Nina at her home

Nina's lips stretched to her ears on hearing that. "Thanks!" she exclaimed and leaned a little down to place a kiss on Ace's cheek.

"I liked the way you say thanks! Hope we can thank each other this way from now on." Ace commented. He was on cloud nine by the touch of Nina's lips. His werewolf heart was pouncing, and his golden-brown eyes were sparkling with excitement and happiness.

Nina bit her lower lip with shyness, and on watching Ace's face gradually turning red, she started blushing too. She felt comfort as Ace was on the same line as her as she wanted them to live their life as they wish without worrying about the future. Though she had that confidence, but somewhere she was also frightened of how her future would turn. 'Will both of us forget each other after meeting the fated ones? What if one of them still remained in love with the other? James confirmed that I would meet the Alpha in a month or two, then how would Ace be able to handle seeing me with another man? Was our decision correct?'

Snapping out from the thoughts with uneasiness and helplessness, she turned towards Ace, who was grinning to himself and moving his fingers on the sand. All the haunting thoughts disappeared in a second by looking at the attractive smile on his face. Even though Ace appeared sturdy with a rugged look, he had the heart of a child and gentleman, which appear whenever each of them was necessary.

"Shall we go home?" Nina questioned, getting up from the swing. As she stood up, Ace's hand, which was holding Nina's right hand, straightened, pointing up. Groaning, he got up too and rubbed his pants to remove the sand. "I wanted to sit and rest for a while," Ace complained.

"You can sleep on the bed if we go home," Nina commented as if speaking to a child who doesn't want to come home.

"Ok!" Ace replied, yawning and walking behind her lethargically. He was dragging his feet on the road, following Nina's steps.

When Nina stopped at a house, Ace continued walking with half-open eyes until she caught his hand. "Aren't you afraid to meet my parents?" It was then, Ace remembered that he was near Nina's house. When she uttered house before, his sleepyhead thought about the house in Chandragram. Staring at the orange and red painted individual house in front, his palm tightened over Nina's.

Looking at the trembling hand that was squeezing her, Nina chuckled, "Don't tell, me that you forgot that you are coming to my home?"

Ace immediately nodded to her with a face filled with sadness, fear and anxiety. His eyes were pleading for help. The mighty Ace that was bold and mature in his village, turned into a cute person in the journey. "Can you please turn to the Ace in the village, sophisticated and refined?"

"Isn't it a position to be afraid?" he questioned her instead.

"Ahh!! Just be quiet and don't talk much." sighing, she left Ace's hand and hit the calling bell.

On the other side of the door, Steven was watching the television, while Anna was setting the table with all Nina's favourite dishes. Hearing the bell, Steven was about to get up, but Anna came running from the table and swiftly opened the door. Laughing to himself, he sat down again.

"Nina!" Anna shouted with excitement and hugged her, the next second, she and Ace entered the house. Abruptly, her mother broke the hug, "Aren't you eating properly, you have become lean?" her mother complained, pouting with watery eyes.

"I missed you that I was unable to eat," Nina uttered, blinking her eyes.

"Says the person, who hasn't called even once." deadpanned her father. Listening to that, Ace bit his inner cheek, trying not to smile. Though he even that there wasn't a network available in the village, it was also true the Nina didn't bother to call them even after leaving the village.

On the other side, Nina's tongue was tracing her inner chin, pursing her lips with confusion and guilt. "Ahh!! Sorry about that, but phones don't work there," she said in her calm and feeble voice, trying her best to cover her mistake as he needed her father to buy a new phone for her.

Anna couldn't support Nina at that time as she was also furious over her for not telling her whereabouts.

Few Days Earlier...

Anna was sleeping with Steven snoring slightly beside her. Suddenly she started breathing loudly and sweating. "Nina!!" she woke up, yelling.

Steven, who was startled, woke up and fetched a glass of water. Patting and caressing her back, he brought the glass to her mouth. Anna clenched her fist on the blanket and gulped water while some water leaked through the corners of her mouth.

"Steven, I saw Nina being attacked by a wild animal. The animal is huge with brown fur, and it was glaring at her. Do you think she is safe? Trying calling her!"

Anna rarely had any dreams, but whatever she had always turned out to be true. Hearing his wife's words, Steven got tensed too and called Nina.

"Out of coverage!" the voice from the phone uttered. Steven dialled multiple times, but there wasn't any use.

Back to the present, Anna's eyes shifted to Ace, "He must be the one who spoke.....(stopping for a second)...drove you."

Nina nodded and glanced at Ace with fear on how he would respond. She didn't understand how he turned into a tension-seeking child for a moment, then to a fierce creature the other second, after leaving his village. But to her surprise, Ace greeted her mom, "Nice to meet you, Mrs Brown!" and put his arm forward.

"Good to see you...."

"Ace!" Nina uttered.

As all the four sat down, Steven asked in his coarse voice, looking at Nina, "How's the village? Did you get attacked by any wild animal?"

Both Ace and Nina's eyes widened as how Mr. Brown knew about it. "Animal! No, dad! It's safe! I stay at Ace's house, and I haven't seen any animals. Why?" Nina eloquently lied on her father's face.

Steven shook his head and replied, "Nothing!", glimpsing at Anna through the corner of her eyes.

Anna closed her eyes and thanked God was protecting her child. Ace, who was sitting beside Steven noticed the tension that was going on between the couple. "Was it common to be frightened as it was village was located beside a forest or do her parents know anything else?" Ace asked himself.