Eden stepped out of the bathtub when she heard a noise from outside the room. She quickly got dressed and approached her bedroom door from the inside while her ears clung to the door frame observing the sound outside the living room area of her apartment. Eden's breath fluctuated so fast. She was spooked to hear the sound of things breaking and falling in her living room. Her chest also felt pounding hard because she could hear the sound of her heartbeat very clearly probably because her apartment was quiet without any sound since she returned from the cafeteria this early afternoon and all that was heard was the sound of rain falling and also the sound of thunder that had decreased compared to the beginning, just now.
If she had not misheard, the sound of that burst must have come from her window near the old emergency stairs. The old emergency stairs have not been used for a long time. The stairs on the bottom are also gone and people can't go up through them anymore. Her window panel also had been secured with an iron grille— and ain't easy to be by break normal humans. Although her building is an old one, 20 plus years old— it had been refurbished and fixed. 'Who dares to break into her home early in the night like that?'
Eden immediately went to the side of her bed and picked up her cell phone which is charged on a small table next to her bed. The clock just refers to 8 pm. It seems that the style of the person who dares to break into her house is not arbitrary person. Would it be from the Rouges? Impossible! The university housing is much safer compared to the convenience store area which is not far from its residential area— which is open 24 hours a day. The apartment is also equipped with a sophisticated alarm system, CCTV and a security guard. Apart from the new emergency stairs that are located next to the elevator headed directly out at the right side of the building near the man—made lake and playground.
Eden hesitates about whether to call for the security guard or her brother, Jacob. The fastest for Jacob to arrive at her place is no more than two or three hours by car. But if he was in the form of a wolf, no later than an hour or a half, he would arrive at Eden's apartment. Eden held her phone tightly. She carefully opened the door of her bedroom so as not to make any noise and attract the attention of the intruder. Eden walk slowly with the back of her body deliberately leaning against the wall before she tried to peek from the edge of the hallway.
Her forehead furrowed when she did not see anything in the living room— of her now dark apartment. She held her chest which fluctuated rapidly. Cold sweat began to wet her forehead. Maybe by this time, her face had also turned pale. Her still—wet hair also added to her cold feeling. But the frown on her forehead disappeared when she heard the sound of a person moaning in pain. Eden tried to find out from which direction the voice was coming.
Eden comes out from her hiding place. She stood right in the middle of the hallway leading to the bedroom. If she moves to the left about seven steps forward she can press the electric switch and turn on the light so that the space looks clear and bright. At least she can help that person if he or she is injured. When Eden wanted to press the light switch, suddenly she heard a wet hoarse voice forbidding her from turning on the lights.
"Don't! I think they are still near here..." he said in a slow tone while holding back the pain. Although Eden could not see him because of the dark, she could guess if the men's injury was quite serious. Eden inhaled, in relief— before start talking to the person again.
"But I need a light to treat your wounds..." she heard the voice snort harshly before answering her words.
"I'm okay. The injuries I suffered were not so bad. After resting for a while, I will recover... but who are you? Although the smell of your wolf is not too strong, the smell is still there. You are also not a she-wolf, because I can smell a human odour on you. And how do you know I was injured?" he said in a slightly tense voice. Most likely he also felt uneasy hearing Eden's words earlier.
Eden rolled her eyes in disbelief at the man's cold and arrogant demeanour. He was already injured but he still had the heart to pretend strong with Eden. Why? Does he think if he was a supernatural man he would recover quickly? Not easily get injured? He seems to have forgotten that he also lives like a human being. Although he has mystical powers, he also can get wounded or killed by a weapon if it's bathed in black spells. No matter how strong the magic of the Witches is if the weapon is bathed in ancient spells and comes from the ribs of a virgin young girl, he or she will not be able to be saved.
"I am human and I do have the smell of the wolf because I am a member of the Silver Crescent pack. Anyway, nice to meet you..." Eden answers with a sarcastic voice. Eden can hear him laugh awkwardly maybe his injury finally getting worse, there. She needs to treat him fast or it would harm him if left untreated soon.
"Look you need medication now! Wait there; I try finding the flashlight..." said Eden again as her hand tried to reach out into the dark space to feel the object in front of her at this moment. The man deliberately dropped the main electrical switch at Eden's house so that his presence there could not be seen by his enemy. Eden quickly remembered her cell phone. She just needs to use the lights on her cell phone and find the first aid kit box that she put somewhere close to the kitchen cabinets.
After taking the first aid kit, Eden immediately looks for that man who is now hiding in her living room quickly. She was not sure to what extent the wound or bleeding the man was facing but Eden was quite sure that his injury was indeed serious. As Eden approached the sofa, suddenly the voice of her sister Hailey was heard shouting outside the door of her apartment. Eden frowned as she let out a small sigh. 'What else is Hailey's problem right now?' Eden asked herself inside her annoyed mind and heart.
"Eden opens this door! Why your house is dark when there is no problem with electrical interference in your area? Eden?? Quickly, open this goddamn door, now!" Eden pursed her lips. She hurried closer to the sofa area. At first, she was surprised to see the man who was sitting weakly on the floor while leaning on the sofa with a face that was too pale for her not to recognise him as what he was being. If she follows her heart, she does not want to save the man but because the wound he is having is not something that can be taken lightly, she then decides to help him with all she can.
"Dammit!" Eden said while swearing in a low voice without even realizing how the serious look of that man was in front of her. "Quick, you have to hide... if she found out you were here, she would not have missed the opportunity to eliminate you. You know the cold war that was still going on with your kin and mine?" the man nodded weakly. Eden then resumed her talk.
"Quick. Put your arms around my shoulder now!" without much talk, the man does what Eden asked him to do and tries to lighten his body so Eden can carry his weight easily as Eden hugged his slender body into her bedroom. At first, Eden wanted to lay the young man on her bed only as the injuries he suffered were on the side of his stomach and there were traces of blood on his right chest too. But the odour attached to the man would bring trouble to both of them.
"Wait! You have to hide inside the bathroom. Your scent will disappear when I sprayed the essence oil on every corner of the house, now. Try to hold on to it for a while. Just promise me not to make any noise..." Eden said in a half—whispered tone because she knew her sister's hearing was very sharp.
Eden ran out after closing the bathroom door. She then sprayed the scent of lavender with citrus oils and sweet orange to eliminate the smell of the man's original odour. Using the light from her cell phone, she plugged in her home electrical switch and opened the door. In front of the door, Hailey's face looked grim. Her lips moved a bit as she try hard to restrain her anger with Eden. Eden could see Hailey's nose starting to sniff into her apartment.
"What happened to your window glass? Why the iron grille is broken?" Hailey asks with her suspicious tone and unhappy face.
"Someone accidentally threw a stone while I was still bathing and had time to damage the iron grille. But when I come out here, it is disappeared! I don't know who it is but if you look at the condition here, I think it's the Rouges doing" Eden replied in a casual voice. She tried not to show her nervous state for lying to her sister right now.
"What do you want, Hail? Why are you near this area, anyway?" Eden asked curiously while watching the movements of her sister who is currently surveying the entire space and every corner of Eden's apartment. Hailey stopped at the door of Eden's room. Eden raised an eyebrow looking at Hailey's behaviour.
Hailey smiled cynically before opening the door of Eden's bedroom. Eden exhale in relief when her sister did not look inside the previous room. "What are you trying to do here actually, Hail?" she is not happy with Hailey's attitude. The way Hailey barged in like some kind of detective, sniffing around her home, made Eden not appreciate her sister's attitude.
"Just earlier, there was an attack from the Rouges near the parking area close to the main road down there. According to the witnesses, there were four large dark— fur wild dogs chasing a man" Eden swallowed hard. She felt her throat stuck without air listening to her sister's explanation. But she tries to act calm as possible. Hailey sighed a little before saying again.
"Maybe your house become their target because of the man running towards here. And that also explained why your window and iron grille end up like that?" said Hailey pointing to the broken glass window and the iron grille that had been pulled out on the floor. She then resumed her talk back again.
"Maybe the man was standing outside the stair and trying to break in but the Rouges see him and that's why he runs away... there was a possibility he ran towards the bush near the lakes" said Hailey again "I happened to be near the area, and so I tried to follow in their footsteps until here!"
"Oooh..." that's all Eden can say made Hailey's eyebrows raise and looked at her.
"Are you sure you don't know anything?" Eden quickly shook her head.
"I swear I don't know or see anything..." said Eden as she raised her right hand as a sign of her swear in front of Hailey who strangely looking at her.
"I already called Jacob and Alpha Aedion Black and told them about the Rouge's interference this time" Eden just nodded without even saying anything "You must have always been aware of your surroundings, Eden. Because you are also part of the werewolves clans" Eden then nodded again, agreeing with what her sister said.
"I know! Thank you because you are still worried about me even though you are still angry..." Hailey quickly shook her head down.
"I think you misunderstood me, Eden. Yes, I was hurt by your words this earlier afternoon but I am not angry with you. You are the only little sister I have. I am only upset because you do not agree with my decision" Hailey replied with a slight smile. Eden also returned her sister's smile by smiling back as well.
"Whatever we talk about earlier, you don't have to care too much because no matter what happens, I will still be by your side. Jacob, mom and dad too..." Eden felt guilty hearing Hailey's words that rightly touched her heart. She smiles thinly before moving closer to her sister and hugging her tightly.
"I'm sorry Hail..."
"It's alright, sis... okay, now we are settled, I want to rest and sleep. Tomorrow I have a morning class at 8. So night and sweet dream..."
"Wait? Are you sleeping here?" Eden asked in a surprised tone when she saw Hailey walking towards the hallway of the guest room which is facing Eden's bedroom.
"Why? Am I not allowed to sleep here anymore?" Hailey asks back again without even trying to answer Eden's question. She frowns and becomes more suspicious of Eden's attitude that was too careful when talking to her tonight.
"Do you have something to hide from me? Or do you not like me spending the night here?" Hailey was less than happy as she hugged her body facing Eden who was smiling wryly at her.
"No! I just remember are you who no longer want to come here because you were upset with me this afternoon" said Eden giving her sister a reason. Hailey shrugged slowly while shaking her head.
"As long as you still stay here and I still study... I will still come to bother you! Like it or not, that's your right. But I will sleep here tonight because I am lazy to walk back to the dorm. Oh, yes... I almost forgot to ask you... why with your clothes?" Eden frowned when Hailey pointed to her shirt suddenly.
"Why? Are you painting your room with black paint? Why are your clothes so dirty like that?" said Hailey while pointing to Eden's white shirt that was exposed to black lines and dots that look like paint on the front and her sleeves.
"Oh... it's nothing. I forgot to tell you that I was trying to repair the sink tap in the bathroom before you come and shouted outside the door" said Eden lying again. Hailey shrugged.
"After that, you bathed the whole space of your home with the aromatherapy scent, why? Didn't you feel nauseous with a strong smell like this?" Hailey asked again while covering her nose because she could not stand the smell of lavender and sweet orange and citrus which was quite strong and made her nose stuffy. Eden just smiles awkwardly.
"Hehe... I just want to smell the aroma of therapy tonight because I haven't smelled this kind of scent for a long time..."
"That's it? Doesn't your work at the lab also involve aromatherapy oil?! Just don't go crazy because of this smell already. I am she-wolf but I can also be fed up with the smell of your home" Hailey sneered while smiling. Eden also smiled slightly. She pretends to act stupid listening to her sister's insinuations by scratching her not itchy head.
"Just do whatever you want to do, Eden! After all, this is your house. Anyway good night my dear little sister"
"Night, Hail..." Eden was finally able to breathe a sigh of relief when the door of her sister's room closed tightly.
"I heard you, Eden!" Eden chuckled. She then cupped her mouth with her fingers and walked over to her bedroom.