Chapter 14

Hunter was quick to react, thankfully. He managed to catch the falling woman without letting go of his logs. Well, to him, it would be too bothersome if he had to pick them again. 

He clutched the woman to his waist, then turned from the wreckage of what was once a vampire's hideout, and walked away. 

Passing at the crossroads that would lead the left path to the paved road, Hunter halted and hesitated. He looked down at the unconscious woman while contemplating whether to leave her by the side of the sequoia tree or bring her with him. 

"How did she enter this place, anyway," Hunter mumbled to himself. He sighed, looked up, feeling complicated, and then sighed again. "It's not safe to leave her alone by the tree. Let's bring her home first."

A human wandering the Middiem is unusual. 

Middiem is the border between the human realm and the Nethervale—the realm of supernatural, nocturnal, paranormal, and unusual creatures. 

Hunter is a werewolf living in the middle—the Middiem. He had no interest in interacting with humans, so living with them was not an option to him; therefore, he settled in that dense, foggy forest and lived in seclusion. 

In the human realm, past those woods is the next town after Morsville, but if someone enters the woods through the large sequoia tree at some point on the highway, then, they enter the Middiem, and if they exit the woods in the opposite direction of where they came from, they reached Nethervale. 

Once Hunter arrived at his humble abode—a wooden bungalow house under a massive pine tree—he carefully kicked the door open, gently laid the woman down on his bed, then silently arranged the dried branches he picked next to the furnace. 

He snatched the towel hanging on the protruding nail on the wall next to his wooden bed and then wiped the sweat on his body and face.

He was rubbing his nape with the towel when his eyes fixed on the woman. His movement slowed as he stared at her face. 

She has a beauty that doesn't hurt or tire the eyes. Her face carries a gentle allure, pleasing to the senses, and a luminous beauty that isn't overwhelming. 

Without knowing it, Hunter was mesmerized. His gaze traced the soft flutters of her eyelashes as her eyelids quivered infinitesimally, then it moved to her rosy lips slightly opened. Her long, black hair sprawled on the pillow, its color contrasting to her pale complexion. 

Hunter reached out unconsciously, but when his arm entered his line of sight, he paused, startled by his own self. A few inches more and his hands would touch the woman's forehead already. 

He groaned inwardly, silently reprimanding himself. Then, he turned his back and walked away. On his way out, he saw the blanket lying on his couch where he slept last night. He picked it up and covered the woman up to her chest. 

After that, he went out into the woods again. 

The sun was still bright, and it would be lunchtime soon. The meat of the deer he hunted a week ago lasted until his dinner last night, so now, he needs to hunt again. 

As he ran past the tall trees, he wished that the woman wouldn't wake up and leave on her own. The forest was dangerous, Hunter reasoned. 

That was all there was to it. 

~ ~ 

Elena stirred from her sleep. An unfamiliar ceiling was the first thing she saw after opening her eyes. As she stared at the cracks on the wooden trusses, the recent events finally resurfaced in her mind. 

Her body tensed. She turned her head to the side, but she saw nothing. She sighed in relief. After that, she slowly pushed herself up and glanced at the surroundings. 

She was inside a small wooden house. Every part of the place could be seen from the entrance door or even a single peek through the window would give away the whole interior. 

She was on a large bed next to a window in the corner of the room, a small table in between the wall and the bed. Then, on her right was the entire living room—a single couch facing a cemented furnace, next to it was the pile of wood organizedly arranged. 

A few steps away from the carpeted living room is a long counter with utensils, a casserole, a frying pan, a saucepan, and a few plates and coffee mugs in one corner. Then, next to it, at the foot of the bed, are two wooden chairs and a table. 

One full circle would tour you inside the entire place. 

Elena carefully stood from the bed. Her eyes focused on her stomach, wondering how it was behaving after all that stress and several fainting that happened to her. 

Is it behaving after I said I'd get rid of it? Elena could not help but think. 

She caressed her stomach over her blouse, and regretfully mumbled, "Sorry, baby. I know it's not your fault. But Mom can't still accept everything. Mom needs time, so please, don't act out too much, okay? I… promise, I won't say such cruel things again."

She had made up her mind to raise it, despite her fear of whatever it was. 

It was the only thing she could call family, so no matter what, she promised herself she would love the child, even if it would be hard at the beginning. 

At the same time, her stomach grumbled. She chuckled. It was as if the baby in her tummy answered. 

"I have to eat properly and healthily from now on," Elena mumbled to herself. 

She walked to the dining table, peeled a banana sat on top of it, and then ate it while looking around outside the small house. 

From afar, she saw a figure approaching the house. She quickly swallowed the remaining banana, threw the peel on the kitchen sink, and hurriedly grabbed a butcher's knife. 

Then, she pressed her back on the wall next to the door. 

When the man entered the house and his back turned to Elena, Elena aimed the knife at his chest with brutal force, even though her hands grabbing the hilt of the knife together were trembling. 

However, the man was as fast as the wind. He immediately dodged the knife as he turned and grabbed Elena's wrists. 

Then, with a growl, he asked, "What the fuck are you trying to do, woman?"