Outside the wedding venueChristian sat in his car, watching the guests going in and out. He's been sitting here for the last hour. All he wanted to do was to go and look for her and pick up her and the kids, but he was scared.Afraid that Elizabeth may have forgotten about him and moved on in her life. It has been eight years, and he has not seen her; he doesn't even know whether the letters he wrote have reached her or not. What if she misunderstood his plan and got angry with him?So he sat there looking at the entrains in deep thought. He doesn't even notice someone approaching his car until they knock on the windshield glass, bringing him back to the world. A fair hand came into his vision when he looked up.Then came a breathtaking face into view. Christian held his breath, looking at the familiar yet unfamiliar face in front of him. The lady had her hair neatly pulled into a ponytail, her Sharp and deep eyes trained on his face, with an enchanting smile on those small pouty lip
At the house,Christian left briefly after staying for some time during the house tour. He looked somewhat distracted the whole time, and he seemed stressed when he left. Jenny couldn't help but feel sorry for him. Christian doesn't even have the time to accompany her, maybe that's why he invited Charles so that she won't feel lonely staying in this big house.After Christian leaves, Charles patiently gives Jenny a house tour, the pool area included. He finally shows Jenny to her room on the first floor. “My room is right down the hallway if you need anything,” Charles says, and Jenny nodes her head with a some, in gratefulness yet again.Jenny has been cautious ever since she arrived in the city to their pack. She knows that it is unlikely that the Ford family will make her disappear overnight.She was just being paranoid over the fact that she had come alone to the unknown pack.Her grandfather had promised her that the Ford family would give her the protection she needed here. No
Jenny finds herself wide awake at 2 am in the morning. She tries, but sleep seems very far from her eyes.She is usually someone who sleeps early, but for some reason, she cannot fall asleep today.There is a lot running through her mind, if she is being honest.Every time she closes her eyes, Charles face pops into her mind. The scary shadow she saw in the morning is not leaving her mind.She thought the members of this pack were at least standard. But now she started to doubt her judgment about them.And her grandfather's cryptic request of staying in this pack for a year with Christian, the Ford family's heir, the vampire king, and Christian being as ordinary as a vampire is not supposed to be completely deviating from all the rumours she had heard, this big, empty house, and just what the f*ck she is doing here.And she cannot possibly forget what split moment of emotion that had flickered across Charles's face this morning.Christian ever came to meet her all these days, and only
That afternoon at the wedding, after showing Elizabeth Golden Orchid, Christian finally arrived to meet his friend.He took Elizabeth with him, and they entered the venue together with a Fournier. While walking, the two of them conversed in a different language, and Christian even explained the conversation to Elizabeth simultaneously. “I have chosen three shows to watch over these few days. There’s no need to watch any of the other shows. We’ll spend the remaining time having fun.”“Yes. Whatever you say.”Christian had planned an entire thing to spend with Elizabeth.“That’s a good girl. When this ends, I’ll take all of you to eat something delicious. We can then go and visit my children.”After that, people continued to stream in to attend the after-wedding party.Along with Christian, Elizabeth attended the party. She even saw Vanessa at the after-party since she was not present at the wedding she was attending after wedding party.She was sitting just opposite Elizabeth. When sh
Elizabeth sat in the car, waiting for Christian to get in. After five minutes, he entered the vehicle."Alright, what was that?" Elizabeth came straight to the point."Nothing," Christian said nonchalantly."come on, Christian, don't act like this. You were behaving oddly out there. What's the matter? I'm seeing you for a whole day. I can tell something is running in your mind" Elizabeth did not give up."I said it's nothing. Just leave it," Christian snapped at Elizabeth.Elizabeth wanted to ask him further, but she stopped because she could tell he would not say a thing about anything. She knows coming is up, but this is not the time to worry about it. She will think about her problems once she finishes her beauty as a matriarch of the Greenwood family."Fine, if you don't want to say it, then don't" Elizabeth opened the door get down of the car. If she doesn't leave now, they both will get into a big fight. She is seeing him after eight years, and Elizabeth is not willing to spoil
"sis- sister-in-law?" Jenny's mind blanked for a second before she registered what she heard."but- wasn't she dead?"Charles frowned; his facial muscles tightened as he clenched his jaw. "is that what your grandpa said?""No, your grandpa said that," Jenny said.A shadow cast on Charles's face and fear crept into jenny's heart. She knew what she saw now was real, not her imagination like before. Charles was not the harmless man he looked to be.Jenny took a step back, and Charles moved a step forward. "it doesn't matter who told you what. You shouldn't have done what you did when Christian was here."Jenny regretted it now. she shouldn't have acted out of jealousy. The way Charles looked at Elizabeth and a genuinely happy smile stung her harder than she anticipated. She stayed with him for three days, and every smile she received from Charles never met his eyes. But she was fine until she saw how Christian, her soon-to-be husband, was running chores for that woman. She thought he wa
Charles then stands up, walking towards Jenny. " shall we go?"Jenny blinks, coming out of her shock. "T- that- shouldn't we help them or something?""It's okay, don't worry, they won't die," Charles dismissed her concerns."is it really okay, though? shouldn't we at least-""It's really okay.""Still-""you might be in shock, huh? Now that you are under the protection of the Ford clan, you really shouldn't be. You might encounter situations like this, especially if you're going out alone. This really isn't your hometown, you know?""your rules don't apply here, Jenny," Charles said."S-Sorry. I wasn't aware and ju-""It's okay. Let's just go."Jenny gulps yet again. He was acting all nice and friendly now, which made her cautious. "wait! what if someone reports you if you go out with that much blood?" really, that's the best she could come up with. Jenny closed her eyes."Oh." Charles looks down. "I suppose that can happen. It's alright; I can just remove the hoodie."Charles turns a
Charles had always been a light sleeper. When he was just 13, his father had him trained to be someone like that.Who'd even know if he was being attacked in the dead of night?To be someone who is always ready to defend himself. A killing machine even when doused in sleep. That is how Charles has grown up all these years.So when he hears the tiniest bit of sound coming from inside his room, he immediately wakes up, putting his hand under his pillow to get his knife.Confusion settles in when he finds it empty."Looking for this?" A familiar voice asks, and Charles turns around, surprised."Jenny. Hi." Charles says, still sitting on the bed.Jenny, who's leaning against the wall of Charles's room, and who's twirling his knife around her finger, walks out of the shadows and walks towards him."Hey there. It's been a while, Charles.""It sure has been.""You thought I went back to my hometown?" Jenny asks next, a smile blooming on her face just like Charles's does, both of them smiling
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