A Violent Love - Werewolf/Vampire

Chapter 25 - Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall

Arabella's POV

Two days had gone by from when Nathaniel had left for his business trip. It felt like two years, time seemed to pass dreadfully slow. Benjamin seemed to be avoiding me, he was never at his room or any of the places we used to hang out. Nathaniel had not called, not even once. The bitter sting of disappointment made the time spent in the palace even worse. I tried to shrug it off, not think about him as best as I could. 

I decided to go for a run, my wolf has been stuck in me for too long. She needed to come out, to breathe and move. Stealthily, I went to the edge of the forest where there were fewer guards on patrol. It was about 4 in the afternoon, I had 2 hours before the sun was due to set.

I stripped off my clothes, hiding them under leaves behind a big tree. Then I shifted, i smiled as I heard the familar crack of bones. It felt like the morning after a good night's worth of sleep. I felt my paws dig into the fresh soil, the refreshing smell of grass that was so much stronger when I was in my wolf form. My wolf surged forward, prancing into a full sprint. Dashing through the woods, I kept alert for any guards that might get us into trouble.

The beauty of the forest always captivated me. It had rained earlier, I watched droplets of water dripping from deep green leaves, joining the soil. The quietness of the forest, the coolness of the air, the earthy scent - I was in my own paradise. Trees as far as the eye can see were home to an exotic range of birds and animals. In some way, I did agree that with the slow extinction of humankind, nature was thriving. No more deforestation, no more burning, the forest was safe and pristine.

I had lost track of time, running and exploring the forest that seemed to stretch out infinitely. My wolf was overjoyed to finally be out in the open, even though her legs were starting to get sore from the running.

I heard a shuffle of feet and immediately I turned towards the direction of the sound on full alert, my body kept in a low position, ready to prance on any hostile attacker.

The stranger made no move to come forward, so I shifted back to my human form to speak.

"Who is there?" I questioned as bravely as I could. I could feel the alpha blood in my wolf taking over. I must look quite silly, I thought to myself. Standing stark naked in the middle of the forest, my hands trying to cover my private parts.

There was no response. But I could still hear the distinct sound of breathing. It was slow, consistent breaths - this person was obviously a lot more calm than i was. Which made me even more afraid.

"Show yourself." I commanded.

A hooded figure stepped out from behind a tree, wearing a large black hood that ran all the way down to the ankles, tied loosely at the chest with a satin ribbon. When it was close enough, it stopped, slowly raising its head. 

Long, slender fingers reached up and pulled the hood down. 

Hair as red as blood was the first thing I noticed. It was a girl, she looked no older than 19. She had beautiful olive skin, chocolate eyes that rested above her high cheek bones. Her lips were curled into a smirk. Judging from her hair, her attire, and the ring she wore on her index finger, I guessed she was a witch.

"What are you doing here? Were you watching me?" I spoke in a harsh tone, feeling unease at how confident she looked.