Bake Me a Mate

Chapter 5：Moonlight Variations

On the night of the full moon, a large silver moon was hanging high in the sky, shining this cold, bright light down on everything. It was very quiet in the apartment, except for the heavy curtains, which rustled a little from the night breeze. The moonlight seeped through the curtains, creating shadows that moved on the floor of Lucien's study.

Elise was lying in bed, her body twitching uncontrollably. She couldn't get comfortable. The moonlight outside felt like an invisible hand, gently poking at the unease deep down inside her.

At midnight, a low, painful roar echoed through the thick walls, barely audible to Elise. It sounded hoarse and muffled, like it was coming from deep inside the throat of a hurt animal, with a really disturbing desperation to it.

Her heart felt tight, as if an invisible hand had just squeezed it hard. She felt a cold wave of fear wash over her.

"Mr. Black..." Elise whispered, her voice a little shaky. She couldn't take the anxiety anymore. She rolled over in bed and went to the study door without wearing shoes.

The hallway was dimly lit, with only a little bit of light coming from the bedroom. Elise's heart was beating rapidly, and every step felt like she was walking on cotton, all light and unsteady.

She gently turned the doorknob, and the cold metal made her shiver. The door was locked tight.

Elise hesitated for a second, then took a breath and knocked lightly on the door. "Mr. Black? Mr. Black, are you okay?" There was no answer from the study, only a low, angry sound.

Elise felt a sudden surge of worry. She was worried about Lucien, and she had many scary thoughts. She pushed hard on the door, wanting to force her way in and see what was going on with him.

"Click." The door opened.

Lucien stood there, his figure looming large, almost filling the entire doorway.

Moonlight poured in from behind him, making his shadow stretch way up high, almost touching the ceiling.

Elise's heart stopped for a second. She slowly looked up, her eyes moving inch by inch until they landed on his face.

The first thing she saw was his eyes. Elise gasped, almost screaming.

His eyes, usually gray-blue, were now glowing with a golden light! It wasn't a warm golden color, but a cold, strange kind of light, like a wolf's eyes in the middle of the night.

Elise felt like her heart was about to beat right out of her chest. She felt a mix of fear and curiosity, and she kept looking.

His face was contorted into a tight grimace, his brow furrowed as if he could c***k a walnut, and the veins on his forehead were visible. He looked like he was in a lot of pain and trying really hard to hold it in. His lips were pressed tight, his jaw clenched, as if he was trying to suppress something.

Then, Elise heard a low, rough noise coming from deep in his throat. The sound was rough and deep, like nothing a person could make. It was more like an injured animal growling.

Elise was shaking, and she felt a cold shiver run down her spine.

She took a step back, so scared she bumped into the wall behind her with a "thump," but her eyes were glued to Lucien; she couldn't look away. She tried to speak, but she couldn't make any noise.

She just stood there, staring at Lucien. He seemed familiar yet strange, and this made her feel scared, confused, and she also felt a strong sense of pity.

"M... Mr. Black... are you... are you all right?" Elise stammered, every word shaking, her teeth chattering.

"Elise, go away," Lucien said. Lucien's voice was hoarse, every word sounding like it was being squeezed out from deep inside his throat.

But Elise was frozen to the spot, unable to move. She looked at Lucien, and every muscle in his face screamed about the terrible pain he was going through.

Elise shook her head. She couldn't do it. She couldn't just leave him alone like this.

"I'm not going... I'm not going..." Her voice cracked with emotion. "Mr. Black, is there anything I can do to help you?"

Lucien suddenly looked up, and in his golden eyes, Elise saw a flash of pain and struggle. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but he just let out a low roar. He suddenly reached out and grabbed Elise's arm.

Elise cried out, and before she could react, she was pulled into the study by a strong force.

"BANG!"

The door slammed shut, trapping Elise in that space full of unknown danger.

She gasped in pain, and then everything went black.

The next night, Elise reluctantly agreed to the "sugar test."

She told herself, "Stay calm, you have to stay calm!" Then, she touched her lips to Lucien's cheek.

That little touch made Elise jump.

That taste was all wrong!

If the previous taste had been like a snowy night with the north wind howling, this one was like the radioactive dust cloud after a nuclear explosion. It felt bitter, spicy, and despairing, like a million needles stabbing her tongue, and like her insides were being thrown into a blender. She felt like she couldn't breathe and her whole body was shaking.

She looked up, her eyes wide with shock, and screamed, "What the heck is this?!"

How could Lucien's taste suddenly change so much? Had he secretly eaten nuclear waste?

That night, Elise had another vivid dream.

She was standing in a pure white clinic, and the air was thick with the stinging smell of disinfectant, making her eyes water. Everything was white: the walls, the floors, the ceiling. It was so bright and white that it made her feel uneasy, like she was in a horror movie.

In the corner, a skinny little boy was curled up, his body shaking violently. He was very pale, like a ghost, with blue lips, a furrowed brow, and chattering teeth. It looked like he was in a lot of pain. He held his arms tightly, his fingernails digging deep into his skin, leaving streaks of blood.

Outside the clinic, a few cherry trees were in full bloom. Their pink and white petals were falling in the breeze. It looked like a romantic cherry blossom rain.

The whole scene was so strange! Elise felt a shiver run down her spine. The beautiful scenery outside and the awful scene inside the clinic were very different from each other. The contrast made her feel overwhelmed. When she woke up, Elise lay in bed, staring blankly at the ceiling.

She wondered about the little boy. Why was he in so much pain? Did he have some kind of terminal illness?

And what was that white clinic? Was it a secret laboratory?

What was the connection to Lucien? Had Lucien gone through something similar when he was a child? Was that why his taste had become so... indescribable?

The more Elise thought about it, the more dizzy she felt, as if she had a million bees buzzing around in her head. She rolled over and hid her face in her pillow, trying to forget all those crazy thoughts. But the images kept flashing through her mind like a movie, over and over again. She felt like she was going crazy!