The Creature in the Middle of the Forest
\[ASTRID’s Point of View\]
Run. Run and never look back!
I didn’t go straight to the resort. My mind was too scattered and too angry to sleep, so I fled towards the beach, hoping that the cool sea breeze would calm the storm raging in my chest. I wanted to disappear and never show myself to anyone but I remembered Alpha Zenon and how he risked his life to ensure my father was safe. It was the guilt that was killing me not to go away. I owe Zen so much that this feeling felt like chains around my wrists.
And then there’s Bellamy. The salvation I thought would save me from all this confusion happening in my life. Only he turned out to be the tormentor I never expected. That hot and cold treatment he had given me since the day we met was excruciatingly painful, knowing that he should be the very first person to know what I felt. But he didn’t do anything with the pain. He savored it. I could tell he enjoyed seeing it in my eyes as he watched me suffer with my feelings for him.
“Just f*cking let me go…” I cried, pulling my knees to my chest. It was absurd to see how calm the sea was when my chest felt like it was going to crumble into pieces.
I heard people shouting my name coming from the resort. Zen’s patrol group was already searching for me. Was he already awake? Was he feeling better finally?
The horror of going back to that place and seeing Bellamy again made all the blood on my face drain. No. I wasn’t ready to face him yet after what he did to me. I was scared I might see something I might regret one day. It was crazy how my tails would hide between my legs when I felt like I wanted to kill him for making me look like a fool every time we saw each other.
The voices went louder and louder as seconds passed. I didn’t know why I suddenly panicked and stood abruptly with my feet slipped and buried in the fine, white sand.
No. I didn’t want to go back yet!
Sacred that they might find me, I ran again and didn’t care anymore if the nearby forest was safe or not. My instinct told me to hide. With my witch magic, I erased all the tracks I left on the beach and made sure they wouldn’t detect my scent wherever I went.
But I recognized Briar’s voice. I took in a sharp breath as I thought about how to stay out of his way. Briar was known to have hawklike senses after serving the Miller Clan’s patrollers for over two decades.
“Lady Alice!” Briar’s deep, gruff voice echoed in the forest. “Lady Alice!”
I bit my lower lip hard. My chest was so heavy I couldn’t almost breathe while hearing them call my name. Maybe I should thank my father for making me master the art of concealing myself from the werewolves and other tracker species. It was really handy in situations like this, especially when I needed more time to be alone and process everything away from the two men who brought more chaos into my already chaotic life.
“Lady Alice!”
“Lady Alice, where are you?!”
Hiding from an old, tall tree, I watched all the patrollers search for me behind the tall bushes and trees and deeper into the forest. I felt really bad that I had to make Briar’s life a little harder but I had to think about myself from now on. I would never come back to that resort if Bellamy was still in there.
From the heart of the dark forest came a bloodcurdling shriek of something like a wounded monster. My heart pounded fast in my chest as soon as that noise reached my ears. My knees trembled and the place suddenly went colder and creepier.
What’s that? I hissed to myself as cold beaded sweat started to form on my forehead and rolled down the side of my face. I had never heard such a horrible noise in my entire life and I was sure it wasn’t something I had seen before as well. I couldn’t remember a creature shrieking like that as if it were the death himself.
All the patrollers looked at the sky. As if expecting something would fly over us after that strange shriek filled and echoed throughout the forest. Strong winds blew that shook all the trees that surrounded us and Briar’s men started to shout to go to safety, which made me more scared of the creature that had awakened in the forest.
“We have to head back!” one of the MoonClaw patrollers screamed with an intense look on his face. “It’s not safe here anymore!”
Briar seemed hesitating but as his jaw tightened, he nodded and followed the rest of his team.
I was left on top of the tree, not knowing what to do. I felt that terrible presence still lingering in the forest and I had no idea what would happen if ever that thing found me. Would it break through the spell I used to hide myself from the werewolves?
I wasn’t sure what the hell it was. All I knew was that the creature could pose a greater threat than any of the MoonClaw Pack's enemies, especially if Briar chose to flee with a pale face.
Another wave of strong winds almost knocked me off the tree if I didn’t hold tighter to it. I wanted to scream as terror crawled up my neck yet decided not to because any noise from me might distract the feral creature and would surely locate where I was hiding.
My heart pounded fiercely in my chest as I cursed myself for remaining stubborn. Why didn’t I show myself to Briar? Why did I remain stupid even in the face of danger? What is wrong with me?!
A rustle coming from nowhere made me gasp and in a split second, someone’s hand was already covering my mouth with his body pinning me against the wide old tree.
“Don’t you dare make any sound,” he snarled sharply in my ears, making my eyes wide in horror.
It was Maverick!