Chương 14: Else—

Elize got up in the night, having slept the entire following day. It had been ages that had slept this well, it had been ages that she had felt so good. She woke up with a yawn and stretched her limbs, a sleepy, content smile tugged her lips up. She blinked her eyes open. The fire in the hearth was burning low, casting a soft buttery glow to her room. Outside the glass window, it was pretty dark. She got up and removed her blanket. She found that she was wearing a light cotton white gown that was now pooled at her hips. And she was wearing a white panty. Elize gasped. Did he make her change into these clothes? Irritation sparked. She tipped her head back and then looked up at the ceiling.

All the memories of the previous day flooded, and a shivery wave of anger rippled through her as the memories haunted her. They just kept coming in a wave one after the other and she couldn't stop them. The truth of what had happened to her despite her resistance. Caleb was cruel and selfish…

Elize tossed her blanket aside and dragged her feet to the floor. The wood beneath her feet was warm. She grabbed a shawl that was folded neatly on a chair beside her table and tugged it over her shoulders. She stepped out on the balcony, into the darkness and silent night of Fulshire forest. Snow was falling softly and a thin layer coated the stone floor. She looked at the dense forest that was spread into and over the mountains for as far as her eyes could see. The trees, a conglomerate of pines and nude aspens and oaks, from thin to to tall and thick ones, but all like dark silhouettes against the blackness of the night. But even in this darkness of the forest, it looked as if it was alive. The cool gusts of winds hummed. She heard thunder in far distance. All of a sudden, she saw a flash of green shimmery lights, which rose up in the air and then vanished. Elize stared and stared hard at the green lights that rose against the dark skies, but they vanished as soon as they came. Was she dreaming? The next moment, a faint roar rumbled through the jungle. She strained her ears to hear the sound again, but it was replaced by the gusts of wind. Perhaps she was dreaming. Perhaps it was just a beast.

The night felt good on her skin, on her irritated mind. It was like a balmy breeze to her senses. She inhaled the fresh smell of pine and mist. This was so good, so pure and so… new. But she couldn't stay here longer. Elize went back to the room to explore the place. Was he still lingering here? Because if he was, then she was about to give him a tough time. She was about to give him a piece of mind and then get out of here. How dare he kidnap her? Just because he couldn't get to her normally, which he would never in his life, he resorted to kidnapping her. A whole new wave of irritation spiked in her as she opened the door of her bathroom to wash her face.

The bathroom had a nice bathtub and two standing mirrors. She removed her shawl and hung it on a stand in the corner. Then she went to look at herself in the mirror and was surprised to see herself. Her eyes that were so pale pink, were now blood red in color. She gasped. The skin of her face was like marble. The dark circles beneath her eyes had disappeared and her lips—gods her lips were ruby red. It was as if she pinched them, blood would ooze out. She parted her lips slightly and saw the tip of her fangs. "No!" Her mind was repulsed by the fangs. Agony twisted her heart and a crease appeared on her forehead. Immediately, Elize turned the faucet on and splashed cold water on her face. She took a deep breath and then walked out of the bathroom, out of her room.

The place was shrouded in pin drop silence. She couldn't scent a single presence of anyone, not even him. She climbed down the winding staircase that groaned under her feet. The staircase opened into a small living hall, where the fire was burning in a hearth. Definitely someone was there and had left it burning. Gods, how long had she slept? And she had slept like a baby.

She trudged carefully to see more. To her left was a kitchen with all the modern amenities. Surprised that she could find them in this wilderness, she went to the small counter that was in the center of the room. She tapped her fingers on the counter and placed her hand on her hips, as she studied the whole area. It was a beautiful log cabin with very impressive furniture that was definitely crafted by hand. The rugs and the cushions and the sofa fabric were rustic but warm and cozy. She noticed three glasses on the center table of the living room and tension coiled in her stomach. She was about to go and see them, smell them, when suddenly the front door opened and Elize's body stiffened.

"Oh! You are awake!" Arawn said with a gaze full of surprise. "How are you feeling?"

Elize narrowed her eyes as she went on the defensive. Her claws snapped out and her fangs lengthened on their own, seeing the threat. A big, bulky man who was roughly seven feet tall was now standing in front of her. His thick brown hair was straight and fell to his shoulders. His eyes were a light hazel. The heavy jawline that was sculpted into a square jaw made him look fierce. Elize was shocked to see just how muscles bulged from his shoulders, arms and chest. It was as if they were trying to rip his shirt off. And why was he smelling like a horse? "Who are you?" she squeaked.

The man jerked his head back as if he had heard a ridiculous question. And then realizing that she had seen him for the first time, he tipped his head back into a throaty laughter. "I am sorry, I didn't introduce myself. I am Arawn. This cabin is mine."

She swallowed. So, this was one of the accomplices of Caleb? "Why have you abducted me? And where is Caleb? Where am I?"

"Woah, so many questions!"

She had a hundred more. "Did Caleb ask you to kidnap me? I need to see him now! And if that is the case, then release me now, else—"

"Else what?" Arawn asked.

"Else, I will have to kill you to get out!"

Arawn raised an eyebrow at the girl who was just about five and a half feet tall and petite… for him…