Aldrich returned to the room and gently ran his fingers through Maggie’s soft hair. He preferred Maggie’s long hair, but even after it was cut shorter, her face seemed even more vibrant. It seemed that the short hair suited her well. He carefully combed her short hair with his fingertips, letting the strands flow through his palms and fingers like water.
Maggie’s sleep had not been great since she became pregnant, and now, she slowly opened her eyes, her vision blurred. “Aldrich, what’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” the days of adjustment and building a connection between Aldrich and Maggie were magical. The frequency of his temper tantrums had significantly decreased, and he now yearned for affection he had never imagined. He longed for Maggie’s lips, her neck, her breasts, and her most intimate places. He longed for Maggie to become his true partner, and he hoped for her gaze to be filled with enduring love. He had not been a tender and kind person before, but now, he was feeling differently. “I just feel that meeting you and you carrying my child is full of wonders. It’s as if the Moon Goddess has set the path of our destiny.”
Amused by his unexpected confession, Maggie squeezed his hand back. “Why are you suddenly so sentimental? I haven’t heard of prenatal depression affecting fathers.”
“Just felt like telling you that I love you.”
Sunlight streamed in through the window, casting a light, warm glow over the two people who now shared their feelings.
“By the way, are you going to see Alisa?”
Maggie raised her head from his chest. “Are you willing to let me go see her?”
“She’s your only family left, and I don’t want you to feel lost here. She’s been receiving new medications lately, and I’ll take you to see her when she’s more conscious in a few days.”
Maggie, elated by the news of seeing Alisa again, was like the sunbeam itself. Aldrich enjoyed seeing her happy. He used to be jealous of anything that might divert Maggie’s attention, but now he thought that as long as Maggie was happy, it was all good.
“By the way, you should also get ready for the meeting with the Grand Elder.”
Overjoyed by the prospect of seeing Alisa again, Maggie was too preoccupied to pay much attention to what Aldrich said. “I know, I’ll get ready.”
As for Alisa, she couldn’t remember how long had passed since her injury. Time had no meaning for someone confined to a bed. Her body clock had ceased to tick, and time only made sense when Maggie was by her side.
But today, something felt different, and she sensed a change in the atmosphere. She grew uneasy, unsure if this change was good or bad.
The door creaked open, and in the silhouette of the backlit figure stood a tall person. Alisa squinted her eyes, trying to identify the visitor.
Was it that damned Marvin, or was it Aldrich, who had taken Maggie from her?
Meanwhile, Grace’s situation was grim.
Apart from the vampire’s instinctual craving for blood and their fear of light, her body bore gruesome wounds from the beasts’ savage bites. It had been several days, and the excellent healing abilities of the werewolves had failed to mend her injuries. Her wounds continued to ooze blood, and she felt lightheaded and disoriented, unable to distinguish between day and night.
The journey was significantly slowed down.
Ethan wanted to mock the woman’s vulnerability as he often did, but even if he spoke, she might not hear him, let alone respond.
“Let’s take a break.”
Grace, due to her dizziness, hadn’t heard clearly, but she noticed that Ethan had stopped. She looked at him with a hint of curiosity, “Why did you suddenly stop?”
Did his conscience suddenly kick in? Grace quickly dismissed the idea. She knew better than to expect a scoundrel to have a change of heart.
Ethan could more or less guess the turmoil in Grace’s mind as she hesitated to speak, but this time, he couldn’t be bothered. Being a good person occasionally should be fine, he thought.
“Your wounds need treatment. I don’t want you to die before you get in front of the Elder. That would be a loss for me.”
Grace thought to herself, “Just as I suspected, there’s more to his kindness than meets the eye. Don’t expect a scoundrel to have a sudden change of heart. Let him do as he pleases.”
To her surprise, Ethan was remarkably skilled at dressing wounds. The bleeding that Grace had thought would never end was now gradually retreating into the veins and organs where it belonged. She felt less dizzy. She wanted to take deep breaths but was restrained by Ethan. “It will pull on your wounds, don’t inhale deeply. Start with shallow breaths, and when it feels smoother, then take deep breaths, but don’t do it too frequently.”
Grace realized that she didn’t truly know Ethan as a person.
From the very first glance, she hadn’t liked Ethan. But to say she didn’t like him might be more about repulsion among the same kind. Her methods were gentler, while Ethan was unapologetic. He was stubborn, scheming, and extremely self-assured, and he didn’t hesitate to manipulate anyone or anything that didn’t benefit him. Even if there was a benefit involved, he would kick someone aside ruthlessly as soon as they lost their utility.
She couldn’t accept such values. Her ambition was built upon the foundation of her clan and kind. Her ambitions were for the greater benefit of her clan. Even though her bloodline was no longer pure werewolf, as long as love still resided in her heart, she wouldn’t become a monster.
Therefore, she had always believed that she and Ethan were different.
Now, Ethan’s actions made her less sure.
“I didn’t expect you to be so skilled at bandaging.”
“Thanks for your praise,” Ethan said with a smirk, running his fingers through Grace’s long hair. “It’s my honor to help a beautiful lady like you in her time of need.”
Grace kept a cold expression, unwilling to give him any signs of approval. “Do I need to remind you why I got these injuries in the first place?”
“I haven’t forgotten.”
The atmosphere between them was about to get tense again, but this time, Ethan didn’t seem interested in provoking her further. Instead, he continued to run his fingers through her hair. “Alex hates me; every time I see him, I end up injured. Since I was a child, I didn’t have servants or friends. My teachers hated and feared me. No one would help me dress my wounds, so I learned to do it myself.”
Grace opened her eyes.
“Why… You’re his eldest son, the heir to the throne. Why would he treat you this way?”
That was something Ethan was curious about as well.
“You’re asking me, and I’m asking who else? Maybe it’s because I look so much like my mother, and he hated her?”
That reason seemed flimsy. “But you forgot her memorial day, and he was furious.”
“True,” he muttered, “How would I understand the mindset of a lunatic?”
Grace almost smiled, which was a rare occurrence. “Don’t you think you’re a bit like him? In terms of being neurotic?”
Ethan bared his fangs at her. “Have I been too indulgent with you?”
But this time, Grace wasn’t startled. She understood that Ethan needed an opportunity to talk, and she wasn’t interested in others’ tragic life stories. However, for this particular fellow, she was willing to listen.
“If you want to talk about your mother, I can listen. Do you want to?”