Chapter 4

Rieka pushed everyone aside and went after the thief with everything she had. The bag that the thief had stolen was her only belongings, all her valuables were in it. 'You can't go after him child! He's a professional thief," someone in the crowd warned, his voice dripping with pity. Rieka didn't want to give up. No! She couldn't give up. She was just in a new village and she would be stranded if she didn't do anything. But unfortunately for her, before she could reach the last bend, the thief had already disappeared with her property. Rieka stood , staring into the air in a daze, wondering what she would do next. 'Oh dear child, what a shameful thing that had happened." It was the voice of the old woman that had brought her out of her daze. Rieka turned and stared at her with tear filled eyes 'I understand.... You can cry all you want," the woman consoled. Rieka embraced her and began to sob loudly. All the pain that had been accumulating since after her rebirth came back again. The pain of not being wanted by anyone. The pain of not being a werewolf. The pain of having no identity, nor anyone to love her. She cried it all out at that moment. 'Are you feeling better now?" A deep , masculine voice asked. Rieka whirled around, startled. She was embarrassed to see a blonde haired man with sparkling green eyes standing before her. His lips were pulled up in a happy smile as he stared at her and the old woman. 'That's my grandson, Phillips," the woman announced proudly. "He came to pick me up instead of his father" 'Grandma Lily, welcome to Bournes village!" Phillips said, hugging Grandma Lily. 'And you too…" 'Rieka," she said, patting the hem of her dusty skirt in a desperate attempt to hide the redness in her eyes. 'It's a normal thing to cry. Stop trying to hide it," Phillips said, making Rieka chuckle. The old woman laughed along, her wrinkled hands touching Rieka's head fondly. After the greetings and small talks, Phillips turned to Rieka. 'Do you want to go with us to the bakery? It's not far away from here. I bet my dad would be glad to meet you." Rieka wanted to reject his offer but then she remembered that her bag had just been stolen. She was penniless and homeless. So, she nodded. 'Sure" … One Month later 'Go and get the fresh bread from the inner pantry. The customers are requesting for them," Phillip's voice came from the outer store. Rieka, who was writing down the sales for the day, closed the book and headed into the room, walking out a few moments later with a large tray containing the hot, steaming loaves of bread. 'What a lovely sigh—fresh golden loaves brought by a beautiful young lady, what more do I ask for?" a voice said. Rieka maintained her stoic expression, not speaking to the person. She placed the tray on the table while Phillips packaged the loaves into a brown paper bag and handed them to each customer. Rieka helped him sell and keep records. A few hours later, they were done for the morning and the two of them collapsed on the chair , breathing heavily. 'Thank you for coming out to help. I didn't know how I would have managed this morning without you helping me," Phillips said with a smile. Rieka smiled back, wiping the sweat on her face with the handkerchief. 'It's okay. This is my workplace, remember?" She replied. Leaning on the chair, Rieka looked out of the window. Phillips who was seated beside her was forgotten as she gazed into the horizon through the window. Her mind went back to how she had eventually managed to settle down in this town. It was with the help of Grandma Lily and her family that she had settled down. They had given her a position in their bakery, and with the salary, she rented a small cottage where she lived alone. For one month, Rieka could swear that she was slowly discovering herself. She was no longer gloomy and suspicious of everyone. One month alone had taught her a lot of things, and she had sat down to think of the trajectory of her life. Rieka was finally having a peaceful life, and she prayed that her life would remain that way forever. … The occasional sound of local dogs barking and the sound of crickets were the only sound that could be heard as Rieka locked up the bakery. Phillips, who was standing at her back, looked around worriedly. 'I think i should accompany you home. It's too late, and dangerous for you to go alone," he said. Rieka shook her head and moved back 'I don't think so. My cottage is just a street away, not something for you to worry about. Besides I will go through the shortcut," she assured him, but Phillips was still worried about her safety 'A lot of weird things are happening this days. Have you forgotten that a man was found dead in an alley the other day? I heard that it might be magicians" His voice was lowered as he said this, and he looked around the dark environment vigilantly. Rieka sighed and placed her hands on his. Phillips tensed up at the feeling of her soft hands on his. 'I just think that you are too paranoid. There's nothing like magic or magicians. They were all banned a long time ago and have gone into extinct." What Rieka said was the half truth. Yes, magic was long gone but not extinct. This was because the one person who was above the werewolves was actually a welder of magical powers. When Phillips saw that Rieka was unrelenting, he sighed before letting her go. 'Okay then. Be careful, okay?" Rieka nodded before waving him goodbye. Phillips watched her walk off, standing at that exact spot till she disappeared around the corner. ....... Rieka walked silently in the dark. Apart from the sound of her breathing, there was nothing else heard in the silent darkness. She quickened her footsteps, not wanting to spend another moment in this dark alley. Just as she was about to bend a corner, she heard the sound of something falling from above. Something landed in front of her with a loud bang. She looked down and was shocked to see the person or rather child before her. It was someone she recognized very well—someone she hadn't thought that she would ever see in this life. It was her husband in her previous life. The king of the werewolves Ileus Fenrir.