Chasing The Monster Away

Chapter 34
Nalani had no idea what was going on outside, though she could faintly hear Karyan’s booming voice filled with anger that she could easily imagine.

She understood better now. Karyan had two different sides to his personality.

Lately, he had been kind and considerate around Nalani, trying to make up for the atrocities he had committed against her.

However, he was a different person when it came to his duties as a leader. The alpha was quick to anger and uncompromising.

“What else is going on now?” she thought. She could still hear the alpha yelling.

Nalani shuddered.

She absolutely did not want to be around that angry wolf right now.

But thankfully, there were no more wolves to attack now. Nalani busied herself with tending to the victims of the creature’s attacks. Their numbers dwindled each day as they recovered.

Today, she missed her rabbit, Kapoo, who was currently being cared for by Mita. So she hurried home to see him.

“Oh, Kapoo. Did you miss me?” In his room, the rabbit was jumping around. Kapoo’s cuteness always helped her forget her tiredness after helping Bertold all day.

But that night, Kapoo was being naughty.

Suddenly, he jumped out of the window.
“Kapoo! Come back!” Nalani forgot Karyan’s warning not to go out at night. But she had to chase her rabbit.

She saw Kapoo running towards the garden and followed him.

Nalani searched for Kapoo as the night grew darker.

She finally found him amongst a thicket of bushes, but as she turned to head back to the castle, she heard a strange noise accompanied by a low, menacing growl approaching the garden.

She grabbed Kapoo and quickly hid among the bushes at the far end of the garden.

An enormous figure appeared in the darkness.

Nalani could see its glowing red eyes and bloodied fangs as it grinned. Nalani held her breath when she realized that she was looking at the creature that had attacked her patients.

The monster stood in the center of the garden, staring at the flowers. Strangely, its shoulders seemed to slump, and its growl slowed, sounding more like a mournful murmur.

Kapoo shifted, causing their hiding bush to rustle.

The creature’s head snapped upright, only to growl when it realized someone was hiding.

Nalani was forced to reveal herself with Kapoo in her arms.

It advanced with a terrifying growl, its filthy, long-clawed hands outstretched to seize her. Kapoo jumped from Nalani’s arms and disappeared behind a bush, while Nalani shakily tried to think of a way to escape.

“No!” Nalani screamed when the creature’s claws almost reached her. Both hands shot up in an attempt to ward it off.

However, suddenly light emanated from the tips of her fingers. She froze for a moment, as surprised as the monster.
“Lorelei?” She could read the creature’s mind.

Nalani saw an opportunity to fight or flee after witnessing the magic from her hands. Trembling, she said, “I am not Lorelei,” she said. “But I can do what she did to you.”

The creature growled and backed away. “Who are you? No one has abilities like Lorelei in Mond’s pack.”

“Because I’m not Mond,” Nalani said. “I am a Morvena.”

“Witch.” Nalani heard the creature hiss sharply in her mind. “What are you doing in Mond?”

“None of your business, monster. I should be the one to ask, why are you attacking innocent wolves?” snapped Nalani.

Her courage began to grow when she saw that the creature looked indecisive and confused rather than angry.

However, her question only reawakened the creature’s anger. It growled loudly and drove its claws at Nalani once more. Nalani managed to dodge, but she tripped over a clump of bushes and fell backward.

Just as the creature was about to lunge at her, Nalani screamed. Without realizing it, both of her hands were outstretched toward the creature. Ten streaks of light from her fingertips formed an impenetrable, transparent shield. The creature bounced back, snarling and howling in a cruel voice.

“Get lost!” shouted Nalani as she regained her feet. “You don’t want to know what will happen to you if you don’t stop attacking people!”

“You are the ones disturbing my peace,” the creature said into Nalani’s mind. “I’ll stop attacking if you stop bothering me.”

The creature turned and ran out of the garden just as Karyan appeared from the other side of the garden. “Nalani!” he called out in an extremely anxious tone.

However, he was stunned. In the center of the garden, Nalani stood tall in a circle of light.

“Alpha....” Nalani turned her head. The circle of light disappeared and Nalani fell to the ground, losing consciousness.

***
“It’s time I get scolded,” Nalani thought. She lay down in her room, while Karyan walked back and forth in the center of the room.

His face was as dark as a cloud. He was holding back his anger from exploding.

“So, why did you disobey me?” Karyan turned his head and looked at her with his sharp wolf eyes.

“I didn’t mean to. Kapoo ran out and I chased after him.” Meanwhile, the rabbit found his own way back to Nalani’s room.
“Didn’t I tell you not to go out at night? I never forbid something if it doesn’t have a reason, Nalani.”

“And what is your reason?”

“Are you still asking?” Karyan glared.

“That monster often comes to the garden. And it came more often after the garden returned to its former beauty.”

Nalani remembered the sadness in the creature’s gesture at the sight of the blossoms. “Does it remind her of Lorelei?”

Karyan sighed. “Yes. Apparently he really loved my mother.”

“At first he thought I was Lorelei.” Nalani recalled the monster’s dreamy voice in her mind. “He called me Lorelei.”

“Can you read his mind?”

“Yes.”

Karyan nodded. “I knew it.” He looked at Nalani. “Why does it think you’re Lorelei? You don’t look like our beautiful she-wolf queen.”

“Of course, Alpha. I know I’m not as beautiful as she is. I can’t be as pretty as the fae descendants,” Nalani grumbled.
“You don’t have to tell me that frankly.”

Karyan’s eyebrows rose. “I had no idea that my words would offend you. Alright, I’m sorry. But you don’t know my opinion of you.”

Now it was Nalani who raised an eyebrow. “Your opinion of me?” Nalani sneered. She knew she had to play the alpha’s game. Follow his lead, tease him, and you get off scot-free, Nalani.

She said it to herself. “Your opinion of me, Karyan?” she asked. “Well, you can’t possibly think I’m prettier than Lorelei.”

The alpha shook his head. “Indeed not.”
The answer was irritating and Nalani unconsciously threw her blanket at Karyan.

Then Karyan laughed. It was a loud but pleasant sound. It was the first time Nalani had ever seen him laugh.

The laughter soon subsided. Karyan returned to his exasperated demeanor.

“And what was that? I saw a halo around your body, and creatures ran away as if reluctant to deal with you. Nalani....”

Karyan approached Nalani. He leaned down and brought his face closer to observe her. “Are you sure you’re a Mirean? Because that was a magic light, Nalani.”
***