His Little Human Mate

Chapter 14

"I want to show you something first, then we can come back and do the cheerful reunion, ok?"

I gesture at the door as I say, "Ok, but why don't we try using the door first?"

I let out a small chuckle after my words, but he doesn't look the least bit amused.

"The window is faster. Please, Noella, just listen."

Scepticism fills me as I slowly start to exit through the window. Something about him feels off. Different, but not in a good way.

Luckily, the hospital is on the first floor, so I only have to drop about four feet before my boots meet the snow. He drops down soon after, handing me my coat that I hurriedly put on, desperate to ward off the chill.

"This way," he says, creeping around the building.

"Why are we sneaking around?" I ask.

Questions pelt my brain like hail, confusion making it hard to see straight.

He turns around to gently grasp my shoulders, his eyes very serious as he says, "I know you have a lot of questions, but I just need you to do what I say until we can get somewhere safe. I will explain everything to you. I promise."

A spider of dread crawls up my spine, making every single one of my hairs stand on end. This isn't right. Something about him is strange. More hard exterior where it  used to be soft.

I nod nonetheless. He's still my dad, and he's the entire reason I came to this forest.

Something in the back of my head whispers of something else I found in these trees. Something with forest green eyes and hair the colour of melted chocolate. Something with a heart of gold but a face of steel. Something that made me feel things. Something that I can never have.

So, ignoring the warnings that yell at me to turn around, I follow him.

He creeps all the way around to the back of the giant building, then, looking both ways as if we're crossing a street, he starts to walk towards the massive wall encasing the this little town.

It still awes me to this day how much existence lives here, but I don't take the time to gaze at it as I trail quietly behind my father.

"Hey! You there!" Someone yells from the arched entrance.

As we get closer, I see that it's one of the soldiers from our trip. Luke, I think I heard one of the guys call him.

"Noella?" He asks as we approach him.

"Luke, this is my father, he found-"

I'm pulled back against a chest just as a hand slams over my mouth, making all my words halt, trapped behind the prison of my lips.

"We were actually just leaving," my father says.

His voice sounds odd, stilted and edged. Rough and angry.

I push and pull at his hand but he's unrelenting, his fingers clenched tight on my cheek.

"I don't think so," Luke says, drawing up his weapon in warning.

I shake my head, desperately trying to free my mouth so I can tell him my father means no harm.

At least, I don't think he does.

"I encourage you to lower that weapon, because the end result won't be pretty," My father says through clenched teeth.

I look up at him to the best of my ability, but I instantly wish I hadn't.

His eyes are no longer the warm brown ones I'm used to, but cold, and black as midnight. His jaw is clenched, and anger seems to seep from every hard line of his face.

"Let go of the girl," Luke warns.

"I will be taking my daughter with me," my father replies confidently.

"Let. Her. Go," Luke all but snarls.

My father's head tilts before he clicks his tongue.

"Those weren't the words I wanted to hear." He says as he steps forward, pushing me with him.

"You will halt this instant and remove your hands from the girl!"

My father laughs, and I cringe at the malicious sound.

"I wouldn't hold your breath." I crane my neck to see a smirk tilt his lips. "Or do."

Luke drops to the ground, his hands clawing at his throat as his face turns an alarming shade of blue.

I scream, but the sound is muffled by the monster holding me.

"I did warn him, Little Flower. His ignorance is not my concern," he soothes. "Now, let's go home, shall we?"