42nd Moon: The Woe of Soulmates

by Thea Chin

  She turns towards that direction to see Irene indicating at a few boxes of pizza.

  “Hawaiian,” she answers. “Thanks!”

  She nods and hands her a plate and a cup of soda.

  To Irene Silva, I give my trust. Mu Alpha will seek you for support now, and Chan will lean on you whenever he needs support most. I know without a doubt that you will be able to serve as the cornerstone of this pack— No, this family.

  “Enjoying yourself?” Chan asks, walking up next to her.

  She nods in response to the man’s question. “It’s quieter than your college frat parties.”

  Chan laughs. “Guess we all got old. Wanna join them?”

  She nods again, and he pushes her to the living room where most of the boys have gathered.

  To Chan, I wish to express my deepest gratitude. Your efforts of keeping all the boys and me safe even at your own expense have not gone unnoticed. Thank you for all you have done and all you will do for me and those I care most about. May you find strength in their smiles and in the memory of mine to keep you fighting for all that you believe in.

  “So who’s winning?” Tsukiko asks.

  “Me,” Finley answers. Faith’s laugh tells her to believe otherwise.

  “Who cares? They both suck,” Xie Ming scoffs, taking a controller for himself as he plops down next to her.

  To Xie Ming Zeng, I offer peace. You are a man who strongly sticks to his beliefs and seeks self-improvement, which is highly commendable. I assure you that I lie in my eternal bed without a shred of ill will towards you so that you may be free from your guilt and venture into more of what life has waiting for you.

  Tsukiko looks fondly upon the group of boys. It’s not everyday one meets a whole fraternity of werewolves, but she is so glad she did. She looks at her wrist; it is basically the same color as the rest of her arm now. She tries to imagine what life would be like if she were any other office lady, unaware of the Mu Alpha wolves and untouched by the Council. She could be downtown, enjoying a candle-lit dinner with a boyfriend or jamming to karaoke with some co-workers and not dying.

  Yet she can’t.

  She can’t imagine being anywhere else right now than in this room with her eardrums being blasted out by game jargon and having to be hyper aware of her surroundings because cheese pizza becomes cheese frisbees in the hands of this crowd. She can’t imagine not having got off the waitlist of her biology class and not having met Jaiden or her soulmate.

  On the topic of Darren, Tsukiko frowns, realizing that he is nowhere to be seen even though he did come with the rest of them to the Mu Alpha house today. He might be avoiding the boys with his daughter since there is alcohol, but Tsukiko was still hoping he would enjoy the party with them. After all, it is the last time they would see each other.

  After pizza and games, Irene announces that she has made cake. Before Tsukiko can even recognize it as her favorite flavor, Cain has already smeared cream onto her face, and thus a war begins with the most popular target being her. By some miracle, she ends up with a proper slice in her hands after all the commotion, but by then, the group has quieted down significantly, having been worn down by earlier activities or passed out from alcohol.

  “Hey.”

  She turns around while swallowing her last bite to see Jaiden again.

  “Wanna get some fresh air?”

  “Sure,” Tsukiko replies

  He hands her a napkin and chuckles, “You might want some water to help you out. I’ll meet you outside when you’re ready.”

  She takes his suggestion and cleans herself up in the restroom. She giggles when she takes in the damage the wolves have inflicted, but she doesn’t dwell on her reflection for long as to not keep Jaiden waiting.

  With her hand on the front doorknob, Tsukiko pauses and takes one last look at the house. Several bodies lay asleep in front of a staticky television. The only one awake, Chan, looks up from his phone to shoot her a wink before looking back down, trying to keep things as normal as possible.

  Tsukiko looks to her left for Darren’s room. She wonders if he’s still awake and how he is doing since his soulmate is dying. She hopes he will not miss her too much; at least he has Jaiden again. Speaking of Jaiden, she pushes open the door to meet him. He turns around with a smile to greet her and helps her descend the front steps.

  To Darren Dust, I would like to give my apologies for making you go through the pains of being left alone once more. All your life you have been left behind by your parent and fiancée, and it pains me to be added to that list not once, but twice. If there is even the slimmest chance you would forgive me, I ask for it especially when you have always been a constant support for me and brought to this world the greatest bundle of joy. Being a single parent is not without difficulties, as you know well. Keep your head up for her sake and mine.

  To Angela Dust, I give my love. It will be hard growing up without a mother, at least for a while. I hope that knowing that there is someone who loves you for your fingers and your claws will get you through difficult times. Lean on your father when you need to, Angela, for he will definitely on you. Share this love with him and be strong so that you both can make it through this. Oh, and always remember to eat your vegetables!

  “Wanna go somewhere?” Jaiden asks when they make it onto the pavement.

  Tsukiko shrugs. “Do you have any ideas?”

  “Actually, I do. Hop on”

  She wraps her arms around the neck of her personal werewolf taxi, and he scoops her body onto him before taking off. The night wind blows through her hair, and although the moon is shy tonight, the city lights in the distance are enough to fill her heart. She hand brushes over the wolf’s fur, thanking him for the experience. It’s been a while since she’s been able to move so quickly after all.

  And to Jaiden Han, the dearest and greatest blessing of my life, I offer my memories. Although medicine has allowed me to remember much of what I have forgotten, I still cannot recall a moment without you in it, be it in this life or the last. You truly have been the most steadfast and endearing presence by my side, and not even the number of stars in the sky can compare to the amount of things I have to be grateful to you for. I will miss you. Even when I am not capable of missing someone, you will be forever in my heart, and I will forever be in yours. Though life tears our physical forms apart once more, remember that just as soulmarks can’t ever truly connect two souls, it can’t separate them either.

  “Jolly Land?” Tsukiko shouts over the wind as Jaiden easily hops over the gates. She is surprised at his choice, but not as surprised as when he starts climbing the twenty-story ferris wheel, one carriage at a time until they have reached the top.

  “This is so illegal!” she laughs.

  “Don’t worry; this isn’t the first risky thing we’ve done today,” Jaiden chuckles along while draping his jacket around her.

  “What if Mark finds us?”

  “At this point, who cares? Just enjoy the view.”

  Tsukiko is glad Jolly Land keeps some of its lights on after hours to ward off airplanes. She sees a familiar stage and points towards it. “Look! That’s where we won the couple contest.”

  Jaiden leans over to take a look before pointing at another spot. “And that’s where we got the headbands, and that’s the ride you forced me to go on.”

  “And that’s where we had to sit for fifteen minutes afterwards because your legs were wobbling too much.”

  “Hey!”

  They both laugh at the memories. “I’ll miss coming here. This was a great idea; thanks for taking me tonight, Jaiden.”

  “No problem,” he hums.

  “Which reminds me. Aren’t you bad with heights? You couldn’t even take that roller coaster; how did you manage to climb up here?”

  He shrugs nonchalantly. “Some things are worth the fear.”

  Tsukiko simpers at his sweet words. “Things would have been simpler if I were still Leiah… Ah, sorry, that is insensitive for me to
say,” she apologizes.

  “It’s fine. No matter what, you’re still my best friend, right? Nothing will change that.”

  “Still,” Tsukiko frowns.

  He reaches over and gives her a reassuring pat. “Did you have a good life, Ki?”

  “I would say so, yeah.”

  “I’m glad.” He pulls her closer, and she leans into her best friend and closes her eyes. She can feel her clock ticking. She knows Darren can feel it too.

  Ten.

  Inside one of the rooms in the frat house paces a brown wolf as his child lays sleeping in her bed. Since the moment he woke up after Mark’s revolution, only one question has dominated his thoughts: can he do it?

  A sharp pain in his wrist reminds him of the limited time he has left.

  Nine.

  Jaiden takes her cold hands in his, making sure she feels warm until the end. She shifts in her seat to get a little more comfortable.

  Eight.

  A tear drips from his eyes as he walks over to his daughter. The memory of Tsukiko sitting beside him, stroking his back after his ex left replays itself in his mind. Then comes the memory of her waiting patiently for him outside the custody court. Then the memory of her holding his hand outside the ER when his child’s fever spiked at three in the morning. Then the memory of her laughing with him when he drenched them both in water while trying to fill up a kiddie pool.

  Seven.

  She begins humming a nursery song, one that she often sings during Angela’s bedtime. Jaiden drums along with his fingers against her hand.

  Six.

  And then the memory of Tsukiko’s arms around him in the forest. He was so close to losing her. So close to never holding her against him like that again. All his life he has been abandoned: his mother for safety, his father for money, and Terena for a normal family, but none of those compare to the prospect of what is to come.

  Darren snuggles his daughter’s head upwards so that her neck lies between his two canines. She will hate him for this. She will absolutely hate him for this, but Darren has been giving Tsukiko reasons to hate him since the day they met. It’ll be alright if she finally did.

  Five.

  Tsukiko’s fingers curl themselves into her palm as a sudden fear creeps up her spine. Jaiden moves to loosen the tension by interlacing his digits with hers.

  Four.

  Another teardrop lands on his daughter and wakes her up. She blinks a few times. “Daddy?”

  That one single word pierces his heart.

  Time is ticking.

  Three.

  “Jaiden?” Tsukiko whispers, lifting her chin slightly more towards him.

  “Hm?”

  “Thank you.”

  Two.

  But then there’s Tsukiko, and he loves her. He loves her so much. There is no denying it. She is his soulmate, his heartbeat, his existence. He doesn’t care what the Council’s done to make him feel like this. She is what she is—something he can’t lose, something he can’t live without—and nothing can change that.

  And she is just a bite away.

  One.

  … or again woe will be upon thee.

  About the Author

  Thea Chin studies at the University of California, Berkeley and grew up a little more down south in Los Angeles. She is a wannabe dancer and professional sister-annoyer. Chin started her writing journey as an angsty youngling who alleviated her emotions through fanfictions usually by murdering her characters in cold blood. She is in a committed relationship with her blanket of nine years.