EPILOGUE

 

It was an absolute horror show but despite so, a man stood half-fazed, staring at the gory scene in front of him. It was the smell of mortal blood drifted by the wind that caught his attention, yet it was the worries of his female companion that made him rush to it.

Blood, guts and flesh torn to pieces. By no means he wasn’t a stranger to sights like this. Countless of times had he laid his slit yellow pupils on disemboweled mortals who suffered from his kin. But never had he seen such cleanly cut flesh and bones that, if the spilled guts weren’t there to ruin the definition of “clean”, it would appear that the killer’s claws were like a hot knife through butter. All of the therian kills he had seen were far too grizzly to even compare to this. Those were mere visceral displays of power, of pride, or of blind hunger. Whereas, in front of him was a ruthless, effortless display of a meticulous, swift, yet unforgiving execution.

Cold. Damp. Squishy.

His attention was shifted to what it was that he stepped on. A dead heart with a single fanged bite. He immediately went to the torn off torso laying face down. Upon inspection of victim’s chest that was ripped open like a double-doored wardrobe, he had no doubt that the heart was this victim’s.

“Horrific.” He scratched his lightly bearded chin as he surmised that whoever the killer was, their aim was to send a powerful message. “I like to think that,” he began. “This guy had to be taught a lesson and people like him had to be given a warning.”

The woman beside him contested, “Oh? Pray tell, Akira, what is that?” She marveled at the horror show but couldn’t suppress her disgust at the stink from the victim’s lower half. Her keen sense of smell was her bane.

Akira scratched his chin again, “Born from nature, we are all. This guy must have overestimated himself, probably to the point where he thought he was superior above all else. He shouldn’t have.”

“Like the olden bard song, huh?” His golden, shoulder-length haired female companion drew a smile.

He asked as they both started to turn their backs to the chopped up corpse, “What do you think this kill was about, my lady?”

“I like to think that,” she began the same way he did, “this is a warning to those who would cross the House of Remus. And before you make an argument out of this…” She held up her hand to signal that she was about to add more. “No, I don’t think she did this awesome kill.”

A knot on his forehead appeared at the sound of her praising the killer for the brutal yet meticulous execution. But as Akira was aware of how much of a fan she was to the alpha line in their pack, he shrugged her high praise off. “Yeah, it can’t be Lady Serra. I’m glad that even you, Lady Cynthia, acknowledge she’s not strong enough on her own.”

He just realized that he blurted out a rather negative comment about Cynthia’s cousin. He paused at the same time she paused in mid-step, “I’m s…”

She shook her head, somewhat disappointed.

On the other hand, he took her silence as anger. He figured he went out of line to warrant this reaction. He immediately genuflected to her surprise. “I’m sorry, my lady!”

She gestured with her hand her acceptance of his apology then paced forward, leaving him behind. “’My lady, my lady…’ Enough with it already. And I’m not mad about your opinion.”

Akira’s spiky, dirty blond hair seemed to straighten up in his joy. He didn’t anger her and she made it sound like she was aware of his sentiment. Maybe, she even had the same thought. But he left it at that and didn’t dare to blurt out anything further.

Cynthia looked back as she noticed he still didn’t get up, “What are you still doing?”

He took his position as a lower-ranking member in their pack way too seriously that he would only heed the words of those he considered to be of higher rank and importance than himself. “I’m not getting up until you command me to,” he emphasized, “Lady Cynthia.” However, in contrast to his principle, he wouldn’t take her command to call her by her name alone. That was the exception he held onto because he never thought to call her as if someone like him could be her equal.

“Fine, stay like that forever. I’m not commanding you to do shit,” she groaned.

Then suddenly…

“Rise.”

At the command, he stood up swiftly with a posture like that of a soldier, but with a facial expression like that of a kid who was just given candy. He thought Cynthia quickly changed her mind that she decided to take her rank more thought… only to be surprised when he found out that it wasn’t her who gave the order.

Emerging from the shadows was a cloaked woman with hair as golden as Cynthia’s but had emerald pupils like none from his species. The woman grinned, “Don’t let Cyn bully you, err… uh… Hi, I’m Serra.”

Cynthia had a brief moment of digesting the fact that Serra, an alpha, was out by herself on a full moon no less. She blinked hard and then defended, “First of all, his name is Akira. Akira from the werefox village. Second of all, I wasn’t bullying him. Never have been a bully my whole life!”

“Mhm?” Serra smirked at that claim, dimples showed on her cheeks.

“And lastly…” Cynthia rushed to her, arms wide open. Teary-eyed, she tackled her to the ground, hugging her, “YOU FUCKING RASCAL! Wh-wh-what are you doing here?! We told you to HIDE AND STAY PUT!”

“Oh, you’re giving me orders now?” Serra teased, hugging Cynthia back.

She retorted, “I wouldn’t have to step out of bounds if only you’d take your position seriously, cousin!”

Akira eyed the two women, especially the supposed alpha of the pack who was just as irresponsible and careless as he had heard from others. Yet Serra was just as pretty as his highly regarded Cynthia and he could not deny that she had a regal aura in her, if her glaring flippant side was ignored.

The pair broke from their hug and stood up. Only then did Cynthia realize Serra was naked under the bloodstained cloak – a mortal hunter’s cloak – and immediately, Cynthia glared at Akira. “You better NOT have seen anything!”

Because Cynthia motioned him to, Akira turned his back to the two.

“Gee, it’s fine. We’re therians. We technically have seen each other naked plenty of times already especially when we’re on our beastly forms.” Serra reasoned, finding her cousin’s yelling unnecessary.

Cynthia solidified her stand, “We’re all covered in fur at those times. Akira, don’t you dare turn around.”

“Do turn around.” Serra countered jokingly. “On my command.”

He felt played by the pair for these conflicting orders but since Serra was the highest ranked member of their pack – or the supposed highest – he could not ignore hers. To make it easier for Cynthia, he did not dare to try to see past the alpha’s cloak.

Cynthia groaned, “If only you’d use your authority on more pressing issues.”

Akira couldn’t resist bowing in agreement. He didn’t care if he got struck down for his stance.

“Ah, yes!” Elated upon remembering something, the alpha clapped her hands, her claws were retracted. “Speaking of more pressing issues…”

Both Cynthia and Akira straightened up, ready for a serious command.

“…could I ask you to carry someone to the nearest mortal territory? Follow me. He’s over there…”

Cynthia rolled her eyes while Akira buried his face on his palm. Serra had to grab them by their wrists to lead them to the tree farthest from the clearing. “I tried to carry him by myself but gosh, if it wasn’t a night of full moon, I’d have done it already. Trust me, I realllllly tried.”

When they recovered from their disappointment, they saw a redheaded mortal man sleeping soundly against the tree trunk. A wolf pup kept the mortal company, not minding the anti-werewolf tools that hung on his belt.

Akira and Cynthia inspected the tame pup who recognized a familiar scent from her. She bent down as the cub approached her with a wagging tail and ears plopped down. She herself picked up a familiar scent from the little one as well. The pup hopped onto her chest and Cynthia glanced at Serra as she caught the wolf, demanding an explanation.

“He’s Luther.” Serra affirmed, “Your nephew.”

Cynthia’s eyes sparkled, taking in the fact that the pup had the same slit red pupils as her own. “Screw nephew! He’s my son now,” she joked and laughed, snuggling with Luther, letting him lick her face. She laughed even harder when her cousin visibly frowned at her joke… until her eyes welled up and her laughs died down.

Akira, amazed by the news that Serra already had an heir, got his turn to hold the pup. ‘Maybe she’s not that irresponsible’, he remarked. ‘She’s taken care of every leader’s concern on stability first thing.’ Smiling brightly, he raised the wolfling gently, “Hello, Li’l Luther~! I’m Akira.”

In contrast to how he easily accepted Cynthia as family, for some reason, Luther didn’t like being held by the werefox. Ears perked up, he attempted to jump out of his hug, only to be lovingly hugged a little tighter. Akira drew his face close to him but the pup faced away, his hind legs kicking him in the jaw. He whined, calling out to his mother.

Serra couldn’t get to her son as she herself was in a tight hug with Cynthia who was tearing up. She let out a whine herself. Luther understood that he had to bear with it for now. If only a wolf pup could pout…

Cynthia sniffled, “I’m so sorry I wasn’t there for you when you gave birth. All alone for months on end… you must have been scared! I’m sorry I put you through it. Fuck, I… I forgot you were pregnant.”

Serra broke away from the hug, held her trembling hands and looked at her straight in the eye, “It’s alright, Cyn. Don’t beat yourself up for it.” She gulped hard but they both smiled in the end as all turned out well.

She then sighed, extending her arm to the direction of the sleeping mortal. “Things aside, can you aid me with this kind human?”

Cynthia looked at the man. Despite having multiple gunshots on his torso and one on his knee, he was hale. He was breathing fine, his wounds were shallow and far from fatal. When she spotted four fang marks on his neck, she immediately had an idea what Serra had done to him. She pressed her lips, concerned, “I hope you know what comes next for him, cousin.”

“Not entirely sure, I have to be honest.” Serra looked away in shame.

“Wha—?!” She almost had a heart attack at her response. “Okay, for everybody’s safety, I can get him looked at by a shaman–”

“Absolutely no shaman,” Serra protested. “I’d rather he be looked at by his fellow humans.” Serious, she locked gazes with Cynthia, “On my command.”

Without a second thought, Cynthia gave in, “As you will. Just… don’t be surprised if another mortal gets torn into pieces by this guy.”

Serra opened her mouth, about to say something. Then she closed her mouth. Her cousin grew curious and threw in a seemingly outlandish idea while Akira postured, all his attention on the mother of the pup who also listened closely.

“Did you kill that bearded hunter over there, cous?”

Serra kept silent.

Cynthia assured, “Hey, we won’t judge.”

“I, uh…” Serra started explaining, “…wasn’t myself for a moment. Before I knew it, he was dead. I… have taken a human life. Now, my oath is–”

Akira couldn’t hold back a grin. Meanwhile, Cynthia held her cousin’s shoulders in pure joy, “You finally tapped into your true beast! What was it like? Ohh, we have to CELEBRATE! Little Luther’s birth and your beast’s first awakening!” She could have talked on and on but Serra covered her mouth.

“Cyn, we cannot celebrate. I have broken my oath. Our pack’s in shambles…” Serra stressed.

Cynthia sighed, still overjoyed, “Nice to hear you explicitly express worry about the pack once in a while.” She had caught Serra speaking thoughts she mostly hid behind her flippant side and she couldn’t be happier. She took this opportunity to encourage her to fully assume her role, eventually fully repressing her own happiness in turn in pursuit of the actual pressing issue Serra dodged minutes back. “Hey, you won’t believe who Akira and I spotted during our mission earlier.”

Serra fell silent again. She already had an idea who her cousin was talking about. On the other hand, Luther looked at his mother, humming softly in confusion.

“Serra, there is no other way. For now, forget about the punishment from breaking your oath and listen to me.” Cynthia moved her hands down her cousin’s arm, demanding her attention, “You have to do something about this before any unworthy beta kinsman claims power. Forgive me for putting pressure on you… but our pack… or what’s left of it…”

Serra shifted her gaze away from Cynthia and subconsciously focused on the sleeping hunter Hajime.

“…we need a new alpha.”