Nature in Hiding

44- A Myth or a reality

"Wo..wolves?" The other elements stuttered, looking at the other five people who were eyeing them suspiciously.

"Yeah, the same wolves whose distress I had felt back then," Avan answered.

"But...but they look like humans," Sameera said, stupefied by what was happening.

"Then there's only one meaning to this, they are werewolves," Gyaan spoke in a clear voice, letting go of the whispers as he understood that it wasn't of any use now.

"Werewolves? Aren't they a myth?" Ahana asked, her mouth hung open.

"Our whole existence is a myth too," Gyaan pointed out. "If we can be here then why can't they?"

"Here we go! They confessed with their own mouths that they aren't humans," Vivaan said.

"Like you didn't figure it out from before," Ahana said, rolling her eyes at the so-called 'werewolves.'

"Well we knew that you all aren't full humans. But what are you is still a question," Rehyaa said, hoping to receive a straight answer, but who was she kidding, there was no way she would receive one.

"Find it out yourselves," Ahana said in a challenging tone.

"Then we have no other option than capture you all and take you into imprisonment," Vivaan said.

"For what crime? We were just here for water," Gyaan asked, pushing Ahana behind and taking over the conversation.

"There's not one, but multiple reasons," Yara answered,

"One," she said raising her first finger, "You have trespassed our private property,

"Two," she said raising another finger while looking at them with tight-lipped smile, "You are refusing to let out your identities which can pose a threat to our people,

"Three, you know about the existence of werewolves, which means you all can expose our identity to the world and thus have become a threat to our lives.

"So in conclusion, you all are stuck here. None of you are ever going back to your world," Yara finished.

Ahana huffed hearing everything, and was about to retort, when Hritika interrupted, "Don't bother. It's over once you find out their identity."

"Their identity? Not yours?" Neer asked, with one eyebrow raised.

"This Didi and that Bhaiya don't have wolves inside them," Avan answered instead, pointing towards Hritika and Nihal.

"You wouldn't have been able to run away as a human, but we aren't as helpless," Ahana said to Hritika before all the elements got into a fighting stance.

"Shall we call back up," Yara asked to Vivaan, while taking the fighting stance as well.

"It wouldn't be needed. At least not now. There are five people in each group. Let's see what they can do and plan accordingly," Vivaan answered.

"No, it's four against five," Rehyaa said, making her group members stumble a little in shock.

"Are you counting me out?" Hritika asked in an angry tone.

"Rehyaa, I agree that Hritika is physically the weakest amongst us, but she is the brain of the group," Vivaan disagreed in a polite tone. Although he had another point of view, he didn't want to insult her judgment amongst others too.

"I wasn't talking about Hritika," Rehyaa said, her teeth grinding because of their lack of trust on her. "I was talking about the child in the other group."

"Why not?!" Avan yelled, before the werewolves could react to their Luna's words. "I am just as powerful as others," he yelled, pouting for getting disregarded again.

"I know you are," Rehyaa said with a small, motherly smile. "You can hurt us, but we won't hurt you. It goes against our morals to hurt a pup, I means a kid."

"How about we don't fight at all?" Gyaan proposed, earning shouts from his group members.

"Gyaan!!" They yelled in unison.

"Hear me out first," Gyaan said, raising his palms to show he came in peace.

"Let's hope it is something worthy, or else....," Ahana threatened, showing her first.

Gyaan fake smiled at her, rolling his eyes at her empty threat, before explaining himself, "We were anyways going to wander in this forest. Now we get a place that would probably not be as cold as the ground. Moreover, they don't look like the type that tortures people, just because they find out their identity. And even if they want to, it's not like they could. We are far more powerful for that.

"So, we will be receiving a warm place to sleep, free food and free water. So it's a win-win. They are happy because they can keep a check on us and we are happy to get a place to rest peacefully."

The werewolves looked at Gyaan with wide eyes and their mouth hung open.

"Is he confusing imprisonment for a hotel stay?" Yara questioned, still in shock with what she had heard.

"He has lost his mind. Yeah, that's what has happened," Neer said with a forced smile and a tight face, as he pulled back Gyaan with his collar.

For the first time since they met, Hritika actually noticed their state. Having been scared by their sudden presence, the werewolves had failed to see their condition.

Their clothing didn't fit, their faces or whatever was visible through the masks was sunken with tiredness, they weren't wearing any footwear, and most importantly their eyes kept darting towards the waterfall with desperation.

"Come with us as guests," Hritika said.

"Hritika?" The other leaders were shocked, not by her words, but by the sudden change of her tone in addressing the strangers.

"Trust me," she requested the Alpha and Luna, to let her make this decision.

Vivaan and Rehyaa nodded immediately, knowing that Hritika was far more observant and there was definitely an important reason behind her decision that they had missed.

"So it's final, come with us as guests and not as prisoners. Of course, we will keep an eye on you, because well, we still don't know what you all are capable of. But you would be able to stay comfortably. So, what's your decision?" Hritika asked, clasping her hands and looking at them eagerly.

"Is this some kind of trick?" Ahana asked, worried that they were about to be drugged again in the name of kindness.

"We are thankful for your offer, but someone will have to taste the food which is provided for us before we eat it," Neer said.

"What are you, some royalty?" Hritika scoffed.

"Our trust has been betrayed countless times. Now we can't take any chances," Sameera said politely but firmly, letting them know that the condition was non-negotiable.

"They aren't being rude, just cautious," Nihal concluded, while other werewolves nodded in understanding.

It didn't take long for them to understand what Hritika had observed. One glance at what her eyes were trained on, was enough for them to know what they had missed before.

The sassy remarks and the bravery were all a facade. These strangers were just trying to survive.