Chapter 101 — Keeping memories

We had been driving for a while, but we were still stuck in the woods.

“We might run out of gas anytime from now,” Devyn said, adding to my worries.

“Even if we get out of here, how do we refuel? We lost everything in the car,” I sighed in frustration as I rubbed my temples, “Why did I have to drive us off that damn cliff?”

I didn’t miss the scowl on Devyn’s face. “What did I tell you about blaming yourself?”

I leaned back in my seat. “But we wouldn’t have been in this mess in the first place if I didn’t.”

“You’re right. But does blaming yourself make things any better?”

I remained silent. He was right. Complaining and blaming myself wasn’t going to get out of this mess, so I figured it was best I kept quiet.

He cast a glance my way, “When we get to town, we’ll be able to make a call to Sven. He’ll send us everything we’ll need. We’ll also check in with Liam to see how things are going over there,” he placed his hand on my knee, offering comfort, “So don’t worry. We’re gonna get out of here soon.”

“Alright.”

At that moment, my stomach growled like a hungry beast, and I realized just how hungry I was.

Devyn chuckled, “And we’ll make sure to get plenty of food too.”

********

As if light from heaven shined down on us, we finally made it out of the woods, and onto the highway. A few minutes after that, we passed a signboard that read, ‘Welcome to Transylvania.’

“Finally,” I breathed out, feeling the weight of the whole journey lifting from my shoulders. Despite all the challenges we had been through for the past few days, we finally made it to Transylvania in one piece.

I couldn’t imagine how I would have survived this long if Devyn hadn't been with me. I might’ve died before I even got to Bucharest.

I smiled at him genuinely when I caught him gazing at me, “Thank you so much for being here with me.”

My heart beat for Devyn, and I knew it would never stop.

“I should be thanking you for sticking with me, despite everything,” he beamed, and I was starting to get used to a happy, smiling Devyn.

When we got deeper into town, I was captivated by the beauty of the city called Transylvania. It felt like we were stepping into a fairytale with its beautiful landscaped and medieval architecture. We passed Dracula’s castle, and I was shocked and in awe to see It in real life. All this time, I believed it was a myth. While I would’ve loved to explore within the castle, time was unfortunately against us.

“When all this is over, I’d love to come back here just to explore,” I said, marveling at the city around me as a rush of amazement surged through me.

“Anything you want, angel.”

My cheeks flushed as the nickname he gave me played through my ears.

When we stopped at a phone booth, I followed after Devyn, making sure we both stayed together, enclosed in the booth. I had no intention of leaving his side.

He dialed Sven who picked up on the first ring. The phone volume was loud enough, allowing me to hear their conversation.

“We lost the car, clothes, phone; Everything, and we’ll need new ones. Get someone in Transylvania,” Devyn said blankly, not even ‘hi or hello’.

“I’ll get Cezar on the phone, he’ll contact someone over there who will get those things to you,” Sven replied, and I wondered how rich Devyn could be to get things done that quick, “We’ll track your location and find you.”

“Don’t make us wait long.”

Sven cleared his throat, “We’ll get to you as quick as we can.“ There was a pause. “But how did you manage to lose everything?”

“We were attacked, and drove off a cliff cliff.”

“A fucking cliff?! That’s crazy. Just be safe, you and your wife.”

Devyn ignored that and cut off the phone abruptly.

My eyes widened. “What if he had more things to say?”

“He doesn’t,” he replied sternly, “The man should get to us in no time.”

My stomach growled again, “I hope it’s soon.

We waited at a park not far away from the phone booth. Leaning my head on Devyn’s shoulder as we sat on a bench, I was already starting to feel relaxed when an uneasy feeling ran down my spine. Someone was watching us, and I couldn’t shake off that feeling. Raising my head, I scanned the area, trying to pinpoint where it was coming from.

Devyn noticed and wrapped his arm around my waist, pulling me closer to him.

“Can you feel it too?” I muttered to him and he nodded.

Suddenly, I caught sight of a man from a distance. He could have passed for an ordinary man with a large build, but what caught my attention were his red eyes.

They gleamed brightly, vivid even from that distance. His eyes were scary and unsettled me deeply. Leaning against a tree, he held a phone to his ear and his mouth moved as he spoke on the call.

Despite being on a call, he didn’t seem to be focused on it as his red, eerie eyes were fixated on me.

Those eyes. I’ve seen them before.

The image of the red-eyed monster flashed through my vision, and I gasped audibly.

“I’m going to kill him,” Devyn growled, rising from his seat. I stopped him by grabbing his arm.

“Don’t. You can’t make a scene. Let him go for now,” I was still shaken from the horrifying image of the monster, “I have a feeling he’s going to come around again. Then you can kill him.”

Reluctantly, Devyn finally agreed to sit after assessing the situation we were in. At that moment, a young guy who looked to be in his late teens approached us. He had very dark long hair that reminded me of Liam, a camera slung over his neck, and a genuine smile.

“Good day,” he greeted politely.

“Hi,” I waved with a smile, though I could feel Devyn’s disapproval beside me.

“I hope you don’t mind me asking. Are you two a couple?” he asked nervously.

His question caught me off-guard, and before I could respond, Devyn beat me to it.

“Mind your damn business, kid.”

The poor guy looked terrified, and I felt bad for him. Giving Devyn a warning squeeze on his arm, I flashed a smile at the kid.

“Don’t pay him any mind; he’s untamed.”

I watched Devyn scowl at me from the corner of my eye, as the guy tried to stifle laughter.

“And yes, we’re couples.”

“She’s my wife,” Devyn cut in, and for some reason, the way he made emphasis on the wife part made my cheeks blush.

The guy looked pleased, “You’re the most beautiful-looking couple I have ever come across.”

I felt myself blush at his words, “Thank you.”

“Do you mind if I take pictures of both of you? Please?” he asked eagerly.

“What do you plan to do with it?” Devyn was the one who asked.

“I’ll give you the pictures immediately. I can guarantee you’re going to love it!” his excitement was contagious.

Come to think of it, Devyn and I had no pictures of us together. It would be really good to keep memories of us.

“Go ahead,” Devyn agreed, surprising me.

The next minute, we were posing for photos. I tried to strike the best poses, while Devyn sat there as if he had no care in the world. When the guy finished, he handed us the photos. As I browsed through them, I couldn't hold back my laughter at Devyn's expressions.

"Why so serious?" I teased.

He looked at the pictures closely, “I’m not photogenic.”

I couldn’t resist as I kissed his cheek, “I think you look perfect in these pictures.”

I found my favorite picture of us. In it, I leaned my head on Devyn’s shoulder, grinning widely as if the cameraman held Diana’s candy as a reward for the shoot. Devyn on the other hand, had the same usual stern look on his face, but if you looked closely, you could see the subtle curve of his lips, and the sparkle in his cold blue eyes as he looked at me.

The look of love.

Eyes truly don’t lie.

“These are beautiful. We’ll make sure to keep them framed,” I beamed at the young man.

“I should thank you for blessing my eyes and my camera,” he smiled as he leaned awkwardly.

Devyn surprised me when he spoke, “Somehow, you managed to capture every emotion in these pictures. Keep doing what you’re doing, kid. You have a talent.”

Heat crept on the guy’s cheeks, as he rubbed the back of his neck nervously.

Right before he left, he said to us, “If you don’t have kids already, just know you’re going to have the most beautiful little angels.”

Heat rushed into my heart at his words, spreading to my face. I never seriously thought of having kids, but suddenly, I found myself imagining what they might look like. I wondered if Devyn thought the same thing.

Suddenly, a tall man I could instantly tell was a werewolf approached us.

“From Sven,” he said in a robotic voice, “Follow me.”

That was quicker than I thought.

We followed after him till we got to a black small BMW. He handed Devyn the car keys, a wallet containing credit cards in it, and a stack of Romanian cash.

After the man left, and we settled into the car, we drove off, leaving the mini-truck behind.

“Do you have men on standby all over the globe? How did he get here so fast?” I asked.

Devyn chuckled, “Sven has his ways. As annoying as he can be, he’s very efficient.”

As we drove, I watched Devyn glance at the pictures of us one more time, a smile tugging at his lips as he placed them in his wallet.