The Lycan King's Muse

Ep 69: Have Faith

–Mason–

"So," Jen's voice spreads confidently from where she stands. "Should we do this the hard way or the easy way?" She has her hands on her hips and her chin is raised like a warrior.

I never liked Jen before. She was always so deviant and weird as a female werewolf. But she was one of our best healers so I kept her as a member of the pack.

Looking at her now, it seems she has found the perfect place where she can just be herself unapologetically. A prick of shame strikes me on the chest yet again. Jen was another amazing female who was pushed to run away from our pack because of our ignorance.

Next to Jen, a lycan female is standing fiercely. She looks like a warrior and she has one of the sharpest gazes I have ever seen. Lycans are known to give their females equal chances as males. I always thought that it was a stupid policy because, by nature, females and males are completely different.

After I got paralyzed and saw how amazing Gina was, I began to wonder, how amazing and wholesome our pack could be if I was not too blinded by gender stereotypes? How many female warriors have we missed? How many fantastic scholars have we mentally put down before they could start? How many radiant beings we have failed to let shine?

I only look at Jen for quite some time. The wild determination inside her used to scare me. Now, it gives me courage.

Heaving a long sigh, I resign to my desperation. "Do you think Lyall can take down Ed?" I ask Jen, which shocks everyone who has gathered in front of the gate. "If you believe he can, I will... we will cooperate with you."

My voice breaks in front of the female werewolf I used to diss. "He has Gina as a hostage. We all can't go on like this." I look at my pack members one by one. Then I look at the vampires under Ed. All of them give me a tired look. They all agree that Ed needs to be stopped.

Besides, I don't think my pack members can take down a cavalry consisting of rogues and lycans. Even if we have some vampires helping us. Moreover, that shadow boy is still watching me like a hawk from his sitting spot. That shadow boy is one of the scariest beings I have ever met.

"I don't think Lyall can take down Ed. At least not this Ed," Jen says, "But I believe Mars can."

Of course... Why did I not believe in Mars's power?

I guess I still have a long way to go before I can face Gina.

***

–Mars–

"It's done," Ed announces cheerfully after he is done putting on a spell on a small beaker glass. I never knew Ed to know any ancient spells, so my guess is that it is a remnant memory from the body.

He walks toward me holding the beaker glass with a wide grin. Somehow, the more I see him happy about this situation, the more I feel conflicted. I feel guilty for giving up like this, and I also feel sad things are going this way. Above all, I feel desperate for a change.

I guess even if I understand my own emotions, it doesn't make me better at handling them.

For a while, I only look at the clear beaker glass. The concoction is red with a slight purple hue. There is white smoke coming out of the beaker glass. At first glance, the liquid seems hot because it can disintegrate the wood splinter in seconds and create a little bubble on the surface. But a second later, frost is forming on the glass.

I glance at the beaker glass then glance to the side to see Gina still unconscious inside the small pond under the giant tree. Lastly, I glance at Ed.

"I'll wake her up after you drink this," Ed says as if reading my mind. "Then we can do whatever you want to do."