Black Blood: The Runaway Mate

Prologue

The familiar cold breeze of the wind gusts from behind me, blowing a few strands of my hair to my face. I quickly tuck the stray locks behind my ears and embrace myself tightly to fight the cold even though it’s obviously useless.

Unlike before, I’m no longer used to the cold. It has been five years since I left Fairbanks to study and eventually settled in Dallas, which is 3,778 miles away from each other. I have not gone back to my hometown since then.

Honestly, I’m still not sure if it’s a wise decision to come back here. I spent so much time away forgetting, only to come back when I’m not yet totally moved on. However, I just can’t turn down my best friend’s invitation.

“Chandra!”

My head turns to the woman who gets out of the car. A smile touches my lips when I see my best friend dashing towards me.

“I miss you!” Lindsay envelops me with a very tight hug, giving me a warm welcome despite the cold weather.

Ever since I moved to Dallas, we have been in touch with each other. But I only saw her once in person when she visited me three years ago. She spent a week of her vacation with me in Dallas. Aside from that, we did not see each other again as she was busy with college and her part-time job ― and so did I.

Nonetheless, the distance and lack of communication didn’t stand against our strong friendship.

I may be unlucky when it comes to other things, but I hit the jackpot of having her as my best friend. And that’s why I decided to go here for her upcoming wedding. I will not let it pass. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime event that I shouldn’t miss. I don’t think I can also forgive myself if I am not a part of it.

“How’s your flight?” Lindsay giddily asks.

Her eyes are shining bright. She’s grinning from ear to ear.

“Fine.” I smile and point to the car where she got out earlier. “Can we go inside the car first? It’s freezing.”

“Oh, right!” she exclaims as her eyes widen. “Let’s go, let’s go!” She grabs me by the hand and pulls me to the sedan. She opens the door of the back seat for me. I slide inside while she moves to the shotgun seat.

My eyes immediately lock with Simoun, Lindsay’s fiancé.

In all honesty, I was skeptical about their relationship back then. I couldn’t fathom how they ended up together. I didn’t have a nice impression of Simoun when we were still in high school. He’s part of the hockey team in which members used to bully students ― like us ― who didn’t meet their standards of people they should respect.

Knowing his undesirable image, my desire to protect her from getting her heart broken kicked in when Lindsay broke the news to me. I experienced being played firsthand, and it didn’t feel good at all. It’s a feeling you wouldn’t wish to get a taste of. It’s so bitter that you won’t be able to swallow it.

“Welcome back, Chandra.” He gives me a warm smile, making me feel a sense of comfort with him around.

“Thanks,” I say briefly.

I can tell that he’s different from how I viewed him back in high school. He’s got this homey feeling. But I can’t let my guard down. I’m still not entirely in favor of him being married to my best friend.

“What can you say about Chandra, babe?” Lindsay asks Simoun as she settles on her seat. “Doesn’t she look beautiful?”

I see Simoun give me a quick glance from the rearview mirror while starting the engine. “Yeah,” he replies. “She looks very different.”

Lindsay turns to me with a proud smile on her face. “Hear that?” She raises an eyebrow. “I told you so. I don’t know why you’re still denying it.”

Frowning at her, creases appear on my forehead.

I’m aware that I got conscious of how I looked when my pride and self-esteem were wounded. I tried tidying myself more. I’m not being modest, but I still can’t really point out the major transformation she’s been blabbering about. Every time we video call, she would always tell me how beautiful I got, which urged me to end our conversation all the time.

“Anyway, what are your plans today?” Knowing that I won’t say anything, Lindsay shifts the topic right away.

“I’ll put my things down at home, then visit my father’s grave.”

“You sure you don’t really want to stay with us?” she tries to make it sound tempting. “Your house might be a sanctuary of spiders by now with all those possible cobwebs.”

I chuckle because of how her imagination runs wild. “You must be forgetting that my mom comes back here annually to visit my father,” I say. “And you checked the condition of the house just last week.”

“Well, Arissa only stays here for two days at most.” She shrugs her shoulders. “Also, I didn’t even clean. I know how dirty it is.”

I let out a deep breath. “It’s actually a nice idea to spend more time with you by staying in your house, but I’ll be here for a month to help you with the final preparations before your wedding,” I tell her my reasons. “I can’t live with you and your family that long. That’s going to make me feel uncomfortable.”

Lindsay told me that her mother suggested that I should just stay in their house while I’m here in Fairbanks. However, I’m an adult now. I don’t want to be a freeloader when I can live independently and pay for my own expenses. And aside from that, I also want my own personal space.

My beloved best friend sighs in defeat. She knows that she won’t be able to change my mind no matter how much she tries to persuade me.

Simoun pulled the car over at Denny’s to eat lunch soon after we left the airport. The couple briefed me on the progress of their wedding preparations. I was filled in on the information that Lindsay had not told me yet during our calls. And after our quick stopover for lunch, they finally drove me home.

“Oh, right! Before I forgot…” Lindsay fumbles through her purse for a few seconds before pulling out the car keys of my sedan. “The mechanic gave a reminder not to hit the gas too hard.”

Aside from asking Lindsay a favor to help me with the arrangements of my electricity and other utilities at home, I also mailed the keys of my old sedan to her a month ago. I told her to bring it to the auto repair shop for maintenance work because I’ll be using it for a month. I can’t afford to have no car to use. It’ll be hard for me to get around the city.

I smile and take the keys from her. “Thanks.”

“And remember, we have to meet at McCafferty’s by eight in the morning, okay?” she reminds me of our meeting tomorrow with her wedding planner.

“Noted.”

As soon as Lindsay’s done giving her reminders, Simoun finally takes the car away with her. And then, I turn my heel around to face the house that had been my home for eighteen years of my existence before I left.

It’s a double-roof bungalow with a black and gray outline and a white exterior. There’s a mini front porch which also serves as our doorstep. Since the house can’t be adequately maintained, the white paint isn’t in mint condition. I can see a few dark spots caused by water stains.

It’s such a pity.

Heaving a sigh, I quit stressing myself out and enter the living room. The furniture is covered in white sheets to protect it from dirt and dust. But I can clearly see these sacrificed white sheets getting all the dirt instead.

I have this urge to cancel my plan to visit my father’s grave today and just dedicate my time to cleaning the house, but just thinking about it makes me feel guilty. I purposely did not come whenever my mother would come back here to visit him. It’s the least I can do for him.

That said, before I get to waste more time, I drag myself and my luggage to my room. The situation in my bedroom is even worse than in the living room. It’s been left untouched for years. I don’t think my mother bothered cleaning my room whenever she’s home.

I could only sigh helplessly. The thought of cleaning the house all by myself makes me want to go nuts. I suddenly want to take Lindsay’s offer and live with them for the rest of the month.

Ignoring the mess as I want to proceed with my plans for today, I pull the luggage next to my closet before lying it down on the wooden floor. I carefully open the zipper to get my brown trench coat. It is 10 degrees Celsius out there, and I won’t survive if I will stick with only a thick turtleneck on.

Trying to make do of the dusty mirror on my closet door, I fix my trench coat over the black turtleneck and tie the belt on my waist, which highlights my curves. I also wear the strap of my leather satchel bag where I have all my necessities stored.

Seeing my fit in the mirror, I smile and nod in satisfaction.

I’m about to take my leave when my eyes catch a glance at the frame still standing on my study desk. I stop midway and turn my head to look at it. I can’t see the face of the man beside me in the picture clearly. Good thing the image is covered in dust.

Holding my breath, I carefully put the frame down, facing the surface of the table. I can’t deal with it now. I’m going to think of what I will do about it later when I get home.

I walk out of the room with a heavy heart. I suddenly remember that day when I decided to fly to Dallas and be with my mother out of an impulse. It was hard for me to leave home. I treated it as my fortress. My safe haven. Moving out felt like I was about to enter a battlefield ― off to an unknown place where potential dangers can be anywhere. However, I knew I also couldn’t stay. I ran away with hopes that I would leave the pain of my past behind, tossing out a massive pile of memories to forget.

“I’m sorry if it took me five years to come back and visit you, Dad…” I sincerely apologize in front of my father’s grave. “I don’t know if you’re cursing me up there for leaving without saying goodbye, but I want you to know that I’m doing well. I really think I made the right decision. I’m living a happy and peaceful life back in Dallas. I couldn’t ask for more.”

Despite the cold weather, I stay with my father for almost an hour. I remain in silence. Only whispers of the wind and the sound of the trees swaying can be heard.

If I hadn’t started to freeze because of the chilly weather on this hill, I would have stayed more. However, I’m starting to feel very uncomfortable. Or maybe, I’m only feeling this way because I’m not used to the cold anymore after my body has adapted to the weather back in Dallas.

I bid farewell to my father quickly and promise to come back more often while staying here in Fairbanks. As soon as I get inside the car, I turn on the engine and the heater to keep me warm. Once I feel my body temperature rising, I finally start driving and head downtown.

It’s not a part of my plans for today, but after seeing the state of our house, I realize that I need to shop. I have to buy new bed linens, groceries, and cleaning supplies. I don’t know why I hadn’t thought of that when planning for my day.

“Thank you for your purchase!” The staff beams at me.

I just smile back before carrying the heavy bags of linens and cleaning supplies. I check off these two first on the list because I’m sure that I’ll take a lot of time shopping for groceries. After placing the bags on the back seat, I lock my car again.

The local supermarket is just near where I park my car, so I decided to just walk. I slide both my hands inside my coat’s pockets. While walking, I keep looking around to see if there are new stores in town or if shops I know already went out of business. I’m like a tourist in my own hometown.

But then, out of the blue, someone suddenly grabs my forearm to stop me from crossing the road. My hand slips out of the pocket. For a split second, I feel the cold of the wind touch my skin until the hand of the man brings me warmth.

The heat spreads all over my body like a fire inside me has been lit. My pulse races, knowing the reason why I’m feeling this way. I’m familiar with the feeling as I have experienced it countless times before. I even used to crave this warmth. It’s the heat coming from the blood of the werewolf.

The moment I lift my head to confirm my speculations, I’m horrified to see that I hit the mark. My gut is right.

It’s really him.

Blue eyes as deep as the ocean. Disheveled dark-brown hair. Red lips. Thick eyebrows. Pointed nose and chiseled jaw. Those God-like features belong to the man who made me feel how it is to be in love for the first time, without knowing that he would also be the one to make me resent that feeling.

“It’s you…” he says under his breath like he also can’t believe that I’m right in front of his eyes after all these years.