12.

I let out a small whine, uncomfortably tossing and turning in the large plush white chair, yet careful not to let the small blanket currently covering my almost bare body fall off and reveal way too much skin for my liking. Maybe the past two days didn’t exactly give me the time to dwell too much on it, but now that I knew about his current...internal battle, well let’s just say I didn’t feel too comfortable to be this naked around him anymore.

If he loses control, who knows what he is capable of...

Lightly shuddering at the mere thought I rose my sight, glancing at the male casually laying on the huge bed, leaning against the white leathered headboard, still holding that damned book he was reading from the past few hours.

“Do I really have to walk around wearing only your t-shirts?”

Blatantly ignoring me, he turned yet another page, to my utter frustration.

“I feel way too...exposed,” I complained, watching how he finally lowered the book and gave me a single, bored glance before quickly returning to his annoying lecturing.

“Can’t I at least get some proper clothes?” I tried yet again, only to receive the same treatment. Silence.

Great.

I tossed and turned for another few moments, feeling even more frustrated and bored than ever, now also longing for my old room and romance collection, my thoughts briefly drifting me back to the only ones I could call family.

I wonder if they even tried searching for me...Or maybe they didn’t even notice that I was missing...

Remembering the night he took me away after that weird fight with mother and all those hurtful words she said, my attention averted back to him as I calmly said,
“You still haven’t told me why are you still keeping me here...”

“Why can’t I just go back?” My voice rose a little bit after another silent treatment, a small tinge of desperation almost tangible in my tone, noticing how he suddenly rose up from the bed, throwing the book away as he almost aggressively asked,
“Is that what you truly wish? To go back?”

“I had to...I had to take you away from them...They are the monsters, not you...”

Those words suddenly echoed in my head like a distant memory, rendering me momentarily speechless as I widely stared up at him, wondering if did he actually ever said those words to me, or maybe they were just a figment of my wild imagination.

“I...”

“Tell me, is it what you truly desire?” He stepped even closer, intently staring down at me, making me feel so small and helpless, that single word sitting at the tip of my tongue, yet I did not manage to spit it out...I just simply couldn’t...

Small tears prickled at the corners of my eyes, silently staring up at him, his hardened features almost instantly softening at the sight of them, before he let out an audible, tired sigh.

“I’ll go get you some clothes.”

With those last words, he then went straight towards the balcony, disappearing in between the white fluttering curtains, once again leaving me all alone.

Holding my eyelids closed, I let the sweet tune I accidentally stumbled upon when I’ve found that weird, multi-functioning remote carry me further away from reality, my entire being gradually relaxing until nothing existed anymore; just the sounds of my own regular heartbeats and breaths, accompanied by the slow rhythm.

A small smile graced my lips, for for the first time, after so many days I have finally felt at peace...even if it was just for a few moments.

The soft thud of boots touching the hard-wooden floor suddenly reached my ears, that short sweet moment now shattered into pieces as I forcefully woke back up to reality, my eyes meeting those dark ones, the moment I opened them back up.

“Time to wake up, Red,” A small smirk made its appearance on his shadowed features as the darkness slowly took over outside, making me realize I have once again been almost the entire day all by myself.

“I thought I told you to stop calling me like that,” I groggily mumbled, turning my back to him, clutching the sheets tighter to my chest.

“Come on, get your lazy ass up. Time to get ready,” I heard him say from right behind me, that last sentence confusing me to no end as I suddenly turned around and sat up, weirdly staring up at him.

“Get ready? What for?”

Letting out an exasperated sigh, he then turned around and retrieved a fancy-looking paper bag from the comfy chair, throwing it on the bed right next to me as he returned.

“The party, remember?” He replied, sounding rather annoyed, making me raise one eyebrow, staring up at him even more dumbfounded.

“You thought it was a joke,” He stated rather than asked, his features instantly contorting into a frown as he stared down upon me.

“Tonight is All-Hallows-Eve. Which means every dark supernatural will be present at the annual Ball.

Which means we will be there too.”

“What!?” I widely stared up at him, feeling deep panic already rising within me as I could only imagine all the bad things that could occur due to my mere presence there.

“No! I will not-”

“Calm down. Nothing bad will happen,” He instantly cut me off, seeming like he could actually read my thoughts as he calmly explained,

“Supernaturals are way more stronger than these puny little humans, hence your charms will not affect them in the same way it does for the humans.

Plus, they wouldn’t dare touch what is already claimed.”