Two sides of the coin

Veronica’s Point of View

At this moment, I closed my eyes and listened intently. I could tell that this was more than just his voice; it’s his words and music as well, too. I requested Zach to perform a song for me. We were now here in the barn, waiting for Elijah and Atasha to come back. I've always been a fan of Zach for how many years. He is the modern poet and artist in our generation. Though our father did not recognize what he’d been doing, as his sister, I appreciated him and admired his music so much.

“Bravo! Next time, I need to bring a bottle of wine,” I applauded him enthusiastically after his great performance.

“You’re silly, you owe me with that performance,” Zach uttered. We both laughed but he stopped midway and said, “By the way, does Atasha know who Elijah really is?”

His question caught me off guard.

I looked away and thought of how I would respond to him. I bit my nails and as I thought about it, this only made me realize that we brought Atasha on this mess. But at what cost? Elijah was still looking for his mate. He didn’t want to stop until he could see her.

While Zach has a soothing voice that could make everyone's hearts melt, Elijah has this deep-voice that can persuade anyone; authoritarian, bold, his voice was like an orchestra of comfort, assurance and on the other side of the coin, it could also be dark and despair. They both have different distinct voices, the twin sides of the coin, the soft and gentle while the other one was hard and strong; the one seeks validation from his father while the other wants to rebel and seek his own path.

And here I am, stuck between these two.

“Why do you want to join this training?” I responded with a question as I didn’t know how to answer him.

He crossed his arms. “So she doesn't know yet? Poor Atasha,” he said. I sighed. I bet I can’t really trick him. “Don’t worry, I’m not telling the Alpha.” He tapped my shoulders and smiled.

“So why did you join us?” I asked him again.

He placed his thumb and index finger on his chin and pretended as though he was pondering as he stared at the ceiling. “I like Atasha. I like her a lot.”

What he said shocked me to the core. Was he trying to fool me? I had doubts about this but his voice was reassuring, an indication that he was telling the truth.

“You like her?” I asked him, still not truly convinced as I narrowed my eyes while looking at him. I followed up with another question. “How come? You two have never spent so much time, to know one another.” I smirked while glancing at his face.

“We kissed,” he replied and that made me cough so much.

What does he mean they kissed?

Zach kissed Atasha?

I bit my lower lip as I glanced at him with suspicion. Now, I’m sure he was already lying though his tone was still consistent.

“And how did that happen? We have always been together,” I asked.

He started scratching his head. “Are you with her during her sleeping hours?” he replied.

A sigh of disbelief escaped my lips. He just gave me an idea that it was possible for him to talk to her during the night. I couldn’t help but wonder about the things he already told Atasha. I was trying to compose myself. Sure, it was impossible that Zach would want Atasha. I mean she was just a mere slave from our rival pack.

I came back to my senses when I heard his voice.

“Apart from the fact that we kissed, we already talked before at the banquet, I watched her from the distance. I can’t explain the reason but there’s something about her that makes me like her more,” he stated with a serious and charming tone.

I could listen to his voice all day but the message he conveyed, it was telling me that he was telling the truth about Atasha.

“Is she your mate?” I asked. Did he somehow feel it in his wolf?

“I think so, but what I’m telling you is that I like her and I want to save her in the hands of that unstable person,” he said.

It felt like I was having a bad headache because my two brothers would fight, head-to-head, for the same girl, but with different motives. I remember what Elijah told me about Atasha, he told me that she was the key for his freedom. It sounded meaningful to my ears, it sounded like something was bound to happen for the Crimson Moon pack and Elijah, that the Moon Goddess was orchestrating it on the part of him. I wasn’t sure what Elijah was planning and why he was doing all these but one thing I was sure that he would do everything to get what he wanted. He will not take any orders from anyone, and will only do what he thinks is important, not only to himself but for the pack, one of the marks of a true Alpha.

Peter went inside the barn and brought us some refreshments. We stopped talking for a while as we decided to eat. After that, we talked about some stories about his horses. He stepped outside and did his task. When he left, I began to talk to Zach. I wanted to explain about our plan for Atasha as I think I have a responsibility as his older sister to tell him the truth.

From the age of ten when I left home to study and seven years later when I came back, I noticed that their relationship became different compared to when we were young.

Elijah and Zach started hating each other. I know Elijah would be mad at me. But I needed to tell this to our brother, too.

“Open your ears and listen to me, Zach,” I started as I looked at him.

“Fire away,” he replied.

I told him about our plan to ensure that Atasha would shift to her wolf form. Elijah and I believed that Atasha was like me, a late bloomer who only shifted to my wolf form at the age of twenty. Before that, my father sent me to school to study, to train in physical activities, to learn how to fight even though I didn’t have a way to communicate with the wolf inside of me, hoping that someday it would be awakened with the help of Moon Goddess’ mercy.

I felt so hopeless and wanted to give up but because of our father's determination, I didn't want to give up. Because of this, I kept going. I used my love of music to open my ears to the sound of the human voices, the musical notes that were coming from the woods, from the chirping birds, all the way to the whispers of the other wolves. I realized that this could be somehow helpful for the pack. One night, I finally shifted into my wolf form and became one of the respected shewolves in the Crimson Moon Pack.

We believe that this could be applied to Atasha. That lady had a burning desire to save her family. Elijah thought he could use that to be his contracted Luna. And he believed that both of their desires were the same that made him want Atasha to join him on his journey.

At first, Elijah only wanted to stop his marriage with Margaux and throw Atasha to the cage in the east wing so that she would be devoured by our wolves. But something happened that made Elijah change his mind, which he bothered not to tell.

In order for our plan to happen, we ensured that Alpha Gregory will be away from our realm by causing a fake war on one of our lands, the East Land.

“So who did you talk to?” Zach asked.

One night before the examination happened, I talked to one of my trusted slaves to reach out to the East Land. I said that my father needed to visit their place and told them to fabricate a story that they defeated some intruders. In that way, the Alpha would be glad, somehow would be at ease with their situation and free some human slaves from their land.

In addition, I asked my friend to inform them that they might receive a reward, perhaps giving them a proper community which I wished my father would consider. If they succeed with the things I wanted them to do, I can persuade my father to do it.

“I talked to one of my trusted omegas. They agreed on my plan and they came up with a masquerade party,” I replied.

One of the omegas said that the werewolves from East Land agreed on my plan. They came up with a masquerade party with live music. They had wooden carved masks for each of them, celebrating the wilderness of the land. Each mask symbolizes a wild animal, in which the werewolves love to hunt as they believed it would bring prosperity. I believe that’s their way of praising the Moon Goddess.

My Omega said it was an idea from Leo, one of their newest members. I think he had a good taste. I wish to meet him one day.

“Oh, so instead of going to a war to fight, the Alpha would be attending a party?” He chuckled. He then proceeded to leave a deep sigh and I didn’t know what it meant.

“Once the Alpha arrives here, Atasha will be ready to be the new Luna of the Crimson Pack,” I said.

He looked at me with shock written on his eyes.

“He can simply marry Margaux and call it a day,” he uttered. His face went serious and his jaw clenched. “Elijah should be stopped. In the end, Atasha will only suffer from his hands.” His tone went deep which I hadn't heard before.

At this moment, I was beginning to get convinced that Zach really loves her.

***

Alpha Gregory’s Point of View

Inside of this carriage, I was sitting with my trusted Beta. The truth was, I didn’t want to be with this person sitting beside me. His breath stinks like dirt and mud. Everyone here smells like a rotten egg mixed with pig’s excretion, and their funky underarms. It transported me to the place I conquered, the East land, where the odor of the slaves lingers in my nostrils.

How I wished I was in the water right now, the smell of the ocean that excites me and its saltiness that tastes like the tears of my enemies.

“Alpha, once we finish this battle, what are you planning to do with Elijah?” My Beta asked.

I scratched my nose a bit, a bit irritated by the stink of his breath that invaded my nose. Even though I’m already used to it, my body still reacts to it.

I understand how important this was to him as he wanted, of course, Elijah to marry his daughter, Margaux. To be honest with him, I no longer cared who Elijah wanted to marry. I was tired of that bastard son. Everytime I set him up with Margaux, he always came up with excuses, to the point that he was now saying that his mate was no other than someone from our rival pack. Pathetic. I couldn't care less who he marries for as long as she’s not someone from the Silver Moon Pack.

“Don’t worry, later on, Elijah would realize that in the end, Margaux is the one for him,” I said and smiled to assure my loyal Beta that his daughter was in good hands with my son. “He will soon quit this game, I know him. As his father, I believe he will soon come to his senses and realize his obligation as the next Alpha.”

His faith was just the same as mine.

You are cursed Elijah. You will not marry your mate. You will become an Alpha without finding one.

This is our truth that we share. I was able to search for my mate later in my life when I was already married.

“I’m happy to hear that, Alpha Gregory,” he uttered, which made me come back to my senses.

The vehicle stopped as some wild dogs barked on our way. I went outside as the Beta tried to stop me. The loud barking irritated my ears,at the same time, their smell was more stinky compared to my company. I reached out for my gun and started shooting them. Some of the dogs tried to escape but I ensured none of them escaped and ran towards and in every poked in my gun’s trigger was a loud squeal of the stinky dogs.

I then came back to my vehicle since all of them were dead. I opened a bottle of whisky to mask the odor of it’s dead bodies and we resumed moving towards the East Land.

***

Veronica’s Point of View

A loud thunderclap roared that shocked me to the core. It entered my soul and somehow told me that something bad happened. I asked Zack to get up and decided to go back to our domain. I also missed my audio room and with all of Zach’s revelation, I needed to drink a bottle of wine.

“I want to stay here and wait for them,” Zach said.

I palmed my face, this person was truly in love with Atasha. I forced him to get up by pulling his arm.

“Come on!” I yelled.

“No way, I’m staying here,” he hissed.

I gave up and no longer forced him. I went out to the barn and started walking down the hill. The wind was whistling through my ears. This reminded me of something when we were kids. I was with Elijah and Zach.

I hoped I could turn back time. Hearing their laugh, cries, and them having a good conversation together, I could trade anything for it . . .

As I continued trekking, I heard a loud familiar roar all of a sudden. I was able to confirm that something bad just happened when I turned around and saw Zach coming out of the barn. The look of his worried face made us both realize that it was Elijah, who turned into a wolf.