Chapter 15 - How She Met HIM (1/2)

{ Never ignore truth for temporary happiness ~ unknown }

Esme sprinted through the woods, the feeling of the wind blowing through her fur as the mud beneath her paws kicked up behind her. Isana had been running for two hours, releasing the pent-up energy inside of her until, without notice, she threw the reins back at Esme. She did not mind, either way, she could feel the burning in her legs from where she ran, and this gave her time to process what happened.

Gabriel fairly punished Paul and did not reprimand her for speaking so bluntly. She wondered how the Alpha King's would have reacted to her. She shuddered at the thought of it. Alpha's tended to be more aggressive, and if you dared look them in the eyes, that alone was considered disrespectful. An Alpha King was even scarier, and there were two of them, Alpha King Magnus Steel of the South and Alpha King Damon Steel of the North.

So, how come the Vampire King, known as being ruthless, only smiled at her?

”He wanted to know why you were staying in Chester. Maybe he is just curious because we are going against our natural instincts to stay clear of vampire territory?” Isana mused.

”Hmm, he could just torture it out of us? Maybe Niko and Gabriel are closer than I thought. I did ask Niko for the job, and he probably told the King that he owed me. A vampire indebted to a werewolf is something they'd want to keep hush hush, no?” Esme replied as she shifted and changed back into her work clothes. She sighed in relief at her body temperature returning back to normal.

She returned to her apartment, and after a quick shower and changing into her pyjamas, she found herself lying comfortably on the couch, reading her book. The run was exactly what she needed, and not long after, she fell asleep with the book atop her chest.

Esme rolled onto her side and snuggled further into the warmth of his protective embrace. His scent wrapped around her like a safety blanket making her sigh in content. She felt his chest vibrate as he chuckled at her. ”How do I still find you cute even when you are drooling on me?”

Esme froze and pulled away, staring into his emerald-green eyes that usually haunted her. But today, all she saw was love and affection pouring out of them as his soft gaze lowered to her lips. His thumb gently wiped at her mouth before he dipped down and gently kissed her. She sighed dreamily into him, her hands clutching on his bare, taut chest.

They laid there happily on her white sofa, his large frame encircling hers. Everything felt perfect; she was exactly where she was meant to be- in his arms. But there was something she was forgetting, something important. Her wolf's quiet whimper was what snapped her back to reality.

She pulled away and smiled sadly at the man she had painted in her head, the man who before her was nothing but a lie hiding behind a charming smile.

”Hmm, how can I still find you cute?” He repeated.

He was in a good mood today. He hated repeating himself.

”Because you love me,” She whispered back the response he would want to hear.

He rubbed his nose against hers lovingly, ”That's right. Nobody will ever love you like I do,” He replied sweetly, but his words seemed to smother her more than comfort her like he was 'aiming' to do.

His large hand stroked away her dark hair from her face, and she flinched from the sudden sting she felt on her temple. If he noticed her flinch, he didn't show it as he held her head in place and smiled, ”And you love me..”

”Of course, I do, baby. I love you,” She reassured him like she always did.

”Good,” His hand brushed over the scab on her temple again, almost like he did it on purpose before he met her lips. She clenched her eyes shut, holding back the tears that started to form from the bitter happiness she felt.

”Do you not miss me?” He asked, pulling a sad face. Esme blinked back as he hugged her closer to him.

She didn't respond. ”You let a vampire touch you and fill your thoughts.. What about me? I am still out there..” He whispered into her neck as he inhaled her scent and nibbled on her ear before his voice darkened, ”I am still searching for you, princess.”

”This is not real,” She whispered as her body shuddered and became cold.

”You know, sooner or later, I will find you.”

Esme pushed against his chest and turned onto her other side, letting the phantom fade away. Her eyes fluttered open to the early morning sun pouring into her apartment, revealing the dust particles in the air. She knew it was a dream, but she couldn't help but look over her shoulder and sigh in relief when there was no one lying behind her.

Esme slowly sat up, wincing as her chest throbbed in pain. She ignored it like usual and slowly bent over, retrieving her book that was left open; its pages now crumpled from where it fell onto the ground. She put it aside on the sofa and started to stretch her limbs out, listening for any noises and scanning her studio apartment as she did so.

”Are you okay?” Isana asked after feeling how numb Esme was feeling.

”I will be,” She whispered before tackling her morning routine.

After pushing her body further than normal with 600 push-ups, 600 sit-ups, and a 30-mile run, and going through her combat moves, including the use of the knife, she showered and downed her wolfsbane before heading out to work. Niko phoned her during her push-ups, which due to her heavy breathing, he was very alert that something might be wrong, but after reassuring him, he finally relented and told her to come in early.