章 8: Alpha Hugo

"You survived the night. Now... it's time to collect my rewards, correct?"

I blinked twice before this man's words registered in my head. I had forgotten about the deal we had last night after all that happened.

"Had you been helping me because of the reward?" I blurted out in disbelief. So much for overthinking why he was helping me.

"Obviously?" he shrugged his shoulder while he looked at me as if I was... dim-witted. "Nothing is free in this world, Gorgeous."

My mouth opened and closed, now having the reason I regretted coming in here. Yes. This was a mistake; he misunderstood my value. I took a step back while biting his lower lip.

"Oh, no, Bambi!" he intoned and shook his head in dismay. "Even if you try to charm me, yours truly will not fall for it. I had already fallen a long time ago."

My brows creased, assessing his laid-back demeanor and his nonsense. Would he get mad if I told him I was not as important as he thought I am? That I was just someone who was on the run? An excess baggage who didn't have a place to go, so I rushed in here since we're already acquaintances?

I looked at him apologetically, gazing down, only to catch something strange down his muscular abdomen. It was huge and looked hard while erecting up. My curiosity was piqued, so I raised my head and he was grinning proudly.

"Like the view?" he inquired as the side of his lips stretched broader.

"It looks strange," I murmured dryly, causing the smug grin on his face to disappear in an instant. "Aren't you cold? You've been running naked like a pervert."

"Uh, why would I..."

The man trailed off as a light yet frigid wind blew past us. He shivered, rubbing his exposed shoulders with his teeth chattering, while his legs squeezed together.

"Did you just realize that it's cold?" I asked under my breath, a little mind-blown at how carefree this man could be. But then again, he wasn't just a normal man; he was a wolf.

"How can you be cold if you are a wolf?" I tilted my head to the side, watching him shiver, and waited for the ice to form around him and preserve him.

"Girl, I am a werewolf — half-human, half-wolf. Cold still gets to me when I'm in human form," He explained with a shaking voice, making me nod in understanding before throwing another question again.

"Then why can't you shift to a wolf now to fight the cold?"

He looked at me in dismay, as if I just said something stupid. "Aren't you quite a curious cat? Girl, won't you offer this great savior anything?"

I blinked countless times while staring at him. What did he expect me to offer him? I just literally lost everything. I pursed my lips and sighed, gazing down at my ripped skirt. There was still another layer beneath the outer skirt, still giving him this one would be quite scandalous for a woman, but never mind.

Just as I reached for the top part of my skirt, I halted when I heard someone from a distance. I jolted up and looked around, alarmed by the voices.

"Don't worry, they're with me," the man said, and I looked at him attentively. "Good Lord! I am here! Can't you fucking use your noses?!"

I flinched when he suddenly harrumphed as the cold seemed to annoy him. The thought of offering the outer layer of my skirt disappeared as I shifted my eyes to the east. As soon as I did, one man came to my sight as he brushed some thick bushes to the side, taking huge leaps.

"Ah! Alpha Hugo! There you are!" his youthful face brightened up as soon as his eyes landed on the naked man in front of me.

"Just come here, goddamn it! I'm about to freeze to death!"

The newcomer, who was clad in a disheveled poet shirt and some leaves stuck in his curly hair, didn't idle as he rushed to us. I took two careful steps back as soon as he approached. I knew this man was tall, but I only realized that the naked man he called Alpha Hugo was way taller as soon as he stood next to him.

"My liege, why are you even naked?! Fortunately, I saw your clothes lying around in the forest when I came looking for you!" the youth nagged while handing the clothes that were draped over his arm to Alpha Hugo. "Also, did you encounter some bats?! How can you be so reckless, my liege?! The council will surely roast you alive this time!"

He continued to berate Alpha Hugo while the latter clothed himself in a hurry. I only watched the two of them, clutching my sleeve and my lips pursed. Was that his name? Alpha Hugo? He looked annoyed with the other man's nagging but ignored it.

"Ugh! You told us that we will just go for a run! I knew it you're up to something when we..."

Suddenly, the youth paused as he turned his head to me. His eyes instantly dilated and gasped as soon as we locked eyes with each other.

"Oh, my, moon... my heart had fallen — ack!" he couldn't continue whatever he was going to say as Alpha Hugo smacked his head. The poor man immediately rubbed his head while looking back at Alpha Hugo, who finally finished dressing up.

"My dear Ivo, do you really want to die?" Alpha Hugo cracked his knuckles while the other man, named Ivo, pouted while rubbing the bulge on his head. "Do you want your heart to fall out of your chest literally?"

"My liege just bullies me after I had brought his dear clothes... so heartless, cold-blooded, a pervert...!"

I didn't know what to say as the two bickered. Ivo looked so scared of Hugo, but he wouldn't stop spewing nonsense until Alpha Hugo started twisting his ear.

"What did you say? I am a, what?" Like a devil and a bully he was, Alpha Hugo sported a sinister grin while pulling up Ivo's ear.

"Ahh! Alpha! You are very good-looking! A true alpha — my ear will come off!"

"Aiya! I knew this will happen!"

"Haha! So lively early in the morning."

I turned my head as several men started coming out of the forest to the forest clearing from every direction. Their laughter and comments soon chorused with Ivo's cries, but none of them helped him.

"Don't worry. It will regenerate, Ivo."

"My liege! If it came off, it will never grow back!!" Ivo yelled desperately, but none of them could take him seriously, as he would miscall Alpha Hugo in between. Even I was confused whether to pity him or smack his head for digging his own grave.

"Oh, young love. I already knew it was strange that this world of nothing but despair could shine so bright and so blindingly beautiful until I had --"

I jumped when someone suddenly held my hand, speaking in a poetic tone as he guided my hand close to his lips. But before it could touch, someone sent him flying back into the forest. I looked at the broken trees the man crashed into and saw that more trees from the distance started to fall.

"Damn... these fucking lovesick bastards." I snapped and turned to Alpha Hugo, who was now standing on my side. He was ruffling his hair in irritation while I gazed at him, wide-eyed.

Was he the one who sent his friend flying?

"Bully!" Ivo yelled before dashing away to hide behind the oak tree. Some of them were already resting under it while chuckling, collecting some... money from the others. Were they betting?

Watching them made me wonder if that dreadful atmosphere last night was just a figment of my imagination. It just had a complete opposite of the light atmosphere right now.

"Aish... they can't even get it right," Alpha Hugo murmured in dismay and I snapped my eyes back to him. "This is what happens when you form a pack full of misfits."

He quirked a brow and set his eyes on me. "What?"

"Uh..." My lower lip trembled, rendered speechless by the sudden turn of events in mere minutes. "... you look different when dressed."

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