Chapter 6
The Night of the Full Moon and the Strange Man
Rumble… rumble…
Not long after Jania entered the forest, the sky turned ominous. Clouds clashed loudly, and it looked like rain would pour any second.
Jania bit her lip. If rain came, the torch she brought would be useless.
What should I do…?
Walking alone in the forest at night, especially in the rain, was basically suicide.
So far, aside from Alex, she had never seen other predators around here. But at night, anything could happen. And if she got soaked, it would sap her strength—she might not even be able to walk far.
Her reason told her to turn back, wait for Alex at home, and stop being reckless. But her feet wouldn’t move. Her heart pounded like mad.
If I go home now… something terrible will happen.
That gut feeling wouldn’t let her retreat. So Jania pressed on.
And then, the rain came.
Shhhhhh—
Heavy drops poured down from the sky.
The thick trees blocked some of it, so she didn’t get soaked right away, but just as she feared, the torch quickly sputtered out.
“Ahh, damn it…”
Her warm breath puffed out in the chilly air.
The forest was cold at night. With the rain, it was even worse.
Thankfully, her leather cloak kept most of it off, but she couldn’t last like this forever.
Still, something in her gut screamed that she had to find Alex, so she kept searching.
“Alex!”
She shouted his name over and over. No answer. Her pace slowed.
“Alex! Where are you?!”
Her boots squelched in the wet mud. She had put on sturdy shoes just in case, but the soggy ground made every step hard. Then—
“Ah!”
She tripped on a tree root and tumbled down. Pain shot through her knee—it had struck a sharp rock.
She couldn’t see well in the dark, but the hot sting told her the skin had split and was bleeding.
“It hurts…” she whispered with a pained face. But she didn’t have time to sit there. She forced herself up, wobbling.
“Grrrr…”
“Alex?”
From deeper in the woods came a low growl.
At first it sounded like Alex, but no… it was different. Too sharp, too hostile. Jania backed away.
And then she saw them—two glowing red eyes in the darkness.
Her hands clenched tight. Her body shook uncontrollably.
I’m scared…
The huge beast crept closer, teeth bared.
“Grrrr! Grawrrr!”
Jania squeezed her eyes shut. She saw those sharp fangs right before she did, certain they would tear into her throat.
But… nothing happened.
Slowly, she cracked her eyes open.
Awooooo—
A wolf’s howl echoed loudly through the forest.
The beast in front of her froze, growled uneasily, then backed away. Seconds later, it vanished into the trees.
Jania’s heart leapt.
Alex…?
It wasn’t just because it was a wolf howl. Something about it felt familiar, like it was truly him.
I have to go.
She pushed herself up, limping toward the direction of the howl.
The rain poured harder, the ground turned to slush, and her bleeding knee throbbed, but she kept going.
“Grawrr! Raaah!”
“Woof! Woof!”
Suddenly, sounds of beasts clashing tore through the storm. Jania froze.
What is that…?
Snarls, yelps, and heavy thuds filled the air. It sounded like animals fighting violently.
Thud!
“Ahhh!”
Something slammed into her, knocking her backward. She hit the ground hard, coughing.
Her ears rang with a sharp buzzing. Pain shot through her body.
Drip… step… drip…
Footsteps approached through the mud.
Jania forced her eyes open, terrified. If it was the beast again, she was done for.
But… legs. Human legs. Pale and strong.
Another person…? Here?
Her heart lit with hope. Maybe it was a neighbor who had come by chance. She tried to call out.
“Hel… help me…”
But before she could finish, darkness swallowed her.
And as she collapsed, a pair of glowing golden eyes stared down at her.
***
Meanwhile…
“Damn it…” Rupert cursed, his face twisted.
Tonight was the night of the full moon.
As usual, he had gone out to hunt in the morning. But this time, he hadn’t returned home.
After leaving his kill at the gate, he had gone back into the woods.
Something felt wrong. If he lost control tonight, he didn’t know how much destruction he’d cause.
Maybe it’s better this way.
He had been waiting for this. For weeks, assassins had been tailing him, even from the capital.
The last time they attacked, he had been injured and barely survived.
But now his wounds were healed. His strength had returned, stronger than ever. Tonight, he would wipe them all out.
Awooooo—
He howled long and loud, drawing the assassins to him, then unleashed his power.
Under the full moon, his body teetered on the edge of madness. But this time, he didn’t hold back.
When it was over, he staggered back into human form, chest heaving, his fingers clawing at the wet dirt.
“Purification… I need purification…” he muttered.
Even half-conscious, he knew exactly what he needed.
And then, in his mind, he saw her face. The smiling girl who had no idea who he really was. Just the thought of her made his body burn.
Rupert clenched his teeth.
And then—
“…Help… me…”
A weak voice reached his ears. His heightened senses caught it instantly.
He moved toward the sound.
And there she was—Jania, collapsed on the ground.
She looked up at him faintly, lips trembling. He couldn’t even hear the words. His vision dimmed as if the world had gone dark.
This woman… She’s the one…
Rupert’s hand stretched out toward her.
***
“Mmm…”
Jania slowly woke.
She blinked at the faint outline of the rainy night outside. She could still hear the downpour.
And then she remembered—the beast, the howl, the glowing eyes, the man—
“Ahh!”
She tried to sit up but gasped as pain shot through her body. Her head pounded. Her leg burned. She collapsed back down with a groan.
But… the surface she was lying on felt soft.
Soft?
Jania froze. Something was wrapped around her, warm and solid, pressing against her waist.
And behind her… warm breaths brushed her neck.
Her eyes went wide.
“…You’re awake?”
A deep man’s voice rumbled right behind her. Jania stiffened completely.
