CHAPTER 3: GONE

The woman I brought home is getting in my mind. I can't get her out of my head. Her face was imprinted to my brain like it was a portrait hanging on my room that I needed to memorize. It is giving me chills.

To think of other things, I investigated a case and found out I was right about the inklings that got out from the afterlife. Someone broke the spell barriers between the worlds. It needs to be closed again but I am not as powerful as I am before. There are some things that needs to be unveiled. But there are mysteries that other creatures must not know. It will bring terror and will outbalance our life.

I should deal with this matter on my own. I need to burrow my time with all of the inklings. I will kill each of them and trace where are they coming from. Evil has its root and I need to cut its life source. Aside from opening the barriers of the worlds, someone is giving the inklings the power to fight back.

"Your highness, the woman you brought got out! She is not in her room!"

My eyes widened with the sudden announcement of the soldier in front of me. He busted out my office door and shouted without acknowledging me.

"How insolent! Show respect!" I shouted. "Now, report!"

He was kneeling and can not look into my eyes. "Y-Your highness, the w-woman you b-brought got out of our t-territory. The s-soldiers are l-looking for her n-now."

"You can not look out for an injured woman? You should all be beheaded! How useless!" I shouted and ran towards the noise coming from the south building.

When I got here Elder Weng was surprised. It was the woman's room earlier. I quickly went in but there are no traces from her. But the smell, it is too strong. It was like shattering my nose and suffocating my lungs. My legs trembled and looked at Elder Weng with surpise.

"What is happening!?" I asked.

"Congratulations, King Kayden Wesley. It looks like you are her mate now. You found your other half. It was a successful bind. Now you just need to find her-"

"Cut your nonsense. I don't need a wife nor a woman to spend my life. That will only hinder the things I wanted to achieve. All I want is to get stronger." I can't take what Elder Weng said but I also can't do anything about that. I chose to save her, she saved me too. I will cut ties with her starting now. There is also nothing between us to start with. I also don't even know her. I changed my mind about taking her in. She might become my weakness. I am slowly losing my sanity towards her smell.

There is nothing special with this feeling, it was nothing. It just felt like her scent made me weak. Nothing to be concerned for.

"Are you sure with that? We will know when the right time comes," Elder Weng said and winked at me. My brows furrowed.

I shouted, "What do you mean?" but got nothing in response. Tsk, it is not a matter I should spend my time. Time to move-on. Now, nothing will cross my mind.

Linara

"What did I get myself into?" I murmured.

I can't believe it, I am nowhere to be found now! I don't know where am I and I am laying on someone's bed. I am completely healed up and I still remembered what happened before this mess happened.

Looking at my feet, I don't wear anything. My clothes are torned and I am sweating buckets right know. I managed to get away from the palace I am earlier. I just couldn't process the looks everybody gave me. Is it their first time seeing a running woman?

I sat down near a lake. I washed my face and I saw my reflection on the mirror. What the!? My boobs are showing!

I quickly run and look for any person that can help me. Behind the palace was a forest. I can't run in the midst of the crowds because I look awful. They might think I am a slave. I laughed, well yes I am. A slave at my own home.

Realizing everything that is happening now, I am far away from my ruthless family. I am free and I can do whatever I want. I might start from scratch but this is way better than them mistreating me again and again.

I smiled and run faster. I didn't stop until my feet felt sore. I am happy even though I am starving and feel very restless. This is the freedom I am looking for. But who saved me?

I don't remember who saved me. Was it connected to the owner of the palace? A royalty or noble rescuing me? No way! I must be dreaming. Thinking of that must be insane. But what about the handsome man I met? Did he saved me?

"Haha! Hilarious!" I laughed out loud my thoughts. That's too good to be true. Maybe I just got lucky. Wow, the unlucky me just got lucky.

"It smelled like soil..."

When I focused my eyes looking at the trees, it was raining. Raindrops are falling little by little. But what caught my attention was the tree house not far from my direction. A tree house in the middle of the woods? How odd.

But I think this is some boundary from the other kingdom I ran away. There are some fence I jumped off in order to get to the forest. Can I get beheaded by getting in here? But that's not in the law. Kingdoms are friendly with each other nowadays except for the two kingdoms I forgot the name. A rival kingdoms that originated from the ancient time.

I ran towards the tree house and climbed thru the wooden ladder. It's slippery because of the rain and I am soaked. I can't see clearly because the raindrops are pestering my vision.

When I got up, I slam my body to the bed. It is all wet now. How soft this bed was and comfortable unlike my back cracking bed. It looks old and it was like nobody is coming here anymore. It is dusty but the dust can still be cleaned. Well, maybe I can own this. Given that it is in the middle of nowhere, who will claim this tree house?

I removed my clothes leaving only my undergarments. I looked everywhere and I found acabinet at the back of the bed. Why is the cabinet hidden here?

Inside the cabinet was clothes of a male werewolf. I can even smell the scent up until now but I can't distinguish if this is newly worn or not. But looking at the tree house, that's impossible. The scent is not that strong to distinguish what kind of werewolf worn this cloth.

I grabbed a button down red long-sleeves. I remove my undergarments as there are nothing that fits me aside the tops in this small cabinet. One leg of the pants I pulled out fits my whole body. Damn, the owner of this is freaking huge.

After changing, I squeezed my clothes and used the pants to dry my body and hair. I looked like a seductress wearing nothing inside this cloth. I'm experiencing new things just now. This is the day I will never forget. But my about my friend, Venice? She must be so worried about me.

I should be more worried about myself. About what I will do to survive, how to run away from home, and how to survive on my own. I am also remembering things little by little. That handsome man from the forest is the one that helped me. The man who looked like a demon but smelled faintly like a werewolf. Who is he? Should I find him snd thank him?

But if I am going to find him and go back to the kingdom, I might he in trouble. I can't also be one hundred percent sure that he is my savior. What if another kingdom caught me? I will be doomed. I should be more worry about other things.

The thoughts are killing me and I should sleep first. I should rest and take my time in here. No one can find me here. I am left alone in the middle of the forest.