Samara shut the door with concern spread over her face.

She was done with meeting the seer and even checking upon Jennifer and Davis' health. Yet Rodwin hadn't arrived here.

What if he had actually gotten into a fight?

The thought was eating her up from inside.

Biting her lips, Samara started walking through the street to get out of it. It surely was faint sunny afternoon but the shadows in the street were making her feel cold all of a sudden. She hadn't even brought her cloak while running out of her home.

Crossing the street, she took the path towards the village market. So, she would end up bumping into him only.

But before she could take one more step ahead, someone grabbed her arm and pulled her into the isolated street on the side, not forgetting to cover her mouth too.

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"I have sent the messenger already with your names in the letter," said Rodwin with narrowed eyes.

"No, son. Kindly forgive us!" The man said dramatically.

"Look at me! Do you want me to come at night and show you that I'll still be a human?" Rodwin said angrily.

The men exchanged a glance while gulping hard. "We are ashamed," said one of the man.

"If you have that much of the heart, why don't you dare hit me. Why my innocent father who would love me regardless of what animal I am?" Rodwin said through clenched jaws. "To make me weak? To hurt me?"

The men paled when Rodwin stepped near the benches at the open tea stall. He grabbed the collar of the bar owner who had cursed his father the most.

The man gulped as Rodwin glared hard.

"When you all believe that you can poke a War-returned soldier," he said while gritting his teeth. "That makes me feel weak. I am weak, actually. The horror of War, the blood, the dead-bodies, cut off ears, bones, blasts——have made me quite chaotic here." He pointed at his temple. 

"Don't dare look in the eyes of my father or wife ever," Rodwin said while looking at them calmly. "In War, the elders ask us to kill fast and sharply. I have gotten weary of giving easy deaths. Therefore, slow kills are now my fantasies."

"Father's forehead is bruised. Bled for some time. It made me feel bad. Very bad," he said quietly. "Send written apologies to my father and the royal court. Because if you don't, I will crush your skulls and sprinkle the parts at the doorstep of your homes. And the torture I would do before going for your skulls, is something they taught us during the war to make Burnslenian speak secrets out."

"We will send the apologies. We will," said the bar owner hurriedly.

Rodwin left the collar and patted the shoulder. "You must. Because only the way of love keeps the chaos in my mind, sorted."

Backing away, he turned around only to observe five-six little children of around eight-nine summers, were staring at him in shock. They were playing with each other when he had arrived here in this street.

"Mother said that he is the beast who is killing people," said one of the boys, wearing red shirt. "He kills at night. By turning into a wolf and attacking them."

Rodwin narrowed his eyes and stepped towards them, making them gasp. They all stepped back.

"Did your mother tell you, I am about to start killing children from tonight?" He said with big eyes.

The two little girls in the group whimpered.

". . . And I'll begin with the one in red clothes!" He shouted with a loud fake roar.

The children screamed and scurried away, making him shake his head mildly.

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Samara writhed in the hold of the man, trying to push him away hard. But just as her eyes fell on his face, she gasped.

"Nathaniel!" Her eyes widened in disbelief. She stopped moving, making him loosen his hold on her shoulder. "Don't touch me!" She said while removing his hands off her shoulder harshly.

Hurt reflected in Nathaniel's eyes as he saw the disgust and hatred on her face.

"What are you doing here!" Samara said through clenched jaws. "How dare you manhandle me like that? Do you want me to tell this to Rodwin? You don't know what he will do to you—"

"Help me, Samara."

Her mouth parted at seeing his lips trembling. Her eyebrows straightened and the whole anger turned into surprise. "What?" She whispered absentmindedly.

Nathaniel breathed heavily before finally giving her a firm look. "Help me," he said, pleading with his eyes. "I know who the Werewolf is. The sinner who has been killing people. I know who it is."

"Who?" Samara asked while gulping hard.

Nathaniel observed her face, admiring her hair down with a crown of braids on her head. "How could I even forget how beautiful you have always been, inside and out," he mumbled to himself.

Samara's gaze rested on his blushed lips before going down on to his black attire. That's when it hit her.

Looking back up in his eyes, she raised her one eyebrow. "Beautiful? Right. In this street, when no one is around. Just you and me, yes I might be beautiful for you in an empty street. Now, leave my way!" She said while gritting her teeth and trying to walk away.

Nathaniel blocked her path by putting his arm to the wall. "No." He said roughly. "Wouldn't you want to know who the beast is? Should I notice it keenly why this very question doesn't affect you because you feel, it is someone you care about?"

Samara glared at him with blankness on her face. "I feel as if I am standing with the beast, at the moment."

Nathaniel chuckled humorlessly. "Here, look." He showed her his palm. "I swear on my mother, I am dying to be him."

Chill ran down her spine when she observed the marks faint scratches on his hand. Her blood ran cold when she realized this wasn't the first time she had seen these marks. Just after the war, she was holding his hand and she had noticed them, then too.

"I sacrificed myself. To my father. To the ghost of the Werewolf who resides in the nights of Sherfield," he told her while staring blankly on her neck. "Took lamb each night to forests of this village, in hope of getting blood lusted and transform into one giant Werewolf. . ."

Davis' side of the story revolved in her mind. Samara moved her gaze from his palm to look in his eyes. "You were the one who. . ."

Nathaniel nodded hopefully.

". . . Who went to the cave the first, on the seventh night," she whispered in shock, looking at him fearfully.

Nathaniel closed his eyes in distress. "Not just that, on the thirteenth night, I went to the pond when I heard howls—"

"Why?" Samara asked angrily. Her eyes turned glossy. "Why would you do that? How sick you can be in the mind? Do you know because of your acts, Logan read the books! Rodwin followed him into the cave! Davis followed you all!"

Nathaniel turned ashamed as he smiled nervously. "I was only trying to be an obedient son, Samara."

"Obedient son! Rodwin's father has been attacked by four men at once! Do you realize that?"

Nathaniel gave her a pleading look. "My father would be executed in front of the whole kingdom, if you won't help me."

Samara smiled humorlessly. "He should be. For how he planned to get Jennifer raped. I shouldn't even be standing near you for the sins you have done. How cruel you have been by influencing your friend's mind in hurting a girl! Have you even seen Jennifer's health? Can you dare to do that? Can you!" She said angrily.

Nathaniel lowered his eyes with regret on his face. "I understand. I have been a fool of a man. But all I have been doing was following my father's orders."

"What orders? To become a Werewolf?" Samara mocked angrily.

Her smile faded when he nodded. "To become a Werewolf."

Samara's eyes widened. Surely, they had expected something like this. But if this was real, she couldn't understand why would Lord Commandant ask for it.

"My father is the one with a sick mind. He created this war to get to that cave. Before the war could happen, he taught me about how to reach that cave and save myself if any wolf bites me. For my ignorance towards his dream, I have been beaten too, Samara. Father wanted this like a crazy man. He wants me to become a monster. Because he himself couldn't. He tried it himself two decades ago. It was a failed attempt."

"But why?" Samara asked desperately.

Nathaniel stared at her pretty face. "You tell me. Why do people perform black magic? Why so wicked rituals? Why worshipping devil?"

Samara turned silent.

"To get their wishes fulfilled, obviously. To get hold of the power to demolish own enemies. To please the devil. To become devil ourselves."

Samara's heart beats fastened in horror as she felt the silence around the street in the lazy afternoon.

"This would be hard to for you to understand. But think about it. All around the world, monarchies rule. Emperors and Kings spread the fear of their rule and enjoy their own lives. To defeat them, in old time, to create a heaven for ourselves, to avoid slavery—people used to make deals with devils. Witches would make clan and no Kings could force their rules upon them. To live their lives on their own terms."

Samara's eyebrows narrowed in extreme disturbance.

Nathaniel scoffed slightly. "My father wanted to form a lineage of Werewolves. To create a kingdom of his own. Nothing else."

Samara gasped while looking up at him.

"Foolish. Isn't it? But isn't it working. Tell me. Not in his favour. But at least for someone else," he said quietly. "He is the Werewolf. Then, his heir would be one. Then, their children. Slowly, a pack of Werewolves would be formed. Isn't it what the wolves of Sherfield wanted? To relive their existence and also to practise the love for their Pylas."

"It doesn't makes sense. This is rubbish," she commented in a low tone. "Unbelievable, actually. How can your father, a well known army man, be so into fantasizing something that cannot happen?"

"It will happen," said Nathaniel scoldingly. "It will because the Werewolf has been created. Pylas' legacy would continue. A clan or pack would be made in upcoming generations, would be saved from tyrannies."

Samara let out a humorless chuckle. "Both father-son have lost sanity. Nathaniel, leave my path. I have to go!" She said while pushing his hand away from the wall.

Nathaniel didn't budge as he moved closer to her, making her gasp silently. "I know that I have hurt you, Samara. The ambition had made me bitter and selfish. I didn't realize what I was doing. I do now. I know that I have lost such a sweet-innocent woman who loved me like no tomorrow."

Samara's eyes filled up and breaths turned shaky. "Those memories are gone. You are not even a memory anymore," she said while looking up at him confidently. "I am betrothed to Rodwin Lester. Tomorrow, I would be marrying him. Don't tempt me to slap you hard."

Nathaniel collected his lips while showing regret on his face. "You'll be marrying the beast, Samara."

She laughed humorlessly. "That was an expected answer from you. Thank you, Nathaniel. I would keep it in mind."

"I am not lying!" He shouted while blocking her with another arm on the side. His face reddened as he gave her a serious angry look. "I am not making a joke in vengeance or hatred. I am doing it because the key to end all of this Werewolf saga, is you."

Samara gritted her teeth. "First, you accused my brother of being the Werewolf. Then, you help your father in framing him too. You accuse my fiance of killing Ida Hopper, your fiancee!"

"It is very simple to understand, Samara." Nathaniel reasoned desperately. "I am trying to save you from him. He was there near Ida's dead body. He killed her and then, acted like he didn't. As if he was listening to her last speech."

"You took the lambs! You did those rituals! And you dare blame him!" Samara said with tears in her eyes.

Nathaniel flared his nostrils while holding her forearms angrily. "Believe me!"

"I don't!" She said angrily.

"He killed Ida."

Samara smiled humorlessly. "She told Rodwin to leave the village. She told the plan that your father made. She told him that she loved Samuel. That's how, she said goodbye to him! Of all, I think that you are the Werewolf here. All the proofs go for you!"

Nathaniel nodded restlessly. "I understand. I was pretending to be the Werewolf myself in front of my father. Which is why, I took the lambs, telling him they were for myself. And agreed to marry Ida for a heir."

Samara flared her nostrils.

"I was myself confused. I had my own suspects. For last one month, I thought that maybe, I am the one. But I am not. I stayed awake and wrote my each night's journal. To make my father a fool, I had to leave home with the lambs. I used to pretend to be suspicious so as to make him believe that Pylas chose me already."

She looked away angrily.

"But did you see how Logan helped Rodwin in running away? He saved his friend's life. Just like how Rodwin was after Logan that night in the cave. Like a circle. As if they both knows that one of them is surely the Werewolf. So, they protect each other."

Samara looked back at him with narrowed eyes as she remembered, "He was there with me when the howls in the castle had echoed. You, Jeffery and my brother were out."

Nathaniel chuckled restlessly. "What if I say, Jeffery and Samuel are practising the same line of protection for each other?"

"Except you!" Samara said through gritted teeth. "You are disgusting me, Nathaniel. Back away or I am going to scream."

Nathaniel sighed angrily. "Alright. But if by any chance, you have this one per cent of belief that Rodwin is the beast. Before saving him, you must think of saving this village. I took his name because I saw him with Ida. She was my childhood friend. I did a mistake by following my useless father's order and forcing her into a marriage she didn't want. Your doubt for the castle night is valid. Father says that I had caught fever that night. I fought with Samuel and Jeffery for no reason actually. In unnecessary hatred. Maybe, Pylas was reaching out to me. Maybe, the curse was close to work on me and then, it was gone."

"You are contradicting your own words," said Samara with a humorless chuckle. "If Pylas was reaching out to you," she gestured angrily with her hand. "Then, you might have transformed too. Then, maybe that wolf who was hoveirng over me that night in the castle was you! For which I am now very much tempted to slap you!" She yelled angrily.

But before she could do that, a sudden push came from the right, blowing Nathaniel away from her sight.

Samara staggered back into the street to see Rodwin hovering over Nathaniel, hitting punches on the face.

"Rodwin!" She shrieked in shock.

"What were you doing standing so close to my fiancee!" Rodwin yelled while hitting another punch on Nathaniel's face. Grabbing his collar, he pulled him up to stand, hitting another on the cheek.

Nathaniel staggered back while Samara ran to hold Rodwin's arm.

"He was just making up stories! He was boring me actually! Rodwin, let him go! You were already a target!"

Rodwin removed her hand, giving her an angry look. "He was the beaten one, that night. He was the one who passed out near the pond. His friends ran away! Samuel ran away! Jeffery, Logan and I came for him! We saved him! The Prince saw it all!"

Nathaniel's nostril filled with blood as he panted harshly. He watched the couple talking with glossy eyes.

Samara widened her eyes while looking back at her old lover.

"One of the wolves had bitten him on the leg. No one knows it! Because I tended to his injury! Of all, he got the bite! I tended his injury! I did!" Rodwin shouted while going for him again. "And without showing any gratefulness, he blame Ida's death upon me! This bastard!"

"I did it for her safety!" Nathaniel yelled back while pointing at Samara. "If I was bitten, you dragged the wolf's body. The other wolves howled at you! They were thankful! You were the hero of that night, according to the prince. The wolves chose you!"

Rodwin hit his own chest with a fist. "Then, do it. Make me transform. Change me! Make me angry! Burn me! Anything! You fucking pig! I was untouched!"

"You drank the rainwater too!" Nathaniel told him with big eyes.

"You did more than I ever could! I didn't even know!" Rodwin sneered angrily. "It was you out of the hall on the full moon night!"

Nathaniel felt ignored. He took a long breathe before explaining, "Then, who is it?" He asked in mockery to make a conclusion.

Rodwin panted angrily. "Your father!" He said through clenched jaws. "That bastard had been reading books! He was also out of the hall! He was at the War too! He went to the forests too! Didn't he?"

Samara looked at them in confusion.

Nathaniel was pissed. "He cannot be! He is not someone who could be an Alpha! He is not young blood! He already has a child! That is me! He won't birth anymore children! It is either you, Logan, Samuel or Jeffery!"

Rodwin went closer to him, glaring hard. "Then, why don't you make another rape plan with your father to frame your favorite enemy from among us?"

Nathaniel was stunned while Samara pulled her fiance's arms. "Rodwin, we should leave. The sun is fading."

Rodwin stepped back while still not moving his eyes off the man. "I haven't forgotten the conversation we had the thirteenth night, Nathaniel. You did. You do it to everyone. You forget the words because your father made you do some reckless shit. Had you been a great soldier yourself with a spine, you wouldn't have opened the doors for this Werewolf saga. You did it by following his orders. Now, you are no one to blame anyone. No one. You sit at your home and enjoy the show. You have had enough share of bullying, belittling and wrongly influencing your colleagues. You started it and now, an innocent man is suffering because of you."

Samara observed Nathaniel's face full of confliction.

Rodwin smirked humorlessly. "Your friends died. Preston and Lori. Because your father didn't care. Jennifer would have died if Ida hadn't sacrificed her life. Jeffery and Samuel ran along with battalion all night. I brought an injured Davis to the seer. Earl informed Logan of all your reckless plan. While you waited for the right time."

"Instead of letting out a cry for your childhood friend, you were busy in accusing me. As easy as it looked. This is what you do, Nathaniel. Grow a spine and be the ideal soldier everyone believed in. That facade, make it true. Blaming is easy. Try it upon yourself. Why don't you? Sit at home and think, while they treat your father's wounds that I gave him. Think, Nathaniel. Who is the beast? You know the answer, very well. Think," said Rodwin, his eyes showing hunger for fairness.

Grabbing Samara's hand, he was about to turn around. But he stopped and added, "If I see you near my Samara again, I will rip those eyes of yours and make you eat them."

Nathaniel's cheeks had already displaying the bruise. His nose was bleeding too.

Samara felt bad for she still cared for Nathaniel as she would have cared for any stranger. Yet the fury in her didn't stay locked for longer.

"And about your doubt on Rodwin, I'll be watching over him tonight."

Nathaniel wiped the nose off his lip and scoffed. "As if you would reveal if he even turns out to be the beast."

"Absolutely, not." Samara said with a raise of eyebrow. "After what plans you made to frame my brother, hurt Jennifer and accuse the love of my life with a murder change, I can hide that little news. Can't I?"

Rodwin squeezed her hand, making her look away from the man she was a fool to be in love with and turned around. They started walking to the end of the street to get to the village market.

While Nathaniel only closed his eyes in extreme confliction.

_____

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