- Vera's POV -I immediately answered the call from an unknown number, fully aware of who it was. My heart pounded as the screen glowed, my fingers trembling when I pressed accept.“My Lord…” I whispered in a polite tone as soon as I lifted the phone to my ear.To be honest, a large part of me was afraid of him. Who wouldn’t be? Everyone fears him. All creatures do.“It has been a while. Anything new?” His cold voice crawled through the line, slicing straight through my bones.“E-Everything is smooth, My Lord. It all goes according to your plan…” My voice shook as I forced myself to speak, my eyes drifting to the girl Arman had brought us. “She’s doing great,” I added quickly when I saw her laughing softly with Tobias outside, her innocence unknowing of the shadows that hovered over her life.“You must take care of her.”The order was sharp. Unbending. Yet beneath the ice in his tone, I could feel it... sincerity. Concern. A strange warmth buried in all that darkness.“As you wish, My
"Maive!"I heard Uncle Silas scream my name. My eyes flew open, and I was shocked to find myself perfectly standing on the ground. Not a scratch, not even a single sign of pain from what should have been a deadly fall. My mouth opened wide in disbelief. I was sure. I was completely sure that I was going to break my bones, that I was going to die from the height I jumped. Yet here I was, alive, steady on my feet as if my body had suddenly turned weightless.How?My heart pounded so loudly it almost deafened me. The memory of the snake on the branch flashed before my eyes, the terror of its fangs made my knees feel weak. I hugged the cat tighter, as if its tiny body was the only proof that I was still alive."Are you alright?" Uncle Silas rushed toward me, worry filling his voice. He checked my arms, my legs, as if expecting blood and fractures.I nodded, though my whole body was trembling. Inside, I was still falling. The fear had not left, but something else was stronger—confusion. Th
- Maive's POV - This time, I saw it. A woman standing a few feet away, staring straight at me. But her eyes… they weren’t just curious. They were sharp. Confused. Almost afraid.Her gaze dropped to my neck.My breath caught. Instinctively, I lifted my hand and covered the right side of my neck… the place where the bite mark was.The mark from that night.My body froze. My heart pounded in my ears.Had she seen it? Did she know?Aunt Vera noticed my movement. She looked at me, her eyes dark with unspoken thoughts. She wanted to ask. I could feel it. But she said nothing.Her silence hurt more than words.We eventually left the market and started walking home. I helped her carry the bags, though my arms trembled from the weight. It was the least I could do.But Aunt Vera was quiet. Too quiet. Her mind was elsewhere, and I knew it had to do with that woman’s stare… and the bite mark on my neck.I followed in silence, afraid to ask, afraid of the answers.Suddenly, a voice rang out. “Aun
Maive’s POVI cried until my throat hurt. I missed my arrogant brother, who always teased me. I missed my father, whose arms were once the safest place in the world. Now both were gone.When the first light of dawn crept through the window, I forced myself up. The old couple was still asleep and so I walked quietly into the living room, observing their small but warm home.“You’re up early.”I froze. The voice came from behind me. Uncle Silas stood there, his eyes puffy with sleep.I nodded weakly, not trusting my voice.He walked past me to the small table, uncovering the dishes Aunt Vera had set the night before. “You didn’t eat?”My stomach twisted in guilt. “I-I forgot to,” I admitted. The truth was, I had been too shy… too broken to touch their food. My appetite was gone anyway.He gave me a small smile and patted my head. “Treat us like family, Maive.”Those words hit me harder than I expected. My father used to say the same. My throat tightened, and I quickly lowered my gaze, a
- Maive’s POV -I knew that once I took more steps, my life would change forever.The old couple welcomed me without asking any questions, no questions about the blood on my clothes, no questions about why I was running down the road like a lost animal. Instead, they simply opened their doors and smiled at me with warmth I hadn’t felt in so long. Their kindness felt so unreal, almost suspicious. But they didn’t ask. And I was thankful, because I didn’t even know how to explain myself. How could I tell them the truth without scaring them away? How could I open my mouth without breaking down?Maybe they were just good people. Maybe they didn’t need to know.“You’ll be safe here,” the woman whispered softly, her hand brushing my arm as if I were fragile glass that might break at the slightest touch. Perhaps that was exactly how I looked... too weak, too broken, too pitiful to be left alone. Her smile was gentle, steady. I didn’t realize until that moment how much I had longed for such a s
- Third Person's POV -A monster, they called him. A terrifying creature, they said. But who cares? He doesn’t. Their whispers and curses mean nothing to him. His face is as cold as ice, his features sharp and intimidating, more frightening than anyone else could ever be.The man walked in the silence of the forest, his heavy steps echoing faintly on the damp soil. In his arms, he carried an unconscious little girl. Her fragile body looked so small compared to his strong build, almost like she weighed nothing at all. He had a heart of stone, or so he believed. No warmth, no mercy. Yet for reasons he couldn’t explain, something about this little girl bothered him. From the moment she appeared at his cave, wounded and weak, everything inside him shifted. She carried an alluring scent… sweet, rich, almost intoxicating. The very instant he smelled it, he knew. This little girl… was his. She belonged to him.He reached the road that cut through the edge of the forest. The night air was col