“I’m sure that’s a lot of fun, but this can’t wait. You have visitors and they claim to be from your father.”

Fauna froze at Doka’s words. It wasn’t possible! It couldn’t be! However, it wasn’t so farfetched, was it? Perhaps the wolf Harou had told her father he ran into her, but why would he suddenly want to see her? Didn’t he cast her away when she was but a cub?

“I can sense your distress.” Lyle sounded concerned as he took both her hands in his. “What’s the matter?”

“My… It’s m- Doka says – I mean… I don’t know what –”

“Hey, hey, take a deep breath okay?” Lyle interrupted, seeing as his mate was running out of breath. “Breathe in,” he instructed and she obeyed. “Hold! Good, now out. What’s wrong?”

“Visitors from my dad,” was all she could say.

She didn’t know how to feel. Fauna was angry. The man had abandoned her. If not for the bears, she would have been dead, and he didn’t care. She was also sad. A part of her wanted to see him. A part of her longed to be in his arms. He is her father after all. She was confused too.

Why now? Was he suddenly sorry for rejecting her? Did he come to make amends?

“I can practically see the gears turning in your head, my dear, and while I have no answers to the questions I’m sure you have, I can tell you that you won’t get them here. They’re with the wolves here to see you.” Lyle smiled at her. That smile that made her feel like everything was going to be okay.

“Will you come with me?” She pleaded. She didn’t think she could face the past alone. Lyle raised a brow as he passed her an incredulous stare.

“Are you seriously asking me that? You think I’m going to let you go alone? Come on, sweet one.”

Lyle got off the bed and aided a smiling Fauna down and together, they went into the forest above the magical bear caves.

The sun hit Fauna’s skin and she found herself squinting. The sun hurt her eyes and her skin as she was already accustomed to the dark and coldness of the caves below.

Doka and a bear she didn’t know his name were present, along with Saber and a couple of smaller men Fauna was sure were wolves. Harou was in front. He looked different… Of course, he did. The last time she saw him, he was a wolf, but somehow, she knew that the dark bulky man with earthy green eyes was Harou. He was the Beta of the pack.

Behind Harou were three other werewolves and compared to the bears’ seven-foot frame, the wolves seemed very miniature and Fauna thought them stupid for going in search of the bears. Then again, the same could be said of her and her friends when they first wandered here.

Perhaps they took the risk because of her. Perhaps they really wanted her… Or maybe it was more about what she was than who she was. It had to be that because she couldn’t see the Alpha anywhere. Fauna didn’t know much about wolves, but she could tell the scared cowards behind Harou were most definitely not Alpha material.

The fact that her father didn’t bother to show up only fuelled her rage. He didn’t care about her. He was as bad as Ari who just wanted her for what she was. For as long as she could recall, every species of werefolk she had come across stared at her like she was an object to obtain. Lord Bruce and Saber were the first to look at her like she was an actual person.

Well, the bears and the merfolks were the first, but she couldn’t really recall that.

“I will speak to only Harou,” Fauna decided to be calm and collected. “The rest of you should stand back.”

Doka nodded and he and the other bear took a couple step backwards, forcing the wolves to do same. Saber walked towards her, but Fauna shook her head at him.

“You also, Saber.”

His face fell at her words. It made no sense to him. He had always been there for her, but now he was being cast aside. His eyes zeroed in on Lyle who had Fauna’s hand in his. He tried to let go and move away, but Fauna held on tight and cast an imploring look to him. It made Saber’s blood boil, but he decided to rein in his anger. Instead, he turned to the wolf.

“If you try any funny business, I will rip your head off faster than you can sing to the moon for help, understood?”

The wolf nodded at his threat, then took a step towards Fauna who was undeniably nervous, but thankfully, she had Lyle to flood her with some positive energy.

“Your scent has changed,” the wolf noted and Fauna growled at him.

“So, did you come here to smell me or what? You just enjoy taking your Soldiers on meaningless suicide missions?” She snapped, trying hardest not to pay attention to Lyle’s warm hand around hers.

Harou stares at her for a moment. The duo was around the same height with Fauna about an inch shorter than him. He was bigger and broader than the other wolves, but a twig compared to Saber. It made Fauna more confident.

“Your father requests an audience with you,” he finally answered and that was definitely the wrong thing to say because Fauna growled at him again. He however didn’t flinch.

“Requests or demands?” Fauna quirked her brows and the wolf squirmed uncomfortably. For the first time, he showed some emotion. His square jaw unclenched and his green eyes softened as he regarded the young girl with pity.

Fauna was instantly flooded with rage and not even Lyle could calm her down. She had to get away from there. She had to because she feared she was going to do something awful.

Her father had no right! He abandoned her and now he demanded she crawled to him? What sort of an arrogant man was he? And she had heard werewolves were known for their kindness and sensitivity. Her father was not kind. He was a selfish, power hungry, arrogant monster.

“I refuse to see your Alpha,” she answered in a cool tone. “I have no business with you anymore. You’re dismissed.” She withdrew her hand from Lyle’s and turned on her heels, but she was stopped in her tracks by one of the cowards Harou brought with him.

“You will not defy the Alpha, neither will you disrespect our Beta!”

Rage consumed Fauna. Rage like she had never felt before. Her body was brimming with power and raw energy that begged to burst out of her. Before her friends could respond to the wolf who thought he was in the right place to display some bravery, she was standing right before him, her body moving her faster than anyone could anticipate.

He was a strong man. She could see that. He had a crooked nose and a flat face. It almost looked like he was smashed into a rock and he never fully healed. His eyes were hollow and he was generally unpleasing to the eye. His thin lips curled down as he stared condescendingly at Fauna.

On its own accord, her hand rose and stroke the man across the face, leaving a burn mark in the shape of a palm on his face. This caused the other wolves and the bears to move away from her and her hands that were now engulfed in flames.

The man wanted to run, but she grabbed him by the shoulder, burning past his flimsy clothing to his flesh, and with her other hand, she hit him again, and again, and again.

She was so angry. Who were these people? What was with everyone thinking they could push her around and tell her what to do? She was supposed to be the most powerful creature since the extinction of the dragons. They were supposed to fear her, not treat her like a little child.

Perhaps she just had to give them a reason to be afraid.

She growled and her canines grew longer and sharper as she pushed the man to the ground. He screamed and trashed around in agony, but no one dared come to his rescue. Harou tried to approach her, but she heard him move and she turned to face him.

“Freeze!” She commanded, and he did. His brows creased as he struggled to move, but the girl had actually frozen him. He was stuck.

Fauna smiled and turned to the werewolf on the ground who was already starting to heal. She wasn’t going to allow that. She pounced on him again.

She could hear her name being called by Saber and the bears, but she didn’t care. She tuned them out. She allowed everything fade away until all she could hear was the pounding of her heart.

The skin of the werewolf scalded and injuries formed on his body faster than he could heal himself, but Fauna refused to stop. His movements were getting slower, still she didn’t care. She was just so sick and tired of being told what to do. Where was he when she was kicked out? Did he object? Did any of them try to save her? Yet, here they were demanding her return and they expected her to obey just because?

“Stop!” She heard in her head and involuntarily, she froze. She gritted her teeth, then screamed as she found that she couldn’t move.

“You’re okay, my love,” Lyle’s voice was soft as he held her arm. His hand was cold. Colder than usual, and wet. The flames in her hands died out and Fauna could feel her strength rapidly fleeing from her, she allowed herself collapse into his arms. “It’s all okay,” he assured her as he stroked her hair gently.

Tears gathered in her eyes, but she wiped them away immediately as she didn’t want to break down in front of everyone. A part of her wanted to pull away from the merman. A part of her reminded her that she didn’t even know him. He was but a stranger to her, but she needed him. She needed his touch like she needed oxygen.

She turned around only to find everyone still rooted in place as they stared at her in shock and she could feel their fear. They were all afraid of her.

She glanced towards Saber. He wouldn’t be afraid of her. He knew her better than everyone, right?

Well, she was wrong because Saber was staring at her, rooted in his spot, his whole-body tense and he didn’t even make a move to talk to her. He just stared at her like she was someone he didn’t recognize and that was alone to make her heart hurt.

She turned to the unconscious werewolf on the ground. He was battered and bruised and almost dead, but she could still hear his heart struggling to keep beating. Deep regret filled her and she buried her head in Lyle’s chest. Lyle, the only person that wasn’t looking at her like she was a bad person.

“Come with me,” he whispered as he led her away from the others. She didn’t object. She just held on to him as the ground rumbled and descended into the caves.

‘I’ve become a monster’ she silently thought to herself.
~~~

A double update. Yay!!

How are you all enjoying this story? And damn, Fauna got some anger there. Better not cross her path. Lol

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Love you all furballs ❤