I  sauntered beside Adoff-san while my eyes wandered through the forest that was covered in a thick blanket of darkness. The wails of the forest-dwellers were made much gentler and more pleasant to hear with the distance between us. We were going to hunt for some antlers but we had yet to come across one.

I shouldn't have come. There was still a possibility that Buck could be attacked. The elder of the village, who was Buck's great grandfather, recently announced stricter security measures, because of the frequency of assassination attempts to his great grandson. The village was more alert now but I doubt some of the warriors patrolling the village.

I know that the ones who want to kill Buck lived amongst us. If the cast-off tribesmen managed to get in without killing anyone, that meant that someone was willingly letting them in.

The village elder and the village alpha weren't in good terms but both of them loved Buck. I only talked to the elder once but Buck would usually stick to him like a slug whenever Atto-san would come out from his detached house that no other villager would visit. Despite his cold demeanor, he was very influential because of being the previous alpha. The village was divided between him and Amoux-san.

"What do you think about the killer in the village? I'm sure it's scary for a child like you," Adoff-san told me with a smile.

"Yes, it's bothersome how many killers can get past through the village's defenses and attack the grandson of the Alpha."

I can't tell him that I suspect someone from the village because Adoff-san might think that I was ungrateful for their hospitality.

He laughed. "I'm talking about the killer who kills those killers by puncturing through their hearts. It's strange how Buck suddenly got a new guardian when his last one was killed protecting him. The elder must have appointed a new guardian without telling anyone," he explained.

"It's not strange. He's the alpha's grandchild, he should be protected," I told him.

Adoff-san stopped walking and I stood a step behind him. There was an eerie feeling as our conversation progressed.

"You don't understand; Alpha Amoux doesn't want anything to do with Buck after his daughter was killed by the villagers wanting revenge for their children. There would be no order in that village until that child is dead..." his last words made the tone of his voice colder and as if on cue, red pierced eyes surrounded me accompanied by bloodthirsty growls.

My heart raced as it felt like it fell to my stomach from sheer disappointment. Amoux hated Buck? That can't be true. I saw how Amoux treated him. He can never hurt Buck. I never saw him look at Buck the wrong way before.

Adoff turned around with a mask of fury on his expression. The werewolves hiding in the shadows came out with an equally distorted sense of justice.

"You're lying. Amoux-san loves Buck."

Adoff ignored my reasoning and proceeded to interrogate me.

"You're the closest to Buck and we've seen you accompany Elder Atto in his morning walks...so who is it? Who is protecting that child?!"

"Why are you so angry at him? What did he do?!" I questioned.

The werewolves got closer and my body grew cold once Adoff grabbed me and agitated me for answers. My mind kept on focusing on the fact that this was all orchestrated by his oma. Buck trusted him. I trusted him.

Adults were really just there to hurt us.

When I grow up...will I turn like them too?

"Don't hurt him..."I whispered. Adoff paused for a moment with his sharp teeth clenched tightly together.

"If you want to hurt him that much...hurt me instead. Buck doesn't deserve your hate."

That kid was a slaphappy person. He was stupid and would smile at anything thrown at him. I never once saw him cry. I never once saw him worry about those wanting to take his life. Sometimes I just wanted to ask him if he was at least scared to wake up with a knife against his throat. I knew he was aware of the threats. I knew he was aware of the abhorrence towards him. But how did he feel about it?

"Ah...STILL ALIVE!" was what he would always say whenever he would wake up.

I never commented on that phrase but it was clear to me that he was affected by these threats but never said anything about it. He was always ready to sleep knowing that it might turn into an eternity of slumber.

"Good night Rui, let's see each other again okay?"

Baka...

The longer I thought about it the more I understood him.

"I'm not going to leave. It's not like I have a choice..."

Buck chuckled and cuddled closer to me.

"I know you won't leave me..."

But you would...You were always expecting it weren't you?

You were always waiting for them to take you  so you welcome a new day as if it would be your last. You don't waste a second to smile or laugh. You just do what you want. You give all the love you can give.

You were just that stupid.

My throat started to ache from the overwhelming feeling in my chest.

"You don't know anything about him. You are friends with a monster!" Adoff snarled before striking me with his fist.

Buck? A monster?

He was never a monster to me.

But if he really was a monster, then that must be the reason why we get along so much despite him being stupid and obnoxious.

But what really made someone a monster? Because to me, these people surrounding me were the real fiend.

I looked up at Adoff and smiled. "All of us are monsters here. We just have a different perspective of how a monster should be."

I received a kick from Adoff who then grabbed my neck tightly with his claw. Veins popped on his bare arms and neck from rage.

"Just kill him already. We'll just mob the Alpha's house and kill the rascal," one of the pack warriors said.

"But what if the killer is there?" another one asked.

"We'll take him on with unified force. Don't chicken out!" Adoff snapped and lifted me from the ground before throwing me against a tree trunk. My back hit painfully against the wood but it only managed to bring a scoff from me.

"You managed to get me this far, I think you're doing a great job already," I commented as I stood up. Buck's stupidity was rubbing off on me alright. I should learn to keep my mouth shut.

Once they realized what my words meant, their bodies tensed and they openly charged at me.

I was definitely screwed.

Adoff howled and caused my vision to blur and my balance to go off. My ears were painfully ringing and I clucked my tongue.

I can't die here. If I can't come back to Buck, he'll be killed by these bastards. I still need to know if Amoux was behind this. 

I was grabbed from behind and was smashed head-on to a boulder.

"You weak piece of shit."

Sharp teeth sank through my flesh and I shouted in pain. Wolves gathered around me and started to tear me. Fear latched to my bones and I trembled as I was being eaten alive.

It hurts.

This was how those children felt as Ta mangled on them slowly.

And I just stared at them, thinking that they were luckier.

"I didn't raise you to be mauled by wolves. Have you learned nothing from me?"

As I blinked the blurriness out of my vision, I saw Ta looking down at me with frustration on his face.

I raised my bloodied hand towards Ta before it was bitten down by another one of the wolves.

"H-help me. Ta...help me."

Just this once can't you treat me as your son?

Ta's scowl got deeper before a sinister smile split his face. "Why are you asking a dead man's help? You got what you asked for; you got your freedom, or are you willing to join me in the afterlife? Once you die here, I'll eat you for eternity."

My eyes widened and my tail burst from my back. My vertebrae elongated and smacked the wolves off of me.

"He's a soma!"

"He must be the child of Ta!"

"Kill him!"

"Kill him now!"

I shakily got on my feet and blood continued to flow out from the mangled parts of my body. Claws that belonged to my deceased captor crawled up my torso and I felt his hot breath warm my neck.

"That's right Rui, kill them. You're much stronger than you think."

My tail swung rampantly and pierced through chests. It grew heavier as dead bodies lined up on its length.

"Shine (Die)... Shine...SHINE!" I screamed.

Blood splattered on the ground and birds flew away from sensing the danger.

Adoff howled again but Ta covered my ears. The beta grew pale once he realized that he was the only one left standing. My tail absorbed nutrients from the bodies it collected and my wounds closed. Once every corpse was dried up, my vertebrae retracted and let the bodies drop on the ground.

Adoff raised his hands to surrender and I stared blankly at him.

"I won't fight! Let me live!"

Ta chuckled and placed his long fingers on my shoulders.

"Don't believe him."

He was right...If I spare him I was only going to give him a chance to go after Buck again.

I have to end him.

"That's too bad. I saved the worse for last."

A scream erupted before the last of them ascended to the afterlife. I shut my eyes and let a breath come out from my lips. Blood dripped from the sharp tip of my tail and I let a drop touch my tongue before having my extended vertebrae return inside my body.

"Do you understand now? You're just like me. No matter how much you stray from the path you hate, you will still arrive at the same destination as I have."

I never thought that I'd end up like him ever since I met Buck. Dying in a cold and dark place alone wasn't something I imagine myself being in.

"Maybe...but I have him while you don't have anyone," I murmured.

"How would you know?" Ta asked in a teasing manner.

I had been with Ta ever since I developed my consciousness, but I never really knew anything about him. Just like his lifestyle, his life was shrouded in darkness. The only thing that connected us was blood. I had no idea if he had friends or if we had other family but there were times when I'll hear him talk to himself.

"Tsk...that woman just doesn't give up. Getting the Kingdom riled up for just one kid." 

I walked back to the village with my head lifted as I waited for the tears coming from above. I just wanted it to rain. I wanted to calm down and listen to it cry for me. I wanted this feeling to be washed away completely.

I wanted to be washed away.

I entered the village and my eyes widened at the horrendous view in front of me. Everyone was lying on their own pool of blood.

My feet immediately carried me to the Alpha's house as I shouted Buck's name.

I found Amoux dead in our room with his eyes open and with blood tracing down his cheeks and ears. His mouth was overspilling with blood but I couldn't see any fatal wounds that could make him drown on his own blood.

At this point my voice was already cracking from shouting Buck's name. There wasn't a single living person here but I couldn't see Buck's body amongst the dead.

A sad and agonized howl beckoned me to come to the elder's house. I discovered Buck encircled by Atto's arms. Atto was already dead and he was sitting against the wall as he died comforting his great grandchild.

I walked cautiously towards Buck and gently touched him.

"Buck?" I called out to the boy curled against his great grandfather's chest. I slowly got him out of Atto's embrace and I tried to peek at his expressionless face.

Buck was just silent before he broke into a shaky smile that would crumble down into sobbing mess anytime now.

"I...they told me you were gone. Oma told me that you weren't going to come back anymore and he tried to kill me. He tried to...kill me Rui."

Buck grabbed my arms and glanced at me. His smile trembled and tears filled his eyes.

"So I killed him..." he whimpered. "But everyone died after him."

He slowly knelt and tried his best to calm down while holding on to me. His hands were cold and he was sweating profusely.

I didn't know what happened. I didn't know what Buck was capable off but I wasn't afraid of him. He was all I had.

"Buck, just cry," I murmured. "Just cry."

Buck's wide and unsteady smile became pursed. "But mama always told me to smile. It's the only thing I can do for her. It's the only—"

I knelt down in front of Buck and hugged him. "Not this time. You cry, okay?"

Buck embraced me like his life depended on it and he shook his head before letting me carry his weight.

"I won't cry...I don't want to lose you too."

We stayed in each other's arms until we heard the gradual pitter-patter of the rain. I withdrew from Buck's embrace and took his hand.

"Let's just watch someone else cry for us, okay?"

The night was filled with the weeping of the skies. The rain comforted us and relinquished the sadness and grief we kept in our hearts. It clouded the gruesome image of the dead, silenced the protest of the killed, and continued to sing its lullaby to the two children who kept their tears at bay.

Children cry at the smallest things because they are pure. But in this world, children forget that immature phase of life because the world rushed them to see what they shouldn't.

Children can't be children here. They had no right to.

"Hey you two, wake up. A catastrophe is on its way."

A tall man was crouching beside us with a wrinkled nose of distaste. The smell of decay that I caught from last night became even stronger.

"Anyone else alive in there Slade?" Another man who looked exactly like him asked.

"Nah, just these two love brats. What the heck happened in here anyway? How the heck did you sleep through all this?"

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A/N: I decided to update despite my hiatus. Life has been stressful haha