As the first ray of bright sunlight pierced through the Moonlight Forest, Maggie immediately woke up.
She woke her companions, “Let’s meet up with Charlie first.”
Marvin’s grey wolf had fully recovered, and only the dried bloodstains on his soft belly fur reminded them of last night’s danger. He lowered his body in front of Maggie. “Hop on.”
“Thank you.”
Jolie also transformed into her wolf form and quickly got in touch with Charlie. “This way.”
Marvin followed, saying, “We’ll head deeper into the Moonlight Forest.”
“There aren’t even any animals here, just these towering trees,” Maggie remarked. Even the sunlight filtering into the forest felt subdued, lacking its usual warmth and radiance.
The whooshing wind blew past their ears, and Maggie instinctively buried her head in the long fur on Marvin’s neck.
The long run through the forest made Maggie realize just how vast the Moonlight Forest was, and she marveled at the speed and endurance of the werewolves.
The trees around them grew denser, making it difficult for the werewolves to run in their wolf forms. Jolie and Marvin halted. “We need to switch back to human form.”
Jolie put on her clothes that they had carried with them, while Marvin had to make do with leaves from the forest to cover his vital areas. He extended his hand to Maggie. “Come on.”
Although Maggie felt somewhat shy, the urgency of the situation required her to act quickly. She leaned against Marvin’s bare chest as he carried her forward.
“It’s just ahead!” Jolie exclaimed.
Maggie was getting anxious, “Where’s Jolie?”
Marvin reassured her, “She’s ahead. Don’t worry; we’ve become familiar with each other’s scents and can communicate through mental links.”
“Having werewolves is quite handy,” Maggie remarked.
“Mind the trees. How are the little ones?” Marvin inquired.
“They’re behaving well.”
The trees seemed like an army of formidable soldiers, encircling them, and Maggie worried, “What if there’s no way through?”
Marvin shook his head and said with surprise, “No, there’s a path ahead. Jolie has found Charlie!”
Emerging from the dense forest into the open, they were met with a vast grassy area. Fresh air filled the space, and all the oppression and suffocation vanished.
“Marvin, come and help!” Jolie’s voice was trembling.
The grassy field was about the size of a basketball court, with a stone chamber at the other end. The stone door at the entrance was being supported by Charlie’s body, and he looked utterly exhausted, on the verge of collapsing.
Jolie couldn’t help trying to share some of the weight with her shoulder, but it was clear that her strength was not sufficient.
Marvin quickly took Charlie’s place. “Be careful when moving, buddy. You didn’t hold this up all night, did you?”
Jolie supported Charlie as they emerged from under the heavy stone door. His shoulders were marked with deep red indentations. “Aldrich is inside; we need to keep an exit.”
“You could have told me this last night; we could have shared the burden together,” Jolie’s eyes welled up with tears.
“Seeing you in pain, I might not have endured it for so long,” Charlie said, choking up.
Jolie’s words were left unfinished as sorrow began to engulf her.
Having suffered from the torment of worrying about Aldrich, Maggie understood Jolie’s concerns. She touched her pregnant belly and spoke with determination, “No, it won’t happen.”
The constant worry and concern for someone can be torturous. Maggie was on the verge of breaking down, but her sense of responsibility wouldn’t allow her to collapse in tears.
The room was shrouded in darkness, but werewolves had no trouble seeing in the dark. Marvin took the lead as they moved forward.
His eardrums still ached a bit, and his voice sounded particularly loud. “Perhaps I should get injured again.”
“Perhaps,” Maggie replied.
Maggie didn’t have the heart for conversation. In the darkness, her heart was overwhelmed with fear and despair. She missed Aldrich immensely and longed to know his whereabouts.
“Your healing abilities are truly powerful; I feel like I’ve leveled up!” Maggie tried to engage Marvin in conversation.
“Good,” Marvin responded.
“You could help us become even stronger. What do you think?” Maggie suggested.
“Not a great idea,” Marvin replied.
“You don’t want to?” Marvin suddenly turned to her, only to find Maggie’s face covered in tears.
He was taken aback. “Are you… hurt?”
Maggie shook her head.
He wanted to do something to comfort her but found himself at a loss. The only girl he had ever been close to was Grace, who was always strong and brave. These tender emotions were something Grace had never displayed, let alone crying.
“I’m not hurt. Why are you crying?” Marvin asked.
“I can’t control it. I miss Aldrich. Marvin, can you try connecting with Aldrich again? It’s been two full days and nights without any word from him!” Maggie pleaded.
Marvin remained silent. “No messages.”
His expression darkened. “And Charlie and Jolie can’t reach him either.”
Tears shimmered in Maggie’s eyes as she looked at Marvin, unable to speak for a long time. Marvin smiled bitterly and said, “Can I cry with you?”
The tears remained on her lashes as Maggie gazed at Marvin. Her gaze gradually grew resolute. “Crying won’t help. Let’s pick up the pace. We might see Aldrich soon.”
A soft, resilient girl, firm in the face of adversity, was more heart-stirring than expected.
Marvin nodded and continued to lead the way. “I wasn’t joking earlier. I really wanted to cry with you.”
“I thought you were being sarcastic, especially since Aldrich is also your brother.”
“Aldrich is tough; I’m not worried,” Marvin said, sounding dejected. “I used to reject Grace repeatedly, especially in the early days of our relationship. I must have been terrible.”
But Grace still fell in love with him and remained loyal. Now, he had lost that genuine love.
Maggie comforted him, “You’ve realized it, and that means it’s not too late.”
“Thank you. I’ll become the great hero Grace aspires to, and I’ll become as outstanding as Aldrich. Then, I’ll stand before Grace with confidence and tell her that we can start over. This time, I’ll protect her properly.”