Chapter 5

"Why are you here in the woods, Andrew?" Diana asked, just to take out the elephant in the cave. She focused on the scent in the air, like the loamy smell of calm rain or the salty tang of the old, usual ocean air. How was that even possible when the ocean was a thousand miles away from here? Weird? What the fuck! I'm getting crazy. She thought as she crept her nose a little closer to Andrew's neck. They sat together, almost touching each other. Yet the man was ignoring her, lost in his own thoughts.

This guy smells like a flower vase. Lilac? Roses? Or Heaven? Weird.

She breathed in his scent, which was nothing but like her grandpappy, who always had a hint of the spicy cigar, but this man has a lingering scent of fresh earthly and ocean aromas. What a weird combination! His scent was so much more amazing nearby, though. Like a tang of sea air that has a way of making her satisfied and in harmony, like it was anchoring her other emotions to the briny whiff that has all the callings of home. A scent that made her feel at ease, like she was safe and safeguarded. So this was what she smelled earlier. Testosterone?

"What kind of question is that?" Andrew blurted.

I'm sorry, what? Did he just read my mind?

"Well, we might as well talk; um, it seems like the rain won't stop any time soon, so we might as well have a conversation right?” She smiled. “But wait a freaking minute here, are you a criminal? Or hiding from the authorities?Surely, you aren't right?" Diana inquired with the same malice. Her agitated mind wasn't just modest apprehension in a distinct cloak; it was like her brain was assessing in a venture to allow her lustrous brain through—the absolute surprise of her life. She was never a lust-at-first-sight kind of woman, but she speculates that was what she was feeling now. Odd indeed. This man was giving her a familiar sensation—a sensation that just came from an earth-shattering orgasm. Something like that, she guessed. He was bad news, but amazing at the same time.

What the hell was she thinking? Orgasm? Seriously Diana? You think that? She chastised herself for even thinking such mundane things. Boring, yeah, right! It wasn't boring. This was just her hungry stomach talking. She reckoned that she was just starving and that the nerve of this man didn't even offer her a cup of bloody coffee or a toast.

Jerk. A handsome jerk!

"What the hell, why would you think that? I'm no criminal," Andrew muttered, reading her mind. Then he smirked at her many thoughts. Blurring like thousands of miles per minute. She was entertaining him on so many levels; her mind was like a swirling tornado of different emotions, and it showed on her face. How could she think a million things in a second anyway? That was awesome.

"Well, you're a criminal, so what are you doing here?" She slowly raked her hands through her hair, her stomach clenched with a desire to eat something.

 Something huge and hard and long and… Wait! What the hell are you thinking about, Diana? But are we talking about hotdogs here or what? Dammit, I am getting crazy. Talking to myself and all, and thinking about stupid, massive, hard hotdogs.

A cold chill creeps down her spine. I'm getting crazy. This cave is making me think stupid, hard things.

Inwardly, Andrew smiled. This woman has the nerve to guess. I am more than a criminal, I'm death itself. “None of your business," Andrew grumbled to himself as he surveyed her not-too-innocent minds. A hard, hot dog? What the heck is that supposed to mean?

“Yeah, right!”

He sighed. "No, I am not a criminal. I own this mountain and..."

Diana gasped, "You what? You're joking, right? This belongs to the—"

"No, I own this land. Those sisters peak over there and at the back. I have been given this mountain for my kind." Andrew interrupted her.

"What? Your kind? Kind of crazy? Or a kind of mediaeval enthusiast?" Diana noticed the perfection of this man, he may be a little nuts, but damn, he is hot; no arguments there. But how could he be so perfect? She thought to herself as she surveyed the cave.

"Never mind," Andrew replied as he ignored her words; he would rather not answer her.

"Go on! I won't judge; tell me. We have all the time in the world, you know," she said, smiling, her rumbling tummy now forgotten as she rolled her eyes. "Given this mountain, my ass."

But what if he was telling him the truth? Maybe? But there was no way she would let him know that she thought she believed in him. 

"Tell me, what are you really doing here, Diana, aside from isolating yourself from humans?"

She just smiled, albeit. Didn't even bother to answer him. Instead, she pretended not to listen and hummed a song; eventually, after a moment, she uttered it in a bored tone. “Okay. I'm sick of city life, but I still want to take a break. I thought summer would come, but I'm certainly wrong. I'm so tired of my college thesis and all, tired of the stress that life offers." She shrugged. And I hate not eating some hotdogs.

"Um, okay, so what are you taking?"

"B.S Ecology in Nottingham Trent University, graduating now, and I work part-time in a coffee shop near the campus, oh! By the way, I'm bloody tired! I don't want to deal with any drama right now, so let's forget about me and tell me about yourself." She smiled; however, that grin wasn't the prettiest thing Andrew had seen in a while, for it did not soar to her eyes and deep into her soul. It looks rather miserable and sad. "Family?"

"No, I live alone," Andrew replied, as bored as he could.

"Job?" she continued asking while a little yawn escaped her lips. This man has beautiful eyes. Kissable lips and a peppered stable. It suits him.

"I'm rich."

She raised a brow. "Oh, God! Here we go. Seriously? What are you, Batman?" She blurted as she rolled her eyes. "How about, um, wife?"

"None!"

"Girlfriend?"

"None."

"Andrew? Your life is boring!" This hotdog is useless. How could he stay single with those abs and all? Those arms, shoulders, and that hotdo—never mind.

Andrew sighed and asked himself. What is wrong with this mortal? Such a foolish, mundane dilemma. That's why he went into hiding, never to be so attached to mortals again. They bored him to death, but this mortal was different; he could almost see the luminous innocence in her, which was too bright for his liking, and she smelled rather favourable to become his next sustenance.

Nevertheless, what attracted him most was her rather unscented soul. She doesn't reek of anything. And that was the strangest part. Humans and any creature have a distinctive scent on their souls; some smell rotten, some smell rather fair. But what troubled Andrew was that she didn't have any of those. This lovely young woman was indeed extraordinary and genuinely had a rare ancestry. His mere fascination with humankind folds ten times.

But was she a real descendant of that old man? Or was her scent just hidden? He better let her live then. She fascinated him. Besides, thinking about her walking in this wilderness makes him rather uncomfortable. Somehow the rogue had known her, or was she just in the right place at the wrong time?

Such nonsense. She was just mere prey.

Nonetheless, the gusty wind promised the most threatening adventure of his lifetime. Caring about a mortal. Andrew smirked. Nonsense; there was no way he cared about humans.

Diana moved a little bit closer; he froze, he felt her presence so intense and alluring. 

A few minutes later, the wind was still wailing in the great bare trees of the forest, as if it were some vicious, dingy grove deep in a forgotten land. The leaves flew over the ground and took small flights into the air, which embraced the rain. “I think the rain won't stop any time soon," she said, tossing her head back and raising her eyes to the dim sky. A smile spread from her hardened face. The branches sway like the arms of a lover, and it was their turbulent dance that was hypnotically beautiful. Her mind relaxed, and she felt the startling enjoyment of her life bubble up from within, even from the loss of someone she cared for, but the worries and stress she kept inside escaped from her pores. Andrew could feel it.

Even though her body was radiating such positivity, she felt the warmth embracing her from the inside out. Andrew knew that she was dead inside. She was broken.

Without thinking, he pushed her mind to relax, clearing it up as it had acknowledged her doubts, struggled with her worries, and embraced her sorrows and her pain.

Diana sighed, like she had been renewed. Her mind suddenly began to clear, and she thought there was still hope for her after all. She wasn't mistaken about taking a little trip then; somehow, this man beside her makes her feel safe, and as if it were the right word to even describe the feeling of stress escaping from her pores, then cosy it is.

"Are you okay? You’re silent."

“I'm fine, just sleepy.”

“Okay,” he said, standing up and offering a hand to her before he took something from his pocket. "Take this. Um, your grandfather told me to give this to you when the opportunity comes." Handing her a vial.

She frowned, taking the vial. "What the bloody hell is this? 'Is this a fucking blood? Grandfather, please tell me this is a key to your wealth or a million in your account.

"That, I believe, is a vial of blood."

"You mean, grandpappy's blood? Ew! Why on earth would he leave me his blood?"

"I don't know," he smirked. "Maybe?" ”

"WTF!" This is all so weird. In all the nonsense she has had for the past few hours of her life, this is by far the weirder.

"I have no idea, little mortal. Why don't you drink it then?"

"What?” she shook her head. “Are you out of your bloody mind? Hell, no! I think this is one of my grandfather's pranks. He likes to prank me from time to time when he's alive."

"I don't think he'll prank you this way. That vial is at its most important. He told me to give it to you and inform you to drink it as soon as it reaches your hand."

"Are you kidding me?"

"Sadly not."

"Are you sure? How can I trust you that this won't harm me?" Diana's brows knitted.

"Diana, I've saved your life, remember? If I want you hurt in any way, then I won't be risking myself to save you and to follow you here, right? So, for fuck’s sake, just drink it. It won't taste as bad as you think."

"How sure are you?" The fuck is wrong with him.

"Just trust me, okay?"

Trust? Huh! Looking into her eyes, Andrew added a little hypnotic push into her mind to follow his command. "Just open and drink it. Then you are going to forget what happens here, and you will go in your car, forget that you came to this wood, and forget me."

On cue, Andrew vanished. The rain has stopped unexpectedly, as if following someone's instructions.

Her journey ends here. And Diana followed his command, then she walked down the trail to her car and went home with no memories whatsoever.