22

During the initial days, I was afraid because I shared everything. However, my greater fear was being captured by my packmates again. Edward mentioned that he had encountered the people from the other side of the river multiple times. There was no guarantee that Zen and Alex wouldn't cross the river and come here to find me.

As a result, I spent most of my days anxiously staring at the river from my second-floor window. The only solace I found was watching Edward paint on the lawn in the garden. The sunlight would illuminate his face, giving him a radiant glow like that of a pearl.

Observing Edward's artwork helped alleviate my anxiety. I would often join him while he painted, becoming captivated by his talent. Edward would occasionally joke about using me as a model for his paintings.

"Do you want to be my model?" Edward asked with a mischievous smirk. "Don't worry, I'm skilled at drawing women's clothing, so I won't ask you to pose nude."

Blushing, I replied, "Does that even matter? You've already seen me naked." I recalled the day when Edward changed my clothes after rescuing me from the river.

Chuckling, Edward confessed, "And I must admit, I enjoyed every moment of it."

"You!" I exclaimed, playfully hitting his arm and nearly ruining his painting.

"Ah, please stop," Edward pleaded, trying to protect his artwork.

Suddenly, Edward pulled me close, our eyes locking. His tall stature towered over me as he subtly pursed his lips, glancing from my eyes to my lips.

Despite Edward's frequent flirting, he had always respected the boundaries he had promised to uphold. However, that day, as the sun began to set, I was mesmerized by Edward's unearthly beauty to the point where my body felt weak.

At that moment, it was clear that Edward felt the same way. Ignoring the world around us, he closed the distance between us and kissed me. I held onto his shirt tightly as he put his brushes aside and carried me to the bedroom.

From that point on, we embarked on a long journey together, supporting and caring for each other. It was a journey filled with Edward's loving nature and his unwavering support as I navigated the challenges of hiding my true self. He stayed up with me during nights of pain caused by the marks on my neck. We traveled from city to city, eventually getting married.

Edward was a simple yet amazing person. The marks on my neck began to fade as each day passed.

Years later, on a beautiful sunny day, we had settled in a peaceful countryside. We had purchased a small house, and Edward, being an artist, carefully chose the perfect spot in the garden for his easel. On the other side of the yard, there was a charming small forest, filled with towering trees and various types of flowers.

I completed the laundry and went out to the yard to hang the clothes up to dry. Edward was deeply engrossed in his painting. As soon as he heard me approaching, he quickly stood up and looked at me with concern.

"Ella! You did do the laundry again? How many times do I have to tell you not to do these things? Do you ever listen to me?" Edward asked, his disappointment evident in his voice as he took the basket from me.

Edward started helping me hang the clothes while I sulked. Once we finished, he turned to me and carried me over to a small tea table in the garden. He placed me in a chair and knelt before me, gently kissing my belly and resting his head on my lap as I ran my fingers through his soft hair.

"You need to take care of your health right now. How can you stress our little one like this?" Edward complained, acting like a child whose favorite toy had been taken away.

"I'm sorry," I said, unable to resist Edward's charm. I could never argue with him when he acted so adorable.

Suddenly, Edward noticed something on my neck. He touched it and said, "I didn't kiss you here last night."

"What?" I asked, feeling confused.

"The bite marks," Edward muttered.

"It's nothing. I probably just scratched it," I said, not wanting to worry Edward. He kissed my forehead and went back to his painting.

I had also noticed the marks earlier. They had almost disappeared over the past few years, hardly visible at all. But they were still there, never completely fading away. And I had two marks. But recently, they had unexpectedly turned red.

I had almost forgotten about that part of my life. I thought I had finally moved on from that past.

But for the past few days, I hadn't been feeling well. There was a strange sensation that constantly lingered in my mind throughout the day.

That morning, after many years, I suddenly felt strange and had an ominous feeling. I glanced back at Edward, who was completely absorbed in his painting. He looked incredibly attractive when he worked like this, and just seeing him made me feel warm inside.

My dad was right, Edward was the one for me. I had finally found him. I placed my hand on my stomach and lovingly rubbed it, feeling incredibly happy.

Out of nowhere, a strong gust of wind hit me, causing my face to turn pale and my hands to tremble. I was afraid to turn around, fearing that something terrible was happening. To ease my pain, my wolf, Lexa, had entered a state of eternal sleep after I started my new life with Edward. So, I couldn't sense the danger that was approaching. Slowly, I mustered the courage to look back.

A few feet away, I saw two figures standing there. One was an incredibly attractive man dressed in white, and the other was dressed in handsome black. Two familiar faces appeared before my eyes, Zen and Alex.

They had finally found me, and their eyes were fixed on me. Alex had a smirk on his face, while Zen's expression was filled with extreme anger and jealousy. Their gaze slowly shifted towards Edward, who was still engrossed in his painting.

Panicking, I turned back to Edward. He was completely unaware of their presence, as his focus remained on his artwork. I remembered that a wolf's obsession never dies.

With a sense of urgency, I turned back and screamed at the top of my lungs, "Edward, run!"