Chapter 13 –– Bluemoon Festival

“Ah, you’re finally here.”

Amal greeted a silhouette who was stepping into the cave. Just from his footsteps she already knew who it was.

“Took you long enough, Dawoud.”

Dawoud came to the cave where he and Amal used to go. He knew that that must be the place where she held Noam as hostage.

“Wait, how did you––”

Noam was confused as to how Dawoud could know the information that he was kidnapped since he was staying back at the mansion. After seeing Syifra–– Noam’s personal handmaiden–– he finally concluded that she must have been the one who informed him.

“Release him, Amal,” Dawoud told her, with a commanding tone.

“Don’t worry, I already did.”

Amal dropped the ropes that she used to tie Noam with to the ground. She showed Noam who had already been untied and free from the ropes.

Dawoud opened his arms to take Noam to his side. He gently spoke to him.

“Noam, come.”

However, Noam was hesitant to come forward. His eyes were showing distrust, and he seemed to be reluctant to get near Dawoud. After what Amal told him, he couldn’t help but see Dawoud in a different light.

“What’s wrong, Noam?”

Noam tried to avoid eye contact with Dawoud. He directed his gaze away, unable to look at him in the eyes.

“Amal must have told him something, my lord,” Syifra whispered.

Syifra was smart enough to catch what was going on and let Dawoud know immediately. She had always been very observant and good at reading situations.

“Amal, what did you tell him?”

“Something you should have told him in the first place.”

Dawoud walked forward and stood right in front of Noam. Due to a significant difference in height, Dawoud was looking down on Noam while he was looking elsewhere, avoiding eye contact. Dawoud then knelt down in front of him to make them equal in height. He then looked at him in the eyes.

“Noam, is something bothering you?”

After a moment of silence, Noa finally muttered his first words.

“I think you two should solve your problems first.”

Dawoud and Amal looked at each other. They were surprised by Noam’s unexpected suggestion.

“Amal did you tell him about––”

“About the curse, yes. You know, he has a right to know from the very beginning. I don’t know why you guys keep hiding it, that’s not fair to them.”

“I was about to tell him that today, after the festival. And here you are, ruining it.”

“Ruining what? Your plan to get him too emotionally attached to back out? Isn’t that what you did to me too?”

Dawoud stood still in silence. He didn’t realise that was how it looked to her.

“The moment you thought we had no chance because your parents said so, you immediately gave up on me. You didn’t even try to fight for me. Instead, you go after new omegas to toy around and play with, as if all those years of us together meant nothing to you. Is that what you’re trying to do with him?”

“I never gave up on you!”

Dawoud raised his voice so loudly that it vibrates the interior of the cave. Noam and Syifra who were just listening got shudders from their dramatic confrontation.

“The day you got that job offer, I was about to propose to you. My parents already gave me their blessing and I was all for it. However, I didn’t want to ruin your special day. I didn’t want to make you choose between me or your dream, because I know you would choose me. I don’t want that. I want you to choose you.”

Amal suddenly teared up. She felt emotional during the conversation.

“But...that’s unfair...that’s supposed to be my decision to do what I want to do....and you took that away from me....”

Dawoud stepped closer towards Amal.

“I’m sorry, Amal. I loved you, I really did. All that time I played around with omegas and betas, I was searching for someone like you to fill the void that you left in me. Yet, I never found one. You were someone special to me.”

“Then, does that mean––”

“But love also means letting go. I had to let you go in order for you to be happy by pursuing what you’re passionate about. I had to let you go so that you didn’t have to deal with someone with a genetic curse like me. I had to let you go so that you could be with someone who deserves you better, someone who fights for you the way you want them to be; someone who chooses you over their responsibility.”

Amal finally got the closure she had always been wishing for. It was not that he moved on so fast that he forgot her altogether; it was the other way around. He was trying to forget her so hard that she was still in his mind most of the time.

However, there was still one last thing that needed to be addressed.

“Dawoud, Lord Noam, what are you doing here? Come on, the main event is gonna start soon.”

Lord Hamza found Noam and Dawoud inside the cave after searching thoroughly for them. He asked them to return to the venue to watch the moon together.

“Did you forget about me, Lord Hamza?”

The moment he heard her voice, Lord Hamza immediately turned his head around to see who it was.

“So you’re back, Amal.”

“Yes. Unbelievable, right?”

Not long after that, Lady Rochlin also came to the cave to ask them to hurry. Before she could speak, she was surprised to see Amal there with them, which caused her to worry.

“So, are you gonna tell them or should I?” Amal said, threatening Lord Hamza and Lady Rochlin to share something important to the people in the cave.

“Amal, please don’t make us do this,” Lady Rochlin said, begging for her to stop.

“Mother, what is she talking about?” Dawoud asked, totally in the dark.

“It’s fine, my dear,” Lord Hamza said, finally gave in to Amal’s request.

“It was us who sent her the job offer.”

!?

Everyone in the room was shocked and stunned. Turns out, all this time, it was Dawoud’s parents who had planned to separate them all along.

“B–but...why...?” Dawoud asked.

“You know why, Dawoud. You can’t mate with fellow Caninus tribesfolk. We had to do what we had to to; to ensure your safety as the heir and the succession of the family bloodline,” Lord Hamza answered stoically.

“Blood Runs Deep....” Noam muttered to himself.

“That’s right, Lord Noam. It is my duty as the Chieftain to ensure that my children are safe and are able to produce offspring that will one day rule this village. And you shall be part of it, once you and Dawoud bond as mates.”

Dawoud suddenly leaped towards his father and threw a fist at him. Right before his fist landed on his father’s face, Lord Hamza blocked it with his hand leisurely.

“You–!! How dare you did that to those two!?”

“You’re a hundred years too young to fight against your own father, kid.”

Lord Hamza pushed his palm and Dawoud’s fist away. Dawoud fell on his back and immediately got up right after.

“Lord Hamza....do my mothers know about this?” Noam asked them, feeling dejected.

“Yes, they do.”

Noam was shocked and stupefied. He is literally the only one in the dark about all this arrangement. He felt humiliated for having been been manipulated by multiple parties, including his own mothers.

Suddenly, sounds of Caninus tribesfolk howling was heard from outside the cave. Turns out, the moon already appeared through the transparent glass on the ceiling of the hill. The howling eventually reached to the cave.

“Oh no––! Dawoud!”

Everyone was concerned about Dawoud due to his curse. Just like they all expected, the look in Dawoud’s eyes changed and he went frenzy.

He became violent and wrecked havoc inside the cave. Everyone tried to avoid him, but they couldn’t resist the urge to howl with the rest of their tribe. The only one immune to this is Noam due to the fact that he is an outsider.

“Noam...stop him!” Amal told him while evading Dawoud’s attacks.

“B-but...I don’t know how!”

“You’ll know! As much as I hate to admit it....I know he feels something towards you. Something beyond your mating contract...! And it’s real...!”

Dawoud approached his mother, Lady Rochlin. Before her, Lord Hamza was already standing protecting her. Right when Dawoud was about to slash both of them with his claws, Noam ran towards them and took the hit for them.

“Noam!!!” Lady Rochlin screamed.

Noam got scratched on his arm. It was bleeding. Yet, Noam didn’t regret it. He then walked slowly towards Dawoud.

“Noam, you should be caref––”

Noam then hugged Dawoud tightly, wrapping his arms around his torso tightly. Suddenly, Dawoud starts to soften. Noam then kissed Dawoud on the lips. Dawoud received the kiss and kissed him back, with his paw on the back of Noam’s head. After that, Dawoud passed out on Noam’s lap. Noam stopped his frenzy before the howling was over.

Everyone in the room was staring at them. The Bluemoon Festival was over.