Crossing Moon Ch 06

***

All thanks goes to IZABELLA for helping me edit this chapter!

And, like always, don't forget to VOTE and COMMENT! Thanks!

***

From Aveline Erickana Ruben's diary:

9th October 2008, 11.00 PM, my bedroom balcony.

I was hungry. I had to admit that. How could I know that that thing -- well, a person, come to think of it, - was HIM? How could I not be able to differentiate the alluring scent that seemed to pull me on to him? How could I not be able to distinguish which scent was food and the other scent was -- was... what was it actually? I certainly do not know what had come up into my mind. All I know is at that time, was the scent was simply irresistible. Funny, I've never noticed that scent when I was at school.

Thank goodness that I still had enough human constraint inside my mind, or else, Max was dinner.

He's just lucky that I don't hate him anymore. Otherwise, that particular idea would be really tempting.

And WHAT was he doing here anyway?? Why was he trespassing in Rubenston in the first place?! I was yakking and complaining about this to Carrie when she, like always, calmly told me that the forest is probably his usual pit stop with his friends.

Which makes sense since, well, we had just came to Lexton and he had lived here for like, ages.

Avvie

From Carinelle Hynes Thorn's diary:

9th October 2008, 11.45 PM, my bed.

I'm worried. I think... I think -- oh God, I really do not want to think about it.

Carrie.

***

He smiled at her. Warm and inviting, her heart seemed to lurch forward when she smiled back at him. "Here's your Origa Coffee," she said to him.

"What's your name?" he asked her, his voice sounded so seductive to her ears. Why was he affecting her so? This -- this beautiful man, it didn't seem right to call him handsome as he looked so much perfect than that. Like a perfect sculpture from a highly talented sculptor, like, how beautiful the sun looked during sunset view. He was perfect. It was as if God had hand-picked the most perfect body parts to complete him.

And then, there was just something about him that seemed unnatural to her. Perhaps it was just her imagining too much but she could have sworn that there was something in his eyes: dominant -- simply as that. "Vannie." She answered, blushing a bit.

He looked at her with a smile. Her legs felt like jelly. "Vannie..." oh, even her name sounded like gold from his mouth. "I saw you at school." he told her.

"I -- I saw you too," she grinned, almost idiotically. She felt like kicking herself. Why was she embarrassing herself?

But the god-like perfection didn't seem to think that way. He was certainly amused with her that was for sure. "And yet, you didn't say anything to me." he smiled back.

"I..." she was lost for words. "Should I?"

She felt a bit of irritation boiling at the tip of her soul. She was infatuated with him, but that didn't mean that the guy had any right to sound cocky.

"You're mad at me." he said, stating an obvious fact and yet he still smiled at her. His smile melted her core like lava flowing down the Earth's core. He took a sip from his cup of coffee and instantly knew why Malcolm was addicted to this brew. She bit her lips, tucking her napkin into her apron. There wasn't a lot of customers today, - no big shock there! -- so she figured she could spare some time. She pulled a chair and sat down next to him.

"Are you always this confident?" she asked him.

He smiled. "Is that wrong?" he touched her loose strand of hair and then he tucked it to the back of her ear. This simple act of affection made her lose her footing, not to mention, her heart that seemed to accelerate with a start! "Now, why are you angry with me, Vannie?"

"I'm not angry," she corrected him, "I'm irritated with you."

He smiled at her again and her insides melted right away. "You haven't answered my question yet, dear Vannie."

'Dear'? She looked at him. "You're not from Lexton." she concluded for him, noticing his accent.

"That's right," he said. "Is that a problem?"

"No," she shook her head.

He noticed the time on his watch. He stood up. She looked at him questioningly. "I have to go now, Vannie," he said, "But let me make amends with your irritation towards me which you will have to tell me what it is about." he smiled.

"What do you mean?" her insides felt wobbly.

"Come, have dinner with me tonight," he invited her, "Can you ask your boss to let you go from work tonight?"

She looked at him, blinking. What was he doing? He smiled at her, and then, took her right hand and gave it a little kiss.

"I'll come around 8, if you don't mind..." he told her, winking and then, taking his cup of coffee. The god-like perfection went out from the cafe, leaving Vannie with utter amazement.

It was moments later when she realized that, she didn't even know his name.

***

Carrie knew that something was up. She knew it at the very moment when Alven stepped into her bedroom and cheerfully took her Algebra book which she had been using as a reference for her assignment. He flipped open her book aimlessly, not even taking care on what page he was flipping through. He looked at her, smiling that little smile that never failed to melt her inner core despite of his being oblivious to that fact.

"I...." he paused, wondering on how to continue.

She closed her book and looked at him. She felt queasy as many thoughts ran wild in her mind. "What is it, Alven?" She said calmly, despite of her inner core thundering with anxiety. "Come on now... spit it out. I have to do a report later."

Alven smiled. "You know me well," he put Carrie's book back on to the table and sat on her bed. "I might be calling for trouble but I have to confess, it is.... how should I put this? Hmm," he paused for a while, "It's simply to say complicated. I have this... strange feeling when I see..."

Carrie stood up. "What are you trying to say here, Alven?" she demanded, a bit shrill on her tone as she could figure out on what he was trying to say. Was it true? Did her Alven have found find a mate?

How could it be? It wasn't possible. There were no other wolves in Lexton, were there? Uncle James would have told them if there are were other wolves coming from the other packs.

"I met this girl at school." he told her quickly.

"A GIRL?" she folded her hands to her chest. "A HUMAN girl?"

"What's wrong with humans?" he laughed lamely, trying to lighten up the mood that he had realized turned bitter.

"Are you insane?" she shrieked at him, she knew that he didn't deserve her overreaction but her heart felt like it had been sliced into two.

"L -- Look Carrie, I told you about this because I thought you would understand. I need your opinion on this matter."

She smacked her hand on his chest. He, not expecting this kind of blow, staggered a bit and then, held both of her hands. "I always knew that you always true to followed the wolf rules and traditions but I never thought that you'd be the one who refused to accept a possible change."

She wrenched both of her hands off him. "What good can come from exposing our secrets to a mere human, Alven?" she looked at him, anger and hurt ran wild in her eyes, "To a human! Ugh! A human that you happen to be infatuated with lust now!"

"Hey, who said that I'm going to expose us?" Alven demanded, getting angrier with passing moment. "And I am not a pervert with lust!"

She turned and pushed open the balcony door and gripped hard on the balcony rail with both of her hands. Her knuckles turned deadly white.

"What's wrong?" he asked her.

She didn't reply.

"Carrie..." his voice turned softer.

By moon, she groaned in her heart, why must he affect me so?

"You're my best friend, I need you. You can't bail on me like this," when he said those words. The words 'You're my best friend', her heart stung like it was set on fire. She could feel her tears rolling down her cheeks. She bit her lips, trying to hold on. She couldn't let him know the truth on why she was being so irrationally sensitive. She wouldn't allow it!

"Carrie, please, would you say something?" he said, again with that beautiful voice of his.

She closed her eyes. She felt trapped. She couldn't bring her hands to her face and wipe her tears away. He would know for sure. So, she had no choice but to remain quiet and looked forward, waiting for her tears to dry away. She tried to calm herself down though. She already had a feeling that something like this was bound to happen.

She took a deep breath and turned to face him but her eyes still closed. She bent her head for a moment and blinked a few times and then surreptitiously wiped her nearly dried eyes with both of her hands, making a fake but believable sigh.

"I'm sorry," she told him after a while. She looked at him, keeping a brave face. He remained oblivious to her shattered heart and hopes. He smiled, giving her a big warm hug. "I was being silly." She faked a laugh but he was too happy to realize that.

He let her go and then took her to sit down on the fluffy chairs. "I'm sorry too."

"So, tell me, what it is about this human girl?" she said, faking the cheeriness.

He paused for a moment, "I met her in school and I..." he laughed, feeling quite uncomfortable.

"Is she the one?"

He noticed the broken tone in her voice. He looked up. "The one?"

"Your soul mate," she prompted. Her eyes seemed to glaze with hints of tears.

He saw that.

"Alven?" she wanted to know. She needed to know now, whether her heart survived or not, it was a completely different matter.

He was about to say something, anything to comfort her. He didn't like to see those hints of tears forming on her beautiful face. She was being strong, he could see that but the thing that he couldn't understand was why.

"There you are!" Aveline chirped suddenly, bursting into the door and grabbing Carrie's hand. She blinked at her. Alven didn't say a word. "I need to talk to you." she finally noticed that her brother was there in the room with them. "Alven, please, I need a girl talk here."

Alven smiled. He stood up. "Take all the time you need, Avvie," then, he looked at Carrie who was still emotionless but those little hints of tears was still there, haunting him. "Don't think much Carrie,"

She looked away, not saying a word for her heart had broke.

***

Adrian looked at Ray, feeling queasy. "I don't think I can do that."

Two burly muscular men looked at Ray. One of them, a man with spiky red hair with tattoos all over his left arm, spoke, "I believe that it is not an option you can take, Rolf."

The other one sat lazily on Adrian's favourite armchair. He flicked his fingers and then grinned at both Adrian and Ray. He ran his hands through his thick and short silvery blond hair. He got a tattoo of a menacing bloody wolf on his right shoulder. "Hush, Raga, be patient," his calculative voice smiled, "Let's give dear Adrian Rolf a few minutes to think about our.... idea."

"It has been years," Adrian said, shaking his head, "I am an outsider now, I can never return back."

"The pack still considers you family nevertheless. I am certain the Alpha Thorn would be more than glad to receive news that his missing wolf member has come home with.... a new blood," Ray told Adrian.

"They'll be suspicious. I have not sent words of my news for many years." Adrian shook his head. He didn't like the idea of going back to Thorn Pack.

Or perhaps the reality of seeing the Alpha Queen again discouraged him.

He wasn't in love with her. No. He was certain of it. He had moved on from that love as he knew that it was futile to let it grow.

He loved Max's mother but he knew that he couldn't really love her as fully as he had loved his Alpha. It wasn't fair. He knew about that but he was powerless in the matter of the heart.

But the thought of seeing Fiorelle again made this little burn in his heart and yet, the idea of seeing his adoptive parents again burnt high in his soul. He missed them. He wondered how they were doing all this years. Were they well? Do they think of him as much as he had thought of them?

Elizabeth and Alexander Trina Thorn...

The thought of seeing them again overwhelmed his fear of seeing Fiorelle again. He missed the people who loved him unconditionally and true.

"What's in it for you, Vex?" Adrian asked.

"Hey, what's going on here?" Max said as he closed the front door. "Why are the craps here?" he said with distaste.

"Learn your manners, boy," Raga snapped, "You're just lucky that I'm in a rather good mood today."

"Or what, huh?" Max retorted, "You're goanna kick my ass?"

Raga growled warningly. The tension was building in the Rolf's living room. Vex calmly went to Raga and lightly tapped on the back of his neck.

"Behave." Vex said as Raga fell limped on the floor unconscious. He looked at the startled Max and smiled widely. "He's alive," he paused, "It is of none of my benefit if he kills your son, Adrian," he smiled at Max and added, "Consider it as a compliment. It's a rarity for me to save an idiotic fool under line of Raga's rage."

Max scoffed. "I can save myself, mutt."

"Proud and stupid," Vex said, still smiling widely, "Let me assure you, pup, you will certainly fit in perfectly with your new home."

"New home?" Max was confused. "Dad, what's this piece of trash talking about?"

Vex growled suddenly and then, with a flash, had Max held by the scruff of his shirt on the wall. "Do not temp me boy," he said quietly, "I am not the enemy and it's wise of you to learn my name." He held Max's neck tighter, making him hard to breathe.

"Let me go." Max sputtered, trying to breathe and sound strong.

Vex laughed, letting him go. Max fell limped on the floor, gagging. "You have a strong boy, Adrian, I have to give you credit for that." Vex said, walking pass the unconscious Raga and then sat down on Adrian's favourite chair. "Now, be a good father and tell dear Max about our agreement." he said half sarcastically.

"Dad?" Max asked.

"We're going back home." Adrian said quietly.

"Home?" Max was flabbergasted. "This is home. We are home! What are you talking about Dad?"

Adrian sighed. He looked at his son and said, "The Pack," Vex grinned when he said that, "My old world." Max couldn't help but notice the hint of his father missing that life. How did it feel to live a life with wolves?

On another note, his brain registered the real depth of his father's words. 'We're going back home'. The sentence burned deep in his mind. His father must be joking -- he had to! His life had just started to be great; he couldn't just let it go like that. An image of Aveline smiling suddenly floated into his berserk mind. His heart warmed for her.

He realized that now.

"Wolf pack," he said slowly, the realization sunk into his brain, "I refuse to phase." he snapped angrily, taking a step back. "You cannot make me!"

"It's a part of you," Adrian sighed, "It's in your blood, you need to accept that, your mother would -,"

Max slammed his fist to the wall, cracking it, the lines dispersed like roots. "Don't bring Mum into this topic!" he growled.

"Son, Max," Adrian said exasperatedly, "I'm sorry but you have to understand that it is never your fault to begin with. You were young! You didn't know what was going on so please, please by the love of God, please stop blaming yourself."

Max closed his eyes, trying to calm himself down. The wolf inside of him growled, wanting to be freed after so long of forced containment. The poor suffering wolf longed to be free and to have a well-deserved chance to stretch those unused muscles. The wolf literally howled to Max -- begging and pleading to be free.

The wolf shot a memory of the beautiful snowy wolf which they had encountered in the forest. He longed to be as free as the snowy wolf.

Max's legs crumpled beneath him. His wolf was desperate to win this battle. The pain started to ripple all over his body. He was fighting with his wolf, wanting to gain control. Max screamed in pain, writhing on the floor, his fingers scraped on the cold tile.

"What the hell?" for once, Vex's calm demeanour shattered into pieces.

"Don't fight it, son, let it be," Adrian begged, kneeling down to his son.

"N-No!" Max rasped, writhing, his eyes closed. "You will not win!" he said to his wolf. He pushed his wolf down -- back into the lonely cage inside his core. The wolf howled as it admitted defeat. Max's hatred of the wolf inside of him was too strong to beat.

He lay on the floor, panting as fresh sweat rolled down his face. He won the battle but he knew that he hadn't won the war yet.

"I didn't know that you're a sadistic fool to yourself," Vex said sarcastically. "How could you refuse the gift of the Moon?"

Max panted, lifting himself up the floor. "Buzz of, Vex!" he growled.

"Vex, really," Adrian shook his head, "Why can't you guys get along?"

"That is a very interesting question." Vex grinned.

Max scoffed. "Tell me that you are joking about this move, Dad,"

Adrian looked at his son, "We are going back to the Pack," he told his son, "I'm sure you'll find life as a pack will help ease the pain you have on being a wolf."

"But why are we moving? I hardly think that all of this hasty decision is purely based on my goodwill." Max demanded.

"Let's just say that it's a win/win situation for all of us." Vex offered just as Raga groaned, waking up from his 'nap'. He looked at him and then at Max, "I'd suggest it's better if you go upstairs before Raga fully awakes."

Max scoffed.

***

He still went to see her.

After all, a promise was still a promise.

Vannie smiled when the godly perfection went through the cafe's door. "You're here," she enthused happily as she untied her apron and quickly took it off. She looked at the clock on the wall and noted that he was five minutes early. "Just... sit first and let me go and get my coat and stuff."

Alven didn't say anything. He just smiled. He watched the retreating figure of the beautiful human girl into the kitchen area. Then he looked around the quiet cafe and found a nice corner seat, facing the huge glass-paned window. The night was cool. He flexed his fingers and sighed as he stared at his reflection on the window.

The meeting with Carinelle didn't go quite as well as he had thought it would be. There was something bothering her and he couldn't figure out what. He remembered how her face crumpled into this mix of emotions and a wash of... hurt? Was she hurt?

Did he say something wrong to her? The things that she might have misconstrued about and somehow, the thought of him hurting her, even unintentionally sent a stab in his soul.

"Hey, let's go," Vannie's chirpy voice broke his thoughts away. He looked up and smiled at her, feeling the familiar thunder clapping in his heart and then, all at the same time, an image of Carrie's smiling face came into his mind. He blinked at her, somehow frozen in his seat. She shrugged her shoulders at him, "Are you all right?"

He stood up. He still wanted to see her and yet, somehow, in some weird unfathomable way, he wanted to see whether Carrie was all right, his poor best friend who worried too much about wolf protocols.

"Yeah, I was just thinking." He told her as they went out from the cafe.

"About what?" she asked, realizing that utter silence had coated them for a while after they had went out from the cafe. They had been walking straight down the pavement.

"Some random stuff." he said and she could tell from his tone that he didn't want to talk more about it in detail and then, she heard him sigh. She looked at him, somehow expecting that he would say something. "Look, I'm really sorry Vannie. I'm just -,"

She cut his words out, "Shh," she smiled, "It's all right. You don't have to explain," she hugged her folded coat tightly to her chest, feeling the cool air. "Let's just go and have a wonderful dinner."