Secrets in the Shadows

Episode Fourteen

Maev looked at Kramer, an equal feeling of pain and anger filled her entire body. Regardless of whatever she would try to say, that ruthless man had already made up his mind about treating her like an enemy and this hatred will grow with each passing day. He was so tormented by the loss of his brother that he was blinded by rage and hatred. Maev kept saying to herself to throw in the towel, that the best thing was for her to walk out of his room and stay far away from him. As she reached the bottom of the stairs, she turned and glanced up towards his bedroom.

" Runaway!", she softly whispered. She glanced around her making sure that no one had heard what she had said.

Without giving it another thought, she hurried to her bedroom, pulled on a pair of jeans and a T-shirt. Grabbing the coat and the pair of boots, she slowly closed the door and hurried towards the sitting room. She glanced around, seeing that the coast was clear, she walked up to the front door and slowly opened the door, and walked out. Maev hurried towards the gate and smiled when she noticed that it wasn't locked like last time." What if those Vampires from earlier are out there?!", She softly said as she pushed open the gate. She paused as she looked towards the woods." I'll take the risk and face the consequences", she whispered. Maev hurried out of the gate, she was glad that it wasn't raining like in the morning, as the cold breeze swept over her, she pulled the coat tightly around her. Maev didn't look back as she walked towards the road. She picked up a stick from the ground and said some magic words and soon she had a torch. She was glad for the few tricks that Ma Fae had taught her. She missed that old woman, she was grateful for all of the little extra things that she had learned from her. Maev walked fast hoping to be far away by the time that Kramer would realize that she was no longer inside the house.

Kramer was surprised that Maev had not put up a fight, instead, she had left his bedroom quietly, admitting defeat. He stood there in his towel looking at himself in the mirror, for some reason his mind wasn't at peace. He had this weird feeling that something was up with Maev. When a woman is quiet, it means that she is thinking and he knew perfectly well what the little witch could be thinking about. He hurried and got dressed, then made his way downstairs and saw Ulia coming in carrying some logs.

" You should have asked me to help you Ulia!", Kramer said as he helped the maid to put the logs down next to another pile that she had just brought in.

" It's ok Sir", Ulia smiled as she wiped her hands on the apron around her waist.

“ Please check if Maev is in her room”, Kramer said and the little woman quickly obeyed.

She came back almost immediately saying that his wife wasn’t in her room.

" I knew it?!...", Kramer said with an angry tone.

She ran away again! Kramer said to himself softly cursing underneath his breath.

For a moment he wanted to just let her go, get lost out in the woods, or get killed by whatever was out there watching them, but something stronger was telling him to go find her. He couldn't let anything happen to her and if she was to die, he wanted to have the pleasure of killing her, himself! Kramer pulled on his boots, grabbed the coat, and ran out. With one wave of his hand, the gate opened and he drove out of the driveway fast. He knew that she couldn't have gone too far on foot unless she got a ride from someone then she would be very far away.

Maev walked along the road holding the torch tightly. She kept glancing around her praying that nothing will attack her. She noticed a car coming from far and she stopped walking.

What if I catch a ride to town? She thought as she waited for the car to get closer. Maev waved at the driver and as the car slowed down she realized that the driver was her worst nightmare. Maev dropped the stick, turned around, and as fast as she could she started to run towards the woods.

Kramer stopped the car and got out, he stood by the driver’s door looking at her running with a smirk lingering on his lips. Maev didn’t look back, she ran as fast as she could even if she had no idea where she was going. The scene unfolding in front of her made her remember the day that those Vampires were chasing after her in the woods, but they were not as good as Kramer, she knew eventually that he will catch up with her and probably she was doing the stupidiest thing, but she wasn't going to stop . As she looked in front of her she saw him standing and waiting for her with a smile on his face.

" So you think that you could run away from me", Kramer said with a soft laugh.

Maev wanted to cry, she didn't have a choice but to give up. She leaned against a tree and closed her eyes as she breathed in and out trying to catch her breath. When she opened her eyes, Kramer was standing in front of her. Without saying a single word, he walked up to her, grabbed her and put her over his shoulder, and within seconds they were back next to the car.He put her down and Maev got inside the car without putting up any sort of a fight. Kramer smiled as he walked around the car and got in the driver's seat.

They drove back in silence. Maev’s turned her gaze towards the woods as she kept blinking away the tears that had swelled up in her eyes. They reached the house and Maev quickly got out of the car and hurried to her room. She locked herself in and sat down on the edge of the bed staring blankly at the wall. Kramer locked the front door and removed the key taking it upstairs with him.

" That woman could try to run away again", Kramer softly said as he made his way towards the stairs.

Maev got in the shower and let the warm water flow over her face and body. She thought that maybe if she stood there long enough the warmth of the water will warm up her cold soul." I should have waited for everyone to be asleep", she said quietly as she looked at her reflection in the mirror.

" I'll do it again, tonight, now I'm hungry", she said as she closed the tap and grabbed a towel. She would have to sit down and come up with a proper plan for her escape and this time she will have to make sure that Kramer would not catch up with her.

She walked to the dining room and met Ulia who was still up and cleaning even if the place looked cleaned and tidy. The little woman smiled when she saw her as if she was happy with her presence.

" Ma'am don't run away! These woods are bad! The master protects this cottage so you are safe here", Ulia said in a whispering tone.

" Your master is cruel !", Maev whispered back.

" Don't say that! He has a kind heart .. just the death of his brother made him changed a bit", Ulia continued in a whispering tone.

" Kind!! Hell no... anyways I don't want to speak about him.. please understand", Maev said gently touching Ulia’s hand.The maid nodded her head and she didn’t say anything else.

“ I know it’s late but I’m hungry, is there anything for me to eat?”, Maev asked placing a hand over her rumbling stomach.

“ I saved your dinner ma’am. I had put it away in the refrigerator. Let me warm it for you”, Ulia said and Maev smiled as the maid rushed to the refrigerator.

“ At least someone who likes me”, Maev whispered as she looked at the maid.

Maev hurried and ate her dinner, she had other things to take care of. Regardless of what Ulia had told her, she will go again later in the middle of the night.She walked out to the sitting room and walked up to the front door to make sure that the key was still there . She stopped walking when she heard his voice from behind her,

" Looking for this ?!".

Maev noticed the key was not on the door and

she suddenly felt like she had lost all of the battles.

" Well sorry to disappoint you and ruin your plans", Kramer said with a laugh as he waved the key in his hand.

Maev turned and looked at him angrily, she walked towards him and looked up at him.

" Kill me, Kramer! That's my last solution.. you kill me I don't have to suffer next to a man I don't want to be with! So finish me off. Or are you a coward?!", Maev said poking him in the middle of his chest with two fingers.

" Are you scared Kramer the Grand! Are you?!", Maev said and poked him again this time harder in the middle of his chest and pushed him backwards .

The way she was poking and pushing him was provoking him as anger build up inside him and he knew that's what she wanted to achieve to make him angry. Kramer looked at her and grabbed her hands as she was about to push him again.He turned her around and pressed her against the wall. Maev closed her eyes and waited for his bite. Kramer looked at her anger burning inside of him, he closed his eyes and lowered his head towards her neck, his shiny fangs couldn’t wait to tear their way into her flesh. He paused as his mouth reached the nape of her neck, he could feel that her heart was beating faster and what sounded like a soft moan escaped her lips. He wandered if that was a plea for him to let her go. Kramer closed his eyes as he tightened his grip on her arms his nails digging into her flesh which made her growl in pain.