They have completed the ad shoot. Elora started her leave a few days after the project closing meeting, making sure everything was in order before she left. Javier cried like a baby on Elora’s last day at work.
“I’m not dead, Javi.” Elora rolled her eyes after saying that.
Javier grabbed the tissue box on Elora’s desk. “I’ll miss your stinky body every time I do a commercial, El.”
“Damn you.” Elora cursed, but her lips curled into a smirk. “We can see each other every time you want it. But tell me a few days earlier, so I won’t take a bath until I see you.”
“That’s disgusting.” Javier’s tears immediately stopped.
Elora didn’t say anything about moving to Caspian’s house, and until this moment Elora still hasn’t told Javier about her relationship with Caspian. Javier also seemed tired of pressing Elora and waiting for Elora to tell
Caspian led Elora to jump over the window that led into the forest.They were headed to a point that Elora had used to transform over the past few days. A small meadow surrounded by dense trees, far away in an untouched place. The forest around here was still included in Caspian’s private estate, so no one would pass through it. A place that is safe enough to do unusual activities.The vegetation in the meadow had died from the impact of Elora’s transformation. It still struck Elora with guilt every time she saw the trees there, blackened to charcoal, and the bushes dry from burning.“As you already know, changes don’t have to be made at night or when the moon appears. Transformation can be made at any time depending on our will. It’s just that the changes at night give you more power.” Caspian explained as the two of them walked deeper into the forest.“Do you know why when I shape-shifted in my apartment, I didn
It didn’t take long for Zed to dig up information about Elora. With the help of some of his friends in Auckland who hold key positions in the police and government, Zed returns to Queenstown with some news.Zed arrived at Caspian’s house at night, to find the Alpha sitting lazily in an iron chair on the veranda of his room, accompanied by a bottle of Pinot Noir 2010 wine. Caspian drank it straight from the bottle.“A tough day?” said Zed. Caspian just glanced at him without a smile. “I got a lot of information,” Zed continued.“Starting tomorrow, teach her self-defense.” Caspian ignored Zed’s words and said something else.“Self-defense?” Zed raised one eyebrow. “With me?”“She hates me,” Caspian said blandly. “My future wife hates me.”Zed knew this was inappropriate, but he wanted to laugh at seeing and hearing Caspian now. Caspian wore a
Caspian shouldn’t be able to casually tell Elora to do this and that. But what will Elora do if Caspian has the will? With a stony face, Caspian came to Elora’s room this morning. He entered through the connecting door (believe it or not; it didn’t have a lock so Caspian could enter whenever he wanted), and said that Elora’s training with Zed would start today.“Do you realize that Zed is a man?” Elora asked curtly.“It seems as long as that guy isn’t me, and he doesn’t get too close or touch you carelessly, you’ll be fine.”Elora opened her mouth and squinted. Had their conversation yesterday left a fresh wound on Caspian, that made him act and say icy cold now?“Are you still angry?” accused Elora.“Do I look like that?” challenged Caspian. “I am not angry. Why am I angry?”“Precisely because you said that you seem angry. Angry like
Unexpectedly, it turned out that practicing with Zed was quite fun. Elora didn’t know why she could feel comfortable with Zed, but it wasn’t something important to question. Maybe now Elora’s trauma is starting to heal? She hopes so.Elora returned to the castle when the sun was high. Zed took her out for a meal in the castle dining room, which was as large as the studio at Dreamcatcher. The room was empty because it was just the two of them. A long table was pinned to the wall, filled with all kinds of food you would normally find in a family restaurant. It confused Elora about which one to eat.Zed accompanied Elora to eat at one of the two long tables arranged in the center of the room. Wooden benches without backrests surrounded the table. Elora sat on the side facing the long line of windows on the wall. Elora could see the castle’s lush forecourt from here.“Where’s everyone?” Elora asked, looking around.&l
Caspian could feel the heat all over Elora’s body through their skin touching. The heat slowly burned Caspian’s skin. This was not a transformation that Elora was used to experiencing. Elora groaned in pain while Caspian carried her into the forest.“Hold on, El.” Caspian’s voice was drowned in the wind, caused by his speed as he ran.Once they reached the place where Elora used to shape-shifted, Caspian laid Elora down in the middle, then Caspian took a step back. Elora squirmed, her body convulsing and her eyeballs rolling inward, leaving only the whites to be seen.Caspian wanted so badly to come over and ask Elora for the pain, but there was nothing he could do.Elora’s back arched upwards, accompanied by wrenching screams and snapping sounds Caspian wasn’t sure where they were coming from. Elora then rolled several times on the ground until her position was further away from Caspian.The moon tonight w
Elora heard the sound of cracking. Her eyes caught the faint light dancing in the darkness. It took her a long time to realize that her eyes were still closed. Elora opened her eyes, and the first thing that caught her sight was a burning fireplace. Yellow, orange, and gold light filled the room with warmth.Elora was wrapped in a blanket, which wasn’t thick enough to dispel the shivers that were attacking her whole body. Elora blinked slowly, feeling a cold and sore that she didn’t know where it came from.Her memory revolved around the incident in the room, when Caspian gave her food and then they had a fight, again. Where is Elora now? This place is so unfamiliar. Elora lay on the sofa in front of the crackling fireplace.“I thought you’ll be wake up tomorrow.” Caspian appeared from a dark corner of the room. Elora’s breath caught when she saw Caspian, who seemed to have been fighting with a bunch of thugs. Scratches extend
Elora spent the next few days in solitude. Not once did Caspian come to visit her. Elora waited for Caspian to appear from behind the connecting door, or when she came out of the room, Elora hoped to run into Caspian in the hallway. But Caspian’s figure was nowhere to be found. It was as if Caspian was just a mythical creature that had appeared in Elora’s dreams.Elora is still continuing her training with Zed. Zed praised Elora’s progress from day to day until they reached the stage where Zed challenged Elora to a simple battle.“Your reflexes have improved a lot since the first time we practiced. You are a fast learner,” Zed praised after Elora managed to push him until Zed almost fell.Elora tried to smile happily at the compliment, but the look in her eyes failed to fool Zed. Zed walked over to Elora and handed her a water bottle that Elora had placed on the edge of where they were practicing.“Something’s wro
The first place that came to Elora’s mind was Caspian’s room. Elora dragged her steps along the way, held back by the inner war that was raging in her heart. Visiting Caspian was the same as hurting Elora’s pride, but Elora couldn’t imagine how much longer she would have to spend the days without meeting Caspian.Her thoughts were uncertain, her doubts grew bigger when Elora arrived at Caspian’s door. Elora scratched her temple, which didn’t itch. Should she knock on the door first? Or just go inside?The question remained unanswered until Elora heard someone talking from inside Caspian’s room. Turns out they did not shut tight the door. There was a small gap that allowed sound to come from there.Elora recognized Caspian’s deep voice. Then the other one… a woman. The way she spoke made Elora unable to contain herself. The woman sounded like she was teasing Caspian, and Caspian gladly served her.With