Chapter 4

FLASHBACK

AILEEN’S POV

“Are you saying that I need to eat this meat? It is raw!” I complained and glanced at the meat on the table, I wanted to retch but it looked so appetizing.

“You’re drooling.” The man said to me and I immediately raised my hands to clean my mouth and sure enough, there was saliva running down my cheeks. I glared at him and stubbornly pursed my lips and looked away; I wasn’t going to eat raw food. Food that was still oozing blood is raw! The man sighed and sat down on the other chair that was close to the seat I was supposed to sit on, he crossed his long legs and stared at me; hard. It was cold and judging. The playful demeanor I had seen was completely gone and the person in front of me was a brand new person, a brand new character.

“Miss, you might not know this, but there are other people out there who are like you, I am one as well. Since I was born as a werewolf, I don’t know how it feels to suddenly start eating raw meat or any of that and I know that you are confused about everything. However, if you do not feed yourself with this, I assure you that very soon, human flesh will be what you want to consume.” The man said flatly and my eyes widened.

“W… what do you mean?”

“You have been starving yourself for a week now, for even a normal human, you would be able to eat anything that comes your way if you were so hungry, the same goes for our kind, only that, it would be more brutal.” The man continued, the more he spoke, the more dread filled my stomach. What the heck was he saying?!

“I take it that you have already begun to feel it? Sense it? The delicious smell of human flesh, you imagine feeling the taste in your mouth and the blood dripping from your lips, you imagine tearing your hands into the skin and relishing the taste of their flesh…”

“No… stop.”

“That is one of the reasons why you don’t want to step outside, you don’t want to do anything like that so you locked the doors and isolated yourself. Let me tell you, against the strength of a werewolf, those doors will do nothing. You can break them apart like butter, they would not protect the people outside from you, neither will it stop you, so please, just eat so you won’t do something that you will not regret.”

I bit my lips, everything he said was true. I had begun to crave human flesh, but could I really eat that? Raw meat? I gulped; my lips trembled as I walked towards the table. His words continued to echo in my ears as I sat down, I reached out to take the fork and cut a piece of the meat. The fork sliced through it like butter and just like before, the delectable scent wafted from the meat and into my nose.

I closed my eyes and took a bite, just a small bit and I was prepared to gag, prepared to vomit, but it was pleasant. The raw meat tasted good, it didn’t taste bad, and then I knew, I was hungry. I was starved. Without warning, I started gobbling down the food without any sense of decency, tears flowed down my eyes. It was as if I was betraying the part of me that was human but I was also embracing my new side, my animalistic side.

Truth to be told, I was scared and I told him as we talked. Xander, his name, he told me that it was okay but I shouldn’t let the fear get to me. If I let it, it would lead to disastrous effects; I didn’t listen and look where it got me.

FLASHBACK ENDS.

Someone, please, please save me.

I was transforming, I let the fear control me, it took over and now, I would be known as a freak. I lowered my head, the voices were telling me to run, but where could I run to? I was cornered; everyone was staring at me and even if I was able to run away, what next? What would I do next?

My body trembled, it was getting more painful. I needed something to cool my skin, to cool my heart, I needed him. That silver eyed man. I prayed for him to come, would he hear my prayers? Could he feel my hope?

I wanted to give up, I was about to give up when I heard the doors to the café open and at that moment, I felt it. My entire soul was screaming ‘mate’. Ah yes, Xander told me, he told me that the silver eyed man I met was my mate and his master, he was the one who sent Xander to look for me. He was here.

He walked towards me, his strides were fast but unhurried, he seemed to reach me with just seven steps, I longed for his cool arms and once they embraced me, I melted. The hotness in my skin cooled to an extent and the pain reduced, it didn’t leave, but it reduced and I welcomed it. He carried me in his arms and kissed my forehead, I could feel the rhythmic beat of his heart and it was comforting, he whispered into my ears, “You have done well, now you can rest, I will protect you.” Those words held a spell it seemed, for it lured me to sleep, and sleep I did.

The world had gone dark but I could also see light, the light that was coming for me. From deep within my consciousness, I could hear voices, their voices. One time, I heard the voice of an old man, he said, “Has she woken up? It’s been four days.” And that familiar voice, the person was still holding me so gently replied, “She will soon wake up, and when she does, it’ll be more painful than this so let her sleep.”