Chapter 17

Cadella's POV

Without hesitating, I started to struggle. I wasn’t going to be killed in an alley way. There was no way I was going to be statistic.

“Easy, soricel, easy.” A familiar voice spoke against my neck.

I closed my eyes. I wanted to relax into his arms, but his handsome face came to mind. Instead of his usual amber eyes, they were glowing red. Some part of me knew I should keep fighting.

I should run.

Stay.

Trying to clear my head, I shook it.

He’ll protect you. Stay.

How can he protect me? He was one of them. I’d seen his red eyes. No, I needed to run.

Vasile is safe. Being away from him is dangerous.

The voice in my head was wrong, yet I felt myself soften in his arms. His strength sapping my energy. I leaned into him more. 

“There’s my girl.” I could hear a small smile. “What’s wrong?” His voice still sounded concerned.

What’s wrong? How about monsters are real? I had seen them with my own eyes. Or let’s start with the fact that you’re a monster. My thoughts screamed in my mind, yet I stayed silent.

He’s not a monster. Trust him.

“Cadella?” I wanted to answer him, to scream at him.

I wanted answers too. Was he one of them? His eyes told me he wasn’t human.

My mind was all jumbled as I tried to put everything together. I know what I saw, what I heard. There was no way they were human, not even in costume.

The man moved so fast he was practically a blur. He hit the beast so hard, it’d gone down with a single swing.

Beast. No, it wasn’t just a beast. I’m eighty percent sure it was a werewolf. Isn’t that what Vasile and the man had called it.

It fit the bill.

It had been a large humanoid beast looking thing. Features mixed between human and wolf. It stood on two legs. It had hair covered arms, but they were otherwise very human appearing. Except for its claws. Then there was its ears and elongated nose. Yellow eyes that I swear saw through all the shadows.

It had been so much larger than the man. Even with enhanced strength it would have been heavy to get standing again. The alley was long. It would have taken longer than this to move the wounded beast down it.

Yet the alley was empty. Empty with no sign of anything happening. My gaze snapped back to Vasile’s chest, unable to meet his gaze.

But I could feel him looking me up and down. His knowing gaze seeing too much as it always did. Something I loved and hated about the man.

He appeared as put together as always. Not like he had just been discussing a large, monster like it was an everyday topic. Maybe for him it was.

Still, I wasn’t prepared to take the chance and meet his eyes.

What if they were still red?

What if they had never been red?

Had everything been a lie?

I pulled away. I’d been played. My gut was screaming that fact at me. I wasn’t sure what game he was playing, but I knew I’d fallen into his trap. The naive little girl had gotten tangled in his web.

“Cadella, look at me. Are you alright? What happened?” His cool touch under my chin turned my face to look at him.

“I-“ I looked back over my shoulder.

Still empty. There hadn’t been enough time that passed for it to be empty. One man couldn’t move that beast by himself. There had only been one man-and Vasile.

“You what?” Vasile’s voice was growing more concerned.

How much time had passed? Had more passed than I thought?

“I-I don’t know.” My gaze was still focused down the alley way.

“What are you looking for, soricel? What did you see?” He pushed.

“I thought, no.” I pushed out of his arms.

I couldn’t stay here. Not with him. I needed to think, try, and process what I’d seen. Being around him clouded my mind.

“What do you need, Cadella?” Vasile asked.

“Home. I need to go home.” I mumbled.

“Then let’s go. I’ll take you home.” He said, offering me his arm like he had a million times.

“No. I’ll get a taxi.” I said shaking my head as I backed away from him.

“What? No, I’m not allowing you to take a taxi in this condition.” He stepped forward.

I stepped back, hissing when I ran the back of my head into the brick wall of the building behind me. Panic consumed me as I saw him reach forward. Reaching for me, his eyes looking different.

Dropping low, I moved out from in front of him. I needed to get away. My head ached from where it hit.

My hand moved to the area, and winced as my fingers met the warm, wet spot. I was bleeding.

“Cadella! Stop.” Vasile’s words made me stand faster and walk away quickly. I had to get out of this alley way.

There had been taxi’s waiting by the door. Ready to take home those who consumed too much to drive. Maybe they would still be there.

A hand wrapped around my arm just as I stepped into the light by the front door of the bar.

“Hey, tell me what’s going on, please?” Vasile’s voice was soft and kind.

My mouth opened, wanting to follow his direction. To give into his plea. I met his face for the first time since he’d stopped me from running.

Only this time his eyes weren’t red, they were their usual amber color.

Had I imagined it all?

“You’re bleeding?” His voice sounded tight.

How did he know?

His grip on my wrist tightened, drawing my attention to my blood covered fingers.

“How did you get hurt?” His gaze moved over the rest of my body as panic took over his face.

He was there. Why was he asking?

“I hit it on the wall.” I said, my voice sounded flat.

“Let me take you home. You wanted to go right? Let me help you. Once we’re inside I can make sure you don’t need stitches. It’s too dark here.” He pulled me gently toward a black sedan.

He opened the door and had me sitting down with my seat belt fastened before I could argue. My hands were shaking, and my head was starting to ache. I just wanted to go to sleep.

“Here, press this against the back of your head. It’ll sting, but head wounds bleed badly.” Vasile said as he handed me a white cloth.

I did as he commanded not able to muster the energy or strength to fight him. I just wanted to go home.

The car remained silent as we drove back to campus. I didn’t even question when Vasile got out and walked me to my building, or when he asked what floor, I was on at the elevator. Or when he took the key from my still shaking hand and unlocked my door.

“Cadella, let me see.” He gestured to the back of my head.

I turned around, wincing as I removed the cloth that had turned red on the ride home.

“I don’t think you need stitches. Are you steady on your feet, soricel?”

“I’m fine.” I grumbled as I sat in the chair, bending over to undo my boots and get them off.

“Let me help, Cadella.” He said, kneeling at my feet as he pulled down the zipper of my boots.

A few hours ago, I would have loved to have him in this position. Now, all I saw was his amber eyes replaced with red glowing ones.

“I’m not an invalid.” I grunted, pushing his hands away.

“No, but you’re making me worried. You’re pale and shaking like a leaf. You won’t tell me what happened. I can’t help you if I don’t know what happened.” His voice rose to just below a shout-something he’d never done with me.

“Of course, I’m pale, Vasile. What would you expect me to be after seeing what was in that alley way.” I shouted as I stood and started stripping.

A hot shower. That’s what I needed. I didn’t care that Vasile was still here.

“The alley was empty, soricel. There was nothing there.” His voice was soft, like he was talking to a wounded animal that was so scared it was about to attack.

I felt myself sway on my legs as the adrenaline left my body. Shaking that I hadn’t noticed before became more obvious. I was grateful when Vasile’s cool hands steadied me and helped me to the shower.

He warmed the water before leaving the room. I thought he’d left so I could have privacy, but instead he came back a moment later with night clothes for me. Checking the water, he nodded and reached for me. Helping me from the clothes, like a parent would a child he guided me into the shower.

The warm water felt better than I had thought it would and I couldn’t bite back the moan that fell from my lips. Vasile froze for a moment, before he reached for the washcloth on the counter. He wet it under the stream of water, then added soap.

Gently he washed my body, moving slowly and steadily. There was nothing sexual about his touch, but it still felt intimate. He was caring for me in a way no one else had ever done. Satisfied my body was washed he spun me to face the wall and studied the wound on the back of my head.

The care and gentleness he was showing made me wonder if I had saw something, or if it was my imagination playing tricks on me. How could this gentle man be the monster I saw in the alley way?

“I’m just going to wash the blood from your hair. Then you can get out and go to bed. We can talk about whatever you thought you saw in the alley tomorrow. We will talk about it, you can’t hide from me, Cadella. I’m here and I see you.” His tone was gentle, but I couldn’t help but feel like there was a warning hidden in his words.

Cleaned, dried, and dressed, I found myself in my bed and under the covers. Vasile tucking me in like a child.

“Sleep, soricel. We’ll figure everything out in the morning.” He pressed a kiss to my forehead as my eyes grew heavy, already following his command before I could reject it.