6

Chapter 6

Ella Whitmore

When I opened my eyes, I was in a cabin in the middle of nowhere. Fire cracking and popping inside the room, my clothes hanging above the burning fire, and I was now wearing dry clothes. One that gave me the warmth I needed.

Did Kael change my clothes?

The thought of it made my breath stutter, my hands flying to cover my chest, cheeks burning with embarrassment.

My breath caught, the moment my eyes met Kael. He sat across the room in the shadow, his eyes on me… No, they preyed on me.

My skin prickled, heat pooling in my chest.

I swallowed hard, my nails digging into the floor beneath the clothes I laid on.

The silence was intense and unbearable. I couldn't tell what was going through his mind.

I struck a conversation, my voice unsteady, “thank you... for saving me,”

He nodded without a word.

I sighed. His silence was driving me nuts. If he hadn't spoken that night that we first met, I would've thought he was mute.

Silence kicked in again. Lingering on longer than before, the sound of fire cracking across the room.

Then I asked, my voice shaky and barely audible, “ho… how did you find me?”

Silence. Eyes calculating.

“Can you come over here?” I beckoned him, but he didn't move.

Sighs. What was I expecting? Ugh!

Our eyes locked again, and I saw that bright golden colour flashed through them. It was just for a split second, but it gave me chills.

At that moment, there was only one thing I could think of.

GET OUT OF HERE!

I acted on it, stood up abruptly and dashed towards the door as if trying to run.

Sighs. I was really trying to run off.

However, a cold icy wind blew directly into my face the moment I pulled the door open.

I stepped back instinctively, turned back sharply, but stiffened.

Kael stood before me, his eyes darkened as they locked on me.

I gasped sharply, backing the wooden wall, my back pressing hard into it.

He stared in a way that gave me chills.

“Uhm… I…I wasn't… trying to escape… I was just… just checking outside,” I said, my voice shaky.

Come on, Ella. He's not dumb. You were clearly trying to escape.

Without warning, he suddenly slammed the door shut behind me with just one hand.

My heart skipped a beat, cold sweat forming on my forehead.

I subconsciously stepped back as he leaned in, my back pressing into the door.

He moved his hand to my face, his palm hot against my skin, thumb brushing against my lips, his eyes flashed gold again.

Then he spoke… no, he growled. A sound that no human should make, his eyes darkening, “you're not leaving, Ella…”

I hicupped. He knows my name?

Don't be dumb, Ella. He's been stalking you, of course, he should know your name already.

“... Not tonight… not ever,”

My fingers tightened at my sides as our eyes locked, knees buckling beneath me. I felt fear, I was sure of it, but I felt something else. A feeling I couldn't explain. One even I didn't understand.

Fuck it, Ella. You can't be stuck here. You need to go home. Don't show him that you're scared.

I scoffed, my voice shaky, hands almost trembling as I gently pushed him back, his body rigid at first, but he gave in a second later, stepping back.

“You can't claim an adult like that…” I muttered, walking back into the room.

“I don't even know anything about you,” I added, more to myself than to him.

I sat back on the wooden seat in the cabin, facing him, “and you can't keep me here with you. I need to go back home. I have to go to work,”

Silence. Not that I expected a reply from him anyway.

Just as I was busy thinking of what to do, his voice tore through the heavy silence, “it's late. You'll go home tomorrow… Your car's fixed,”

Sighs. Finally, I could leave here.

“Did you fix my car?” I asked, just to lighten the awkwardness I was feeling, but he just nodded.

I gave up talking.

Night came, but I didn't sleep.

I laid on the clothes Kael laid for me… and him? He paced in the room, as if he was some guard.

“Aren't you sleeping?” I asked, and he paused, stared for at least three seconds, then continued pacing.

Right… maybe he doesn't sleep.

I didn't sleep all night... Not when a stranger was lurking around me.

Once it was dawn, Kael drove me back to my car.

He didn't glance at me through the drive, not a word… he stared straight ahead, his knuckles white on the steering wheel, his jaw clenched so tight, I almost asked if it didn't hurt… but I didn't.

The car came to a halt, and I recognised the environment. It was where my car broke down yesterday.

I looked ahead through the windshield, and my car was parked in the same spot I left it.

“Thanks for taking care of me, and thanks for the ride,” I said with a small smile before turning to open the door, but he grabbed my wrist.

His grip was firm but gentle, and as I turned to look at him, our eyes locked.

I stilled, swallowing the big lump that formed in my throat.

“Wh.. what?” My voice cracked into a whisper, heart pulsing in my ears.

He quietly pressed something smooth into my palm and just one word, “keep this. you'll need it,” before his grip loosened on me.

I gave him a long confused stare before my gaze dropped to my hand.

An oval-shaped black stone.

I blinked, my brows knitting together as I lifted my gaze back to him. A part of me wanted to ask what this stone was, and what I would need it for, but I didn't ask.

Without another word, I stepped out of the car, walking toward my car, my grip tightening on the stone.

I should throw it away, but I didn't. It didn't even cross my mind to do it.

I expected to find my car covered in frozen snow, but it wasn't. It was cleaner than I left it yesterday.

Did Kael help clean it?

I paused and looked back. His car was still there, but he didn't step out.

I glanced back over my shoulder again just before I stepped into my car, and this time, Kael stood before his car, his eyes on me, hands tucked in his pants.

I got in my car and started driving.

Kael still stood there through the rearview mirror, watching me as I drove away.

My vision blurred for half a second, and when it cleared, a giant black wolf with ice cold golden eyes stood where Kael stood, eyes on me… I hated to think about it, but it stared at me the way Kael did.

Cold chills ran down my spine, and my leg slipped off the pedal, but I was quick to get a hold of it again, bringing the car to an abrupt halt.

When I blinked, the wolf was gone again… Just an empty road. Not even Kael or his car was in sight…