He calmly placed the other shoe in front of my feet, before he stepped a distance from me.

What did he say?

Our eyes met and I refused to let it last long.

It is best not to talk to him, yes. We remained still in our position after it. Silent and unmoving.

But then my curiosity is too loud I couldn't tame it to erupt.

"You are a vampire," I stated.

"Yes," he confirmed without a doubt.

"Then what do you want from me? Did I do you wrong? Are you for my life? If it is, then why do you have to take them away from me? They were good at you, Akin!"

He sighed. "I wasn't taking them away from you. And I will not kill any of you, Reishza."

Must I believe him?

My staring took longer... trying to weigh the truths he just uttered.

It took us another muted while before he offered his hand to me. I looked at it with determined reservation and... indifference.

"Will you trust me?"

Can I trust a vampire?

He will not kill me. He will rather die than do it to me.

But am I assured by that? What if he's gonna kill me?

But he said he won't.

Must I trust? When all the while he kept mum about what he really is?

If it was me, would I speak of it?

I can't even say to Miro what is wrong with me.

"I can't," in the end, I truthfully uttered.

He nodded, respecting my answer. He withdrew his rejected hand, placing it in his pocket. It was just then I noticed that he is also still wearing his white long sleeves from yesterday.

We must have looked lost in the woods. With gowns and ties. And lies... beliefs. And wild heartbeats.

"Will you be comfortable if I'll be the one to take you there?"

There? Where to...

Perhaps where he'll suck out all the blood in me?

But he said he won't kill me...

I shook my head at him to reject that idea.

"Alright then," he replied.

My eyes fell when he again draw more distance between us. I seamlessly retained myself to not look at the distance between, faking to rake the place we are in, having a little clench somewhere.

I don't know if it was guilt cause when he removed his gaze at me, I watched him so indulgently that it took me a minute to realize he has caught me in the middle of it.

"You can ask me more questions, Reishza. What is it..."

My lips parted to question, but then I wasn't any braver now to spew them out so I just shook my head.

"Ryelia will then escort you to your family," he said, and after that, a beautiful woman from the woods is already running towards us.

Just like him, her running is so fast that my hair flew when she suddenly appeared in front of me. Her eyes are immediately daunting on me and I almost fall on my back when she proceeded to set her fangs out.

But that didn't happen because a firm hand is already in support of my back.

Our eyes met, and Akin, tensed, immediately removed his hand from me.

"Wow. Such a love story," the girl chanted which broke the trance I am having.

My eyes roamed at her and I couldn't stop myself but be in marvel at her prowess. The big waves on her straight brown hair on volumized cascading. Her slender body, her luminous rosy skin... and her mean eyes. They are also red but I cannot find myself too scared looking at it. It is screaming its menace, not hiding it. It is displaying all of its viciousness and is loudly proud of any of its wickedness.

"Do not be forward on her. She is still in the process of understanding things," Akin warned and the woman just rolled her eyes on him. Akin's eyes remained on her and I felt like they are having a conversation just by looking at each other's eyes.

I made an absent-minded effort to block his sight from the woman.

Akin then sighed looking at me.

The woman scoffed soundly when he strode towards me and picked up the other unused shoe himself. He opened his palm, asking permission by the eye. I stared sideways and he got it. The silence was awkward as he settle it on my foot.

It closed our gap again and all I did is lightly move my lips when he stood up and proceeded to tuck a few strands of my wild hair into my ear.

He cooly inserted his hand into his pocket after grazing me as if stopping himself from doing more.

Ryelia smacked his shoulder and pushed it a bit. "Shoo!"

His jaw clenched.

"I'll follow,"

I looked back at her but she is already active staring back at him. I gazed the other side when I noticed their staring took longer than necessary.

"Yeah yeah whatever," she suddenly said and I am caught off guard when she effortlessly snatched me on the ground and carried me in her arms to run fast, out of Akin's reach!

"Reprimanding lover," she hissed in the midst of sprinting. And even with the blurring sight, I lifted my eyes to understand more of what she is saying.

She caught me looking at her, and the dim bliss in her orbs exhibited.

"He is my lover," she stated, and peeping at me is a taunting grin on her lips.

I closed my mouth tightly at that.

He is her lover?

Unmindfully, I withdrew my hold on her back.

I set it back, troubled by my sudden withdrawal.