Chapter 17: BAD DECISION
Elsa gave him a stupefied look.
"What do you mean you are what she needs?" Dale crossed his arms on his chest and flexed his well-built body, maybe as a way of intimidating the frail teenage-looking man in front of him and assert dominance.
The man brought out a picture. "I am Karl."
He thrust the picture in front of her and Dale watched her eyes widen. He snatched the picture from him and peered into it. There was a man with well defined structures, dark hair except for some Grey sprouts. He was holding a girl with long blonde hair and missing tooth, who appeared to have been clapping when the picture was taken. The woman next to them who wrapped her arms around the man too had long blonde hair, and perfect teeth. What caught his attention was the hair and eyes. The man's eyes were the same beautiful green as the little girl’s, and he knew he had seen that colour somewhere. Slowly, he turned towards Elsa and her eyes were, indeed, the same green. Her hair, the same blonde. He already knew what was happening, without having it explained to him. He gave her back the picture, his face a bit softer. Tears had formed in Elsa's eyes as she hugged the picture to her chest.
"What do you want with her?"
Karl shrugged and pointed his head towards her. "That is between her and me."
Dale instinctively wrapped his arms around Elsa.
Karl eyed Dale's hands' point of contact with Elsa's waist and smirked. Looking at Elsa purposely, as if Dale didn’t exist, he asked.
"Who is the human?"
Elsa didn't answer it, instead shook her head. "Don’t hurt him. What do you know about my parents? Who are you, really?"
He sighed. "Invite me in."
Dale looked at her and shook his head, trying to tell her not to, but she gave him an assuring nod and walked in front of them, Dale following closely behind. Karl didn't bother following, since he knew he wouldn't be able to go in till she wanted him to. He only gave a knowing smile as they walked past, a smile that gave Dale the chills. He looked like he knew something they would never know, probably until he told them. And he didn't look like he was going to, at least not right now. He took a step further, so he was just right in front of the door.
"Invite me in."
His smile was sweet, and Elsa was about to, before Dale held her back. She stopped and looked at him as Karl rolled his eyes. None of them paid attention to him rolling his eyes, enough to see that the pupils in his eyes separated into many others, and only one in each eye was actually rolling. When he stopped, they got back together and became one.
"He looks like trouble, Elsa. He doesn't look good."
"What do you mean I don’t look good? I am charming, human." He said and gave a proud smirk.
"Elsa..."
She shook her head. "He knows something about my parents. They could have told him to come find me and he could only now."
Dale raked his hands through his hair in frustration. "What else is there to know regarding your parents? What would they have given to him or told him that could help you now? Stop being irrational because of the soft spot you have for your parents, please, Elsa. They are dead already. Its your safety that matters now."
She watched his concerned eyes for a while. "I need to know, Dale." He rolled his eyes. Karl was nodding, obviously impressed. "They are my parents, dead or alive. I can’t just leave whatever they left for me because they are no more. I won’t ever be able to live with it." She pounded her chest a bit to emphasize it.
Dale turned to Karl, before turning back to her then led her away into the tent. "Elsa. Maybe you should give your self some time to think. This guy just appears of nowhere, showing you pictures of your family, and asks to be invited I and you trust him? Don’t you think you're being a bit naive?" She watched him then cowered into her hoodie. "What now?" He asked, watching her literally sinking into her hoodie.
"You're angry with me." She said and sank further. He rolled his eyes. "That's not important right now. What's—"
"You're yelling," she cut him off, then batted her eyelashes fast, before sinking further into her hoodie. Only her hair was visible, and her legs were curled up against her. She suddenly felt a drag on her leg, and she sprang out of her hoodie, eyes wide. He laughed at her expression then cupped her chin.
"I am angry with you, baby girl."
"What did I do?"
He caressed her chin with his thumb. "You only see me as a mate."
She looked confused, so he decided to explain. "You don’t love me on your own accord. For you, this is something some moon goddess had prewritten even before I was born and.." His voice trailed off as she kissed him, drawing closer. The kiss lasted a while, before she broke free, staring into his eyes.
"How can I not love you, Dale? There is no way."
He was holding her waist now, rubbing slowly. "Are you sure about that?"
She nodded and he made a pouty face. "I am not convinced. "
"why?"
He drew her face closer to his, his breath hot on her skin. "I need you to say it in your own words."
She closed her eyes, moving her lips forward so she could kiss him, but he moved away a bit, eluding her.
"I love you." She tried to kiss him again and he moved his face a bit farther, before starting to pull down her hoodie so he could access her shoulder. He started to nibble slowly, and she gave a low moan.
"Say it like you mean it." He traced his lips down to her neck, licking the sensitive parts and she locked her legs around him, raking her hands through his hair.
"I love you so much, Dale." He gave a satisfied nod.
"I love you too, Elsa." He then let her kiss him, and he didn’t regret it. She explored his mouth, merged their tongues, and had him wanting more. She broke the kiss and assured him.
"We'll let him in, okay?"
He finally succumbed to her, and she went out to see Karl standing, leaning on the wall.
"Come in." She said, bracing herself. Dale was standing beside her as Karl stepped in, cracking his neck. Four other people emerged from his body as he entered fully, then he gave one of those sweet smiles. "Now, where do we begin, comrades?"