"You are toying with us," Faye said..
"I am honestly not. There is a book in the Petrova Library that you can use to track them." Kiara insisted smoothly.
"We searched the library, but there is no such book," Sasha said as she took a step forward...
"Still using our library worker card? I should let my mother know that you’re no longer working there so she can cancel your card. It’s in a private vault. Only family members can get in," Kiara said.
Faye might have been desperate, but trusting Kiara was like trusting a fox. L
Why would she even want to help them?
"We don’t trust you, Kiara." Faye barked flatly. She squared her shoulders, her lungs expanding with a sharp, guarded breath that left zero room for games.
"You all look desperate now that your lives are at stake. I am not an Alpha, so I can help you. Trust me, I am the ally anyone could pray for. A favor for a favor." Kiara offered, her voice dropping into a smooth, persuasive tone as her eyes locked onto Faye’s.
"Not again," Malo muttered. It seemed everyone who wanted to help them needed something in return, and what happened last time had not gone as planned.
"What is your favor?" Faye asked. She kept her posture stiff, her pulse racing slightly as she waited for the catch, her breathing remaining fast and focused.
"I just want you to accept me as an ally. Nothing else. I want to be your friend, not your enemy." Kiara answered smoothly, placing a hand over her heart while her lungs pulled in a steady, theatrical breath.
"Why?" Faye demanded instantly,
"Because I want to."
"That is not a good enough reason."
"Fine. The reason is... I like you, Faye." Kiara stated plainly, looking so serious..
"Fuck no. There is no way I would want a romantic relationship with someone like you. What are you trying to do? Steal your best friend’s girlfriend? Don’t think I would ever do that to Princess. I am a loyal wolf." Faye barked out violently, her cheeks flushing hot with sudden anger as her lungs pumped out rapid, furious gasps.
"Relax, girl. You are not my type. I don’t even see you that way. I want to like you as a friend. I want to be in your circle, like in your pack or whatever this group is."
"Why do you want to be in our circle?" Faye asked, her voice dropping into a lower, frequency as her chest heaved with a heavy breath.
"Because you protect your circle... and one day, I am going to need your protection." Kiara admitted, her smile fading slightly as her breathing turned slow, serious, and surprisingly honest for a single second.
"Did you kill somebody?" Malo asked. Even though she did, her parents could easily cover for her.. this is their town..
"No, I haven’t. I don’t know... maybe I have. But the main point is that a Moon Wolf is a protector." Kiara said,
"In your private vault, are there books about the Moon Wolf?" Faye asked. She took a half step closer, lighting up with sudden interest as her heart rate spiked with a new hope.
"There might be. My mother is a stan of the previous Moon Wolves. If I find any, I’ll bring them to you." Kiara offered with a nod, her posture relaxing once more as she took a quiet breath.
"Group meeting," Faye called.
The friends gathered together, discussing quietly, though they were still loud enough for Kiara any any other in the gym to hear.
"Bring the book to us. Once we confirm it works and we’re able to track the Beasts... we’ll consider it." Faye declared, stepping out from the group to face Kiara once more, her chest rising with a firm, decisive breath.
With that, they made another deal with another devil.
Except this devil was mysterious.
Later that evening, while they were preparing to go home, someone entered the gym.
Dre.
"I got your Beasts," Dre said, carrying a wooden crate and several small cylindrical containers with glowing fish inside.
All four of them stood in front of her. Their posture locked straight, their eyes wide as their heart rates exploded into fast, erratic rhythms.
Beside her was a pink-haired guy. He stumbled slightly on his feet, his breathing coming out in short, nervous gasps as his eyes darted frantically around the gym.
"Hi, Dre... how..." Faye started to greet her, taking a small step forward as her chest swelled with a warm breath.
"I don’t want to hear anything that has to do with Martha. This is just me fulfilling the promise I made," Dre cut Faye off without a single second of hesitation, her tone dark and sharp as her cold hands shoved the heavy wood into Faye’s arms. Faye’s lungs caught a sharp, sudden breath under the sudden weight, her shoes shifting back an inch to hold her balance.
Malo looked inside and counted them.
There were only four.
"It’s supposed to be five. Where’s the fifth?" Malo asked, raising his head with a confused look, his breathing fast and puzzled.
Dre pushed the pink-haired guy toward them.
"He swallowed it. I gave him my blood so he won’t be able to use the Beast’s power for 48 hours. I think he has the Speed Beast." Dre explained flatly. She stood tall, her chest barely moving as she exhaled a cold, steady breath into the room.
Everyone looked at the boy. Then back at Dre.
"Thank you. We really appreciate it," Faye said. She held the crate tight against her chest, her eyes softening slightly as she pulled in a deep, grateful breath.
"So when is the next one?" Dre asked. She crossed her arms, her eyes staring directly into Faye’s as her jaw set into a hard line.
"Huh?" Faye blinked, her breath catching in her throat in pure confusion.
"I said I was going to find all one 118 Beasts. When are you guys planning your next move?"
"We need to hand these over first. Then, once we have the next location..." Faye started to explain, her words tumbling out in a fast, hurried stream as she tried to keep up.
"Okay. I’ll be at Martha’s house or Pali’s." Dre interrupted coldly, turning her back on them with a swift, fluid motion, her boots clicking against the floor.
"Do you have a phone so we can call you?" Faye called out after her, taking a fast step forward while her lungs pulled in a loud draft of air.
"No. Good night." Dre replied without slowing down.
Dre left.
"Wait! How do we remove the Beast from him?" Sasha called after her, her voice echoing off the empty mirrors as her chest rose in a rapid, stressed heave.
Now everyone turned to look at the pink-haired guy. The heavy silence fell over the gym once again, four pairs of eyes locking straight onto the trembling dude while their breathing turned slow, heavy, and full of absolute awkwardness.
"Hi." The pink-haired boy squeaked out weakly, his voice trembling as his chest pulled in a tiny, terrified breath, his hands raising a awkward wave.