Shinro The Slayer
Diana listened as the pack house’s backyard was full of all the werewolves living in the pack house—mostly unmated ones—and those who finally earned themselves a cabin after meeting their mates or having a family of their own.
With her head against the wall and her eyes closed, she listened to the laughter of the children as they waited for the grilled meats prepared by their parents.
The cute giggling of the children and the cooing sounds of the infants, Diana relished the sound. With her other hand on her stomach, the corners of her lips tugged as tears continued to stream down her face.
After spending her second day in the Blood Claws Pack, Diana realized how close-knitted the werewolves in the supposed ruthless pack were. Every night, as long as the moon shone over them, they would gather in the pack house’s backyard and eat together like a big family.
‘In a world where everyone forgot about your existence, I will never forget you, my sweet child. I may not have the privilege to hold you in my arms, but please know that it is the greatest regret of my life.’ Diana lamented as she caressed her stomach where her unborn child used to stay before their deaths.
Her train of thoughts continued, ‘Wait for me, my child. Mother will wrap this up soon for our revenge. For now, you have to endure the loneliness, hmm? It won’t be long, I promise.’
A knock pulled Diana from her trance.
Opening the door, she expected a frowning Sally who always found the smallest of things to make her day miserable.
“What are you doing here?”
“Wow! Since when did the pack’s omega speak to a beta like that?”
Feeling a pair of eyes fixated on her from the dark corner of the hallway, Diana pulled back the façade of a meek omega in a blink of an eye. “Forgive this impudent omega, Beta Seymor Tesa, the beta of the Blood Claws Pack. What can a humble omega do for you?”
Diana frowned when Seymor’s eyes widened as if he was scared after she uttered those words. ‘What is wrong with this unfortunate bastard?’
Her question was left unanswered when Seymor pushed a plastic back to her chest. On instinct, Diana caught the heavy bag in her arms. “What is this?”
Seymor pointed his finger at her face, eyes filled with warning. “Don’t you dare think something funny! The food in the gathering is too much. I—uhm—I thought that rather than throwing it and destroy Mother Earth, I rather feed a psycho—I mean, I mean you.”
“Okay….” With raised brows, she closed the door after thanking him. Before the door closed, she heard Seymor’s grumpy words as he walked away.
“What? I did what you tell me to do. You should give me a raise—”
DIANA STARED AT THE WOUND IN HER KNUCKLES. Having been in the same routine of cleaning the comfort rooms from morning to afternoon, only to come back in her room with a ready meal which was not befitting for an omega, she reckoned that harming herself in the room was not a wise move.
‘In fact, the incident with Alpha Dylan was also because I bit my tongue too hard and bled. Who knows that he got some extraordinary sense of smell with a peculiar sense of responsibility to his subjects? It is better to do this in the comfort room separated from the pack house. Though I only recently joined, no, I am not an official member of the Blood Claws Pack. My transfer papers have been processed, but the ritual to connect my mind link to all the werewolves in the Blood Claws Pack is yet to be done,’ pondered Diana.
Diana doubted if aside from Seymor and Sally, anyone in the pack knew about her existence. She expected a horde of bullies to come her way yet no one came.
“This should be enough.” Staring at the blood trickling down the sink, she kept her dagger and wrapped her wound after washing it. “I should find Sally and let her guide me to the pack doctor.”
Opening her pocket watch, she stopped in her tracks. “No. Sally is coming already.”
On cue, the door of the comfort room opened and Sally’s shrilling voice erupted like usual. “How dare you sully the pack’s property with your lowly blood!”
Bowing her head, Diana stretched her bleeding knuckles forward, showing the fuming Sally of her state. “C-Can you help me find the pack’s doctor, Madam Sally?”
“Impudent! How can you think of wasting the pack’s resources?”
Diana received a hit on her right arm.
“T-Then… I am afraid the scent of my blood will disturb the higher-ups.”
For the second time, Diana received a hit on her right arm.
“Foolish bitch! Do you know how busy I am? Why would I waste my precious break to bring you to that retard?” Sally’s nostrils became larger and larger as she expressed her fury.
Bowing her head, Diana replied, hiding the small smile on her face. “T-Then… I will find the pack doctor myself. I think I can ask around on my own!”
Sally abruptly stopped her series of rants as if realization dawned upon her. “Let’s go! Don’t waste my time or you will have no dinner!”
Diana pondered over Sally’s words as the latter guided her to a more secluded route toward the pack’s doctor’s cabin. It was as if Sally wanted to make sure that Diana would not be able to meet anyone.
Not minding that Sally was pressing the wounds on her knuckles on purpose, Diana made sure to embed the route they were using.
Not minding that Sally was pressing the wounds on her knuckles on purpose, Diana made sure to embed the route they were using. Every footstep was deeply analyzed, even the structure of the backdoors of the cabin area.
The way they easily dodged any chances of interception from any patrolling wolves and training young ones, Diana could tell that Sally had studied the trails of Blood Claws Pack territory. It was as if every stone was not left unturned by the omega named Sally.
Diana’s gaze on Sally behind her bangs changed. She was now seeing the naïve Sally as someone good enough to be a pawn in her game called revenge.
‘Let us observe more if she is worthwhile to become my eyes and ears in this pack,’ Diana thought.
After a fifteen-minute journey composed of walking and running, the two reached the far-end corner of the Blood Claws Pack territory. At the very heart of the dark forest, a cabin at the center of the lake situated on an islet stood before them.
The fog added to the mystery shrouding the small cabin. And the sense of isolation heightened, even more, making Diana smile. She was now sure that she had come to the right place.
Sally shivered. “I-I will stay here! You go and take that boat!” She pointed at the wooden boat with a paddle tied at the small dock.
Nodding her head, Diana did not waste her time. After all, she had wasted enough already by playing the perfect image of an omega just like in her past life. Rowing toward the foggy islet, she heard Sally’s words.
“And… oh! Don’t forget to ring the bell!”
“I will!”
Following Sally’s words, as soon as she reached the small dock of the islet, she pulled the string of the bell and announced her presence.
“Hello?” Diana called. “Is anybody home?”
The chimes of the door being opened broke the silence that answered Diana the moment she arrived at the mystical islet of the lake. On cue, a man with pair of rugged shirts and jeans came out while tying his shoulder-length hair. “Yes? Are you a patient?”
The gleam hiding behind her long bangs shone even bright after seeing the tall muscular man walking towards her. His tattoos were covered by his large coat, showing only a glimpse of it from his uncovered neck and nape. “I’m sorry. Your scent is quite unique yet familiar.”
Diana showed her wound which was badly bandaged.
Fixing his eyeglass, the pack doctor nodded. “Come in.”
Compared to the Crescent Pack’s warm doctor, the Blood Claws Pack’s doctor lived up to the pack’s reputation—cold and distant.
She immediately followed him, eyes fixated on his back alone. As he led her to the annex of her cabin, Diana immediately sat on the patient’s bed as soon as they entered. Even when his back was against hers, she did not look around but at him.
He turned around and coughed. “Do you want to ask something?”
“Oh,” said Diana, “Is my staring bother you, Doctor—”
“Shinro. Drop the doctor and call me Shinro, Miss?”
“Diana,” she supplied with a smile. Extending her other hand, she watched as he reluctantly reached for her hand.
As soon as his hand was in her grasp, she continued. “I have a question indeed.” Still not letting go of his hand, she said. “How come a reputable alpha like you is hiding here as a doctor? Wouldn’t it be a shame for your title as ‘Shinro the Slayer’?”
Shinro’s grip around Diana’s hand tightened as his gaze on her sharpened. The temperature in the room dropped.
Diana stripped her façade and smiled knowingly before him. “Are you sure you want to break the hand of your benefactor?”
The grip did not lessen.
“The Massacre of the Macabre Family… you did not do it. You were just framed and used as a scapegoat.”
Shinro pulled back his hand, but this time, it was Diana who refused to let go of him.
A sweet smile was plastered on her face. “What if I tell you I can make them pay while exposing the truth of five years ago?”
Disbelief, anger, and hope—Diana saw all of these emotions in the renowned assassin alpha who disappeared without a trace years ago. Seeing this as a sign to push harder, she poked even more.
“Do you want to hear more?”
Bang!
It was at this moment that a growling Alpha Dylan barged in, allowing Shinro to pull his hand away from the shell-shocked Diana.
“Why are you hurt again?”