The Werewolf King's Bride

(From Blue's Perspective)

As Azure took the bracelet off, I glanced around me once again. What if I tried to run away now? My power was awakened now.

But Cyan repeatedly warned me not to do so. He also gave me a few valid reasons, but my want to still do so was almost taking over me. I just wanted a chance to escape.

But one thought made me think back.

What about Reece and Abel? They were in danger because of me. How could I be so selfish to leave without them?

Not because of Cyan's reasonings, I did not do anything because of Reece and Abel. I could not be that selfish. If I managed to escape, they would be with me.

Because I knew if I managed to leave without them, I would never get them back, at least, not alive. Explore stories on empire

I took a deep breath and looked straight at the door. It was the same door I had used to enter this world. It brought back memories.

The time I had walked through this door was quite memorable. I had never stepped foot into my world again. This world became familiar, my home. I became a different person.

No, perhaps I did not become a different person. I just… discovered who I truly was.

"You were supposed to be a leader, my daughter," Azure whispered into my ear from behind. "No one changed you, no one shaped you. No one made you step up. It's you. It's all you."

I knew it. I knew if I did not try, no one would have been able to make me step up. But there was also no denying that if my husband did not give me emotional support, I would have been lost. No matter what Azure said, that fact would not change.

What he wanted to do was make me believe that Dem was of no importance in my life and I could do fine without him. Maybe I would be able to survive without him, but surviving was not living.

And I wanted to live.

"Yes…," I mumbled. "It's all me."

"That's right, my daughter. You realize it now," he said, putting his hands on my shoulders. "It's all you. You are born a leader."

No, I was not born a leader. Neither I was born a follower. I was born to be what I wanted to be.

"Yes, Father…"

A person like me, a person who was mentally so weak, would change quite quickly if came in contact with something that brought back memories. If I was the previous me, I would have changed so, just like this.

But I was different now.

'Azure doesn't necessarily need to know that, right?'

"My daughter, the sooner we realize the truth, the better," he said in a low murmur. "But it's never too late. It is late for those who are tied down by the end, the fate; but not for us, who cannot be tied down by anything. No fate, no end, nothing. Only determination and choice."

"No end?" I repeated. "Everyone has an end."

"Do I?" he chuckled.

I glanced sideways at him. He had a smile on his face, a rather playful one. I felt ridiculous. How could I forget he was the black lord? He was a god and gods were immortal.

"Now, we should not waste any more time, but," he said, backing away, "I will let you waste a bit of time. Think of it as a gift from your father."

I stared at him dumbfoundedly. He pointed at the door with his eyes. "I know you want to. Go ahead. You have four hours."

"Your brother will accompany you," he added, now turning his back to me, walking further away. "Go ahead. Time is ticking."

He placed his palm over the door and it opened smoothly, with a dashing light coming through it. Cyan walked past me, bumping our shoulders. I was the only one who felt pain perhaps. He had an impatient look on his face. But the look also contained no surprise as if he knew.

I took a deep breath and strode quickly to the door. Without a look back, I stepped to the other side, into a whole new world.

"Cyan, take care of her," Azure said from behind.

As soon as the door disappeared, I noticed I was actually holding my breath. I let it out. "I can run away now."

"Everyone knows you won't," he shrugged.

I sighed. The place did not look familiar, but I knew I had been here before, only once. Although my family lived near the forest, I had never been this deep into it. Sometimes, I walked around in the forest, but I never went too far, as there were a few wild bears there. They lived deep into the forest and they had been seen in the locality once or twice.

The night when it all started kept flashing back to me. Although the surrounding was not clear in my memory, the confusion and the strange feelings were all still alive in my head. I had been dumb to trust a stranger that night. If he had bad motives, I would probably have been dead. But then again, I just wanted to get away from that family.

Maybe I would have gone with Jeffrey Dahmer as well, just to get away from my family.

'I am crazy… I have a weird mindset… At least, I used to have.'

"To where?" I asked. "There is only one person I need to see. But I am not sure where he lives now."

"I know," Cyan said, starting to walk.

I had to jog to keep up with him. I was wearing a gown. Since I did not wear any corset or bustle, it did not look like I was dressing strangely in this world. Rather, it looked like I was coming from a fancy party, or was going to join a party. It was nighttime here since it was daytime in the other world. Not many people were going to notice me, maybe.

After crossing the forest, I reached the familiar neighborhood and… the cursed house. It was not deserted as I suspected. I used to live in a place where not many people wanted to live. This locality was filled with drug dealers and criminals, even murderers. My father was one of them; a drug addict, a criminal, an abuser, and a murderer.

"Brings back memories?" he asked.

I chuckled, blinking away the water in my eyes. "Yeah, lots."

"Good?"

"Hellish."

"Your brother? The other one who you did not tell me about?"

I stared at him and then looked away almost immediately. "New people are living here," I said. "I thought our house will be deserted. After all, except for Maxen, others are in jail. Or maybe they got out now. I don't know.

If Father has been charged with homicide, he can't get out though."

"I asked about your…"

"Let's go now. There is no point in standing here. There are a lot of bad people here."

"I can save myself."

"I am not worried about you," I said, surprised that he even thought I would worry the slightest about him. "It's me. See me? I am worried about myself."

"You are so weird."

This area had a lot of mosquitoes. Since it was the evening, the mosquitoes were livelier. My senses were sharper than before, but that did mean I could escape from mosquitoes. Those things were dangerous. Even Dem was scared of them.

Magic could not be used in this world. We had to go somewhere like humans. I was happy about that. Although magic was fascinating, I also sometimes craved the normal human life I wished I had.

We walked for a while and then took a taxi. I had no idea how Cyan had money on him, but he did. We apparently had a taxi stand that was near the café I used to work at. The people who did not own a car had to come here to get a taxi.

"You two must be twins. Going to a party?" the old driver asked. Old men were usually very chatty. And I recognized this person.

"Why do you care?" Cyan snapped. "Just do your work. We are paying you, aren't we?"

"Ah, my brother is in a bad mood," I quickly said. "That said, aren't you Joseph Morgan?"

"My, my, I am quite famous it seems. How do you know my name, little one?"

"My father is Raphael Learley," I said.

"Raphael? Raphael's daughter?" he asked, surprised, pulling the taxi up to one side. "But, didn't you leave home two years ago?"

"… I did," I said. "Where is he now?"

He sighed. "Haven't you heard? He is in jail for murder," he said.

"And my mother? What about… my brothers?"

"Your mother remarried," he said.

'No surprises there.'

"Draven still lives in this neighborhood. Your mother lives in the city area, though," he said. "And Maxen has gone to college. Right now, he is in the city."

"Why?"

"I don't know. He asked me about you. Apparently, he has been asking around about you for the last two days."

"I see. May I ask where I can find him? Maxen, I mean?"

"I will take you there. He is staying at a hotel."

The automobile started to accelerate. I glanced sideways at Cyan who looked confused. I was confused too. Who would have thought I would see a familiar face in the taxi?

He was the old man who saved my life, the one who knocked on our door hearing a commotion when my father held my hand in the fire.

Since then, he always looked out for me. He lived near and he was a good person. Funny how a kind soul lived in such a trashy place!