Chapter 3 One Must Die For Another To Live

"Alexander..." I muffle under my breath as a lone tear drops from eyes and rolls down my cheeks.

"You want to change my pack name to Captured And Caged." The man who is the third part of Dad says. "Oh. Don't be surprised. I can hear your mind clearly. You're wondering how I know."

"Thompson..." I stutter and roll bizarrely on the ground. "... please help me up." Oi stretch my hands forth to him. He chuckles and suddenly changes his countenance.

"You want to stand up so you can kill me, right?" He asks and scoffs. "Alexander is fighting with me right now and it's almost 12 am. I lied to you, it's not 9pm."

I rub my eyes and make sure my head is facing the ground directly, so that gives access for my witch being to minister to me.

"Now, you don't have any hope of getting out."

"You're under my spell since you entered into this hut."

"I'll kill you instead and that must be tonight..." He finally says. "... and right here."

Then he spreads his arms and two swords assume their positions in his palms.

"Remain as you are." He tells me. "Don't make me miss my target, I'll behead you now and cheers to your getting mated to Alex once you get to the world beyond."

I remain lying flatly on the ground and meditating on the next step to take but as soon as my wolf alerts me of the approaching sword, I jerk up immediately and drag Thompson's feet backwards making him fall to the ground.

"Now, tell me." I am now standing while he's wincing in pain with other weak wolves. "How can you proof that you'll kill me?"

Just as I said that, the door jerks open and two foxes barge in. they stand at attention when they see me and after few minutes, they dump themselves on Thompson, pouncing on him and digging their claws into his eyes. Blood flows out of his eye socket as he looks at me for the last time. He curves his lips and through that, I get a message. He's telling me I'll die. I use that opportunity to get out of the room, as I step forward, I feel a rush of wind blowing hard against me as though it's detaching an embargo from my wolf.

"Alex? Alex?" I call him in this creepily silent bush where illuminations are only from wild creatures. Once a wild animal tries to attack me and I can't use my wolf, I'll shift into his type and that's to tell you that a witch or wizard has the ability to change into any kind of wolf.

Instead of seeing Alex, I only see first Dad gathering up and turning into a human again. I stand few meters away from him as I gaze up at the sky, then at him and then at my four sides should any rogue lunges an attack at me.

Dad finally returns into his wolf being and immediately, those two foxes barge out of the room. A confirmation. Those two foxes are feeding on a part of Dad so since Dad's human now, the man must have disappeared or scared them away. Since they are coming towards me directly, I throw my head backwards as my leg twitches, curves into a V-shape and elongates appropriately. My eyes glow with green color mixed with magenta as my witch power connects with the fox world and turns me into a fox before the two foxes could attack me. Now, in my fox form, I make my eyes glow intensely so much that it should scare them away but it doesn't. the two foxes move near me and look at themselves. Then, they leave after silently grunting. My fox rests his body on the ground and watches Dad as he shivers and immediately, a signal comes from my witch power and I become a human again.

"Dad, can we return to our pack house now?" I ask him, yawning and feeling exhausted.

"Sure." He says and whimpers as he stands up. I hold his hands and we head towards the pack house, using the bush as a pathway. We keep walking as the buzzing of insects and late chirping of birds get eerier. Doors to the huts on the way open flat themselves and lights in the room blink multiple times, affecting our vision.

"Dad, I hope you're on the alert." I tell him. "Should any rogue attack us, shift into your form immediately."

"Thank you. And, I should be apologizing now." He says. Only God knows why he's a dumbass. Like, how will I suddenly start to act nice and you won't know something's fishy?

"You're welcome." I play along.

"We are few minutes to the pack house." He tells me. "I'm happy to be in my pack again after going into the bush to experience hard trials."

"I wish you good luck in your new world." I reply him and chuckle.

"New world?" He seems confused now. He doesn't know I'm still on the fact that I'll kill him before 12 am.

"Well, you said it was almost 12 then, right?" I ask.

"Yeah, yeah. I said it right from outside. How did you hear? Any problem?"

"No worries, I'm good." I reply him. He's proved himself to be a monster that can double himself. Actually, he can make himself three but only two will be active.

"Now, we are here." He says as we wash our feet in the river. I deem it right not to ask anything about Alex so he won't be let in on our ongoing plan, not at least.

"Can you mind link Smith and tell him we are back?" I ask him, shrugging my shoulders. He knows a ting about mind link. Once a wolf mind links another wolf, a witch gets free access to the mind link.

"Only if you won't interrupt." He tells me.

"I won't." I reply, almost immediately. "Are you telling him something else after all?"

Sharply, the door jerks open as Smith comes out and smiles at seeing both of us.

"You did that so quick?" I ask Dad and he nods his head.

"That's an attribute of an Alpha. Can you both come inside now?" Smith tells us but I shrug my shoulders.

"Dad, you can get in. I'll be with you shortly." I tell him as he moves into the pack house while I sit at the waterfall, waiting for Alex to approach. The door shuts tightly and I look back only to see Alex standing behind me. Not hesitating, I pull him in for a hug and he chuckles, making his rib shake with excitement.

"So, you know I've been here waiting?" I ask him after looking at his face with an urge to hug him again.

"I did not leave you. I muted Thompson's reasoning, that was why he didn't know you're up to anything any more." He tells me. "And you don't need to appreciate this. I am you mate and if you have never known, I'm an Alpha of a pack and I'm returning to this world soon."

"This is good news." I reply him. "Can we sit?"

"Sure we can. It's quarter to 11pm. If Smith and Thompson don't die tonight, then I don't have a chance to come to this world again."

"What!" I exhale. "Why this night? What do we do?"

"Don't panic. The worst is for you to die and we getting mated in out ghost forms."

"Die? Like, kill myself?"

"No. Thompson or Smith must be the one to kill you."

"Pardon?"

"And it must be your head. Your head must go for it so you'll get a new head here in the ghost world."

"Alex, this is what you wish for me?" I move a bit away form him.

"Why would I wish this for my mate?"

"Then, why are you sounding horrific and terrific?"

"Since I'm a child of horror and hold on, you won't die. We can do this." He forces a smile on his chin.

"But I can touch you. I can feel you. Why are you not a spirit?"

"Number one reason says that, you're a witch and you have a part in the ghost world. Number two reason says that, I'm reviving. My body is being formed since blood is being splattered on the ground."

"You must have been a serial killer ever." I roll my eyes at him.

"No. I was a blue wolf and I know you are aware of that. I was murdered when I and Thompson wanted to be an Alpha of this pack. He successfully murdered me through the help of a tall wolf whose name I can't remember." He replies. "Blue wolves are those divinely appointed by the moon goddess to kill wolves that trespass. That's mandatory and not the vicious kind like a serial killer as you've been thinking."

"Can you become a blue wolf again?" I ask him.

"Only if I come back through the vicious and bloody death of Thompson and Smith." He says.

"Rise to your feet." I tell him and clench my fists. "It's time to take action."