Sylvan

Chapter 1

Giselle Martin

"Gabriel!" I shouted, my eyes wandering to search for my little brother. "Gabriel!" The dense fog shrouded my vision and I couldn't see beyond couple of trees surrounding me. "Game is over. Come out or I'm leaving you here," I warned in hopes of him showing himself if he was still hiding. He didn't.

Oh god...

Taking out my seven-year-old brother to the woods in the gloomy cold evening wasn't a good idea.

Mom was at work and Gabriel, like a hyperactive brat, couldn't just sit at home and watch TV. No, he had to throw a tantrum to leave the coziness of warm couch and run around in the forest. And I, like a fool that gushed at his cuteness, gave into his big brown eyes.

Now the little brat was lost. More than 10 minutes had passed since he ran away from me, blurring in the thick sheet of cold haze.

"Gabriel! Seriously we have to get home!" I walked in no particular direction and narrowed my eyes trying to extend my sight. I'm in so trouble.

It was past five and we had to get home before Mom returned from work at seven. We were at other side of town from where our house was. This side belonged to the wealthy families who owned acres of this beautiful forest. It was more than a half-hour bus ride to the not-so-wealthy part of town where my family and I lived.

Where is he?!

"Gabriel!" I half-shouted and half-whined, on the verge of tearing up. I lost my little brother. What kind of an elder sister I was! "This isn't funny anymore." I moved forward into blinding whiteness and rubbed my freezing hands. The temperature was falling.

"Giselle!"

I perked up at Gabriel's voice. "Gabriel!" I called for him and looked around searching for his small figure in the thick fog.

"Giselle!" Oh thanks the heaven! The brat is alive! Relief flooded inside me.

I rushed to the direction of his voice, but stopped when I saw four big shadows making their way toward me. Fallen leaves crunched and twigs snapped with their footsteps, and alarms went off inside my head as they got closer. But once I made out their faces, fear was replaced by inexplicable shyness, along with the swirl of emotions that came whenever a particular guy was around me.

I knew the four guys now standing in front of me. They were from my school.

One of them was Noah Sylvan, aka the most gorgeous being I had ever laid eyes on. High cheekbones, defined jaw lines, heart-shaped lips, straight-edged nose, and add on top striking emerald green eyes. A face crafted with such perfection. His dark blond hair, that was cut short at the sides, had longer strands at front tousled, giving him a hot-messy look. The man was easily over 6 feet with athletic built which was hidden under black and grey checked sweater and dark jeans.

Right now his vibrant green eyes were on me, skimming down my short chubby figure and pricking my body with their intensity. Suddenly, I didn't feel cold anymore, his gaze heated me up.

A big force collided with my stomach, tearing my gaze away from Noah and almost making me stumble. "Where were you Giselle?!" I looked down to the big watery eyes of my brother. "I-I couldn't find you." He sniffled and hugged me tighter. "I-I..." His words got drowned out by sobs.

"It's okay Gab," I comforted him and rubbed his back. My heart clenched hearing him cry and I felt guilty for not being more responsible. I had lost my brother. "I'm here now... I'm here. Don't run away like that again. Okay."

He nodded and clutched my jacket, burying his face in my tummy. He must've been really scared to take my words just like that.

"Don't cry like that buddy. You were barely lost," Gordon Blair cooed. He was smiling and frowning at the same time, looking at my brother latched onto me like a koala. "We found him crying to himself not far away. It took a lot of coaxing to get him to come with us," he told me and finally a complete smile broke out on his lips. "You taught him well about the stranger danger."