CHAPTER 16
'WELCOME TO FARDEN CITY'
Melisca read the sign engraved on the large boulder in between the two-way road. So, now they had finally entered the city boundary.
Home bloody home, Melisca. She greeted herself in her mind. Right from the moment they passed through the sign, the lump in her throat started building. She felt like a single drop of lava had spread the burning liquid in her lungs. Her face remained stoic. The air she breathes from the place is like poison gas. That every time she inhaled, the more her chest constricted.
She felt like entering into her nightmares again. The same place where she lost both her parents. The same place that made her who she is now and what she seeks.
The cold night air added to what her body already felt. Her system went numb from how familiar the pain was.
"We should rest. Before heading to the capital of the town," Lorna suggested; her eyes felt tired, almost droopy.
"What time is it?"
"It's almost 9 in the evening, I guess. Oh, there's a suburban hotel just a few minutes' drive from here. We should check in there to stay for the night."
Melisca silently agreed with the girl. But a thought bothered her. "Have you been here before?" She asked to answer her confusion.
"Yes, my family stays in the city. It's just me going on a mission more often, so I rarely get home."
"Mission?"
"Yeah, for the purpose I just told you." She can sense Lorna giving her an eye roll, for she should have an idea of what the girl was talking about.
The forest by the side of the road has now ended. Tiny houses occupied the space. They were at a village near the city boundary. As she continued on driving, more bungalows appeared and then turned into two-storey buildings. The street lamps are all working, giving the road a clear view for driving. A few people roaming around the sidewalks, some girls standing at the sides with their close-to-nothing outfits.
There were some food and accessory stalls by the sidewalks. She hasn't remembered any of these. That such a night can be so calm and normal from where she was.
She almost laughed at herself for how ridiculous it could be. All those normal memories had vanished the moment her real nightmares came true. How she wanted to step back and not touch where her tragic past had occurred.
The name of the place itself haunts her. The air she breathed turned her stomach upside down. She wanted to puke her guts out. The unbearable suffering inside her was just too much for now, so she sharply turned at the side of the road and stopped.
She kicked the stand on so Lorna wouldn't fall carelessly. Then she unlocked the girl's arms around her waist and almost jumped out of the motorcycle.
"Where are you going?" Lorna questioned, confused about her behavior. But she continued running, not even a glance back.
Melisca got to the nearest alley, but the light of the lamppost didn't reach the area. When she found a perfect spot, just beside a small building, she then gave in to what she was pushing down inside.
As her one hand braced herself on the wall, she let out all her guts, vomiting.
Her cold sweat trickling down her forehead along with hot tears that she hadn't noticed had come out of her eyes. Heaving up to contain herself but not enough for another gut round of disgust that wanted to come out.
Then she felt a warm hand rubbing her back. She panted for a moment, then inhaled a large breath of air as she spat the disgusting taste in her mouth. She remained hovering while rubbing her eyes from the blurry vision and wiped her face with the back of her palm.
"Are you okay now?" Lorna asked. She doesn't have any idea what happened to her new friend. She just ran off to the side and started puking herself out. Maybe it was from all that insane driving she had done that made her stomach upset.
She continuously ran her hand in circles on Liz's back to somehow help her feel better. The woman had helped her escape from the wolves, and she is human. Besides, someone like her can be a great asset to the team. She had skills, and the resentment she saw in her eyes earlier when she told her how her family died was a great aggression to kill the enemy.
Liz is still a mystery to her. She could even be showing a false identity. Making her believe in all that just happened. If she's just faking, then she's doing a great hell of a job. But for now, she hadn't noticed anything suspicious. Yet she won't just let her in the group. At least not for now, until the woman is all trustworthy for everything before she's about to enter the organization.
Melisca stood up straight, then returned the eyeshades to her face. She doesn't want the girl to see the pain in her eyes. To see how dead she is inside. Dead yet the pain keeps reminding her how alive she is.
Somehow feeling better after letting it all out. Though the pain hadn't lessened a bit. It would never be redefined anyway. Nevertheless, she had nothing to puke out now.
She faced the girl and smiled sheepishly. "I'm sorry you had to witness that. It's just my stomach, maybe from indigestion. You know I had ordered almost everything on the menu."
"It's okay. Are you sure you're alright now?" She wanted to erase Lorna's creased eyebrows. She's not comfortable with people around her being concerned.
"Yes. Let's go get some rest. I really need it." She stated as she passed by the girl and walked ahead to where she stopped her big bike.
After the very long day, she wishes to lay her body flat down on a bed already and escape from her depressing reality.
Lorna followed her and she gave her the helmet that the girl put on the seat, with the bags of meals balanced on each motor handle. She gathered it and gave it back for her to carry.
"How far are we still from the hotel you said?"
"We're almost there."
There's a thought that maybe Lorna was just luring her to a lion's den. To get her cornered. But the girl hadn't displayed anything suspicious yet that she had found out her real plans. Still, she would never get her defences down.
She nodded and got on her seat, as did Lorna and they sped away.
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Zek finally landed at one of the airports in the City of Farden. Being a VIP, he had his own hangar and space for his privacy. To not get in a crowd as much as possible.
Travelling at night makes his mood less shifting than in the daytime.
"Alpha, would you go straight to the Wildcrest pack or wait until tomorrow?" Drasco asked. He was the one Argon assigned to accompany him with his appointment and the search for the hunter with a civilian companion.
"Let's go to the pack immediately."
A black limo then stopped in front of them.
"Yes." Nodding his head as he opened the limo and when the Alpha was securely inside, he then closed the door slowly.
Dracso sat beside the driver and instructed him of the route towards the pack they were heading to.
Zek opened the mini bar and chose his red chilling drink.
"Go at full speed," He ordered then felt the accelerated pace of the service. Sure, he could just use his ability to get there fast, but most of the time, he acted more like a human, doing what normal people do in everyday routines.
Waking up in the morning, doing exercise, going to work, then coming back home. Being an alpha of a whole continent is not an easy responsibility. Though there are only a few wolves left, still, there are some who went rogue. It refers to the stray wolves that, without a pack, would eventually go mad. A pack is a wolf's family, their sense of belonging, it completes them as what they are.
"Tell Rullo we are coming in a few minutes," Zek said as he gulped all the contents of his brandy glass. The red liquid that tastes sweet on his tongue but metallic to other beings.
He doesn't have to raise his voice for he opened the little partition that divides the front seat and the guests behind. All the limos he rides are custom-made to make them soundproof even to creatures like him. He wants his privacy whenever he talks with someone in any of his property.
"Anything else, Alpha?" He heard Drasco ask from the front.
"Nothing more." Then he closed the partition to finally be alone with his thoughts and gather his mind for some plans.
His mind drifted to Rullo's family. He had chosen him to be the alpha for he had seen him capable and strong enough to handle a pack. He is also fair but at the same time good at implementing things.
Remembering that Rullo said that he would pass his title to one of his sons. Zek wondered who it would be between the two brothers.
Then he felt the car stop. He put down the glass and, not having waited for someone to open the door, did it himself.
Already sensing that someone was waiting for him to come out, as he did, the first man he saw a few feet away was Rullo. With his head bowed down for the greeting along with his mate, the pack's luna. It is what they call the alpha's partner, who shares the burden with him and his mate as long as they live.
The surroundings remained quiet for Rullo knows what his alpha king wants. Always a low-profile welcome and private meetings. So he only has his wife with him and few warriors behind them.
Zek wore his ring to not make his presence visible to anyone around.
Drasco, a meter behind him, securing his king's safety. Though the man can fight excellently but won't let him be in the very first place.
"Alpha king," Rullo greeted with his head bowed down for the formality and respect to the leader of Asian wolves.
"Rullo, have you already chosen which of your two sons would replace you after you retire soon?" directly asking what he had thought earlier.
"I only had one son left. Cabril is dead." He replied with his head still looking down on the ground.
Zek had felt his friend's agony in what he just heard. But at the same time, anger surged inside him. It is his right to know what happened to his assigned alpha's family when it involves the throne of being the next leader of a pack. But sensing that there is more to the story, he had set it aside first.
"Lead the way to your meeting room." He said with darkness in his voice. He wants to get down to business. Other matters later.
"This way, please." Rullo gestured for him to follow.