Chapter 16

~Alistair~

Eliana walked around the room, slowly, stopping every now and then in front of a piece of art, and admiring it.

“You must like antique creations,” I said.

She nodded her head. “Of course, I do. I have quite a collection of antique items myself, especially ones that relate to the supernatural realm,” She replied.

“That’s good to know. I love paintings and antique items as well,” I told her.

“I can see that,” She said.

I rolled my eyes, annoyed. She had been going at this kind of indifferent behaviour ever since she stepped into my living room, about five minutes ago. “I’m trying to have a conversation with you, Eliana. Stop giving me an attitude, or responding like you are being forced to say something,” I said to her.

She turned around, and stared at me for a while, probably thinking of the best response to give to me, then turned around again and continued walking.

“I don’t know how to keep this conversation going, when we have a beast on the loose. I don’t want to die just yet, or do you?” She asked.

“I don’t, but still... Okay, why don’t you go ahead and tell me your plans about capturing this beast that’s going to come after all of us?” I asked.

“I’d have told you my plans since, but I asked you to call on Garrett and his sister, because they both have roles to play in my plan. If I tell you all about it right now, I would have to repeat myself all over again when they show up, and I don’t have the energy to do just that,” She explained.

I nodded my head, seeing reasons with her. “I get where you’re coming from.”

“Yeah. If you really do want to talk though, I’d start by asking how you’re a werewolf with human parents, or were your parents also werewolves? Did they teach you how to control your transformation?” She inquired, staring intently at me with curiosity laced in her adorable brown eyes.

I shook my head, as a negative response to her question. “No, Eliana. Actually, the truth is that Mr and Mrs Duke were my foster parents. They adopted me when I was very young. My real parents were werewolves, and were killed by some hunters,” I said, swallowing hard.

“My parents?” She inquired, stopping her movement, and looking at me like her heart were already broken.

I bit my lip, and shook my head, giving her a negative response.

Of what use was it going to be if she knew that it was her parents who had caused mine to die a tragic death? It would shatter her heart completely, and she wasn’t going to forgive herself or her parents. She was probably just going to look at me everyday, and remember I had no one because of her parents, and that would ultimately ruin our relationship, which was already on the verge of being ruined, completely.

“Are you sure?” She asked.

I nodded in the affirmative. “I am very sure,” I responded.

She heaved a sigh of relief. “That’s good to know. I was beginning to think you had approached me at first because you wanted to use me as a tool to have revenge on my parents for killing yours,” She said.

Damn! She was so smart, but I immediately denied what she had just said. “I would never do that to you, and you know that. Our meeting had happened purely by fate and coincidence, because it just so happened that our loved ones had died on the same date,” I explained.

She nodded her head, agreeing with what I had said. “The universe surely knew what they were doing. I’m sorry that you’ve had to lose your parents twice. The pain must be unimaginable, and I can’t even begin to imagine how you must have felt all these years. I’m sorry,” She said, and began walking slowly to where I stood.

I nodded my head slowly, accepting her sympathy. “Thanks, but you know it’s not your fault, right? I’ve lost those that were dear to me, and it’s not easy to cope with the pain, so, I just bury myself in work, so that I won’t have the time to think about them. Honestly, Eliana, I don’t think my heart could take it if I were to lose anyone again,” I told her.

She was just two feet away from me now. She placed her hands on my shoulders, with a reassuring smile. “Don’t think about it. You won’t lose anyone again,” She said.

“But why does it feel like I’m losing you?” I asked.

She seemed apparently taken aback by what I had just told her, and I could tell her pulse had risen, and all around her, I could sense happiness slowly slipping into her. “I’m dear to you? You don’t want to lose me?” She asked, acting all surprised, like she hadn’t thought herself to be so important and dear to me.

“Of course, you’re dear to me, and I don’t ever want to lose you,” I affirmed.

“You won’t lose me, okay?” She told me, with a beautiful smile.

“I hope so. I’ve been meaning to ask you though, did you ever wear braces?” I asked.

She shook her head, apparently wondering why I had asked that question out of the blue. “No, never. Why do you ask?” She asked.

“You have such a perfect dentition,” I replied.

A blush swept through her cheeks. “Thanks. You also have perfect teeth, and I was going to ask if you ever had to go through whitening procedures for your teeth,” She said.

I nodded in the affirmative. “Yes, I whitened my teeth, and I don’t regret it. I like looking perfect, and I do look like that, don’t I? I’m sure you’ve been wondering where a man that looked so heavenly crawled out from. You probably even thought I was an angel, and trust me, I have gone through a lot to look this way. No one’s just born tall, with a perfect body, and perfect teeth. Just kidding. I was born this way,” I said.

“Slow down. So, you didn’t do any surgery or teeth whitening?” She asked, wearing an irritated look on her face.

“I didn’t. I was born perfect, and it feels so good to have been just born tall, with a perfect body, and perfect teeth. I mean, I work out and stuff, but damn! No one can beat this awesomeness,” I said.

She removed the hands she had placed on my shoulders. “I never realised you were quite the narcissist,” She said, looking disgusted.

“Well, apart from complimenting half-heartedly on my outfit, you’ve never said that I look good or given me a compliment about any part of my body, have you?” I asked.

“Trust me, I do that in my head all the time, and now that I know how narcissistic you are, I’m going to keep doing just that,” She said.

I broke into a fit of laughter. “There’s nothing wrong in having self-love, Eliana,” I said.

“There is, Alistair, when it’s extreme,” She said.

I was going to argue further with her, but then, I heard Garrett’s and his sister’s footsteps approaching. “You should have a seat,” I told her.

“They’re coming?” She asked.

I nodded my head. “Yes, they’re almost here,” I replied.

She then went to sit on a couch.

“You know, this is the first time I’m seeing you putting on trousers. It’s always one dress or another,” I said, sitting on a sofa beside the couch she had comfortably sat on.

“And this is the first time I’m seeing you put on denim pants as well. It suits you though,” She said.

“I know, right? Yours suits you as well,” I said, giving her a compliment in return.

She was putting on ripped denim jeans, matched with a white crop top, and a white pair of sneakers. Her hair was tied up in a ponytail, and I felt it was amazing the way she looked beautiful in every hairstyle, although I personally preferred the way she looked with her hair let down.

The door opened, and Jenny and her brother stepped into my house, which they had been in already, and weren’t visitors like Eliana.

“Hey,” I said, and walked over to the door.

Garrett waved his hand casually at me, and went to talk to Eliana.

Jenny stood still at the door, with her arms folded, still obviously mad at me for killing her wolf a few days ago.

“I’m sorry about killing your wolf,” I apologised, sincerely.

She rolled her eyes. “The deed has been done,” She said.

I nodded, concurring with her statement. “I know, but I’m sorry. I thought I was doing the right thing, and I didn’t realise how badly you were going to be hurt if I killed it,” I said.

“I’ve been thinking. I should have taken it back to the forest like you had suggested, instead of trying to domesticate a wild animal, and I should have gotten rid of it when it started causing me physical damage. You did what I didn’t have the stomach for, and it’s fine,” She said.

I shook my head. “No, it’s not fine, because it is due to what I did that the Beast of Vengeance came back,” I announced.

“What?” She and Garrett chorused.

“You heard Alistair right. It’s back, and we saw it with our very own eyes yesterday at the dinner party,” Eliana chipped in.

“Wait. What is she doing here?” Jenny asked, noticing Eliana’s presence in my living room, for the very first time since she came in.

“I’m trying to help,” Eliana responded.

“I didn’t ask you to respond, did I? What are you doing, Alistair? How is she a part of any of this?” Jenny asked.

“I went to seek help from Nemesis. She said I should seek the help of a hunter, and minutes later, Eliana found her way to my porch...”

“...and how did she know where you live?” Jenny asked, interrupting my explanation.

I shrugged. “She said she has been stalking me,” I responded.

“And you believed her?” Jenny asked, with a scoff.

“Seriously, dude. You believed her?” Garrett asked, giving me a look that suggested that he was surprised at how dumb and stupid I could be.

“I didn’t have a choice. I could tell she was lying about it from her heart beating unsteadily, but she emotionally blackmailed me into believing her,” I explained.

“Well, I brought her here,” Garrett said.

“Thought I was supposed to keep it a secret,” Eliana told him, surprised that he had actually spilled the beans.

“Well, you should have given him a better response, instead of trying to get him to believe that you’re a stalker. Don’t you know that shit's scary? Besides, you guys are good now, so, he’s not going to be mad at me for showing you his place,” Garrett said.

“You went behind my back, and became her friend? I’m asking because I don’t understand this sudden closeness between the two of you that will even prompt you into bringing her into Alistair’s home,” Jenny said, looking really hurt.

“Jenny, what’s the problem? It’s okay. I’m not complaining,” I said.

“Well, I am,” She objected.

Eliana stood up from the couch, and said in a loud and commanding voice, “Can everyone just shut the hell up? It’s already 4pm. If we don’t find a way to get rid of that beast soon, we will all be dead meat, and maybe that’s a good thing, because I won’t have to hear you all quarrel and make mountains out of silly and unserious issues,” Eliana said, with the aim of calling us to order.

“Again, what is she doing here?” Jenny asked, rolling her eyes.

“Again, she’s here to help,” I responded, getting slightly offended.

Jenny scoffed. “The goddess of retribution asked you to seek the help of a hunter, not the help of a damsel in distress that I'm sure doesn’t even know a single thing about a beastly werewolf,” She said.

“And how can you be so sure about that?” Eliana retorted.

“Do you even know we are? The fact that you’ve seen what you saw, or that you come from a family of werewolf hunters, doesn’t mean you understand anything about any of this, or have the capacity to be of help to any of us,” Jenny said, berating Eliana’s skills and intelligence.

Eliana gave that kind of laugh one gives when they’re upset about something, like a psychopath, and approached Jenny.

“First things first. I know that you’re all werewolves, which is freaking me out because I’m the only human being right here and you can all kill me right here and now. Secondly...”

“You told her?” Jenny asked, cutting into Eliana’s speech.

I shook my head, giving her a negative response. “No, she found out,” I replied.

“Oh, really?” Jenny asked, surprised.

“Oh, really,” Eliana replied, eyeing Jenny fiercely.

Eliana and Jenny glared at each other, and if looks could kill, they’d both be lying dead by now. Garrett exchanged glances with me, and we were both clueless as to how to stop the enmity between them, so, we could all just work together.

I heard the clock ticking, and knew it was only a matter of time before the sun went down, and knew I had to get them to set their issues aside and work together before we all got eaten up by the Beast of Vengeance.