2. Warm Hug

"How many more human hearts do you need?" asked Fremont.

"I don't know, maybe not much. But, it's tough to find a human heart that can react with magical powers," answered Rune without taking her eyes off the glass case that was five times as big as a stacked coffin.

Fremont patted Rune's shoulder lightly. "Promise me, Rune. If you can't get what you want, give up everything."

After hearing that, Rune immediately grabbed Fremont's collar. He looked at Fremont with suppressed anger. The savage air can be felt directly by Fremont. "What are you saying?! You mean I have to let my father die?" Rune hissed.

"I know it's been very hard for you, but you can't let your father wait any longer," said Fremont with a pitiful look.

Rune fell silent at Fremont's words. He lowered his head with a resigned sigh. "Nothing is more important than waking my father from his deep slumber, Mont. I ... miss him. I can't forget how he was tortured by cruel humans either."

"You think I was advising you for not knowing about it?" Fremont hugged the Rune and patted the Alpha's back to soothe it. "Ten years have passed, Rune. Now, you have grown up and become the trusted leader of the endangered wolf nation. You have grown up well. Your father would be proud to know that."

Rune felt warm when hugged by the person who had taken care of her since her father lay weak. For ten years, Fremont had never failed to calm him down when he was reminded of the horrific incident when he was only fifteen. Therefore, he considered Fremont as his father.

***

The wolves started looking for prey when night fell. Rune ordered the werewolves to look for a target in the forest. Usually, they will hunt deer as their leading food. Even though they hated humans, they couldn't carelessly kill humans.

"Damn! I didn't hear the sound of the hunters cocking their weapons, Ted. I wanted to eat human flesh. The thought of that soft and sweet meat makes my stomach even more hungry," said the short-haired woman casually walking through the forest with a tall man next to her.

"Alexa, your thoughts are too cruel to give me goosebumps," Teddy said, shuddering in horror. He secretly smiled when he saw Alexa's face from the side.

Alexa chuckled as she patted Teddy's shoulder lightly. "You are too soft-hearted. As a predator, cruelty is in our blood. After all, runes only allow us to kill hunters."

Teddy was silent for a moment as he remembered something. "By the way, do you know the reason Rune has such a grudge against hunters?"

It is common knowledge that Rune is an Alpha with a grudge against hunters. However, he never said directly about the reason. Sometimes, humans can only guess without daring to ask him now. Therefore, Fremont was in charge of explaining it little by little.

"I've heard about it from Fremont. It is said that Rune's father was tortured by the hunters until he was helpless. At that time, Rune was only 15 years old, but managed to kill ten hunters in one night," replied Alexa.

"Woah! Don't the hunters also carry weapons?" Teddy was surprised at the same time amazed at the thought of Rune's greatness.

"Sure! Amazingly, at that time, he came home with ten arrows stuck in all parts of his body," said Alexa, who explained all the things that Fremont had told.

"That's amazing. I thought we would die if we were shot with just three arrows. As far as I know, there was some kind of poison in the tip of the arrow in the old days," said Teddy, who was amazed.

"Just so you know, ordinary werewolves like us would even die after a second shot," Alexa said. Teddy nodded in understanding.

"Then you have to be careful," Teddy said with a warm smile on Alexa's face. Alexa's cheeks turned red.

While holding both cheeks, Alexa laughed awkwardly. "What are you saying? That's ridiculous."

"Alexa, be honest with me," Teddy said as he slowed down. Alexa stopped walking and turned to him with a questioning expression. "Your ears are... troubled, right?"

"Why... suddenly asking that?" Alexa asked nervously. She looked displeased to be asked such a question.

Teddy heard the hunter cocking his gun from the right. Gunshots sounded at the same time as he hugged Alexa. "I like you," she whispered.

Alexa widened her eyes when she heard the second gunshot. She felt Teddy's arms tighten around hers. "Teddy?" she called in a trembling voice.

"I told you to be careful," Teddy said as he let go of the hug. While Alexa was wide-eyed, she smiled faintly.

A second later, Alexa could not hold Teddy's limp body to the ground. With trembling palms, she looked at her wet hands. The brown soil was now moist with red liquid that never stopped flowing from Teddy's back.

Alexa saw Teddy's eyes were closed, and there was no sound. Slowly, her tears rolled down her cheeks. She tried to wake Teddy up by gently patting the man's cheek. She gave up and hugged Teddy's body and wept. "Teddy, have you gone mad? Stupid!"

As if not realizing that the hunter was still aiming for her, Alexa didn't move. The hunter was ready to pull the trigger. When he launched the bullet, the Rune swiftly became a shield. The bullet just bounced to the ground.

The hunter was so frightened by the sight of the Rune that he fired several shots until the bullets pierced the werewolf's skin. Instantly, his body was immediately torn down by the Rune to death on the spot. Rune ran through the bushes and saw Alexa silent while hugging Teddy's body.

"If there is a hunter, you should immediately pounce on him. Use all your senses as a predator!" Rune grumbled in annoyance.

"It's my fault," Alexa said with her head lowered and her voice very low. Rune took a deep breath.

***

To be continued....