Contract Bound [Old Draft]

-CHAPTER FOUR-

"Are you feeling better?" Belinda lifted her gaze and stared into Fane's enchanting eyes as he caressed her cheek. After breaking eye contact, she kept her gaze on the ground.

He truly sounded worried about her. It couldn't be possible though. They knew each other for only a couple of months.

Not like it mattered.

They could never be together.

Contract or not.

Even though she didn't want to, she moved away from him.

"Let's head back," Abraham said just as the wolf barked. He seemed hesitant before sprinting into the forest.

Belinda met Fane's gaze. "Thank you...for saving us."

Fane smiled, a boyish smile she had come to adore. "I would do anything for you."

She looked to the ground. "Why are they so determined to hurt me?"

Abraham picked Kassie in his arm, bridal style. She was awake, but seemed weak. "Perhaps we should continue this conversation somewhere safe."

Belinda never realized how many portals there were hidden within the forest. Once they found one, on the other side, she was greeted by the inside of the cabin.

Obviously wanting to get rid of the blood and dirt, Belinda and her friends headed to the bathroom to shower.

"Next week is graduation," Kassie said as she showered. "Exciting, right?"

Belinda knew she was trying to lighten the mood, but no matter what her friends did or say, she couldn't stop thinking about what happened.

"I think it's best I don't attend," Belinda said as she brushed her hair, staring at the marks on her face. "I don't want anyone else to get hurt."

Keisha put on her shirt as she walked into the bathroom to take the brush from Belinda. "Kassie, who was the wolf?"

"Niko...the prince of the wolves."

Keisha froze. "W—what?"

"Is something wrong?" Belinda asked.

"You know that I love dogs...so I patted him and he didn't like it at all."

Kassie guffawed. "You patted Niko?"

"Well he was all up in my space—when I see a dog, I automatically want to pet it."

"Too bad I missed it," Kassie said as she stepped out of the shower to wrap a towel around her body. "I would have loved to see his reaction to being patted."

Belinda walked out of the bathroom, towel wrapped around her body. At the door creaking open, her eyes grew wide.

"Get the hell out!" Kassie shouted as she rushed into the room from the bathroom to attack Abraham with a pillow from the bed. "I've told you a million times that you wolves need to learn to knock!"

Abraham chuckled as he took the pillow from her. "I thought you would be finished by now."

Kassie raised an eyebrow as she propped her hands on her hips. "What do you want?"

"I wanted to speak with Belinda." He hesitated for a moment as he raised his hand for everyone present to see the small dagger. "After what happened, Fane refuses to come feed from you, but we all know he needs it."

"Are you out of your mind?" Keisha asked.

"Fane is young—he ascended to his full power months ago...he still struggles to control the blood thirst, so I prefer to do this than have him lose it all by just the sight of her."