Chapter 16: Chapter 16

I can only clutch my chest tightly, feeling like I want to rip this damn heart out to stop it from pounding painfully. Seeing the woman with her trembling body in front of everyone who's mocking her... damn it. What do I really want? Wasn't embarrassing her and teaching her a lesson my own idea? But what I'm feeling right now makes me clench my jaw even harder. Especially when she returns my gaze that I haven't been able to let go of since the beginning. The look of fear and helplessness, which oddly makes me want to obliterate those people staring at her with scorn, just like they've always done to me.

She jumps in surprise again as her friend loses in the game they were playing. The crowd erupts in cheers, making her appear even more trembling. Everyone's giving her intimidating looks, urging her to remove the clothes clinging to her petite body. A frail body that I could easily crush with a little effort.

She looks like she's holding back tears, her trembling hands reaching for the skirt that covers her body. At that moment, my blood boils even more, and my heart throbs painfully as I witness her suffering.

I can't think clearly anymore. I don't care about the others. My focus is solely on Aurel, who looks even more miserable. I dash forward, swiftly reaching her small form, hugging her tightly to calm her trembling body, and disappearing into the neutral dimension.

In my embrace, she faints, her cold and sweaty body now held against me. I can feel the discomfort I previously felt slowly calming down. I then unbutton the hoodie I was wearing to cover her cold form.

I'm fixated on her face. She doesn't appear exceptional in any way, but for some reason, my gaze always wants to find her. If my suspicions about her are correct, what should I do? Will I truly find my redemption?

The cursed part is that I can't talk to Brenda or anyone about it. I don't want them interfering in my affairs anymore. I've had enough of being watched like a prisoner in this isolation. My thoughts pause, and for some reason, my hand itches to feel the soft lips I once experienced. Unconsciously, a smile tugs at my lips as I recall how she slapped me quite hard. It didn't hurt me, if anything, it felt the opposite. Her small hand must have throbbed when it slapped my face.

But my train of thought stops when I sense someone who seems about to disturb me. Brenda would be furious if she found out I brought a human into the Neutral dimension. I carry her out of the dimension, and despite not having fully regained my powers, it's not too difficult for me to exert this small amount. Although I haven't achieved my redemption yet, I can go wherever I want with a snap of my fingers.

Now, I'm in my own room, laying Aurel's body on my bed. No one has ever dared to enter this room before.

I was just about to cover Aurel when suddenly my bedroom door swung open with a forceful push. Of course, I knew who it was by the lack of manners.

"What exactly were you doing? What kind of chaos did you cause at Maudy's party?" Brenda questions, leaving me silent. I simply continue covering Aurel's body, then turn to face my sister.

"What? What did I do?" I retort, though Brenda's gaze is fixed on Aurel, who's lying on my bed.

"Is all this because of you?" Brenda inquires again, causing me to shrug nonchalantly.

"Please take care of her. I'm sure she just fainted out of fear," I reply, brushing past Brenda. However, Brenda immediately grabs my arm and turns me around, matching my gaze.

"Explain everything, Gray," Brenda demands, making me release her grip.

"What? I just helped her," I casually answer, making Brenda clench her jaw.

"You almost frightened everyone with your stupid powers. You made Thunder deal with everything," she says, frustration evident on her face.

"What's wrong with that? Isn't that what he's there for, to handle the messes I create? So stop draining yourself over it," I respond. I can see her face turning red in anger, but I don't care.

"What about Aurel? Why did you bring her to your room?" Brenda inquires again. I don't know why she's asking so much and meddling in my affairs.

"Just keep an eye on her and call her sibling to come pick up this bread delivery girl," I retort, passing Brenda. But Brenda immediately seizes my arm again and pulls me back, exchanging a stern gaze.

"What are you hiding? You can't possibly let someone into your room, especially a human," she says. Damn, I have a sibling who's too perceptive about what I do. She's far from being oblivious, so I just roughly rub my face.

"I don't want to discuss anything right now, Brenda. So please take care of her and call your partner to pick up his cousin," I continue, not even bothering to listen to Brenda's response. I choose to leave the room, not even bothering to provide my sister with an answer. I'm still puzzled by all the questions in my head.

I walk to Brenda's office. I need to find something that at least gives me a clue about the connection between me and that human. I look at the neatly arranged books on Brenda's shelf, and my gaze falls on an old book that I recall is her favorite. What I'm experiencing right now isn't that different from Brenda's situation. Her partner, who's a mix of human and wolf, is the one who brought about her resurrection. Although their relationship seems complicated now, as Rex seems to be growing resentful towards Brenda, I don't want to get too involved in their affairs.

I start flipping through the pages of the old book. It contains the history of our kind, written in a language understandable to our race. No matter how many times I read it, there's no clue that can even slightly hint at the connection between me and that human. It's clearly stated that our wolf awakening occurs at birth or when we meet our partner, and no human interference affects us. So what's happening to me? It's evident just by looking at Aurel – she's a pure human, not one of us or even half of our kind.

Perhaps my assumptions were wrong all along. I'm mentally exhausted from all these questions, and I toss the book onto Brenda's desk. Before someone knocks on the window. Thunder is there outside on the porch, and I quickly approach him.

"Did you sort everything out?" I ask as Thunder follows my steps.

"You made me and Simon lose control. How could you do that without any signal or warning, just to save that transfer student girl?" Thunder's tone carries annoyance due to my sudden actions.

"You did it with Simon?" I ask, making him nod.

"And thanks to the mess you created, Simon lost the chance to play with his new toy. You know, the girl who plays the violin," Thunder says, causing me to shrug dismissively. I'm not interested in any of their toys.

"Oh, and one more thing, your girl was looking for you. Seems like she's pretty excited to spend the night with you, and eventually she left with Ramon," Thunder informs me. I halt in my steps. Of course, the girl he's referring to is Megan.

"I'll let her go. I won't share a woman with that bastard," I reply.

"And there's another thing. Simon mentioned something strange about the transfer girl," Thunder continues, making me finally engage with his words.

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know either. Simon just said that the transfer girl seemed odd. You know, Simon has the ability to sense auras, though I'm not sure. Maybe Simon is mistaken because the girl is purely human," Thunder explains. I fall silent, thoughts swirling in my mind. What if Simon is sensing something different about Aurel?

"Alright, I'm just letting you know that everything has been taken care of. And for next time, if you want to do something, give us a heads up," Thunder says before swiftly departing. At that moment, I see Rex dragging Aurel out of my house. I'm sure his mood is foul right now, especially knowing that I was the one who brought Aurel.

I can't help but gaze at his eyes, wondering why I'm drawn to them and wanting to keep them to myself. Rex would go berserk if I were to pluck out those beautiful eyes. That's what crosses my mind as I watch them. Rex shoots me a look, and I can't help but feel that he's irritated or resentful. But there's nothing he can do.

The car speeds away, and I find myself smirking at my own behavior. I've been influenced by a stranger who has turned my emotional state upside down, causing everyone to be in a frenzy. Is this going to be something interesting? I think to myself as I realize how disruptive Aurel's presence has been.

I turn around to see Brenda, who also seems to be observing their departure. Brenda then looks back at me.

"Come with me. We need to talk. Lauv has something to say about you," Brenda says, entering the house. I sigh heavily. I don't want to engage in lengthy conversations with them anymore.