Forbidden Mate: Awakening

~NARRATOR’S POV~

Aunt Belinda and Sarah continued to walk deep into the forest, searching for clues about Lily and Adrian’s disappearance. They followed a path that seemed to show where they were taken and the last one anyone remembered they last passed through.

Aunt Belinda looked around then spoke to Sarah in a concerned voice, “Sarah, we need to focus and be alert. Look for anything that seems strange or different-footprints, signs of a fight, anything that might give us an idea of what happened.

Sarah nodded, her gaze fixed as she knelt down to examine the disturbed ground. “I’m searching.”

Aunt Belinda crouched beside Sarah, her voice tinged with worry. “It’s crucial that we remain calm and attentive. We can’t afford to miss anything.”

Sarah’s brow furrowed in concentration as she carefully examined a patch of dirt. “Look at these markings. They’re deep, as if someone was dragged here.”

Aunt Belinda’s eyes widened, realization dawning upon her. “You’re right. It seems there was a struggle, and Lily might have put up a fight.”

As they walked on, they noticed signs around that an attack had truly occured there. The ground had footprints and marks from a struggle, and they could feel the residue presence of vampires around the area.

Sarah and Aunt Belinda moved quietly and spoke softly as they continued to search the area for more evidence of an attack on Lily. They were careful with each step they took.

As they continued their search, their conversation flowed and they encouraged themselves.

Sarah’s voice quivered, “Aunt Belinda, we can’t lose faith. We have to believe that Lily is still out there, waiting for us to find her.”

Aunt Belinda placed her hand on Sarah’s shoulder, “Sarah, my dear, we won’t give up. We’ll search every inch of this forest until we bring Lily back home. We’ll do whatever it takes.”

Tears glistened in Sarah’s eyes as she stared at Aunt Belinda. “Lily means the world to me, and I can’t rest until she’s safe. If only I was there with her…She’s a strong person but I know she’ll be scared everyday in whatever strange place she’s being held in.”

Aunt Belinda pulled Sarah into a hug and the latter sobbed softly. Aunt Belinda assured Sarah they’d find Lily, even if it’s not that day but they would very soon.

As they ventured further into the forest, they stumbled upon a man who had been badly hurt. He was laying next to the trunk of a tree with bruises all over his face and body and a bite mark on his neck.

Sarah and Aunt Belinda looked knowingly at eachother. He did look like one of them so Aunt Belinda stepped forward first to go closer to him, Sarah carefully tagging behind.

The man coughed and Aunt Belinda told Sarah to hand her a bottle of water to give to him, which Sarah did. Aunt Belinda quickly handed the man water to drink which he took and gulped down quickly but the bleeding from his neck and pain which surged through him didn’t stop.

As Sarah and Aunt Belinda approached the dying escort, his labored breaths filled the air. They knelt beside him and continued to examine him.

“He got bitten by a vampire, Aunt. He’s dying…” Sarah cried.

“I know. He doesn’t have much time.. Listen, were you sent to escort Lily that day?”

The escort’s voice came out as broken whispers, “Yes…me and…2 others, but they…are dead…”

Sarah’s voice trembled with empathy as she gently touched the man’s arm. “Hang on, please. We need to know what happened to Lily. Can you tell us who took her?”

The escort’s voice was weak, his words strained. “V… vampires… They ambushed us… Lily… taken…”

Sarah gasped,”Oh gosh! So Audrey was right?”

Aunt Belinda’s eyes widened and her voice sounded urgent. “How many were they? Did you see where they took her?”

The escort struggled to speak. “They were… too many… couldn’t… fight… They took her… to their… lair… deep in the… woods…”

Sarah’s grip tightened on his arm as she pleaded. “Please, tell us more. Any details you can remember.”

The escort’s breathing grew shallow. His strength was waning. “I… I tried to fight… but they… overpowered me… Lily… brave… she fought… too… They… knocked her… unconscious… took her away… Please… save her…”

Aunt Belinda’s voice trembled. “We will, I promise. But first, can you describe the vampires? Anything that could help us identify them?”

The escort’s eyes darted back and forth, as if recalling a painful memory. “Some… wore dark… clothes… robes …. symbols… be careful… they’re… powerful…”

Sarah’s voice shook with fear and determination. “We won’t let them get away with this. We’ll do whatever it takes to bring Lily back safely.”

With his last ounce of strength, the dying escort managed a weak nod. “Thank… you… I know…I failed…in…. duty…please…. Find… Lily… save… her…”

As his life slipped away, Sarah and Aunt Belinda shared a somber moment of silence, honoring his sacrifice. They exchanged determined glances even though their hearts were heavy but ready to take action.

Aunt Belinda’s voice carried a steely tone. “Sarah, you have to go back to tell Lily’s parents so they can gather a team, find those vampires, and rescue Lily and Adrian. Time is of the essence.”

Sarah nodded. “We should go back as soon as we can. You’ll be the one to talk to Lily’s parents. We need to-”

“Sarah, you know I can’t go back there.” Aunt Belinda said whilst shaking her head slowly.

“But, why?”

“The same reason I live in the cottage in the woods.”

“But, Aunt, please…it’s Lily…it’s urgent…” Sarah’s eyes glistened with tears.

Aunt Belinda looked down and seemed to be wrestling with her own thoughts. “I don’t know…”

“I know Lily’s dad will listen to you over me, any day any time. Please Aunt…” she held Aunt Belinda’s arm until the lady finally nodded at her.

“Fine, but we shouldn’t waste any time.”

Aunt Belinda’s hands trembled as she clutched her pendant, her knuckles turning white. Sarah’s eyes welled up with tears as she stood up. They understood the gravity of the situation and the urgency to rescue Lily and Adrian from the hands of the vampire clan.

“We have to find them,” Aunt Belinda said. “We can’t let them suffer any longer. They need us.”

Sarah nodded.

And so they made their way back to the grove with the confession of a dying escort as their proof to convince Lily’s parents that their daughter was still alive but in grave danger.This content © Nôv/elDr(a)m/a.Org.

••••••••••

Jaxon’s eyes narrowed as he observed Audrey’s every move. The realization of her deceit had slowly dawned on him. He remembered when he and Lily had talked about Audrey’s manipulative skills and how she had hidden intentions but with the way he had studied her recently, he was certain she was not who it seemed she was or who she wanted people to see her as.

He approached her with caution when she was sitting alone in the garden and sat opposite her.

“It’s been long we both talked, Audrey.” He caught her attention quickly, and gave her a wry smile.

Audrey didn’t look particularly pleased or interested in any conversation with anybody at the moment, “And what is it that you want from me?”

“There’s no need for you to sound so rude. I just wanted to come up to you…to talk.”

“About what?” Audrey said impatiently.

“So, you’ve been playing both sides, haven’t you?” Jaxon’s voice carried subtle betrayal. He knew it when it saw it. His brows furrowed with hidden anger and intrigue.

“What the hell are you talking about?” She rolled her eyes.

“War is brooding, Audrey. The grove and pack are dysfunctional right now. We might never see each other again. There’s no need for you to lie, okay?”

Audrey studied him for a while before she crossed her arms, a defiant smirk on her face. “And what if I have, Jaxon? What if I’ve been playing both sides? It’s called survival. You should try it sometime.”

Jaxon’s jaw clenched as he saw through her facade. “Survival? Is that what you call it? Betraying everyone around you for your own gain?”

He was indirectly confronting himself though he tried to hold his composure.

Audrey’s eyes narrowed with an arrogant look. “You can’t blame me for looking out for myself. In this world, you either adapt or die.”

Jaxon leaned in closer and spoke with a low but intense voice, “You’re right, Audrey. We’re all fighting for our own survival, but there’s strength in numbers. I want to offer you a partnership, a chance for us to work together and get what we both want.”

Audrey chuckled, “Jaxon, is it really you that is talking right now? Lily’s own pet dog? Oh, don’t tell me you want to change sides now she’s gone. Or have you actually been the one deceiving us all and playing all sides?”

Jaxon felt guilt and apprehension hit him. He didn’t know how to answer that. He struggled to reply, “I…Leave Lily out of this. You see, noone questioned you about Lily’s disappearance even though you claimed to be the last person who saw her. I see through you, but I haven’t come up to you to ask about her or deny your claim, have I?”

“Touché, but eliminating Lily is not something I’d personally get my hands dirty doing. She’s never been my problem and she will never be, again.”

Jaxon tried his best to maintain his composure and not give in to his urge to slap her for how venomous her words were, “So, the proposal?”

Audrey’s smirk transformed into a cynical smile. “What exactly do you think I want, Jaxon?”

Jaxon’s gaze never wavered. “Power. Control. Authority. You’ve always craved it. I’ve always noticed you. With the right alliance, we could achieve great things together.”

Audrey scoffed, “You think I’d ever align myself with someone like you? You don’t know anything about strategy and playing the game of the realm, Jaxon. You’re literally just a pawn and you don’t even realise it.”

Jaxon’s eyes hardened. For a moment, he felt she did see through him. Aflicker of hurt crossed his features.

“I thought we shared a connection, Audrey, a shared desire for something others felt wasn’t right. I thought… we would understood each other. People misunderstand you, but I understand you.”

Audrey’s expression turned icy, “You don’t know anything about me, Jaxon. And you never will.”

Jaxon’s frustration simmered beneath the surface, “Fine. Have it your way. But mark my words, you’ll regret this. You’ll see what it’s like to stand alone.”

With a final glare, Jaxon turned on his heels and walked away, leaving Audrey to contemplate her choices. He did feel sad because he realized they had gone their separate ways for good, not that they were united in any sense before, but any plans to work together had fallen apart as soon as Audrey rejected him. His heart hurt from this realization.

This is why he never opened up to people, not to talk less of an icy bitch like Audrey.

This is why he kept his deepest darkest desires to himself.

He felt so dumb, so vulnerable now he’d had that conversation with her and she had an idea of the other part of himself he hid from everyone else in the grove.

He had made the biggest mistake of his life at that moment but didn’t realise it until later on.