Melancholy: The Moon's Inception

Rain was falling like stones coming down from the sky. Flashing of lightning and roaring thunder dominate the entire pack land. Standing from the mansion's balcony was a little girl blankly staring down below, tears uncontrollably rolling down her cheeks.

Seeing a man kneeling, facing the dark forest of Luvinstri Deya. In the distance, she saw two wolves running away escaping from something she didn't expect. Waking up in her fantasy, that rainbows will then turn into nightmares. Breaking the fairytale she grew up believing in.

The red necklace she tightly gripped started to slip down from her tiny hand. Betrayed by the person she trusted the most. Her mother treated her as the princess, heiress of Shadowstone. With her father as the king and mother as the queen. They were a complete and happy family that almost everyone would dream of.

Shocking her with the most unexpected decision her mother would do. Abandoning them, leaving with someone she didn't even know who. Suddenly stepped into the cruel world without any explanation and goodbyes.

As the necklace hits the ground, Denise swears she would never ever be needing someone who would hurt her. Forcing herself to stand alone, she insisted on entering Laxon University.

"You are aspiring for the alpha position, tell me how would a girl do that?" the academy professor sarcastically asked her in front of all the males.

Denise darted an emotionless stare, keeping her pride and dignity. She steps forth the line, raised her head confidently, and answered the old man. "Leading a pack is my unending mission. Entering this academy is a basic step. Walking away from the gates of Laxon clasping the white wolf's emblem on my right hand dripping with my own blood. With every step I go, my head would raise. Stating one day, I am a female alpha."

Changing perspective, that there was no true love's kiss from another that can save you from your own darkness. Denise Soleil was the only she-wolf who dared to enter the gates of tormenting Laxon University.

"Denise! Where are you?" Sydney yelled from the other line.

The woman with long curly dark bluish hair just laughed while wearing her knee-length boots. "On the way, Syd." She clicked the red button on her phone and hurriedly locked the apartment. Slipping on her brown leather jacket, she was all wearing dark with an army green toper. Walking out of the building, her gaze quickly landed on the vehicle parked at the garage. Kawasaki Ninja 400. 'Pave the way, baby!'

Maneuvering her black shiny motorcycle on a cold night is the best thing she would never get tired of doing. Meeting the freezing breeze on the empty road slapping her exposed skin. Her speed increased breaking the silence of the night. Memories five years ago flashbacked in her mind.

''Catch that brat!"

"The arrogant Shadowstone escaped!!!"

"Sarjao! She got the emblem."

The university raged in chaos as they noticed the white wolf's emblem gone missing. It was a stormy night, just after the end of their ten years in the academy. Denise was kicked out a few days before the university's convocation. The professors declined Denise's ascension to being her pack's alpha. Afraid of her reigning like what happened to the first female alpha who leads a battalion of warriors, clashed with vampires to fight for peace, lost more than a million werewolf population of the whole Claveria Haltera.

"Find her!"

"The patrol saw her went through the gate."

Believing in Otrus' ancient legend, a female who became an alpha will be waging a war. Thus, hindering Denise from getting the white wolf's emblem leading the path to the scroll of the Venturi's, a legendary clan possessing the knowledge of the entire Claveria Haltera's history that has been twisted and erased throughout the years, kicking her out would be the best choice for them before everything gets too late.

With loud clashing of thunders in the lightning-filled sky, Denise was walking head held high. Her right hand dripping blood clasping the gem-like emblem shaped like the flower of Celosia Cristata surrounded with tiny thin thorns that could literally prick someone by just touching the emblem. Her sword on the left clangs as it hits every gap on the brick pavement.

She successfully obtained the emblem that Laxon University was keeping away from her. Unaware of the emblem's usage, she'd rather take something that symbolizes her completion in the academy rather than nothing.

"Seriously, Denise? Twenty minutes? You made me wait twenty minutes! Do you know I shouldn't have waited that long just for a mere cyclist?"

She just shrugged on her friend's acting, parking her vehicle by the Rigidore's parking lot. Denise took off her helmet allowing her long flowy hair to dance with the breeze cooled off by the lake nearby.

Tucking her cold hands on her leather jacket and walk straight to the bar's entrance. With her friend catching up on her fast walks, "By the way, have you received the pack's letter?"

Denise nodded, "That's why we're here, right?"

"Is it? I thought we're just gonna celebrate your successful escape from the academy? Happy fifth year escaping anniversary!" Sydney sneered.

"Ahh yeah, I forgot. We're here also to celebrate you," Denise pointed to her. "Running away from your marriage."

Bouncer just nods at them as if they were a regular customer of that bar. 'Rigidore' is a place where ordinary humans were unaware of who and what they're dealing with. Once you step into this place, your identity will be hidden from other creatures no matter what kind of ability they have and only the anonymous owner of this place will know who and what was entering her place.

Rumors say that she is a sorceress who once dreamed of peace but failed and then kicked out of Claveria Haltera, a world that was only in legends and folklore but turns out to exist, where mythical and legendary creatures prevail. So, she created a place where any creature was welcomed.

But in exchange, a pill for every visitor was given. And that makes them mere humans once they enter Rigidore. Random creatures can be inside without letting any information about their identity leak. Vampires, faes, werewolves, witches, and sorcerers.

"Shadowstone pack, eh?" Sydney winced, reading the letter her friend handed to her. Crossing her exposed legs due to wearing shorts and leaning on the backrest.

Two shots of tequila were placed in front of them. Sydney Darlia wasn't one of Denise's pack members, she escaped from the Nightwinder Pack. Running away from her family who keeps on forcing her to be the sacrificial mate for their alpha's son.

"Father asked me to come back," she sighed.

"Come back? What if the university was still hunting you?"

"No doubt, I still have their precious emblem. I thought about it a million times, whether to throw that thing away or just keep it."

Denise finished one shot with one gulp. Staring at the crowded dancefloor with blinding neon lights on every corner. Loud music filling the entire place, wasted people all around. Sydney tapped Denise's shoulders before transferring to another table knowing her friend, who carries the world every time, would do nothing but sit and silently deplete a bottle of red wine.

She just rolled her eyes, inferring the obvious act her friend Sydney would do. What would a naturally born she-wolf gifted with a talent called 'flirting' do? Of course, she'll sit where nice-looking men crowd. Tss.

Werewolves learn shifting at three. Trained at five depending on ranks and positions. In Denise's case, a woman wasn't allowed to train as an alpha in a typical academy. Laxon University was the only option for her, this academy was built for the descendants of those high-ranked beings in the entire Claveria Haltera. With advanced and murderous training, bloody drills, and intense discipline.

As for mates, werewolves usually start searching as they hit twenty. Mostly were mated to werewolves in a different pack. But others in rare cases were mated to witches, faes, and most unfortunately, to disgusting bloodsuckers.

Finding your mate was the very first thing every wolf would do. But Denise was an exception. She would rather roam and explore around than waste time finding her mate and getting into trouble for herself.

"Look who's here, the famous arrogant Shadowstone that burned down Laxon a few years ago," a husky voice sprang up on her side, shocking her.

'Isn't it Rigidore was protected with a spell? How come this creature still recognizes me?' she asked herself.

"Surprised? Obviously, this weak spell wouldn't just stop me." The man proudly leaned on the backrest as he snatches the bottle of wine in Denise's hands. He sat pompously beside her and simply glided his arms on her waist making Denise grin in annoyance.

She slowly faced the man. Traveling her sight on his perfectly carved jaw, red luscious lips going up on his detailed green eyes. This one's not bad at all.

"Rocco, Sarjao's son if you don't recognize me," the hot guy whispered seductively.

"Oh, Sarjao... how could I forget that sly wicked old man," she nodded in realization.

Rocco was one of the male wolves who used to put stones on her bag during training, causing her to fall and stumble every time. Sarjao was their pedagogue on combat training. He was known for his brutality, Denise suffered under his strings.

She endured how Sarjao commanded her to run across the gushing river with piles of stones on her back. Treating Denise unequally from the other wolves, disregarding her gender.

Punishments were given to her three times more severe than the others, it's like ten years spent on the pit of fire. All the other preceptor of the university was against her entering the academy. Performing all the worst ill-treatment and punishment they could do to make the girl give up her goal.

"We spent five years hunting you down," Rocco laughed uncontrollably, facing Denise who just stares blankly at him. "I just realized the reason why we can't find you all over Claveria, it is because you were not there. Why I didn't think of this earlier?"

He laughed hard as if he lets out a funny joke. Irritated, Denise wiped off a few drops of saliva that spewed out of Rocco's mouth to her face. She twisted his arms encircled on her waist in a flash, replacing Rocco's laughter with a groan in pain.

She brought her head closer to him and let out a creepy laugh. "A message for your beloved Sarjao, I am so glad to hear that you are still looking for me after all these years. You are after the emblem, right? Then you should send someone who's much more capable of taking me down. I am so disappointed for sending me the worst wolf they can send. Greetings from somewhere, the arrogant Shadowstone."

She steps back with a victory smile plastered on her face, she stood up confidently and walked as if she were on a runway. "Bye-bye, Rocco Saavedra."

Not looking towards the way, she bumped into someone. She was about to apologize but stunned as their eyes met, sparks and sudden unexplainable feelings exploded. Seems like everything froze and that only the two of them were the ones left standing and breathing, listening to each other's banging heartbeats.

Those tantalizing gazes that met hers. Flaming red eyes that seem scintillating while it lasts long more than a minute. With this guy's beanie sitting on top of his head, he looks so innocent yet a dangerous tease. Playing the lollipop's tip on his mouth, he smirks.

"Sinak baw sik-a ay maila."

Denise just stood dumbfounded, tightly gripping the bottle of red wine she snatched away from Rocco a while ago. She couldn't believe she would meet her mate face to face unexpectedly.

"N-Nice to see you," she awkwardly muttered and step back with a forced smile on her face. She was about to turn around when the man suddenly pulled her closer. Making Denise crash into his broad chest.

"Why are you turning away, darling?"

His brawny voice is enchanting her!

Back to her senses, Denise pushed herself away from the guy with all force. The brain is higher than the heart, it simply means think before you let yourself get fooled by a crook called love.

"I have built walls around me for years to stop this stupid thing called 'mates'. I didn't expect this to happen any sooner than I expected," Denise boldly stood up. Hiding the nervousness in her system. 'I never thought this would be harder than climbing a greasy bamboo pole,' she spoke inside her head.

"Are you trying to push me away?" he blankly stares at her. Those teasing looks and piercing eyes. He's trying to use illusion to control her!

In another blink of an eye, Denise found herself in a snowy forest. In front of her was a large dark wolf with its eyes glowing crimson red. Standing in a wide plain entirely covered in white snow, trees surrounding the battlefield.

'This guy really challenges me into a battle.'

Shifting to its wolf form, Denise arrogantly shakes off her bluish fur getting ready to attack. Gnashing teeth and sharp claws eager to bleed every flesh that she would reach. The two wolves encircled with their eyes darted on each other.

The black wolf growled, communicating with her. Whoever is defeated first will be the slave between the two of them. Denise's mate demands her to not hold back, which in turn she will actually do. No romance, plain duel.

Under the moon's brightest, two wolves were facing each other over the white snow, surrounded by conifers. This is a perfect place for the combat, you wouldn't expect mates to challenge each other rather than spending the night walking under the night sky full of romances and affection. Denise started her first attack, targeting her opponent's neck with her claws.

But the guy was that fast to tilt his neck sideward, causing only a scratch on him. Performing only defense on every Denise's attack, causing her to growl annoyingly. 'Why would he even challenge me when he's just blocking my attack?'

With a grin on his face, he continued teasing his mate. Sudden attack but he doesn't complete. Playing a game between him and his mate. Silent smiles every time he caught Denise's irritated growl.

''Come on, why wouldn't you attack?'' she murmured. Opening their mate link.

She got no reply but just a sexy laugh. In a fraction of a second, the black wolf was suddenly on top of her wearing his signature grin. In response, she harshly swats his face with her claws out of frustration. Changing their position, Denise was now on top with both of her arms firmly clutching the cold ground.

Showing off her gritting teeth, she arrogantly met the guy's seducing eyes breaking from his illusion.

"I might as well suggest the sorcerer to strengthen her control over this place, her spells and enchants perhaps," she simply said and starts walking away from him.

By the exit, she saw another man standing out there. Wearing an ornament by his left ear, with a simple glance on it, she knew it was from the Laxon superiors. With a speed of sonic, she ran the distance from the exit to where her black Kawasaki was patiently standing.

The sound of the roaring engine filled the night, making faces towards those men in blue jackets chasing after her. Going straight on the curvy road, she glides smoothly before increasing her speed. Behind her were three big bikes with two persons loaded on each. The driver and the other person are at their backs, holding on to a gun with silver bullets.

Seems like competing in a drag race, Denise swiftly danced with her black mamba, as what she named her big bike, avoiding the bullets aiming at her. But she is not seraphic to dodge every single bullet. There were seven of them who managed to injure Denise, with silver that literally burns her skin. Despite those wounds and bleeding, she still manages to stay in control.

"Give up the emblem, you bastard!" one of the men yelled, firing a bullet at the same time. It was Rocco, just by the voice full of revulsion towards her.

He sees her as his contender, challenging his ability during the academy years. She always surpasses him on every task that their instructor would give them, which Sarjao also couldn't accept. Making her every training harder than it is to be.

Increasing twice the speed, she managed to overpass them, with the grazing bullets still after her. Making the night a wild one. Denise changed direction, now heading to the rough terrain across the forest.

A will-o-wisp suddenly appeared, glowing bluish in the cozy woods. Attracting her attention, she followed the trail leading her to the heart of the jungle. There stood a stone statue of a maiden grasping onto a bird's neck, a dead dove.

Out of curiosity, she got off the motorcycle and walked straight to the strange statue. It was carved out of fine limestone, with no flaws as she lets her fingers run through the sculpture. 'How could the white wolf's statue be here?'

This statue was in Otrus' book, a maiden holding on tightly to a dove's neck symbolizing the first female Alpha. She who grants peace by force will choke the dove to death.

"White satin stained with blood as flowers dropped their last petals. Flame, flame, flame... thy rose shall turn to ashes," different voices echoed out of nowhere, chanting of the forest's melodious whisper.

"Clash of one's affirmation, a river of red will flow. Spread across the dry land longing for answers."

Unable to take it, Denise dared to walk while curiously staring at the strange lady who popped out of the said sculptor. Possessing a great beauty, her long silver hair was just like the pearls of the oceans simply clipped on the sides and adorned with several tiny diamonds that sparkle resembling the stars above.

Covered with blue garments that flow like the waves of the oceans do. Her barefoot touch the green grass leveling her head on the statue laid on the ground. She smiles at Denise. "Options that will make you choose the best. One's a solution for the next, for this I say, the expected will not come. Seek the answers, and you will get more than you ask."

Ghastly winds blew the dead leaves off the ground. The mysterious woman once again floated in the air, letting out the white wolf's emblem from her chest.

It appears that the emblem in the Academy she stole was just a replica of the real one.

The strange woman cut off Denise's wrist without any warning and crashed the emblem into pieces before sprinkling it on Denise's wrist before she could even react.

"Your mate and the connection will vanish as the ashes will be dusted away by the wind. Remember nothing about this by the second you blink. You shall still meet him, but at a different angle, never be the same feeling it should be."

The winds suddenly stopped, with the statue bursting into grains like a bubble popped. As Denise opened her eyes and blinked, she wondered how the heck she gets in there. Irritated, she marched to her motorcycle where she caught a man wearing a beanie standing beside her black mamba.

"It was you again, are you still interested in me?" Denise joked as she walks closer to him.

The lollipop was still in his mouth, blankly staring at her. She noticed how the guy murmured, questioning her as if she had done a very bad thing to him. Recalling what happened between them just a while ago.

"Mind if I join you?" a guy popped up out of nowhere.

After walking away from Rocco, she sat near the counter. "Two flaming margaritas," she ordered. Facing the guy beside her, she offered the empty stool beside her before she answered the man, "Sure."

"Natalie," she offered her hand, introducing herself with a fake name.

"An obvious lie cannot fool me, Laxon's runaway student."

Denise raised her lips in humiliation, "Oh, I see. I might as well suggest the sorcerer to strengthen her control over this place, her spells and enchants perhaps. Cheers?" she raised her glass tossing it on the guy's Daiquiri. "You are?"

"Ymir," he replied sparingly. Making Denise chuckled, "You think I'd fall for your lies? But never mind, I don't care whoever you are anyway."

"Really?" the guy let out his teasing smile. "Then better concern who I am."

Her forehead furrowed at what the man had said. Besides the truth that she didn't understand what he says, it seemed to mean something she should know. As her head turned towards the man beside her, hers met those tantalizing eyes of his, growling in possessiveness and dominance.

Denise shook her head realizing there was nothing wrong she did to this man for him to follow her here. She was about to step closer but her wounds suddenly were exposed causing her to feel pain from her bleeding cuts and injuries she got running away from Rocco and his pets.