Black Blood: The Runaway Mate

Chapter Eight

It continued to snow the following day. Classes were suspended since some of the roads were inaccessible. I almost stayed for the whole day cooped up inside my room, except when I ate meals with my mother. I also didn’t bother taking a bath since it was a very cold day. I just wore my pajamas and added another layer of clothing to keep me even warmer.

My mother didn’t open up what we had talked about Aziel. Every time she would open her mouth to speak, she was always hesitant like she was afraid of saying something she shouldn’t. And since I didn’t want to pressure her as well—and for the reason that I didn’t want us to talk about him—I also didn’t bother asking.

Our relationship naturally returned to normal by dinner. It also stopped snowing, that was why I decided to just blame the snow for everything that happened.

I helped her pack the rest of her clothes that she wouldn’t put in her luggage. She wanted to save and didn’t want to pay for extra baggage allowance, so she decided to ship it as well.

We, then, watched a documentary series while munching on dry Cheerios like some kind of bland popcorn. We ended up choosing a boring documentary on Netflix which put us to sleep after the first episode.

I woke up the next day with the sun high up in the sky. Classes were suspended once again as the roads were still being cleared up. Although it was still cold, at least it wasn’t snowing. It’s always dark during the day whenever it snows, so it made me feel like I had not seen the sun rise for days. So, not to take that wonderful morning for granted, I grabbed my favorite coat and a shovel before going out of our driveway to get some direct sunlight while doing some snow shoveling.

I had always found shoveling snow a good way to exercise. I didn’t really like working out so I would make the most out of it while doing house chores.

Before starting, I scanned our driveway and was relieved when the layer of snow wasn’t that thick. It would be easy for me to plow and then, we just had to wait for the schedule of the snow removal in our neighborhood.

It was always like that ever since I was born. It has already become a part of our routine every winter. For sure, it was something that I would miss once we moved to Dallas where snowfall rarely occurs.

“What do you want for lunch?” my mother asked when she came to check up on me outside.

I stopped plowing for a moment and rested my arm on the handle while looking at my mother. “Not sure,” I replied. “You decide. I’m fine with anything.”

“How about salmon?” She made a suggestion.

“I like that,” I said.

“Baked?”

“Yes, please.”

She smiled after finalizing the menu for lunch and quickly returned inside to start cooking. I was left outside making sure that our driveway was cleared from snow. Seeing the pavement in our driveway put a smile on my face and gave me a sense of fulfillment. The pile of snow was neatly shoveled near the fences.

Just as I was done, I heard a vehicle approaching my way. My head immediately turned to the direction where the sound was coming from.

A black SUV was easily pulling my sedan right behind it. I remembered Aziel telling me that he would ask someone to send my car after getting fixed. But then, I was caught off guard when I saw him coming down from the SUV himself.

Wearing a bomber jacket over a black shirt and denim jeans, his hair was styled up a bit messy like he just roughly put on the pomade on his hair. It didn’t matter though because he was still gorgeous while looking fresh and all dressed up—and I was sure he smelled fcking good too.

Embarrassment slowly creeped into me when I remembered that I didn’t bathe the day before. I was also in my pajamas, and I lost my memory if I combed my bed hair when I got off bed and headed to make breakfast. I suddenly had the urge to run back home and hide, but he already saw me as light as the day.

“A-Aziel…” I was speechless, my hands started fidgeting as I didn’t know what to do. “Why are you here?”

“Good afternoon.” He smiled and greeted me first, while he confidently approached me. “I came to bring your car.” He handed me the car keys. “It should be working now.”

Feeling a little hesitant, I received the keys from him and smiled. “Thanks.”

It felt like my throat dried not because of the cold but due to the amount of embarrassment I was feeling at the moment. I suddenly hoped it was Summer so that I could melt along with the snow.

“I thought you would just ask someone to bring it over?” I couldn’t help but ask about that since I wasn’t expecting him, hence, my unappealing look.

Well, it’s not like I’ve ever looked attractive once in life, but I—at least—want to look decent in front of him.

“I decided to bring it over myself instead,” he honestly answered, without making up an excuse. “I also feel bad for declining your mother’s invitation for a drink the other night. I thought I should make up for it.”

You didn’t have to, I wanted to say that so badly but I bit my tongue to stop myself. “Well, uhm, come on in,” I invited him half-heartedly. “We are just about to eat lunch. You should join us.”

“Great,” he said without even hesitating. “I’ll just get something inside my car.”

“Sure. Take your time,” I said and hoped that he forgot whatever it was, so he would get it first at home before coming back, giving me time to actually freshen up.

However, like I said, I was always wrong when it comes to him. Of course, he wouldn’t forget it. He got a box from the passenger’s seat and returned to me right away.

“What’s that?” I asked.

“Berry cobbler,” he replied. “I didn’t want to come empty-handed, so I brought this instead. We can eat this for dessert.”

You didn’t have to, I wanted to say once again but I just smiled. “Thanks,” I said. “Uhm, let’s go in.”

He just nodded and I turned my back on him while I walked to the front door. I played with the keys and mentally cursed myself. I couldn’t decide if I should take a bath first before eating lunch, but I didn’t want to leave him alone with my mother.

I don’t trust her with him. Not after what she told me that night.

“Uhm, I’m sorry if I look like a mess,” I apologized since I didn’t want him to think that I was a dirty person. “I got busy plowing the snow as soon as I woke up.”

He flashed an understanding smile. “I don’t have any problem with that,” he assured. “And besides, it’s normal not to bathe during winter, especially when you’re just staying at home.”

I forced a smile. “I don’t think that applies to you.”

“I worked out earlier so…” He chuckled and shrugged his shoulders. “I also don’t want to come here without taking a bath.”

“You do workouts?” It should be obvious that he does, but I didn’t know why I was suddenly interested.

Even when he was fully clothed, his body had a great build and physique. His proportions were also something to admire—and it was one of the reasons I put on the list.

“Yeah.”

“What kind of workout?” I asked as I went up the porch.

“I like running up and down in the mountains.”

I slipped a step on the porch when he answered so casually like his workout exercise was something a normal person would do. I couldn’t believe how I forgot again that he’s a werewolf. It kept slipping my mind. Luckily, I was fortunate enough that Aziel had quick reflexes. He was able to catch me right away, stopping my face from meeting the cold surface of our porch and embarrassing myself even more.

“Careful,” he said with an anxious tone while helping me stand properly. “It’s slippery. You should watch your step.”

I sheepishly smiled. “Sorry.”

He furrowed his brows. “That’s not something to be sorry about.”

Biting my lip, I didn’t know what to say anymore. I just opened our door and as soon as we got inside, the aroma of garlic and butter enveloped my nose. I heard the oven close from the kitchen and figured that the salmon had already finished baking. I went straight to the dining while Aziel followed me closely.

My mother must have heard the footsteps gradually getting closer, so she lifted her head up after carefully placing the baked salmon fillets on the table. “Are you done plowing—” Just like the other night, she cut her own words when her eyes drifted to the man behind me. “Aziel!” she exclaimed like she had seen a ghost.

After telling me how she was so sure and confident that Aziel wouldn’t visit our house anymore, I couldn’t blame her for showing such an intense reaction.

“Good afternoon, Arissa,” he greeted her, sounding a bit casual.

“Good afternoon…” My mother trailed off as she slowly shifted her eyes to me, and I just looked away to tell her that I knew nothing about Aziel’s plans to visit.