The moonlit night had darkened under the thick roof of leaves and branches. The dense forest seemed like a cave with no ending.

Samara kept walking while holding Lord Lester's elbow who was taking support of the bamboo stick she had brought. Her another hand was busy in holding the lantern which was the only source of light.

"Should we start calling him now? We must have walked about three hundred metres already," she said slowly.

Lord Lester gulped while looking around, thinking what time had came in his life. His broad chested son could be lying curled in fear of the wolf that was roaming and attacking the intruders. No one could fight such prey and his son was only a soldier.

So many thoughts were poisoning his mind with bad images. He breathed slowly and coughed out in cold. "Yes," he whispered.

Samara swallowed while leaving his elbow and held his hand. They looked around fearfully.

"Rodwin," she screamed.

Lord Lester glanced at the faint moon that was visible behind those dark clouds. It could rain within some time. He cursed mentally.

"Rodwin." Stepping ahead, he started beating the path with the stick. "Rodwin," his voice cracked which didn't go unnoticed by Samara who could feel her heart drowning in fear.

"Rodwin," shouted Samara as loud as she could. But no response came back from anywhere. It felt as if all the other animals were too had hid themselves in fear of the beast.

Moments passed as they kept walking. Lord Lester had sobbed his heart out for two times and Samara's own heart was crying out in extreme worry.

Her lips were trembling. No more she could call her admirer as her throat had turned sore. Eyes were blurry, moving frantically all around yet all she could see was flashes of his smile, his eyes showing nothing but love for her.

She would gasp out loud at a single thought of seeing his dead body next day. "I won't leave this forest without finding him. He must have gone for something necessary," she kept muttering to herself.

But Lord Lester had heard and wasn't replying. His own mind was filled with worst possible scenarios. All this way, as if his heart was dripping thought by thought. Only some of it was left for him to wait for his only son.

"We will find him." Samara sobbed while looking around. "We will find him," she whispered. "He has won the hearts of wolves in the war. Why would they even hurt him. . ."

A loud growl echoed in the whole forest, making both of them stunned. Samara's mouth remained opened as she didn't move in horror. Lord Lester immediately looked around and shuddered when another growl echoed and this time, it sounded louder.

"We-We need to-to lea-leave," he yelled while pulling her arm as Lantern fell on the ground, adding more of the darkness around.

Samara whimpered as both of them ran in horror. Another growl echoed, making them startled.

"It's following us," shouted Lord Lester while stumbling on the way. Samara's throat dried as she helped him without any word, feeling too blank to say anything.

But ending up whimpering, "Rodwin." She sobbed, reminding him that his son was back there near the beast. "He is there."

Lord Lester cried while shaking his head. "I don't know but I can't put you in danger. Run, Samara." He shouted angrily making her catch up with him.

A scream escaped her mouth when she looked in the front and saw a ripped goat lying on the ground. "It isn't the way to home," she told him while covering her mouth.

Looking around, she felt her head spinning. Lord Lester shook his hand and was about to say something when a sudden crisp of leaves reached their ears. He looked at her giving him a stunned look. Both of them didn't move to confirm that there was someone else walking nearby.

It was proved when another sound came, making their heartbeats stop. Samara could feel her heart reaching her mouth as her mind filled with images of last night. The dark furry wolf with his eyes all glowing in rage with a circle of red fire embracing each of them as if the thirst to kill was high. So high.

Samara could feel her legs weakening in terror as the leaves crunched more under steps of whoever was there behind the dense trees.

Lord Lester reminded her while pulling his own knife from the boots immediately. "Kn-Knife, dear. Knife." He stood in front of her as they finally understood the direction from where the voice was coming.

Samara squeezed her eyes before opening them, making one tear fell on her cheek immediately. The leaves made more of the sound competing with the rhythm of their fast heartbeats. It went loud and loud until they saw the fire.

Samara gasped in shock watching the familiar face walking out from behind the thick tree with his hand holding up the lit torch.

________

Logan wiped sweat beads from his forehead as he looked around carefully. "Are you positive that something like this happened?"

Erasmus nodded with a glare. "When you ten soldiers can try to confuse the king. Then why not one can even run away cleverly. This clearly shows he is the wolf and I am going to kill him, tonight." He patted his bag in which there was a bottle of oil.

"Your friend, Rodwin left that injured wolf alive that night. Saved his life for him. But I won't leave its sight until the wolf diminishes to the earth," he promised while walking actively.

Logan looked at him sideways, explaining, "Erasmus, I understand your brother was killed brutally. But you know what the seers have explained us. The wolf doesn't do it knowingly. It's his inner predator. It's his nature. But half of his soul, is of the soldier who has trained with us, fought in the war along us."

Erasmus kicked a pebble, glaring at him. "My brother will never return. So will the good in soldier. He is performing sins each night."

Logan sighed while shaking his head. "Not that I care about that Nathaniel. He dies, the politics in our little army dies. But if it is Samuel, this can be different. We all know he is a good person. There is no darkness in his heart," he said while recalling all his moments of observing Samuel Hampton.

"Whoever it is, I won't leave the killer of my brother," promised Erasmus while suddenly stopping and bending a little. He looked at Logan who too followed his actions as he slowly whispered, "Did you hear that?"

Logan shook his head. "What?"

"It's distant but loud enough," he told.

Logan nodded while keeping quiet this time. He waited and didn't move until they finally heard a growl. He widened his eyes at Erasmus. "It's on the other side of the forest. Towards my home and other homes."

Erasmus raised his eyebrows. "He won't dare enter the village. The guards are on their duties. There are all torches at every door, pillar on the streets. But if someone is out there, then it's dangerous."

Logan shook his head. "No. No one would do that. All are warned. . ." He stopped right when a loud female scream echoed distantly.

He widened his eyes. "God. We need to help her." He pulled out his sword and glanced at Erasmus who too was ready with his arrows. "Now, come."

"I will kill the moment I'll see him," yelled Erasmus while following Logan into the woods.

_______

Samara stared at him with unshed tears in her eyes. Her heart beats were stills erratic as the fear of getting caught by that beast was still there in her.

"What are you doing here?" She asked shakily.

Nathaniel quirked an eyebrow at her question, smiling humorlessly. "I can ask you the same, Samara. What you are doing here?"

She gulped hard, glancing sideways at a quiet Lord Lester. "He saw Rodwin running into the forest angrily. We are here to find him."

A sudden realization hit Nathaniel's face as he raised his eyebrows. "Rodwin?" He lowered his eyes, observing her from head to toe. His gaze stopped at her hand which was holding Lord Lester's forearm. "The man who stole my lover from me."

Both of them gasped while Samara shook her head. She was about to explain him how everything happened when she suddenly recalled what Rodwin had shown her nights ago.

Nathaniel daily walking towards the woods at night.

She narrowed her eyes and clenched her jaws. "What are you doing here in the middle of the night?"

Nathaniel smirked, nodding to himself at her behavior. "Are you going to talk this way to me from now on, love? Within one night, what did that Rodwin do that I couldn't do in months? What did he do? Tell me."

Lord Lester stiffened, not liking how the boy was talking to Samara. "The beast is around. We must not waste time. . ."

"Shut up, you old hag." Nathaniel groaned dramatically.

Samara yelled in anger, "How dare you!"

He only chuckled, enjoying her hatred. "I always thought how beautiful you were. I always wondered, how great it would be to make you my bride. Only if I knew that all this time you were fucking Rodwin."

Samara gasped with tears hanging on her eyes. "What did you just say?" She couldn't believe her ears, her eyes as she watched him in shock.

Nathaniel shook his head and glared at her. "My friends told me everything. Just because I yelled at you in anger that night, you turned your back on me. I loved you," he yelled. "But his mere success tempted your greedy eyes."

Samara breathed shakily, glancing at Lord Lester who shook his head at her. "We must leave, dear."

"Of course. And then, fuck each other since your son is not there to please her-"

Nathaniel felt his face stinging all of a sudden as Samara slapped him hard. His eyes widened in disbelief, while cheek hurt. His jaws clenched as he slowly looked back at her.

Samara gulped at seeing the fury in his eyes. "I loved you. I. But you didn't. With your words, you proved now. You never loved me. You are a mean person, Nathaniel. A mean heart."

She pointed at her heart. "If I am greedy, then yes. I am greedy for Rodwin's true love. The man who has always been there for me in my happiness and in my sorrow. He saved my brother."

Nathaniel's eyebrows narrowed as he glared at her. "Your brother? Your sick brother? He-"

"Don't you dare say a word about him. You were out there too in the hallways. You are too in the King's doubt. But here you are, free to roam and blame innocent people. And there, my brother is being held under charge," she sobbed. "I hate you."

Nathaniel scoffed, stepping back while bending and taking out a knife from his boot. Samara remembered it immediately from the night when he had shown it to her, telling how he did care about his own safety.

"I don't care, Samara. You are more than dead to me. High Lord's daughters have already fallen for me. Even after the charges, my home is full of the letters of the proposals from their fathers. I will get my true love. While you cheap rat stay with this Vegetable grower and his bitch of a son."

"Careful, boy." Lord Lester warned while holding Samara's hand, pulling her back and away from Nathaniel. His eyes fell on the blood dried on the knife. "So, you come here all nights to kill these goats for the beast. It seems like you are his big follower?"

Nathaniel grunted while stepping head, reaching for his collar when Samara came in between and pushed him hard. He stepped back while she glared at him.

"Behave yourself, Nathaniel. You are out here with a dagger in your hand, a torch and this dead goat close to you. What were you doing here? What are you doing from all these nights?"

He gritted his teeth. "The goat is a bait for the beast. But fools like you won't get it. . ."

"Then, how it is possible that you didn't bump into Rodwin." Lord Lester asked whole putting hands on his waist. "He walked right into the woods. You have a torch on. He would have found you."

Samara stepped back when a memory flashed in her mind. Rodwin had told her how he doubted Nathaniel for creating terror in the village. He had been roaming in the woods from the first night since the war. But then, he was one of three soldiers who were out there in the hallways.

She opened her mouth at her conclusion and stepped back slowly. Her eyes stoned on him fearfully. "You are creating terror by killing people," she whispered.

Nathaniel's eyebrows furrowed. "What?"

Lord Lester frowned as Samara again said, "You are doing this for that beast. You killed that goat to fool us while instead you have killed a person tonight. Tell me why are you doing this? Why?"

She held his collar. "Where is Rodwin?"

Nathaniel held her hands on his collar as he tried hard to push her away. "Have you gone mad? What are you even saying? I didn't kill anyone. But that goat who was a bait for the beast. I want to see him and kill him for the good of the society."

Samara scoffed humorlessly. She didn't leave his shirt as she glared in his eyes. "Where is my Rodwin? Tell me. What did you do to him? Because of you, my brother is taken to that castle. Even when you know, he is innocent. It is all because of you."

"Because you are the beast," she yelled at him, making his eyes wide.

Nathaniel glanced at Lord Lester who held his own knife in protection. He shook his head in horror. "Hey! I am not the wolf. It must be your Rodwin then. Because he's out there alone and I am not. I am in front of you as same as I am. I am not the werewolf."

Samara shook her head while sobbing hard. "I loved you and you did this to me. Why? Tell me where is my Rodwin. We have been finding him the whole night. . ."

Nathaniel squeezed her hand and shook his head gently. "I don't know where he is. I didn't see him. I swear, I was here waiting for the beast to come and eat the goat. Why would I have brought torch instead of a safe lantern? I want to burn him."

"My father informed me how Samuel has not reached the castle because he fooled the Warrior men and ran into the woods. I am positive, this beast is your brother. And now that you have talked about Rodwin too. It can be any of them," he spoke thoughtfully.

Samara grunted hard while beating on his chest. "My brother is not a beast. He is innocent."

"It would be better if Rodwin find him and kill him by himself." He spat while pushing her hard that she almost had fallen on Lord Lester's foot.

The old man immediately supported her, watching the boy in doubt as he widened his eyes when another growl echoed.

"I am not the one. Didn't you hear the growl? It's one of them." He picked up his torch that had fallen on the ground. "He sounded close. We need to run away."

Samara shook her head and kept doubting him until he looked helplessly at the old man. "You are sane enough. Tell her that I am helping you."

Lord Lester immediately took her hand and started pulling her along with Nathaniel who had his hands around her waist, dragging her almost.

"No. That's my brother and Rodwin. You need to save them. They are finding the beast. Fools they are. They'll get themselves killed," she sobbed hard.

Nathaniel sighed while leaving her to weep on the ground, when they finally reached the boundary of the forest, on the border of the colony.

He shook his head when another growl echoed around the forest.

"Sure, they will."

_______

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