Can I leave?" Allyson asked.

"You have to talk to the doctor first, ma'am. We can't let you leave until we get the confirmation from the doctor."

After all, Allyson was brought back to the ER.

"Allyson, is everything alright?" Laurent asked immediately when he saw the nurses bring her back to the bed.

"Everything's fine," Allyson said with an angelic smile. "Don't worry anything about me, Laurent."

"If I killed you accidentally, I would never forgive myself."

"Laurent, it's just the past. I'm safe now. Everyone is safe now. I'm sure you won't be fired and it's not completely your fault."

Laurent stopped his apologies. Allyson closed her eyes and lied down. She thought about what she had seen. At that time, Steven was very far away from her. He could reach her in only a second or a split second before the van crushed her with the BMW. Steven was too strong for a human of his age.

Allyson had seen many sport players and body builders from television show and news, but no one of his age could stop a speeding car.

Or he is a man with super-soldier serum? Kinda like Captain America or something?

Allyson smirked at the idea of Steven Papandrea being Steve Roger from Marvel. It was reality. There was no special serum like all those in comic books.

Then how could he stop that van? Allyson asked her knowledge. But she still couldn't understand how it came to this point of considering the incredible handsome boss.

Well, there was something. Something he'd kept away from the public. His secret. Possible. Could he be some kind of a superhero like Captain America? Allyson hadn't noticed enough details about what he was. Steven could be something more than a human.

Not sure why it flashed into the main thoughts about a superhero Steven, the pair of wolf eyes shined in one of all her superhero theories.

A were?

If Steven was a were creature, his instinct would become a threat to everyone including her. What if he was like Edward? Allyson wondered about Steven being a real Edward out of her unfinished novel.

Edward was a werewolf who fell in love with Anne in the novel, and when he transformed into the werewolf, he would lose control and might attack her. Now came the chaos in Allyson's creative mind, reality and fiction mixed in the idea of the super boss.

"Allyson," an angelic voice called her.

He was here right now.

"Mr. Papandrea, I'm really sorry –" Laurent began.

Steven Papandrea lifted a hand to stop him.

"It's just the past. No one dies. I won't mind."

Allyson turned and saw him move to sit on the edge of Laurent's bed, facing her. Steven's hand wasn't bandaged. It should be. But it wasn't.

"How is it going?"

"It's fine," she answered.

He quirked up. "Good. I already paid for you. Don't worry about medical fee."

Then a doctor walked around the corner. He was like an uncle with one thick glasses.

"So, Miss Phillip," the doctor said in an appealing voice. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine," she said, a little bit bored.

"I have seen your X-rays," he said. "Does your head hurt? Mr. Papandrea told us that your head hit hard against the car's body."

"It's fine," Allyson repeated.

The doctor's fingers probed lightly along her skull. "Does this hurt?"

Allyson shook her head. "No."

"Well, you can go home now. But you may have to come back when you feel anything wrong with your head."

Then the doctor turned to Laurent. "And you, your right radius is cracked. I recommend you shouldn't work hard. A few weeks of relaxation will be very good for yourself."

"But that means..."

"Don't worry, Laurent," Steven spoke out, putting one hand on his shoulder. "Your salary won't be abridged."

Laurent sighed, relaxed. "Thank you, Mr. Papandrea."

"I understand."

Laurent turned back to the doctor. "Doctor, can I go home?"

"I'm afraid that you'll have to stay with us just a little bit longer," he said to Laurent, checking his wound and his broken arm.

The doctor turned and walked away.

Steven came to sit by her side.

"You were very lucky that I was close enough and the van stopped before it could crush us both," Steven began.

Allyson frowned at him. "No. You were not that close. I saw you just got out from the back door. You were incredibly fast. You got to me so fast, too fast. And you pushed that van with one of your bare hands. You did it without problem. You're too strong."

He shrugged. "Adrenaline, you know."

"Adrenaline doesn't work like that," Allyson said with disrespectful voice.

"Shh," he shushed her. "Please be careful about what you are saying, Miss Phillip."

"Tell me the truth, please," Allyson whispered.

He smirked. "I don't have anything to tell you, Allyson. It's what it is. I'm just a man who tried to save your life."

"I saw the van. I can remember how it looks like. I know the police can tell me what happened to the van."

"Allyson, you think I stopped the van with one bare hand?"

Allyson merely nodded.

"Nobody will believe that, you know."

"I know," Allyson said. "But I will figure it out myself, Steven. There's no secret."

"Yes," he agreed. "But some people can have kept many things secret for more than a thousand years."

She glared at him. "We'll see."

"Yeah, we'll see," he assured her. "I hope you enjoy disappointment."

Allyson focused on his serious look. He had a secret. Allyson wasn't a kind of investigating woman but this time she wished to know and understand how he saved her life, just that.

"Then," he breathed. "You'll be able to go home in half an hour, Allyson, after I finish a paper and fee with the hospital and clear everything with the cops."

He stood, about to walk off.

"Just remember, Mr. Papandrea. No one can keep anything secret all one's life. Someday, every concealed truth will be revealed."

He turned and gave her a beam.

"I don't mind if you will try but you won't get anything because it's really just about adrenaline," he said quietly.

Then walked off the room.

Came in the opposite direction with him, Stephenie and Derek rushed to her side.

"I'm fine," Allyson told them before they could even open their mouths to ask.

"What did the doctor say?" Stephenie asked.

"He said that I could go home."

Stephenie sighed, relieved. "Oh, god. That's good." She looked down to Allyson. "Immediately when I knew you almost got crushed by a van, I quickly got out of the house. Lucky, Derek came and he helped take me here to see if you are okay."

"Thank you," Allyson acknowledged.

"We'll always come for you, Allyson," said Derek. For him, he had a secret but he was smart enough not to let anyone doubt about anything wrong with him.

"Thank you," she said again.

Derek put a hand gently on her shoulder.

"We're friends, Allyson. That's all the reason."

"Yes," Stephenie agreed with him.

"Who called you?"

Stephenie gestured to the way Steven'd just walked past. "He. I gave him my number. In case that anything bad happened to you, he would be able to call me."

Allyson scowled. "We just bought our phones."

"Derek let me buy the cheapest one from him while you were going to apply for job at Steven's diner. Just one secondhand. I think it's important. And yes, this situation has proved a phone's importance."

Derek could notice Allyson's look. "What happened, Allyson?"

Allyson looked up at him. "Nothing. It's just a crazy thought."

"What is crazy?" Stephenie asked fast.

"I have no idea about it." Allyson shook her head, covering her face with her hands.

"You can tell us everything." Both her friends got interested.

"But I...I think it's crazy to say."

"What is it about?"

Allyson looked around. No one had intercepted, even Laurent who was now asleep on his bed.

"I think Steven Papandrea isn't a human," she said in hush tone.

"Oh," said Stephenie. "That's really crazy thinking, Ally."

"Oh! C'mon. Steph, I saw him stop the van before my eyes. Believe me. I saw him moved faster than any humans can do, and stopped the van with one bare hand."

"That's unbelievable," Derek whispered.

"Oh," Allyson said. "You both know me. I like to lie? Believe me. I'm not crazy. I could see everything very clear before my head hit the BMW. I could remember every movement."

"But Allyson..."

"You both don't believe me," Allyson said angrily. "I told you the truth."

Stephenie frowned. "Allyson, we'd believe you if your head didn't hit the car."

"Steph, I understand it's hard to believe," Allyson sighed. "I'll find out the truth."

Derek and Stephenie shared a look.

"Ally, we..."

"No," Allyson interrupted, knowing well what they were going to say. "I have my new goal. You both know what I can do and know very well how my curiosity works."

"If you wish to know, you'll try until you get an answer," Stephenie murmured.

"But what if he was something more like you doubted?" Derek began. "What if he realized that you knew the truth? Do you think he'll let you go easily with his secret?"

Derek was right. Steven could stopped a speeding van, run across the road with non-human speed and move very fast in many ways. He was stronger than her or any humans she had ever known. If she learned the truth but he wasn't a superhero like she thought.... what if he was a super villain instead?

Allyson considered it, for her safety and for everyone's safety. But nothing could win curiosity in her mind except for her own laziness or succumbing.

Derek smiled subtly. She won't do it. His mind pushed forward Allyson's decision.

Allyson looked up at him again.

"So I'll try as carefully as I can," she told them. "If I can know the truth, I'll be able to protect myself from him. He's stronger and faster than anyone but I think he has weakness. Don't worry about me."

"Ally, I think it'll be improper for you to try to delve his secret due to your own curiosity," Stephenie warned. "He's your boss, remember?"

And that could be another terrifying problem.

Allyson smiled confidently. "I'll be careful, Steph. I wanna know. It means I need to know. You understand?"

"You usually use your curiosity in the wrong way, right?"

Allyson shrugged.

Stephenie sighed. "Okay. But whenever you find it too dangerous, please come to us and we'll decide what to do with that guy."

Derek shot a frown to Stephenie.

"So you let her?"

"Yes," Stephenie replied. "Can you change her mind? If you can, I'll ask you to do it right now. No one can resist her curiosity even if it was the wrong thing to get to know."

Derek turned, and shrugged.

"Okay," he accepted. "If he tried to attack you, you would tell me and I would manage to fight him off with all I could do."

"Thank you," Allyson said joyfully. "Thank you very much, my friends."

#  CHAPTER 8

#

: Spirit

The day ended again. For Steven, he saw the sun set all the thousand years of his immortal life. He saw many innocent people walk pass and walk away. They'd never turned back, they were all gone. Many he knew. Many he met.

Steven watched the last yellow light of day on the roof of his diner as everyone went back home. He understood very well that those persons were going to die, not because he was going to kill them... That wasn't his target... But in fact, they were all humans and no human lived longer than him.

Josh climbed up to join him quietly.

"Master," the teenager called an adult.

Steven didn't turn back to see who it was. "Josh Papandrea. What's your problem?"

Josh sighed, "You will always know who comes near your back every time, right?"

Steven giggled. "Yeah. You know what I can do. No one can attack a sensor from behind."

Josh sat down by his side.

"You taught me that ten thousand times before we moved to this country," Josh retorted.

Steven flashed a smile at him and looked away to the going-home employees around the parking lot.

"You have a problem. Tell me."

"I don't know if it's a problem," Josh responded. "Luna just phoned to me."

"What did she say?"

"They just created a sensor," he answered.

"Seriously?"

"Yes," Josh confirmed. "Luna told me that this sensor is very powerful, and he will be sent out to track you. Luna is getting a preparation to destroy this one whenever he gets to the port. She wants your confirmation this evening."

"He's never seen me before. It will take time until he can find us. Tell Luna to come back."

"But they will..."

"They will catch us up someday," Steven interrupted. "We won't move. We'll prepare to fight. I'm sure Clara will never stop."

"Why did you say things hopelessly like that?"

"What should I say?"

"You'll give her a command to kill that one. It's for yourself and for our pack."

"It's only the bond between us, Josh," Steven said. "You all don't need to fight for me anymore. I have only you both. Tell Luna to come back. I need to end this peacefully."

"What are you thinking to do, master?"

"Get things ready," he hinted.

"Move?"

He shook his head. "I said we won't."

"So..."

"We'll wait and fight them if they come to hurt anyone here. If they start the kill, I will no longer let them live longer."

"But why don't we just kill one person to save the rest, pack master?"

"This proves that she can create a sensor if she finds one possibly. So I'm going to let her find us and we'll destroy only her. We need to regroup."

"I'm sure she won't come with only that sensor. She'll have her army."

"But those won't be ready to fight the elder like us, you know. You are going to pass your newborn state like Luna. We'll become more powerful. And I'm so sure my new friend won't let anything happen to anyone in Arizona."

"That dog you found?"

Steven nodded. "Yes. He's alone and young but strong enough to kill some newborns. I tested him once."

"Are you sure that man is a dog?"

"I'm so sure," he affirmed. "He can try to win some. At least, we'll get enough force to drive her back away from this state. It can be the last fight among us."

"But I'm not sure if he'll help us."

"He will," Steven said. "The whole state is his territory. He protected all humans here. It's his responsibility to defend everyone from the enemies."

"According to what you say, he hates our kind. He let you go only because he was surprised with your kindness and vegetarian lifestyle."

"His hatred will drive him to fight like it ever did to me," Steven said unfalteringly. "I've run away to help people, to protect them. I know what I can become. A demon. I don't want to survive on even any blood anymore. I don't want to be a demon."

"We all understand," Josh whispered.

He raised both his hands. "Zeus didn't give our ancestors the curse but he gave them the power and let it inherit through generations to protect the whole human race. Its purpose is not to kill but to save." He put his hand down and continued, "We're here to end the kill. We stop here, wait and end her. It's enough."

"That seems to be like a king's speech."

"I'm just a bad king who has been afraid to fight, I know."

Josh placed a hand on his shoulder slowly. Steven's eyes turned to his, staring deeply into each other. "You're not a bad king, pack master. You're a very good leader. You can gain your bravery and decide to fight, decide to leave and decide to give orders. You're like a perfect king," Josh admired him honestly.

"I hope so," he murmured.

Josh stood up. "I'll go and call her. Come back and rejoin, right?"

"Yes," he assured Josh. "Also tell her to be careful. I don't want to lose any of my pack."

"I will."

Josh climbed down the roof. He seemed very pleased. It was the first time Steven had a firm decision to fight. Josh felt the pride in his heart and was ready to follow his master all his life.

Steven's eyes looked straight to the horizon. Everyone had their lives through many events, both good and bad. As well as this one, Steven, who once had his life so joyful and very sad at the same moment. He would never forget his past, he knew himself very well. The memories have buried their roots deep in his mind. Hard to be deleted, hard to be forgotten.

Tonight she wore a long cotton dress that made her look very sexy. He forced himself to concentrate on the path he led her through. His sense was clear at this night. The moon had its light shut. The sky was completely dark.

He stopped at the secluded spot, overlooking the sea of wooden houses. Steven whispered to the ear of that human girl, "We're here now."

She opened her close eyes. Her hands were still held firmly by his warm ones. Her mouth gaped. "Wow!" was the first word she could say at the first sight of this view. They were under the night without the full moon which would distract him or her. The sky above them was even more beautiful than ever, with its glittering field of stars. "Where is this?" She murmured as she took a few steps forward, looking both the night sky and the village down below.

"Somewhere in this world," he irritated.

"Is that a joke?" Her voice a little angry.

He laughed silently. "Just a few yards away from your village, Miss Cameron Hermann."

Her look turned joyful. "Thank you, Steven Papandrea, for taking me here and help me learn about another wonderful place in my own country. I'll never forget this."

He smiled, gently holding her both hands again. "Listen to me, Cameron, I have always loved you. I don't care anybody. I know I just wanna love you." Then he placed a gentle kiss over her soft hand. "I have done everything for you, my princess."

She smiled bashfully. Her German English look wasn't the only attraction but the whole features of a pretty thin teenage girl. Her brown hair. Her high jaw. The light blue shine from her big round eyes. Her creamy skin. He had to admit, she looked perfect.

His heart beat hard and fast, pumping blood strongly throughout his systems. His gaze roamed down her waifish body.

"I love you too, my schätzchen," she whispered into his ear, closing to him.

The hormones reacted really fast. Steven Papandrea leaned down and slowly lowered his head an inch. His eyes closed. His breathing turned faster, uncontrollable.

They shared their breath, kissing in the join of their lips. It was too late to stop. His sense told him he was safe, they were safe. So he started it. The right time had come.

Two bodies slowly and carefully lied down the ground, kissing passionately. Hard to stop. She was so attractive. He kept the kiss as long as he could, taking a lot of sweet from her mouth. The cold wind just rushed through them but it wasn't powerful enough to convince them not to put clothes off.

His sense shut from the outside world now.

He didn't think about Clara anymore. He didn't want to think about her. He sent her away without any turns to look back at her, without any feelings for her. He was very happy now. At least, tonight, he got far enough for his own life, a life without the control of that bitch.

Cameron was much more beautiful when she was without anything that had covered her. They were naked now on the ground, under the night of joy.

"You wanna fuck me?" She moaned.

"Yeah," he murmured, letting his gaze roam over her nudity.

"I'm ready now," she told him, letting him cup her cheeks and pull her lips back to his. Her hand reached down to grasp the base of his cock to steady it.

"How does it feel like?" She asked, torturing his feelings.

Is this the time to ask? He thought.

She guided his hard cock to the position. She knew it might be too fast but she couldn't wait any longer. She needed him. He entered her slowly, making her let out some soft moans. He hesitated when he heard her moans louder.

"Please don't stop," she murmured. "Don't stop for me."

He nodded, accepting to the idea, and he started making love with her. The first real love rushed through the whole body of a strong man, turning him so mild whilst making out with her. He grabbed both her hands and locked them in one strong hand over her head as he used the other hand to guide his manhood right through her sensual part. Her eyes stared only at his while he was pushing himself into her. Her groans extruded from her throat rhythmically.

She rolled over, throwing him down to the ground with all her strength. She knew he could do that to her very easily but it was really hard to resist her own emotion for him. She guided his hands up to squeeze both her bosoms as she slowly sank down on him.

She rocked against him, letting her emotion play with his and enjoying the result. She started to cry passionately during the time that he penetrated into her faster.

He sat up and slid his kiss along the crook of her neck. His arms wrapped around her, tugging her against him. She seemed to like his movement very much.

But finally, she pushed him down to the ground again and began to pander him with the fast slides of her, making him moan.

Then it happened, Cameron began to climax with a deep, intense and long shudder. His hips bucked, trying to thrust himself into her tight grip as his seed boiled out. He fired shots of white warm liquid into her vagina. Cameron cried out loudly for the one last time, collapsing onto him, exhausted.

"I'm so happy tonight," he whispered, kissing every smooth area of her face.

"Me too," she mumbled.

He stoked her hair gently.

"I'll try it," he promised.

Cameron raised herself up and frowned. "Try what?"

"Your transformation," he answered easily.

"Make me immortal? Like..like you?"

He nodded. "It's an only way to make sure you will be safe. Immortality and my heart are only two things I can give you. I'm not rich. I'm not a famous person. I can do only this."

"Being a beast isn't what I want," she hissed. "I just want to be with you. I don't care if I'll die due to my mortality. I don't want to be a monster."

Steven kissed her cheek. "Okay. I won't. We'll just live together." He reached to the pile of their clothes. "I also have something for you, my love."

She looked surprised. "Hmm."

He picked a necklace from his pocket. "This is for you," he said, showing her his necklace. The locket was made out of gold. The string was silver.

She took it from his hand and looked over it. She opened it, revealing an unknown symbol inside a heart shape. "What is this?"

"It's traveled through generations, Cameron," he explained. "The cyan full moon in the center of gold heart and one shield over the moon. Power. Love. Protection. Responsibility. It's reminded me and my family what we are and what we have to do. The power the God Zeus gave us isn't for demolition but for defense."

"Then why did you give it to me?"

Steven took a deep breath. "It will remind you of our relation all time. I want it to be on you."

"Thank you," she said, giving him a quick kiss.

"Let me put it on you," he begged.

She smiled. "Okay."

Steven turned his eyes away from the bright moon above the sky. The whole city had turned to the field of multi-color lights. His tears fell from his eyes. He reached into his pocket and raised it up to look.

"I'm so sorry, Cam," he said to the necklace which was stained with one drop of dry blood. She was dead? How? Steven had never wanted to say how. "If I was brave enough, I wouldn't let them kill you easily, I would fight and cut all their heads off," he said angrily as he teared. "It's time for that bitch to redeem her fault."

He held the locket firm in his grasp, embracing it at his chest.

"I swear I won't do the mistake again. I won't let it happen to anyone again. It's going to end. I won't try to run anymore."

He wiped his own tears and got the necklace back to his pocket.

"Please give me more power," he begged the blankness, looking up to the dark night sky.

He sighed.

"Please make me stronger," he added.

#  CHAPTER 9

#

: Weredog's mare.

Derek Greene walked alone on the road under the cold night in a city surrounded by desert. He'd just returned from the girls' house. Why wasn't he driving a car this time?

He walked and sat on a bench in a small park. He looked to the goals on the field in the center of park. Some boys were still playing football. He smiled faintly while he was watching one small boy who ran with the ball pass other boys skillfully. That boy made his way toward the goal nearest to him very quickly, moving in zigzag to avoid many bigger boys. A strong big boy prepared to take the shot soon sent by the skilled boy.

The small boy kicked the ball in 45, sending the ball directly to the goal but that big goalkeeper jumped and caught the ball easily in his embrace. Goalkeeper pushed himself up and threw the ball to one of his team.

The small boy slid across the field, snatching the ball. The other boy in the same team caught it with one step and sent it to another boy who quickly sent it back to the same small boy. One of the other team involuntarily smashed himself against that boy, his weight pushing the small boy down to the ground very hard.

Derek suddenly stood up, worrying for that boy from far. But that big boy reached one hand down to the fallen boy. "Grab my hand, buddy," he urged.

The small boy smiled and grabbed his hand. He pulled him up onto the feet. Then they continued their game.

"You like football?" An angelic voice asked.

Derek turned and found Steven Papandrea standing behind his bench with two plastic glasses of icy juices. "Would you mind if I..."

"No," Derek answered before Steven could finish his question.

Steven sat down near Derek's side.

"Punch or mixed berries?" Steven asked, reaching Derek the two glasses. Derek stared at the glasses with distrustfulness. "Don't worry. I didn't add any poisons," Steven added hastily.

"Free?" Derek wondered.

"Yes."

"I prefer punch," Derek said with a small smile, taking the glass of icy punch. "Thank you, Mr. Papandrea."

"I think I can guess what you are," Steven said. "Is this place your territory, dog?"

Derek shot a look to Steven. "Yeah, it is. I claim to protect people around here from any cold-blooded beings like you."

"But you don't try to attack me. You just left."

Derek sipped his drink. "It's surprised me, like I said, I haven't seen any of your kind vegetarians before." Derek's eyes rolled and aimed to a hidden teenager behind a big tree ten meters away from them. "...like you and your pack members."

"You're so reasonable," Steven admitted.

Derek quirked up. "And?"

Steven sipped from his glass, and shrugged. "Just that. I think I should talk to you. I noticed that you hated our kind very much. We're not natural enemies. In fact, we shared the same origin. I wish to know what happened to you."

Derek didn't look pleased. His expression turned dark.

"What if I don't want to tell you?"

"I just wonder," Steven sighed. "I knew well you won't say. I understand everyone has their secrets they never want to say. Bye."

Steven stood up, a little disappointed.

Derek looked down to the ground, deep in thought. Why didn't he want to say? Why did he hate Steven's kind? He was a dog. What did it mean?

Derek's family inherited the power throughout their bloodline. Their races were very close to Steven's kind. But they loved peace even more. They loved humans and would never kill or survive on them. Derek's ancestors once emigrated Greece to Germany where they continued their lives peacefully among humans. Their secret was kept from only a grandfather to his children and grand children.

"Good, Derek," a man praised his five-years-old son just after he had broken a thick short log in half with one bare hand.

The man, a strong English bodybuilder lived with his German/Greek half-blooded wife and three children. The youngest child and only one son was Derek. He was son of the parents' pride, an only pure heir of their power in the bloodline.

"You will be stronger, Derek," he said, "You will become stronger and you will have a new responsibility."

"What is it, father?" The son asked curiously.

"You will know when the right time comes."

The son ran across the backyard to his father. "And when will it come, father?" Derek's father reached one hand down to stroke his son's head lightly.

"I don't know, my son," he whispered. "You will know the time." Then he walked away. Derek followed him.

"But I want to know more about it very much," he said, his youthful curiosity wasn't so annoying for the father.

"Listen to me, my son." The father knelt down before the boy. "The calculation is confirmed. You will turn powerful soon. You're very lucky. Not everyone can have this power easily. You are chosen by the nature to protect mankind. You will be only one here with your grandpa's power. You're the only one in this house born with special gift."

"Robert! Melanie! Derek! Cameron! Ada! It's time for your dinner!" Derek's mother called every family member from the kitchen.

"Yes, Alia, we'll be there!" Then he turned to his son. "Let's go, Derek. I can smell a hedl. This breakfast will be very great."

"Mom always makes it so good," Derek said joyously.

"So, what are we waiting for?"

Derek grinned.

"Come on, Derek," he urged, leading his son through back door into the kitchen where he saw a table full of many German dishes. Hendl or grilled chicken. Mettbrötchen, kind of sandwich made with raw Meat on bread rolls. Six small bowls of cream soup. Rouladen, roulade of bacon and onions wrapped in thinly sliced beef. All the extraordinary dishes.

"Wow!" Derek and the two sisters said in surprise when they all entered the kitchen. Ada was only a three years older than Derek, she had his father's eyes and his mother's dark blond hair and round face. The oldest child, Melanie looked like the younger self of her mother but she was just only twelve years old and her mother looked like thirty-something.

Every child sniffed the air like dogs, smelling every dish on the wooden table in the center of the kitchen.

"Kids," Robert warned. "Control your instincts."

They stopped and grinned at their father.

"And we're ready to eat," Alia said, turning from the sink to see her family. She wondered one member hadn't come to join them. "Cameron!" She called out. "Cameron Hermann. Did you hear me?!"

Cameron ran down the oaken stairs, dressed in a long cotton dress. Cameron was the only mortal member of this family. She didn't have any special powers but she never wanted it. She was in hurry and she thought this time she wouldn't go late.

"Alia, sorry I don't have time for dinner with you all. He's waiting for me at the hilltop. I don't want him to wait too long."

"But, Cameron..."

"Eat them all. Don't keep any for me."

"Is it a date, aunt Cam?" Melanie asked.

Cameron blushed. "Yes, Melanie."

"Hope you good luck," another girl said.

"Thank you, Ada," Cameron said gladly. She had had a dream. She had a plan. She knew herself and knew very well what she wanted. Tonight wasn't going to be just a date but the night she would make him happy.

Cameron waved her hands to them and quickly ran toward the front door.

"Cameron!" Cameron suddenly turned back at her sister's call. "Don't go back late. We'll lock the door before midnight, you know?"

"I will," Cameron agreed, and left.

"Let's have our dinner," Alia told the rest as she sat down on her seat.

Then they started.

The dinner this evening wasn't usual. Actually, this family never kept things usual. Every dinner was special for them all. They were happy every evening. They would talk and they would say. Derek had his life very joyful with very kind parents and mild sisters. He called this the perfection of his life. But no one had ever thought that it was their last dinner together.

Derek didn't want anything more. These pictures of his past seemed to be the only moment he liked. His father and mother spoon-fed each other. His sisters played with him, eating and throwing some food.

Laughs. Smiles. Love.

Five years of happiness were really too short for him but on the other hand, his years of sadness and wrath were long, and it would never end easily.

When it started...

His aunt came back to the house. She didn't come alone. There were about four or five strangers track and follow her back to her house. Their parents immediately closed and locked the door when they felt close danger.

"What's wrong?" Cameron asked.

"Some men and women followed you here," Robert said quietly. "I don't know. Their smell shows them non-humans. I smell blood."

"Shit!" Cameron hissed. "Are you sure?"

"Three. Four. Five. Six," Alia counted.

"Why are they here?"

A group of strangers were walking calmly toward the house. Not humans? Cameron rushed to the closest window and sighted them all. Three strong men, one teenage boy and three women. Alia and Robert joined Cameron at the window.

"Who are they?" Robert murmured.

No one here had ever seen any of those strangers before.

"Whosoever they are, I don't think they will be good to us," Alia said as she rushed across the hall to the stairs. "I'll wake the kids. We may need to leave."

"Good idea," Robert whispered. "Just be warned. We don't know when or how they will attack us."

She nodded and hurriedly went up to the second floor.

Robert turned and was surprised to see his sister-in-law cocked the slide of a pump action shotgun, the old Winchester Model 1897, ready to fight any intruders.

"Hmm. You ready yourself fast."

"Thanks for your admiration, big brother," she retorted, aiming the barrel directly to the front door. Whenever the intruders entered the house or broke into the house through the front door, she would deliver them all quick death.

Robert put his T-shirt off, preparing himself for hand-to-hand combat. Muscular man with the special power common humans can have, Robert was surely enough to fight off many men at a time.

Alia led the kids down the stairs.

"What happened, daddy?" Melanie asked.

"Some persons want to attack us," he answered. "Seriously, I don't think they are just humans. For safety, I think you all should go."

"No," Derek disagreed. "We're to fight together. We're family."

"But you are all important to our kind," Robert said to the kids. "We'll distract them, giving you time to run away."

The kids gaze the enemies out of their house. They weren't here to kill just one or two, but they wanted to kill the whole family.

Alia jerked her own PJ apart. "I'll fight."

"Daddy," Melanie said.

"Melanie, take your younger brother and sister away from this house," Robert commanded.

"No," she refused.

"Go now!" He shouted at them. Their enemies were right now only a few meters from the front door. They kept their head down, their fists strengthened with frequent shudders.

Melanie's eyes rolled to see one of them in front of the window. The eyes turned brightly demonic golden. The muscles expanded. The nails were unnaturally lengthened to be somewhat like black claws. Hair raised and became longer. The man was transforming to be something else, something more powerful than usual humans.

One of those stranger kicked the door open with non-human strength. The leader of that group began the fight.

Cameron immediately opened fire.

The round hit the strong man, sending him flying backward before he could jump.

With real angry growls, the other strangers got into the house furiously.

Melanie pushed her sister and brother away. It was too late to run. She wanted to join the fight. Those strangers attacked each member as crazy wrestlers.

Robert snarled while he was pushed by two strong men across the hall. He didn't get interested in the enemies. "Derek! Ada! Run!"

"No one in this family survives, mistress said it," one stranger, the teenager shouted. The strange humans transformed fast into their supernatural forms, becoming werewolves who had long brown hair around their body parts, wolf-like fangs, big muscles and facial features of humans and wolves. These creatures were so powerful, throwing everyone across the hall easily. Robert raised onto his feet and rushed to one of them who headed for Derek and Ada.

"Go now while you still can!"

"Daddy." Ada still hesitated.

Ada nodded quickly. She gathered all her strength to get her brother up to his feet.

"Derek, we need to go."

Derek looked to his father who was fighting against two werewolves. Derek's face was changing, it turned to be a little dog-like while he was fighting the werewolves' powerful grasps. "Go!" He yelled, his hair became long fur like one belonged to werewolves but his kind was different. The fur wasn't so long and it was more gorgeous than the werewolves' dark brown fur.

Derek had to run. It was too dangerous. Except for Cameron, the rest of family transformed into their other forms, to gain enough physical power to fight the terrifying monsters.

Derek and Ada ran off through back door, and hesitated again when they heard the loud painful cries of three dogs and one screaming sound. They stopped.

"Derek, we have to go," Ada said to her brother, there were a few drops of tears streaming down her soft cheeks.

Derek had to run away. He would come back in the morning with his sister. He had only faint hope that they all would be still alive. He couldn't go back. He would distract his aunt, his mother, father and sister during the fight.

He took a deep breath and decided to go away from the house. His sister led him deep into the forest behind their house.

Without turning back to see or to listen or smell anything, both Derek and Ada sprinted through the dark.

Derek could remember it very well. He knew his duty and what to do. He wanted to save everyone he loved. Now he didn't want to fail again. He didn't want to be a loser any longer.

He stood up from the bench.

Then walked away, returned to his home.

Steven'd met Josh.

"We'll try to befriend him again, Josh. It's hard to say. I felt both vengeance and lament at the same time," Steven said silently.

"Sure he will join?"

Steven nodded solemnly. "Possible. He seems to hate werewolves very much. I will find out why he hates our kind this much. I will try to get to know it."

"Then what about those girls?"

"Allyson and Stephenie?"

"Yes. What will you do with them? I notice that they may doubt about your incredible peak human strength at young age."

He sighed. "I'll decide what to do. Don't worry." Steven slapped lightly on Josh's right shoulder. "They won't become our threat."

#  CHAPTER 10

#

: Dinner

"YOU THINK THIS WILL ACTUALLY HELP ME FROM SOME BAD GUYS?!" Allyson asked, unsure whether the tasers and stun guns under the plate-glass in front of her.

"We need to walk back home every night from now on, you know. I work with one diner and you work with another, far from each other. I'm not sure Derek can come and take us both back home every night. These cheap weapons can be useful for our self-protection," Stephenie explained, her eyes glancing through the plate-glass to look at each one.

The seller waited very calmly as the two girls eyed the weapons slowly.

"To knock a normal man," Allyson murmured as she looked at each one's detail.

The seller smiled, pointing to one closest to him. "This one is very good to shock one to unconscious in a second. Perfect to attack some strong guys, ma'am."

Allyson smiled up at him. "I think we don't have much money for that. Too expensive. Do you have any alternatives?"

"I recommend the stun guns there, ma'am," he said, indicating to the shelf behind them both. "Most stun guns can cost between 15 to 150 dollars. They are on average 86 percent effective to the target. It's not enough to protect you or your friend from a guy somewhat like Arnold Schwarzenegger or Bertil Fox."

"Will taser be safer?" Stephenie asked.

The seller shrugged. "I can't guarantee at all. Stun guns seem better but you need close contact to attack one with them. Tasers shoot 2 wires up to 15 feet that convey an electrical charge of about 50,000 volts. Stun guns range up to 5 million volts."

"Need registration?" Allyson asked.

"You don't need a license but you do have to undergo a background check and it will be registered through Taser International. It won't be activated until then. The stun guns don't require registration."

"Is there anyway safer but still cheap?" Stephenie asked.

"Ma'am, nothing is as safe as one pistol. And the dangerous weapon isn't cheap. Every gun is all much more expensive and requires registration."

Allyson and Stephenie walked around the small store, searching for cheapest weapons.

"What do you think about this one?"

Allyson gestured Stephenie to a stun gun, SM-300 curved.

"Stun Master." Stephenie licked her lips. "300,000 volts."

The seller walked over to them. "Oh! Sorry, ma'am. This one is rated for law enforcement."

"Do you have others with the same cost?"

"Yes, we do," he answered easily, leading the girls to the shelf near the entrance. "Scorpion Rechargeable Mini Stun Gun 400kv. This gun includes a built in LED Flashlight and safety switch. Comes with a 120 volt charging cable and nylon holster. Lifetime warranty."

Allyson and Stephenie exchanged a look.

"Do you like this one, ma'am?"

Allyson turned with a big smile. "I want two. How much do they cost?"

"65.9 dollars, ma'am."

Allyson handed a small sheet of discount coupon first.

"With one discount coupon. 60 dollars, ma'am."

Allyson turned to Stephenie who nodded, confirming. Allyson nodded to the seller.

"For a sec, ma'am," said the seller who rushed back to his counter hurriedly.

After finishing the payment and taking their new weapons, two girls jogged together along the road back to their home. They still had to walk four kilometers back even though they now had much enough money to fill their old truck but they had wondered if they went back their home on foot, how much they would see. Stephenie had had a job as a waitress in a new small Thai diner near Western skies golf club. Allyson had worked for Mr. Papandrea for almost a month. But, however, she was still unable to uncover the truth of what he was, and it seemed she was getting bored of try.

Even so, did she really surrender to him?

Possible.

The girls were startled by a loud honk.

"Hi, girls," Steven Papandrea greeted them both from his BMW.

To their surprise, they said together, "Mr. Papandrea."

"Do you have anything to do tonight?" He asked, eying directly to Allyson and controlling his car to move slowly for some conversations.

"We do," Allyson said immediately.

"No." But her friend betrayed her now.

"What the hell happened to you, Steph?"

"It's the truth," Stephenie said together with shrug. "It's me who is going to have a date with Derek tonight." Then she turned to Steven. "I don't want her to go back and get involved with those papers too long. Please help me, Mr. Papandrea."

"Hey, don't do this to me, Steph!" Allyson scowled with frustration at her best friend.

"Bye, Allyson," Stephenie said and left her with him. Oh! Shit! How can she do that to me? My friend, my most trusted friend just betrayed me, thought Allyson who tried calling her friend again and again but she didn't turn back after all.

"I see you are alone now, Miss Phillip," Steven murmured, flushing her.

"What do you want?" Allyson asked innocently.

"Just go for dinner with me, okay? There's a new diner open in Phoenix. I want to have a dinner with you tonight."

"I have my book to finish," Allyson refused.

"Oh, please," he begged, still following her.

"Why the new diner? You have your own diner?" Allyson questioned.

"It's another Mediterranean. I want to know why they can have more customers than my diner does but I don't want to go alone."

Allyson frowned at him.

"Today is not my day for job," she insisted her declination. "I want to relax."

"It's just a relax," he said suddenly. "I just want to make sure you won't eat just some eggs tonight. Come on, let me find you something better to eat."

Allyson turned to him again. And he stopped the car. "Steven, you can't be trusted. I just worked in your diner only to gain some money. It's made me feel uncomfortable that you have kept somewhat terrifying secret from me."

His expression turned serious.

"So I don't have to go with you. You get it?"

He didn't say anything.

Allyson walked away from him, returning to her home hastily. He'll come and reconcile me, thought Allyson, revealing that it was her other plan to get to know what he really was. She hadn't known why she wanted to know it this much. But her brain ordered her to do. Her sense overpowered everything deep inside her.

Steven pulled up his car in front of her house. He had to speak to her. He told himself that she wasn't angry with him, she just didn't trust him. This was the only reason she refused when he asked her out for dinner.

"Okay," he sighed. "I understand it now."

He started his car and drove away. Through the window of her room, Allyson had watched his car going to the south.

Allyson smirked and walked to downstairs, joyful as she thought of his disappointed face. She rushed into the living room and was about to pick a book...

But the doorbell interrupted her.

"Who's that?" Allyson wondered. Derek and Stephenie went out for date. She just drove him away from her. Then who was it?

The doorbell rang again.

Allyson put the book back and walked toward the front door. Oh! No! It was him. Allyson saw him smiling and waving hand lovely like a childish man.

"Oh, damn it!" She opened the door for him.

"I'm not easy, Miss Phillip."

"What do you mean?"

"Oh! Yes. Can I get in?"

She smiled cunningly. "What if you can't?"

He stared into her eyes as if he were trying to read her mind. He knew she was just teasing him. He could sense the professional lie in the dark side of her mind.

He smirked. "You lie to me."

"What? How can you know?"

"I can know easily if people lie to me, you know? You have heard from rumors that I can detect lying people like a master psychologist. It's the truth."

He was perfect, right? She got more details but was it thing supernatural? Lie detection was not hard as it could sound. Psychologist, as she knew, could detect lie by looking at the micro-expression of a liar, nose touching, mouth covering, eyes movement, sweat, heart beat, fidgeting. Some psychologists could even notice from the reaction of a liar's throat. Lying caused person's body to increase production of adrenaline, which got their saliva pumping and then created very little. While the saliva was surging, the subject might be gulping it down. When the saliva was no longer surging, the subject might be clearing their throat. But she displayed flawless at her lying skill.

How the hell he could detect it.

"My sense never turns wrong, Miss Phillip. You're lying to me. I know but I don't know why or what you lie. I sense your lie."

Relaxed, Allyson started to laugh. "Ha ha ha, I think your sense is wrong."

But this time it wasn't wrong. She started to lose control over her expressions.

"You really lie to me," he said confidently. His voice was low but still full of power. Allyson couldn't take herself to refuse him any longer. At least, she got more detail; he could detect if a person lied to him. Now she wondered if it was his psychic ability. Could it be possible? He was truly a trained psychic. "Why do you have to lie to me? When we first met, you didn't lie. I thought I could trust you, but this time I'm sure I can't," he added, his tone was disappointed but in his mind, this was just a trick to get to her.

Allyson felt like it was her fault. "Okay. Okay. I'll go with you." Stopped the importunity.

He grinned.

"Let's go, Miss Phillip," he said aloud in gladness.

Allyson eventually agreed to go with him but she wasn't careless. She still kept her new weapon close to her. He felt pinch when his glance met that thing unawares.

"Where did you get that?" He asked her, sounding a little fearful.

"Oh! A stun gun. Steph wanna make sure I'll be safe. So she planned to spend my first salary to buy necessities. Self-protection is the second thought. Nothing's worthier than our lives. So she thought some cheap weapons could help."

"Hmm. I think it's too dangerous," he said uneasily and swallowed his breath.

She frowned. "The seller said that this is not enough to kill a man."

"He may be wrong," Steven said, he was really afraid of that damn stun gun. Why did he fear it this much? What made him afraid of it?

"You fear it?" Allyson noticed his reaction.

"No," he said quickly. He took a deep breath and tried to forget that she'd brought that damn thing with her.

Allyson giggled. "I think so. You are so strong. You could even stop a van, so how the hell did you fear this small thing?"

The diner wasn't crowded. It was smaller than one belonged to Mr. Papandrea. Not much different, this Mediterranean diner was decorated with many Mediterranean pictures. Additional, every picture was all about Mediterranean food and fruits. The host was a female, possible a Greek Irish descent. She welcomed them harmlessly.

"A table for two?" His voice was charming. She led them to a table big enough for four in the right corner from the front door. They sat down. Allyson could know that this woman didn't know Steven but how the hell she didn't. Their diners were too far from each. Steven had his brother show off at every event. Maybe with this reason, she might not know him.

"Your server will be here soon," she said.

All customers glanced at them. The host looked very cold as she walked toward the kitchen and said something to a female teenager.

"Oh! God, the guess is so calm," Allyson whispered to him. "Looks respectful."

He quirked up. "It's not her I am interested. We'll see how the food is."

"I'm not a gourmet. I have no idea about Mediterranean dishes. Maybe I can't help you. I may disappoint you."

"You won't," he said surely.

And then their server arrived, the teenager the host just said something with.

"Hello. My name is Liza, and I'll be your server this evening. What can I get you to drink?" She was speaking only to him.

He smiled up at her. "One glass of milk tea for me, please."

She then turned to Allyson. "And you?"

"I'll have a Coke," Allyson answered.

"I'll be right back with them," she spoke to him with a friendly smile.

"I don't get how you could know when I lie. What's your trick? I meant...I don't want to bother you but I want to know how. Because I think I'm really good at acting, you know? Nobody can know if I lie but I don't lie often."

"Many reasons combined," he said, looking at her as if he were getting inside her mind. "There are many changes happen to a person's body when he or she lies. I'm just good at seeing those changes."

"I still don't understand."

He chuckled silently in his throat. "I didn't hope you would."

Allyson frowned. "What do you mean?"

He chuckled again but louder. "Lie detection isn't so hard. In fact, it's as easy as how you lie. Believe in your sense and you will see and know that people lie to you."

"Sense? Lie detection? You can sense the presence of lies with only thing like psychic power or anything related?"

He laughed. "You hope so? Human sense is strong if you understand how it works. Five senses are the base of the more senses."

"And can you do the other things with your sense?"

His eyebrow raised. "For example?"

"Mind reading or seeing future?"

"Hard to say," he sighed. "Not every human born with those kind of powerful gift, I believe. So that's why I can just sense. I can sense a person's mind. Like sense if it's white, black or gray. I can know if anyone wanna attack me. I don't know how it exists but it's kinda like my special gift."

"Enviable," Allyson commented.

The waitress came with their drinks. She slowly placed them on the table.

"Are you ready to order?" She asked them.

"Menu, please," he said fascinatingly.

"Yes." She handed each of them menus. He glanced at each page very fast. Allyson licked her lips when he just watched the first page.

"I'll have Mediterranean Potato Salad and roasted pepper. Allyson, what do you want?"

Allyson looked at him and hesitated.

He smiled. "Don't worry. I will pay for your dinner. Oh! And I won't tell her."

"Okay," she agreed, and turned to the waitress. "I'll have Caponata and Mediterranean scones."

"Your dishes will be served in ten minutes," the waitress said as if she were a cyborg who was programmed to do that. "Tell me if you want something else."

"We will."

#  CHAPTER 11

#

: The truth

THEY'D JUST FINISHED their dishes. Allyson had only three dishes finished but Steven...Oh! Steven had eaten like a fat man.

"Oh." Allyson was agape.

Steven called the server who quickly rushed to their table hurriedly with two boys who took two big piles of empty dishes in front of Steven. She swallowed a deep breath.

"Do you want to see your check now?"

"I want to order more," he admitted.

What the hell? Fifteen dishes of every Mediterranean vegetarian menu in this diner weren't enough? He was still this hungry.

"I want to have dessert now."

"What do you want to have?"

"An entire box of Pop-Tarts, can I have it?"

The server looked quite surprised. Was he going to eat every vegetarian dish and dessert?

"Y...yes."

"Oh! And I want three dishes of pancakes."

"Do you want anything else?"

He smiled. "Just that."

"Okay. Please wait for a few minutes." Then she walked back to the kitchen. The host seemed to smile at them as if they were gods who had come to spend at least 80 dollars with dishes in her diner.

"I don't understand," Allyson moaned.

"What?"

"You are...still hungry?"

"Yes. I have a problem with my hunger. I need to fill my stomach. If I am too much hungry, it'll be dangerous to both myself and others around me. Especially tonight."

"Tonight?" Allyson was confused. She looked out through the window near her side. It was just one night with the bright full moon on top of the dark sky. Just that. Nothing was wrong. Nothing more. "I still don't understand, Mr. Papandrea."

He smirked. "No. It's just not about the night. But I just feel more hungry than ever tonight."

"Oh! I get it."

He shrugged.

"How is it, Allyson?" He asked her as she wiped her lips with a hankie.

She licked her lips. "Hmm. I think it's really..." She looked up at him and hesitated. "It's just..."

"Don't worry," he said. "Let me know if you feel difference. I see vegetarian dishes taste alike."

"I can't explain it at all. I can feel just one difference," Allyson said. "Maybe I am wrong. You both can be very matched competitors. Like...like two big elephant compared."

Steven smirked. "Isn't it like that?"

"I guess," Allyson mumbled. "Sure. If you chose to develop your vegetarian dishes, your diner will become very good for many vegetarians. I think at this age some people have turned to feed on mostly vegetarian food for their daily lives."

"Sounds a good idea," he praised her. "Would it be more effective if I decided to sell only vegetarian dishes?"

"No blood, no meat?"

He nodded. "Yes. Would it be better? What do you think?"

"You need to survey if most customers in your diner ordered the vegetarian dishes," she commended. "As long as most of your customers prefer vegetarian food, I think it'll help you save some money and it will be able to make your diner look better at some point."

He snapped his fingers. "That's a great idea. I won't have to lose money with the meat anymore. Thank you for a very good idea."

"You pay for my dinner," she said. "This help is just a small problem."

Hmm, she thought. Whatsoever he is, he's very attractive tonight. He's kind and gentle.

"What are you thinking, Allyson?" He asked.

"What am I thinking?"

"Yes," he assured her. "What are you thinking? I feel like you are thinking something but I don't know what you are thinking about."

"You sense?" He's a psychic then. But how the hell he couldn't read minds.

"Yes, I do," he admitted. "It's hard to explain." He paused. "Forget it, Allyson. I know you wouldn't like to know."

"No. I'd like to know," she protested.

He smiled a cunning smile. "What if I weren't a human you know?"

"Not a human I know?"

He laughed lightly. "What if I were something more? If I weren't just one strong man, would you hate me?"

"Seriously?" He's gonna tell the truth.

"Yes," he confirmed.

"Why?"

"I have thought about it for a month, Allyson. I know I can't keep some secrets from you. Someday it'll be revealed."

"What makes you think you should tell me tonight?" Allyson wondered.

He shrugged. "I don't know. I just try to do what I want to do, what I really need to do."

"So what are you?" Allyson asked, her eyes staring into his, curiosity streaming throughout every her cell.

Steven stared back.

Should he tell her?

He turned just as the waitress came with everything he had ordered. "Sir, may I put these down?"

"Sure." He helped the waitress put every plate down the table. When the waitress went, Steven started eating his desserts filthily.

"Woa, woa, slowly, Mr. Papandrea," she warned. "I fear your stomach will explode."

"I have to hurry up," he said with food still full in his mouth. "I start to feel hungry again and again. I don't wanna hurt anybody. Mmmm."

Allyson laughed. "Ha ha, you seem really hungry, I guess. I don't understand what difference between your stomach and other humans' stomach aren't alike."

Steven was absorbing the dessert on the table in front of him very hastily. He was racing with something so violent, he was fighting against the hunger instinct inside him. Why did he still keep fighting it? He agreed to show her but why he had to stop it.

He swallowed bolus down through his esophagus to his extremely powerful stomach which had been digesting everything he had eaten incredibly fast.

Allyson watched him with amazement. Oh! If he went to the eating competition, he would surely win every eater.

Steven could clean each plate minute by minute. He had to fill his stomach until he could make sure it could no longer produce more acid tonight.

"The pain from the stomach will extremely effect to my wicked instinct," he explained whilst chewing a whole big piece of pancake. "It's not what I want but it's only way to keep me vegetarian all my life."

"Do you have to eat much food every night?" Allyson wondered.

"No," he answered quickly.

"Is this about your gastritis?" She asked.

"Actually no," he said a bit angrily, his eyes widened into marbles.

"Are you angry of me?" Allyson's voice came out in a whisper. What the hell has been happening with this Steven?

He ate faster. "No," sounded calmer, he'd been trying to control himself.

"You don't look good," Allyson said worriedly. "What's happening with you?"

"It's getting better," he said, his voice calmed.

Steven started to eat slowly, his stomach was going to be full.

Allyson looked very confused with what he'd shown to her. Weird hunger. Wicked instinct. Strength. Stamina. Durability. Speed. Full Moon effect. Psychic gifts. Only some characteristics matched with what she'd dreamed for her new novel series and what she'd read from many stories.

"What are you," Allyson murmured noiselessly, looking at only him. He was eating vegetarian food. He didn't eat meat. No. He wasn't a carnivore, not exactly a werewolf.

Was he?

Allyson couldn't make senses with both vegetarian lifestyle and the matched characteristics. Full moon didn't effect common human this much. In fact, it didn't effect anything to humans but only to the gravitation of some areas on Earth.

Traditional werewolves had to transform during the full moon night but Steven didn't.

He might be something else. The theory of mutation came to her thoughts suddenly. She once heard that mutation could create a new kind of animals or even a new species. Mutation could develop some animals and fill them the new abilities. She remembered that three years ago. The leak of nuclear power plant could cause a new kind of fish. Maybe he was a mutant. It seemed only proper theory.

Steven finished all his desserts. "Hmm. Good," he murmured. His face looked joyful. He was full. Allyson looked at him again.

"Are you...full?"

"I am," he answered.

"What happened?"

"Full moon hunger," he whispered.

"What do you mean? What are you?" He had stated much about the full moon. He wasn't a human, and not a psychic. He musts be something more. Something that could stop a van, something that could run to a girl fast but not faster than cheetah, something terrible. "What are you?" Allyson repeated.

"Can we talk outside?" He asked, his look really serious.

"You promise to tell me," Allyson reminded him as he stood up.

"Yes. I will." He signaled to the server and opened his purse. The server ran across the diner toward them. "Can I have you the check, please?"

"Yes, sir. One moment," she responded, running back to the counter and said something with a clerk.

During that moment, Steven felt something wrong. At the table at 12 o'clock from where he had stood, those eyes were kept by their owners only at him and Allyson – all those eyes were hypocritical, evil and full with dark plans. They didn't know him but they had been watching him for almost two hours. Steven noticed that the evil desire was just decided.

The server ran back to him with the check. He glanced at it and nodded complacently. He picked many sheets of banknotes from his small purse and paid for his food.

"Keep the change," he told the server.

Every movement was always captured by those dark eyes.

"Thank you for using our service, please come back later," the server said with glad smile.

Steven and Allyson both smiled back and left the diner, walking back to the BMW at the parking lot.

"Oh, hell," he murmured.

"What's wrong?" Allyson asked.

Steven pointed to his car, his beloved BMW. All the four wheels were damaged.

"Who did this?" Allyson mumbled. They both ran to the car and checked its damage. "Do you have an insurance?"

Steven didn't wait. He quickly phoned.

"Hello," he said to the phone as it was answered. "My car is deflated. Huh? Yes. Where am I?" Steven looked around. "A diner. 21 S 10th Ave. Yes. Yes. A new diner that replaced an auto parts store. Okay. I don't have to wait, right? Thank you."

He hanged up.

"Is everything alright?" She asked suddenly.

"We don't have to wait. I'll have to go and take it back tomorrow. Let's go by bus," he told her.

"Okay," she sighed, relieved.

"Don't worry," he said. "I won't harm you, Allyson. Maybe we can have more time to talk while we wait."

Allyson shrugged. She had no other choice. She had her stun gun ready and had him with her, so it could guarantee that she would be surely safe.

Steven could smell the odor of bad thinking from the front door of the diner as those guys exited and glanced at them.

He didn't tell her anything. He thought he could protect her easily if those guys started the fight.

They crossed the road carefully.

Those guys followed them. Their thoughts were clear. They wanted money, yes. And also they might get her too. Steven could feel the dark feeling those men had for pretty Allyson by his side. He could know even though he couldn't read their minds. He believed in his special sense and they followed them.

There was no one at the bus stop.

Steven had to lead Allyson into the silent area of Library Extension Division. Lucky, the guard at the gate had fallen asleep, and the gate was still open. She was immediately confused. "What are you doing, Steve?" She whispered.

"Don't turn back," he warned in a whisper. "There are five guys following us. They have followed us from the diner. I guess they want my money. I guess they deflated the wheels."

"Then why in the park? At the bus stop, we'll be safe," Allyson said noiselessly.

"No," he responded. "I want to attack them. Let them think we don't know, and please help me act like a couple."

"A couple?" Allyson frowned, couldn't agree to the idea at all.

"I understand but it's only way I can think of at this moment. This place has many cameras. If they wanna attack, they will know what will return," he said into her ear, leaning and placing a gentle kiss on her cheek.

Is this the plan to trick those guys? Or is it his plan to take liberties with her?

Allyson immediately glared at him. Steven blinked, his expression as cunning as fox. "The plan, Miss Phillip, the plan," he whispered.

"Hey, darling," she said aloud, started acting. "Are you sure about this place?"

He gave her a satisfied smile and whispered, "Good. But I want it more soundly." Then it was his turn. "Yes. We'll make love here."

Allyson flashed a quick peck on his cheek.

He blushed. "Wow!"

Then Allyson and Steven started to quicken their paces, heading to the field. The guys noticed the camera. They parted into two groups, three followed Allyson and Steven as the other two turned to roundabout route.

They ran as Allyson and Steven ran.

And finally they caught up with the couple at the right side of the building, encircling the couple. "Hey. Give us whatever you have," the biggest guy began.

"What if I don't?" Steven said obstinately.

"So you die, guy," he said and signaled to his friends. "Sorry we have to force you."

"Okay," Allyson hissed, drawing her stun gun. "Come on, guy. Make it easy. Come!" Her voice showed her bravery.

"Oh! Lead us here," the biggest guy started to realize. "Smart. But not smart enough." They all drew their weapons – stun guns and tasers.

"Shit," Steven snarled through his teeth. This was not the time to fear those things.

"Get them," the biggest guy ordered.

The one at his right side charged at Steven quickly with the stun gun ready to shock but Steven spun and pushed him to the one behind.

Two guys jumped to Allyson at the same time. She spun and kicked one away. Her hand aimed her stun gun to one and shocked him, throwing him to the ground.

Two guys Steven had just shoved, raised and tried to attack him again but he avoided them skillfully. The biggest one threw a hardest punch at Steven's chest, and choke-slammed him to the ground very hard.

Another guys still tried to win Allyson who tried to fighting him but he moved like two monkeys and laughed at her contemptuously. "Wow! Little girl, you are really beautiful," he said, deceiving her with fast movement.

Steven was thrown against the wall by that biggest guy.

Allyson watched them carefully, trying to consider their moves. Allyson rushed to shock him but missed. At that moment, he spun, grabbed her hand, shoved the stun gun away and threw her against a tree. Her cry of pain distracted Steven who just finished knocking the biggest guy.

"Allyson!"

The first guy who had fallen, raised and fired his taser, the electrified wires shooting out of the taser, ZAPPING Steven in the chest as he turned to face that guy.

"ARGGHHHH!"

Steven fell easily.

The painful Allyson turned and found him fall to the ground easily, as easily as she did. One guy was on her, punching her belly again and again. She had no more force to fight this one off. Her eyes started to lose their strength as...

...Steven, shuddering on the ground hurtfully.

"Steven," her voice was faint, very weak.

That fucking bad guy started undoing her clothes. All the guys got attention to only her. "Rape this girl before. You first, I'll be the second," someone said.

"Good share," the other guy said very gladly. Who isn't glad?

Steven had shivered unnaturally after the shock. He gnashed his teeth which were no longer human teeth. Real snarl came from his throat uncontrollably. Electric pulse made its way to quicken his heart and his muscles.

Allyson was both in shock and weak. The guys torn her dress apart, but even she was weak, she still tried to keep her eyes open to see him, the smart guy who was unnaturally turned.

Steven's body started to change. His heart beat faster and faster. He sat up quickly with a loud wolf growl, startling all the guys who were ready to rape Allyson.

"Fuck! What the hell?!"

"Shock him again!"

Steven's body quivered as the muscled got bigger. He snarled painfully up to the full moon above the sky. "Argghhhh!"

Allyson tried to keep watch but the only things she could see before her eyes closed down uncontrollably was...

...the familiar pair of golden eyes on his face when he turned to those guys. They glowed brightly while his body was convulsing and changing.

#  CHAPTER 12

#

: Promise

"SHE WON'T BE our threat, I tell," the angelic male voice said in a blur. A few persons were talking out of this room.

"Your decision to tell her the truth will lead this whole pack to the end," the new female voice retorted. "If Clara finds her, she may use her against you."

"I won't let that happen," the same angelic voice said.

"It happened before," the female voice responded. "Remember? Cameron Hermann and her relatives, the Greenes. Those weredogs died because you fell in love with Cameron. What is the purpose, Steven? What did you say to that kid, Derek Greene? That Clara was jealous of you and sent her fellow werewolves to destroy his whole family? Or you already told him..."

"Shut up, Luna!" The angelic voice became demonic. "I'm your pack master. It's all my decision to make."

"Luna, I told you," the youthful voice whispered. "Don't say it."

"Okay," the female sighed. "Go to hell with you, pack master."

Then there was a silence.

Allyson's eyes opened to a bright, creamy white room. She could remember everything, couldn't she? She was in a small room, propped up on an uncomfortable bunk. It wasn't a hospital room. She could feel the familiar atmosphere from the open window. She saw the backyard garden near the parking lot of Steven's diner.

How did I get here? She thought.

Fractured memories of the previous night come slowly back to frighten her. She remembered that beast's eyes, and Shit! Steven!, she was startled by the fact, the truth she beheld last night. STEVEN PAPANDREA WAS A WEREWOLF! OH! MY GOD!

Why wasn't she afraid of him?

She was now in a small room of his area. She could be killed and eaten by that monster at anytime. But she didn't feel the fear she should have done.

She found the worse thing than ever – she'd wakened up on a bunk that belonged to him in a room owned by him and had a new t-shirt, bra, and panties on her. He changed her clothes? Maybe he didn't, she could guess and hope the unknown female named Luna did it.

Allyson glanced at the bedside table. On it were a glass of orange juice and a plate with three pieces of vegetarian grilled cheese sandwiches. Why is a werewolf this kind? Wait. Maybe he wants me to be full and will eat me later. Oh! Shit. But she didn't understand why her self-preservation ran away from her mind right now. When she turned to those sandwiches and the glass of orange juice, her stomach cried for it. She needed to eat. Oh! Hell. Damn my stomach. She couldn't control over her own hunger and her appetite.

The grilled cheese sandwiches tasted divine. Allyson ate them all hungrily and started sipping the juice. Hmm. It's good.

There was a knock on the door just as she drank it all, and she couldn't find out what to say to him. Invite him in and let him eat her, or quickly jump off through the open window and run away from him. She asked herself why she didn't run for her life and why she wasn't angry of him who had hidden the secret of his true form from her. He didn't wait for her invitation, he opened the door anyway and strolled in.

Allyson swallowed a deep breath. The werewolf came and then she just waited to see what would happen to her.

"Good morning, Miss Phillip. How are you feeling?" He asked, his angelic voice sounded worried. He was worried about her sanity. And, actually, he didn't care anything about his pack or that bitch he once had been forced to marry.

Allyson stared at him. Could she trust this perfect male werewolf? He was too perfect for her. He was gentle, handsome and smart. She couldn't find any dreadfulness. She found a protector, seemingly a protective superhero rather than a cruel beast.

"I'm fine," she said, her eyes looking at only him as he walked toward her. Without fear, she didn't even move away or try to run. That surprised him.

"How did I get here?" Her voice was low.

"You were shocked and lost your strength, I had to bring you to the safe place."

"Did you put me to bed?"

He nodded.

"Did you undress me?" Allyson whispered.

"No. Luna did. She's my sister. She just came back after her special cooking course in Italy."

Allyson relaxed about the crazy thing like that.

"Then it's my turn to ask you. Do you remember what happened to you?"

Allyson nodded solemnly. He stared at her hard, and became even more surprised when he couldn't sense her fear, anger or tension.

"So you saw what happened last night."

"Yes," she answered fully. "Those eyes. Lengthening dark fur. Your transformation under the full moon night."

He sat down on the edge of the bunk. "Are you afraid of me?" He asked her slowly, his eyes pointing at only her eyes.

"No," she answered surely. "Should I?"

"Yes, you should," he said. "I'm a beast anyway. I can be risky at some point."

"You won't harm me, I know it myself," Allyson said with her low, soft voice. "You don't feed on humans, I know."

"Yes," he agreed. "You are right about me not killing people."

"Those guys? You..."

"I didn't kill them. I just hit their head so that police won't believe them about me being a monster."

Allyson took a deep breath, relaxed.

"How old are you? Are you immortal?" Then the crazy curiosity deep in her mind showed up and took over herself. "Or you just live longer than normal humans?"

"I reached my maturity at the age of 22, and I have stopped aging since 1898," he answered easily. No more hiding.

"Is everyone like you? Stop aging at 22?"

"No. It can't be predicted but we will know when it stops because our feelings can say it doesn't grow," he explained. "Ivan can't figure out why."

"Okay. Then when does you transform?"

"We werewolves must be trained to control ourselves during the full moon night or a few nights before or after that. It's not about the curse. The gravity from the moon effects our bodies to turn crazy, make us hungry and wake our wild instinct. The newborn or Omega wolves hardly control themselves during this period. For example, the youngest member of my pack, Josh, is still in his ten years of Omega state."

"Gravity? Then why can you keep yourself normal at noon?"

He raised an eyebrow. "The noon is not the hard time to resist the uncontrollable transformation. The gravity during daytime effects much more than the night but there is a reason. Ivan stated that werewolf's pineal gland isn't like human's, it can synthesize one kind of chemical or hormone to prevent the process of the feral change but it effects a bit to our hunger. We still want to transform anyhow but we can control not to do so."

"Anything else can cause the change?"

"Our will, our anger and electricity. You saw it last night."

"So, this is why you feared my stun gun," Allyson concluded sharply.

"Yes," he agreed. "Electricity can not only cause us the feral change but also kill us in our wolf form. Electricity can flow through each cell and give them power as a dope but a large amount of electric shock will overheat each cell and burn from the inside. We will turn too weak, our cells will hardly heal, our heart will pump the blood too fast and uncontrollably and we will suffer the pain for a while before we will die. Omega werewolves will be easily killed by this way."

"And silver bullet?"

He smiled. "Myth. It doesn't kill us. It's only tool that can be used against our human form like common humans. Okay, for an easy example, what will happen to you when someone stabs you with a silver knife in your heart or any important parts of your body?"

Allyson laughed, "Ha ha, I'll die."

"Sure. You will. Silver or any other metals as hard as silver or harder than silver can pierce through our strong muscles. But werewolf's healing factor isn't what we can joke about. You could kill me with any weapons but I could resurrect after a while, a few days or half a week, as long as the healing cells weren't completely destroyed. In our wolf form, you would need something much harder than silver and you would need to be strong enough to push the weapon deep and pull the heart out as fast as possible."

"And wolfsbane?"

He laughed anyway. "Myth. In fact, every poison known on Earth can't kill us both in human form or lycanthrope form. It doesn't cause any effects to us."

"Then I have more questions."

He smiled. "What do you want to ask?"

"How can you survive on vegetarian food?"

He looked at her. "You may have been acquainted with traditional myths, fictions and legends."

"I write fictions," she murmured.

"We're wolves and we're also humans and we're also living things. Have you ever heard about some dogs eating fruits and vegetables?"

"Yes. Once."

"But they still need proteins. Werewolves aren't different from some other animals. In wolf form, we have the same food sources with wolves and foxes. So the point is to keep human form long and keep ourselves full before we transform. Protein is only type of nutrients we need so much. I can survive on some beans, eggs and milk."

"You control your hunger in human form and you become vegetarians, right?"

"Yes," he agreed. "But we're still dangerous."

"I don't understand."

"We can try not to be dangerous," he explained slowly. "We're usually good at what we do. Sometime we make mistakes. Me, for instance, was out of control last month and had to feed on some rabbits to keep myself calm down and reduce my hunger before I could turn back to my human form. You might not notice, might you? Last month, under the full moon night, I got my complete self-control back in time to save you and your friend. I just pushed your car in place thus you both could stop the car from the spin easily."

"I saw the eyes, they were beautiful," Allyson muttered. "The bright golden wolf eyes with a smart, angelic soul beneath them. I thought you weren't evil, you weren't monster but you were a protector. At last, the fact doesn't disappoint me and you are a lot more than what I expected to see from real werewolves. You are really unlike what I saw from films and read from many myths and fictions. You are exactly my kind of superhero."

"Look, Allyson, I could even eat some animals. I am still dangerous," he warned.

Allyson moved closer to him. "Pathetic."

"You can think so."

"Is vegetarian werewolf weaker?"

He paused. "I can't be sure, of course, but we have self-control over ourselves. We retain more self-control than others in wolf form. I have never fought any werewolves who are as old as I am. But I could fight off some Omega werewolves easily due to my age, skills and my trained self-control."

"You told me Josh is still in Omega state. So how do you classify?"

He smiled, his deep feeling admiring her curiosity. He started to wonder why she got bad grades from university but he didn't ask.

"Newborn werewolves or the Omega wolves, this state is ten years period after the infection. They are peppery, emotional and hard to be controlled. They can't control themselves during the full moon night or a few nights before or after that night. They do every way to satisfy their hunger. Josh is only Omega wolf in my pack right now. I infected him nine years ago and he still needs much training. He was near-dead with his born aids. His older sister who was completely safe because she was born before her mother was infected with aids from the new husband, begged me and Ivan to save him with the lycanthrope infection."

"You did?"

He sighed "Yes. Ivan turned to me and told me, 'You are the pack master. It's your decision to make and it's only you who are able to infect him.' I had to decide. I was the only Alpha wolf of my pack who was there. It's only me who can produce the venomous virus. I drew my fangs and buried them on his neck."

"Only Alpha can produce venom?"

"No. But only the venom from Alpha wolf can turn humans rather than killing them. Beta wolf's venom can be used only to paralyze the prey in pain to prevent the almost impossible escape."

"Almost impossible escape?" He was fast. Yes, she saw him move with enhanced speed in his human form. But this might be about his lycanthrope form.

"Yes. Because we can run about ninety to one hundred miles per hour in our wolf form. I can catch up with anyone or anything I can see at a horizon within a few minutes. In human form, we run as fast as the fastest human runner of the Olympic game."

"Or even faster?"

He quirked up at her. "Yes. You're very clever. After the successful infection, werewolf's body reaches the peak of whatever a human can do as a preparation of the incoming extreme first feral change. As usual, we can develop our skills, physical and mental conditions. But you know, all human exercise devices can't be useful. We can exercise through a spar, a swim or a run across the whole town."

"And you said 'almost impossible'?"

He smirked. "Yes. It sounds a joke. When we are full after eating a lot of preys. That's a possible way a human can run away."

"I have read about werewolves from historic cases. They look a bit different from each other. For example, Gilles Garnier, the Werewolf of Dole, and Claudia Gaillard, the Werewolf of Burgundy. Are those stories real?"

"Most are real while some aren't. But none of those wolves came from the same bloodline," he explained. "Werewolves of some bloodlines died very easily and already turned to extinction. There may be currently a few bloodlines still exist on Earth, I guess. The closest bloodline to us is Wolfsong bloodline. Wolfsong wolves lived peacefully in the deep forest on the land of Queen Elizabeth. They're as powerful as us but they're not immune to silver like we do. In fact, their immunity heat their bodies up instantly to destroy silver but those also destroy them."

"Your bloodline is the strongest."

"Not exactly," he said. "Actually, I don't know that. And I don't wish to know that. I want to live peacefully and freely."

"Can you please show me how you look like in your wolf form?" Allyson asked curiously. "I want to see it clearly."

"I'll show you sometime," he promised.

Allyson thought about it for a moment. Wow! Real werewolves are really wonderful. They are protectors. They are incredibly perfect. I got concept. My novel will be developed and Steph will fall in love with it. Steph! Stephenie!

"Crap, Steph," Allyson croaked. He suddenly peered at her.

"She knows you are here and safe. We belled Derek Greene," he told her with a smile.

"Oh, thank you very much. You saved my life again. Thank you very much."

He smiled proudly. "You're welcome, Allyson." He touched her shoulder playfully. "Come on, Miss. I guess you wanna get to know my family."

"Your family?"

He nodded. "Yes. Actually my pack."

"Are they all like you and Josh? I mean – I don't think they will like me. I heard some quarrel out of the room when I wasn't completely wakened."

He stood up and looked down to her. "I do. They will."

"I heard Luna stated something about Clara. Who is she?"

And that darkened his look.

"She's a bitch I have never wanted to meet all my life," he muttered. "She's killed many people I love." He reached one of his hands down toward her. "Trust me. I know it's crazy to ask for your trust after he'd kept my secret from you. But I want you to believe it, and try to trust me. I won't let her harm you. I will never let anyone hurt you. I promise."

Allyson could admit that his words were all believable. Since she saw his uncontrollable transformation last night, he'd been flawlessly honest to her, revealing everything about his kind. A very gentle, attractive man was asking for her trust. But before he decided to tell her, why did he have to keep the truth away from her? Allyson wondered that, and then she decided with an option. She rethought and she laid her right hand on his hand.

"I give you a chance, Steven. I'm not a blinkered. And I hope you won't lie or keep secrets from me. Can you promise to tell me more today? No more secrets."

He gently held her hand. "Anything you want to know," he whispered and leaned down to place a soft kiss upon her hand, flushing her. "No more secrets."

#  CHAPTER 13

#

: The Pack

There were five of them here – werewolves who had tried living vegetarian lifestyle with Steven Papandrea.

"This is Luna Papandrea, the oldest werewolf of my pack with the youngest features," Steven introduced a very young tan-skinned teenage girl to Allyson. She was 4'9" tall and had a tiny body with lank, dark silky black hair long enough to reach the back of her bottom. Her eyes were wide and dark cyan. "She's my sister, the real sister. She reached her maturation at the age of sixteen. We have fought together for a long time during the war between two powerful tribes."

Allyson reached out her hand but Luna didn't look friendly. "Take your hand back, human girl. You know you are fragile and I don't want to hurt you. Take it in your mind, you will kill us all when they get here," she said pungently, walking away from the group.

"Oh, come on, sis," Steven tried to call her back but she didn't care. She didn't have to do after his command. She had just decided to follow his command for the good of the pack but this Allyson really made everything harder than she expected.

"Don't care about her, Miss Phillip," said Josh very friendly. "She's a boring girl of this pack but she never means to harm you or anyone here. She just..." – Josh shrugged – "...cares too much about her brother and this pack. She's very lovely but she's foul-mouthed like that."

Steven turned to Allyson and shrugged. "I apologize for her. Like Josh said, she just says badly but she means you no harm."

"We all adjust to her," said the other male werewolf who stood next to Josh.

Steven sighed. "We'll talk to her later." Then he pointed to Josh. "You know him, Josh. He is the youngest werewolf in our pack and only one still in Omega state. He's only non-vegetarian werewolf."

Allyson was surprised just bit when he reached out his hand toward her first and there was something like god's voice faintly entered her head, "Come. Take my hand."

Steven chuckled at Allyson's reaction. "Oh. I forgot to tell you. He's gifted. He has a sort of mental attraction. He calls weak-minded preys to him. This allows him to easily call some animals to him. Due to his age, he can't control himself so well as the other members of my pack. I have to allow him to feed on animals instead of humans."

Josh smiled a big smile. "Don't worry. I'm full this morning," he said enthusiastically. "I'm good now after a long crazy night."

Allyson smiled back. Josh looked more friendly than anyone here and he seemed to accept Allyson very fast. His kindness had been proved since the first day Allyson came to work here. But only sometimes he did the wrong thing to her mind.

"And I'm also sorry about the mistakes back there," he said honestly. "I nearly ate you when you came here to attend for your job."

Allyson was confused.

"His gift is a bit hard to control when he is too hungry," Steven explained. "It turns even stronger in his wolf form. So some strong-minded humans who get too close to him can be drawn to him too."

"That's his gift. And what is your gift? Lie detection? Mind sense?"

He laughed quietly. "I'm the mixture of those you know. I'm a sensor. Unlike sensor of robots in fictions or what you have ever known, my gift is to sense things, witness things before it's too late and know something before others."

"You can see the future, right?"

He shook his head. "Theoretical, I can but in fact I just sense like... Hmm. What can I say? I have sort of the more than five or six senses. I can track anyone on the world with the essence of that one's mind, whether from meeting that one once or someone else related to that one. I also have a sense to tell if someone is lying to me. I can even sense the danger at close range. I can sense if targets are bad or good persons." He shrugged. "My gifts are something like warning signs and traffic lights on the streets."

"Can anybody trick you?"

"Yes, definitely. Some of senses I possess can be tricked but some can't. For example, any werewolves more powerful than I am, can attack me easily even though I can sense how they will attack but my movement is too slow to avoid. Another example is yesterday night, I was shocked because my attention was drawn to you while you were being hit. But, anyway, I can't lose one's sense whilst tracking."

His explanation reminded her of what he had done all the month she was involved in his life. The memories about his phenomena swirled in her head, the pictures he told her about liar, the moment he knew who was about to attack them and the moment he sensed the danger from Josh's gift and tried to recall her mind. She thought for a moment about him, only at him. And he could know she was.

"Anything about me?" He teased her through his whisper into her ear.

Allyson frowned at him. "No. Nothing."

"Sure?" He was playing with her lie.

"Okay," Allyson said, blushing. "I'm thinking about you."

The rest of the pack share a joyful smile.

He laughed, his expression proud and bashful. "I don't ask more." He continued the introduction, leading Allyson to see the next one was a French teenage boy with black curly hair and pale white skin. "This is Ivan Faucher, our doctor. Knowledge about our kind comes from his researches." What? A doctor. He looked too young to be a doctor.

Ivan smiled in embarrassment. "Mr. Papandrea always put me on a pedestal, Miss. I'm not a graduate so I am not a doctor. It happened in 1976. It was just the third year of my university life when he found me seriously injured." Allyson and Ivan shook hands. "I didn't know who saved me that night. I just kept dreaming of him as my leader all night but I had never seen him before. I found myself changed at a night while I was preparing myself for the final exam. I transformed for the first time and I ran away into the forest where I found him in his human form, he gave me one big deer and told me to feed on it. While I was eating, he said that he was the one who saved my life with the venom. Since then, I resigned from my university and left with the pack. I helped him on the research to improve our resistances to full moon effect."

"Thanks to him, the way of vegetarian lifestyle helped us a lot. We all have tried not to kill any animals including humans. Right now, we all are able to resist the smell of human blood."

"Our nature is to eat something raw with blood in wolf form if hungry," Ivan explained. "I have considered this fact and I first guessed if we were completely full in human form, when we transformed into wolf-like, we might not have to feed on any flesh."

"And sometimes it is unsuccessful due to the strong effect from some full moon nights. So we really need to be carefully strict," said Steven. "Eating habit must not be changed."

"Werewolves are a mutant kind you shouldn't be careless about, ma'am. Our organs work unlike human's even though they all look the alike. There are some new hormones humans have never known before but all are important to keep ourselves what we are," the doctor continued the explanation. "It's really nice to meet you, ma'am. Because I've wondered how a werewolf and a human's child can be."

The word 'child' was what rang aloud into Allyson's head, embarrassing her with the fact she had never said to Steven. Steven shot a quick dark look at him, and he chuckled.

"Isn't that really interesting, master? We have 25. She has 23. I have never tested. You know? How the child will be? I wonder. This research will be very interesting," the doctor added with a new inspiration.

"Shut up," Steven commanded.

That made Allyson's mind drive to the thinking of that point with Steven Papandrea. What she was thinking about was a bit different.

"Okay, master," Ivan accepted, but he couldn't resist his humor and that idea. "Shut up."

Steven continued to the last two members. They were twin, both dressed and looked quite the same with each other. They had long, rounded muscles, copper skins, cropped black hair, square faces and dark brown eyes. They were only a few inches taller than Josh. Both were only two members with middle age.

"Cosmas and Cyrus. They came from my tribe. They witnessed the last battle at age of 5 in 1951 and survived with us. At first, they weren't werewolves. In 1987, I changed Cyrus and my sister changed Cosmas after they had saved my sister's life from three vrykolakases sent to kill all the survivors. They are only two Beta wolves of my pack now."

"It's our pleasure to meet you, ma'am," the twin said as one, and held out their hands at the same time as if they were appointed to do so.

Allyson reached both hands to take theirs at the same time with a friendly smile. "It's my pleasure too."

They pulled their hands back and walked away.

Steven sighed, shook his head and turned toward Allyson. "Don't care about them. They never trust anyone out of the tribe."

"Yes, Miss," Ivan assured him. "Since the first year I joined this pack, they have never been friendly to me."

"Also to me," Josh added.

Ivan looked to his pack master. "But he's confirmed that they have good souls." Ivan turned to Allyson. "He told us that they both joined the pack because of him and his sister."

Steven placed a hand lightly on Allyson's shoulder. "Don't worry about them and my sister. They just...Hmm. They worry too much. I have felt their stress raised since they knew that you know about our existence as werewolves. They may fear you will tell the others about us."

"I won't tell anybody," Allyson promised, her eyes looking directly to Steven's eyes.

"She didn't lie, right?" Josh wondered.

Steven smiled happily. "Yes. She hasn't lied. She knows it doesn't matter to lie because I can know."

"You are very intelligent, ma'am," Ivan admitted. "But more than anything, I admire your honesty. Hardly, we can find someone very honest like you in this age."

"You won't tell anybody about us," Steven reminded Allyson of what she had promised to the pack.

"I promise," Allyson affirmed.

"Including your best friend, Stephenie, you understand?"

The trio looked to her, staring with attention and hope. She understands, they cheered in their heads.

"Yes," she whispered.

"Do you have anything else to ask? For there seems to be more questions, I can guess it from your look," Steven said openly.

"I doubt about the thing you stated 'gift'. Does every werewolf have gift? You didn't tell me about Ivan's gift and the rest of your pack."

"Not everyone. Ivan!" He shot a look to Ivan who'd better explain it.

"Gift, the gift from God, I think so," Ivan explained. "I don't understand at all how it comes. Steven's gifts are to sense things and Josh' gift is to attract prey, for simple instances. Steven was born to be a werewolf but Josh wasn't. I have one theory. I get it from what I have witnessed. Werewolf infection can enhance all physical traits. Some gifted werewolves can't use their gifts in wolf form while some other gifted can use those gifts like magics. If a person is born with gift, when he or she is turned, the infection enhances the gift too. But not everyone has the gift in exact same way, some only share the same basis but may have to develop the gifts by the different ways. No one can calculate who will be born with gifts. Not everyone has one gift. Look, Steven Papandrea possess several gifts but all those abilities always relate to the same point of how to use them. He's a sensor, a werewolf with various psychic senses."

"Can there be anyone else like him?" Allyson wondered.

"Yes," Ivan answered. "There is one with the other pack who have never tried vegetarian lifestyle like we do. He's an Omega wolf. I don't know if his senses are more powerful than Steven's or not. Someone is born to be very powerful. Clara, for example, she possesses electrokinesis. I met her once before we could completely ran away. With her most powerful gift, she can force all other werewolves to do after her unreasonable command. Unless the close werewolves follow her, she'll kill them."

"Really a bitch," Allyson commented.

"I hate her so much," Steven added. "This is why I have always run from her. Many packs tried to run but usually died."

"And why aren't you serious that your pack members can betray you?"

"Master is always in our decision," Josh spoke.

"Yes," Ivan assured him. "Werewolves don't form pack with any they don't know or turn. I was turned by Steven. Josh was turned by Steven. So we had bond among us. It keeps our nature to mainly think for our master. It works like an urge in our minds, our brains."

"You don't have free will."

"No, Miss Phillip, we do. We have our free will to think. The master never controls us but every thought always contains our master."

Allyson considered that. "I think I don't have any more questions for now."

"Then I will need to drive you home," Steven sighed. "Even though I already told your friend but I don't think she will agree with me letting you walk back your home alone."

"Okay," Allyson agreed easily. Her eyes had been kept only at him. She was thinking. But no one knew what she thought. None of the pack trusted her but his sense told them that they should. When she walked away with Steven, Ivan and Josh looked after them with worry. Clara and her fellow werewolves were behind the cruel bloodbath. The only family of weredog heirs were attacked just because of love between Steven and his old lover. They only feared that this girl would be the next. Clara would never let go of any women she considered as a bitch who stole Steven from her, they feared that Allyson and everyone she knew would be killed due to that werewolf's crazy jealousy.

On the roof of the diner, Luna, Cosmas and Cyrus watched as Steven drove her through the road, seemingly pungent. Luna tried to keep herself as calm as she could do. Allyson would lead danger to her pack if they all tried to save her. But they had to decide for the persistence of their pack.

"What should we do, mistress?" The twin brothers asked simultaneously.

Luna sighed. "Just wait. We shall be fine. You remember her scent?"

"We got close enough," Cyrus said.

"Good. We shall do the right thing," Luna hinted. "We'll get to her before Clara comes and does the worse."

"But we can't avoid his senses," Cosmas retorted. "He can know if we lie."

"So we'll tell him the truth," Luna said and smiled slyly.

The twin men shared a look full of confusion.

#  CHAPTER 14

#

: Betrayer

STEVEN HAD DRIVEN HIS CAR SLOWLY THROUGH THE QUIET ROAD OF THE HOT AFTERNOON, ONE OF HIS EYES WAS KEPT TO THE FRONT ROAD while the other was kept to the prettiest human girl by his side.

"Don't you have anything to talk about, Allyson? I have seen you quiet for a few minutes. Maybe we can talk."

The prettiest girl turned to him with a friendly smile. "What should we talk about?"

He flashed a quick smile at her. "Anything," he said, his voice very welcome. "Don't you really want to talk?"

"Are you sure?"

He nodded, still controlling his steering wheel.

"Why do you always drive very slowly?"

He chuckled. "Is that what you want to ask?"

Allyson nodded. "Yes. Why? Is it a too simple question for you? You want me to talk?"

"I do," he assured her. "Yes. You know why I can't drive faster."

"Oh," Allyson breathed. "You are strong and if you drive fast, the car will go too fast, right?"

"Yes," he agreed. "It's not easy to control my strength not to make it too fast. Do you wanna try, Ally?"

"Just try. I don't want to have a problem with some cops," she warned.

"Then go," he shouted.

He stepped his foot down and drove the car faster than anyone could expect. Wind ruffled her hair through the open cover. Drift came strongly from his foot, pushing car forward with the speed like a car from hell.

As if he were a robot with a kind of RADAR or movement sensors inside his head, he drove incredibly fast but never crashed any cars on the big road.

Allyson laughed as wind blew through her. "Ha ha, that is great," she muttered with gratification.

He smirked and went the fastest the car could do. He moved the car in zigzag and avoided many slower cars.

"Holy cow! He drives like a ghost rider!"

"I can't drive faster. This car doesn't support," he said, starting to slow the car. "I think I have to slow it down."

He carefully made it slower, remaining the same speed.

"Even if I drove that fast sometime, I have never crashed anybody or any other cars."

"Oh. I understand why," Allyson said, brushing the tousled hair away from her face. "You might have driven more than one hundred cars in your life. You may be skilled enough to drive even better than James Bond. That's quite fun. Will you do that later?"

"If you like it, I will," he agreed with a short, hard laugh. "We'll arrive your home in five minutes. Do you have anything to talk about?"

"I wish to know more about Clara. Who is she? Why do most of your pack seem to be afraid of her very much?"

He turned to look straight ahead. "Whoever came from my tribe fear her like they fear our God, Zeus. It's not just because of her gift but her bloodline of werewolf kind. There is one legend the humans have never discovered due to the genocide of my tribe. We believed the leader of our tribe was like the successor of the mind and the assistance was like the successor of the body. The two founders of our tribe, Benemetus and Okimetus, faced Zeus during the run from two blood-drinkers in the wood near the edge of Mount Olympus. They both quickly went to the dignified God of Thunder who came with lightning on his right hand and a jug of something bright on his left hand. The sky became immediately bright with the golden light that shined on the two blood-drinkers, weakening them before Zeus destroyed them both with the lightning on his right hand.

"Zeus looked down to the two humans and proclaimed that they were safe. Benemetus and Okimetus knelt down slowly, kept their heads lower and acknowledged him for saving their unworthy lives. Zeus refused the words of their unworthiness and asked if those demons killed the innocent people.

"They answered 'yes.', then the God asked another question. 'Do you want the power to protect the innocent people?'"

"I guess they said yes," Allyson assumed.

He shook his head. "No. It was only Benemetus. He suddenly stood up and asked the God if he could get that power. The God answered, 'And are you sure you will use it to protect the people?'

"Benemetus accepted, so the God handed him the jug on his left hand, the one full of bright liquid. 'Drink it all,' the God instructed. After Benemetus drank all the unknown liquid, the jug turned into dust that flew away with wind.

"The God said to Benemetus that he had to go away from the people when the first full moon night of the year came to his village. Benemetus agreed to his words and proclaimed again that he would never kill anyone with the power the God gave and he would use it to destroy every demon who wished to kill innocent beings.

"Zeus didn't say anything more and turned to ask the same question with Okimetus. But Okimetus refused any special powers the God would give him and said that he would prefer live peacefully with those demons instead of fighting back and the war would never end.

"Zeus was such surprised and admired him. 'You love peace. You are a very kind man, Okimetus. But I can't give you nothing. I'll give you the magic to protect yourself and your people. I know you don't want it but it can help you to end up peaceful with those demons.'

"Okimetus couldn't refuse. Zeus waved one hand over the two and shot the lightning on his right hand to Okimetus. The lightning wasn't for kill, it turned to be bright light and flowed into Okimetus' body. The God told Okimetus to help his friend when he couldn't control himself and told him that once one of Benemetus' descendants was born with the power of Zeus, one of his own descendants and that one would become the new hope for his people and lead everyone to survive."

"Since then Benemetus became the first werewolf of Benemetus bloodline and Okimetus became a gifted human with psychic abilities."

"Is Clara that one with the power of Zeus?" Allyson wondered.

"For me and my sister, it's just a legend. Nothing more. But my parents and the others of my tribe believed that." Steven hissed. "My parents forced me to marry her." He slowed the car down to a stop in front of Allyson's house. "She's my wife," he admitted.

Allyson frowned. "Your wife?"

He knew what she was about to say then but he never wanted to lie to any women and never wanted to lead them to death in the hand of jealous Clara Cabot.

"I never love her," he said, staring hard into Allyson's eyes. "She's a bitch. The only two things she wants is power and me. She's power and blood thirsty. I couldn't kill her so I had to run away from her but wherever I went through, some people would be always killed by her. So I had to run to farther place where she couldn't catch up with my odor."

Allyson was sitting still, deep in thought. He has a wife. Even though he doesn't love her and his marriage didn't come from love, you shouldn't love him. It's not right to do.

"Just send me here," Allyson said coldly. "And go back. I'll see you again tomorrow."

Shit! Why did you say that, Ally? He protected you. It's just because he has a wife, right?

Steven sighed, "Okay."

She opened the car door and walked to her house. She didn't even look back and smile or wave hands. She just walked away to her house. Steven couldn't go. This needed to be discussed. He needed to talk to her. He decided to talk. He walked from his car toward the house and knocked the door lightly.

"Allyson, can I get in there? I think we need to talk?"

The door was opened. "What do you wanna talk about?" She asked, her voice disappointed. "About you trying to divorce with a woman?"

"I'm sorry I haven't told you anything about her before, Allyson. I don't care the vow, the marriage, the first nightmare. I can't love her. Please, Allyson. I don't love her. She's no longer my wife. Please let me explain about it," he pleaded.

Allyson didn't say anything. She'd considered his words. Should I believe him? She asked herself, and it seemed only blankness became an answer. Not even a bit of her mind could answered this question.

Steven rethought. "Do you fear her? I swear to my God I won't let anybody hurt you, Allyson. It's enough. She's killed too many, all my loves, my true brother, my family– everyone I loved. I swear she won't get to you. Please, please, Allyson, let me explain. Please let me explain."

"Okay," she sighed. What? What are you thinking? He has a wife. You shouldn't do this, a part of her mind resisted her but it wasn't powerful enough to stop her decision. She'd already decided. No, that's not his wife. That's just a bitch who tried to get him as a husband.

"Come on in," Allyson added, inviting him into her house. I decide the right choice, she insisted her subconscious. He should explain. Hopefully, he won't lie.

"Thank you. Thank you very much!"

Allyson led him to the living room. "You want anything? Some water? Eggs?"

He sat down and gave her a small smile. "Just a glass of water, thank you."

Allyson walked into the kitchen. Steven looked around the living room. And waited. Allyson came back with two glasses of water and sat down on a couch in front of him.

"Explain," she ordered.

"Okay," he breathed. "At first, I know you won't easily believe me but I want you to listen this and you will decide what to do then. It's true. It happened to our family, Allyson. I knew the legend well but I hadn't worried about it much. I didn't love her but my brother, Casto did – I mean my real brother. He was a year younger than me and he'd fallen in love with Clara Cabot since he first met her in our house."

Steven sipped the water and continued his story. Allyson sat still, listening to him attentively.

"He tried all the way to flirt her but she didn't like him, she liked me. The legend said everything clear. One son of my parents had to get married with her. I knew my brother liked her so I told my dad and my mom – actually my stepmother – that Casto wanted to get married with her. They both agreed easily. Everything turned easy. I thought everyone would be happy. I had never thought that Clara would do a very bad thing, I had thought that she was just another pretty innocent girl with the power of Zeus. No one in the tribe believed that she would do it."

Steven paused. He tried to tell Allyson about that, to find the words. He'd never forgotten that night. The night she lured his brother to death in the dark woods. He couldn't forget anything that changed his good sentiment for Clara forever...

"I found them a few miles in the north near the edge of our territories," Clara told the mystic brothers and the tribe committees who stood in the meeting hut, all serious with what she'd told them about. Everyone here spoke in Ancient Greek.

The leader of the tribe – Auxibio Papandrea stood in front of the girl, his head turned slightly toward one of his two sons – teenage Steven Papandrea who looked intensely at her.

"She told us the truth, father. Nothing's a lie," Steven explained as he weakened his stare from the bitchy girl. "They may be our threats. I vote we should send out some warriors to attack them."

Auxibio's head tilted to the right side, looking and waiting for the vote of his new wife and Steven's stepmother – Kara Papandrea, a woman who looked exactly like her daughter.

"I vote yes," Kara said. "At least, we have the ready Omega wolves for that. I think this will be our chance to train them."

"You have a very good idea, Kara, but we should let a few Alpha wolves to go with them," Auxibio said. "Vrykolakases aren't what we can't play. If they plan to hit our village, most Alpha wolves must be here for preparation." Auxibio turned to Clara. "Cabot, you and Casto go with Aryan to the right side of their camp." Then he turned to Steven. "Steven, you and your sister go with Atanasio and Athan."

The group chorused, "Yes, sir."

Casto grinned at Clara and she gave him a wide smile. The smile had its deep meaning as a trick she made up and it seemed the lie she reported them worked. Factually, it wasn't a lie so that Steven couldn't detect the report's flaw. Steven walked toward them and she quickly grabbed a hold of Casto's hand, tricking Steven with friendly smile.

"Steve, we hope to see you again after the battle. Thank you for everything," Clara said. "Thank you and I understand what you meant yesterday. I know Casto loves me now."

Steven touched Clara and Casto's shoulders. "I promise the Vrykolakases won't destroy your future, brother and sister." Then he turned slightly to only Clara. "I'm sorry for what happened to your parents, Clara."

She smiled warmly. "It's alright, Steven."

"I think we are ready to fight now, right?"

The trio turned to the voice, seeing Luna with some other strong men come to join the group.

"I talked to the leader and he said we should go now before the midnight came and we lost," the ancient voice suggested. Everyone turned to a muscular man. He was older than them all and was probably an Alpha wolf that time. "Let's go, newbies. We'll tear those corpses apart together."

"Lead on, Athan," everyone cheered.

Clara smiled subtly as everyone didn't notice the dark plan in her mind.

"And then when we reached the camp full of the enemy camp, the battle raged with all werewolves and gifted werewolves move together to attack the Vrykolakases. We're outnumbered but our Alpha always take care of the two groups. With Clara's electrokinesis and Casto's guard for her, they turned my protective view away from them," Steven continued the story with his serious look and his hoarse voice.

Allyson was interested in the story. She didn't care whether it was a lie or a truth.

"So you fought without any notices at them," she guessed.

Steven's hands clenched violently. "She might think so. But I turned because I cared them much. And what I saw wasn't what I expected."

The image of that memory came to him as an immortal video. The battle during the night time, sun set with flames on the tents of Vrykalokases. The battle was intense with two species fighting super-humanly. The pale skinned human-like creatures, the Vrykalokases, ran like hell and battled the werewolves to defend themselves. Every edge of the camp was chaos. Steven soaked with cold dead blood, turned and found it. Clara smashed his brother in cold blood, killing him with thunder while the others were fighting some Vrykalokases who started to get stronger every minute the sun left the horizon.

"No!" Steven screamed.

Every werewolf turned to see Casto ripped apart by two powerful Vrykalokases.

"No!" Clara screamed through fake tears.

At that moment, some wolves got killed. Alpha wolves didn't scream. They quickly turned to continue the fight as some other werewolves rushed to Casto's dead body.

Steven touched his own tears. "She killed him ruthlessly while he was protecting her. He loved her very much but she destroyed his life with hatred. None of the Alpha wolves saw it. Vrykalokases became only murderers. Everyone understood that."

"Why didn't you tell your parents about how your brother died?" Allyson asked softly.

He wiped all his tears from his face. "No one listened to me. They thought I just wanted to prevent the marriage."

"And?"

"I had to get married with her because my brother couldn't," he admitted. "I'd planned to run but it was too late. My parents blocked me. They knew I wouldn't get married with one I don't really love. Dad asked my stepmother to help him block me in a small hut until the day came and I had to get married with her. And Clara's plan was revealed a few years later when I found her alone with one of the Vrykalokases. I heard what they talked. They planned to destroy the whole tribe." He reached out his hand and held one of Allyson's hand. "Not just that. I found her his lover. I hate her. During the other attack from the Vrykalokases, the tribe parted into two groups of survivors. Three with me. Five with her. The rest died."

Allyson looked down to his hands. One part of her mind insisted to let them hold her hands longer. "Why did she do that? To be with you? Destroy everyone of your tribe? What did she want? She wants you but this can't make sense. I wish to know why she had to have you with her. Is it about the legend?"

"I don't know. She knows the legend better than I do. But whatsoever it is. I don't care. I thought I should go away from her. I don't love her and will never love her."

#  CHAPTER 15

#

: Hoax

Epilogue: Without fear.

Epilogue: I want to be with you.

He just told me the truth. What should I do? It is out of my imagination. He is a werewolf. His father, his mother, all in his family are werewolves from Siberia.

Damn it, Edward!

Edward Jameson Ronald is a werewolf!

What should I do? I ask myself again and again. He's sitting in front of me, eyes staring hard at me, his hands shaking strongly with his heart pumping loud enough for me to hear.

I don't know what to say. He said he could no longer stay way from me. So do I, I have also said that to myself.

How crazy I am.

I watch myself in the mirror. He said he was a monster. But the one I am seeing in the mirror is a true monster, a bitch who has run away from him since he revealed the truth of what he was yesterday night. In the mirror right now, this is a bitch who's betrayed an angel's love.

I wash my face, brush my teeth, wash my face and brush my teeth, again and again but the true beast is still in there, it never disappears from the reflection.

"I'm sorry, Edward," I whisper. "I'm so sorry," then I start to cry. "I'm so sorry, Edward."

I'm going to lose him. He's going to go away from me, leaving his heart here and going away without life. He'll walk without emotions. He'll transform but will never become stronger. He'll die long-suffering. He'll die because of me, this bitch. I must go, I must tell him. I must search for him and tell him those words.

I love you, Edward.

Allyson stopped writing and stared at the last line she'd written. I love you, Edward. The sentence that stopped her, reminding her of the true story of her fascinating werewolf. He'd had a wife. He was an immortal. He was rich. He had a good will to resist his nature. He'd been so kind and gentle to every human. He'd never killed humans. He loved humans. He fell in love with her, that was true. Clara was really a bitch but all the stories he had told her never meant she couldn't change.

Why hasn't he given Clara Cabot a chance?

She wondered this question. She loved to kill to enjoy her instinct as a wolf. It was her nature. Clara betrayed the tribe. She might have a reason but she just had never said anything about that. Maybe no one let her explain anything. Allyson could only surmise.

The door was unlocked and opened.

They came back. Derek Greene and Stephenie Deveraux entered the house with many bags full of some basic goods.

"Hi! You finally come back, Steph!" Allyson ran across the hallway to meet and help them.

"Ally, are you alright?" was the first question her best friend asked when she saw her.

"I'm fine," Allyson said as she got three bags from Stephenie's hands.

"He told us about what happened to you last night," Stephenie said with worry. "He told me not to worry about you because he could help save you before those thugs could do anything to you. They provoked me. If I find them, I will surely try to rip their heads off."

"Forget it, Steph," Allyson sighed. "They couldn't do anything to me. It's fine."

"Look!" Stephenie quickly looked over her friend. "Bruises."

"They just punched me after they had successfully knocked him down with tasers. One of them shocked him and punched me again and again at my belly and my face. I lost them because I was careless."

"They knocked him with tasers?" Derek asked, his eyes filled with anxiety.

"That's very bad," Stephenie commented.

Allyson looked at Derek. Her eyes admitted to him that she had already known everything. She'd heard that Derek Greene was a weredog, another immortal species but she had never known how difference between weredogs and werewolves is. She even knew who destroyed his whole family. She thought she shouldn't tell him. It'd better let him find it out himself.

Allyson turned to her best friend and gave her a small smile. "He was okay. He had his plan. He struggled to stand, rushed to them and tried to overpower them. Lucky, his brother and his friends came to help us. Our number drove those thugs away."

"His brother?" Stephenie wondered.

"Yes. The one I told you. Josh. He is a young, smart and friendly graduate who has posed as the host of his diner."

"Oh," Stephenie said. "I remember him. I met him once. He's a very youthful boy."

"He's ten years younger than Steven Papandrea," Allyson told her whilst putting some bags down on the floor of the living room. Derek headed for the kitchen.

"Are you hungry?" Allyson asked Stephenie, holding her own stomach.

"Wow!" Derek said aloud in surprise.

The girls suddenly turned to the kitchen.

"What are these?" Derek went on, his voice gruff. His lips turned to be a pleased smile as he saw the full refrigerator. Eggs. Boxes of juices. Fruits. Vegetables.

Stephenie turned to Allyson with a disappointed look. "Ally?"

Allyson shrugged. "Come on, Steph. I tried to refuse but he still insisted and I didn't know what to do with them. Throw them away to a bin? Oh, that wasn't good and I thought you might be mad at me if I did that, right?"

"Okay," Stephenie sighed. "And when did he leave?"

"A while before you both arrived."

Stephenie sighed again and looked up at her friend's face. "I guess you are starving now."

Allyson nodded quickly.

"Well," Stephenie breathed. "Derek and I just learned some new vegetarian menus last night. I thought you would like them. With those vegetables, fruits and eggs, I guess we can make them easily."

"So, this dinner, I give it to your hands."

"As always," Stephenie laughed.

Derek walked from the kitchen toward them and handed Allyson a box of pasteurized milk. "You'd better line your stomach with this first."

I'm not sure he'll wait to listen to me but I think I'll try all my best. I have decided it. I'll go and tell him. Please wait for me, Edward. Damn it! If I don't have to sleep, I absolutely won't.

I sleep with my mind full of words for Edward. I have many dreams filled in the pink world. I dream for the day in the future.

When I wake up, my heart is filled with the new power. But the only problems are myself and my natural hunger which delay me from getting to him. I have to stop him before he will go away from me forever. I eat breakfast without tasting the food, hurrying to clean up when I am done. I brush my teeth and spray myself a new bottle of perfume. The fragrance of many flowers are hovering around me like a soothing aura.

I get dressed in a pink dress and quickly lock my house. When everything's done, I suddenly move to my car. I have to race with time. I'm racing with it. Damn the old truck – it moves quite too slow for me.

Edward. Edward, please don't go away from me. I'm going to there, and I know now I love you. I don't care whatsoever you are, a man or a werewolf. I just want to love you.

I drive through the forest to his house.

Oh! God. Damn it! Am I too late? No! No! No! No one is here. None of his family is here. The big house becomes like haunted house.

I jump out of my truck and look at the whole locked house with no signs of living. He's not here. No one's here. I can only see it from the gate. The cars on the parking area are gone. The wind blows through me with the only fragrance of flowers from the inside of the house. They're gone. The Ronalds are gone.

A hallucination whispers, "Goodbye, Anne."

"No," I choke out the word, reaching for him, willing my weak legs to carry me forward.

I find him, but I touch nothing in the air in front of me. He's not here.

My tears flow through my cheeks but why I don't feel them cold. I drop to my knees in front of the dead house.

"Take care of yourself," the hallucination says in the same quiet, peaceful voice in my head.

Love, life, meaning... over.

Everything ends. Damn you – crazy Anne Wilson. He won't be with me anymore. The only thing I can do is to walk back home. I even forget that I drove a truck here. I feel I just walk away deadly. Anyone in the village may see me as a zombie and they will shoot me in the head. I don't care. I have no willing to stay any longer. He's left me. He's gone. I'm too late and it's my fault.

"Anne," his voice calls me. Illusion again, I think it is.

I don't turn.

"Anne," the call is louder.

Damn it!

"Ally," Steph's call interrupted the flow of Allyson's imagination on her near-finished manuscript. Allyson stopped writing and turned to the direction. "Our dinner is ready," she told Allyson who put the scratch pad down.

Allyson walked toward the table where Derek and Stephenie put each dish.

"Smells good, Steph."

"Thanks."

They started eating immediately. They might be really hungry.

"How is he?" Stephenie asked.

"He?"

"Yes. Steven Papandrea? How is this guy? I think he definitely likes you. What do you think about him?"

Allyson looked bashful. "He's gorgeous, gentle and very kind...oh...and he's honest." Yes, as long as he still revealed his secrets to her, she still thought he was. And it seemed the only thing she couldn't be sure about him was his endogamy with a cruel and crazy werewolf named Clara Cabot. "I think I..." Allyson flushed. "I...I like him."

Derek suddenly looked up at Allyson.

"Has he kissed you yet?" Stephenie asked as Allyson sipped the juice, making her choke.

"What?!" Derek quickly handed Allyson some tissues. "Thanks, Derek." Allyson wiped her lips and continued, "What?"

"Okay. Have he and you ever kissed?" Stephenie asked.

"Naw," Allyson answered with a head shake. But at least, the question effected Allyson very much. Kiss? He kisses me? She blushed.

Derek giggled at the girls. "Oh, how the fuck he let you go easily."

Stephenie laughed. "That's very pathetic. I think all this life you will never kiss anybody. If he doesn't, why don't you start?"

"Start?"

"Yeah," Derek agreed with Stephenie. "You should start it first."

"But I'm a female."

"That doesn't matter," Stephenie began.

"You have to offer him a kiss. He may fear your rejection – if you didn't want, you would shout at him. We think he may be afraid of that," Derek finished.

"Then what should I do?"

Stephenie sighed. "Kiss him. Just try. Then you will know the answer from him. Can you kiss, Ally? I guess you can."

"Actually, I have never kissed anybody." Allyson chuckled.

Derek threw his head backward. "Oh! God." He hissed. Stephenie sighed with millstone.

"It might be like in many fictions I have ever read, I presume," Allyson murmured.

"Oh," Stephenie sighed again and frowned. "Allyson, which cave did you come from? You have never kissed anybody?"

Allyson nodded, innocent.

"That's a very bad news. I have been your friend for a long time but I have never known that you have never kissed. How a fucking lame, Allyson."

Allyson shrugged, and laughed.

"I never. That's all. Have you ever seen any boys with me?"

Stephenie shook her head.

"Okay," Stephenie breathed. "At first, I think you will have to try it tomorrow."

"I will try," Allyson said. "But if it won't work..."

"I'm sure it will," Stephenie insisted.

Allyson giggled. "Let's continue eating, friends." Stephenie and Allyson continued eating but Derek didn't. He paused. He stood up and sniffed the air like a dog.

Allyson noticed him. "What's wrong, Derek?"

"Derek, why have you done that like a dog?"

Derek sniffed warily until he was sure. He turned back to the girls and smiled. "I think they have come for you," Derek told Allyson, his voice serious.

"Who?"

Allyson stood up. The fact of Derek being a weredog, the close species to werewolf, was still hovering in her head. The difference between two kinds were still unknown by her but she thought his enhanced five senses weren't different from ones belong to a werewolf. And right now, he said that 'they' had come for Allyson. Who were they?

There was an unusual sound of wood broken from the hallway.

"Who's that?" Allyson asked.

Just then, something broke into her house through backdoor. A well dressed humanoid creature with obvious human facial features mixed with some wolf-like features – pointed ears, canine fangs, hairy muscular build, claws and familiar golden lupiform eyes – smashed the back door in the kitchen open with incredibly unnatural animal's force. Superficially, this creature looked quite like one of the twin from Papandrea's pack.

"What the hell..." Stephenie couldn't finish her question when a hand grabbed her from behind and shoved her against the wall.

"Steph!" Derek turned but too late. The other creature had knocked her to an unconscious state. Angrily, he rushed to that one without transformation and punched it through the closest wall, sending it to the living room.

Allyson tried to get a knife to help but another beast moved to her as quickly as greased lightning and shoved it away from her hand. The female beast seized Allyson up in one bare hand. She wasn't willing to kill anybody but every she and her two friends had done was to protect the whole pack.

Derek spun and jumped at the female beast. But the first beast appeared between them in the twinkling of an eye, and punched Derek against the wall behind him. "Arghh!" Derek cried out of pain and struggled to stand but the one he just punched appeared by his side with the same speed, grasped him by his throat and lifted him up.

"Dog can't win a wolf, remember this," sounded like the wild version of Cosmas' voice. The beast threw the struggling Derek to the living room. Derek fell to the coffee table, his weight breaking it.

"Derek, no!" Allyson yelled with her faint voice. She tried to breathe and tried to break the granite grasp of the female beast.

"I tried to convince him," the female beast said, her voice was very familiar for Allyson. The beast's shape was changing. Its hair shortened. The wolf-like features started to dissolve. And then she returned to her human form. It was Luna right now. "But he still risks our pack. He still keeps contact with you."

"Luna," Allyson said weakly, her eyes half-closed. "Why...why have you...d...done this?"

The other two werewolves turned to their human form, revealing themselves to be Cosmas and Cyrus.

"It's not different from all I have done to many families of all his lovers, Miss Phillip," Luna declared. "I'm not willing to kill. Cameron Hermann and the Greene family. I led six werewolves to kill them all. Before them, Minka's family and Kristen's family. All were my preys. We killed them for our pack."

"I...d...don't understand. Luna, why?"

"It seems you haven't known anything about me. My brother ran from her and believed that Clara killed everyone he loved. Yes, she did. All werewolves are afraid of her. So are we!" Luna pushed Allyson to the ground and walked over to her. Allyson could only crawl away.

"For the whole pack, I have to clean what my brother has done," Luna continued, holding Allyson's neck tightly. "The only thing that can save us is to be loyal to Clara."

Allyson struggled to get free from the strong grasp. "He'll know you did it all."

"No," Luna spoke. "He'll never know. He'll understand it's her. His gifts are very easy to trick, you know? I have never lied. I just...I have never reported everything. He always believes me. He does because he believes strongly in his gift."

"Cyrus, why he..." Allyson tried to say.

"He's easily agreed with me because I told him that everything we do is for our pack and for Steven. It's not hard to distract his loyalty because he always keeps thinking for Steven but that never means he has to follow Steven's command."

Allyson turned her head slightly to look at unconscious Stephenie. Luna glanced at her and turned back to Allyson with a smile.

"Don't worry. They'll survive. Only you. I'll take you to Clara. She'll kill you herself."

Luna knocked Allyson's head to the floor, putting her out.

To Be Continued...

#  Acknowledgment

#

A huge thank to my friends from the net who have inspired me, Damita Wilson.

Thank to my parents and teachers who gave me very good information, instruction and my life.

Thank to many other friends who helped me promote this book.

And thank you very much, readers, who paid attention at my book.

#  About Author

#

I am a university student, an author and a hope of my parents. I live in Nakhon Pathom, Thailand. This is the first story written with my new pen name, Phil Sirap. I don't hope much about this story. I think this will entertain all you. Just that. I don't hope good sales. This novel is free to all. Please leave a review for me to develop my skills and the sequel of this story. Thank you, readers.
