Crossing Moon Ch. 05

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From Aveline Erickana Ruben's diary:

8th October 2008, 8.00 AM, my bed.

I skipped school.

Avvie

From Carinelle Hynes Thorn's diary:

8th October 2008, 9.30 PM, the living room.

Why did I let Avvie skipped school?

With regret,

Carrie.

From Aveline Erickana Ruben's diary:

8th October 2008, 8.20 AM, sprawled on the bedroom floor.

I couldn't take it any longer. I have to write this down. I can't just keep this inside me and expect that I could foolishly bottle up this -- this thing.

Thankfully Malcolm is back at home for a couple of days because Dad wanted him to come for the annual wolves packs meeting. Malcolm wouldn't know that I had purposely missed school.

Sigh.

I wished that I had taken better control of my wolfy instincts. He was right, ugh, of course Malcolm is ALWAYS right. He is just like, my Dad -- always and constantly correct and never seemed to have a wrong judgement. Perfect wolves, they are!

I guess I had broken one of Dad's terms. Perhaps Max wouldn't be so perceptive and notice the change in me. My eyes at that time, would have looked wild and dangerous. I had taken my entire remaining strength to focus on my human conscience.

Max is just a human.

I need to remind myself that.

I have nothing to be worried about, then, why am I avoiding him?

Isn't this the reason why I had skipped school? This was the reason why I had profusely refused to go to school, stubbornly on hold, even when Alven had threatened to snitch about me to Malcolm and Dad.

Even if the world is ending, I WILL not budge. I refuse to go!

Sigh.

I am a coward. I know I am. Ugh. I have this mix feelings scrambling and boiling inside me and sometimes, it just feels too much. I guess the irritation and annoyance I've felt towards that human -- well, Max. (I really ought to learn to phrase him as 'MAX' and not the usual 'idiotic-insolent-human', oh well, c'mon, he was nice enough to apologize even if my mind wasn't really there to process it)

I know that I can't avoid him forever but today, I just don't feel that I have the strength to face him -- my former enemy. It's funny, I mean, I swore on hating his guts but now, ugh, maybe I'm just like any typical girls in this world, all soften up when a guy apologizes...

My wolf did BREAK free that time with a no-point-of-return. It was just fortunate that I was already in a safe distance from any potential witnesses although I had to exclude Max as I may or may not have showed the change raging inside me. And yes, my wolf had ripped my clothes into shreds and I had to go back home to Rubenston in my wolf form but at least, my rebellious wolf was really satisfied. I had phased into my wolf form far longer than I would have allowed myself in Lexton.

And I guess I have to pay the library for the books that I had lost in the school and oh, yeah, I have to go and get myself a new backpack along with new stationeries since everything went missing, the day my wolf went cuckoo on me.

I suppose I ought to enjoy my day off since everything is pretty quiet here. Yeah, sure, there are still a few wolves left here to take care of the house and watch over for security but they won't dare to cross over an Alpha Princess even if that particular princess is supposed to be in school.

Avvie

***

Max realized something was wrong the moment he stepped into the house and saw his father with a man waiting for him. "What does HE want?" he asked grimly, strong loathing vibrated within his voice.

"It's not what I want, boy," Ray chuckled. "This is for our own good, if you must know," he smiled. Max couldn't see whether that smile was truly genuine or fake. Ray was good in hiding things.

"I do not want to be involved in this crap," Max spat out, "Whatever it is that you or your delinquent cult is cooking about, LEAVE me and my DAD alone!"

"Max, listen, please, just listen," Adrian sighed, pleading at his son. He really did not want to resort on telling the whole story to his son. The whole humiliating story -- ugh, he knew that he couldn't bear on doing that.

"We are not a cult," Ray corrected him, "You know what we are and you know on WHAT you truly are," he paused, smiling, "You are the one who should start embracing your roots! Can't you feel the wolf inside you? I bet the wolf is longing to roam free. Can you not see, boy?! This is your destiny! You will be the one to lead us to victory."

"I REFUSE TO TAKE PART IN YOUR CRAPPY WAR!" Max retorted. "THIS IS STUPID. I AM A HUMAN! DO YOU HEAR THAT BASTARD?"

Adrian sighed. He really did not want to do this but it seemed like he had no choice. Ray seemed to sense the defeat in Adrian's aura.

"I was betrayed, son." Adrian admitted painfully to his son and finally to himself.

Ray smiled slyly.

Max's eyes popped wide open. "Betrayed?" he looked confused.

"I -- I was never a lone wolf, my boy," Adrian started, "I was in a pack. I was born and raised in the pack but I wasn't anybody important. I was just a low rank wolf."

"Dad?" Max wanted to know more. Oh, this -- this scandalous secret!

"There was... um, it wasn't entirely correct to call it a war..." he looked at Ray.

Ray sighed, "Let's just call it as a fight, then."

Adrian took another breath. He felt like he was slicing his heart open with every word relating to his past exposed. "My Alpha was in love with one of the in-commands' daughter but such union was forbidden so, um, he was set to mate with an Alpha Princess from another pack. The new Alpha Queen wasn't happy. Her mate wasn't in love with her. So, um, it's a long story... I -- I don't -,"

Ray cut him off, "Just say the whole damn story, Adrian, we have all the time in the world at the moment."

Adrian cleared his throat, clearly uncomfortable with this situation but he was desperate to make his son understand, "A lot of things happened. My Alpha made a war -- um, a fight with another Alpha who had mated with the in-command's daughter. Everyone was miserable and uh, well, at some stage, I became close to my new Alpha Queen."

Ray took a chair and sat down, humming to himself, clearly, he was enjoying this.

"A lot of things happened after that," Adrian quickly summarized the history, "I fell in love with the Alpha Queen and I had thought that maybe -- well maybe, she had felt the same but I was wrong... more things happened after that. A lot of complicated things that revolved around my Alpha Queen and her mate and the in-command's daughter," he fidgeted and felt as if the walls had fallen down onto him. "But in the end, the fight finished off. I gave my Alpha Queen an ultimatum, me or the mate but she chose him instead. I've never felt so betrayed before in my life so I left the pack and never looked back."

"Dad, I never knew that you could be such a Romeo." Max quipped.

Adrian turned red. "I -- I want you to know that I did love your mother."

Max sighed. "Why do you have to bring her into this topic?" he asked, hurt rang in his voice. "I just... I just want you to know that -,"

Max cut him off, "I get it Dad! OK! You really did love Mom, ok, END OF STORY! Let's just leave that!"

"The point here is that, the pack betrayed your father," Ray concluded, "The Alphas have treated my family almost to the brink of extinction and it would have been like that if it weren't for our fast thinking of survival."

"What do you want, Ray?" Max demanded, "All you guys told me is that my Dad got dumped. So what? Is that a big deal? It's not!" he looked at his father, "Dad, you're old enough to see that all this dumping thingy is immature and you ought to know better than to hold grudges!"

"I must admit that I do feel hurt when my Alpha Queen rejected me," Adrian confessed, "But the thing here is that, I owed Ray my life."

"You owed this scumbag your life??" Max asked with disbelieve.

"My story wasn't finish," Adrian told him, "I was a broken wolf... man... whatever it is that you want to say. I was perhaps insane and almost on the brink of attacking the humans just because to vent out my frustration and confusion. Ray had saved me -- he had saved my soul. He found me alone at night, shivering, I would have died if it weren't for him. I was wild at that time but he was patient enough with my whims and wild instincts."

Max looked at his father, "Dad..."

"He aided me and brought me back to my strength and sanity and -- and he is also the one who had helped me to have a new life," Adrian paused, sighing, "I met your mother a few months after my recovery and she was truly an amazing woman and... I know that you don't like to talk about this son but, she knew on what I am and what you are and believe me that she would not blame you. She loves you -- you know -,"

"Dad, shut up." Max snapped, almost a growl. "I told you, ENOUGH with bringing Mom in this topic! Don't you dare manipulate me by using MOM!" he turned and ran out from the house.

"MAX!" Adrian called back but it was too late. His son was long gone.

"Well, that went quite tame, I suppose." Ray said nonchalantly.

"I hope you are satisfied, Ray." Adrian told him bitterly.

"Think about it this way, Rolf!" Ray told him, "Now your son knows the truth and it will be a whole lot easier on convincing him to help us on giving the Ruben Pack and Thorn Pack, a taste of their own medicine!"

"The other packs?" Adrian asked dejectedly.

"They are not leaders, they are just followers," Ray said confidently, "In the end, they will follow the strongest one and that would be us."

Adrian sighed.

***

Max ran. His legs felt strong as he sliced through the cool air. He didn't want to listen anymore. Heck! He didn't even want to think about it. He didn't know how long he had run or even how far he had gone to. He was focused on trying to dim the fire that had raged his soul and heart.

Running helped him calm and yet despite his constant denial of the other part of him, he knew that his wolf craved for that feeling of cool air and that burning desire of liberation.

But he knew how to control himself. He had years and years of self-practice. His motivation on suppressing his wolf side was just too strong and it was enough to immerse the wolf within him. And he intended to keep that wolf suppressed deep beneath for a very long time no matter how much the wolf howled for liberation.

How dare his father tried to manipulate him by using his mother! How could he! He knew full well how much the thought about his mother affected him -- a lot. There was probably no other way that he could redeem himself. There was no way out for him.

He will -- and always be forever -- feel guilty for the rest of his eternal existence. No matter how much his father insisted that she would understand.

He stopped running but continued to walk. The sky was turning orange and he knew night will follow soon enough but he wasn't afraid of the night. He didn't exactly know where he had ran to but he vaguely remembered the road junction to his left. He knew that if he walked straight, he would be in a big area of green trees and plants.

The thought was highly alluring despite his constant denial of his heritage. He couldn't forgive himself -- well, he couldn't forgive his wolf-self to be exact but that didn't mean he couldn't just walk to the forest and just feel the nature and side of him that he had left forgotten years back.

***

It was silly to run and then walked many miles away from home but at least his anger had dimmed to a tiny ember that could be left forgotten and insignificant. By now, the sky had turned black but there were stars and ironically a full moon that shone. His eyesight was excellent so he could see quite well -- and the fact that he was a half wolf also helped his eyesight.

Strange, he thought to himself as he saw a long brick wall obstructing his way to the forest. I don't remember a gate being here before, he added quietly as he looked left and right and then easily jumped up the gate.

There were just some things about his other side that he couldn't really hide. His excellent superior eyesight for instance and then his inhuman strength that he had to admit had given him an advantage. Like in this situation for instance.

Perhaps he was just a hypocrite, denying most of what his birthright had been given to him and yet he had used some of it.

The forest had a new scent -- well, scents to be exact. He froze for a moment, wondering on what he ought to do. He was curious. His wolf was the cause of his curiousity. He couldn't stop himself from feeling that way.

He was still in his human form and he had sworn that he would be. He couldn't do it. Phasing, to be exact, he couldn't phase and become one with what had killed his mother.

He just couldn't look at himself if he did that.

So he continued to walk through the dense forest and a few moments later (coupled with a few scratches here and there on his arm), he found a new trail that had never been there before. He was certain about it but he did not complain on finding that trail though.

It was then he heard voices. Male voices.

His first instinct quickly empowered him as he jumped into the bush and crouched low. The voices walked past him and then, he heard ripping noises. His forehead creased, he braved himself and took a peek from the thick bushes and his eyes went wide as he saw the naked backside of four strapping tall males. His thoughts went wild, wondering why the heck did they rip their clothes off??? In the middle of the forest for that matter!

He cowered back into the bush when he found out why four men went stark naked. He closed his eyes, refusing to believe or even acknowledged what he had witnessed.

A few seconds later, he could hear the wolves howl.

***

He had to lay still. Very, very still. He could not move. Not even a muscle. These were four breathing wolves he was talking about! He might have denied himself his heritage but he knew well enough that he was in a pack's territory and if he was found, he was as good as dead.

Well, the wolves might not harm a human.

But, he was still a half wolf.

They might sense his wolf especially when he was starting to feel threatened. His wolf was already howling inside him, wanting to be let free to roam and protect himself.

The wolves howled and howled. He could hear the wolves sprinted and then froze just a few metres away from him. He could hear them sniffing and testing the air and Max was certain that he was chow food.

But then, to his utter amazement, the wolves sprinted past him, ignoring him. He was so astounded that he stood up from his hiding place, he could see the wolves sprinting far into the distance, howling and yipping.

His legs seemed to thaw and then he ran to the other direction, never wanting to risk another lucky chance to escape. He ran and ran into the forest blindly at first; his mind was filled with questions and confusion.

He ran and ran and then suddenly, he was thrown on his back to the ground. A wolf loomed above him, growling. He froze for a moment, shock coursed inside his head and then, he noticed what a beautiful wolf it was. The wolf was snowy white with hints of brown on its fur. Its tail was long and it swished behind it.

The wolf snapped its jaw at him, growling and then, their eyes met. The wolf stopped. It jumped off him and then sprinted away, howling.

"Wait!" Max cried, standing up but it was too late. The beautiful wolf was long gone.

He could find it easily as a matter of fact, he just needed to phase. Surely the wolf's scent would still linger. But then, he stopped himself, he couldn't do this. He couldn't let his own selfish desires overruled his mind.

He looked around, finally noticing the silence of the night. He knew then that he had to get out from the forest. He had escaped near death experiences twice in a row and honestly speaking, it wasn't really by luck.

Max looked once again to the path where the beautiful snowy wolf had sprinted off. "Are you a wolf?" he whispered to the long gone wolf, "Or are you a human like me?" he sighed. He couldn't understand this sudden need to find that wolf, wasn't he, the one who despised it within the core of his being?

Heck. Wasn't it the reason why Ray and Adrian wanted him to join their crappy plan?

Regardless of any reasons, Max quickly took off, running back to the gate and out from the forest before any other wolves would find him and decided that he was delicious enough to be called dessert.

***

And so,
At a crossroad,
He'd be,
Standing, alone,
He'd choose...

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To be continued...

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