“I can’t believe you failed,” my father’s disdainful voice dripped in my ears like acid. “Do you have any idea how hard it was for me to get this opportunity?” He gave me a light push, “You are really good for nothing, aren’t you?”
“I did try my best, father,” I replied in a meek voice, hanging my head.
“You? Tried your best? Is this a joke?” His voice grew louder with every word he spoke, “Melinda gave me a detailed report about everything that happened. If it weren’t for her, you would have long been dead.”
My mind veered to the time Melinda had given me the poisoned raisins. She did help me initially but she was more dedicated to her mission than saving me. She would have killed me if she were alive. Hera had indirectly saved my life by killing her. But, I didn’t tell my father that.
Melinda was already gone. What was the point of accusing her of anything?
“I had thought that your mother’s death would be enough motivation to catch the wereheretic. But, you know what you don’t have it in you. You lack the fire to achieve anything.” My father’s eyes blazed with anger which soon turned into disappointment. “It was my fault. I shouldn’t have put my trust in you.”
He glared at me for a long moment before storming out of the room. His words were like acid over my scalding wounds. Tears stung my eyes as the ache in my chest intensified.
I saw my father in a new light today. I had always thought that he was just strict. Today, I realized that he just didn’t care. All that mattered to him was power.
He didn’t even ask me once if I was alright after staying with the wereheretic for so many days. After that day, I barely spoke to my father, spending most of my time outside the packhouse.
He did send for me a couple of times but I conveniently ignored him. He had said that I was good for nothing. So, that is what I was going to be: good for nothing.
***
“Justin, it is such an honor to have you here,” a man dressed in his fifties stepped forward and greeted me as I walked into Russels, a nightclub exclusively for werewolves.
He arranged a special table for me and ordered the bartender to put my drinks on his tab.
“Mr. Simon, there is no need for that,” I tried to stop him but he didn’t relent. He went and brought a glass of drink for me personally.
A sigh left my lips as I picked up the goblet and lifted it to my lips. The way people treated me changed drastically after I returned. Surviving for a week with Hera had turned me into some sort of a hero in their eyes; excluding my father, of course.
The people who didn’t even bother to look at me earlier rushed to greet me, looking for opportunities to chat with me. Even Orlando, my staunch rival, who never left an opportunity to tease me, treated me with respect now.
The flattery and praises didn’t give me joy. On the contrary, every word they said in my praise felt like a disguised mockery. I had tried so hard to trap Hera; but in the end, she just vanished.
I had been trying to track her for over a month now but to no avail. A long, deep sigh left my lips as I sipped the contents of the glass; the smooth flavor tinged with a slight pungent spice burned my throat. It was strong, just the way I liked it.
This was another vice I had developed over the previous month. Lack of sleep had turned me into a heavy drinker. I suffered from severe insomnia; sleeping for barely a couple of hours at a time; even that seemed like a task.
Whenever I managed to sleep, I ended up waking with a start; my mind spiraling with nightmares. If these dreams had been about killing Hera, or her torturing me, I wouldn’t have minded. But, what haunted my dreams were the sweet moments I spent with Hera: kissing her; giving her flowers; walking hand in hand under the moonlight; confessing to her.
A Hiss escaped my lips and I held my head, “Why don’t you just leave me alone?”
“Oh… sorry…” Corel’s voice sounded, startling me. “I just saw you sitting all by yourself and thought you are free. If I am bothering you, I will leave.”
“I guess I was just talking to myself.” I jumped to my feet and grasped her hand hastily, “You are no bother at all.” I pulled a chair for her and smiled, “Please sit down.”
She was the only one who could make me forget everything. Her lips pressed into a thin line and she reached for my hand over the table, “What is bothering you, Justin?”
“Umm, It’s nothing…” I shrugged it off and changed the topic, “A new restaurant has opened opposite Russels. How about we go there and have dinner?”
She raised her eyebrows while keeping her gaze fixed on me, “Something has been haunting you since you returned. At first, I thought that you were just disoriented but it doesn’t look that simple.” A shadow of worry loomed over her features, “Please tell me what it is. How can I help you if you don’t talk about it.”
My heart ached to see Corel in distress. I thought that I had been hiding it quite well. Turns out, she knew that something was wrong right from the beginning.
Running the pad of my thumb over her fingers, I told her about the nightmares I was having, “I am so sorry, Corel. My dreams should be centered around you but I just can’t help it. Her image haunts me every time I close my eyes.”
She walked over to me and sat down on my lap; totally ignoring the fact that we were in the middle of a crowded bar. Lacing her arms through my neck, she said in a pained voice, “Why didn’t you tell me earlier?”
The next moment, her lips pressed against mine and we got lost in a passionate kiss. This was what I liked about Corel. She was bold and never held back anything. The fact that she didn’t even think once before kissing me in the public made my heart throb wildly.
Werewolves are naturally unrestrained by nature but over the years, the quest for power and false prestige had laden us with so many stupid boundaries that it was stifling. That was another thing that had changed about me, I had become cynical.
My outlook on the world had changed. Earlier, everything seemed perfect in the Moonmist Pack. But now, It was as if a veil had been lifted from my eyes. I could sense the insincerity in words, see the micro-expressions of distaste behind flattery, feel the sting of omnipresent discrimination, and everpresent the craze for power.
I don’t know if this was good or bad. Previously, I led a carefree life despite the overbearing façade. Now, I just couldn’t feel the peace and joy; even though people treated me a hundred times better. Like they say ‘Ignorance is bliss.’
“You are spacing out again,” Corel’s voice pulled me out of my thoughts. She rested her head against my chest and muttered, “Hera killed your mother and you couldn’t avenge her. That must be the reason, you are having nightmares.”
She lifted her head and looked into my eyes, “I think we should meet the Lycan King and ask him for one more chance.”
“He won’t agree.”
“We have to try….”
The Lycan King was furious when he found that the plan had failed. If it weren’t for my father’s mediation, he would have probably executed me.
“He has forbidden me from entering the Lycan Palace, Corel. He won’t even meet me, let alone give me another chance.”
“What if you have something unique to report about the wereheretic?” Her eyes lit up, “He will allow you to meet right?”
“He would; but the thing is, there is nothing to report.”
She got up from my lap and walked back to her seat, rubbing her chin thoughtfully. “How can there be nothing, Justin? You stayed with her for six days. There has got to be something. She might have slipped and said something accidentally. You might have seen something. You just need to think hard.”
I nodded my head and continued drinking, “I have probably replayed every minute detail a million times. There is nothing.”
“Don’t sound so pessimistic. How about you tell me everything?”
“I…umm… I am feeling a bit tired. I will go home and rest.” I said as I got to my feet.
“But…” She started saying but I walked out of the club.
It is not that her suggestion was bad. I just couldn’t bring myself to talk about my stay with Hera. It would make everything feel more real. Till Hera was just a part of my memories, I could stay indifferent or at least pretend to be unbothered.
I felt a bit guilty about leaving Corel alone but I just couldn’t continue with that conversation. Ever since I returned, my head was a mish-mash of emotions; on top of that these nightmares; they were driving me crazy.
While walking through the crowded streets that night, I realized something. I couldn’t move ahead in life until I had closed Hera’s chapter. I had to find her and avenge my mother; whether the Lycan King permitted me or not.
The biggest challenge in finding Hera was that she always walked on foot. She barely stopped anywhere or talked to others. This made it impossible to trace her. The only person who could trace her, Melinda, was dead.
My only choice was to look for her like everywhere. After a bit of persuasion, my father agreed to lend me a hundred men to assist me.
Another month passed by in a flash.
We couldn’t find any clues despite our incessant efforts. The vampires, witches, and other alphas couldn’t find any traces either. It was as if she had vanished from the face of the earth.
Every day that went by drove me closer to the edge. I became bad-tempered and irritable; shouting and yelling at everyone for no reason at all. I worked for unreasonable hours forcing the others to keep me company.
This caused dissent among the men and they complained to my father. In the end, Alpha Hades commanded me to quit the search. Left with no other choice, I decided to meet up with the Lycan King as soon as possible.