I walked ahead as I leaned closer to touch the golden and white flowers. One of the flower’s leaves closed as soon as my fingers glided over it. But when I touched the flower even it closed. I retracted my hand quickly, “What did I do?”

“Nothing,” Fang replied, “they are sensitive to touch.” 

“Okay,” I responded. Though I wanted to touch the glowing algae as well but I did not want the gooey feeling on my fingers. Honestly speaking, some things only looked beautiful to the eyes when seen in the wild. 

“True,” Fang remarked as he held the back of my hand before bringing it near another golden flower, making it close because of touch. “Everything looks beautiful in their true self. In the wild when untamed. Just like us.” I looked at him, confused, as I took my hand out of his hold. Of course, he read my mind but I particularly did not understand what he meant here. Fang tilted his head to look at me, “We werewolves don’t look any good when tamed.” 

“So you brought me to show this to give this lesson?” I asked. 

I got the point. My gaze travelled back to the wildflowers and the algae which decorated them. There was beauty in their wildness, I could most certainly assure that these would not grow on the castle grounds even if taken care of. But even though I understood what he meant, I certainly could not let my abilities run loose. That was utterly shameful for a royal member to act wild, no matter what their hearts screamed. 

“Well, I did not bring you here for this,” Fang replied. 

I turned to face him. He was standing unbelievably close, so I had to strain my neck up. “What is it then?” I asked as my eyes struggled to hold open. The rain made it difficult for me to look up. Fang brought his gaze to settle on me. His hand came as a shield above me to prevent the rain from falling directly upon my eyes. “Thank you,” I just spoke out of formality. I had never actually thanked Fang for the things he did. Probably because all of them were selfish. 

Fang looked the other way where the mist was heavy but the sound of the waterfall was clear.

“This area was discovered after one of our classmates saw me and Channing coming here,” Fang said as he brought his eyes back to mine, “luckily he could never discover what I did.” 

“What did you discover?” I asked, a mild curiosity lacing my voice. 

Fang smiled at me, “This is a little magical place, you see. After that person followed us and discovered this place, he decided to stake his claim here as a tourist spot. He was quite rich. I believe one of the minister’s son I even forgot his face and name.”

“So what happened?” I asked, wanting to hear the main element. 

Fang sighed, “well this place wasn’t under the king’s rule, so he never got it.”

“What?” I asked, a little shocked, “Are we out of Adalolpha!?”

Fang brought his hand down to hold mine, “In a way, come with me. let show you where the actual magic lies.” 

He dragged behind him. I gasped, taking in the situation. This place was away from the ocean and yet it wasn’t the part of Adalolpha. My father used to always tell me that till the ends where our land touches the sand was all for me to rule… meaning this was supposed to be Adalolpha. “You are making me commit a crime here Fang,” I panic whispered. 

Fang chucked, “No one will hear you, little one.”

I cleared my throat, “you are making me a part of your crime-“

“I heard that the first time,” Fang said as he pulled me forward, making me walk beside him. I did a little run to keep up with him. He raised his other hand and pointed to a far place. It wasn’t that far, but the mist made it look like it. “There is a cave there. We need to head inside,” Fang said as we circled around the accumulated water body. 

“T-The dark cave?” I stammered, remembering how dark it actually was. 

Fang’s fingers tightened around my hand, “Yes. Don’t worry, little one, I won’t let go.” 

“Says the one who almost gave me a heart attack while I was alone in the pond,” I huffed. There were a lot of things I thought of Fang and trustable wasn’t one of them. I freed my hand from his hold, “No, I am not going in there.”

Fang sighed as he turned his entire frame towards me. His broad shoulders formed a wall in front of my eyes. A wall of wet clothes sticking against his perfect muscles.

The closeness made me gulp as something stirred inside my stomach. Fang raised his hand in front of me, almost ordering me to take it, “if you don’t know, then let me tell you, the way out of here is through that cave.”  I looked at his hand, the long and broad fingers stretched gracefully in front of my face. My eyes went back to his face when he asked politely, “Trust me on this one.” 

I gulped before blinking rapidly, “uhh, I might like a little heads up.” 

Fang did not force my hand into his this time. He waited patiently for me to place my hand in his. “Shall I fill you in on our way?” he was extremely innocent in his act. So much I was starting to actually accept him unconditionally. Not my wolf or the voice that went inside my head, but I myself. 

“Okay,” I said in a low whisper. I let my hand rest on his and he circled his fingers around my hand. 

Fang started walking and I let my steps fall along with his. We walked for a few more steps before he spoke, “This place is just on the outskirts of the land of the moon tree.”

“You mean Goddess Luna’s!” I exclaimed. 

Fang nodded, “Yes, but not exactly where the tree is. You remember that mountain we saw at a far distance when we were at the top of the waterfall?” I took my time recalling then nodded a yes, “That mountain has a deep pit on its top, from where the water drips on the Goddess Luna’s tree. When the water overflows from there, it falls here. If the rainfall is heavy enough, even this waterfall’s cavity gets filled to the brim, blocking the cave here.” 

“What about it matters here?” I asked.

“I don’t know,” Fang shrugged and I gave him a glare. Hadn’t he come here before? Fang took a long breath, trying to decide what to say next before he spoke, “I have been here a few times and this is just a speculation that the tree’s roots, at some point of time, must have reached here in search of a water source. It doesn’t matter if it is there or not because I know what I have felt inside. This is the best place to connect with your wolf and the source of our power, since the main tree is under the protection of the witches.” 

I looked ahead as the mist subsided and the cave came into sight. The darkness was made me clench my hand around Fang’s hand unconsciously. 

Fang held my hand tightly and tugged me closer to him.

“Only the entrance to the cave is dark,” Fang spoke, “if you want, I can carry you inside. You keep your eyes closed.” I looked at him and an awkwardness engulfed me. Never had I thought that I would come to trust this person, and somehow Fang has seen all my fears right through my head.

I was afraid of the darkness because of the castle dungeons, but at the same time, I was familiar with it, “I will be fine.”

I took a deep breath and smiled at Fang. 

There was no telling what was inside the cave, but I tried to trust Fang for once. To be honest, once again. “Okay,” Fang tightened his grip before he almost ran to the cave. 

I held my breath as we entered and there was nothing but pitch back in front of me.

“S-slow down.” I was very specifically afraid of the uncertainties that the darkness brought along with it. The ground beneath my feet was unusually plain but filled with algae and it almost had me slip twice. After just two turns, I saw a faint light and when we emerged from behind the stone wall, my eyes sparkled at the sight in front of me. 

Everything was blue. The small water body where Fang continued running before going to the middle and stopping. 

My gaze was transfixed. The entire cave walls were covered with blue algae and the water was crystal clear to reflect it well. I basked in the feeling where something inside me ignited.

It was like something called out to. 

Fang came to stand behind me before tracing the back of his fingers down the length of my arm while speaking in a charming whisper, “Your abilities are always connected to nature because it is the sixth sense that you deal with.” I speculated he meant my ability to heal. Fang lifted my hands by the back of my palm, “and for that to sharpen, you have to connect with the root of it, your supernatural half, your wolf.”

He was close, too close, “I…”

“Haven’t you been having conflicting thoughts?” Fang spoke as he moved my hands in the air, letting it feel the environment before bringing them back to my own arms. He let my palms trace my own skin as he glided them down my arms towards the elbows, “when you have two mentalities speaking trying to take hold of your everything, your wolf isn’t connected to you. Seek for its desires let it be heard.. Speak to it like it is trying to speak with you with those conflicting thoughts.”