VOP Lena

Two cups of coffee sat on the table between them, and the silence was palpable. The atmosphere was painfully awkward. She observed the man across from her, who was engrossed in stirring his mocha coffee. She tried to maintain a facade of normalcy, but her heart felt unsettled. Anger and disappointment surged within her, and she dared to meet his gaze. He returned her look with a smile.

"Do we look normal?" she asked, her eyes returning to her coffee.

"You could say that," Lathan replied, propping his cheek up with his right hand. He looked handsome like that, but he was a man who had reentered her life unexpectedly.

She glared at him, "This is ridiculous. We're not teenagers anymore. We have our own lives now. We live separately. We shouldn't dwell on the past; it’s just a memory," she said, her voice rising with frustration.

"What if I have reasons? And what if I still love you?" he responded, looking at her with earnest eyes.

"What? After disappearing for over five years without a word? I cried then and have been searching for you ever since. I waited for you obsessively, and now you reappear like this," she said quietly, struggling with disbelief.

"Do you trust me?" he asked seriously.

"Of course I don't trust you. Are you out of your mind? You keep hurting me," she replied, her voice trembling.

"Excuse me," Lathan said, reaching for her right hand.

She pulled her hand away, "No, let's just act like we’re friends. Just old friends," she said, forcing a smile.

"Is that how you acknowledge my existence, Lena?" Lathan asked, looking determined.

"I...I...yes," she answered slowly.

"Then fine, we’ll be just old friends. But friends should know each other's true selves, right?" Lathan said with a gentle smile.

She was momentarily speechless, taken aback by his smile.

"What do you mean?" she asked, confused.

"Would you like to come with me somewhere? I want to show you something," he suggested.

"Not now. It’s too soon; I need to think about it," she replied, hesitant.

"It’s not too soon for me, since we’re old friends," he said, and she managed a faint smile at his words. She was conflicted, torn between her heart and mind.

"I can’t. I have to go to work. So, goodbye," she said, standing up.

Lathan grabbed her hand, their eyes locked again as she tried to pull away.

"What do you want?"

"Don’t say goodbye as if we won’t see each other tomorrow," he said with a sweet smile.

She paused and closed her eyes for a moment.

"Why are we meeting again? I hope this is our last encounter," she said firmly.

"I believe this is the beginning of a new chapter for us," Lathan said as he stood up as well.

She noticed how much taller he seemed now, his face more mature, with noticeable muscle definition. "I hate to say it, but we’re done, Lathan. You were the one who ended things. So accept it," she said, feeling his grip loosen. She quickly pulled her hand away and walked off, leaving him behind.

She tried not to look back, determined to move on. But her heart seemed to disagree. There was an undeniable comfort she felt in his presence.

As she opened the café door and walked away, heading back to work and home, someone suddenly embraced her from behind. Her heart raced, feeling paralyzed.

"I want to make things right. I beg you, just one more time. I want you to believe in me," Lathan's deep voice resonated in her mind.

The pain was indescribable, and her tears fell again. "Lathan, I want to live a normal life without you. I want to find someone who respects me, as you once said. I want to meet someone who could be a father to my future children," she said, her voice trembling.

"Please, let me prove it to you. I truly want to make amends. If I may, I want to take back all my words from then," Lathan said, turning her to face him.

"Alright, but this is the last chance. I’ll decide whether to stay or leave," she said, as he gently wiped her tears with his thumbs.

"I promise I won’t disappoint you," he said, kissing her forehead before running off. She stood there like a statue, stunned.

Lathan had made her heart race. The feelings of irritation and anger had vanished, replaced by a rush of emotions. She blinked a few times, trying to refocus, as a blush crept onto her cheeks.

The feelings she had long suppressed were resurfacing, leaving her torn between accepting or rejecting him. Though she was uncertain, she couldn’t deny her lingering affection for Lathan.

VOP Marc

Standing among the trees in the forest, Marc observed the Werewolves from a distance. His thoughts drifted to a girl named Vina, whose image made his heart race uncontrollably.

He was an immortal being, unable to truly grasp the concept of love. It seemed implausible to be enamored with a mortal, but he couldn’t deny his feelings. He was captivated by her smile and brave demeanor; she even had the audacity to call him a vampire.

Initially, he was taken aback, but then he wondered why she wasn’t afraid of him. Was there a chance that someone in her family was a vampire or a werewolf? However, her scent didn’t hint at any immortal lineage.

"I heard Luna is already in the palace!" The voices of two men, likely Werewolves or creatures his father despised, reached his ears clearly. They were gossiping under a tree not far from their training ground.

"I don’t see Luna anywhere," said the other man.

"I heard from Gemma that Alpha will announce Luna’s whereabouts when the full moon turns into a Wolf moon," said the first man.

"So, you’re saying Luna is just a normal human? That’s why Alpha is so protective around the palace?" asked his companion.

"Yeah, maybe. Or Alpha might really care about Luna and doesn’t want anything to happen to her," he speculated.

"Hey, stop gossiping about Alpha and Luna. Do you want to be punished by Beta? Hurry back to training before sunset," said a large man, dressed only in trousers.

"Y-yes, Gemma!" The two men hurried off, frightened by the reprimand.

A sly smile spread across Marc's face. He was pleased to have learned Luna’s location and about the creature who would become Alpha’s bride. “Just wait a few more days in the palace,” he murmured softly.

"Turns out, killing Luna isn’t as hard as I thought," he said, using his strength to vanish without a trace.