Chapter Fifty Nine
1022 Words
Elara's POV
"Quick. Back in the car before somebody seed us." Adrian said urgently. He rushed back into his convertible parked behind the trees.
Without wasting another second, I joined, my heart pounding as the cool air hit me sharp. Ethan lingered for a second, his gaze settled on my mother and apparently her group, before finally climbing into the back seat behind me.
We bent low. Adrian's hands reached for the rearview mirror, adjusting it slightly to get a better view on the scene ahead.
The clouds were getting darker and gloomier but the little rays from the sun set served as enough light for us to see them clearly, my mum, Gabriel and the other unfamiliar figures dressed in all black.
"Why are they dressed like that?" Ethan muttered, his voice laced with disbelief. "Is this some kind of cult meeting or what?"
"I do not know." I replied, trying to keep my eyes steady on them. "They are definitely not family friends because I do not recognize any of them except Gabriel."
"They are giving off major hunter vibes." Adrian slowly nodded his head, his tone usually serious. "And your mum might be the leader."
Ethan choked out a heavy sigh. "I do not get any of these terms especially the whole hunter stuff. Your mum, Elara, what is happening? I thought she was just trying to protect you, not host some secret black operation in the woods."
"Maybe she is not who I thought she was after all." I managed to say, my words barely above a whisper and laced with bitterness. Every word felt heavier as I spewed them out of my mouth.
Ethan must have noticed the sad expression on my face because he cleared his throat and leaned forward between the seats. "Okay, fine. I am a little curious though..." Ethan started but Adrian cut him off midway his sentence. "You are always curious." He snapped at Ethan.
"What do you mean by that? You have only known me for like five minutes." Ethan retorted.
"And throughout that five minutes, you have done nothing to exhibit unnecessary curiosity." Adrian said.
"Guys!" I had to caution them immediately in order to avoid another argument breaking out.
"It seems like they are talking. How are we supposed to hear what they are talking about?" I added.
"That was exactly what I wanted to ask before your friend here called me an unnecessarily curious person." Ethan folded his arms and frowned.
Adrian gave a little smirk. "Leave that to me, I got this." He said, his voice calmer than it should have been. He titled his head slightly, eyes narrowing as if he could hear something the rest of us could not.
I raised a brow at him. "Wait, how can you hear them from here?"
He did not answer right away, then he turned to me, his gaze lingered briefly. "You can do it too."
"What? Me?" I asked, startled.
"Super hearing. It is part of what you are." He said gently, I did not understand anything of what he was saying but I knew he was not going explain any further because of Ethan who was clearly watching us with amusement.
"Give it a try." He said and without warning, he placed his hands softly in my shoulders and leaned closer, his hot breath danced on my bare skin. "Shut your eyes and focus." He whispered.
The warmth of his hands, the closeness of his voice, everything about that moment pulled my senses in the wrong direction.
I hastily blinked, trying to brush off the flutter that rose in my chest.
Clearing my throat and shifting awkwardly, I stuttered. "You know what? Never mind. Just....you do it."
Adrian pulled back, shrugging and smirking like he already knew exactly what I was feeling. "As you wish." He said with a wink before averting his attention back to my mum and her merry band of friends..
Ethan squinted his eyes. "Okay, wait. How are you even hearing anything? You are not using tech. What are you? Some kind of wolf bat hybrid?"
Adrian did not respond. He already locked in, his eyes sharp, listening.
Whatever he was hearing was enough to wipe the smirk off his face slowly.
Adrian's jaw clenched, his entire body tensed.
"What are they talking about?" I asked, my heart pounding at the sudden seriousness on Adrian's face.
He did not respond right away.
"Adrian?" I pressed further, leaning towards him.
He released a heavy sigh. "They are talking about your missing grandfather."
I froze. "What about him?"
Adrian's brows furrowed. "They are.... planning to find him." He said slowly. "Your mum thinks he is hiding."
"Hiding?" Ethan asked from besides me, sitting up straight.
"Why does my mum think he is hiding? And what could my grandfather possibly be hiding from?" I raised a brow.
Adrian tilted his head slightly, listening deeper. "Actually, it is not only your mum who thinks that. One of men...." He tried to point but i could barely even see their faces.
"Who?"
"Some tall beared guy. He thinks your grandfather might know something about a rare bloodline."
Bloodline? What bloodline?
Adrian's body suddenly went stiff. His jaw tightened like he had just heard something that made his blood run cold.
"Adrian?" I asked, shifting closer to him. "What is it? What did you hear?"
He did not answer. His gaze shifted from my mum and her group to the road behind us.
"Hey dude. What the hell is going on?" Ethan yelled, concern rising in his voice.
Adrian's hands suddenly reach for the ignition, starting the car.
"We need to leave." He said sharply.
"Wait, what? Why?" I demanded. "What is going on?"
He did not answer. He pulled the car into reverse, eyes glued to the rearview mirror.
"Adrian, talk to me!" I snapped at him.
"They know we are here Elara!" He yelled .
"What? How? How did they sense us?" Ethan spoke even before I could utter a single word.
"I do not know dude. Now buckle up because they are coming for us!"
- Writer
