Episode 16

"Okay, and what do I do now?"

"The most important thing, have you apologized yet?" Anne asks.

I stay silent for a minute, feeling a mix of discomfort and embarrassment...

"Is this rug new?" I ask, changing the subject.

"Adrian!" She says in a reprimanding tone.

"No, I didn't apologize... But I took care of her that night... It was supposed to be all good," I complain.

"Congratulations on taking care of her after intoxicating her!" Zade says sarcastically.

I let out a frustrated sigh, sinking further into the sofa.

"I... I don't know how to do it... If I get close to her, she leaves or stays locked in that room. I knock on the door, she doesn't answer and only comes out after I leave the house."

"How do you know?" Zade asks.

"Because one day I left the house and looked through the window, after a few minutes she came down and went to the kitchen to eat," I explain.

It had been several days since she got sick.

Dark: "Fifteen days to be exact. But who's counting, right?" He scoffs.

"Sincerity is key..." Zade says.

"Be patient, and keep trying little by little until you can talk to her... I'm not saying it's going to be easy. She's a good girl... but the poor thing has been through a lot, that's why she's closed off... If you asked, you'd see you have things in common...." Anne says.

"Like what?"

"Like, her mother also died after giving birth.... Her father raised her alone, just like yours.... until he died and left her alone," she says.

"How did her father die?"

"One day, when they went hunting, they were attacked by wolves, and her father died from his injuries. The poor girl was left there, all alone. She had to learn to face everything on her own, and she was always very afraid of going far from home to seek help and having the same thing happen... So it's normal for her to create this barrier to avoid getting hurt emotionally... especially after losing everything..." Anne recounts.

It was exactly what happened that day...

That day I went to put the plan into action.

Basically I was going to try to 'buy' her.... I would offer food, shelter, and security. I would call her to come to the village, and after she entered I would find a way to make her stay, but the pretext is that she would have to stay in my house as my bride... Of course I would only tell her this after convincing her to stay....

I didn't like that part at all, as for Dark....

Except if I hadn't gone there....

Wait....

"Did you say they were attacked by wolves?" I ask, and she nods.

"She told me they were alphas and betas, probably from the northern village..." she says.

My eyes narrow slightly.

Dark: "Thinking the same thing I am?"

Adrian: "Something's not right..."

Dark: "Shouldn't we go to her house and investigate?"

"Zade... I need your help..." I say.

He looks at me suspiciously.

"No way," he replies.

"I promise it's nothing risky," I say.

He shakes his head, letting out a sigh.

When it gets dark and everyone is asleep, I grab my backpack, go back to Zade's house, and knock on the door.

"If I come back without my ass, I'll kill you," he says when he opens the door, making me chuckle slightly.

I go in, and he closes the door.

He grabs his backpack, and we go out the back door....

We walk through the garden and then enter the darkest alleys, heading towards the passage I used to sneak out.

We leave our backpacks there, covering them so no one can see them, and then we shift.

Dark runs a little ahead, guiding Orion to Ayla's house.

After walking for a few minutes, we arrive....

"Is this where she lived?" Orion asks.

"Yes...." Dark replies.

"What should we look for?"

"Anything out of the ordinary..." Dark says.

The flames had devoured everything, leaving only rubble and ashes. The walls were blackened and crumbled, the roof collapsed, forming a pile of debris.

The moonlight filtered through the gaps in the rubble, creating dark, irregular patterns on the ash-covered ground.

Dark advances with determination, his sharp senses searching for any clue that might provide clues as to what happened there. Orion follows him closely, scanning the scene of destruction with a mixture of curiosity and apprehension.

Suddenly, Orion emits a low growl, indicating that he has found something. Dark runs towards him, and my heart races with the possibility of a crucial discovery.

"What did you find, Orion?" he asks.

Orion points to a corner of the room, where a pile of charred debris stands out. We move closer, and that's when I smell the peculiar odor, a mix of chemicals....

"This doesn't look like it was caused by the fire," I mutter to Dark, my mind working to understand what could have caused it.

"Do you know what this is, Orion?" Dark asks.

"It's napalm," he explains grimly. "A highly flammable and extremely dangerous chemical. It was used as a weapon of destruction in the Southern village before the division, but then it was banned from our village."

My heart sinks upon hearing those words.

"How do you know this?" Dark asks.

He sighs, seeming a little uncomfortable with the memory.

"I... had some unpleasant encounters with napalm in the past," he admitted. "Once, when I was watching the Northern village, I smelled that smell. It was a... memorable experience."

Orion thought for a moment...

"It seems someone is desperate to get the attention of the Southern village," he concludes, his voice filled with concern. "Burning the separate packs is a desperate tactic, but it's not the first time we've seen this happen."

Dark stands there thinking.

"Or it could be a distraction...." I murmur to Dark.

"What do you mean, a distraction?" he asks.

"Sometimes they want to leave us so worried about the outside packs that we forget about our own village..." I explain.

"So what do you suggest? Leave the outside packs without help?" Orion asks.

"Just the fact that they want to stay separate from the two villages already shows that they don't want our help, let them fend for themselves," Dark mutters.

"I agree with Dark, but we can't leave them without any help.... But let's focus on taking care of the security of our village first, reinforcing it...." I say.

"Should we report what we saw here to the council members?" Orion asks.

"No... What we saw here, stays here..." Dark says.

"Understood." Orion replies.

"Let's go back..." I order.

As we are leaving, my attention is drawn to a glittering glow amidst the debris illuminated by the moonlight.

"Dark..." I say, and soon he is walking towards the object.

Among the debris, there was a delicate object, a silver pendant, partially melted by the flames, but still identifiable as a moon...

"It could be important to her.... Let's take it and find out..."

Carelessly, Dark picks up the pendant, holding it in his jaw.

Then we leave the wreckage and return to the village....

When we arrive, we go to our backpacks, transform, and put on our clothes, entering the village again.

From Zade's house, I go to mine, entering stealthily, trying not to make noise so as not to wake her.

I leave the necklace on my nightstand and go take a shower.

After showering, I lie down exhausted and only realize I fell asleep when I wake up to the alarm clock.

I get dressed to go to the office, take the necklace, keeping it in my pocket, and go downstairs, making as much noise as possible to wake her up and get her attention.

I go to the door, open and close it with some force, but continue inside.

With light steps, I hide behind the kitchen wall and wait...

A while later, I hear her door open and her footsteps coming down the stairs and walking around the house.

When she enters the kitchen, I take a step forward, appearing behind her suddenly.

"Are you avoiding me?" I ask, letting my voice carry a mixture of frustration and curiosity.

Her jump of surprise confirmed that I had achieved what I wanted.

Ayla turns abruptly upon hearing my voice, her eyes showing a mixture of surprise and irritation.

"We need to talk."

"There's nothing to talk about," she replies curtly, trying to dodge me and go back upstairs, but I step towards her, preventing her from leaving.

"Ayla, please," I insist, my tone pleading. "Just... just give me a chance...."

Ayla stands still, not looking at me, but I can feel the tension in the air.

"I know I was a jerk," I begin, my voice sounding rougher than I'd like.

Dark: "Say more."

"I said things I shouldn't have, acted in a way that embarrasses me now that I look back. I have no excuse for what I did, and I deserved everything you did to me.... That's why I'd like to redeem myself." I continue.

She doesn't answer, but she doesn't move away either, which I take as a small sign of hope.

Dark: "Too vague. Specify how you were a jerk because otherwise, she won't remember. Especially since that's what you are most of the time."

I take a deep breath.

"I shouldn't have trusted Melany like that.... It was a terrible mistake, I deeply regret it... I regret fighting with you and... I regret not being the support you needed..."

There's a moment of silence....

Then, finally, she lifts her head to face me, her eyes full of caution.

"Do you really believe everything you're saying?" she asks, her voice low and laced with distrust.

I take a deep breath, meeting her serious expression with sincerity in my own eyes.

"Yes," I say with conviction. "I really do believe it."

Ayla observes me for a moment, assessing my words and expression. I feel exposed before her, vulnerable in a way I'm not used to.

Finally, she seems to relax a little, but still maintains a certain reserve.

"I don't know if I can just forget everything that happened," she murmurs, her voice a barely audible whisper.

I approach slowly, feeling a desire to touch her face to comfort her, but I resist the urge.

"I understand," I say softly, choosing my words carefully. "I know it won't be easy, but I don't want our living together to be like this. I want us to at least be civil to each other," I say in a softer voice.

She nods slowly, seeming to consider my proposal. I feel a little relieved to see that she's willing to try.

"I'd like that," she murmurs. "It would be easier... Going through all this without all this hatred..." she says without looking at me.

I look at her, feeling things I've never felt before...

I feel like hugging her, I feel like being better....

Dark: "REACT! Are you going to stand there drooling over her? Feed her, make her feel cared for!"

"How about we start with breakfast?" I ask, and she nods without looking at me. "I'll make something for us then.."

Dark: "Adrian, don't you dare screw this up. You need to impress her," he starts to get on my case while I'm making breakfast.

I roll my eyes internally, a sigh escaping my lips as I try to focus on the task at hand.

Adrian: "I know, Dark, I know," I reply with a hint of irritation. "I'll do the best I can."

I feel Ayla's attentive and suspicious gaze on me, and Dark's pressure only increases my nervousness....

As we have breakfast, we both remain silent...

And it's an uncomfortable silence...

Dark: "Talk to her."

Adrian: "What? I don't know what to say.... I'm afraid of opening my mouth and waking up tomorrow with my face painted again..."

Dark: "Weak human.... Repeat after me, no exceptions. Just repeat."

I sigh internally, accepting Dark's strategy. He's always been meticulous and careful, and trusting his guidance seems like the best option at the moment.

Adrian: "Got it, Dark," I mutter in response, preparing to follow his instructions.

With a slight cough, I turn to Ayla, ready to repeat the words Dark instructs me to say.

Dark: "Ayla,... I want... you to know... that... I value the opportunity to... have a... peaceful... coexistence... with you."

"Ayla, I... want you to know that... I value the opportunity to... have a peaceful coexistence with you."

As I repeat Dark's words, I feel a bit uncomfortable with the situation, but I keep my expression neutral, waiting for Ayla's reaction.

Dark: "And that... I'm willing to do whatever it takes... to make things... less difficult for you."

"And that... I'm willing to do whatever it takes to make things less difficult for you."

Ayla observes silently, her eyes expressing a mixture of surprise and suspicion.

Dark: "I recognize that things didn't start... in the best way... but I hope... we can change that... from now on."

"I recognize that things didn't start... in the best way between us... but I hope we can change that... from now on."

Dark: "And your scent is delicious."

"And your scent is delicious." Only after the words leave my mouth do I realize....

Her eyes widen, seeming surprised and somewhat disconcerted, her cheeks turning slightly pink, making her look away.

Adrian: "Dark, you damn flea!"

Dark: "What? Females like that."

Adrian: "If you were here, I would shave your fur and leave you looking like you had mange."

"I'm sorry... I didn't mean it like that... I mean, not that your scent is bad, and-" I'm messing up.

Dark: "Just shut up, man."

Ayla sits down slowly, but doesn't say anything, keeping her eyes downcast as if studying the plate.

Adrian: "I want to disappear...."

Dark: "I wouldn't want to be in your shoes...."

Adrian: "If I hear your voice again, I swear I'll neuter you...."

I take a deep breath.

"Thank you for taking care of me that day..." she murmurs, still looking at the plate.

Dark: "If she only knew it was you who made her like that."

Adrian: "Shut your trap!"

"You don't have to thank me...." I say softly.

Dark: "At least it served to bring you two closer...."

Adrian: "Yeah.... At least...."

Ayla goes back to eating her food, still in silence, but I notice she's more relaxed...

After we eat, I get up and go to collect the dishes.

"Leave it... I'll do it," she says, taking the plate from my hand.

"Thank you...." I say. "Well, I'm going.... See you later," I say, and she nods.

As I leave the house, I feel a smile form on my lips...

Dark: "Hmmmm, what a smooth talker," he says, laughing.

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