CHAPTER 8

Donghae stared at his reflection in mirror with a hint of fear crossing his features.

It has started just a day ago, the flickering and dimming of silver of his eyes. Donghae dreaded his father’s words might come true. But what would he do, or rather how would he face the Golden Alpha if the dreaded reality descends upon them?

Donghae shuffled closer to the floor length mirror and peer into his somewhat grey eyes now. A light gasp slipped passes his lips when the silver in his eyes flickered to his eyes original obsidian shade and then back to silver in a nanosecond. Something bad was happening or was about to happen, Donghae just knew that… it was all a warning. Either some powerful Alpha was about to get his dirty hands on Donghae’s Zeta- endangering the mark Donghae had left on the Zeta- or Choi Siwon had found a way to manipulate the four Moons and show himself as the most powerful young Alpha in Wolvotaria. The second option seemed unlikely… the thing that worried Donghae most was the safety of the Zeta. It can’t be disregarded as coincidence that last day Donghae had felt a quick burn and electric sting shot through the junction of his neck… at the very place which usually feels the ghost of invisible teeth mark.

Roughly palming his face, Donghae struttered away from the mirror and peeked at the blackish blue sky. The Sun was loaming on the horizon, just about to rise and declare the start of a new day. Donghae was sure his father would be asleep right now, so this was the perfect opportunity to slip out and get some well deserve understanding from the person, who had been Donghae’s mentor, adviser and kind teacher for a long time now.

With haste, Donghae pulled over a long travelling cloak and fasten the strings around his neck. Suddenly, the creaks of a wooden door made him to snap his face toward the said door and found a brow raise Kai looking at him.

“Where are you going?” Kai spat, making Donghae to smile slightly at the expected question.

“Hmm,” Donghae pretended to think for a moment. “Just heading for a walk… need some fresh air.”

“Umm…” Kai started, giving a judging gaze to his elder brother. But before he could form words to throw at his brother; because Goddammit!! Did Donghae wake him up at wee hour of morning to ask him if he wanted to accompany the elder on his stupid morning walk??

“I need the Zeta, Kai.” Donghae spoke; voice low but decided, before locking his gaze with his younger brother. “The Zeta is in danger and I need him by my side.”

Kai’s frown deepened, his dark eyes took in the fatigue visible on his brother’s face before he started carefully, “It’s easier said than done. The Guardian’s mind work like no other, they could either have the Zeta hidden where no one could find him or had him out in open, knowing no one would be any wiser to guess the truth about him.”

“Do what you must,” Donghae insisted, his greyish silver eyes looking troubled before they relax back to the original blackish orbs. “I would be stepping out for the day. I wish to hear some optimistic update on my return.”

“But you are not gonna tell me where you are going, are you?” Kai asks with eyes conical in suspicion.

“The less you know the better,” Comes the rehearsed reply as the Silver Alpha step side his brother to pass through the door. “Tell father I am sick or out practicing… just make sure to keep him from finding out.”

“Don’t worry, I would,” Kai promises, like he always do.

With a nod of gratitude Donghae covers his head with hood of the cloak and direct his steps toward the dungeons. The light from the burning torches flickers, casting weird shadows around the corner of cold and silent dungeon corridors. With noiseless footsteps, the Silver Alpha reached the grey stone wall at the very end of the long corridor. Donghae stood frozen for a second, eyes trained on the wall before him but his sensitive senses trying to find if someone was following him or not… once sure of his being alone, Donghae raised his hands to press at a certain grey brick and watched with satisfaction when a small archway started to form due to the shifted brick.

The Silver Alpha squeezed himself inside the small cloister before forcing the wall to close behind him… making sure his clandestine tunnel was to remain a secret for as long as possible.

O-o-o-o-O

The walk through the small market of the city was tiring, being so used to covering large distances through mechanical vehicles, back on the Planet Earth; Hyukjae found himself whining, mentally, as he tried to keep up with Sehun and Jaehyun’s long strides.

“How much longer before we reach?” Hyukjae asked, voice low due to parched throat.

“We haven’t even reached the outskirt of Viogreoxath Forest, yet.” Sehun mumbles, a hint of amusement could be detected in his tone. “You are destroying the image of the powerful and amazing Zeta I had in mind, Hyukjae. At least try to keep up with our pace.”

“We are going so slow that we might reach Viogreoxath Forest by nightfall,” Jaehyun complains, making Hyukjae to mentally punch the younger boy. “And trust me that forest is not made for night journeys.”

Hyukjae simply purses his lips before an angry retort can slip pass his lips because he knew very well that he would only be wasting his energy by arguing with these big sturdy werewolves, who most probably spend better part of their day practicing their battle skill whereas Hyukjae had wasted last five years of his life reading about Human History, he had no interest and use of.

They had started their travel before the dawn, walking through one small society of werewolves to another and covered a famous- claimed by Jaehyun- market of this part of Wolvotaria. They had not worn any cloaks or hoods, since Sehun explained that that kind of attire attracts more attention than they needed. True to those words, Hyukjae noticed none of the werewolves in the Market turned to glance at them twice, even if they broadcasted their faces in the broad day light. They made small stops to eat, twice, and to use rest room. The Market was as Hyukjae had remembered from his old days and it also resembled the Markets Hyukjae had visited back on Earth, there wasn’t much difference. Even the small societies had similar kind of look, rows and rows of houses hurdle together with narrow roads and streets defining the mapping of that specific area.

True to Jaehyun’s words, the sky has started to get darker and deeper by the time Sehun pointed out the outline of Viogreoxath Forest, which was finally visible to their eyes.

“Hyukjae and Jaehyun,” Sehun’s serious tone made both werewolves to give their undivided attention to the Guardian. “We must stick together at all cost but if the situation calls for it…” Sehun stop short before turning to gaze at the Zeta. “Rumors has it that creature of Viogreoxath Forest protects their forest from outsiders. No one knows what kind of creature they are but if worst comes to the worst, Jaehyun and I would try to distract those creatures so that you can keep going forward, Hyukjae.”

“But I wouldn’t know where to go,” Hyukjae pointed out, somewhat alarm visible on his face. “Let’s just face whatever comes in our way, together, and then-”

“No,” Sehun shook his head while plunging his hand to dig out something from his pocket and placed it in Hyukjae’s palm. “It’s a compass, just keep moving to North… this would lead you directly to Vinz. Siwon said Vinz lives in the very heart of Viogreoxath Forest. Tell him you are the Zeta as soon as you find him.”

“Okay,” Hyukjae muttered, pocketing the compass. “But let’s hope for better.”

With a deep breath and a decided nod at each other, the trio werewolves cross the invisible boundary of the forest and Hyukjae could have sworn he felt indescribable warmth engulfing his body. It was like they have entered another World. It was surreally silent. The small cracks of dry twigs under their feet seemed to be echoing around them and the mere sound of their hard breath was bombarding over their ears. The deeper they stepped, the amount of fear engulfing their hearts amplified, none of them even tried to talk with the fear of awakening the infamous creature of Viogreoxath Forest, which could have been all a myth for all they knew.

They walked and walked, Sehun’s hand clutched around a small compass, similar to the one he had handed over to Hyukjae a little earlier. As they moved deeper, the trees of the forest got thicker and thicker, so much so that it was hard to tell where night has fallen upon them or not since the sky was not visible due to the tall dense trees. They moved with caution, glancing around them every now and then… suddenly Sehun froze mid step, naturally making hyper alert Jaehyun and Hyukjae to pause and stare at Sehun in alarm. Sehun’s sharp eyes moved here and there and it wasn’t long before Jaehyun’s face features changed from confusion to watchful and prepared, the younger crouched low in a defensive manner.

O-o-o-o-O

Ara leans against a door frame, keenly watching the leader of Guardians carefully brushing his long fringes, making sure the thick mane will not part at all to reveal the hidden face of Jaejoong. The Femal