6. The Creature

Jax's PoV

Ivanna Sanchez is not some teenage girl who falls for a guy and becomes a fool. She knew and had sniffed out what Damon was doing behind her back. And now, she is catching Damon in the act, and rushing to teach him a lesson is not a good idea.

She must be wondering why Damon would hurt a perfect woman like her. I want to ask the same thing, if I may. Unfortunately, Damon was not a man of Ivanna's intelligence.

It would be a lie to say that I wasn't affected by that man's hide-and-seek game. I've been watching him since I first entered this mansion. However, I have to be careful because Ivanna seems suspicious of me.

"I'm sorry, Miss. Sometimes, you have to keep quiet even if you know something. It's for your safety," I said, trying to calm her inner rumblings that almost flared up and burned everything.

After all, doing what she had in mind would be hazardous.

"You should be careful what you say, Jax! How dare you set me up for everything! If you tell me to shut up after learning of that bastard's betrayal, I'm sorry. I'll never let that happen." The girl put up a fight at my words. I could understand her attitude.

For one, she was my employer; I shouldn't be telling her what she could and couldn't do. Really, I didn't mean that. I was just worried about this girl. In my opinion, she is now in great danger. However, I still couldn't be sure. That's why I decided to stay in this place.

"I know, Miss. I apologize if I sound presumptuous. However, this is for your own sake," I replied, without intending to refute her principles. I realized my mistake, but would she believe me if I told her I was doing all this because something weird happened in this place?

The girl rose from her chair to erase the distance between us. Her gaze was fixed straight on me, not seeming to flinch. Instead, she showed her dominance over me. Her beautiful hazel eyes seemed to hit me right in the heart.

Damn it! I've never been so hesitant to return a girl's gaze, let alone an ordinary human like her. And now, can I admit that I gave up?

"Tell me, if I were your little sister and you knew a man was playing with fire behind my back, would you be willing to let that happen?" asked Ivanna, but I didn't immediately respond to her question. I was still trying to control the strange feeling tickling my heart. "How about it, Jax?"

Please, stop looking at me like that! That look of hers made me magically become weak and submissive. This girl seemed to have a magical power that she didn't realize, at least to me.

"I will get angry and beat that guy up, Miss."

"So? You're the bodyguard guarding me, but ask me to keep quiet when someone is cruel. Is that attitude justifiable, Jax?"

"I'm sorry, Miss."

The girl shook her head briefly, leaving me in this room. I didn't chase after her. Come on ... this isn't a romance where the woman gets angry and the man has to persuade her with flowers. I know what I'm doing. I was doing my duty to protect her.

I mean it if I say she should know nothing and not find out. Because what Ivanna is facing right now is no ordinary thing. That's why I'm following her. She should go back to sleep, and I will stand guard in front of her room, as usual.

***

I shouldn't be thinking about that girl all the time. Every sentence from her lips seemed so magical and made me keep imagining it in the back of my head. What happened to me?

I, Jax Alister, have never once been distracted from my duties. I'm professional and fully dedicated to everything I do. So, for this one issue, let's find out what caused my concentration and focus to be broken.

Did I pay too much attention to what Ivanna said last night? Although there was some truth, I had an apparent reason for strictly forbidding that girl's curiosity. I was investigating the same thing and didn't want Ivanna's careless attitude to derail everything.

I knocked on Ivanna's bedroom door. The sun was high, and she should be up and ready for her busy schedule today. However, even though I knocked several times, there was no response from inside.

I listened to the door to see if she was still inside. And before long, there was a noise followed by Ivanna's scream.

"JAX! Help me!"

What was going on? I quickly and forcefully broke down the door to Ivanna's room and found no one. The girl wasn't there, and neither was her fiancé. Where was the man? Shouldn't he be in the room with Ivanna? Even if he did sneak off at night, he usually returned immediately after finishing his 'work.'

I put the word 'work' in quotes because I know what that man does every night. So, this time, where was he?

"Miss Sanchez! Where are you?! Miss Sanchez!"

"I'm here, Jax! Help! I can't take it anymore! JAX!"

Balcony! The voice came from the balcony. I rushed towards it and found Ivanna dangling by holding on to the trellis. She looked down several times, then returned her attention to me, who was trying to keep her from looking up again. Because from what I know, Ivanna is afraid of heights. Then, what happened precisely until she was there?

"Miss, what are you doing there?"

Oh my! This girl could give me a heart attack if she continues to be careless like this.

"Talk to me later, Jax! Hurry up and help me! I can't hold on here. Please..."

I was also trying to help her. It's just that I couldn't deny the questions running through my mind about what made her there.

"Close your eyes, Ms. Sanchez."

"What? Why? Jax, you must help me immediately, not ask me to play hide-and-seek! Now hurry up and—"

"Could you just listen to me for once and do what I suggest?!" I snapped. I didn't realize I had said and done that. When I had finished my sentence, the girl looked pained and nodded weakly, then closed both eyelids adorned with thick, curly eyelashes.

For a moment, time seemed to stop. My gaze was fixed on Ivanna's beautiful face, which was plain without makeup. Her long hair was loose, fluttering in the strong wind. Eastonville had been cold and windy the past few days. During this erratic weather, seeing Ivanna still wearing her nightgown last night made me think she shouldn't be dressed like that.

The cold wind stabbing could be making her sick. And ... that outfit was frankly too revealing. Maybe she only wore it while sleeping, but now, she was in front of me wearing a pretty tempting nightgown.

It's not a matter of my mind being dirty; I'm not even imagining things. My focus fell apart when I looked at Ivanna's beautiful hazel eyes.

Wake up, Jax! You need to save her immediately, or the whole of Eastonville will be running the news that Ivanna Sanchez is attempting suicide. And if the news gets out, you'll lose your job, and your plan will fail.

Quickly, I regained consciousness, jumped off the balcony, and grabbed Ivanna's hips to carry her back to her room before she realized what I was doing. She wasn't supposed to know much because none of this would make sense to her. And it didn't.

I supported Ivanna's body as we made a perfect landing. Hopefully, she wouldn't notice anything strange about my taking her flying.

The girl opened her eyes, seemingly looking around the empty room. Of course, she did. What was she expecting? Did she expect someone to be in this room with her?

"Oh, we are here," Ivanna said with an unreadable expression. She then carefully searched and scanned each room. "Where is that thing? You're not going anywhere, Jax! You must see and destroy this creature!" she said again in a whispered voice.

Hearing her mention the word creature, I followed her lead to ensure she was safe. Who knew the creature she mentioned was hiding somewhere in this room?

I grabbed Ivanna's arm, making her turn around and face me at once. Those hazel orbs of hers seemed fixed on me, leaving me stunned for a moment. Then I came to my senses and told her what was on my mind.

"What creature are you referring to, Miss?"

"I-I don't know either. I heard its voice. It sounded like the growl of a wild animal. Maybe a coyote or—no way!"

This girl's words made me overthink. Was it as I thought that there were indeed wild creatures in this mansion? Or were Ivanna and I both hallucinating?

"Coyotes?"

"No, Jax! Maybe it was a werewolf! You've heard of that myth. Oh, my God! If that's true, this place isn't safe, Jax!"

I paused, not wanting to jump to conclusions. However, as I had done all along, Ivanna noticed something strange in her house. That meant I had to act immediately. Because if it were true that the creature was in this mansion, it would be hazardous for Ivanna and the others.

"You must destroy it!"

"Take it easy, Miss. Now you'd better get some rest. Leave everything to me. I assure you, everything will be fine."

The girl nodded, climbed onto her bed, and closed her eyes. However, she got up again and turned to me.

"Jax, what if that thing is under my bed?" she asked in a half-whisper. "You have to check it out. You can't step out of this room for a second before you make sure it's not there. Stay with me here, at least until Brianna comes. I fear that the creature is after my life. Do your job well, Jax. Protect me!"