SAPPHIRE
The next day, I didn't leave the house because of what happened the day before. I didn't want to take a risk, at least as long as Bella wasn't here. It was my responsibility to keep myself alive because apparently, my blood had the ability to free this place of all the werewolves.
I tried to complete my review but didn't feel like doing it so I left it unfinished. I searched through the bookshelf to find something interesting to read but couldn't. I tried to watch a movie but didn't find anything interesting. I even decided to cook but then decided against it. My heart didn't settle on any timepass because of the resident fear ticking like a time bomb inside my brain.
In the end, I decided to take a long, warm bath. The soothing water calmed my senses and for a good fifteen minutes, I almost forgot that I was in a tub and not on a soft bed.
The memories of last night appeared in my memory, how Connor kept me secured near him the whole night and how we wake up glued to each other in the morning, how my fingers felt while resting on his smooth yet taut skin and how good he smelled from up close.
But my happy thoughts didn't remain happy for long when I heard the noise of footsteps from my room. The alarming thing was the footsteps were different from Connor's muffled one. They were loud and clear, almost like the person owned this place.
My stomach felt queasy and I stepped out of the tub, to wrap a fluffy robe around me. Entering the room, I looked around nervously but didn't find anything odd.
I was probably being delusional, I thought. I had let Atticus West control my senses and it was giving him an edge over me. There was nobody here, not after the spell Bella put in the house.
I was about to go to the closet when another sound stopped me in my tracks. I gasped in horror when I heard the sound of footsteps walking down the stairs.
I had always made fun of those heroines who followed the source of the voice in horror movies but now I understood why they did this. The curiosity of finding the intruder was greater than the instinct to save ourselves, which was weird in a way.
Wrapping the robe tightly around me, I left my room. My sandals clicked on the marble floor as I made my way downstairs. My stomach was tightened in the worst way possible and I feared that if I came accross Atticus, I might shit myself in fear. There was something about him that suggested that he won't think before snapping my neck in half. But with his power, he could have done this the minute he met me. What was he waiting for?
Both Connor's and Bella's room was closed so I stepped towards the living room. Apprehension filled my being as I looked inside and relief washed over me when I didn't find anybody inside.
But at the exact moment, I felt a very strong feeling of a presence behind me and I turned around swiftly. But again, my eyes met with the wall.
"I k... know... y... you're here." I said, my voice betraying me for the obvious reason. "Show me your face, Mr. West."
I didn't expect something to happen but when the door of living room shut behind me with a loud bang, I screamed loudly on instinct. My whole body started shivering and sweat coated my face.
"Stop hiding, Atticus. Kill me. Come on, don't be a coward." I said, ignoring the drumming of my heart.
I didn't know he would take my words seriously because the moment I stopped, I heard a loud howl that reverberated through my being.
Another scream left my mouth and all the courage drained out. Looking around, when I didn't find any open door, I rushed towards the main door and tried to open it. But there was something wrong; it wasn't opening. The door was locked in its place and despite my effort, it didn't open.
"Fuck, fuck, fuck." I cursed again and again, my voice hopeless as I tried to open the door. Behind me, I heard another growl and the desperation in my prayers increased.
"Please, open up." I begged again and tried to open it. It opened up after my fifteenth effort and wasting no time, I rushed out of the house.
My feet moved on their own as I ran towards the other end of the street, not noticing anything around me. I had reached the end of the street when a car came rushing. My whole life appeared in front of my eyes as I expected the car to kill me but before it could hit me, it came to a screeching halt.
"Sapphire," Connor's worried voice reaches my ears as he left the car and rushed towards me. "What happened?" he said, noticing my state. That's when I realised that I was in the street in nothing but a towel robe, with my wet hair sticking to my body. I was looking like a psycho, which I probably would be, by the time Atticus would be done with me.
"Just... Drive away." I whispered, my voice breaking.
He took me to the car and then seated me inside. He settled on the driver's seat and then turned to me. "What happened?"
"He is there, in your house. He is there to kill me." I said frantically, the fear in my voice clear.
"Who's there?" he asked in confusion.
"Atticus West." I said, fighting the buildup of tears in my eyes.
His face contorted in worry after which he drove the car and stopped in front of his house after a minute.
"No, don't go inside." I gripped his hand to stop him.
"I'll be back. Just let me check." he said and rubbed my arm.
"No. Please, stay here. Don't go in." I begged in a frustrated voice.
"Ssshhh," he cupped my face and tried to calm me. "Just let me check."
He left the car and went inside the house. I clutched my robe tightly in anxiety and waited for his return. With every minute that passed, my stress increased and I started imagining different scenarios; most of them ended with Connor being attacked by Atticus.
But after some five minutes that felt like a century, Connor walked out of the door safe and locked it behind him. He walked towards the car and then settled in on the drive seat, giving me my bagpack.
"Your mobile, wallet and everything else is inside. And there is an extra T-shirt and shorts inside, you can change if you want. I have taken my credit cards and everything else and locked all the doors. If you won't mind, let's spend a day or two at my aunt's cabin in the woods." he said, holding my hand.
"No, not the woods." I replied.
"It's okay. These are not those scary woods. It is on the opposite side of this town. I'm sure you would feel comfortable there." he said and the surety in his voice calmed me.
I nodded and retreated back in my seat. I was still feeling nauseous and the howls were still imprinted in my memory but his presence beside me was calming.
"Okay," I whispered softly.
°°°°°
He was right. This cabin was at the opposite side of the town. It took us almost an hour to reach this place and throughout the drive, I kept thinking about what happened at Connor's house earlier.
Once he stopped the car in front of the cabin, I followed him to the door as he unlocked it and we entered inside. This place was cozy and warm, unlike the cold outside. It wasn't the biggest cabin ever but it was large enough for two people.
"Make yourself comfortable," he said as he cleared the couch off everything and made space for me.
"Thanks." I faked a smile and then seated myself. While Connor settled everything, I kept thinking about all the worse things happening in my life.
The tears I was controlling silently trailed down my cheeks, despite my efforts of hiding them. I rubbed my eyes, so that Connor won't see my like this but I failed and he noticed the tears in my eyes.
The look of pity on his face reminded me of Roman and I hid my face in between my palms. "I am not crazy, I swear." My voice was muffled. I didn't want to think of me as crazy like Roman did. "I am just exhausted."
The couch dipped beside me and he put his hand on my shoulder. "I know," he whispered.
My lower lip trembled as I controlled the urge to sob like a baby. "I should go change out of this bathrobe. Thank God it was dark outside." I said and stood up before I embarrass myself more.
He guided me to the only room in the cabin. The room was small and cozy, with just a small bed and a cupboard filling it. After he closed the door behind him, I changed into the fresh clothes and then combed my hair that were knotted badly.
I was still combing my hair when the door opened and Connor walked inside. "Do you need something to eat?" he asked.
"No, thanks. I am not hungry." I passed him a brief smile.
"Good, because there isn't anything in the fridge." he chuckled and then walked towards me, stopping only when he was inches away from me. There was only two of us here, in the woods alone. And that thought was making my stomach feel funny.
"Your eyes are red," he said and brought his hand to my cheeks. His fingers lingered there for a moment and the softness urged me to close my eyes and lean into him.
"I think you should tell the police." he suggested.
"Police can't help me," I whispered back.
His fingers that were tracing my cheeks now cupped my face gently and he leaned towards me. I closed my eyes when I felt his lips on mine, soft and gentle. Angling my neck, I kissed him to forget everything that was going around me. It was a little selfish of me but it wasn't like I didn't feel something for him.
His tongue explored my mouth while his scent kept me sane. On their own, my hands moved to his buttons and I tried to unbutton them but that's when he pulled away.
"You're not thinking straight right now," he said, creating a safe distance between us. There was something different in his eyes, something like fear. Fear of getting closer to me?
"Please," my voice sounded desperate as I scooted closer to him and held his face in between my hands. "I need this."
Within moments, the fear in his eyes was replaced by something else, something more intimate. "Fuck," he cursed softly and then pulled me towards him. His one hand gripped my head and his other hand rested on my waist as he kissed me hard.
He took me with him to the nearest wall and pinned me with his arms, his lips still keeping mine engaged. His hands on my butt guided my legs around his waist, while his mouth now moved to my neck.
Desire clouded my senses and I moaned out loud. His touch was enough to make me forget every bad thing that happened today. Ignoring all inhibitions, I traced my fingers down his shirt and traced his taut abs.
"Sapphire," he whispered in my ears before his hands glided on my waist. He took it off in a swift motion, leaving me naked.
I took the advantage of doing the same. Supporting my back against the wall, I took off his shirt and when my eyes met with the contours of his chest, a tingle erupted in between my legs.
This time, I dominated him during the kiss and took my time to trace every nook and corner of his mouth. He tasted like orange juice, which was now my favourite flavour.
Soon, both of our moans filled the room. We first did it against the wall and then shifted to the bed, all the while keeping our hands on each other. He was different than Roman, better in many ways. He did his best to make me feel special and when I finally lay down to sleep in his arms, I couldn't help but think maybe he was the one for me.
°°°°°
The sunlight was piercing the glass window and falling right on our naked bodies. Connor was lying underneath me, his soft snores filling the room.
Our bodies were glued together and his skin was enough to keep me warm. His hard muscles was digging into my soft body, making me aware of his presence. I pushed his brown soft locks away from his forehead and placed a small kiss there.
The moment was perfect, until my phone ringing somewhere in my bag disturbed my focus. I groaned internally and parted from him, making sure not to wake him up.
I slipped into his shirt and closed the buttons. I was still sore down there as I made my way to the lounge. He was certainly blessed in size department, something I wasn't used to.
I blushed deeply as I leaned down to pick up my bag. The caller ID showed Bella's number.
Frowning, I picked it up and from the other side, Bella's worried voice came. "God, where are you Sapphire?"
"I... I... Um. Don't worry about me. I am fine. Where are you?" I asked, skipping the part where Atticus invaded Connor's house.
"I am at Connor's house and nobody is inside. Are you with him?" she asked, sounding jittery all of sudden.
"No," I don't know why I lied. Maybe because I wasn't ready to tell her about Connor and me. Because knowing everything, Atticus West will find a way to ruin this for me.
"Thank God," she said. "Look, stay where you are and don't tell me the address. He might be listening to our conversation. And check your messages right now. I sent you what I found in Connor's room." she said and cut the call.
Confusion filled my mind and I opened WhatsApp. There was a picture from Bella, of Connor's room. But instead of the plain solid wall beside the TV, there was a large locker in the wall. And inside the locker, there was a large collection of guns and arrows of different kinds.
Before I could comprehend anything, my phone rang again. "Hello, what was that?" I asked Bella.
"Sapphire, that man is clearly bad news. From what I understand, he is a hunter and he wants to use your blood to get rid of werewolves." she stated and my whole body felt weak at this.
Oh God!
This can't be true. This can't be.
"Bella, I need to tell you something." I decided to tell her about Connor. There was no way he wanted to harm me when he had been nothing but kind with me. There was something wrong; somebody was trying to frame him.
"What?" she asked.
"I am here at..." My words got caught in my throat when something cold and sharp touched the front of my neck, stinging my skin a little.
"Don't say another word." The voice of Connor Hunt said as he increased the pressure on my neck. His voice was familiar but his tone was different; threatening and dangerous. The next moment, my phone was pulled put of my hands and before I could say anything, I felt a sharp prick on my neck after which darkness enveloped me.
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