I forgot to say this last time, but I hope everyone who celebrates it had a very Merry Christmas. I also hit over 100K words as of the last chapter, so that's awesome.

I know it's early in the morning, but I won't be able to post this chapter for much of today, and I prefer to release my chapters earlier in the day. So here we are. I hope you all enjoy, and that at least a few of you will give me feedback.

CODY HARVARD, 19

You haven't seen the last of her.

Those words hit me like a ton of bricks directly to the chest. To say the very least, I didn't exactly want to face Bella when I knew full well how much I had wronged her.

I came to Lycan Hollow to escape my past. I didn't come here to reckon with it again!

"Bella…is coming to this village?" I asked the mayor, who nodded with a very serious look on his face.

"Yes. She will be arriving at some point in the next few days. I suspect fate works in funny ways sometimes, and this is one of those times."

"Wait a minute", I replied. "I don't believe in fate, or divine providence, or whatever you want to call it."

"Everything happens for a reason" Mayor Lumine responded matter-of-factly. "You can either deny that truth, or you can face it head-on like an adult. It's your decision."

I frowned. "Whatever." I didn't think this line of discourse was very productive, and it clearly showed, because the mayor moved on to a different one.

"I do not know if Bella has forgiven you or not. Her life will certainly be very different from what she had previously, and she has you to thank for that."

"Thanks" I said sarcastically. "Is that supposed to make me feel any better? I didn't choose this, and neither did she!"

"No. I'm just telling it like it is" the mayor responded. "But regardless of how you may feel about each other, it is necessary for the village to come together in order to deal with the threat from the Illusionary clan."

It was then that I fully appreciated the irony of this whole situation. When I'd originally been bitten and became a were-Lycanroc, my life had become a lot more limited. I'd been a lot more lonely, simply because having a social life would be too risky, and if the truth came out, that would be catastrophic for my reputation. Not that I had a very good one before.

But now, to hear that I'd have to deal with Bella's lingering resentment towards me, as well as a potential war with another clan, made my life that much more complicated. I didn't know how to react when the mayor spoke of all my new problems. Indeed, it seemed like I'd traded one set of troubles for another.

I had one last question for the mayor.

"Why did you tell me all this?" I asked him. "It would have made me worry a lot less if I didn't know about it until she actually came here."

Mayor Lumine sighed once more. That was his signature reaction to difficult questions, it seemed.

"It's simple, really," he said. "Worry is a double-edged sword; if it's something you have control over, then there's nothing wrong with it. Indeed, I should think it's a good thing to be worried about this, because then you'll be ready for whatever life throws at you.

"And hey", the mayor continued, seeming to perk up a bit, "you're going to talk to a girl your age with such similar circumstances. Don't waste the opportunity, trust me."

Not for the first time, I felt sure that there was a story behind that comment, but I didn't ask. However, I couldn't help but recall that photo of Eliot Lumine with the magenta Lycanroc.

Who was that lady? Is she…the one Mayor Lumine was with?

If so, why aren't they together anymore? Did they get divorced or something? Of course, Pokemon have equal status to humans, at least under the law, so they do have options for marriage and divorce in the legal statutes. It's just…I'm not going to pry. It's his information to reveal when he's comfortable discussing it, and not a moment before.

"Anyway," Mayor Lumine continued, "I'm not going to keep you any longer. Believe me when I say that Ilia's pancakes are even better than mine, so you should enjoy them!"

It was remarkable how quickly the mayor was able to go from warning me about Bella to suddenly talking about something much more lighthearted. Nonetheless, I wasn't going to complain; staying quiet was well worth the reward.

What was the reward? Simply put, the opportunity not to think about the young woman I had wronged. It might have only been a temporary solution, but I wanted to put off the permanent problem for as long as possible.

Along the way back to Ilia's residence, I passed Ruff Puff's bakery, where the owner was just setting up shop for the day.

"Good morning, Cody," Ruff Puff said as he noticed me. He was clutching a bag in his mouth. "You can have these if you want."

Carrying things in my mouth, rather than one of my hands, was another aspect of being a Lycanroc that I still hadn't gotten used to. It didn't matter that several years had passed; some things were weirder than others.

"Uh…I'll pass, thanks" I told Ruff Puff. "I'm not used to carrying bags in my mouth that others have carried."

The bakery's owner lowered the bag to the ground and frowned. "Cody, doing what I do every day is just another aspect of being a Lycanroc. It's a rite of passage, if you will. And if you want the other villagers to see you as an equal…".

"I understand. I'm just not ready for it yet."

Ruff Puff raised an eyebrow a couple times; this wasn't done in a skeptical manner, but rather in one that suggested he was trying to persuade me to take the bag. My suspicion was confirmed seconds later.

"Let me sweeten the deal, no pun intended. In this bag are five enormous, hot, buttery cinnamon rolls, fresh out of the oven. I brought them here just in case anyone wants them for free; I'll never be able to sell this many."

My mouth started watering; cinnamon rolls were the ultimate guilty pleasure food, and Ruff Puff knew it. I just couldn't say no.

"Fine. I'll take them. I guess we can have them with the pancakes; I burn calories a lot more quickly than I used to. You know, when I was hu-".

The baker appeared shocked, and it was then that I knew I'd screwed up. One tiny misstep had led to me digging a mile-deep hollow for myself; how was I going to dig out of it?

"Wait a minute. You were…".

"It's not important!" I exclaimed defensively. "I misspoke, it's just…my metabolism has sped up over the last few years."

"Well, enjoy it while you can," Ruff Puff told me, looking just as embarrassed as I felt. "Anyway, in the spirit of enjoying a youthful metabolism, take the cinnamon rolls. Say hi to Jeremy for me!"

I wonder how he knows that I'm staying with Jeremy's family. Probably just because news travels fast in such a small town.

After I promised the baker that I would, in fact, say hi to Jeremy for him, I grabbed the bag in my fangs, trying not to think about just how gross it was, and high-tailed it back to Ilia's house, grateful that Ruff Puff hadn't asked me any more questions.

When I arrived back at said house, a certain Rockruff kid dashed towards me. "Yay! Cody's back! And are those cinnamon rolls?"

"Calm down, Jeremy, you just had a big breakfast" Ilia's voice said, making itself known from behind her hyperactive son. "Those cinnamon rolls are…wait, where did you get them, Cody?"

"Ruff Puff's bakery" I stated, as though it were the most innocuous thing in the world. "I didn't know Jeremy went apeshit around them."

Seriously. Jeremy was seemingly attracted to the cinnamon rolls like a Motham to a light. One bite and he'd be bouncing off the walls, perhaps literally.

Ilia frowned. "I might use more mature language than that. But yes, that is essentially what happens."

I couldn't help but chuckle. "Jeremy, shouldn't you be heading to school now?" I asked. I didn't know what time it was, but I was fairly certain today was Wednesday.

"You're right!" the Rockruff kid exclaimed. "I'll see you guys later!"

With that, Jeremy grabbed his backpack off the nearby chair and began racing out the door, presumably to head to school. This left me with Ilia; I assumed that Gregory was already gone, headed to work behind the desk at the inn.

"And then there were two" Ilia announced, sighing as she sat down in her armchair. "Please, help yourself to the remaining pancakes."

I did as I was told. They really were delicious; they seemed to practically melt in my mouth, one of the most pleasing sensations there could be related to food. And yet, they could have tasted even better if I'd had a clear conscience.

I guess Ilia must have noticed my head drooping towards the floor, because she asked me, "What's wrong, Cody? You don't seem to be enjoying the pancakes very much."

"Trust me, I am. You're a great cook, Ilia."

The Lycanroc lady frowned. "I mean, thank you for the compliment, but I feel like you're just trying to butter me up before you deliver bad news. Please, tell me what's wrong."

I might no longer have been a child, but Ilia's voice was rather motherly. Indeed, it wasn't just her voice; her entire demeanor was motherly, but something about it seemed like she was trying too hard.

Do I tell her? Or do I keep it a secret?

If I don't tell her, that'll show that I don't trust her. And how would I feel if the individual I'd allowed to live in my home didn't trust me?

But if I do spill the beans, she isn't going to trust me. She's going to think I'm a monster.

But maybe she already does, because maybe she already knows. If she's aware of what I've done, there's no harm in saying it…right?

I don't have long to think. She expects an answer!

"Okay, I'll tell you" I replied after a long, somewhat awkward silence. "When I was talking to Mayor Lumine earlier, he mentioned that this girl from my hometown, Bella Fox, is going to arrive here within the next few days. I haven't seen the last of her, he told me; those were his exact words."

Ilia nodded, but her eyes looked confused. "Why are you so worried about her? Did you have a disagreement with her?"

After weighing my options for a few seconds once more, I answered with, "No. Much worse."

"Did you…you know?" Ilia asked.

Now it was my turn to raise an eyebrow. "Did I do what? Because whatever you're thinking of, I can't answer that until I know what you're asking me."

"Did you bite her?"

Well, she sure is getting to the point.

With a great deal of trepidation, I grimaced. That in and of itself was probably taken as an admission of guilt; for all intents and purposes, that's what it was.

"I'll take that as a yes, then" Ilia responded, sighing in a quieter way than I'd come to associate with Eliot Lumine. "Oh, Cody, that's bad."

My heart dropped as I fully appreciated what was happening. She might be about to kick me out! I knew just how friendly and welcoming the villagers were, but even their hospitality had to have its limits.

"Are-are you going to kick me out?" I stammered. It might have been a dumb thing to ask, but I simply couldn't think of anything else to say.

"No. I'm not going to kick you out for that. Sadly, it's all too common that this happens. Half the were-Lycanroc in this village have infected other humans where they originally lived. If we excluded those who had committed what human society deems 'crimes', then we'd have a much smaller population than we do.

"That doesn't, of course, mean that what they did was right, or even acceptable. But I think you know better than most people that instincts can't always be controlled."

I nodded. I sure do.

"When you bit this Bella Fox girl, did you…feel fully aware of what you were doing? As in, did you make a conscious decision to do so?"

It had only been a week and a half since the event, but I'd been trying to block it out of my mind ever since. Needless to say, it wasn't a pleasant memory, and I resented Ilia somewhat for dredging it back up.

"No. At least, I don't think so. I just remember everything going red, and not thinking clearly…and the next thing…the next thing I knew…".

I broke down. I felt tears exit from my eyes, and it was all I could do to avoid audibly sobbing. It was more than a little humiliating to be losing my composure here, but I knew I could trust this woman who'd forgiven me so easily.

"I shouldn't be apologizing…to you…I should be apologizing…to her. I'm not saying your forgiveness means nothing, but…".

"I get it. It's awful" Ilia responded. "And yes, in a perfect world, you'd be talking to her rather than me."

"In a perfect world, I would never have bitten her. In a perfect world, I would not be a were-Lycanroc!"

Ilia didn't respond; she evidently didn't know what to say anymore. I felt somewhat bad for yelling at her, but I didn't regret my actual words.

The reason for that was very simple. While I could have said them in a more polite manner, they were one hundred percent true.

The next few days, I felt extremely restless. Only the desire to keep my dignity kept me from becoming as hyperactive as Jeremy, even though I only ate one of the cinnamon rolls Ruff Puff had given me. (For the record,, they were just as scrumptious as the baker had advertised them.)

It wasn't like there was anything I urgently needed to do. If anything, I hoped time would pass more slowly, just to delay the inevitable. But ultimately, the meeting I knew would need to happen was just that: Inevitable.

I can only assume that at some point during these few days, Ilia told her husband about me having bitten Bella. I didn't witness this conversation, and Gregory never asked me about it, but the innkeeper sure acted as though he knew.

I spent most of my time reading books from the library on the wall. Reading had never been my favorite pastime; I only used it now to keep from going insane, rather than because I particularly enjoyed it. They were mostly romance novels, which weren't really my thing, but they served the purpose of keeping my mind occupied.

At one point on Thursday, November 12, sometime in the late morning, Ilia remarked at how much I'd taken after her. "Such a bookworm you've become, Cody!" she exclaimed, as though there were something cute about it. And perhaps there was, but it was still rather weird for her to treat me like a son.

I thought about my own parents several times a day. I found myself hating to think about what my parents would tell me if I ever saw them again.

On one hand, escaping from jail was a big no-no. They'd likely be disgusted that their son, their only child, had committed two crimes in as many weeks. Even if the courthouse had been on fire at the time, I should have stuck around so that they could drive me to a new jail; there were plenty of other options to lock me up until my trial.

On the other hand, both of my parents would no doubt be relieved that I was still alive. They'd wrap me in their arms, and it would be very difficult for them to let go, especially considering what would happen next.

When I wasn't reading (or even when I was, for I wasn't able to focus all of my attention on books), I had ample time to wonder why the legal system in Sinnoh was so unfair. Rather than fishing around for all the facts, including what would motivate a lycanthrope to bite a fellow college student, they simply jumped to conclusions and assumed the worst intentions of everyone.

I knew that if I ever returned to Skylock, I would be in a world of trouble. I'd run away not once but twice, and I shuddered to think about how the city would treat me. I'd probably end up in the newspaper with a headline declaring me the "ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE" or something equally provocative.

Despite all of this (or perhaps because of it), I made a serious effort to enjoy this vacation as much as I could. I savored every bite of real food that passed my lips, because anything they served here was ten thousand times better than that garbage they served me in jail.

And then there was the question of Bella. Why was she even coming? Had she bitten someone too, or did she simply want to get her revenge on me?

But how would she even get revenge? It's not like she can kill me without anyone noticing! Plus, she'll be a Lycanroc when she arrives; I forgot about that part!

When I wasn't reading, eating, or lying on my bed in the fetal position worried about my fate, I was in the yard, taking out as much energy as I could on a bunch of chew toys. (Ilia had offered to get me one made of actual meat, but I declined her offer. I didn't have any desire to be reminded of the taste of real meat, not after that horrible night.)

On November 14, a Saturday, Jeremy did not have school. Even so, he spent his day away from home, playing tag or something with his Rockruff buddies. In the meantime, I was still ripping apart a massive chew toy.

In the middle of the afternoon, as the sun started going down, I saw a few flakes hitting the ground. A light snow was beginning to fall, and the air had gotten cold enough that even I, a Lycanroc covered in fur, felt chilled.

In hindsight, it would have been poetic if the weather had made me worry more. But there's something oddly soothing about watching the snow fall around you, seeing the ground slowly turn from green and brown to white.

I stopped ripping the chew toy apart and instead began prancing around the yard, tongue out to catch the snow. Just the way everyone did as children. At that moment, I felt more carefree than I had been in a very long time.

Which, of course, made it the perfect time for everything to go awry. This facade that my mind had constructed was ripped to shreds.

"Oh, it's you" a caustic female voice snarled, as though I were the last Pokemon she wanted to see. Given who was most likely speaking, this shouldn't have been a surprise.

I turned in the direction of the voice, stopping in my tracks. The being I faced was a female Lycanroc in her midday form, one who was staring at me in a murderously angry fashion. If looks could physically injure someone, my fur would have been in tatters by this point.

She didn't look too different from the other female Lycanroc I'd encountered in this village. However, I knew almost instantly who she was, and not just because of Mayor Lumine's warning.

"How did you get here?" I asked innocently.

The female Lycanroc (oh, who am I kidding? You already know who she was) narrowed her eyes and showed her teeth. "What's it to you?"

"Just a question. Is it really the most offensive thing I could ask?"

Bella's anger seemed to rise dramatically at that question. She scratched one of her claws against the ground with such a ferocity that I knew she wanted to use it to maul something else.

"Well, I don't trust you, and why should I? You almost killed me!"

I wanted to argue with that, but I knew I couldn't. This situation could get very dangerous, very quickly.

"But I'll tell you anyway. I don't know how you'd use that against me, so I might as well be honest with you. There was a fire drill at the residence hall, and the fire department actually came for it. One of the firefighters, a buff man with dark skin, told me to get inside his truck while nobody else was watching."

I didn't comment on that. I had no justification for mocking this; after all, I'd done the exact same thing just a few days ago.

"After that, someone else held a rag over my face…I think it was chloroform or something. And I woke up with one blinder of a headache right before we arrived here."

"Did the man tell you his name?" I asked. Again, I hoped this question seemed innocuous enough, but I knew that even the slightest thing could push Bella's buttons if I wasn't careful.

"Yeah. His name was Harvey Danger or something…kind of a weird name, but I wasn't in a position to make fun of it."

My mouth opened widely in shock. "Do you mean Harley Danger, with an L?
Because I saw him the other day as well."

Bella gave off a furious grimace. "Yes, now that you mention it. That's what his name was. But again, why do you care? You're safe here; or at least, you were before I came."

I stood on my hind legs and held my other two paws up like a criminal suspect. "Hold up, Bella. Don't even think of attacking me here. Two wrongs don't make a right, plus you don't want to end up in jail."

At least, I HOPE there's a jail here. Otherwise this seems like an empty threat. But I kind of doubt it.

"You're the one that should be in jail, boy" my former friend snarled. "And I don't have any reservations about saying that."

"You're wrong" I replied, feeling my blood boil as I remembered just how hellish life had been inside that cell. No, you couldn't even call it "life", just "existence." With this new level of anger, I felt hot in spite of the snowy afternoon.

Bella rolled her eyes. "How could I be wrong about that? People who viciously attack other people go to jail; that's the way it's been in Sinnoh, and everywhere else on Nexus, for quite a while."

I wanted to tell her that she didn't understand, that I hadn't been in the right frame of mind to be responsible for my actions. If she'd only known the sheer disconnection I'd felt between my mind and my fangs, then she might see it a little differently.

"Too scared to reply?" Bella responded testily. "You're afraid you're going to make me angrier by speaking up?"

I didn't say anything. Although there weren't many Pokemon out and about, six Rockruff children, possibly including Jeremy, had gathered around the two of us. One or two looked as though they were about to chant, Fight! Fight! The others were looking on in horror.

"I'm not scared of you," I insisted. And I really wasn't, not anymore. If I'd bitten her for no reason before, surely I'd be capable of doing so in self-defense if it came to that.

A few moments later, I felt sick to my stomach at the thought that had just run through my mind. Just two weeks ago, we'd been good friends, and now I was seriously considering attacking her again? Even if she struck first, it was a rather jarring illustration of how far our dialogue had deteriorated.

"Yeah, I bet you're not. But you should be; if you bite me again…".

At that moment, a male Lycanroc, who didn't seem to have been there a second before, swooped in and dragged her back from me. Bella fought back against her restraints, but the other Lycanroc was bigger and stronger.

"You're not going to attack him, okay?" Bella's captor asked (read: demanded) of her. "And if you do, you're going to be in serious trouble. Cody Harvard is a member of our community in good standing. And by the way, you can be too as long as you follow our laws."

"I understand that" Bella told the Lycanroc holding her back. "I wasn't going to attack him; he's the one who attacked me two weeks ago!"

The Rockruff children all gasped. In such a peaceful community, one where physical fights had to be rare if not non-existent, our little spat had to be a sight to behold, no matter how horrifying it might be.

"Is that so?" Bella's captor asked. "If that's the case, I'll let you go. But don't you lay a claw on Cody, understood? Because if you do…".

"I get it," my former friend snapped. "Now please, let me go. It's my damn birthday and I'll sulk if I want to."

"Happy birthday, Bella" I told her, because wasn't that the polite thing to say?

"A little rich coming from you, isn't it! You're the reason my sweet nineteen has been the worst birthday of my life!"

"Well, what else am I supposed to tell you?"

The Lycanroc who'd grabbed Bella by the shoulders released her. To my surprise, the girl didn't attack me on the spot.

"You're supposed to leave me the hell alone!" she shrieked. "Just let me live here in peace, if this is indeed where I'm supposed to be. But you'd better believe that I'm missing out on tons of coursework, so this had better be worth it."

"It is", I replied, but I was immediately cut off by Bella.

"No it bloody well isn't! I had friends before, but I don't anymore! And it's all…your…fault!"

As Bella turned around and walked off into the snowy village, I expected the small crowd of Rockruff kids to disperse. After all, the argument between myself and my former friend, which should have been the main attraction, was over.

To my surprise, however, three of them stayed with me. One of them ended up being Jeremy.

"You actually bit someone?" the offspring of Gregory and Ilia asked me. "As in, sink your teeth into their flesh?"

I sighed in shame, knowing there was no way out of this one. Bella had spun a web for me. "Yup. I did that. I'm not proud of it by any means, but I'll own up to it."

Once again, I expected the three Rockruff children to either gang up on me or just walk away. And once again, this didn't happen.

"That's actually quite interesting" one of the other Rockruff, I assumed one of Jeremy's buddies, said, his tail wagging like that of an excited Lillipup. "How did it taste?"

"Not great if I'm being honest" I responded, not wanting to shut the Rockruff trio out entirely. "Don't try it at home, kids. In fact, don't try it anywhere else!"

Almost immediately, I felt horrible for making light of the situation. Much like plenty of other things I'd said and done in the last two weeks, it seemed as though this had helped weave the Ariados web that I'd been ensnared in.

Every word I said, everything I might say, only made the situation worse. I was very glad Bella hadn't been able to hear me make that small quip about not trying this at home.

My face must have turned red at the sight of the Rockruff children laughing, because it certainly felt hot with embarrassment and shame.

"It really is no laughing matter, kids. But I don't feel like talking anymore, okay?"

The Rockruff children, however, didn't seem to want to leave me alone. They kept asking me questions about how it had felt to bite a human, which I found very offensive. I didn't think they actually wanted to do it; their voices sounded curious rather than eager, but it's a fine line between the two.

"I'm heading back inside. Please leave me alone, okay? Okay?

Fortunately, none of the children tried to follow me into Ilia's house, and so I entered the building in peace. In the kitchen, the Lycanroc lady was cooking something that smelled like it would be amazing on a chilly evening like this one.

Ilia had been stirring something in a pan, but she turned to face me when she heard my footsteps. She looked at me for a few seconds, frowning.

"Did I miss something?" she asked me. "You seemed perfectly happy before you went outside to practice."

"A lot, Ilia. You missed a lot."

The innkeeper's wife grimaced. "Well, I'm not going to ask any more questions if you don't want me to. I was just curious; I hope you're enjoying your time here."

"I am" I replied, hoping not to sound evasive even if I wasn't telling her all I could. "It's a lot better than where I'm from. In Skylock, I was constantly afraid to make new friends."

Ilia smiled, but it was a sad smile. "Many were-Lycanrocs who have moved here, sadly, have reported the same. But this is your home now, Cody. It really is."

Words cannot express how much I wanted to believe her. To some extent, I did believe her; I certainly felt more welcome here than I ever had at college.

But there was still that residual anxiety, that residual doubt within me, that threatened my sense of belonging here. It had been largely dormant before, but the arrival of one Bella Fox had caused it to rise like a phoenix from the ashes.

Now that Bella was present in Lycan Hollow, I was a lot more careful about where I went in the village. I tried to avoid places where I knew she might be; unfortunately, that didn't narrow it down very much.

I didn't go anywhere near the Big House, though. Not only was there a good chance Bella had an audience with the mayor, but I also found that it was windier near said lake, which only made things feel more ominous.

In the Greater Pastoria region, when snow falls early in the season, it usually doesn't last very long before it's either replaced with rain or simply melts. While snow does stay on the ground later in the winter, this typically doesn't happen until mid-December at least.

It was not like this in the Coronet Range. After the first snowy day, temperatures never rose significantly above freezing again; at least, not enough for the snow to melt. Winter had come early in Lycan Hollow.

On a few occasions, I got close enough to the now-frozen lake in order to get a good view of it, while staying far enough away that I would likely not be seen from the Big House. I saw some Rockruff and Lycanroc children (and even some Lycanroc adults) skating on the lake, which served as a testament to just how carefree this place was. They didn't seem worried in the least about the ice not being thick enough, so it was also a testament to how cold it was.

All over the village, the residents were savoring the beginning of an early winter, whereas I was having a hard time enjoying it. I left the house once daily for a walk, but I didn't fully appreciate Lycan Hollow's natural beauty. I was still scared, every time I turned a corner, that Bella might pounce on me.

It was for this reason that I always made sure to get home well before sunset. Better, I should think, to move around when there would be more witnesses just in case I faced the young woman I'd wronged so severely.

One afternoon, while I was reading yet another novel (since there wasn't much else to do here if I was desperate to avoid Bella), a knock came at the door. Ilia had gone for a walk, and Gregory and Jeremy were still at work and school respectively; as a result, I was the only one home.

"I'll get it" I said aloud, unnecessarily. I sprang out of the armchair that was usually Ilia's and scampered over to the door.

My heart was pounding; had Bella decided to enact her revenge? Was she going to attack me with the full force of her claws as soon as I opened the goddamn door?

On the other side was Mayor Lumine. He gave me a look that said, I've got news for you, and you're not going to like it.

"Oh. Good afternoon, Mayor" I told him. "What brings you here today?" There was really no need for me to be so formal, but I felt like being polite.

The mayor cleared his throat. "First of all, I already said you could call me Eliot. I still stand by that. But to answer your question, your presence is required at the entrance to the forest."

I frowned; this didn't make much sense. "The entrance to the forest" could refer to any one of many different spots along the border between Lycan Hollow and the evergreen woods. More importantly, why was he contacting me on such short notice?

Something must be very wrong.

"Is there any particular reason why you need me there right now?" I asked the mayor. I wasn't trying to be rude, just wondering.

The mayor shook his head. "I'll explain once everyone's there. Or rather, the head of our defense team will explain; I'm not involved in this exercise."

"How do I know where to meet?"

Mayor Lumine squinted at me, as though he'd just heard the most ridiculous question in the universe.

"You…know where the forest is, right? Just go where everyone else is; you're not the only one who's being summoned."

That in itself made me feel a little better, but this feeling was short-lived. As I exited the house, I saw what looked like a river of Pokemon moving in the same direction along the snowy ground. There were no discernable tracks in the snow, either, owing to the sheer number of footprints that had been made in the white stuff.

So this probably isn't about Bella. But if not, what IS it about? It's got to be something serious enough that they need half the village there.

With a great deal of consternation in the back of my mind, I followed the current.

Thank you all for reading this far, and have a happy New Year!