Chapter 140 140.Midnight Rendezvous
Tabitha’s POV
I can’t stop myself from pacing around as the clock strikes at midnight. I’m supposed to be at Hakai Pier by this time, but here I am still in my room! I’m getting too used to getting late.
I glance through the window and notice the silhouettes of guards posted and roaming around the mansion. I’m not sure if I’m only noticing this now or there have always been guards stationed outside the mansion. Either way, I won’t be able to sneak out of the estate at this rate.
I need to find a way to get out of here and meet with Wilson. I don’t fully believe his words, but there is a nagging feeling at the back of my head that keeps screaming for the truth, and for now, Wilson feels like the only key that can unlock it.
“Ah, damn it,” I mutter under my breath as another minute passes by.
I’m not gonna accomplish anything by staying here.
So I do the smartest thing I can think of and sneak out of the window.
My room sits high enough that the ground looks farther than I would like. I swing one leg over the ledge and grip the edge with both hands before lowering myself slowly.
Shit!
My already wounded leg scrapes against the rough wall and pain shoots up my shin but I grit my teeth and keep going. My foot searches for the narrow stone trim below and misses. For one sick second my body slips and I slide down the wall, my fingers burning as they fight for purchase. My stomach drops.
“Ah—” I catch a crack in the stone and cling to it before I can fall. My knee grinds against the surface and the earlier scrape tears open again. “Shit, shit!” I hiss under my breath but I refuse to look down. I lower myself inch by inch until my arms can no longer stretch and then I let go.
I land on the grass with a dull thud. The impact sends a jolt through my legs and the sound carries farther than I expect. A few meters away a patrolling guard stops mid step.
Fuck.
I dart toward the nearest bush and drop beneath it, pressing myself flat against the earth. My heart slams against my ribs.
Panting, I pull out the potion that the brothers gave me. The golden vines slithers around in a way that makes them look like snakes around a crystal, especially under the dull light of the night. The purplish liquid inside sparkles like glitters and I waste no time and spray it all over me. It’s supposed to hide a werewolf’s scent. I’m not sure if it only works for werewolf scent or if it will also hide even human scent, especially my scent which is probably something the guards are familiar with. Either way, I coat myself with it and hope for the best. It doesn’t have a scent, so I’m not sure if it’s even doing anything.
I just hold my breath as the guard moves toward the bushes where I’m hiding. Shit. He pauses. Then, I see his boots shift as he surveys the area. He leans closer to the bush and for a moment I am certain this is it. I brace myself for a hand to grab me.
“Darian…” a voice calls out from behind him.
The guard straightens at once. “Evren!” he says in surprise.
Wait, Evren is here?
Sweat trickles down my chin as Evren’s chilling voice permeates through the night. Shit. My brain goes haywire at the possibility of being spotted by Evren.
What am I even gonna tell him once he discovers that I’m hiding beneath this bush like an idiot? ‘Oh hi there, I was just trying to sneak out, hope you don’t mind’? I’m so screwed!
“What are you doing over there?” Evren asks the patroling guard.
“Oh I just—well, I heard some noise. Thought I might check.”
“It’s just probably a frog. I saw plenty of them.” Evren says. “Stop wasting your time here and come help me check the north fence. I think one of the sensors is glitching again.”
Darian hesitates for a second before nodding. “Right. I’ll take a look.”
They walk away together and their footsteps fade into the distance.
Perfect!
I wait another full minute before crawling out from beneath the bush. When I am sure the coast is clear, I keep low and move toward the driveway. I spot my bicycle resting near the side gate where I left it weeks ago. I grab it and wheel it quietly toward the road before hopping on and pedaling hard.
I expect another guard to appear at any second, but none do. Somehow I manage to ride away from the Aldair estate without crossing paths with anyone else. It is summer but the air feels cold against my skin even through my hoodie. The harsh wind cuts against my face as I push harder on the pedals.
After almost half an hour of biking, I reach Hakai Pier.
But the place is empty.
The small pier stretches out into the dark water and even the street lights are off. The sea makes a hollow sound against the wood and the whole place feels wrong. I resist the urge to take out my phone and use the flashlight because the glow might attract attention and I have no explanation ready if someone asks why I am here at midnight.
Where the hell is Wilson? As I aimlessly wander around, I start to consider if he was just messing around when he told me to come here at freaking midnight. Or did I arrive a bit too late? I blame the guards!
I kick a nearby rock in frustration. Maybe this was a mistake. Maybe I let his words get inside my head and now I am standing alone for nothing.
Just when I am about to leave and accept that this whole trip was pointless, a hand suddenly clamps over my mouth from behind and another grips my arm to yank me off balance. I jolt hard and twist at once, my elbow driving backward in reflex as I try to break free, but my captor shifts and pulls me several steps away from where I had been standing.
“Shh. Follow me,” a voice whispers against my ear.
Wilson!
I stop struggling and nod so he knows I understand. He removes his hand from my mouth and releases my arm, then gestures for me to move with him. I hesitate for a moment. But in the end, I follow him quietly. He sets a quick pace and keeps adjusting our direction. He’s warily glancing around while steering me behind trees and bushes every now and then as if he expects someone to spot or pounce on us.
Frowning, I survey the darkness that stretches around us. I don’t see anyone nearby or any sounds aside from our footsteps, so I don’t understand why he looks so tense. Regardless, I remain silent and just strides beside him. Besides, I refuse to argue with the instincts of a werewolf. They have sharper senses that mine.
We walk for several minutes until the surroundings begin to look familiar. The narrow streets and low houses trigger recognition before I even fully process it. Hang on, this place…
“What are we doing here?” I finally blurt out.
He doesn’t respond. Instead, he continues forward and turns down a route I could navigate with my eyes closed. This is the place I grew up in! The small village mostly houses small-time fishermen and their family. Why are we here? I didn’t expect that werewolves are very active in this area since it’s a bit isolated from the other villages in the island.
I am itching for an explanation but Wilson totally ignores me. He continues to lead me straight toward a house that is burned into my memory. We stop in front of it and I stare at the door and the windows that once framed my entire childhood.
Our old house.
“Wilson—”
“Let’s go,” he says, cutting me off.
He opens the door and steps inside without hesitation. I pause for only a second because this house was sold five years ago and walking in feels wrong, but confusion pushes me forward and I follow him in. The living area greets me with the same structure I remember, and that familiarity unsettles me more than if everything had been replaced.
“So, can you tell me now why we’re here?” I ask, unable to keep the irritation out of my voice.
“You might also want to tell me why you are only coming now when I specifically told you to meet me at midnight,” he claps back as he turns to face me.
“Hah. You’re lucky I made it at all. Do you know how many guards and cameras I had to get past just to step outside without setting off an alarm at the Aldair estate?”
Wilson exhales in frustration, and before he can answer, a voice speaks from behind us.
“What is she doing here?” the voice demands.
I turn around and see my mom standing in the doorway, staring at me with wide eyes.