6. WHO ARE YOU?

~What is your name

Do you have a place to go

Oh could you tell me?

I saw you hiding in this garden~

-(BTS) The Truth Untold

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Stefanos

It's a girl.

I repeated it to myself.

The thief is a girl.

But not just any girl, a beautiful one at that.

And she was also a werewolf. An Omega.

I stood there rooted to my spot, my eyes fixated on the girl as she bend down to steal more of my flowers, cutting them carefully and placing them in a basket. She looked so carefree as if she was merely plucking flowers from her own garden and not trespassing into private territory.

And yet I couldn't bring myself to move.

There were so many questions in my head, so many things I wanted to know, but it seemed like my body forgot the function of talking. No longer could I find my voice nor could I blink. Was the girl that beautiful to even shut my trap?

With thick raven black hairs that had come loose from the bun in her head, cascaded all the way down to her hips like running water. Her skin was of pale complexion, smooth and flawless under the rising sunlight. With her head bent low and her eyelids covering the colour of her eyes, all I could see was her long luscious eyelashes that dusted her high cheekbones every time she blinked. And her lips, they were a radiant cherry red, full and plump.

Yes, a beauty indeed. A beauty one to hold.

What on earth am I doing right now? Staring at my flower thief and analysing her beauty? Have I lost my mind?

Finally regaining my senses which I seemed to have lost for the last few minutes, I took one foolish step forward. I say that it’s foolish because of how careless I had been to not check my footsteps because I was too busy staring at the Omega before me. A twig snapped under my boots, alerting the Omega as her head whipped up and she scanned the area. Realizing that she was staying for far too long, the thief checked her basket one last time to make sure she had enough flowers and scrambled to her feet.

Before I could even advanced one step forward, the girl had already run off, jumping over the fence and on her merry way. And here I stood like the fool I was, staring at tiny figure of the Omega disappearing into the distance.

I should chase her down. I should go after her and confront her, ask her for compensation for my flowers. But I didn’t. I stayed stuck like that to my spot, not moving even when the sun was high up now in the sky and the birds begin their morning song. It was only when Wraya had come in search of his master did I finally find it in my legs to move.

“Sire! Pray tell me what on earth are you doing out here in this early hours? Look at yourself! You are freezing!” Wraya literally bellowed in worry, huffing and puffing at the same time he blew a long breath right into my face in an attempt to warm me. When that didn’t seem to faze me, Wraya wrapped me in a cocoon with his huge red bat like wings and begin pushing me forward. It was then that I finally found back my voice.

“I found her Wraya.”

“Her? Her who sire?”

“The thief. The one who has been stealing my flowers.”

Wraya gasped, if dragons could gasp, that is, but I could sense the surprise in his voice. “You don’t say! And it’s a girl!”

I nodded, but Wraya was still not done with his questions. “Then what happened? Did you catch her?”

“Do you see her with me now?”

“Oh yes right. Did you chase her?”

Silence.

Wraya stopped midway, turning to look at me with his huge head. “Tell me you at least chased her.”

“I did not think it was necessary.”

“Goodness gracious sire, you could have at least chased her!”

“And then what? Catch her and bring her in the tower? In the company of a dragon and a beast!”

“You didn’t have to capture her! The mere fact that she was chased by the owner of the flowers she stole would be enough to stop her from coming here ever again! And what is the problem if she were to be in the company of a dragon and a werewolf? It’s not like you plan to celebrate or congratulate her on her theft do you? If it scares her, the better!” Wraya’s voice grew louder by the second and I feared he might as well reveal his identity to the village.

But what caught me was Wraya’s point. True, I could have chased her away so that she wouldn’t return. Or I could have captured her and shown her just whom she was dealing with. However I did neither of that. I knew I could, I have the potential, but yet I didn’t.

The question was, why?

Wraya went silent when I did not reply; starting to walk again until it suddenly crossed my mind.

“Wraya?”

“Yes sire?”

“Care to get your greasy wings off of me?”

-----

For days, I stayed to myself, reading from the huge library I owned or watered my garden. I would often notice the huge empty patches in the ground, but I did not throw any tantrums like I used to. And it seemed like Wraya had noticed it too, for whenever our eyes would meet, he would give me that sceptical look as if he was…analysing me.

I couldn’t blame the beast. I was, indeed, a little weird ever since that fateful night.

Almost a week has passed since I first saw the thief, but yet, I had still to catch her. And it’s not like I didn’t see her anymore, although I never went down like the first time. I would stay in my room and look from the window as the girl scavenged whatever was there of my flowers, and all I could do was watch.

Sometimes Wraya would question me, asking when I planned to chase the thief away, but I only said that I never saw her anymore. That perhaps she came at the middle hours of the night when I was still asleep, or maybe I no longer noticed. None the less, I made my point of proving that I wasn’t capturing her on purpose. I couldn’t tell that to Wraya even if my life depended on it.

But still, I would often wonder to myself, why am I doing this? The Omega was leaving barely anything behind now, my flowers seemed almost gone but thankfully new sprouts were showing up from the seeds I planted, but still, why am I not stopping her? She shouldn’t be here in the first place, this place is off limits. It’s the one reason Wraya is the guard dog here. And yet I stopped Wraya when he offered to chase her away.

Just what on earth was going on inside my head?

Is it because I was scared to scare her away with my ugly appearance? That she would have a heart failure the moment she saw me? Of course I wasn’t cruel enough to want her to die, so is this it? Is this the reason? Or is it just that I wanted to see something beautiful for once in my lifetime without being asked for anything in return? That I was worthy of looking at something pretty too?

Or maybe I just lost my mind. Yes, that should be it.

“Aren’t you curious sire?” Wraya suddenly asked one morning, as he prepared our breakfast in the massive kitchen before placing mine on the table and turning to look at me search through my cupboards for more Flowers seeds. “About?”

“About why the girl would steal your flowers?”

I stopped whatever I was doing, my eyes trained on the bucket full of seeds at the same time replaying Wraya’s words over in my head.

Was I curious? Was I curious he asks? Heavens I was beyond curious! Sometimes I feel like to jump out of my window and just ask the Omega why she was after my poor flowers.

“Why would I be? A thief’s job is to steal, that’s all that matters.” Was my answer as I tried to pretend it was all very natural with my blank face on display, while on the inside it was literally chewing me down.

“Are you sure Sire? Because I thi-“

“I will be in the Garden.” I cut in before my sly dragon could try to run his brain again, almost running out of the kitchen to get away from him. Just then, my stomach growled in protest.

“Great. No breakfast.”

-----

“Sire, you know you don’t have to go this early in the morning to buy the seeds? You can just go in your usual time.”

“I'm afraid no, Wraya. I detest the looks the people of the village give me whenever they see me stand in line. I detest standing in line as well. Going right now would give me easy pathway to finish my work.” I explained as I buttoned up my coat and smoothed my collar before grabbing my cloak. However, Wraya did not look convinced. “Market might not even be open at this hour.”

“Then I can wait until it is and be the first customer before the place gets too crowded.”

“I think you are making excuses sire.”

“I think you are talking too much Wraya.”

“Is it the thief? Are you curious after all to see what she does with your flowers?”

Sometimes, I wish Wraya would just...you know...stay dumb and not try speaking human language. Things could have been a little more easier and... more quieter.

I gave Wraya that look as if to say, “Don’t test my patience.”

Wraya sighed but obeyed, considering it was not only a command from his master but also an Alpha, so he had no choice. But just as when I'm about to exit the chamber, he stops me.

“Sire, this came for you in the mail...again.”

I turned around to look at what Wraya was talking about, only to find him pushing a medium sized box towards me with his long nose. His face looked grim and anxious, for we both knew were the box had come from.

That same black velvet box with a red ribbon tied over it. It came every year, after one month of my birthday. And it always held a porcelain mask inside.

Masks to cover my ugly face.

Masks sent by my father.

I stared at the box, knowing all too well what would be inside- another mask, with another unread letter to my collection. He would leave birthday letter every time, but I didn’t bother to waste my time reading them. Of course he would spew the same nonsense he did the day I was leaving, empty words with no real emotion.

Carefully, I walked towards the box and lifted it, only to find the same thing that I expected. A mask. I have at least seventeen of them, all in different dark designs and all unused.

But all of a sudden, I felt a use for them.

Lifting the mask out of the box and dropping the rest to the floor, I pulled it over my face, tying the knot behind my head. From the holes that were provided for me to see, I watched Wraya who was literally gaping at me with his fangs popping out.

I smirked, which Wraya could see all too well because the mask ended just below my nose. But I knew the real reason why Wraya looked so shell shocked.

I had never worn any of the masks, never ever. But now, I finally did, and it horrified Wraya. For he never liked the fact that my father would send me masks to cover my ugliness instead of asking me to embrace it. He loathed my father with passion just as I did to his mother. And now that I had finally worn the mask, it only meant one thing.

I wanted to hide my ugliness as well. I no longer wanted to show it.

“Sire...”

“How do I look?” I asked despite myself, my smirk turning into a scoff when Wraya couldn’t bring himself to reply. Of course he couldn’t. Because he knew that there was only one reason I would decide to hide myself now. Only one reason why my ugliness would bother me after all these years.

Because I was going to look at something beautiful for a long time.

And I didn’t want the beauty to lay her eyes on something as ugly as me.

So I did what I knew I had to. I hid in the same spot like the first time I saw the thief, completely oblivious to Wraya’s scrutinizing eyes as the Dragon went off to another slumber. Not long had I arrived did I notice the girl jump over the fence and into the garden. Another minute late and I would have missed it.

For half an hour I watched the Omega pluck flowers from my garden, also going for some of the newly sprouted once as if she had grown them herself. Right after that, the girl checked her basket and then jumped off the fence, giving me the push I wanted. While the girl walked without a care in the world, I followed behind, keeping a decent distance in between to avoid suspicion. Luckily, the girl noticed nothing.

I watched in confusion as the girl walked on and on without a single delay, going so far until I realized that we were in the market place. The market was already getting crowded with sellers preparing their goods in their stalls. At the same time, the thief casually walked within them, now throwing her hood back and hopping from foot to foot as she walked to a certain empty stall.

What on earth is going on here?

Why are we in the market place? Is she...

My thoughts stopped mid-point as I watched the thief stalk towards a cart which I assumed was her and place my flowers in order as if ready to sell them.

Yes, she is selling my flowers.

She had been stealing my flowers, not because they were beautiful or for her own greedy needs. She was selling to earn money. I don’t know which sounds more bizarre. The first or the latter.

The girl smiled happily at her customers, the sun shining on her radiantly beautiful face and dazzling smile. Most of her customers seemed to be men who were more indulged in making heart eyes to her than buying her products. And by the looks of it, she must have been uncomfortable too, but could not shut them away in fear of losing customers.

Is she that desperate?

After my encounter, I had gone back home, thankfully not forgetting to purchase my seeds. But that was not the last time I had gone to see the thief. Day after day, I would leave in the early hours of the morning and hide in my usual spot before following the thief to the market place. And I would watch her sell the flowers. My flowers.

It is not because I wanted to know what she did with my flowers, no. I am no longer curious about that for I already know the answer. It is for something else, which I later realized, is fascination.

I am fascinated by this brave Omega.

And my fascination had grown so wild, that in time, I had completely forgotten that she was a thief stealing from my garden and I was supposed to chase her away. No longer did that thought roam in my head. All that mattered was for me to watch her every day as she sold my flowers, the more I grew them. I was completely bewitched.

Until one day, I made a fool of myself.

I should have been more careful. I shouldn’t have let my guard down. What a fool I am.

Just like every other day, I followed the thief to the market place, only this time, she did not head to the usual place. Changing road after road, the thief and I ended up in an empty ally, somewhere far away from where the original market place is. A place I had never been to.

Was I scared? No, I was confused. I had never been to this place, and it wasn’t the market either. Why did she come here?

Just as suddenly as the girl had changed roads, she stopped walking abruptly, coming to a halt right in front of me. The whole place was desolate, empty. It’s just her and me. As if she wanted it that way.

As if she knew someone was following her.

Oops.

The girl turned around swiftly, pulling her hood down and staring-no, glaring murder at me. My heart rate accelerated, but what the girl said is what had me completely spaced out.

“Why are you following me?”

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-Zohara