by Rua Hasan
Should I keep her words in mind? I have no idea. These days, strange things are happening, and I don’t know what to believe.
But it felt so real.
If Alice was right, then there is something awaiting. Something not good, not good at all. I should probably tell Aiden and the others about the strange dreams and the ghost. But I wonder if they are linked to each other, or to the rogue attacks.
What if they thought I was crazy?
I tried to get up but what do you know, Aiden had a strong grip on me. I sighed to myself and began to loosen his grip. Finally, once I was free—which took me a whole five minutes by the way—I got up and went to the bathroom.
I took a shower and brushed my teeth. I wore short jeans and a t-shirt I grabbed from the closet and tied my hair into a loose bun. I got out and saw that Aiden was still asleep, so I decided not to wake him up.
Today was one of those days where I wake up and find him beside me. He was usually working in his office by the time I woke up, so I didn’t want to wake him up. He probably needed the sleep.
I walked out of the room and down the stairs to the kitchen.
I saw Liam eating his cereal with a black eye on his right. I grinned to myself, wanting to laugh so badly, but decided not to when I saw his annoyed face.
Is it bad that I thought he deserved it?
I mean, why would he try to ruin Marie’s date in the first place?
“Oh my god! Liam, have you gotten into a fight?” I asked sarcastically and smirked.
“Haha, very funny, Stella. Why don’t you be funny somewhere else today, huh?” he grumbled at me while sending me glares.
Geez, someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed today.
“Whatever,” I muttered.
I walked to the fridge and took out a blood bag and started to sip on it. I leaned on the counter as Marie walked into the kitchen. She smiled smugly to herself when she saw Liam’s black eye.
“Oh what a beautiful day,” she sang as she walked toward the table where Liam was eating his breakfast.
“Oh my! Liam, have you gotten into a fight again?” Marie asked sarcastically as she put on a fake concerned look.
Liam glared at her. If looks could kill, then Marie would be ten feet underground. Liam stood up ignoring Marie’s question as he put his empty bowl in the sink and walked out.
I could see Marie burning holes into the back of his head as he walked out of the door.
“He had it coming,” she muttered to herself while shaking her head. She looked at me then smiled.
“Good morning, immo,” Marie said as she walked to the fridge and took out milk for her cereal.
“Morning,” I told her as I took another sip from the blood.
She looked at the blood bag in my hand and scrunched her nose in disgust.
“No offense, immo, but that’s gross. Who drinks blood for breakfast?” she asked.
“Vampires do,” I answered simply.
We both finished our breakfast and went to the living room to watch some TV. It was around twelve pm when Aiden finally came into the room looking as sexy as ever in his blue plain t-shirt and ripped jeans.
I barely see him dressed up this casual. I wonder why?
“Stella, go get dressed. We’re going somewhere,” he told me.
I raised an eyebrow.
“Where?” I asked.
“It’s a surprise,” he said.
Okay...
I got up and was about to walk out of the door when I heard Marie’s teasing voice.
“Oh, Stella’s got a date today.”
I turned my head and glared at her before walking out of the room.
Is this a date? I mean, things between us are calm, but I never thought he would ask me to go on a date with him.
Or in this case, tell me.
Geez, what a gentleman. Note the sarcasm.
I went into the closet for the second time today and grabbed a simple floral blue dress. It wasn’t fancy, but it wasn’t plain. It was just right. My nerves were acting up.
I wonder where he is taking me.
I’ve been here for two months, and if I say that I didn’t like Aiden, then it would be a lie. I feel myself getting closer and closer to him every day. It’s just I try so hard to resist him and not give in, but it’s so hard. When I look into those beautiful blue eyes, I get mesmerized. And his laughter is music to my ears.
There is no way of escaping fate, especially after he marked me.
The only thing I can do is prepare myself for the future.
Twenty minutes later, I had on my dress and simple makeup on my face. I walked down the stairs and heard Marie and Aiden teasing Liam.
“Oh, and Liam make sure not to ruin their date,” Marie said.
“Yeah, you wouldn’t want Stella to give you a black eye on the left,” Aiden teased.
I walked into the room to find Aiden and Marie laughing as Liam ignored them, watching TV.
Well, trying to watch TV.
“Guys, cut him some slack,” I said, grabbing all three of their attention.
Aiden looked at me with awe. His eyes were raking over my body from head to toe. He walked toward me, ignoring my statement, and wrapped his arms around my waist. He looked down at me, smiling.
“You look beautiful,” he complimented me.
I smiled back at him.
“Thanks.”
We walked out of the room and toward the front door before hearing Marie’s voice.
“Make sure to use protection!” she yelled.
I slapped my forehead as the blood rushed to my cheeks. I heard Aiden chuckle as we walked out the door and to his car.
Fifteen minutes later, we were standing in front of an ice cream shop. I looked at Aiden with wide eyes.
“You brought me to an ice cream shop?” I asked, still not believing the sight I saw. I couldn’t even imagine the big bad Alpha sitting down in a cute shop like this while eating ice cream.
Boy, that’s a sight I would want to see.
Aiden never failed to surprise me.
“What? You don’t like it?” he asked as worry covered his face.
I gave him an are-you-crazy look.
“Are you kidding me? I love it! Who doesn’t like ice cream?” I asked him.
He smiled at me then took my hand in his. I could feel the sparks return as we walked toward the entry.
We ordered what we wanted. I, of course, took my favorite which was strawberry while Aiden took cookie dough. One thing I learned from him was that he hated strawberry ice cream. We sat at a small table facing each other as we picked up a conversation.
I put a scoop of ice cream in my mouth and moaned as the delicious taste hit my taste buds. I looked up to see Aiden staring at me with dark blue eyes.
“Save that sound for bed, sweetheart,” he said and smirked.
I gasped at what he said and hit his shoulder playfully as I blushed for the second time today.
“That ain’t happening,” I told him.
He sighed to himself and laid his head on his hand.
“A guy can only dream,” he said more to himself.
Before I could say anything, the shop door slammed open. There standing was the third in command, Clarke.
I never really talked to him; it’s just I didn’t see him around that much.
He ran up to us, and as he got closer, I could notice the grim look on his face.
This wasn’t good.
“Alpha, Luna,” he said quickly, and I could hear the nervousness in his voice.
“What’s wrong?” Aiden asked, tensing.
Clarke looked worriedly at me and took a deep breath.
“Sarah, a little girl from the orphanage, has been attacked,” he told us.
I gasped as I got up immediately.
No! This can’t be. Why would anyone want to harm an innocent child? That is just sick!
“What happened?” I asked.
“She was found in the
woods unconscious with her blood scattered everywhere,” he informed us.
I felt my knees become weak as tears formed in my eyes.
“Who did it? And why?” Aiden asked as he helped me sit down.
“We don’t know, but we found something written on a tree with her blood,” he said.
My eyes widened at what he said.
I just hope she’s fine.
“What did it say?” I asked.
He gulped and looked at Aiden and me with worried eyes.
“I think maybe you should take a look,” he told us.
Chapter 30
We ran out of the ice cream shop and into Aiden’s car. Aiden got into the driver’s seat while I sat next to him and Clarke was in the back.
“Where is Sarah now and is she okay?” I asked Clarke.
“I don’t really know about her condition yet, but she was sent to the hospital as soon as she was found,” Clarke answered.
After we see what was written, I am immediately going to go visit Sarah and make sure she is okay. She has to be okay. I don’t know what I will do if I lost someone else. It’s as if the world is against me, taking away everyone I loved as I watched them disappear.
If that isn’t bad enough, then I don’t know what is.
“Aiden, can’t you drive any faster?” I asked as my voice rose in panic, but I could hear it crack in the end. I felt a lump in my throat that wouldn’t go away until I was sure Sarah was okay.
Aiden’s knuckles were white as he gripped the steering wheel while sweat formed on his forehead.
“I’m trying! But this is as fast as I can get,” he growled out.
I could see he was worried as well. Of course, he would be; he is the Alpha after all. Every Alpha would be concerned about his pack’s well-being. Only a coward that was given the title for so many unknown reasons wouldn’t care. I looked out the window to see us passing the trees with so much speed; I couldn’t quite focus on them because they were a blur.
We were probably exceeding the speed limit. But I didn’t care, for that was the last thing on my mind. It took me a while to notice that there were two wolves running next to the car, one on each side. I immediately recognized the wolf on the left as Liam but not the wolf to the right of the car. A few minutes of tension passed, which felt like hours, and we were finally in front of the woods. The same woods where I was attacked by the rogue, the day Aiden marked me.
I wonder what was Sarah doing in the woods all by herself?
Once the car came to a halt, I sprang out of the door and into the woods with Aiden and Clarke by my side. Liam and the other guard stayed behind just in case. Clarke led us deeper into the woods where trees were ruling their land as if they were the kings of nature.
“What was a little girl doing all alone in this part of the woods?” Aiden asked Clarke in a cold tone.
“We don’t know, Alpha. But if she wakes up, then we’ll ask her,” Clarke said.
“If?” I asked as I pointed out what he had just said. I shook my head furiously.
“You mean when she wakes up,” I told him. I looked at Aiden but saw no emotions from him, so I looked back at Clarke.
“She has to wake up!” I said as my voice rose.
Aiden came closer and wrapped his arms around me, bringing me to his chest. I breathed in his scent to calm me down as I counted to three.
“Where is the writing you were talking about?” Aiden asked Clarke.
Clarke looked at Aiden with worried eyes then back at me. They were staring at each other for a moment, and I realized they were mind-linking each other.
“What?” I asked while raising an eyebrow. I didn’t like the fact they were mind-linking while I was here. It’s like they were hiding something from me.
Aiden gulped then looked at me.
“I’ll be right back. You stay here, and don’t move,” he told me.
I crossed my arms over my chest and gave him a confused look.
“Why?” I asked.
He ran his hand over his face and through his hair. I could tell he was nervous.
“Just do what I say, and stay put,” he ordered.
I opened my mouth to protest, but before I could say anything, Clarke and Aiden took off, sprinting past the trees and deeper into the woods.
I looked around, observing my surrounding, taking in the view. I tapped my feet on the ground as I bit my lip. I started to pace back and forth as I ran my hand through my hair impatiently.
Why did Aiden want me to stay behind?
It’s like he didn’t want me to see what was written.
I thought about it and came to the conclusion that I was not going to stay put. I had to see what was written. The faster I see, the quicker I check on Sarah.
I sprinted toward the path where Clarke and Aiden ran, and I sniffed the air, trying to catch their scent. It was a bit difficult because I couldn’t smell as good as werewolves, but since they weren’t here too long ago, I caught their scent.
I followed it as I perked my ears up, trying to hear anything from Aiden or Clarke. A few moments later, I heard Aiden growl loudly, making the ground shake.
This definitely wasn’t good.
I picked up my pace and ran faster. I heard Aiden’s beating heart from a mile away. I passed a couple of trees and saw Clarke looking at an angry Aiden with concern in his eyes.
What got him so worked up about?
Aiden’s tensed shoulders were moving up and down as he tried to control his wolf and his anger. None of them noticed me when I walked up to them, for they were too distracted on whatever they were looking at. I walked forward to see what was causing all this commotion when Aiden sniffed the air and snapped his head toward me.
“Stella!” Aiden growled.
“I told you not to come here.”
Aiden’s voice was mixed with his wolf. I had to see what was written if it was bad to the point where Aiden’s wolf wanted control. I walked closer to where Aiden was standing, but when I was about to peek over his shoulder, he pushed me back.
“We’re going home,” Aiden said firmly, but I could tell he was furious.
Aiden and Clarke were both by my side in a second and started to drag me away from the writing, which was eating me up alive. Their behavior only made me want to see it even more. I yanked my arm from Aiden’s grip and shook my head.
“I want to see what was written!” I told him stubbornly.
Aiden growled at me as he shook his head.
“No, you won’t. I’ll tell you later. Right now, let’s go check on Sarah,” he said.
His words almost convinced me. I really wanted to make sure Sarah was okay, but as much as I wanted to do that, I couldn’t leave until I got a glimpse of what was written.
“I’m not leaving until I see what got you so angry,” I said, but this time, I didn’t give him the chance to answer. I sprinted past Aiden and toward a big oak tree. I heard Aiden and Clarke call out my name, but I simply ignored them.
My feet came to a halt when I saw what was getting Aiden so worked up about. My eyes widened, and the color drained out of my already pale face as sweat formed on my forehead. I just stood there staring at the writing. Aiden and Clarke were by my side in an instant, trying to get my attention, but I was consumed by the questions—how, when, who, and why.
I was so confused, and the longer I stared, the more afraid and insecure I felt.
Aiden grabbed my arm and started to drag me away from the scene once again. This time, I let him, because right now, I had no energy to fight back. It’s like the world closed on me, and time was passing by slowly as I glanced back at the sight that caused shivers to run down my spine.
And not the good type.
There, on the big oak tree, Sarah’s blood was scattered everywhere. But what caused me to feel so creeped out was what was written in big red words.
I’m coming for you
My picture hung under it by a knife, and my face was circled as the target.<
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Chapter 31
I played with my fingers nervously as silence took over the car. Aiden drove us to the hospital where Sarah was. I tried to clear my mind that was being bombarded with questions and thoughts of the recent events. And the dream I had about Alice wasn’t helping at all. Neither did the sound of Aiden’s heavy breathing and the sight of his white knuckles gripping the steering wheel as he tried to calm his raging wolf.
Every time I closed my eyes, I saw the scene over and over again. It’s like it was glued to my mind with superglue that will make it impossible to get rid of. What angered me more was the sight of Sarah’s blood everywhere. My fist clenched as the desire to rip the person who did it overcame me. I would not forgive them for laying hands on her. I imagined sucking every ounce of their blood just to satiate my anger.
What kind of cruel person would ever do this to a child, just to spread a message?
Oh yeah, a sick, psychotic person would.
If I am correct, an Alpha is behind all this. Before Alice disappeared in my strange dream, she said something about an Alpha. But he will be difficult to find. I mean, it can be anyone, from any state or country. Whoever it is, I am certain of one thing, and that is to tell Aiden about everything. Who knows what will happen next? So Aiden and I have to be ready for what’s coming. And I can’t endanger our pack as I hide behind the bushes.
I glanced at Aiden with worried eyes.
I just hope he believes me and doesn’t think I’m crazy.
When we were alone in the car, I took the chance to tell him the strange things that had been happening to me lately. Clarke was left behind with some other pack wolves to clean up the scene.
“Can you stop the car?” I asked.
He glanced at me, then sighed before pulling over to the side. He turned around to face me, and I saw emotion flowing behind his beautiful ocean eyes. I opened my mouth to say something but was interrupted when he grabbed my hands in his.
“I know, Stella, that wasn’t a sight you’d want to see,” he started as he looked straight into my soul.
“And I’m sorry about Sarah. I will do everything I can to keep her alive,” he told me as I felt his grip tighten.
