My Second Chance Mate is a Vampire

Chapter 9: Wood Shavings

Ellie woke from a restless sleep, her dreams filled with disjointed images of Scott and Megan, memories she thought she'd buried but that now refused to stay hidden. She had forgiven Megan, that much was true, but she certainly hadn't forgotten. The betrayal still haunted her, even in her dreams, twisting her sleep into something dark and restless. With a groan, she sat up in bed, rubbing her eyes as she looked outside. The night was still heavy, darkness pressing against the windowpanes. Her watch read 4 a.m.

A feeling of unease twisted in her stomach, and Ellie knew she wouldn't be able to fall back asleep. She needed air, something to shake the unsettling feeling that clung to her like a shadow. On a whim, she decided to get up and go for a walk, hoping that maybe, just maybe, she could shift and let Kida out. Her wolf had been restless, pacing within her since discovering their second chance mate, and Ellie could feel Kida's urge to be free, to run and let the cold air cleanse her spirit. The crisp night air might be just what she needed to clear her mind and reconnect with her wolf.

Ellie pulled on her coat and boots, her breath visible in the cold air as she quietly made her way through the darkened halls of the castle. The silence was almost eerie, her footsteps echoing softly as she stepped outside into the courtyard. The snow crunched beneath her feet as she made her way along the castle grounds, her eyes scanning the shadows around her. Everything was still, the world seemingly frozen in time, and the quiet was both comforting and unsettling.

As she walked, Ellie's thoughts drifted back to Megan, to the tears they had shed the night before, to the pain that still lingered between them. She wanted to believe that things could go back to the way they were, but deep down, she knew it wouldn't be that simple. Forgiveness was one thing, but forgetting was another. The wound was still too fresh, too raw.

Suddenly, a noise broke through her thoughts—a faint tapping, followed by a scraping sound. Ellie froze, her heart skipping a beat as she turned her head toward the direction of the sound. It was coming from the shed at the far end of the grounds, a small, unassuming structure she had never paid much attention to before. The noise continued, a rhythmic tapping that sent a shiver down her spine.

Her first thought was that someone might be trying to steal something. The village was usually quiet, but that didn't mean it was immune to petty crime. Ellie hesitated for a moment, then steeled herself. She couldn't just walk away, not without knowing what was going on.

Slowly, she made her way toward the shed, her footsteps muffled by the snow. As she approached, the tapping stopped, and an eerie silence settled over the grounds once more. Ellie swallowed, her heart pounding in her chest as she reached for the door handle. She paused, listening for any sign of movement, but there was nothing. Taking a deep breath, she pushed the door open, the hinges creaking loudly in the stillness of the night.

The inside of the shed was dark, the air thick with the scent of wood. A small candle burned on a holder at the workbench, casting flickering shadows across the walls. The bench was covered in wood shavings and tools, the remnants of whatever work had just been done. Ellie squinted, her eyes adjusting to the dim light as she scanned the small space. At first, she saw nothing out of the ordinary—just tools, stacks of firewood, and the workbench covered in various odds and ends.

She stepped closer, her gaze drawn to the bench. There was a chisel lying there, its metal gleaming faintly in the candlelight. Ellie reached out, her fingers brushing against the chisel. It was hot, as if it had just been used. She frowned, a sense of unease growing within her. Before she could pull her hand away, she felt a sharp sting—the blade had nicked her finger. She winced, bringing her finger to her lips, the taste of blood filling her mouth.

Suddenly, she heard a noise behind her—the sound of someone running. Ellie spun around, her heart leaping into her throat. She caught a glimpse of a shadowy figure dashing out the door and disappearing into the forest beyond the castle grounds. The door swung slightly on its hinges, the cold night air rushing in.

"Hey!" Ellie called out, her voice barely more than a whisper. She took a step toward the door, but hesitated. Whoever it was had already vanished into the darkness, and the thought of chasing them into the forest in the dead of night sent a shiver down her spine.

Her heart pounded as she stood there, her eyes darting around the shed, the candlelight flickering and casting eerie shadows. She couldn't shake the feeling that something was very wrong. Who had been out here in the middle of the night? And why had they run away?

Ellie took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. She glanced back at the workbench, the tools scattered across its surface. The chisel, the wood shavings—none of it made sense. Who was hiding a secret and carving wood in the middle of the night? Ellie wondered if it could be the mysterious Santa Claus from the village legend. She also couldn't help but think if the same person had carved the wooden doll.

Slowly, Ellie backed out of the shed, her eyes scanning the darkened grounds. The forest loomed beyond, a wall of shadows that seemed to swallow the figure that had run into it. She closed the door behind her, her fingers trembling as she latched it shut. She turned and made her way back toward the castle, her breath coming in short, visible puffs in the cold air.

As she walked, her thoughts raced. Whoever had been in the shed had been working on something, and they clearly hadn't wanted to be caught. And who could have been working in the shed? Who had run into the forest?

The questions tumbled over one another in her mind, each one more unsettling than the last. Ellie couldn't shake the feeling that she was missing something, that there was a piece of the puzzle she hadn't yet found. Whatever was happening here, it was clear that the castle held more secrets than she had ever imagined.

By the time she reached the castle entrance, Ellie was shivering, her fingers numb from the cold. She pushed open the heavy door, stepping into the warmth of the castle's interior. She was no closer to going back to sleep than she had been before her walk.

Instead of heading back to her room, Ellie found herself drawn to the library. The comforting smell of old books and the dim glow of a reading lamp seemed like just what she needed to calm her restless mind. She sank into one of the armchairs, a book in her hands, though she wasn't really reading. The events of the night played over and over in her thoughts, her eyes growing heavier with each passing minute. Eventually, exhaustion took over, and she drifted off to sleep, the book resting on her lap.

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Ellie woke with a start, the first rays of dawn filtering through the tall library windows. She blinked, disoriented for a moment, her neck sore from sleeping in the armchair. She had fallen asleep in the library, the book still resting on her lap, her mind no clearer than it had been hours ago.

Ellie rubbed her eyes, disoriented, and glanced around the library, the early light filtering through the tall windows. She had no idea what time it was, but it felt late enough that the castle would be waking. Deciding to return to her room to freshen up, Ellie stood and made her way quietly through the halls.

As she approached the entrance, she heard the faint murmuring of voices, hushed but tense. The cold air hit her as she stepped outside, her gaze immediately drawn to the scene unfolding before her. There, lying in the white snow, was another deer, its lifeless body resting in a small pool of crimson that contrasted sharply with the purity of the snow.

Nick was there, his face somber as he knelt beside the animal. With surprising ease, he lifted the deer into a wheelbarrow, the muscles in his arms barely straining as he moved. Ellie watched from a distance, her heart heavy with questions. How could Nick lift the deer so effortlessly? He was so strong, almost unnaturally so. Could he be a wolf too?

Kida was yelling in her mind, her voice urgent and insistent. "Go to him, Ellie! He's our mate! We need to help him!"

Ellie shook her head, trying to calm her wolf. "Kida, this is not the time nor place," she thought back, her heart pounding. She watched Nick move, the ease with which he handled the deer making her heart ache with questions she couldn't answer. "We can't just rush to him. He doesn't even know about us."

Kida growled, her frustration palpable. "He needs us. I can feel it."

Ellie swallowed hard, forcing herself to stay where she was. "Not now, Kida. We have to be careful. We can't reveal ourselves yet."