If it weren’t for Alisa’s unpleasant face, Marvin would have thought he was back in the classroom where he had been taught as a child how to distinguish between good and bad systems. There was a fireplace in the room, the bonfire rattling the wood, the teacher speaking so much that he could not remember a word, except that he was dozing in the dim light.
“Now and then you say something that makes sense.”
The first time someone questioned his knowledge, Alisa sneered, “Give me three months, and I promise I can learn werewolf history and politics better than you.”
Marvin was afraid to talk. He had learned so little since childhood. Grace was good at politics, Aldrich was good at history, but he didn’t understand anything. His father said that he was a rough man who only knew how to fight and did not understand tactics, and he did not take this to heart at that time, thinking that Aldrich would certainly be able to give him a cover, and today he was said to be helpless by a human.
And the human he least admires. He decided to treat Alisa differently.
“Have I convinced you?” Alisa looked at him.
“Convinced.” Convinced, he thought.
“Then tell me why you have been lying in the garden every day since I got out of bed. By the way, since you love the woman you say you have a strong bond with, why do you only dare to miss her in the grass, but can’t bring her back to you?”
“That’s not how werewolf society works.” Marvin explained to her earnestly, “Grace became my partner and Aildrich’s, and then she became tainted by her vampire blood and became half werewolf and half vampire, and no werewolf society could accept that, so she left.”
He gives a rough explanation of the sworn hatred between werewolves and vampires, and tells of the vampire’s irrepressible nature for blood.
“That thirst for blood is like a werewolf’s thirst for hunting.”
Alisa quickly understood that “meat isa primal instinct in the genes of carnivores, a genetic selection that cannot be rejected.”
“Yes.” Marvin was a little lonely, “I always say I love her, but I can’t do anything for her.” I watched her sink into the darkness, a little bit swallowed up by desire and pain, and I could only say desperately that I loved her. But what good is love?”
He can’t bring Grace back to the light, and back to the Blue Moon Pack, she will be greeted by endless darkness, and she will have to spend the rest of her life in the basement.
“I was weak, weak and useless.”
The gray Wolf’s face lay on the lawn, unwilling to lift it. Alisa tried compassionately to comfort him. She gently stroked the Wolf’s back with her finger. The Wolf stiffened but did not refuse.
“Don’t think so. Let me tell you about Maggie, though I just talked to Aldrich about her the other day.”
Marvin stopped resisting her as he had done before.
“Her childhood and mine were filled with pain, and I vowed to take her out of that pain, and I did. I didn’t cry when I was molested by the adoptive boys, I didn’t cry when I had sex with the senior boys for money, but when the bastard approached Maggie and tried to remove her underwear, I broke his head with a bottle and I ran away with Maggie. Our clothes were soaked with sweat. I held Maggie. I cried at that moment. Not because I couldn’t stand it, but I knew from that moment that I could protect her with my own hands and give her a better life.”
She lowered her head, and the gray wolf had turned his head to look at her. She met his gaze and said, “So, do you understand now? Love can’t just stay on your lips; love requires courage and action. If you truly love her, then to hell with the rules. When I was just fifteen and penniless, I managed to complete my medical degree in one go, ensuring that Maggie wouldn’t have to be adopted by any other family. I can proudly say that I raised Maggie.”
“You’re amazing,” Marvin sincerely said.
“Thank you,” Alisa smiled at him. “I know I’m not a good person. I’ve been fighting for Maggie all my life, and I can’t stop, even if it means hurting others. That’s my way of loving her. What about you?”
To be honest, Alisa’s straightforwardness left Marvin deeply shaken.
He felt he couldn’t go to that extent. Otherwise, when the woman from the Moonlit Forest made that proposal, he wouldn’t have hesitated.
“I’m not sure,” he said, looking at Alisa, his eyes filled with painful doubt. “I believe I love her enough to give my life for her. But that day, someone told me there was a way for me to embrace Grace again. I hesitated.”
“What method?” Alisa inquired.
“She said she could turn me into a hybrid like Grace, both a werewolf and a vampire. That way, I could truly understand the pain Grace went through and be with her for a long time.”
“But you don’t want to become a monster.”
“Grace is not a monster,” Marvin blurted out, only to be disgusted by his hypocrisy a moment later. “In my heart, she isn’t.”
“Alright, Marvin, listen to me,” Alisa spoke softly. “An individual can’t escape from the group. You might not see Grace as a monster, but you’ve always looked at half-werewolves, half-vampires through colored lenses. One day, these doubts and prejudices will gradually blur your love for her. You won’t understand the pain she’s endured, and you won’t be able to see things from her perspective. You will drift apart, and you will either have to abandon your preconceptions about different races or let her go. She chose what she thought was the right path, and now it’s your turn. We must all take responsibility for our choices.”
“Will I really lose her like this?” The gray wolf looked at Alisa, hoping for a negative answer.
But Alisa simply pronounced his death sentence cruelly. “You’ve already lost her. The moment you hesitated at the fork in the road, and you both went down completely different paths, it was sealed.”
Marvin couldn’t find the words. Something was choking his throat. He remembered how outstanding Grace was but never seemed to get a happy ending. No one really loved her unconditionally, and she never had Maggie’s luck. Aldrich had her on his mind, and Alisa was protecting her in her own way.
But what about Grace? She was controlled by someone, and such a proud person turned into a mere pawn. She had an iron chain around her neck, and her consciousness was overtaken by her bloodthirsty instincts. He could have made her not so lonely, but he was reluctant to give up his power and the comfortable life he had now.
In the end, Grace truly sank into darkness, and he was crying to Alisa about his love.
Wasn’t he one of the culprits responsible for harming Grace?
“Let’s go for a drive,” he said to Alisa, surprising her with his change. “I can take you to see a vast grassland. When the wind blows, it creates a sea of green.”
Amazed by his transformation, Alisa couldn’t hide her puzzlement. “You were just talking about Grace. Is it okay now?”
“You’re right, we’ve both made choices,” Marvin replied. “We must take responsibility for our choices. Come on.”