For being a common wolf, she did something that not even Alpha daughters could do in the last decade.

I gulped hard.

What if there were more than one Chelsea's here? What if she was someone else? But the way, Kingston asked those girls about being there. It was understandable that they wouldn't usually come here unless there was some real reason.

She didn't look back at me to not look suspicious by even an inch.

She was definitely the Chelsea I had heard so much about.

As her successor in being the exchange of this year, it was my duty to update her about the outer world.

I needed to tell her so many things about what happened after she was gone.

But how could I reach her?

I couldn't just take her name and ask Amelia to get me there. I couldn't highlight her when she was playing here so safe that she was still alive.

Truly, it would be an honour to meet her.

I could give her a tight hug on behalf of her home and pack, and all the wolves who were aware of her bravery and skills.

But what could I do? I didn't know a thing except for her name.

"What are you thinking?" Nysa asked politely while rolling my hair after doing a partition in the middle.

I chew the apple quietly, gulping down the juice. "Thinking how there were so many pack members there to see Lucine and the announcement about me having four pups in the future. That was freaking embarrassing."

She chuckled. "That happens with every bride here. Lucine observes every single female that comes from outside," she said slowly. "Though, you should be happy that they were mostly grown males and females. If Aunt Pola and Aunt Rose had been there too, they would have started with the taunts already, to make you and Karam actually do it. For now, they are gone to the temple, to stitch the cloaks for the females there."

"Aunt Pola and Rose?" I blinked in question, taking a bite of the apple.

Nysa rolled another strand of my hair and braided it at the back with the strand from other side. "Salome's mother. Anton's mother. Since Robin's mother left, they both had been keen on managing things like she used to."

"My Gran's name is Rose too," I smiled sadly. "Actually, it's Rosalinda. But she likes her nick name more."

"Is she strict?"

"No."

Nysa chuckled. "Then, must you be worried. Because when they come and get to know the predictions from our mouths, they would go heavy on you. The class will begin with observing you first."

"They are the Aunts," I said, scrunching my noses. "Not the real mother-in-law."

"But they have loved brother King, my Robin, your Karam and our Lysar-like their own pups. They won't let you feel the absence of the mother-in-law. Actually, they do make you feel that. Because Robin's mother was a soft one. A calm one. A mystic."

My eyes narrowed. "So, Lucine inherited that mysticism from her?"

"Possible. It's in the blood and also from the influence of her predecessors." Nysa said, standing behind my chair and now braiding from the behind.

I took the bite of the apple while thinking deeply.

Nysa had completely distracted me from my talks unknowingly.

"Then, it's better that they weren't here. Only the pack members. They do dress up nice. It felt like a fest with all those dangling earrings and bandanas."

Nysa hummed slightly. "Lycans love dancing and drinking. It comes from their culture, the dress up. The bandanas are more of the labour uniform when they work and try to keep their long hair back."

I hummed in fascination.

"But where do they live. The street looked more like full of shops where I only see the men making tea and cooking soups and getting inside to work on metals and woods. Where do the women live?"

Nysa braided it down and asked for a strap of sunny yellow color that she had put in my lap. It matched the yellow skirt I was wearing along with the yellow top.

"They live on the left of that street behind the Hidden falls," she said, tying the ribbon around my pony tail.

My eyebrows raised. "A water fall?"

"Falls," she said while walking around the chair to observe my face and nod in satisfaction. "That's where the rest of the pack lives. Especially, the commons. Beta Barald lives more at the end, near the way to the mountains, in the middle of the whole territory."

"So, he can keep eye on Alpha family, the commoners, the Severans too."

"And the outsiders too. You will know the place by the smell itself," she said while chuckling as I chewed the apple passionately. "You love the apples. Don't you?"

"They are so rich and juicy here. Back there in the city, they use injections to grow it mostly. The pulp tastes hard. It's soft here and so tasty like sweet cheee," I said, moaning at the another bite.

"Well. Well. Get those rosy cheeks then," she said, blinking her eyes in delight. "Must I go and check on Lucy. She hasn't been fine since Stella left."

Turning around, she was about to leave when I caught her wrist. She looked back down at me.

"Isn't it weird that the most of the girls are from Alpha family?" I asked, making her stiffen.

She blinked and smiled sadly. "It can be for you. For me too. But it is always the Moon Goddess' choice. She doesn't hate our family," she said, her smile fading. "We are doing all that we can to make our Goddesses happy."

She removed my hand and walked out of the room, leaving me alone.

Finishing the apple, I observed the afternoon getting brighter.

Amelia would invite me for lunch in an hour or two.

I needed to leave before she could catch and block my way.

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Walking through the street, I looked around the Lycan men acknowledging my presence but not raising their eyes from above my foot.

I had worn my red cloak too to cover myself.

I was also waiting and expecting for any of the member from Karam's family to come and stop me. Scold me too.

I was expecting Karam too, mostly.

But when I returned the room after brushing my teeth in the morning, he was already gone.

God knows where.

Reaching the end of the street, I observed the dark bricks and narrow turn that came.

Taking the right turn, I noticed that there were only the windows as this was the backside of the houses and shops.

I could feel hidden gazes on me. Thus, whole of my heart was beating fast and loud in consciousness.

All I had to do was just look curious and wanderlust.

Nothing like a desperate human wanting to meet the girl she knew about from the outside world and deliver some important messages.

Walking quietly through the empty street, I entered the new kind of ground that had intersections of the streets. Some men were cleaning their porches while pups were playing with the mud. The women were walking with their skirts beginning from around their stomach, high to keep their ankles free.

I couldn't choose the pathway.

There were three directions in front of me and I had to choose one.

I had to talk to someone. No matter how much I wanted to be on my own self. I didn't want this round to go in vain.

Walking closer to wall of the street, I approached the Lycan in his dirty high knee boots and loose brown shirt. His face was tanned. My eyes wandered down to the candles on the little table beside him.

"You sell candles?"

His blue eyes turned straight and eyebrows raised in humour. "What would you get by selling candles? The only currency we have here is love, though. You give and you take. I make the candles in return for all the ration Alpha provide us. He asks me to make them thick and long."

My eyebrows raised. "Um, I am looking for a wolf named Chelsea. Could you tell me where her home is?"

He nodded in amazement. "This is the first time, someone has asked me about her." Giving me a mischievous look, he said, "Her home is the last second. Take the middle street. And if you want to find her, she might be at the lake. All the females spend their afternoon there to beat the heat."

"It's not hot around here," I commented absentmindedly. "The wind is freezing cold."

"But everyone loves water. Don't they? Especially, the swimmers." He said, giving me a superior look.

Well, I was a swimmer too. That even a fast one. Who he was kidding?

"Thank you," I said, looking at him, noticing his raised ears.

Walking ahead, I pulled the hood of my cloak over my head.

"Take the candle," he said, making me stop. "A little gift won't harm your friend. Would it?"

I turned around and smiled at him. He nodded as I took the white candle from his hand and muttered, "Thanks."

And finally, I started walking for the middle street.

Reaching her home, the door was bolted from the outside.

I blinked and remembered the man's words about lake. But what if Amelia was looking for me. She must have founded me if she had been angry with me. Or maybe, she was waiting for me to reach back home and then, she would scold me. Hit me. God knows.

But then, I should make best of this little trip and meet Chelsea anyhow.

So, I started walking ahead to follow the women who were holding bunch of clothes and soaps in their hands.

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Following them, I had reached the place of the forest where the sound of water was audible. Walking ahead over the pebbles and dry leaves, I found the banks of the lake. It was a busy one as the women were taking their spots and started washing clothes.

No. It wasn't a lake. It seemed like a river. The water was flowing.

Was I closer to the Hidden falls, maybe. A relief filled my heart and I asked the nearby women who had started washing her clothes on a flat stone.

"Do you know where can I find Chelsea?"

She just stared at me with those kohl eyes and shrugged her shoulders. "The falls are bigger and in the middle of the forests. You keep circling around the water, she must have taken any of the spots."

I gulped slowly as she minded her business then in washing clothes.

I sighed and even felt my feet sweating from the leather sandals that Nysa gave me to use.

Walking around the banks, I kept looking around and felt hopeless.

I was tired as hell. I couldn't just walk without no GPS and search for a girl I couldn't even contact on phone to ask where she was. Only if I had a cycle? Or a scooter?

I wanted to cry out in frustration.

For once, my lips trembled.

It was better if I had stayed back to have my lunch instead.

Or I could have just left a letter for Chelsea at her home. But her mate could read it too and so could another beings. I didn't have paper and pen. I could only carve out words on the walls. That would have been attention seeking.

I kept walking slowly through the rows of dense trees and felt my thighs aching.

A cry escaped my mouth when I stumbled upon a stone and almost got myself fall on the rough stones.

I kept walking towards the right of the forests, looking around in fear of any strangers.

But as if thinking this had jinxed my own trip.

"Hey! You!"

I turned around to look at the three teenagers holding bright confidence and arrogance. They must be around sixteen or less. But they were tall.

"Brides don't roam in the forests. We are going to inform the Luna." He had these golden curls at the front.

"Then, go. Why don't you?" I said while observing their raised eyebrows. "What are you all doing here? Washing clothes?"

They laughed. "We are hunting rabbits. And we caught one," one of them said observing my face. He had a very little mouth with cute teeth. I wonder how close his canines would be. "Now, are you coming along by yourself or should we take you back to your home forcefully?"

"Would you let your sisters feel the same. The loss of freedom of roaming freely in the forests?" I asked irritatingly.

"That's what females are supposed to feel." The third one said with narrowed eyes. He was the skinniest of them all.

He stepped ahead, making me step back.

"Woah! Do you even know what you are about to do? Interfere in an Alpha Lycan's bride little trip, bursting her peace? If I tell my mate about you three, he will drag you to the mountains by those hair you are dying to grow more!" I said, giving them the dead eye. "Had I been violating any norm, my in-laws would have been here only."

All three looked at each other and then at me.

"Fine," the one with curly hair said.

I controlled the victory smile and observed their tanned bodies. They were only wearing breeches.

"Could you tell me where can I find Chelsea?"

Two of them shook heads. The skinnier one stepped ahead in thought.

"That shorty?"

She had almost the same height as me.

Seeing my blank face, he asked, "That shorty with no mouth."

I remembered how it was the other one who had answered Kingston, not Chelsea in the morning.

"I have mostly seen her on the other side." He said, scrunching his pointy nose.

The one with the curls smirked. "Forbidden side. Where females bath naked."

My cheeks warmed up. "Okay. That's enough. So, what direction should I go for?"

The third one pointed towards the right only. "You are circling the river. You'll see an old grassy bridge to cross it after a belt of herbs. Use that bridge and you just have to walk straight inside the dense forest. Soon, the noises of women will reach. But you only stop when you smell Chelsea. We don't interrupt anyone's aloofness here."

I nodded and turned around. "Thank you, guys."

"Wait!" One of them yelled. I looked back to observed his golden eyes. He had that little smirk on his long face. "Mother says, the cycle of friendship goes round. We help you and you help us."

My heart started drowning. "Woah. Okay. But I am a simple human. I don't think that I can help you in any way. And I am not your friend."

The other one patted his friend's shoulder and looked at me. This one had an untrimmed stubble. "We helped you. That makes us friend."

My eyes straightened.

He blinked mischievously and said, "We don't need your help for now. When we will, we will find you."

I gulped in relief. "It's not necessary to always make a deal. Sometimes, you just help to earn some blessings."

The skinnier one with the black breeches laughed. "We don't need blessings, sister. We need the other side of the deal to be completed."

I rolled my eyes. "Fine. But what are your names?"

Their faces suddenly paled. "You're going to tell our names to your mate?" The first one asked.

The second and third one exchanged a concerned glance. "Though, it doesn't matter. Her mate will smell us on her anyway," the second one said.

"Chill." I blinked. "I meant, just so I can recognize you next time. Right? I am Misty," I said, forwarding a hand to the first guy. "You three guided me the way. So, I will remember that. Only if I get to find Chelsea at last."

The first one glanced at my hand, his eyebrows furrowing.

"I am not an alien."

"What's an Alien?" The second one asked.

I collected my lips. "That I am not from another planet."

"Planet?" The third one's eyebrow twitched. He looked at his friends. "What the hell she talks about?"

"I mean. I am not from another Mother Earth. Right? There is only one," I said, looking at them. "Even though, I am from another pack. Not really. I mean, I am a human before everything."

The three of them looked at me as if I had grown three heads.

"Why are you standing like that?" The first one asked, pointing at my hand.

My mouth opened in sudden blankness. "Oh." I blinked, looking back at him. "It's. . . It's the way we greet the strangers or loved ones like this. It's also the way to seal the beginning of a new friendship."

The Lycans stared at me like I was a fool.

"That is not allowed." The second one said, quietly. "It only happens between the mates when their blood drops are need to be mixed at the rituals. Only mates hold hands."

My smile straightened. "Oh come on. It's just a hand shake, you see. There are so many other things for the mates. Kissing and all that stuff. But this is a sweet handshake."

The third one gave me a shake of head.

My eyes narrowed. "How do you guys greet strangers? Or. . . seal the beginning of a friendship?"

He smirked slightly and walked two steps ahead. "We just stare. To friends, we might even nod if we are in mood."

My eyebrows relaxed and I gave them a long stare. Humor glinted in their eyes and they nodded.

"Well, then. Good bye." I mumbled while turning around and starting to walk away.

But one of them called out. "Wait!"

I turned my head and raised my eyebrows.

The one with the golden curls smiled, showing me his white teeth. "I am Louvel."

The one with cute small mouth palmed his heart. "I am Osmin."

My mouth parted in delight.

The skinnier one pulled up his breeches as it was long and hanging on his ankles. He shrugged his shoulders and smirked slightly.

"My name is Robbie."

"Cool," I said, nodding my head with a wide smile. "See you, then."

I could feel their gazes until I had reached the broad belt of herbs.

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Stepping on the stone carefully, to not disturb any plant. Well, they all looked important and dangerous too.

They could be medicinal or just for their need. Because they were planted in rows..as if someone planted them knowingly here in the middle of the forests.

Whoever it was had made a little path of big stone too on the left side. So, now I could easily fall either in the flowing river or on the herbs.

Carefully taking the steps, I walked for five more minutes when my eyes caught the thick roots of the trees all spread around.

"Wow!" I whispered to myself, looking at the roots making a way to guide me towards the bridge to cross the river. The bridge was criss-crossed roots of the old trees or new, I couldn't understand. As they were all entangled and half of then were actually green.

The river must be as broad as twenty metres. I would have to be careful.

The sound of the water running down below the bridge was quite frightening as I was all alone and scared on these roots.

Taking a step in every ten seconds, I crossed the bridge that didn't swing much. It would have if I had jogged or ran on it.

Now, I didn't want to meet Chelsea anymore.

Sitting on the stone, I caught my breaths and felt my chest burning from continuous walking. These forests were denser than the southern territory. There was so much shade under the trees while the sun slowly fading.

My eyes filled up and lips trembled.

I didn't know how I would go back now.

I was exhausted and hungry.

Removing the hood of my cloak, I wiped my face, minding my nose ring.

One tear slipped and the other. The another.

It felt like a deja Vu.

No one was around. I could only hear the water flow.

All I wanted was for Eva to show up, even if it had to be in her wolf form, even if she wanted to scare me.

But just show up.

I wouldn't do this for my boyfriend ever. For Gran, maybe. For Mom? But Chelsea.

I didn't even know who she really was.

Wiping my eyes, I realized how my life was just ruined.

I had to be in the college instead, making new friends and clicking pics. I had to be at home, trying out a new flavour of icecream with Lexi and ignore Ryan's flirtatious jokes. I had to be back at the city, to be grateful for cycle, electricity, burger and toothbrush.

The sudden footsteps occurred from the left side.

I immediately looked at the dense trees, getting alert.

Getting up from the big rock, I picked up a stone for my safety. Covering myself back with the hood, I looked around.

Leaves moved from the hanging branch of a tree almost ten metres away from the bridge.

A hand came to remove the big leaves while my eyes moved down to observe the silky white plain dress. The skin was too pale. I could almost guess if she had the white hair too.

But all of a sudden, someone grabbed my shoulder from behind.

I let out a cry in fright and turned around to gasp in shock.

"Ch. . . Ch-Ch-Ch. . . " My teeth chattered in the blankness. "Ch-Ch-Ch. . . Chelsea," I said while breathing out in disbelief.

She had brown eyes and two dark scratches on her right cheek that I didn't observe in the morning absentmindedly.

She nodded and smiled. "You are Misty."

She had a very thick velvety voice, not suiting her sweet face at all. Her dark hair were silky and long, reminding of the white hair I was wondering about.

I immediately turned my head back towards the branch where leaves weren't even swinging anymore.

I walked ahead and looked through rows under the dense canopy of the leaves. Whoever she was, had gone.

"You are allowed to roam already?" Chelsea asked while coming ahead to stand in front of me.

I blinked and finally looked at her. My eyes filled up and she observed them immediately.

Letting out a brief sad chuckle, she wrapped her arms around me, putting her head on my shoulders, pushing mine to her shoulder. She patted my back as a soft sob escaped me.

"I had been dying to meet and give you this hug," she mumbled, her own voice cracking. "I heard how your mate threatened to violate you."

My eyes squeezed and I tightened my arms around her.

"It's okay. You are virgin. That's the best news in so many months here," she whispered while I gulped hard, trying not to bawl my eyes out madly. "Shhhh. . . Calm down."

Pulling away, she passed me a glossy-eyed smile. "Come, walk with me to the banks. Dipping your feet in the water would soothe you."

I thought that she was talking about the flowing river. But then she took me to the way where I had seen that woman in white gown and hidden face.

Hundred metres and more into the forest, I saw the wooden tramp leading us to the lake. "I mostly bathe here. But today, I just wanted to sit in silence and didn't bring more clothes. I was actually hoping for you to come and see me," she said, chuckling briefly. "Even though, all of my predecessors avoid me. I thought, you would too."

"Why?" I asked, sniffling softly as we stood at the tramp to look around the vast lake with fresh water.

"They gave up." She mouthed when I looked at her, chilling my spine up. "Come on, remove your cloak and sandals. Let's dip some feet," she said cheerfully, giving me the idea that she was not traumatized or anything.

She seemed healthy and in good wheat-ish skin. She had worn a thick brown blouse over a cream coloured skirt. Her small nose was curved and cute while her lips were thick and dry red.

I removed the cloak slowly and made a puddle of it beside my feet. Removing the sandals, I curled my toes and relaxed as the air felt refreshing around the skin.

But before I could even turn around to sit down with Chelsea, she had pushed me into the water instantly, not even giving me the time to let out a yelp. She jumped behind me while I swam hurriedly, moving my legs crazily to get up and gasp out loud in horror.

"What the fuck!" I glared as she swam above, pinching my nose as it was peeled off from inside.

The water was freezing cold while she came closer and grabbed my forearms. I was about to push her away in anger when she gave me the dead eye.

"Lower down," she whispered.

Bending my knees, I did as she told. She left my arms for me to spread them and gasp in the freezing water.

Her face was just inches up from the water and she was even gulping it just to say, "They can't smell us in the water. They won't hear our words due to the noise we would make in the water," she said by slapping her hands against the water, still giving me the blank eye. "And because of the river. I could have chosen the waterfall but the females take bathe there. It's crowded. This lake is an extended edge from the falls' water that couldn't mix into the river. No one likes this place because of the lack of presence on another wolves. Oy animals come here to drink water. But they do that in the night. The day is free and thus. . ."

I flared my nostrils at the chill I felt while she smiled confidently.

". . . this is where we will do 'the talk'."

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"What do you think?"

Please vote and comment.

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I had been in a very bad mood from last two days. An old friend tried to contact me. The friend who did quite the damage to me in school mentally. It was not bullying but just letting me down and passing rude comments in between the clever laughs. I was too naive to understand at that time. But now that I have grown mentally, I was disgusted as all those days came back to mind.

I know that I have left behind that person in life. But when they ask about your good health and quarantining, talking about their life struggles in last two-three years, I didn't know how to reply anymore. Just to give blank replies rudely or just pretend to be nice. At last, I talked nicely, still letting the friend know about what (the friend) did all those years ago.

I was conflicted in being nice to that friend (not friend anymore, at least to me) and being nice to me. It's hard to be good and right at the same time. What would you suggest?

I tried to write these two days but couldn't complete the update. All I wanted was to listen to good songs to keep reminding myself how much I had soulfully grown and I didn't need that friend anymore in my life.

Suggest me what would you do in my place?

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Happy Easter to all.

(I forgot to wish)

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Also, how the scenarios are there in your country now? In mine, the numbers are rising but government is working hard. Some states are bringing management models that worked well. But I wanted to know how your quarantining is going on?