5. Caught

MARCELLO

It was one o'clock in the morning and her face was all I could see when I closed my eyes. For a while, I tossed and turned in bed, trying to fall asleep, but that was futile. I could not even get a wink of sleep.

I was torn between going to find her and giving her her space. And I was so confused as to why I felt so unsettled because of her. It was so bad that I could not think of nothing else at that moment. I had even opted out of border duty for the night because I was simply not in the mood, and it was because of her.

So I decided to give into whatever was pushing me to her and go find her in the woods. I had to take a longer alternative route to her tent as the people that were manning the river were surely going to find me if I had gone through that path.

When I found her, she was seated on a log of wood in front of her tent, fanning the fire under a roasting meat hoisted up by sticks. I was going to watch her in silence for a while, but I stepped on a freaking twig and her head shot up immediately and then our gazes locked.

Immediately, a grimace appeared on her face and her nostrils flared. Angrily, she marched towards me and snarled,

"What are you doing here? What do you want now?"

"I just wanted to make sure that you are alright." I spoke gently, careful not to provoke her even more.

"And how exactly is my well-being your concern?" She spat. "Do you even know who I am? Do I have anything to do with you?"

I was quiet because even I could not answer those questions. I had no idea why I felt drawn to her like this. And I felt helpless, because it was not looking like there was anything that I could do about it.

"You looked really scared the other night and I've been feeling really bad that—"

"I'm okay now." She cut me off. "Now, you can be on your way out of here."

"No." I shrugged, choosing to be insistent. "The first time we met, you promised to be my friend, remember?"

"That was because you had me pinned down by force!" She argued. "There was no way I would have agreed to that if I had any other choice."

"You pinned me down first." I reminded her, chuckling, and her frown deepened. "But a promise is a promise."

"I don't care. I don't want anything to do with you. Just leave this place, let me be!"

I sighed, frustrated. "Look, I know that werewolves and vampires do not usually get along, but—"

"How do you know that I am a vampire?" She raised a brow at me. "What makes you think that?"

I looked at her in disbelief. There was no way she was seriously asking me that. "Are you being serious right now?"

"Is there any reason for me to be joking with you?"

"First off, you have freaking fangs." I started. "And have you seen your reflection lately? You're pale as hell. And your lips, they're red like che—"

"That's enough." She lifted her hand, looking embarrassed.

I chuckled at that, admitting within me that she looked adorable like that.

"I won't harm you, I promise." I said to her in all seriousness. I really needed her to understand that. "You don't have to be this... guarded around me."

She scoffed and let out a humourless chuckle. "And I'm just supposed to believe anything that you tell me?"

"I..." I paused. She was right. There was, in fact, no reason for her to trust me. If anything, she should have been beating me up with a stick right now. I mean I was just a man that showed up to her tent on a random night and forced her to agree to be my friend. Thinking of it like that really opened my eyes to see that I was kind of being a creep.

"You what?" She eyed me. "There's nothing you can say to prove yourself, huh?"

"Absolutely nothing." I agreed with a sigh. "I guess I'll be on my way."

"And never return."

That hurt me for some reason. The words of a stranger should not hurt me like that but it did. And before I left, I had just one request from her.

"Can I at least know your name?" I asked. I just wanted to have a name to associate with her face. Because I was sure as hell not going to forget her anytime soon.

"How is that of any importance to you?"

"Just..." I exhaled. There was really no tangible reason "Please?"

"Valeria." She pointed forward. "Now, leave."

I nodded, throwing her a salute. But I had only taken three steps when a figure came out of the shadows and I went completely still, holding my breath. I could not believe that that was happening. How was I so careless to not have noticed that someone was following me? Now, her life was in danger because of me.

"So this is where you spend your nights now?" He asked, his low deep voice causing my body to run cold. "Don't you think it's a little bit dangerous?"

"I..." I managed to mumble. "Um... It's just..."

"Your little secret has been busted, Marcello." He chuckled. "And everybody will hear it."

I swallowed hard, unsure of what to do. In fact, my head was blank as I had no idea how to salvage this situation. But even being aware of the fact that I was in deep shit, all I wanted to at the moment was to get her away from him.

No matter what it was going to be, I was ready to face it as long as I got to get her out of harm's way.

"Look, we can talk about this—"

"Hell no." He did not even let me try. "Father will be the first person to hear about this."