(ALANA'S POV)

"If...if I didn't help her out, if I just let that monster kill Keera, I would have....no, noooooh!"

My heart felt as if it were torn to shreds. I couldn't think anymore; I didn't even want to think.

The cheers and smiles of Keera felt like daggers going in and out of my heart.

"What right does she have to smile?" The rage in me was shimmering like pork in a pan.

"Alana, nice game, I told you, Very soon, I will wipe that smug look off your face. See" Keera pats me on the back showing off her victory.

GAME!

My entire eyesight blurred, and my hate for Keera went out of proportion. Mason was my life's goal and to her, he was just a game.

What right does someone like her have to even deserve him?

In the heat of my fury, I made a decision that dragged everyone into a whirlpool of suffering and pain.

"Keera, congratulations," I said, propping myself up with my feet as I gave her a friendly hug.

"You may have won this but don't forget, your main obstacle...your Wolf!" I whispered as I held her head closer.

After my words, I retreated immediately from her, heading back deep into the fog.

(KEERA'S POV)

"That damn storm wolf, how does she manage to ruin the mood all the time?"

My excited heart calmed down as the last words of Alana kept haunting me like a tiger stalking its prey.

"Stupid girl, why did she leave without finishing her sentence? What exactly is she thinking? Does she have a way of helping me call out my wolf? Is she bluffing? What.....Ahhh, I can't do it anymore"

I gave up on thinking and ran towards Alana's tent to extract the truth from her mouth. I must get to the root of this once and for all. Everyone seems to know the reason for my predicament except me.

(After 1 hour)

"What ...in the world, is Alana a recluse? Why is she living in such isolation?"

I flopped to the floor immediately to scoop a handful of water. I have been running and searching for Alana's house for the past hour and yet...no sight!

After more than twenty minutes, I finally got sight of a tent nestled between two rocks; the tent was abnormally plain and simple. From a distance, it appeared to be just a white cloth on a stick.

"This... This is it?" My entire frustration almost came out as a roar. "Ohhh, Alana, I have to get the truth from you or else...What!"

My ranting got interrupted by Alana who opened up her tent and brought a chair outside with a cup of tea she was sipping.

"Never mind, whatsup?" I immediately played the mute game.

"What's up? I don't understand?" Alana gave me a bewildered look.

"Eh, what's up, you know you were about to tell me something a few hours ago?" I nervously smiled, drinking the cup of tea in front of Alana.

"I am honestly confused, I have nothing to tell you?" Alan shrugged. "Wait, did you come all the way here to ask me this? You are funny, I tell you." Alana gave a weird laugh.

Originally, I would have teased her laughter, but her eyes were red in anger. What the heck? Is she pretending?

"Stop playing the fool, Alana, I know you know why I can't summon my wolf and you know how I can, so spit it out!"

"Spit it out?" Alana repeated my sentence and toyed with disbelief, she spat on the floor. "Did you see what you were looking for?"

"Alana, that's enough from you," I overturned the table in anger, glaring at Alana with hateful spite.

The spite came from anger...anger that I cannot even beat her if I wanted to, anger that the only hope I have to get my wolf was about to get snuffed out...again!

"BRACELET"

Alana finally said something as I was about to leave in distress.

"This is just my theory but don't you think only upor mother's last keepsake can help you out now? I mean, you are a lovebird, she's a lovebird, she must have a way for you to call out your wolf?" Alana finally dropped the bomb.

"You are kidding?" I looked at Alana in disbelief. "That restricted property, I have no right to even go near that room, not to mention touching it? How do you expect me to use this knowledge?"

"I don't know," Alana shrugged and stood up. "How much do you actually crave to get stronger, how much do you want to be the best? The ball is in your court now."

Her words left a ringing in my ears, my eyes clouded with determination, a fierce determination that burned from the depths of my soul.

I could almost imagine the scenes, everyone looking at me with the same referential fear as they do my mom's statue.

When I call out my wolf and inherit the lovebird's name fully, I will become my only Challenger. No one will be my equal, not Alana, not even Mason.

"It's just a bracelet for honouring my mother, whether I take it or not, my mom is still being honoured," I convinced myself of my own lies and headed to the sacred altar.

"I will just borrow it, once I am done awakening my wolf, I will keep it back in a jiffy."

(MASON'S POV)

"Father" I stormed into my father's chambers, my face still in disbelief from the news I just received. I am being engaged to Keera? I and Keera are just friends. I haven't even thought of getting close to her in such a way.

"Father, what am I hearing? When did I get engaged to Keera, no less?"

"Mason, it is exactly as you heard," my father weakly said, his hands still holding his ancient pipe strongly. You're the most powerful wolf in the Pack, and you are to engage whoever wins the foggy hunt which she did. So get used to that fact

"Father, I don't understand, this is not possible at..."

"Why is it not?" Hus' word prompted my silence.

"I....Yes, why?" That was a question I didn't even ask myself. Something about the entire engagement just felt off, like...like it's wrong.

"Do you hate Keera?" Father asked me and I replied NO faster than I have ever replied before.

"Then what's the problem? I don't see an issue? You don't hate her, she does not hate you, why make it so complicated?"

"Father,..." I still wanted to argue, to tell him she's just a friend, but the clan's distress signal went off.

"What was that?" I looked back in fear, and before I knew it, a thunderbolt went off beside my ear, and my father was long gone.

"Everyone, prepare, hunt down the thief! Hunt down the thief!"

My father's emotionless voice came from the void;

DEAD OR ALIVE!

(ALANA'S POV)

"Thief" the distress sound sent a real shock crashing through my heart.

They must have been talking about another thief, right? It cannot...it shouldn't be Keera.

Deep down, I knew the truth but I subconsciously did not want to believe it. It seems too good to be true. The reverend Keera will one day be called a thief, whose life and death are now uncertain.

I couldn't control my legs from moving quickly with the other wolves. I was scared a bit deep in my heart, and a faint cluster of joy was rapidly spreading.

If she dies, no one will stand in my way with Mason.

(KEERA'S POV)

What the heck!

A distress sound for this bracelet, it ain't even costly. It's just wood!

I glanced at the woody but comfortable bracelet in my hand and my entire body was filled with shock. No matter how precious it was, surely it could not be more than my life?

Where am I even headed to? It suddenly occurred to me that I did not know where I was going. I was supposed to find a quiet place to place my blood on the bracelet for it to recognise me, but the distress sound shocked me to the core and made me start running.

"Ehhhh, a cliff" my steps braked immediately as I approached a dangerous cliff. From a distance, I could see the world faintly on the other side.

The world I have never been allowed to explore. The feelings of my childhood suddenly flooded back to me with even more vigour.

I wanted to go down the mountain, I want to explore, I want to be a free werewolf, not a trapped girl in some mountain living off her mother's name.

"Keera!" A deep voice resounded in my ears, numbing my entire body.

"First elder," I automatically responded. The first elder was basically my adopted father; he was the one who was always with me and the main reason no one could bully me to my face in the tribe.

I....I wanted to speak, but his face of disappointment scared me into silence. When have I ever been looked at like this?

"What's wrong? What did I do? I just took this lousy bracelet? Why the look?" I screamed, my heart hurt, my head hurt, and my fragile ego was crushed.

It seems no matter how good I want to be, how I want to prove myself, I will never compare to a bracelet from a dead lady, is that not so unfair?

"Keera, what are you doing here? Step away from the cliff?" Mason thundered right over, at his heels was Alana.

My heart was comforted a little on seeing Alana, and I tried to communicate with her, but she immediately shifted aside.

Huh!

Her behaviour irritated me. We were both in this together, so what was she trying to do?

"Keera, I will only say this one time, and that is because of your identity as a Lovebird, immediately return the bracelet to me and come to serve your punishment?" The first elder's voice resounded again.

I subconsciously wanted to agree but a flame in my heart refused. Why should I be punished?

I refuse!

My voice sounded loud and clear.

"Keera, do not be absurd!" Mason shouted at me. "No matter how wronged you feel, no matter what your reason is, you must come back to the tribe with us."

"No, why is this bracelet even a problem to start with? This belongs to my mother. I want what belongs to my mother; is that not allowed?"

"No one, absolutely no one, tells me anything around here. I have no clue what was mother was like, what she even accomplished, who my father even is or how I was even born. The only thing I know is that I am a lovebird, the person from the chosen bloodline and... I chuckled at the reality of the matter, that's it."

"You do not need to know anything else. The secrets of the world are more fragile than you think. A poke in the wrong place can unleash irreparable damage. Whatever was hidden was hidden for your protection. You have not even summoned your wolf. What makes you think you can handle the weight that comes with secrets?"

"That's the reason!" I screamed at the first elder, fully losing it. "Up to this moment, I have not even summoned my wolf; the reason lies here for all to see. How can I? How can I summon an entity when I am unsure of what I even am? Am I even truly a wolf, I ask myself most times?"

"I don't know who I am, I don't know my identity, this bracelet is the only thing, the only thing that can cause me to find that out." I took a brief moment to catch my breath.

"In fact, I want to go down the mountain? I have a strong feeling, a feeling that whatever it is, you are hiding is down there? In that other world, over there."

"Grab her", the first elder suddenly spoke, he could not be calm to talk nonsense with me anymore.

"Really, you cannot wik my reason so you chose brute force instead?" I screamed, inching closer towards the cliff.

Alana suddenly came so close to me, thinking that she was about to help me find a way to get out of this entrapment, and I even held her hands.

"Keera, each time, you prove to me just how incredibly stupid you are. Why were you even born?" A cold whisper of Alana brushed past my ears.

I almost couldn't believe my ears, almost stumbling from disbelief. I looked at Alana once again, this time closely, and I noticed she had hatred for me in her eyes.

It was so obvious I felt like a fool but not seeing it all this while. "Did you set me up?" I squeezed her hands so tightly.

"No, you did this to yourself?" Alana whispered.

(MASON'S POV)

I was beginning to get seriously worried and freaked out. Alana was just standing so close to the cliff with Keera.

Their body movement showed that something was going on between them but I could not relate.

"Guys, step away from the cliff to talk," I had to speak up. The cliff was so deep that no one could ever survive a fall from there, certainly not two rookie werewolves.

"Is it because of him?" I vaguely heard Keera chuckle, staring at me with wild eyes before reverting back to Alana.

"What is because of me?" I wanted to ask, but I couldn't get a word in because the next moment, Keera.... Keera fell.

What happened?

HOW DID KEERA, WHO WAS JUST TALKING, FALL OFF THE CLIFF?

ALANA'S POV

"What happened?" Mason rushed towards me, his face filled with disbelief, shock and fear.

He probably did not notice it, but his sharp nails were already digging into my skin, and I could feel his hands shaking.

Hah!

Is he worried about her? Worried about Keera? What about me? What if I fell instead, would he show this same level of concern?

Probably not?

My mind drifted away more than I expected. The dark thoughts were still trying to enslave me. I had to slap myself away.

The sound of my slap forced Mason to stop asking me questions.

"What's wrong with you?" Mason looked at me weirdly.

No one will understand, I could feel it, something was going on with me, even at that very moment.

I did not want to let go of Keera's hands, but I just had to, and I did it.

(THREE MINUTES EARLIER)

"You want Mason? So that's where all this is coming from? How typical of you, Alana?" Keera hissed amidst her breath.

"You are always so good at trying to get what you will never have, always coming for what is mine? The identity of bringing the best, the great lovebird bloodline, even Mason, you want them all, don't you?"

"Everyone thinks you are such a hard-working werewolf, but your true self, you are a selfish and jealous wolf that is ready to kill, even her own conscience, to get what she wants."

"The truth is, no matter how hard you try, you will never make it, you are just that cursed to...stop it!" I tried to stop her from talking, but she continued on and I just let go.

I did not expect the force to actually make her fall off the cliff. I could have grabbed her back, I could have saved her, but that voice came again.

Why should I save her? Isn't it better she dies?

The moment I got myself, Keera was already deep in the fog below.

(BACK TO PRESENT)

"Everyone, report to the first elder what has happened here. I am going down in search of Keera." Mason's voice pulled me back to reality.

"What did you say? No, you are going nowhere?" I grabbed hold of his clothes, I am really never letting go.

"What are you all waiting for? Go and report to the first elder?" Mason again repeated his commands to the rest of the wolves, who scurried away.

Earlier, the first elder left believing that we were going to bring Keera back, imagining how he was going to react to the news of her falling off a cliff was not even what I could think of right now.

"Mason, do not be impulsive. Keera has already fallen down the cliff. Your father will be grieving soon. Do you not think that at such a time, the entire tribe will need you? Where do you think you want to go?"

"Alana, Keera's not dead yet? My father is not so weak as to collapse from the news of her falling off a cliff. She is a Lovebird; an entity like that could possibly not have died from a fall?"

"Oh, is she now? A super strong entity as you say? Then why are you going down? She will find her way back to us, eventually."

"No matter what you say, we are not going to abandon one of our own? This....what gad come over you, Alana?" Mason suddenly shifted back from me.

"You...have changed. You are not the Alana I know, what happened?"

"No, I didn't change, maybe....maybe this has always been....me and you just didn't notice."

"Alana, you are werewolf of strength!" Mason suddenly pierced my hands with his claws.

It was so painful but it helped to clear my head a bit.

"Alana, what have you done?" Mason did not even need to ask. His expression alone tells me he already knew what had occurred.

"It was you, all this while, Alana, you were playing Keera, and even now, you do not want her to come back, why?"

I was shocked!

I was actually expecting Mason to be angry and to actually rip my throat off for endangering the life of his fiancée, but he was very patient and clearheaded.

I opened up to him and just started talking, I just felt so good talking to him. It seems that, finally, this unrequited love of mine can find closure.

"Pack your bags." Mason's cold voice sounded.

"Are you kicking me out?" I stuttered, I did not want to believe it, but I guess, if I were in his shoes, I would probably do the same thing to a person who caused my fiancée to fall off a cliff.

"Don't be absurd, we are going down the mountain to find Keera!" Mason hit my head with his hands.

"No matter what punishment, I have no right to pass judgment, that's for Keera and you to debate on, all I know is that something made you push Keera off that cliff..."

Mason looked down at the endless fog below us, "In that case, someone or something wants Keera more than we do; we need to find her and bring her back to the clan's protection before it does!"

Fine!

I hurried back to pack, not because I actually cared to bring Keera back, but because I was going to have a journey with Mason.

Even if it was a journey to save my rival!

"Ahhh" the dark thoughts started to creep into my mind again. Honestly, it was getting annoying.

"If I catch you, whoever is doing this, I will make sure to rip your heart out with my own fangs."I cursed placing my hand on my chest.

(HUMAN SETTLEMENT)

A deep, dark castle situated in a dense stretch of forest stood tall like a demon crawling out from the layers of the abyss.

A cold wind blew past, exposing the eye of a statue, only the eye and the entire earth shook in response. A heavy downpour began as if mourning the fate of the coming events.

"SHE HAS FINALLY APPEARED. TOOK HER A THOUSAND YEARS?"