Finding You, Again
Again 2 - Compliance

The atmosphere of Blackmoon which was covered in snow was thick, cold and gloomy, very aptly describing how the atmosphere of the Manor was today.

Hustle and bustle of the excitement of the celebration that occurred three days ago, was not at all unflagged.

There were still ice sculptures adorning the corners of the pack, but the lights and ribbons had been lowered. Make the streets pale again.

All of the pack's occupants could feel the black clouds that were shading their new Alpha residences.

Two days ago, all the inhabitants of Manor were in mourning. The atmosphere of grieving and silence made people reluctant to speak.

In the room that Lui occupied gathered several figures, all of whom concentrated on looking at the motionless Lui.

The Duke looked gloomyly towards the bed without a sound. Beside the bed, Oscar stood with a face that was no less moody. They both looked at Alva and Dr. Sidra's checking on Lui.

Duke called Alva yesterday, the second day after Lui was unconscious. Dr. Sidra had given up and was unable to find an answer to what Lui was suffering from. Without much objection, Alva was willing to come. Ignoring his unwillingness intersected with the inhumane.

The Duke did not even bother to ask for Elder's approval when bringing Alva in. And until now, no Elder had questioned the existence of the magician in the pack.

They could certainly feel how dire Lui was.

Duke glanced at Oscar who suddenly moved and sat on the sofa.

Duke with Oscar's attitude. He thought Oscar was going to explode, or at least tried to kill him for putting Lui back into a coma.

But after Duke recounted the details of the incident, the anger floating in Oscar's eyes slowly turned to despair and confusion. After that, Oscar more often daydream with a troubled face.

But the Duke did not care much, because his feelings were also in a state of chaos.

Desperation and darkness have plagued him since the night of the coronation. He did not dare to transform, because he did not want the werewolf who had a mind-linked relationship with him to feel the pain.

Especially El and his mother. It had been quite a drama in their lives, there was no need to add the horrible feeling he now felt.

However, the Duke's despair, as if seeping out of his body, because not a single werewolf dared to approach since the coronation.

Only El, Roan and his mother, dared to take Duke to speak. It was just to invite him to eat, which is more often refused. The handsome face that used to look rarely smiled, grew even more sinister.

The nightmare that Duke was so afraid of, repeated and manifested, especially with unreasonable causes. It was only natural that at this moment, his entire aura only emitted a black color full of sadness.

Despite thinking hard, Duke still could not establish the exact cause of all these disasters. He was eager to point to the ceremony of insignia, as the cause.

Because if it was the insignia that interfered with Alva's spell on Lui's body, he would be able to fix it.

But Duke's premonition said the opposite, because now Alva's face was getting grim and dreary covered in disappointment.

A few hours back, Alva had cast all sorts of spells and potions she knew about Lui.

At first Dr. Sidra as well as Oscar, watched it with interest as this was the first time they had seen a witch working.

The magic diagram and spell circle with various colors alternately floated and shone over Lui's body. Starting from a simple diagram in yellow, to a wide, reddish diagram that reads complicated symbols.

But their curiosity began to recede, after a while, not seeing any changes to Lui's body. The body remains still, breathing slowly with the help of a breathing apparatus.

"I can't!! There's nothing wrong with the spell I put on Lui's head, I don't know how to make her aware"

After trying for nearly five hours tirelessly, Alva finally exclaimed in despair, slamming her hands into the bed where Lui was lying.

Not a single creature in the room answered that desperate cry. They were all just silent still looking at Lui's body.

Slowly Dr. Sidra took care of her medical equipment, then came out of the room without saying goodbye, knowing there was nothing more she could do.

The Duke's face was swept away by the grief as well as the growing pain.

"You cast a spell on Lui's head?" Oscar asked, looking at Alva.

It was the longest sentence Oscar had spoken after three days of silence.

"Of course!! How do you think Lui was conscious from her coma? I cast a spell to reduce the influence of the blob on his body. And the spell was still there without any damage. The duke's insignia left no marks but marks on his shoulder"

Alva answered the emotion, feeling Oscar's question a little stupid. Without realizing this was all new to Oscar. She didn't know Alva was a witch before today.

After the coronation ceremony, the scratch wound given by Duke healed and formed a moon tattoo like it should, even faster. Not like ordinary human wounds.

Alva was astonished by this, but did not have a satisfactory answer that could explain that fact. It was as dark as that strange blue light incident. Alva could only gape in wonder, when he heard the Duke's story.

Lui's circumstances were truly a great mystery.

Mysteries that do not know when they will be solved. Which also meant that Duke would never know when Lui would open her eyes again.

That bitter reality, began to seep into the Duke's mind and caused him to crash, leaving behind the hope that had been present with the arrival of Alva.

The duke once again had to wait for Lui to open her eyes. And worse, Duke can no longer rely on the help of Alva's powers.

Emotions are starting to take hold of Duke. Slowly, a sense of heat coursed through his body. Desperation, pain and anger swallowed him perfectly. Without caring anymore about self-control, the Duke simply let go of his werewolf.

A giant wolf materialized in the room, under the flabbergasted gaze of Oscar and Alva.

The possession of Alpha's power on Duke's body, not without any effect. With increasing strength, Duke must adjust to his newfound strength. He should be practicing controlling his strength again.

But these three days, the Duke could not concentrate at all. His self-control was at its lowest level at the moment.

Ignoring the shocked faces of Oscar and Alva, Duke opened the room window with his muzzle and jumped down.

He just wanted to run, in the hope that some of his grief would dissolve with the wind.

"Where are you going?" Myra asked in the Duke's head, when she had been running for a few minutes.

"Get out of my head Mom! I beg you" Duke ignored his mother's question. He must have seen Duke run and transform.

With a heavy sigh, Myra according. The Duke's head went back silent.

But a few moments later, the voice in his head again interfered.

"The Duke? " call El with doubt.

"Go!!" Duke rebuked violently while gritting his teeth, trying hard to hold back his grief so that El would not be affected.

"Don't be like that, you can share it with us, it might feel lighter afterwards" El certainly felt how Duke's efforts were to keep his mind clear.

"No!!... Go then! And you're Roan too" 

One more thought came as Duke said that. Roan with his worries.

"But.--"

"Take off your transformation!!" 

Duke snarled Alpha Tone from his throat.

He hates the circumstances of having to use his first Alpha tone as Alpha, to El and Roan.

But he really did not want them to be affected by what he felt at the moment.

Slowly and unwillingly, El and Roan's minds faded.

Up at the shores of Blackmoon Lake, Duke stopped running and howled his pain towards the moonless dark night sky.

With a staggered body, the Duke walked up to the frozen lake and sat looking at the thick ice, with a heart of grief.

His mental aggrieved grief, making Duke lose control of his senses. Freely the ears, nose and eyes catch everything that is usually blocked.

The most striking change from the inclusion of Alpha's powers, one of which is that its senses are now becoming stronger.

His ears could clearly hear the sounds of various night beasts, who were hunting within miles. Not to mention his nose could precisely recognize, one of the animals was a lynx who was chasing the poor rabbit for dinner.

His eyes also grew sharper, so he could see the gentle movements on the hill opposite the lake, caused by the white fox, being stalked by its prey among the snowpack.

Duke knew, he had to train all of it, so as not to hinder his activities. Sensitivity that is too sensitive will be a weakness if it is outside the pack. Too many colors, sounds and smells are disturbing.

He must learn to control it from the beginning again, or later he will not be able to behave normally outside the pack.

Duke's mind was momentarily distracted by all the natural activities around him that were caught by his senses. He enjoyed it as a small recreation to rest his heavy head.

While humming the tone that just appeared in his head, the Duke closed his eyes, accepting everything that was proffered by the surrounding nature.

The winter wind struck his dense black fur strands, gently.

The sound of the wind whirled, ushering in the scent of frozen snow as well as the various scents of forest dwellers. Starting from the lynk earlier, until the wild turkey he heard was trying to find a twig to make a nest.

The duke calmed his mind while taking a deep breath, then bit by bit tried to ignore the sounds and smells of nature, closing them to a reasonable extent.

His muscles and nerves had to learn, how much strength he had to exert in times of ordinary circumstances.

For the next few hours, the Duke simply sat still and continued to do the exercise tirelessly, for in so doing his sadness was a little forgotten. Exercise and work are the most powerful distractions for him.

Slowly the Duke opened his eyes and found that the light was the rising sun. He spent the night training.

His strength control was already better, but it still took some adjustment exercises.

Duke was eager to continue the practice, but fatigue struck him once his eyes opened wide.

The exercise does not require much movement, but it clearly drains the mind and energy.

Slowly the Duke walked away from the lake while glancing towards the tiny cottage that was given to Lui.

The wound was gaping wide, as soon as his mind was fixed on Lui.

Striking his four legs, Duke ran towards Manor, trying to ignore his bleeding heart.

Arriving at Manor, Duke chose to enter through the window of his room, avoiding the main door, so as not to invite many questions. He lightly jumped onto the balcony of his room.

The room now contained only Oscar, who was asleep on the sofa in an uncomfortable position. Oscar rarely leaves Lui, usually he just goes out to change clothes or eat.

Oscar awakens in shock, as Duke opens the window and enters.

Without blinking, he looked at the gigantic figure entering the room. The duke walked slowly towards the bed then stroked Lui's body slowly with his forehead, as a greeting.

The duke regulated his breathing for a few seconds, and slowly, the body shrank, turning into two-legged again.

Oscar cursed slowly. He accidentally saw Duke's naked body, and immediately turned his face the other way.

The duke only snorted no matter hearing the mockery, then grabbed the towel from the pile on the table and stepped towards the bathroom.

"Where's Alva?" ask Oscar after he came out of the bathroom with a more decent appearance.

"Library" Oscar replied shortly, while lying back on the sofa, but his eyes remained fixed on Duke's direction.

"He wanted to check out some of the ancient books that were there, maybe there would be some explaining about Lui's blue light phenomenon" he explained seeing Duke frowning.

"Oh..." The Duke only said short after understanding.

"Ah---she also requested that some of her books be sent here, she wanted to check them out as well" added Oscar, who has now turned a blind eye.

Duke nodded and grabbed his phone at the table. He'll ask Uncle Rex for help in order to transport whatever Alva needs here, faster if he's on Monath's plane.

Duke will do whatever Alva asks. Only he hopes Duke to get out of this terrible situation, although Alva also still does not know what to do.

"By Bee!" the whisper was slow, while peeping the pale forehead.

The Duke's eyes traced the entire frozen beautiful face of Lui.

The only thing he can do is wait. Waiting for another miracle that will make Lui open her eyes.

"Last night I saw a lynk in the woods near our cottage. You'd love it if you saw it, you always had a weird interest in cats, right? And believe me, the lynk is very hairy, much bushy than a regular cat. I'd love to catch it for you, but with that big feather, I think your allergies will recur"

Duke began his story with a small laugh.

It was a routine he used to do when Lui was in a coma. The Duke would tell Lui his whole day, when he was visiting. While imagining how Lui reacted when she heard the story.

The duke did not care if only the silence he got in return. The Duke kept doing it for over a year until the moment Lui regained consciousness from her coma.

Now Duke is repeating that habit, and things are a little better. At least he didn't have to fly far to see Lui. He used to have to travel the distance between LA and London to just tell a story.

Oscar opened his eyes to Duke's voice, but did not comment.

His jaw hardened, holding the feeling within him. He was not surprised to hear the Duke tell a story, as he was already very familiar with the Duke's habits. But the memories of his suffering, as well as Duke, to defend Lui, left his neck choked with emotion.

Oscar closed his eyes again, as a soft knocking sound rang out from the door.

"Who?" The Duke asked in annoyance. The story with Lui is interrupted.

No answer, but the door was open. Myra along with El entered the room. Myra carried a tray full of breakfast and also two cups of hot coffee.

El carried a few sheets of paper in his hand. He looked at the Duke with relief, as he had at least returned in one piece to the Manor.

"Eat it, you need it" Myra ruled decisively, not wanting to accept the rebuttal.

Myra then shook Oscar's body slowly and put a tray in front of him. Myra also gestured for Duke to get up and sit down and eat.

If against, Myra would definitely continue arguing until she gave up. So without a sound Duke sat down and ate his food as quickly as possible, without any desire to enjoy it.

On the face of it, Oscar did the same. They both looked like soulless robots that moved with just instinct.

Myra shook her head slowly at the sight. Two people who were in a valley of despair.

But Myra was relieved, because at least Duke could still swallow her well, unlike her circumstances a while ago.

Without saying goodbye Myra walked out of the room, leaving El who stood awkwardly staring at the two of them eating.

After the breakfast that only lasted no more than 3 minutes, Duke gestured El to speak.

"All preparations are almost final. Report from Abel, there are 7 vampires from 2 clans, 12 werewolves from 5 packs, and also 3 hunters including Faust" El reports.

Faust is still in the hospital, but he'll blend in secretly when the Hunters come.

"Is he healthy?" asked the Duke while looking at El better. He paid more attention, because this was an important thing for El.

"Yes, the poison is neutralized. He is training to recover his strength" El replied, with a gentle smile.

"I'm glad to hear it El" said the Duke, sincerely. Her heart was a little warm seeing El happily.

"Thanks" said El.

"Oh. and also three ordinary humans. They are the food supplies of the vampires" El added, with the tone as flat as possible. Trying to ignore disgust.

The Duke snorted roughly "Without food? It's so funny" he said.

Oscar, who was in front of him, also looked a little disturbed, but decided not to comment. Because he is lazy to get involved with the inhumane problem.

"What about the army I asked for?" ask Duke.

"This.." replied El, handing over the paper he was carrying.

Duke meticulously examined the data that was there, then nodded in satisfaction.

The paper contained the names of 15 werewolves and siewolves of their choice. Werewolves with the most dexterity and strength in the pack, with an unquestionable loyalty. In addition to the names Dey, Farjad, the names Id and Tita are also there.

The Duke also saw two werewolf names who had kidnapped him from LA. Farkas and Ivalio.

The duke chose them, having shown an extremely strong determination. Drinking that loathsome potion to the extent that his nose could not detect, was a feat that should be appreciated.

The Werewolves on the list that El had brought earlier, were special forces that would move under the direct orders of the Duke.

Many werewolves were envious of the new army. But they did not know, what kind of hell Roan would prepare for their training. If they knew, those envious werewolves would actually feel extremely grateful.

The Duke smiled knotily imagining how Roan would train them. And to be honest, it did raise his spirits a little.

"From today, give them a training schedule with Roan. I will also train them directly if they are free" said the Duke.

El nodded in doubt, as clearly, the current Duke barely had any more free time. The preparation for this meeting took up all his time.

But it's not a good idea to argue with Duke. El memorized how Duke was when Lui was in a coma. He will work without pause to forget the suffering he endured.

"When will the guests start coming?" ask Duke. El immediately grabbed the phone in his pocket and checked the data.

"Werewolves will come in turns, because their home regions are indeed very far apart. Vampires will come together tonight, they decided to enter this pack in groups of course. The Hunter will come, the day before the meeting starts" El explained, smoothly.

"That means they're gonna start coming tonight?" duke asked, because the meeting will take place 2 days from now.

El nodded, "Some werewolves and vampires"

"Alright, we must prepare" the Duke got up from his seat.

He approached Lui and stroked her head slowly. "I'll come back and continue my story later Bee" he whispered with a smile.

He looked at Oscar.

"I'm asking you not to wander around Manor after today. All the werewolves in the pack already knew about your whereabouts, but the vampire guest didn't. They might not think long before attacking you"

The Duke warned of serious danger.

Oscar nodded, "I understand" he said.

Oscar also did not want to appear before the vampires. It's been pretty much an annoying inhumane -- even more annoying than Duke -- in his life\, there's no need to get acquainted with those who are bloodthirsty.