Chapter 7: Celestelia

Alijah's maneuvering through the forest was flawless. In an instant, we were clear of the entire thing and on our way to our adventure. We ran the whole night and most of the morning hours of the following day to ensure we left my family behind in the dust.

We stopped by the edge of a hybrid village because Alijah was exhausted. From a distance, I could see a giant sign named Luxon while the black wolf was heaving behind me. Part of me felt terrible for having him run for so long, but there was little choice.

This was also the first time he had gotten hungry or needed to relieve himself in six thousand years. The sudden urges were an entirely new experience for the grumpy wolf, who cursed under his breath at any chance he had.

Sitting by the outer edge of the village, hidden away from their view, Alijah struggled to get a grip while I scavenged my bag for clothes for him. I had brought some for him, fearing that he would stick out in those ancient rags of his.

Mom's portrait of you is so accurate.

Grabbing the clothes from my bag, I handed them to him, "You have to change."

"What? Fuck off." He huffed, triggering my eyes to twitch before grabbing onto his vest.

"Just take it off!" I growled, tugging on it harder as he tried to get me off him.

It's already revealing as it is! I can't have you letting all the females that see you gawk at you!

 My temper was flaring, which didn't help.

Girl... You're assaulting the poor man. A ghost pointed out, irritating me even more.

Why won't you shut up? You know nothing! Just leave me alone already!

"Fuck no! I don't know what's wrong with you!" Alijah tried to push me off him.

I wasn't relenting on my grip.

Ah... I never explained myself, did I? Maybe if I did, you'd listen to me, right? Right?

"You can't go into town looking like that! You'll stick out like a sore thumb!" I tried to make him understand.

He huffed, trying to get me off him. "Back off, wench!"

Even though Alijah appeared uncomfortable with my advances, I wouldn't give up. I needed him out of those clothes and into the new ones. The last thing I wanted was for these hybrids to single him out and harm him.

This isn't the Celestelia you remember!

I knew this wolf was no pushover but defenseless because of our bond.

"Then just put the stupid clothes on! I'm not asking for a lot!" I growled, finally pulling off his vest, only to tumble against the tree.

The blow knocked all the wind out of me as I slid onto the floor, pain radiating through my body. Alijah gazed at me, not knowing how to handle me. He was utterly unamused that I had somehow harmed myself even though I was the assailant.

"Oi... You didn't just knock yourself out, did you?" he asked, approaching me.

My back and neck hurt from the fall I had endured. I probably scratched them against the flaky wood. They would heal quickly, but it didn't stop them from stinging me.

You deserved that one. Another annoying orb commented, making me lose my cool.

I was just like any other Lycan with my temperament issues. Perhaps even worse…

"Stupid grump of a wolf, if you'd just listen to me!" I snapped, only to end up wincing in pain from the fall.

For a moment, he stopped being the prick he usually was. He bent down to me, seeing if I was alright.

"Here, let me look." Alijah sighed, reaching to help me.

The change in demeanor caught me off guard. I thought he would call me some profanities instead.

Did you hit your head on something? No, that's just me. Did I get a concussion, and I'm hearing wrong? Arg... It didn't matter!

"It's fine." I pushed his hands aside, worried he would see my silver hair if he got too close.

If he saw I was a Silver Fang, he would surely make more of a fuss than I wished to have.

After all, you hate us.

When I rejected his help, he stood up, grabbing the clothes I had brought for him.

"Fine..." Alijah sighed, not wanting to continue fighting.

The emptiness of our stomachs was getting to us, leaving little energy to argue with anymore. However, much to the detriment of my heart's health. This wolf slowly stripped before me, leaving me unable to tear my eyes away from him.

Oh gods, you're more than I… No!

A second later, I planted my eyes on the ground to avoid seeing his privates. Seeing his chest was already heart clenching, leaving it pounding madly within my chest.

But... your... No... I won't survive if I see that!

Yet I couldn't help but wonder if it was the same as in my dreams.

Surely not! Keep your eyes down, Rem!

"Don't!" I yelped, covering my eyes.

My heart couldn't experience him that way in real life. Instead of listening to me, he continued to dress in the clothing I had brought him. I had a crush on this man for the longest time since I saw him in a portrait at Mom's workshop.

Yes, I fell in love with a picture of you, and that was all you were until now—one I used to walk by occasionally in my waking moments. Then dream of you in all the naughty ways my heart desires you.

However, to see the real him undress in front of me was too much. I had hoped that all my hopes and feelings would end when I met him, but I found myself pulled towards him even more.

What's wrong with me? You're cruel and mean, but you aren't much different from when my dreams started.

This was the beginning of our adventure, and I already felt like I would lose my mind with such a simple act. Somehow, without my help, he figured out how everything went. Even though I imagined what he would be like since I had never seen him, somehow, I picked out his perfect-size clothes.

All that was left to gather were the shoes, and we could get some in the village. Getting up from the ground, I slowly walked over to Alijah before handing him some contacts to hide the color of his eyes.

I also gave him a hat to hide his adorable fluffy ears, one of which had a silver earring. Sadly, in Celestelia, everything that made him a Lycan marked him as a target. We hybrids were known for raiding and trafficking people.

These lands were lawless. I even hid my tail before I got there, but that was for Alijah rather than for others. Although if I got thrilled, it would wag through my pants, as it did with Shade.

After the wolf put on the black hat, which matched his white shirt and black jeans, I grabbed onto his tail before stuffing it inside his pants, much to his annoyance. However, he complained less since the hungrier he got, the less energy he had to make a fuss.

Though we were both famished, I had never felt hunger like this. I took out a vacuum-sealed bag from mine and handed it to him. He could deposit any supplies he wanted from the village stores there.

Once ready to set out, I softly clasped onto the grumpy wolf's hand, tugging him along.

"I'm not a kid," Alijah growled.

I stuck my tongue out, refusing to let him go.

"No, you aren't a child, but this world isn't the one you remember. So, stay near me. The last thing we need is to be separated!" I informed him, smiling.

Though I knew little of this world, he didn't need to know that. Not having the energy or the will to argue anymore, he let me lead our way. We traversed the rural town, filled with wooden or clay houses, as the dirt there picked up with each one of our steps.

In our search for a hot meal and a place to rest, I couldn't help but hum happily. This place was nothing like Silverant, and that excited me.

Finally! I'm free!

Everything in this small place was a rare sight back home, especially the vehicles used to transport things, which were banned. Then again, in Celestelia, everything was legal. On our way in, I noticed a hovercraft on the side of the town. Those were the worst for pollution standards, yet they were great for traversing the desert lands of this continent.

Whoever had that must've been a gang or something along those lines, and we had to avoid them. Vehicles and hovercraft were especially illegal in Silverant or any big city. The legal way to transport anyone was by airship or horse.

Everything was mechanical back home, but things like cars and crafts weren't permitted—something about nature elves fearing their pollution. They already had a fit when Dad made airships legal for commercial use.

It wasn't like they ran on gas, but the noise pollution was also a big concern for the elves. Of course, to keep the peace, every race had to keep to those mandates. Much like vampires couldn't drink blood without the consent of the other party.

Thanks to the council's guidance, every race had limitations, but that went out the window for this continent.

Cerberus has no power here, which means we're safe from Dad but not from what we can find here.

This vehicle mandate applied to everyone outside of Celestelia—all but the Blaze elves, who were engineers. This subclass of elves lived near volcanoes, though, so there was little pollution they could do with those erupting volcanoes. They also needed it to make their precious metal, which required machinery.

Even in the twenty years since my siblings and I were born there, Dad had tried to make relations with the hybrids, but there was too much to mend. It wasn't like the witches who had only suffered for a couple of thousands of years.

Hybrids only knew pain and nothing else.

It probably will never change—well, not in our lifetimes—and it doesn't matter to me.

Fortunately, we found a tavern with rooms and meals to get us through the afternoon and night. At daybreak, we would have to keep moving to stay ahead. I knew how Dad worked, and he wouldn't stop until he found us.

Unlike us, he had the entire Cerberus organization to send after us since it was his peacekeeping force. Thankfully, since he didn't have power in Celestelia, this prevented him from sending them in full force.

No purebred was welcomed there without starting a civil war. So, this helped us stay ahead of them and placed Alijah in the crossfire of every hybrid that lived in Celestelia. After relieving ourselves in the tavern's bathrooms, Alijah ordered the first thing with meat on the menu.

Instead of following his example, I ordered something lighter to digest and water for us both. While we waited for the food, I pulled out a digital map I had sniped from Dad's office. With it in hand, I headed to the bartender to help locate us.

Sadly, I couldn't use the GPS setting on it because it would've alerted my family to our location, so I left my phone behind, too.

No temptations are allowed on this trip! Argh, we have to stay away from cameras, too.

Elven satellites were light-based, meaning we would be fine if they didn't know where to look or if we had cover. Much to our luck, Celestelia was a big continent. With Alijah's speed, we hiked from the howling forest and met in the middle of the land of the hybrids.

Crap… if we're in the middle, then we have to be more careful. Alijah, surely, will… bright unwanted attention.

This was due to how hybrids were treated on the mainland, though trouble always found me, even when I didn't want it.