LUNA ROX
Year 2006
(Winter, The Howling Five Kingdom)
"Kate!"
The family was aghast at the display. As soon as the sun set on the twentieth day of Ray's punishment, the Queen had him taken down from the Colasieze. He was quickly brought back to his room for healing.
Halfway through the treatment, the youngest Alpha of the Silver Ring pack had his arms outstretched, clawing the air desperately, crying out for a human girl.
The King was clenching his jaw so hard, angry veins were popping from his forehead. The Queen, with a mixed of emotions splayed across her face, had unconsciously let go of the small hand and stopped the healing. The other brothers and sisters were looking everywhere except that weak lump of burden squirming about in bed in excruciating pain, but in actual fact was crying out for the human girl to take him back.
"There's nothing wrong with liking a human girl," stammered the Queen, in retrospect of her own experience.
Her mate cleared his throat in an even embarrassment but said firmly, "He could've sent a message. Does he not care about the family?"
The Queen hastily spoke on her son's behalf. "Maybe he did but it didn't reach us in time."
"There were no messages from him, Mother," reported Rex, trying to mask the bitterness of his glaring brows.
Raymond quickly beat the Queen to the next word, "We were here everyday, Mother. We wouldn't miss a message if Ray had sent one."
"If Mozzo hadn't fired the signal, we wouldn't know that he was back," murmured another brother.
Suddenly, one brother's face lit up in revelation and blurted out, "Maybe he'd been in the Howling Five all along," and one by one, the Hooks jumped on.
"So he was playing hide-and-seek with all of us?"
"How sick is that!" Someone hissed.
"Can't blame him for being bored. I mean, he was indoors almost everyday. If it weren't for Father's training sessions, he'd be completely home schooled."
"Mozzo really helped a lot, Father," reported another voice. "He did find Ray."
"Ray came back on his own," snapped the eldest princess.
"Mozzo helped us? Are you blind? He's the reason why we've been skipping classes to save Ray's ass!"
"Ray's the reason why my scores have been slipping," murmured someone, and all eyes shot the Queen's murderous glare. Then, he reluctantly apologised. "Just saying."
"Look at him. We're the ones cleaning the mess he made, worried sick for him, and all he cares about is that stupid human girl."
"Father's right—this rascal cares only for himself."
"Enough," said the King, eyeing his mate with concern.
The Queen could no longer find an excuse to defend her favourite child; quietly, she coaxed him to stop and slot his hands back under the covers. The King, sensing her disappointment and eager to appease her anxiety about her children, proceeded with the usual ritual: a lecture about family bonds.
Rox scanned across the resentful expressions of the siblings as their ears swallowed the words of their father, and smirked at the weak burden who suddenly resumed his fervent scratching and clawing at the invisible, crying out for his human playmate, oblivious to the grievances he had caused.
Good luck, little brother. If I were you, I wished I'd never wake up.
*****
ALPHA RAY
Year 2006
(Winter, The Howling Five Kingdom)
"Yes—everyone is avoiding you," replied Rox, in her stop-asking-stupid questions tone. "After all that you've done, it's amazing that you'd question that extremely normal behaviour."
Ray grabbed his sister's hand to beg her for some advice when she yanked it out of his grasp. "Please, Rox. I really was telling the truth."
Eyes fixed on the pages of the human magazine she'd gotten from their Uncle Ambrose, Rox stated flatly, "And that's really none of my business."
"Why wouldn't anyone believe me?" Ray grabbed his head, his knees shaking out his anxiety. "Mozzo and the others dragged me to the human world—."
"And tied you to a tree. And a snowstorm broke out. And you shifted. And you were at your last breath. Kate saved you, but you were out for six days," recited the elder sister.
"Yes, yes, yes!" A gleam of hope burst through his voice, only to be dampened severely by a huge exasperated sigh from behind the magazine.
Finally, the Luna slammed the magazine on the bedside table, and everything in the bedroom trembled in fear. Then, she leaned back and crossed her arms proudly.
"You aren't telling us why even in your wolf form you couldn't make it out of the snowstorm, and you still couldn't account for the fourteen days you were missing. You could've told Mother; she's blinded by her love for you, she'll believe everything you said, and everyone will fall in line, including our beloved father."
Ray blinked in horror. "You don't mean that. Mother's not stupid, Rox!"
"So tell her! Why won't you?" Rox was reading her brother's face when she saw something and coughed out a mocking chuckle. "You've gotta be kidding me—you wanted to prove Mozzo wrong? That you don't turn to a werewoman's sympathy when things fail?"
"I fight my own battles!" The young prince thrust a fist in the air.
Rox snorted her derision and picked up the magazine again. "Then, get out of bed, go out there, and fight one, warrior."
"But how can I convince the pack that I'm telling the truth?"
"That's a dead end, my dumb-witted brother." Rox flipped a page in nonchalance. "You've got no allies except the Queen, whose popularity amongst the were-folks has dropped greatly because of you. And with your latest prank—."
Ray stamped both fists on the bed. "It's not a prank!"
Completely unfazed by the pea brain of her youngest brother, the Luna continued calmly. "With your latest stunt—escapade, act—take your royal pick—it'll be a long time before anyone willingly gives her any attention."
Another page flipped. "If you really love our mother, as you should, then you'll stay in bed to recuperate. And when you're better, you should start to think about my future."
Her brown eyes glared from the top of the magazine. "Like how much I would rather sit through Uncle Ellis' extremely boring class and study the Art of the Deity than to babysit your weak, wimpy ass."
Ray slumped against his thick, comfy pillows, completely defeated. "I can't be a failure, Rox. Please, help me."
Rox rolled her eyes and resumed her own leisure browsing. "Stupidity can't be saved, my dumb-witted brother. Look on the bright side: you're excellent in making every breathing creature hate you. That's really something even Rex can't achieve."
"So you hate me too?" Ray whispered under his breath. Images of Kate were flooding his mind, and his view grew misty.
"It's amazing you think I don't," his sister murmured absently, her eyes fixed on a model in a sleek business suit, posing in a posh office.
*****
Ray heeded his sister's advice. The day he felt stronger, he left his room and ventured beyond the gates of home. Action speaks louder than words, that's what father always told him. He's done taking cover from behind his brothers and sisters; he's done letting them clear his mess; he, Ray Hook, is going to fight his own battle.
The young prince had sent a message to Mozzo. They would meet and thrash things out, wolf to wolf. Ray would give that bully a piece of his mind. He's the Alpha, the son of the Alpha King, and it's about time for Mozzo to show him some respect! Once the truth is out straight from the horse's mouth, the were-folk would finally seek justice on Ray's behalf.
Luck was on his side! Mozzo responded with courtesy, asking to meet in the forest, just a stone's throw from the village gates. Ray was ecstatic. Maybe, Mozzo would return to being the nice wolf he was.
Ray was in such high spirits, he didn't mind the glares from the elders as he walked past the resting hut. A few cubs spat at him, and he greeted them with a smile. He even apologised to a werewoman when she scolded him for attending to her male cub who had tripped over a rock. After a few more 'good day's to some curses from his peers, Ray exited the village.
Following the map, he skipped past the thick foliage, noting the smell of fresh air from the mountains in the flirting breeze, and hummed a tune.
If Mozzo begged for his forgiveness, Ray would definitely forgive him. They would be the best buddies in the pack—.
The hard ground struck his head like a stone.
The strong thud shook his vision, and in that moment of blur and numbness, his limbs were pinned down. Something warm and gooey hit his face, then mocking laughter erupted above him.
"You think that little trick of your brothers and sisters would work wonders, Alpha Ray?" A familiar voice rang coldly.
Peeping through the spit sticking to his lashes, Ray saw the face of his attacker—or attackers.
Mozzo and his mutt-lings.
"Y-you agreed t—to talk!" Ray squealed, fear slowly squeezing him like the python ropes.
Mozzo laughed so hard, he had to grab his stomach. "Is talking the only thing you learnt? The human world taught you nothing else, huh?"
Humiliation slammed in, and Ray was frustrated. Balling his hands, he tried to snatch his freedom back. "The Art of the Deity taught you nothing but violence too!"
"What in blasted curse did you say?" Mozzo looked like he wanted to drive a stake through Ray's heart, and then—slap!
It nearly knocked his eyeballs out. Tears swarmed in, heating the back of his eyes, but Ray gritted his teeth to summon the little strength he had in him. A few grunts to compose himself, then he spat back, as fiercely as his growl would allow.
"Eight pure wolves against one almost human—you think the deity would allow that? Aren't wolves supposed to live in harmony with humans? How dare you taint the Goddess' gift with those puny thoughts of retribution! Who told you that I hate my wolf? So what if I'm more human than wolf? My father is one of the greatest werewolves ever lived—and I'm his cub—-Oomph!!!"
Mozzo stamped his feet on Ray's mouth, shutting it. "Eat dirt, you filth," he snarled, pressing the dirty sole of his shoe on the Alpha's mouth, wiping the stains with those fine lips.
Ray was thoroughly disgusted. He wanted to beg for mercy, but the image of Kate smiling at him replenished his courage, and he bore with the pain, letting slip a few groans of agony.
Then, abruptly, the bully stopped. A smug grin appeared, exposing the evil plan. "Even better, eat filth."
Ray was spitting the soil from his mouth when he heard the snap of a finger. Traumatised, he jolted back and came face to face with a glass jar. Inside, black specks were floating about like soot from a coal mine.
The dark whims.
A chilling fear ran up Ray's spine.
"That's it, Alpha Ray. That's the look we all love. No one does this better than you, I'm afraid." The other mutts snickered along as Mozzo tapped the glass. "I'm actually happy for you. When you told me that you're giving me a chance to tell the truth and right the wrong, I thought you were a goner, muck-mutt. But you ain't all dumb, you know what this is."
"Wh—what are you going to do?" Ray stared at the dark whims like they were fire blazing on his skin.
"Now, you're disappointing me again." Mozzo moved the bottle closer, uncorking the mouth.
Before Ray reacted, someone pinched his nose, and another grabbed his jaws to keep his gasping mouth wide open.
"You're going to be consumed, Alpha Ray. You do know what happens when a werewolf's consumed by the darkness." Mozzo leaned in to whisper into Ray's ears. "It's nice to watch the King back in action, don't you think?"