Chasing Moon

1

"So you're saying your sister died—"

"She's not my sister," Chase interjected.

"But you said—"

"I know what I said, but she isn't my sister. She's just someone whom I share a father with. That's it," Chase explained as he looked out of the window, into the night sky. The light from the moon was pouring in, casting a long dark shadow of him.

"Anything else?"

"How did he manage to infiltrate us?" Crystella asked, changing the subject.

"Again. How the hell will know that? I wasn't working with him to take down the Alpha of Fauve."

"And how can I trust you?"

"Call my previous Alpha. He'll tell you," Chase said as he looked away from Crystella to his shadow.

"Fine, I will. And before I confirm your innocence, you will stay put in this cell. Also, you might want to use this time to think about the word 'respect'."

"Yes, my Lady," Chase mocked as Craw's daughter leaves the room, leaving him all alone again in the moon-lit prison. He studied his shadow, then laughed to himself, thinking how pathetic his shadow must be feeling right now—useless, unwanted and only ever being noticed when someone else was in the light.

He empathised with his shadow.

"You're just like me, just like me," he muttered as he laid down on the floor and fell into a peaceful sleep for once in his entire week.

—

"You are free to go."

Chase looked up at Crystella. Her eyes were in the shade of pale blue that screamed 'cold' no matter how you looked at them. Her mouth never once lifting off at their corners and her head never once tilted down. Her aura was full of authority and the distant between her and the people around her seemed like a thousand miles even though their mere inches apart in reality.

"I wish to join the Craw pack."

"What?" she exclaimed. For the first time, Chase could read an expression from her face: Surprise.

"I wish to be part of the pack. And I think Craw could make do with someone like me," he continued, indulging in the satisfaction that came from Crystella's growing surprise.

"Someone like you?" she repeated incredulously.

"I single-handedly took down ten of your warrior wolves, what am I still lacking to join your pack?"

"Are you—"

"Yes, I'm being serious right now. In fact, you can take me to your strongest wolves and we'll have a fight to see if I'm worthy," Chase suggested, already feeling excited by the thought of having a duel. It was the only thing that he looked forward to in his previous pack, the only thing which he was very confident at.

"The strongest wolf is... not available at the moment. But I'll bring you the Warriors if you're serious about this," Crystella replied as she eyed him sceptically.

"I am."

—

While Crystella led the way, Chase thought about what she had said. The strongest male would mean the Alpha, so the Alpha was missing then?

"What happened to the Alpha?"

"It's none of your business," Crystella snapped back. Chase nodded in response and kept silent.

"My name is Crystella," Crystella said suddenly, her eyes still looking forward and never once at Chase.

Chase laughed.

"I know."

How could he not? There were stories everywhere about the famous daughter of the great Alpha Craw, the sole daughter and descendant of the throne, the girl who will soon come of age and find her mate which will take the throne for her. How could he not know about Crystella?

Every unmated male wolf wants her and wishes to be her soulmate, eyeing for the power that could be theirs if ended up with Craw's daughter. To make the deal even better, this position came in a package with her beauty that was known throughout the packs, so there was no wonder that every unmated male would attend Craw's daughter's seventeenth birthday party when she would finally be able to tell who her soul was mated to.

But the lucky bastard must not have known what his future awaits. As far as Chase knew, the birthday party ended in a literal bloody mess and the mate was not yet found. Chase then humoured himself with the possibility that the murderer might have been the host's mate. What would that make him then? Supposed brother-in-law of Crystella that she never got to find out because he killed himself after seeing the oh-so-glorious daughter of Craw?

Crystella had come to the cell during the fourth night of Chase's stay. She told him that the attacker was indeed his fraternal twin brother, confirmed by the Alpha of Kelsey himself. She then explained to him that his twin brother had committed suicide right after killing the Alpha of Fauve and expressed her regrets with the word, 'Apologies'.

She then made a remark about how the Alpha of Kelsey had refused to visit Chase even though she had made a special exception for him and questioned Chase about it, to which he stayed silent and refused to offer up anything simply because it was not any part of her business.

"Was four nights enough for you to heal?"

"Pretty much."

Chase had never felt better. Having the Kelsey's bloodline, Chase had a natural advantage of healing even faster than normal wolves. What made it better was the thought of dueling, which energised his entire body. He was ready to fight. His body was ready to fight. There was not a better moment for him to take part in a long-awaited duel.

It was not long before they reached the open area where the sun was shining at its brightest. Grouped in a few numbers, the warrior wolves were training separately—some running while others fighting.

"My Lady!" a wolf shouted and all heads turned.

"My Lady," the wolves greeted together, their heads bowed in respect.

"Did you tell them that 'my Lady' was your name?" Chase asked while he suppressed his laughter. The Lady herself ignored his comment and spoke to the crowd.

"I need a volunteer. One who is confident of beating him down."

The crowd started to buzz with questions.

"It's him! The rogue from a few days ago!"

Chaos erupted, with some wolves confused, some wolves going on about what they had heard about him, and others swearing and yelling rage at him.

"Hi. My name is Chase. So who's the one that will be going down today?"

// I'm seriously loving Chase.

Last update for today, damn I was very productive HAHAHA hope y'all enjoyed it so far and I haven't confused the shit out of you yet :')

but feel free to comment any questions/plot holes/feedback and I'll try my best to answer/alter/change :)))

hit dat star if you're loving Chase, tyvm :)))

avocados,
Jia Yue