CHAPTER ONE
Evelyne stood at the altar, dressed in a beautiful white wedding gown, her head bowed, lost in a daze as the priest recited the marriage vows.
"How did it all come to this? Why am I here?"
The questions ran through her mind. Her eyes burned with tears that threatened to fall, but she held them back.
"Do you take Miss Evelyne to be your lawfully wedded wife?" the priest asked, dragging his words painfully slow, almost mockingly.
There was a pause until a deep, velvety voice finally spoke.
"I do."
Silence filled the church once again. Evelyne's heart stopped as she stared down with wide eyes.
"Do you take him to be your lawfully wedded husband?"
The priest asked,he didn't dare say his name, his gaze fixed on the crowd but making it clear who the question was directed to.
Her hand clutched at her dress as she slowly looked up, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. Her gaze met his cold, emotionless red eyes staring back at her.
She turned to the priest, silently pleading for a way out, but he kept his eyes locked on the crowd seated in the wooden chairs, ignoring her silent cries.
With all her strength, Evelyne whispered, "I do."
At that moment, she knew her life had ended.
A YEAR BEFORE
Evelyne walked through the dimly lit streets of Hamilton Villa. The streetlights cast an eerie glow, creating a near-paranormal atmosphere.
It was eerily quiet, the only sounds coming from distant crickets and the occasional hoot of an owl.
She clutched her purse tightly with both hands. Suddenly, she felt a presence behind her like someone was following. She quickened her pace, too scared to look back, when a deep whisper cut through the silence.
"Scared?"
Evelyne spun around abruptly but no one was there. Just an endless, dark road stretching ahead.
Heart pounding, she turned back and froze.
Towering over her were three men, each massive in build, smirking wickedly. Their sharp, long fangs glistened under the faint light.
She stood paralyzed, her hands trembling almost violently.
"Are we scaring you?"
The man in the middle taunted, his smirk unwavering.
"She looks tasty," another added, hunger gleaming in his bright blue eyes.
"Pl... pl... please," Evelyne stammered, her words tripping over each other in fear.
Before she could react, one of them lunged toward her, his mouth wide to show his sharp set of teeth.
Her eyes widened. She squeezed them shut, bracing for pain but none came.
Instead, gasps filled the air.
Opening her eyes, she saw the attacker suspended midair, a tall, unfamiliar figure gripping him by the throat.
The stranger threw the man effortlessly, sending him flying into the darkness. Then, standing in front of Evelyne like a human shield, he faced the other two.
They looked at the figure with anger lunging towards him, but with practiced strength he sent them crawling and running, tears streaming down their faces.
The stranger turned to her.
He was impossibly tall, with piercing blue eyes that seemed to look straight into her soul. His face was almost ethereal as if God had spent extra time sculpting it. He wore a plain white shirt, loose sweatpants, and black hair that fell slightly over his eyes.
Evelyne stared, speechless, partly from how easily he defeated them, but mostly because of how devastatingly handsome he was.
"Are you okay?" he asked, worry etched in his expression.
"I'm fine. Thank you," Evelyne whispered, a blush creeping up her cheeks.
He noticed and smirked slightly.
"I'm Willard."
"I'm Evelyne. And thank you for saving me. I can't imagine what would've happened if—"
He cut her off gently. "Hey, it's fine, okay? You're safe." He placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.
She nodded, still trembling slightly.
"Want me to walk you home?" he asked, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly.
"Your house, not mine, obviously , that’d be weird. Just in case there are others around. It's not really safe at night."
"Yes, please," she said with a nervous but grateful smile.
They began walking. Neither spoke. They both found excuses to look everywhere, the sky, the ground, the sides of the street ,anywhere but at each other.
Yet Evelyne could feel his occasional glances.
A few awkward minutes later, they reached a small house. Evelyne stopped in front of it.
"So... this is goodbye, then," Willard said, slipping his hands into his sweatpants pockets.
"Yeah... and thank you again," Evelyne smiled warmly.
"Yeah. Cool. I’ll see you around... maybe," he added.
She nodded in response and slipped inside, closing the door behind her but not before stealing one last look at him.
That night, Evelyne lay awake, replaying everything.
The attack. His protection.
The walk home.
Sometimes, she caught herself smiling... only to shake it off.
Yet she couldn’t deny the unsettling feeling deep inside her about Willard a feeling she couldn’t quite explain, so she simply ignored it.
THREE MONTHS LATER
Evelyne sat on a park bench, watching the little children chase ducks by the lake, a soft smile on her face.
Suddenly, a deep, familiar voice made her freeze.
Turning around, she gasped, standing behind her was someone she thought she would never see again.
Her eyes widened in shock... and a flicker of excitement she couldn’t hide.
