Fenris spent quite a lot of time telling Rosa about his adventures with Luna, although he had to alter some details, mostly about himself.


    Rosa listened carefully to every word. She smiled while doing so, and this made Fenris glad, even if just a little. It also helped him reminisce about the times he spent with Luna. Maybe she was worth all the years of searching.


    "Looks like the two of you have been through a lot together. I''m glad my daughter had such a reliable companion for a time," Rosa said.


    "I was lucky to have her," Fenris said, smiling softly.


    "I have taken a lot of your time. I know you didn''t find what you were looking for, but I have to know something else," Rosa said.


    "You can go ahead and ask," Fenris said. He just had to figure out a way to alter more details. It was tiring, but it felt good seeing Rosa smile. It was like he was with Luna again, and they were having fun like they always did before she left.


    "Are you just friends with my daughter?" Rosa asked.


    "What do you mean?" Fenris asked.


    "The way you spoke of her was so lovely and admirable. It almost seemed like there was more going on than mere friendship. It felt like you two were courting each other," Rosa said.


    "What? Is that—how does it sound?" Fenris felt embarrassed. He blushed, looking away from Rosa and scratching his neck awkwardly.


    "Well, if that was the case, you should know that I approve. My only problem is that you''re rude. You clearly have no respect for your elders, but I can forgive that since you came all this way looking for Andrea. There aren''t many people who would spend their time doing what you''ve done for her," Rosa said.


    Fenris was glad to hear this comment, but he was sure that if she knew what he really was, she would never utter those words. Still, it was nice to hear.


    "Thank you, but it doesn''t matter anyway since I can''t find her," Fenris said.


    "You''re giving up looking for her?" Rosa asked, looking a bit disappointed.


    "It seems I have to. I have nothing else to go by," Fenris said.


    "Oh, I see," Rosa said. "Well, by any chance you do run into her, tell her her mother misses her dearly," Rosa said.


    "I will be sure to do that. Goodbye, Rosa," Fenris said.


    He got up from his seat, left the house, and made his way out of the town. Now in the forest, with no one else there with him, Fenris let out a scream and slammed his fist on a tree beside him. The tree vibrated, leaves fell, and cracks appeared where Fenris made an impact. Removing his fist, there was a hole in the shape of his hand.


    "Damn it, damn it! All that effort and time, and I still don''t know where she is. I give up. I can''t keep looking, especially when I have no idea where to look," Fenris said.


    The question was, what now? He had spent two years looking for her. Beyond that, he didn''t really have a purpose. His worst fear had come true: he was alone.


    Traveling the country, Fenris continued his usual routine, keeping to himself, trying not to attract attention, and never staying in one place for too long. He had been doing this since he was a child. It was quite lonely, but what other choice did he have? It kept him alive.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    A few months later, Fenris was seen in another tavern, but his face wasn''t covered by a hood, nor was he sitting at the edge of a corner. No, his face had a beard that was not too big, and a mug was in his hand as he sat at the barkeep''s table. He gulped the drink in one go.


    "Hey, pour me another," Fenris said.


    "You might wanna slow down. That''s the fifth mug you''ve had," the barkeep said. Despite saying this, the barkeep still took his mug and went to refill it.


    The funny thing was, Fenris couldn''t get drunk due to his incredible healing—another trait he had as a werewolf. So, he was just drinking the beer and pretending to be drunk. He was that depressed.


    The barkeep brought him a refilled mug, and he gulped it down in one go.


    "Ah, tastes like piss. I can''t believe people drink this at all," Fenris said.


    "I can''t believe this is how you''re spending your time, my friend. You''ve fallen so low," a voice said.


    Fenris turned to his side and saw a familiar face. He growled in annoyance and then turned away.


    "What are you doing here, Buck?" Fenris asked.


    "Oh, you know, sightseeing, smelling flowers. I just happened to run into you—a total coincidence," Buck said.


    "Right, coincidence," Fenris said, not sounding convinced at all. He had known Buck for a long time. He wouldn''t call them friends. No, Buck was like a street dog that, once you showed the tiniest bit of affection to, they''d follow you around everywhere you go. Yeah, that explained Buck perfectly.


    They first met in one of the packs Fenris joined. That pack was annihilated, leaving Fenris and Buck as the only survivors. They were children then, about ten. Well, Buck was, anyway. Fenris had to guess they were the same age or close.


    They went their separate ways, only to meet on separate occasions like this one. Buck always tried to convince Fenris to join a new pack he had just joined, but Fenris always refused.


    "Yeah, coincidence. But now that I found you here—not stalking you at all—there''s something I''ve been meaning to tell you," Buck said.


    "No!" Fenris said, not even turning to look at Buck.


    "That''s not fair! You don''t even know what I''m going to say," Buck said.


    "Let me guess: something to do with me joining a pack?" Fenris asked.


    "Yes, but—" Buck said, but was interrupted.


    "This is your what, the tenth pack you''ve joined?" Fenris asked.


    "Eleventh, actually, but you know what they say: eleventh''s the charm," Buck said.


    Fenris stared at him for a while, trying to think of a comeback, but came up with nothing. He just turned away.


    "This one is different, though. It really is," Buck said.


    "Sure, just like the rest were," Fenris said sarcastically.


    "No, Fenris, I mean it. It''s not just about surviving anymore. The pack leader is different from the rest. He has a plan—a real plan to fight back. Just meet him. I know you''ll see it too," Buck said.


    Fenris didn''t even consider it. This was Buck, after all. He was always like this—wanting to cling to hope wherever he could find it. Besides, being alone worked for Fenris. He didn’t know why, but every time he joined a pack, the hunters always seemed to find him quicker.


    He ordered another drink and swallowed, then suddenly he spat it out. His throat burned, his lungs felt the same, and he could barely breathe. He fell from his seat, grabbing his chest.


    "Wolfs...bane," Fenris said, barely getting the word out.


    "Well, looks like we got quite a catch today: two werewolves on the same day. The goddess of luck must be on our side," a voice said.


    Behind them, a group of four wearing hoods suddenly took them off, revealing three men and a woman, all wearing silver armor. They were hunters—not like the fakes Fenris ran into a few months ago.


    "Good job putting the wolfsbane in his cup. We''ll give you your cut once we show his head to the Hunters Guild," one of the hunters said, looking at the barkeep. The barkeep nodded and left the tavern.


    They approached Fenris and Buck, drawing up their weapons. One of them had a sword, another had a bow and arrow, the third had a whip, and the woman had a spear. Their weapons had strange markings on them. Then, suddenly, each of the markings glowed a different color.


    Fenris was still on the floor, grabbing his chest and coughing in pain. He was able to get a look at the weapons. He saw them glow and knew what that meant.


    "Damn. They have runed weapons," Fenris though