Chapter 1 - THE GRIEVING HEARTS

It was a little past midnight and everywhere was dark and calm. A cool and gentle breeze blew across the house sending a cold chill to Riona as she walked around the house in her nighties with teary eyes. She was covered in grief and sorrow which were a result of the strong pain that has built up inside of her.

As she takes each step, she was lost in the happenings around her and with this, she did not take cognizance of the darkness surrounding her. But she knows her way around the house and was able to dodge the obstacles in front of her.

She arrived at the front of a frame on the wall in the sitting room and stopped in front of it. "Mum" she muttered and more tears dropped from her eyes.

Still unconscious, she walked up the staircase and when she got to her dad's door she stopped. She made to turn the door handle but changed her mind and withdrew her hand. She turned and continued to her room.

When she got to her room, she opened the door and turned on the lights. She slowly walked to her bed and laid down. Then she covered herself up to her shoulder with her duvet and closed her eyes.

As soon as Riona entered her room, Wright opened the door to his room and walked out. He was putting on only boxers and the upper part of his body was uncovered and left bare exposing his muscles and his perfect skin. He stood tall in the darkness, his physique overshadowing the coldness of the midnight air.

He walked through the passageway and came to Riona's door. He stopped in front of the door and he decided to open it to know if Riona was awake. Carefully, he opened the door slightly and takes a peep inside. Wright was been careful in this as he does not want to disturb Riona with his activities by this time of the night and he hopes that she was deep in sleep.

When he looked into the room, he saw her lying on her bed and with her appearance, he could tell that she was fast asleep. The lights were on and he reached for the switch by the side of the door and put off the lights. After that, he closed the door gently and left. Even though he had confirmed that Riona was sleeping, he was still conscious of his movements and he quietly walked down the staircase to the sitting room to avoid making any sound that would alert Riona.

From his look, it was obvious that he had been restless and was very exhausted. All night long, he had tried to get some sleep but was unable to because all through the night, his mind kept drifting to the events of the past month.

As soon as he got into the sitting room, he yawns and stretches himself. After the stretch, he walks up to the frame on the wall which has Evolette's picture and he looked at it. With his eye still focused on the picture, he murmured "It is today darling". After saying this, he smirked.

He hopes that the picture had heard what he said and so he stood in front of the picture looking at it for a little while longer. Then he gradually closed his eyes and he placed his right hand on the frame and keeping a sad and weary face, he slowly ran his fingers through the picture.

His heart is bitter and he felt he cannot last a second longer. He wants to be free from all of these, from the pains that are within and hunting him. He wants to shade off his human skin. It has been a very long he did this. Actually, he had vowed never to do it but right now, he was left with no choice but to be free and he hopes that shading off his human skin would bring him the relief that he so many desires at this point in his life.

"Till we met again, love," He said to the picture.

He slowly removed his hands from the frame and opened his eyes that were already holding some tears. He takes some steps back from it.

He stops and looked around the sitting room and he growled. When he stopped, he once again takes a look around the sitting room and he growled one more time, this time louder than the first.

He quietly takes off his clothes from his body and after that, he looks around the sitting room another time, and in the swift of a second, in pain, he shifted into a wolf.

After he had shifted into his wolf, he growled once again and he ran out of the house through the back door and into freedom.

.........................................................

Wright took the plates from the kitchen and to the dining table with a heavy heart. He dropped the plates on the dining table and returned to clean up the kitchen and to ensure that everything is kept in order.

When he was done fixing the kitchen, he glanced at his wristwatch, and it was 6:48 am. He sighs heavily, his hands braced against the kitchen sink.

He stalled as he remembered the way his daughter, Riona, wept at her mother's bedside at the hospital. Riona had lost her mother and he had lost his beloved wife. He hadn't taken Riona back to see her mother after that encounter, and now he had to tell his daughter that her mother would be laid to rest today and he just could not bring himself to do that as he does not know how to go about it without steering up her emotions.

"Oh God, what is all this. How would I be able to go about this?" He said to himself.

Even as a werewolf, he has not been able to control the hurt that he feels at the demise of his lovely wife, Evolette, no matter how hard he tries to. So the thought of how painful this is to his precious daughter, Riona only caused him more pain. He could not do anything to ease her pains even at this dire moment when he needs to do something. He could not bear to think about how painful this is to Riona who is only but a human and could not absorb pains or control her emotions.

"I need your help Lord" he sighs.

He left the kitchen and walks to the staircase. He was going to go break the news of Evolette's burial to Riona in her room. However, he stopped at the staircase and hesitated for a while as he contemplated on whether to continue with his mission or not.

After fighting a morning struggle against his heart and mind he climbs the stairs with a lead-filled foot.

"I have got to do this now" He murmured as he approaches Riona's door.

Still filled with reluctance, he stopped at her door and raised his hand with the intention of knocking. He slightly stalls then finally tapped on the door.

He waited, but no reply.

He knocks again, "Riona darling are you awake?" He asked.

Yet there was no reply from Riona. He contemplated on what to do as he was reluctant on opening the door. After what seemed like forever, he grabbed the handle of the door and gently opened it.

He saw Riona lying on the bed, she was wide awake. He stood and stared at her and she stares back at him. Wright's heartaches as he sees her eyes, a replica of her mother's, but now reddened by frequent tears.

Riona reminds him so much of Evolette, his wife, and anytime that he looks at her, he remembers the first time that he had seen Evolette at her friend's place and had fallen in love with her at first sight even though she was completely different from him. She is human.

Riona possesses all the attractive features of her mum, from the long brown hair to her straight legs and then to her succulent pink lips and that eyes. She also has a great height just like Evolette. And even at age twelve, she already has the curves in all the right places.

After Wright had met Evolette, he had immediately revealed his werewolf identity to her. At first, she considered his assertions as being ridiculous but when he had gone ahead to shift right before her. At first, she found the whole situation very strange but accepted to be with him after she had assured her that he has no intention of continuing with being a werewolf.

When Riona was born, Evolette asked him to embrace his real self for the sake of their daughter because she could as well be a werewolf just like him. However, he and Evolette had vowed not to let her in on his identity until she comes of age and is able to fully comprehend and handle the truth.

Looking at how inquisitive Riona had turned out, Wright felt that keeping away his identity from her was the best thing to do for now at least till she becomes more mature.

He tried to soften the act in his voice before greeting her. "Hey, dear".

"Good morning daddy" Riona replied.

She was still staring at him expressionlessly and she did not even make any attempt to get out of her bed.

He takes a seat next to Riona and placed his hands on her body.

"Listen, Rio, I need to tell you something that is happening today..."

He falters, clearing his throat before continuing his sentence.

Riona stares at her dad with eyes of innocence as she was completely oblivious to the situation.

He coughed again and tears dropped from a corner of his left eye.

"Today is the day ..."

A knock at the door downstairs snags Wright's attention from his daughter. He breathes a breath of relief and immediately stood up.

"Give me a minute, Rio, let me see who is at the door"

Riona did not respond to her dad's excuse, instead, she rolled her eyes and immediately turned her back to him.

Wright stood up and stared at Riona for a little while. Actually, he felt lost at her disposition and within him, he sincerely hopes that Riona is a werewolf just like him. For this, he has to wait until her sixteenth birthday to find out. Hopefully, she would shift on the full moon of her sixteenth birthday.

And he has to get her ready for this. He alone cannot do that alone and so he plans on getting her close to a female werewolf who would take out her time to explain everything to her so that she would not find it strange if she discovers that she is a werewolf.

"I would be right back," Wright said and walked out.