Chapter 4

I couldn't bear to listen to them anymore, so I opened the door and left the place, stopping at an empanada store to buy two beef empanadas. It was then that the woman selling the empanadas asked, "Is it just you today? Where's your boyfriend?" I stared blankly, not understanding her question. "You know, that really fit boyfriend of yours with the six-pack abs." I then realized that she was talking about Christopher. I shook my head and stated, "It's already over between us." Upon hearing that, the smile on the woman's face immediately vanished. She then handed me an extra beef empanada, advising me to eat well so that I would have the strength to find my next partner. "You know, those guys who work out a lot are often all looks and no real substance—nice to look at but ultimately useless." I suddenly realized what she was implying as I recalled the scene of Christopher and Lillian tangled up in the bathroom. I smiled wryly and said, "I won't be looking for any partner anymore, since they're all the same—untrustworthy." After spending the entire day out and about, during which I sought out and obtained a great deal of information about Mistfall Forest, I finally returned home. I had just finished packing my belongings when Christopher burst through the door, kicking it wide open. He was livid, shaking my shoulders fiercely as he bellowed, "Why would you do that to Lillian? Why would you put vampire blood in that cake? Did it ever occur to you that if Lillian were to turn into a vampire, she might hurt me, too? You've clearly lost your mind, capable of doing anything out of pure jealousy!" I was completely lost as to what he was saying. It wasn't until he dragged me and threw me down in front of the couch that things became clear. I noticed that Lillian's face was deathly pale, and even with the tape covering her mouth, her fangs were clearly visible. It turned out that she was actually a vampire! That would explain her appearance in that neighborhood that night. That would also explain why none of the vampires attacked her. They were the same kind, after all. Upon seeing that I was just spacing out, Christopher's eyes became bloodshot, and his eyebrows drew together in a deep frown. In the next instant, his hand shifted into lethal claws, clamping over my mouth and pressing me against Lillian. "Is your jealousy so consuming that you had to turn her into a vampire? You shall serve as her blood servant then!" It seemed that the scent of blood had awakened something in her, as her fangs suddenly grew longer in that instant. I had no way of fighting back, as one of them was a werewolf and the other a vampire. It seemed like my fate as a human was sealed, as all I could do was wait for my demise. I couldn't help but lament inwardly, wondering how Christopher could be so cruel toward me, his marked mate. It seemed like the unwillingness within me stirred my survival instinct, causing the mark on my chest to emit a weak flicker of light. Christopher's gaze turned cold as he asked, "You're trying to control me with that mark again, huh?" It was definitely not the case. I was a mere human, so there was no way I could control the mark. In times of peril, it would activate on its own, compelling the werewolf to defend their marked mate. Christopher, who was standing directly before me, reached out and personally removed Lillian's restraining muzzle. I could distinctly sense Lillian's bloody breath right against my ear after Lillian's fangs pierced my vein. I could even feel the burning agony of my veins being ripped open spread throughout my body. I convulsed, arching my back as my fingernails dug hard into Christopher's hand. I then caught the reflection of my pupils dilating and becoming unfocused within Christopher's fathomless gaze as the blood started flowing down my collarbone. I couldn't help but lament the fact that I was just a hair's breadth away from freedom. How could Christopher harbor such resentment toward me when he had been the one who had personally marked me? What on earth had I done wrong? It was at that very moment that I felt overwhelmed by a sense of unwillingness, resentment, and regret. I surmised that things would have unfolded differently if that mysterious figure from Mistfall Forest had been here at this moment. I couldn't help but wonder if I would ever see him again. I was in a daze, murmuring something without knowing what I was saying. It was then that Christopher suddenly shifted into his wolf. He tore me away from Lillian's grasp and shook me hard. His sharp claws dug deep into my back as his eyes glowed crimson. "Who are you calling to for help? Tell me! Who is he?" I felt my vision going dark before a tumultuous surge of blood and energy coursed through me, causing me to lose consciousness. I awoke to find myself on a large bed, my wrists and ankles bound by iron chains. I could hear Christopher talking to someone outside the door before he suddenly let out a few enraged howls. It was then that the window suddenly swung open, and the iron chains that had been restraining my hands and feet disintegrated into fine dust. I then slowly got up and walked toward the window. Having heard the commotion, Christopher burst through the door, and his pupils shrank in shock. "Your mark…" I lowered my gaze and noticed the faint light of the mark on my chest flickering briefly before finally vanishing. I smiled faintly and asked, "Isn't this what you hoped for all along?" "I didn't mean it like that! How did you break free from the chains? Please come back here, Aurora. It's not safe by the window," Christopher said as he extended his hand toward me, his gaze brimming with expectation. I didn't walk toward him. I merely said, "I'm sorry, but I think it's for the best if I leave now." I laughed bitterly and threw myself out of the window, into the night.