A Werewolf's Unexpected Mate-Chapter 112: The Weight of the Pact
[Ovelia’s POV]
A sickening feeling settled in my stomach. I knew this feeling all too well—the frustration, the helpless anger, the deep-seated hurt of being forced to do something against your will. I had lived with it for years in Timberline. And now, without even understanding the power I held, I had inflicted it on Gale.
I brought my palms together, my fingers steepled under my chin. "Gale," I began, my voice soft but clear. "From now on, instead of saying something that sounds like a command, I will ask you instead. That way, you can say no if you don’t like it or if you’re uncomfortable."
He stared at me for a long moment, his grumpy expression softening into one of sheer bewilderment. "You’re too kind. Thanks, I guess?" he muttered, crossing his arms and tilting his chin up in a show of defiance. But when he chanced a look at me and saw I was still watching him, a faint, shimmering blush colored his cheeks. I couldn’t help but smile.
He’s really cute when he blushes.
"Let’s change the subject," Ace interjected, his voice pulling all our attention back to him. His expression was grim. "Ovelia, having Gale as your familiar adds an extra layer of protection, but it also puts you in immense danger, specifically when you activate that sigil."
"What do you mean?" I asked, the warmth from the previous moment fading.
"Is it because of the large amount of mana suddenly flowing through her?" Gale asked, his own playful mood vanishing.
"Indeed," Ray called from the driver’s seat, his tone serious. "If other werewolves sense that huge, concentrated surge of mana, even though you’re human, they will have questions. Dangerous questions. They might assume you’re a witch."
"Like my mother," Ace whispered, so quietly I almost missed it. The pain in those two words was a tangible thing. I wanted to ask about his mother, to understand, but the hardened look on his face told me this was not the time. 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮
A heavy silence descended upon the wagon as the gravity of the situation settled over us.
"Lady Firera," I asked mentally, "if werewolves can sense mana, why didn’t the black werewolf say anything about it when you gave me the strength to fight him?"
"Because I gave you a low, controlled amount, akin to the natural mana levels present in a werewolf’s body," her voice echoed in my mind, calm and instructive. "Werewolves cannot sense such low levels; they cannot even sense their own. But witches, elves, me, and I presume fairies, can sense mana at any concentration. It is why witches can always detect a werewolf."
That’s why they’re such effective hunters, I realized with a chill.
[Ray’s POV]
The silence stretched, thick with unspoken worries and strategic calculations. The easy camaraderie of sharing food was gone, replaced by the cold reality of our world.
"So, I need to avoid activating the sigil as much as possible," Ovelia concluded, her voice steady but laced with disappointment.
"Yes," Ace confirmed. "Especially within the palace walls. The place is full of nobles with sharp senses and even sharper ambitions."
"Huh? So she can’t summon me? What if she’s in actual danger?!" Gale buzzed into the air, his wings a frantic blur of indignation.
"Like I said before," Ann stated, her voice cold as she finally turned to face him fully, "I will protect Lady Ovelia. You should focus on protecting yourself."
"Are you serious?" Gale shot back, hovering right in front of her face. "You couldn’t even protect her in time when the black werewolf attacked. And that happened twice."
Ann flinched as if struck. "That’s—" she began, her voice tight.
"Both of you, please, not again," Ovelia pleaded, looking between them with distress.
I kept my eyes on the road, but my grip on the reins tightened. "Ovelia," I said, my voice cutting through the tension. "If you want to summon him for a personal reason, you must be certain there are no other werewolves near you except for us." I glanced back at her, making sure she saw the seriousness in my eyes. "But if you are in true danger, and there is no one else to help you, you must summon Gale immediately, regardless of who might be nearby."
Ovelia nodded, her jaw set with determination.
"Gale," Ace added, his gaze locked on the fairy. "When that happens, be ready for the worst. Because they will become aware that you, and your kind, truly exist."
"I know that," Gale replied, his tiny form radiating a surprising intensity. "But if your royal officials discover our pact and try to harm her because of it, I swear I will take Ovelia, and I will use any means necessary to hide her from all of you."
"I don’t mind that," Ace said, his voice low and deadly serious. "As long as she is safe. But I will make it my mission to ensure the royal officials never get the chance to harm her."
"Thank you, everyone, for protecting me," Ovelia said softly. But I could feel the weight she now carried—the understanding that her very existence was becoming a political and magical powder keg.
I turned my focus back to the winding road. Observing them all, I could see how much our bond had grown in such a short time. The fairy was grumpy, blunt, and I could sense he didn’t fully trust us yet. But despite that, he had not uttered a single lie, and he carried no scent of deception. His loyalty to Ovelia, born of necessity though it may be, was genuine.
If the royal officials of any kingdom learned of their pact, their hands would itch with greed. They would see Ovelia not as a person, but as a key, a tool, or an experiment—a way to control a powerful magical being, especially in a time when we were fighting werewolf hunters and rogue witches.
I would not let that happen. I knew, with a certainty that ran bone-deep, that the four of us—Ace, Ann, Gale, and I—would form an unbreakable shield to prevent it.
My eyes fell on Ann. She had gone quiet, her shoulders slumped slightly as she stared blankly at the road ahead.
[Ann’s POV]
Gale’s words echoed in my mind, a sharp and painful critique. ’You couldn’t even protect her in time.’ He was right. What right did I have to be angry? I had made promises, and I had broken them. Again and again.
I clutched my fist until my knuckles turned white, the metal of my glove creaking in protest. I was a weapon that had been sheathed for too long, and now I was rusting, failing at the one purpose I had chosen for myself.
Suddenly, a heavy, warm hand settled on my shoulder. I looked up to see Ray, his gaze still on the road, his voice a low rumble meant only for me. "Don’t worry, I know you’re doing your best. But if you’re always holding back your strength, always afraid of scaring her, you might not be able to protect her when it truly counts."
His words pierced my heart with the precision of one of my own daggers. I looked down at my hands—hands that had ended countless lives, hands that had smiled while they killed, that had felt nothing when my prey begged for mercy. I never wanted to return to that style of fighting, to become that monster again in Lady Ovelia’s eyes.
"Ann, is something wrong?" Lady Ovelia’s concerned voice floated from the back.
I turned to her, forcing my lips into the most convincing smile I could manage. "No, my lady. Everything is fine."
But it wasn’t. I needed to train. I had to find a way to unleash my full strength without resorting to brutal, terrifying kills, and without frightening the gentle soul I had sworn to protect.
I focused my gaze ahead, and in the distance, beyond the rolling hills, I could make out the familiar, twisted shapes of the apple trees. A new question formed in my mind, a way to change the subject and perhaps glean some useful knowledge. I turned slightly towards the others.
"Everyone," I announced, "we’re almost at the Apple Forest."
I saw Lady Ovelia’s face light up with a smile at the news, a sight that momentarily eased the tightness in my chest. Then I looked at Gale, the repository of ancient knowledge.
"Gale," I began, my voice losing its edge for a moment, replaced by genuine curiosity. "I want to ask you. Is the old story about the Apple Forest true?"
