Chapter 58 - Adam Kiryu

>>Esra

“I have to go back.” Adam said.

“Why?” I couldn’t understand, “You almost died there.” I told him.

“Yeah but that’s where I live.” He scratched his neck, “I know living in a weak pack is nothing to be proud of but my family is there and I’m supposed to be the next leader. I can’t just disappear.”

Can’t just disappear? Like hell.

“You would have been dead anyway if you didn’t reach the forest so just stay.”

“I can’t.” He shook his head, “You don’t understand.” He was moving his hands around while talking, it seemed like he was restless, “If I disappear the whole pack is in danger.”

“Why?”

“Because I’m the only heir. My presence ensures that at the very least we have hope.”

“But look at yourself!” I raised my voice slightly, “Look how many scars you have.”

“Look.” He sighed, “I don’t need you to pity me. I’m very thankful to you for saving my life but I need to go back and show my pack I’m alive.”

“Well go ahead.” I folded my arms. This idiot is too bent on leaving so I’m not going to stop him. He can go ahead and die for all I care. I was just being considerate anyway.

“...” He just stared at me.

“Why aren’t you going?” I asked in a haughty tone.

“How am I supposed to?”

“Like how you came here.” I smirked.

“I don’t even know that! I was barely conscious.” He looked back at me in awe. I think he knew I was teasing him.

I snickered internally. Obviously you wouldn’t know. The knowledge isn’t for everyone. It should be available there in the human word but I doubt anyone reads those books.

“Well figure it out yourself.” I turned to leave, “You’re the one who wants to leave so badly.” I started to walk away when he ran over and caught my hand. It made me jump but I managed not to show it.

“Esra please. I have to go. My pack is weak, they need me. Please.” He was practically begging me and I couldn’t say no to that.

I sighed, “What are you defending against?”

“Rouges.”

“Rouges?”

“Werewolves that don’t have any place to call their own, they usually sabotage packs that are weak and can easily give up their resources.”

“And you’ve been fighting them?”

“If I don’t we’ll end up just like them. We only have a few resources to begin with.” I saw desperation in his eyes, “I’m perfectly healthy now. I need some kind of a plan to help out my people.” He brought his other hand and clasped my hand between both of his, “Esra, put yourself in my position. I know you’d do the same thing.”

I thought about it.

…

I mean, he’s not wrong. I would do anything to keep the forest safe. I’d be even more desperate if Arsay was in trouble or Quincelet.

I sighed.

“Fine.” I said, “I’m sure you know about the Dryad spirit right?”

He nodded, “Yea.”

“They live in the biggest oak tree of the forest. I’ll take you to the one from which you came.” I pulled my hand out from between his.

“Really? Thank you so much Esra!” I folded my arms and began to walk while he happily followed me.

When we reached the place I made him stand in front of the tree, “You have to ask it to let you go back and it’ll open a portal for you.”

“Really? That’s all?”

“Hmm.” I nodded

He took a deep breath, “Let me go back to the human world.” He said, “Please.”

“Call it.” I told him.

“Dryad of this oak tree, please.” There was silence for a few seconds, then the wind blew and the mist began to rise from the ground. A portal opened up to the human world and Adam turned around happily. “It worked!” It was fascinating for me too since I had never seen someone cross over before. I only know that vampires often do but their way of leaving and coming is different than ours.

“Go now.” I let my arms loose, “You have work to do no?”

“Yea.” He smiled brightly at me, “I’ll see you again?”

“Like hell.” I rolled my eyes, “You can’t just come in and out of the forest. Go. You need to be somewhere.”

“I’m going.” He began to turn, “Thank you Esra.” He gave me one last smile and ran through the portal without even saying goodbye.

I stared at the closing portal and even continued to look when it was gone and then finally sighed.

I didn’t get to see him transform.

Not that it’s anything rare.

I myself shift a lot too but I was simply curious.

Oh well.

Not like I’m seeing the boy again.

***

I stared blankly at the man in front of me, failing to comprehend why and how he was here again.

“What are you doing here?” I asked Adam.

“I came back to meet you.” He replied, “Why? I can’t?”

“No. Why did the Dryad even let you in again?”

“Um, I don’t know maybe because we are friends now?” He pointed his finger between me and himself, “Aren’t we?”

Since when did we become friends?

“No?” I shook my head, “And why are you hurt again?” I stepped closer to him. He had visible bruises and a cut on his lower lip. I was pretty sure there were more under his clothes and I couldn't help but sigh at his condition.

“Oh this. Don’t worry about this. This is just the pack fighting among themselves. It happens all the time.”

“The pack fights among themselves?”

“It can happen.” He scrunched his nose, “They get frustrated too. We’re not very well off after all.”

“Isn’t there, like a superior protector there?”

He pondered on my question, “The government?” He did a mix between nodding and shaking his head, “Well, they’re mostly good at hiding our existence. Trying to fight off rouges has alway been our own job.” He cleared his throat, “Other than that we’re pretty much treated like human community and in that case we have to fend for ourselves.”

“I’m guessing the human community isn’t that happy either.”

He shrugged, ‘Some are, some aren’t. It’s a bit complicated to explain since the magic realm works a bit differently.”

Is that so? Well, I guess it must be. If we functioned the same way we wouldn’t be separate.

“Come with me.” I grabbed his hand and took him to the forest houses, “I can heal small injuries like this.”

“Ohhh~” He was impressed and I smiled but since I was walking ahead of him he didn’t see that.

I took him home and healed his injuries, not giving much attention to his sudden visit. I wasn’t really expecting much but I did enjoy his company.

He spent the day with me telling me about how the human world worked and I told him about the forest.

At that time I didn’t think much of it but I was a little upset when he was leaving that night. Maybe I did think of him as a friend.

“Don’t just randomly come back here again.” I told him.

“Hmmm.” He thought about it while his eyes wandered around, “I’ll think about it.” He said and I felt that his words were serious this time.

But unlike what he said he visited ofte and just like that it became a habit.

He would visit once or twice every two weeks and oftentimes when he came over he had small injuries. It annoyed me very much how he still smiled like that when he was hurt all over but yet again I didn’t mind his presence.

It was fascinating learning new stuff but more than that it was nice having him around.

Over time I learned some really important facts.

Like, his injuries weren’t just because of rouges or because he had to intervene to stop some members of the pack from fighting.

Some of them were from his only family. His father was abusive, his mother had died young and his dad took out the stress on him.

“Why didn’t your father marry another woman?” I was curious so I asked.

“Because werewolves mate for life.” He said, “Once we find our mate we can never love anyone else like that again.”

“Ah~” That was a nice fact. Mating for life was true amongst many fae too but unfortunately at that time I did not know that for werewolves it was a bit different.

I didn’t know that their partners were decided by destiny.