CHAPTER 4

The freezing cold pool of water on the floor awakened Melisca. Lips trembling, eyes blinking, studying where she is while slowly helping herself up. Just remembered what happened earlier. She turned off the shower and reached for the towel hooked beside the door and wrapped it around her. She felt much better than before, no more open wounds on her body, not even a scratch. Looking for a hair blower at least, but haven't seen any, guess she would just let her waist-length wavy hair dry itself.

She stepped out of the bathroom, and almost tripped from her clothes sprawled on the floor, right at the doorstep. Annoyed, she picked up her jeans and searched for her phone. When she found it, she heard something of a catcall. Looking around for where the noise came from. Her eyes landed right straight ahead of her, across the building, an old man with a telescope, eyeing her. She swiftly moved and closed her terrace door and its curtain.

"Pervert." She mumbled.

When she turned back facing the room, she just realized her dilemma. "Oh hell, I don't have any spare clothes with me." Wanting to smack herself for being unprepared in her current state, "How exciting, he had escaped, I got shot, twice at that, and then this. Why did it end up so badly!" She let out her frustrations while walking back and forth.

At times like this, she wishes she had someone to call to, but she works alone, lives alone, literally no one. Can't blame her, upon witnessing how a friend could kill, how a family could murder, no thanks, she'd rather live alone for the rest of her life, for all eternity as it could be, as long as she lives.

Her hunt could have been accomplished already if only no one interrupted them. Hands on her waist, staring at the blanket on the bed, her mind is cooking something. She can still use her jeans, dried blood isn't really visible in it, her bra is good enough.

She can no longer use her jacket and the tank top though. Cutting the straps of her bra by her knife, and then the blanket to make it as a tube, then a belt-like piece to tie around her waist. Now, only her bare shoulders and arms would be seen enough.

She's confident with her body anyway, toned muscles, a flat abdomen, she has all the curves, a man would lust over. Her translucent skin added to her appeal that makes her vulnerable on the outside, but her dead black eyes could take her as a snob bitch. She never minds though.

Done with her self improvised clothing, she left some money on the table, a payment for the blanket she'd ripped into her attire. Eyeing the floor, looking for her gun. She saw it under the table.

"How to hide this thing?" Asking herself. She went back to the blanket, ripped it again and wrapped the fabric to her pistol. A makeshift handbag. Nice.

Of all the huntings she'd done, This is the very first time she screwed up. Back to square one, investigating the last area where they had encountered. People eyeing her with funny looks, women with insulting glances, men with lustful stares.

She sighed exasperatingly, she really needs to change to proper clothing. Aside from that, the angry glare of the afternoon sun is prickling her bare skin. Though hidden by her long hair, she's still not comfortable displaying some of her flesh. Especially when not in the mood.

Standing at the sidewalk, taking a shed in front of an old house. She brought with her the cigarette box and a lighter, that would never be gone from her pockets anywhere she goes. Knowing lung cancer is never her concern or any other sickness and illnesses.

As she lit a stick, she looked at her surroundings, only a few people in the streets, mostly wears a close to rug-like clothes, old automobiles entering the area, street walls covered with sloppy lettering, vandalism doesn't even fit the horrible drawings. Rusted roofs of the houses around, even in a coffee shop just across her.

Then, she saw the lamp post that had been shot earlier. Her mind goes back to what had encountered in the break of dawn. Also about the syringe, it didn't just immobilize her, it was making her heart stop beating. A thought that she could die there, made her body tremble of the idea. Left with a feeling that maybe the content is not just a simple drug.

She also recalled how Greg had reacted when she suffered the effects. That she could be one of them. Indeed she really is one of them, well, the other half of her blood. She needs to find him soon, so she can do her own questioning.

The ringing of a phone startled her from the scenes she's stuck with. The sudden interruption made her drop the stick on her boots. "Fuck! That's the last one. Haven't even finished yet." She kicked it out of frustration.

Fishing the phone from her pocket, she saw it's Charles on the screen, the police chief at the city station. What could he be calling for? She wondered.

"Yes?" She answered.

"Lorwey, great job again, your friend has sent your bounty in. He--"

"—Friend? What Friend? Who?" Her mind went on her friend list, which is zero, nada.

"The man who surrendered Gregor Tandel here. Wait, if you--"

"—Yes, yes, I now remember." The only guy she thought of is the werewolf before, Argon, if she got his name right. Besides, she doesn't want to involve any police or humans in her complications now.

"Anyway, he left a letter. He said you've got something else urgent to do. You can just come here anytime to pick it up and the money is already transferred to your account."

"Okay, Charles. Thanks, I'll head there when I get back to the city. Please keep the letter for me."

"Of course, no problem."

"Wait, is Gregor unharmed?" She wants to make sure if his tongue is still intact for him to answer her questions.

"He's in one piece. That only matters." Then the police chief ended the call.

Now, she needs to get back to the city, it takes an hour and a half to arrive there. The sun is about to set, so she'll be there by night time. She walks down the main road and called for a taxi.

Meanwhile, Ezekiel and Argon are seated at the back of their van, across the police station where Argon surrendered the criminal. They brought along them a human driver. One of Ezekiel's trusted human worker. They've been waiting for almost two hours. Night had fallen.

"Why don't you just go there, compel someone and ask the huntress' information." The beta suggested to his alpha.

"I would like to feel her presence."

"She got shot, twice. Maybe she's in some hospital now."

"Then I'll just have you investigate her and arrange for us to meet."

Only Argon and the pack general can talk to him in a very easy way. They are best friends for how many decades. They helped built and secure the pack with him. They stood by his side in everything that had happened in years. The pack is their family, so they all take care of one another.

"Is that really necessary?" He pointed at the ring in Zek's left index finger. It's a pure silver ring with a ruby red stone that covers the top. A century ago, Ezekiel asks a witch to make one that can conceal his powerful presence whenever he puts it on. Even in meters away, anyone supernatural being could feel his energy.

"I don't want her to be on alert when she sensed my whole presence," Zek replied. The ring does keep his aura at low, as human.

An alpha's mere presence could make other wolves surrender, feel inferior in his dominance as the leader. They are naturally born with it. Also, he has another side that makes him reeks more of devilish aura. People before him can feel that he's a threat to them, undeniable intimidation.

Melisca finally arrived at the station, she went home first to properly change herself. That made her even later to pick up the letter. She's excited, at the same time nervous about what could it be for. As she was about to step up into the entrance, she felt another wolf in the area. That made her turn around and face the highway, eyes roaming, searching where it came from, then her instinct made her look at the black van, parking across the street.

Nervous, she just turned around again. 'Just get the letter and get out of the area, question Greg some other time.' She said on her mind. Whoever the wolf could be, he or she couldn't know anything about her.

"That's her." Argon pointed to the woman they are waiting for two hours already, across the street, walking up on the staircase.

Ezekiel felt his body stiffened. His heart thumping loudly, vibrating inside him, cold and hot sensation colliding. As he followed the woman's movement, his hand unconsciously tagged his necktie off, he can barely breathe when she looked at their way. Even though she has a mask on, he had never felt like this before.

"What now, alpha?" His friend somehow noticed Zek's reaction, he even ignored him.

She smells of human but mixed with something else, something intoxicating, that got him bewitched. Primal instincts now surfacing, he's green eyes had turned into an orange fire. Without taking his sight from her, he got out of the vehicle when she turned her back on them.

"Hey, Zek? Are you okay? What's wrong?" Argon kind of confused in what his friend is doing. He had never seen him like this, react to any girl this way.

Ezekiel felt compelled just by looking at the woman from afar, ignoring his beta. He removed his ring to make her feel his presence. That he is there. That she's his to take. He wants to make her feel his dominance.

He saw her stopped on her way up. Surely she felt him too. An unbreakable thread of desire pulling him towards her. The fire in his body made his mouth dry. Knowing that only she could satisfy the predator in him.

"Mine." He growled possessively. It takes all of his control not to leap on her right then and there.