XXVII. Believe me

Cara

God, he's handsome ,I think, staring at the man before me. I had forgotten how breath-takingly handsome Ivan was. It was striking -his beauty. It never failed it amaze me how attractive I found him.

Did everyone else see it or was it just me? No, they must have seen it too. Who couldn't?

Ivan was handsome in a way that was different from the modern definition. Yes, you could describe him as 'hot' but that would not suffice. His beauty was old-fashioned and nothing like the kind seen in today's male models.

The beauty he displayed was a dominating and mature kind. It took over your senses and it was not too boyish -not meaning that he looked old, there was nothing old about him.

A cold wind blew past us but I hardly felt it, the warmth he radiated shielded me from it. The trees swished and I was reminded of my location and why I was here.

How could I have forgotten? Ivan had distracted me from the matter at hand. Liza was missing and possibly in grave danger. A panic filled me again despite the sense of security I felt when Ivan was around.

"What's the matter, Malen'kiy ?" His fingers brushed across my left cheek smoothly. He had seen my worry and was trying to calm me down. He knew me so well while I hardly knew him. The man was a hard nut to crack. Getting him to open up about himself was a difficult task.

"...my friend," I whispered. I began to move away from him but his hold strengthens in a possessive manner, as if he will never let me go. A part of him wanted that, I wanted him to hold me forever and never ever let me, never leave me. "S-She... is missing."

"Oh my God. I shouldn't be here. I should looking for her...What if something terrible has happened to her?" I ranted, worry lacing my tone.

A smil played on his plump pink lips, confusing me.

"Your friend is alright, Cara," his voice was  reassuring. He placed his hand on the back of my head, drawing me closer. My forehead rested on his hard, muscled chest. Defying the urge stay there forever, I pushed myself away.

"How do know that? And what are you doing here by the way?" Suddenly I was filled with suspicion. A thousand questions raced across my mind. I needed answers. Now.

I searched around for my weapon but I did not find it. It was too dark again.

"Because she is coming this way along with someone else, Alice is it?"

"What? How do you know that? How do you know Alice?,"

Before my questions were answered I heard another voice behind me," Cara? Where the hell did y-"

Tearing myself away from Ivan's strong hold, I ran to my friend. Liza was there along with Alice. A breath of relief escaped me. They were safe.

Liza stared past me at Ivan. Her expression was blank as she studied him. It seemed that she had sobered up. I found myself questioning her, "where did you go? Are you hurt? We heard you scream."

The ever cheery girl turned to me. "I am alright. You should not have worried so much. I only screamed because I tripped. I got lost but Alicia here found me. Thanks."

Alicia? It was weird to hear Liza refer to Alice by her more formal name, a name only her grandmother called her.

An ominous feeling nagged at me. I brushed it off. Tonight's events had been strange but there were reasonable explanations. We got drank and these were the consequences. What had we expected?

"Let's go...I am way beat," spoke Alice.

"Let me escort you,"offered Ivan. Knowing him, it was not an offer. It was an affirmation.

Still I declined, "thank you but I think we will be fine," I said, declining his kind offer.

"Let me escort you," Ivan repeated, making it clear that he was not taking no for an answer. I knew better than to argue with him, it was equal to flogging a dead horse.

"Fine. Just wait a second while I look for something."

Bending down, I attempted to find my weapon. I had dropped it without noticing some time back. All I saw were small sticks and grass,

"Is this it?" Ivan moved a little past me and picked something up. It was the blade. I received it from him, gratefully.

"Thank you."

"My pleasure." Hearing his deep velvety voice was like having warm water poured on me. Soothing. Comforting.

***

Predictably, Ivan knew his way around the woods very well. He moved deftly between the trees knowing exactly what was where.Despite the darkness, he walked as if it was as clear as day.

The rest of us struggled a bit.

He made sure I was close to him the whole time. I  did not miss his hand grazing my lower back as he walked beside me. He wanted to touch me but was hesitant, like he did not want to scare me off.

Before we knew it, we were back home, jumping over the back gate.

Expectedly, Ivan did it as skillfully as a world class gymanst would have. His large, muscled body flew over the gate as if it's weight was equal to a newborn's.

It surprised me that he did just break the chain the gate. Strength was one of his power. So why did he not just use it?

Once he was over, I climbed over and even though I did not ask, he helped me down, placing his hands on waist and lowering me to the ground. His hands lingered a little and I enjoyed it.

Alice and Liza went inside first while Ivan and I remained outside.

"Thank you for escorting us..."I began nervously. My fingers played with the hem of my soft baby pink sweater.

A wind blew past and I quivered. I was not sure what caused my body to shiver like that, the sudden cold or Ivan's penetrative stare that made me exposed, naked.

"You're cold." He approached me but I stepped back like I had in the woods. This time I did not trip.

"I am fine."

"You're afraid." His lips pursed into a thin white line.

"Can you blame me?" I questioned. He shook his head, averting his eyes from me for a second.

"What I did, I did it to protect you. That creature would have drained you dry. They are merciless beings...I admit, we all are but you and I have something...I would never hurt you. You mustn't fear me," he spoke desperately.

Gazing at the wooden floor and no where else, I uttered quietly, "You have to understand, I grew up...in a very human way. I have grown up believe that all those stories are just stories. Now...I don't know what to believe."

He placed his finger on my chin and urged my head up. "Believe me."