CHAPTER 37

***Past***

RUDINA’S POV

While sitting in the shade of the tree, I couldn’t help but think about what happened yesterday. I just sighed, then looked at Farkas, who was carrying fruit. He sat next to me and looked me in the eye. I accepted the fruit, then I took one and ate it.

“It’s a good thing I saw you,” he said, breaking the silence between the two of us. I sighed, then looked the other way to avoid his gaze. “What happened to you and Daciana?” he asked.

I couldn’t respond, and to be honest, I don’t want to remember what happened since it makes me miss Daciana even more. I know I did something wrong, and I also know I hurt her. But that is the only solution I see for her sister and everyone's peace. I looked around, then wiped my tears away quietly.

“You don’t have to hide the pain you feel, Rudina. You don’t always have to be alone, and you don't have to take the problem to yourself,” he said, then I looked at him.

“I don’t like what’s happening in this world, Farkas,” I said, then he held my hand.

“Not everything is bad, Rudina,” he said, which made me understand.

I gave him a bitter grin and nodded, even though my chest hurt too much to think that the bad ones were more than the good ones. As I finished eating, all I could think about was finding my mother. I’ve never seen her before, and she’s probably finding food for us. As I heard some rustling around when we were wandering in the middle of the forest, I halted, and Farkas did the same.

He immediately put me behind him, and I looked around. These are not wolves, because I smell them differently. A woman stopped in front of me, then smiled strangely at me and crossed both of her arms.

“Look at this,” she said, then she turned to look at me. “How are you, Rudina?” she greeted me, and I hid behind Farkas.

“W-who are you?” I ask.

“I don’t think that you will still be alive despite what happened to you and your mother,” she said, and I frowned at her.

“Do you know him, Rudina?” Farkas asked me in a whisper, then I shook my head at him.

“Rudina.” I immediately turned around when I heard my mother’s voice and immediately approached her.

My mother immediately hugged me, then asked me if I was okay, and I said I was okay. We looked at the woman in front of us, and that’s when I saw that there was someone else around us that I was afraid of. I don't know what to do, and I feel weak at this point.

“Rieka, I didn’t expect you to be able to give birth to a vaewolf,” she said while smiling at me.

I was confused as to what they meant and to be honest, this is the first time that I saw this woman. Someone suddenly grabbed me from behind and chained me, causing me to become weak. I don’t know what sort of chain it is. Farkas called my name, but I could feel my heartbeat slowing. I looked at the woman evilly, and the moment I got out of here, she would be dead to me.

I want to know what my mother’s relationship with the vampires is and what duties they assign me. “You don’t have to do this, Thana,” my mother said while looking apprehensively at my condition.

“You don’t have to hide Rudina, Rieka; you know she should come with me, but you keep trying to hide her,” she said angrily.

“You do not understand. You know the strength that Rudina has, and you know that when the time comes, what we fear may be the end of everything,” explained Mother, which I did not understand even more.

In truth, I was annoyed that they were not paying attention to me, and while the two of them were arguing, Farkas was crying because I was chained and he could not release me from those holding me. No matter how hard I tried to break free, I couldn't because of the power of the chain and the weakness of my body.

Thana began to fight. Mother rushed Thana, then they fought. It was only there that I witnessed my mother’s ability to fight, which she never taught me because the only thing she said was that I needed to learn to calm down and extend my conviction. Something that I don’t understand from her either, and something that I want to know but she tries to hide from me.

“AHHHH!” I shout.

My mother looked at me, then she approached me, but her form immediately changed, and that’s when I saw how beautiful a wolf my mother was. I’ve never seen it in this form, and even once, it didn't teach me how to become a wolf.

“Rudina,” she mentioned my name.

“M-Ma…”

I turned away from me, then she faced the vampires. “I am begging you to release Rudina. She shouldn’t go through this,” she said and begged.

“She can’t stay here, Rieka. I need to take her and remove her from your messy and ugly world,” said Thana.

I want to be happy with what she said, but I have a feeling that they won’t treat me well when I go with her. Even now she is treating me like a monster, so what if I go with her? Farkas held my hand and did not let go. I felt his concern for me, and honestly, I don’t know why she is still here, staying in the middle of my chaotic situation.

Thana signaled to her companions to release me, and they immediately obeyed, then I fell to the ground and almost ate the leaf. Farkas immediately supported me and touched my face.

“Are you alright?” he asked me worriedly.

“It’s fine,” I answered, then tried to stand up.

I can’t help being restless, and I can’t help being weak because of what happened. I tried to rise up, and I managed. There’s too much going on around me, and to be honest, I’d prefer to vanish like a bubble. When my mother vomited up unexpectedly, she attacked me, and I was implicated in tossing her out. I instantly grabbed my mother’s head and closed my eyes tight.

When I felt my back hit the wall, I jumped and checked to see if my mother was okay. When I saw that she was fine, I looked around. When we both stood up, I looked to see if my mother was injured, and I was very thankful that she was not injured. I looked at the vampires around, and Thana was already standing in front of us.

“Come with me, Rudina, before we get to the bloody fight,” she said, then I glanced at my mother.

“I won’t go with you,” I answered, then I looked at her.

“You never know what might be waiting for you, Rudina.”

“I don’t care about what you say, and I don’t have anyone else to accompany me but my mother,” I explained, then I looked at my mother.

“I’m telling you, Thana, Rudina will not come with you,” my mother said firmly.

“You have no right to Rudina because you know where it is better for her to stay, Rieka,” she said and looked at me.

“What do you need from me?” I ask.

She grinned at me, then straightened herself, and I saw the severity on her face at that time. “You don’t know what abilities you have or what you can do in the future, Rudina,” she replied, further perplexing me.

I was going to respond when we heard these werewolves rush at us, and I instantly helped my mother, as did Farkas. We took off right away, and I instantly hid my scent so they wouldn’t smell me and wouldn't feel me. I encouraged my mom to take a different path because I am capable of caring for myself. Farkas was going to complain, but I stopped him.

My mother didn’t stop me, then I quickly climbed the tree. At the same time as my move, I can see Thana’s movement, I can see that we both have almost the same actions. Honestly, I don’t know why I look like her, and I don’t know what relationship I have with her or my mother has with her.

“I’m telling you, Rudina. You have to come with me,” she said while jumping above the tree.

I ignored her and kept running, trying to hide my odor. As I realized they were there, I looked at Thana and ran towards her, causing us both to fall down the tree. At this point, I saw that my nails were becoming longer, as were my fangs, which startled me. I could sense my body’s strength and the pace at which my heart raced.

I turned to the approaching werewolves, and I could see their angry faces. They are not from a town if they are not from a kingdom. I also saw Daciana’s parents and her sister, Daenim. I don’t know what they are doing here or what they need from me since I have already cut off the connection between Daciana and me.

“You don’t know what awaits you when they see you, Rudina,” she said to me with a smile.

“I just want peace,” I said, then left on top of her and ran again.

She chased me, and I sped up even more. To be honest, I just now felt this strange strength and speed that I have never felt before. I know I run fast, but this strange speed is the reason why I am like this now. It happened too fast, and it seems like everyone is just processing me. I felt that there were black wolves around, and I sped up even more because they might see me or track where I am.

“Why do they have to arrest me when I have done nothing wrong and sinful to them,” I said to myself, and while my tears were falling, I couldn’t help but feel bad for Daciana.

I came to a halt when I smelled blood, and that blood gave me a weird power that increased the pace of my heartbeat and my need for blood. I tried not to breathe, but I couldn’t do it, so I looked for the fragrance of that blood. As I saw it, I noticed Daenim clutching her left arm. Only then did I see Thana rushing her colleagues, and I smelled their blood.

I grabbed my left chest, then I fell to my knees and fell. “Who are you!?” Daciana’s father shouted.

“You can’t despise Rudina because you don’t know what else she can do to you,” said Thana with a warning.

“That’s why we're going to kill her to cut the threat!” Daenim answered.

I wanted to stop Thana from what she was doing to Daciana’s parents, and then I rushed her. We both fought, and no one stopped us; they just looked and couldn’t believe our fight. Even though I know they want to kill me, I still want to take care of them because I know what can happen if Daciana loses her loved ones.

“I am not your enemy, Rudina!” Thana shouted at me.

“But you don’t have to interfere with the problem I’m facing, Thana!” I shouted angrily.

“Even though you know they want you to disappear from this world, you still defend them. Your too much kindness will also lead you to die early and bury you in a pit,” she said which made me cry even more.

When I glanced at Daciana’s parents, I could tell by their expressions that they wanted me to vanish and die so they wouldn’t have any more troubles. I returned Thana’s gaze and smiled at her fake. I don’t think about anything other than what is best for my best friend, and honestly, if I were the only one to follow, I could kill them, but I can’t since my one friend will despise me.

“It’s not because I’m defending them that I’m not angry with them anymore. Someone important to me will lose her loved one, and they will hate me for the rest of their lives, so as long as I can tolerate their abuse and also their desire to kill me, I don’t care,” I said, then turned back to Daciana’s parents. “Because my friend is more important than me life.”