Chapter 2 The She-wolf in His Dreams

[Aimee] As I calmed down, I suddenly recalled something my father once said. The reason the regal bloodline hadn’t named an heir was because the king had two sons. The firstborn was outstanding in every way, but he would lose control and hurt others whenever he shifted during the full moon. The prince sounded a lot like this werewolf who had lost his mind. I struggled to my feet and cautiously approached the werewolf, who had somehow collapsed to the ground. By the looks of his heaving chest, the werewolf had simply fainted. I knew that now was my best chance to run, and I did. However, as I turned to flee, I saw the deep cut along his wrist that was bleeding profusely. It explained the heavy stench of blood just now. Now that he was down on the ground, the werewolf was no longer as scary and commanding as he had been earlier. Most of all, I didn’t have the heart to leave that curled-up body there. After much inner conflict, I decided to patch him up. After all, it would be a hassle if his wound got infected. I removed my scarf and carefully bandaged his injury, hoping he would get better soon. Once I tied the bandage into a knot, I glanced at his face. I had been too afraid to look before, but now that I had a closer look, I could see that he was handsome. Despite his fur covering his features, his appearance was still striking in a wild way. What I was most curious about was his ears, which appeared magnificent and adorable at first glance. Those were not the right adjectives to describe a werewolf. Still, I reached out to touch his ears. His ears twitched as if they had sensors, and I withdrew my arm in fear. I thought he would regain consciousness, but nothing else happened after his ears twitched. His eyes remained closed. Once again, I gathered my courage and reached out to feel his ears, savoring the experience of my first close encounter with another werewolf. Since I couldn’t shift, I had never had the chance to approach other werewolves in their shifted forms. Even my own family rejected my advances. When I was little, I once tried to touch my father’s ears, but he slapped my hand away in disgust and ordered me to stay away from him. I had always wondered what it would feel like to touch the ears of a shifted werewolf, and now I knew. His short fur was prickly to the touch, but it was also smooth and bouncy. It was an amazing feeling. I wondered what color my fur would be if I could shift too. My father’s fur was black with mottled colors, but I heard my mother was beautiful. The most unforgettable thing about her was her full white fur when she shifted. I had never met my mother, so I thought this werewolf was the most good-looking one I had ever encountered. Although he was unconscious now, he was still a threat to me. Knowing that I shouldn’t stay any longer, I hurriedly left. It took me a while to find Alger's and my secret base from when we were kids. The place was covered in dust, but I did not mind. I tidied up the bed and lay down on it. I thought I would fall asleep quickly, but the woods at night were scary. On any other night, the sound of other animals would echo through the trees. However, on the night of the full moon, all animals, including insects, would hide from the werewolves. The moonlight illuminated the room, but the shadows cast by the trees outside made it feel a little eerie. When I opened my eyes, all I saw were flickering shadows. Yet, as soon as I closed my eyes, the sight of the werewolf from earlier lunging at me flashed in my mind. I started to sing to distract myself. For a long time in the past, I would often sing to pass the time, and it made the days a little less unbearable. As the tune echoed through the woods, my fear began to subside. I started to sing louder without a care in the world. Only the tune kept me company. As time passed, I finally felt sleepy. [Ares] The full moons were the nights I suffered the most. As a werewolf, I possessed greater powers than my pack, but I often lost control during the full moon because of it. At first, my father believed I had been given a godly power. However, that changed when I went crazy and hurt someone after shifting. If it weren’t for the guards, he would’ve been hurt too. From then on, my father’s attitude toward me changed. While he still adored me, he was wary of me. The title of successor that should’ve been mine had been withheld for a long time, and it became a source of conflict between me and my brother. My father needed a perfect successor, and it seemed that Amos and I were not good enough. For years, I had been searching for a way to calm down during the full moon, but I had been unsuccessful. The only option left was to come early to Moonlit Pines and try to manage my raging and loss of control episodes. By doing so, others would not see me going manic. I thought that was how my life was going to be, but then, a turning point came. I recalled those frightened Bambi eyes, and I couldn’t understand how I could stare at her for so long. In the past, I would’ve pounced at her and tore her apart. I was surprised I could gain awareness, even just for a split second. When she screamed, my head throbbed, and I passed out on the ground. When I woke up, I felt relaxed, unlike the fatigue I felt before from releasing all my energy. It felt like I had a good night’s sleep. I had a beautiful dream too. In my dream, I heard a voice singing a beautiful melody. The tune was comforting and soothing. I was lost in the song as if I had entered a surreal dream, and the manic energy in my body found redemption. I was awake at sunrise. If I hadn’t seen the orange scarf around my wrist, I would’ve thought last night was a beautiful dream. “What a remarkable creature, but who are you?” She didn’t shift during the full moon. Otherwise, I would’ve assumed she was an angel sent to me by God. I looked in the direction of the Hales’ castle, remembering a story circulating among the nobles. Adrian had a daughter who never appeared in public. As I recall, his she-wolf daughter was an outcast of the family because she could not shift. The old baron was something else. If it was Adrian’s daughter last night, things were about to get interesting.