Elizabeth doesn't know how to react to that. She stays still, staring at the people in front of her, still pressed to Christian's body, trying to get comfort from him. Her mind wanders around as she tries to process what they are saying. Invite to the family house? Are they serious? Why now? Why not early when she needed someone in her life? When she desperately needed the love of the family, where were they? And now suddenly she is demanded to visit the family who never existed till now… Why now? She came to accept Christian as her husband and started to plan her future with both her children and him. When she was ready to settle in her life, they wanted her to leave everything behind. "Why?" a slow and unsteady breath leave Elizabeth's mouth. She wants to scream at them for coming into her life and demanding things. The man who looks like the head of the group replies - as if not noticing the difficult position they put Elizabeth in - As if Elizabeth's decision doesn't matter,
Everybody is sitting on the couch; it's been an hour after the revelation of the truth. Elizabeth still couldn't understand how her aunt and their family betrayed her.Elizabeth has lived with them all her life. From the day she could remember, she had stayed with them. She became an adult under their hands.Even though they were mean to her, bullied her, and treated her like a maid Elizabeth never hated them. She got angry at them for the different treatment between her and Tina, but hate is a very strong word.Christian sits by her side, his hands running at her back in a comforting motion. He watches as Elizabeth flips the pages, again and again, the ledger in her hand like it will change if she does it."Alright, it will not change itself if you do that. Leave it already" Christian takes the ledger from Elizabeth's hand."But-""No buts," Christian stops Elizabeth.Elizabeth is still processing the truth. This truth has turned her life upside down; it is hard for her to digest. Sh
A strike of lightning lines the dark, gloomy clouds in the distance, reflecting on the rain drops currently sliding down the long glass walls.Christian gazes outside for a second, then continues to lay his head on the back of the couch he's currently sitting on, his eyes closed.The mansion is dark, except for the thunder and the city lights outside being the only source that gives his room a dimly lit glow.He likes the darkness better, though.Especially on nights like this, when the sound of an incoming thunder, the sound of raindrops harshly pelting against the glass windows, silences all the other noises in Christian's head after a job well done.He is shirtless, his chest moving up and down with the silence that had started to settle in, only for his lips to twitch upwards in annoyance, and he slowly opens his eyes."I thought I said I wanted to be alone tonight?" Christian grits out, voice sounding tired, bordering on annoyance.Alex scoffs, walking towards the kitchen and swi
At Greenwood mansion"Matriarch, all the things are packed. We can depart at any time now," A maid informs Elizabeth, who is standing in front of the window enjoying the sunset.The sky is bright with colors red and orange, and a small amount of warm sunlight adorned Elizabeth's pale white skin.The red knee-length short gown with a full sleeve dress almost makes Elizabeth look like a well-refined and dignified young lady.Her shoulders straight, Spain straight, hands resting on the window surface. Her eyes are directed at the sun, but they look unfocused, as if Elizabeth is not looking at the sun but lost in her thoughts.It's like a peaceful scenery that no one wants to break.The door cracks open as another attendant enters the room with a letter in her hand."Matriarch, There is a letter addressed to you. It says it's from your husband," The maid says lightly.The word husband brings the lost Elizabeth back to the world. Her hands tightly gripped into tight fists. How long has it
Elizabeth is glad and overwhelmed that Christian understood her perfectly. He said their children are safe with her, which means so much to Elizabeth.She is dying to meet Christian. Show him how she has taught her children and how well-behaved they both are. Because she knows he will be proud of her for what she has done and what she is going to achieve in the coming days.She wonders how proud Christian would be if he knew she had earned her bachelor of fine arts degree. Besides being a Greenwood family Matriarch, she is also a well-known Artist.If she notices correctly, Christian's words sound odd, like he has no control over his emotions anymore in the letter. Still, Elizabeth is so consumed by the heightened emotions in her heart that she doesn't see that.Elizabeth also notices that Christian is referring to his Grandfather as an old man now. But Christian always called him Grandfather respectfully. What exactly happened between them? Was it because Christian agreed to let her
On the other side of the world,The only sound in the long hallway, save for the harsh whispers of the men standing guard, is the stomping of heels on the wooden floor.Anyone who hears it can say the person stomping right now is angry. It is rushed and loud as if someone is on a mission.Anyone who /sees/ the person in question can tell Jenny Wilson, the granddaughter of Stanley Wilson, leader of the Vampire Association, is really angry.Everyone at the house had anticipated the return of the young miss.Jenny isn't someone who had been particularly interested in the pack laws or thirst for power, her grandfather leads, hadn't even dipped the tip of her toes in the world of violent crimes and illegal doings.She knows everything her grandfather does, including illegal blood supply for the vampires, Killing humans for pleasure, and many more. He has some old journals which have some forbidden skills to transform the humans and other creatures to modify into a different race.Jenny als
Jenny sighs, glancing at her phone as she stands outside the airport."I can't believe I agreed to this." She says to no one in particular, looking around the crowd of people standing near the exit gates. She was told someone from the Ford family is supposed to pick her up.As she looks around at the people holding up name cards, she freezes when she sees her name.Two big men wearing black suits and black glasses, the evident sign of their tattoos creeping up from their necks, is making them stand out the most.People around them were giving them space, looking terrified to even be around them, eyes glancing towards them once in a while.They're also probably wondering who Jenny Wilson is.Jenny wants to slap her head and wonders if she can just slip past those men and get a taxi or something.But again, she's not in her hometown, and she does not want to disrespect a family that has the most power in this region. She releases a deep sigh and walks toward the two men.And, of course,
"I thought I told you to go and pick Jenny up from the airport?" Andrian says when Christian enters the house. Instead of acknowledging his grandfather Christian turns to the woman in question.Jenny, who wore a black floral dress that came up to her knee length, with her long straight hairs left free, stood in front of Christian with a beautiful smile on her face. But when her face meets Christian's, her eyes widen, and she stands there gaping at Christian.Christian smiles and greets her with a firm handshake "Hello, Christian Ford," introducing himself. A chuckle escapes his mouth when he sees the dumb stuck Jenny gaping at him."Sorry I couldn't make it to the airport," He apologizes before letting Jenny's hand go and standing beside her, facing his grandfather.Jenny mutters a small it's okay which is only heard by a pair of brothers standing beside her."The meeting ran a bit late. I was about to go over there, but I got notified that Jenny was picked up, and they were already o
The rhythmic thud of boots against the old wooden bridge echoes in the quiet night. Each step feels like a heartbeat, steady but loud, as if the entire world is holding its breath. Elizabeth's eyes remain half-closed, her head resting against Christian’s shoulder. She’s conscious, but barely. The chill of the night air bites at her wet clothes, but Christian’s warmth seeps into her, a living furnace of protection.Jenny walks just a step behind, her gaze flicking nervously over her shoulder. The forest behind them is a sea of shadowy figures and distant howls. None of the werewolves follow — not yet. But she knows better than to relax. “They’ll be back,” she mutters.“They’ll try,” Christian replies calmly, his eyes fixed on the far end of the bridge. His grip on Elizabeth tightens, just a fraction, as if the mere idea of someone threatening her again sends an unspoken fury through him. “But it won’t end well for them.”The other side of the bridge comes into view — a soft glow of lan
The icy river water clings to Elizabeth’s clothes, seeping into every fiber. She feels weightless but not in a good way. Her limbs are heavy, her body numb, and her vision blurs in and out like a flickering candle. But even through the haze, one thing remains clear — Christian's face.“Stay with me, Elizabeth,” Christian's voice is low, controlled, but there’s a crack of urgency beneath it. His crimson eyes burn with intensity, never once leaving hers as he cradles her like she’s the most fragile, precious thing in the world.Her lips twitch into a faint smile. “You look mad,” she whispers, her voice hoarse and barely audible. “Did I scare you?”“Terrified,” he admits, brushing a thumb over her cheek. His jaw tightens as he takes in the state she’s in — blood-soaked clothes, bruises along her neck, her breath uneven. His gaze shifts to Jenny, his eyes hardening into something colder. “Who did this to her?”Jenny, still panting and soaked from the river, glares back toward the forest.
Jenny’s heart thunders in her chest, her breaths sharp and shallow. The moment Tina and Austin step out from the side path, her instincts scream danger. Her eyes dart to Elizabeth, who, despite her weakened state, narrows her gaze with pure hatred. Blood trickles down Elizabeth’s arm, her pallor more ashen than before, but her eyes — sharp, calculating eyes — are still full of fire.“Well, well, look at you two,” Tina’s voice is laced with smug satisfaction as she steps forward, her smile as sharp as a wolf’s grin. Her eyes, once so familiar, now seem foreign, darkened by envy and betrayal. “Running away like rats. Did you really think you could escape us, Elizabeth?”"Still acting like a queen, huh, Tina?" Elizabeth sneers, though her words are weaker than she would have liked. She grips Jenny's arm for support, her legs wobbling like a newborn fawn. "Guess betrayal suits you better than humility."Austin growls low in his throat, his eyes glowing amber. He cracks his neck, flexing h
And apparently, in that particular moment, each and every god seems to be on their side. Elizabeth's sure she’s run through every ounce of good luck she’s ever been given in her century-long life, because the footsteps don’t stop in front of their hiding place. In fact, they continue down the path, further and further deep into the forest until they fade into the distance.“Holy shit,” Jenny breathes out, voice trembling slightly. “Holy shit .”“Ok. Ok,” Elizabeth says almost deliriously. “Where do we have to go to get to the bank of the river?”Jenny runs a hand through her sweaty golden hair, pushing it back and off of her face. “Somewhere to the west, I think.”Elizabeth takes a deep breath and resists the urge to groan in frustration. “You think? We’re in a life-or-death, run-for-our-lives situation, and that’s the best you can come up with?”“I don’t walk around in this forest like it is my home!” Jenny exclaims. She fumes up momentarily in irritation. “I’ve only been to this for
A heartbeat of time passes; and then all at once, each of them-- Elizabeth, and Jenny-- come to the same decision at the exact same time, completely independent of one another.Adrenaline passes through Elizabeth, blazing hot and sparkling bright like lightning. Move, her brain tells her. Elizabeth doesn’t even have time to think about what she’s doing. One second, she’s standing stock still in shock, and in the next, Elizabeth grips Jenny’s hands, dips at the waist, and gets ready to sprint.Elizabeth doesn’t have a second to fully process that before Tina opens her mouth to say with a snort, “And where do you think y-”Jenny points out a determined finger, and a dagger comes booming out of her hand. It hits Austin square in the chest, sending him catapulting backward out of the door to smash into the tree on the opposite side of the door.In the millisecond of silence immediately after, Jenny screams. “Run!”And Elizabeth takes off.Her ankle shrieks at her to stop as she vaults ove
“Elizabeth…” Jenny says, clearly reading the determination in Elizabeth’s eyes. “I’m sorry. We need you back at the manor. We will try again, please bear with the pain.”Jenny steals her heart and forces herself to hurt Elizabeth again. Elizabeth looks over at her in shock, but a mask of determined resignation coats her face.A wave of nausea spills into Elizabeth’s chest. She can’t stop her voice from trembling as she asks, “Are… are you sure?”“We don’t have a choice right now…”It’s silent in the room for a moment, the drape of quiet only periodically interrupted by the slow drip drip drip of the water. “How are we going to do this?” Elizabeth asks after a second.Don’t think about it don’t think about it don’t think about it“I- “ Jenny darts around the room for anything that could help them remove the chain and something falls into her eyes. She moves to pick it up from the ground.“I- we have a knife.” Jenny swallows hard and palms an angry-looking blade where it rests in her ha
“Did Christian send you? Have you seen him recently? Is he alright?” Elizabeth asks the desperate curiosity tingeing her tone.Jenny is shocked as well, she stands still looking at Elizabeth with what looks like awe and disbelief. Elizabeth’s eyes glow in the dim room brightly like Panther’s. Her pitch-black hair is now turned into auricomous. Elizabeth’s questions snap her out of the trance.“I- No, I didn’t, I don’t know I think it’s bad,” Jenny says with a sigh. She clicks her fingers once more, and the chains tying Elizabeth’s ankles fall apart.Elizabeth winces in relief as the blood flows back into her swollen ankle and bruised wrists. “What do you mean?” she asks as soon as the tingling pain starts to subside.“He- It’s just been… bad since you left,” Jenny says quietly. She shakes her hair and looks over at Elizabeth, who bares her teeth at her. Jenny jumps instinctively, hands up in defense.On unsteady legs, Elizabeth pulls herself to her feet. She firmly ignores the way the
Minutes pass. Elizabeth simply lay on the floor her eyes were blurry, and her gold-colored hair spread on the floor messily. Her eyes gain consciousness when she hears someone talking outside the door."Well, hello there," a voice says from right outside the door, presumably to the guard stationed right outside.Elizabeth immediately sits up alertly. She cranes her head to look at the door.The guards outside declare, "Miss you don't have access to this room. I suggest that you turn around."A chuckle could be heard, then a voice talks "Oh, goodness no. I have authorization," the first voice says happily. There's the momentary sound of rustling fabric. "See?"A beat of quiet ensues, and then the guard makes a noise of confusion. "This is a two-for-one coupon. What the fuck is the "Vampires d-"The guard is quickly cut off by what sounds like someone choking the throat if the strange gurgling sound he makes is any indication. Elizabeth goes ram-rod straight as she listens to the sound
When Elizabeth opens her eyes, she only sees red. Her head throbs and the splitting headache makes her clutch her head tightly as a groan leaves her lips. She is lying on the hard surface something restraining her body making her unable to move from her place. Both her legs are bound by a stainless-steel chain. She tries to move but the pain makes her scream in agony. They are not just harmless binding chains they have punched the chains into her flesh. The floor around her legs is socked red from her blood. She doesn’t recognize the place she is locked in. She doesn’t remember how she got here. Who brought her here? The chain door slowly opens with a creek. Elizabeth lifts her head only to see a familiar face staring at her with a devilish smile on the face. “I see you are up…” the person smirks entering the room. Elizabeth’s eyes widen in shock when she looks at the person standing Infront of her “What are you doing here? Why am I here? Did you kidnap me?” Elizabeth screams at th