WHAT MATTERS MOST
810 Words
“Amado!” Symla shouted when she saw him getting ready to ride the horse. Her eyes watered. She silently thanked him—she had made it on time. Amado stopped holding the knot and dismounted. Symla couldn’t control her emotions any longer. She hurriedly ran and hugged Amado tightly.
Amado’s body stiffened. It seemed he hadn’t expected her sudden outburst. But Symla didn’t care. She buried her face in his chest. His scent filled her lungs. Ah… happiness flooded her heart. She was thrilled. She finally had the chance to be with Amado and stay in his arms.
“Amado, I’ll go with you,” she said.
Amado held her shoulders and gently pushed her back so he could look her straight in the eye. “Are you sure?” he asked.
Symla nodded. “I talked to Teves and told him everything. He’s a good friend of mine. We can trust him.”
She explained every detail—everything about their arrangement regarding the traitor. Amado listened silently. He seemed to be thinking everything through thoroughly. For a brief moment, he remained still, then finally nodded. “You know that the moment you come with me, we won’t just face hunters from our clans. We’ll face more than that.”
“Yes. I am ready, Amado,” Symla answered with full determination.
“Why?”
She frowned. “What do you mean, ‘why’?”
“Why are you doing this? You have an obligation to your clan, right?” he asked, his eyes dilated, fixed on her. His intense gaze made her heart race.
Symla took a deep breath and met his eyes. “Because I want to be with you, Amado,” she admitted.
Amado remained silent. Symla, on the other hand, felt an unexpected lightness in her chest. It was as though a hundred burdens had suddenly lifted. Because of that, she allowed herself to do the thing she had been longing for—she hugged him again.
Amado breathed deeply and returned her embrace. She flinched slightly, listening to his heartbeat. It was intoxicating… like her favorite music playing softly inside her chest.
He gently guided her to mount the horse. He draped her cape around her and wrapped it carefully.
“We need to be extra careful. Everyone is hunting us.”
Symla nodded and adjusted his cape for him as well. Amado looked at her, and her heart skipped a beat. She pretended to be calm, but the truth was she wasn’t. How could she be? He was staring at her—watching her every move. It made her chest pound with excitement and nervousness.
Her hand trembled slightly in uneasiness. Deep down, she wanted to care for him, to protect him.
“Symla,” he whispered.
“Why?”
“I am glad… thank you for coming back,” he said, caressing her cheeks. Her hair tingled under his touch, and it melted her heart. She realized in that moment that she was happy too. She could feel his joy, and it made her feel lighter.
“Are you still mad at what I said?” she asked. Above all, she valued his perception of her. His coldness had troubled her before. Now, she would do everything to make amends.
“No. I am not mad, but I must admit… it hurts like hell,” he answered seriously.
She bowed her head. “Forgive me… I didn’t mean to hurt you…”
He held her face and looked into her eyes. Fondness shone from his gaze. “You felt something for me. That’s the only thing important to me, Symla,” he said.
She nodded, tears brimming. The weight of her responsibility pressed back on her shoulders. “B-But I am afraid. We come from different races. Our clans will never accept this. They expect me to carry the next generation of vampires. Believe me, Amado… I don’t want any vampire to touch me. I don’t want to have s*x with anyone they want me to. I am not an animal to be bred…”
“Shh…” Amado calmed her. He hugged her tightly and didn’t let go until she felt reassured. He kissed her hair and inhaled its scent. “We’ll find the shaman and fix everything. Trust me.”
She nodded, her trust in him firm. He kissed her between the eyes. It was intimate, romantic, and made her heart flutter. He stared at her lovingly. “It’s enough for me to know that you feel something for me too. That’s what matters most. End of discussion.”
Symla hugged him again. Any doubts she had vanished. Amado was right—their feelings mattered more than anything else. She would trust him to change everything. She would hold onto his positivity.
Without another word, they left the area.
- Writer
