They stayed quietly hidden in the well for hours before they made their way to the hut where they would spend the night. It was chilly, and they had no clothes with them since they had to escape so suddenly. All their belongings were left in the orphanage. They sat next to each other, trying to share their body warmth and keeping each other entertained with stories from their past adventures.
After sleeping only a short while, the sunrays at dawn woke them up and warmed up their frozen bones. They had to keep moving, but before leaving this town for good, they bought thicker clothes for their journey. Their destination was Laros, the second biggest city in Paxos, where the exams for the medical schools would take place. Although they still had a couple of months until then, they thought it best to settle there for now.
Laros was famous for harboring various creatures and was a dangerous place for two innocent girls. It was known for gangs to rule the streets, and most criminal activities happened there. The royal family left the city untouched because this way, the criminality was focused and not spread around the country. Most of all, it was an ideal place to stay unnoticed in the crowd, which was what the girls needed.
When they arrived in the human sector, they were greeted by narrow, overcrowded streets stretching through this impoverished district. Lined with dilapidated buildings that leaned precariously against each other, these structures, often made of brick and timber, showed signs of neglect, with crumbling facades and patched-up windows.
The streets were dirty, with mounds of refuse and waste scattered along the curbs. Pools of stagnant water collected in potholes, emanating foul odors and attracting disease-carrying pests. The constant hum of activity filled the air. Humble and crowded tenements housed large families in cramped quarters. The girls were almost thankful that they had been raised in an orphanage that provided them with their basic needs and that they had a clean space for such a long time.
Unfortunately, for now they had to make do with what they found and try to find good work to get out of there. A shelter for women was situated in the middle of this hell hole, and that was where they would seek refuge for now.
--
Without realizing it, three months had passed since they had escaped, summer had left as quickly as it arrived, and autumn was now coloring the trees in all shades. Both girls lost weight and lived with five other women in a three-bedroom place and one shared bathroom. Their living circumstances had been better in the orphanage, but surprisingly, the sense of community was much stronger here. The women helped each other out so that the girls were able to find decent work as cleaning ladies in noble households.
Eliana studied hard for the exams in her free time and was very anxious about it. She had to pass and improve their circumstances as she owed Georgina a better life than this. It was her fault that they currently lived as refugees, and her friend had been nothing but supportive. She didn't even question why Eliana had been adamant about leaving the orphanage.
She had many sleepless nights where sometimes her consciousness would make her mind spiral, or the green-eyed stranger would come to visit in her dreams. Even though the stranger was the main reason for their predicament, Eliana didn't blame him and focused on her goal to become a doctor instead.
"You will pass the exams, Eli, don't fret about it!" Georgina was encouraging Eliana to believe in herself.
"Ah, Gio, I am so nervous. I can't believe the day of the exams has already arrived. I feel like I should have done more."
"You have studied day and night. If you don't pass the exam, there is something wrong with it." She had complete confidence that Eliana would succeed.
"And once you are in medical school, we will be able to get one of their accommodations, and you will work as an assistant to the professors while I try my luck as a housekeeper." Her smile was contagious, and Eliana had to respond with one too.
"You are the best, Gio. Thank you so much for everything! I have saved some money so that we can celebrate tonight."
"Oh, I won't say no to that, haha." And with that, Georgina hugged her friend tightly and sent her off to school.
--
Hundreds of people attended the exam, men and women alike. Eliana took her seat in the great hall, where the tables were lined up, without looking around too much, and kept her focus to herself. After distributing all the exam papers, the supervisor signaled everyone to start.
It took Eliana three hours to finish the first exam, after which she was already drained. She still had an oral exam in the afternoon and needed to gather her strength. Enjoying the sun while lying on the grass outside the exam building, she felt a familiar presence, but when she sat up to observe her surroundings, she couldn't find where it came from. It reminded her of her feeling back at the orphanage as if someone was watching over her. It didn't feel hostile. Rather, it was a warm and loving sentiment. Alarmed that she was starting to hallucinate, she went back to the exam hall to revise some material.
Unbeknownst to her, a handsome person was indeed watching her from the rooftop. Since the night of the town fair, Eliana had been occupying Damien's thoughts and dreams. It took him some time to accept, but now he had no doubt she was his mate. The pull he felt toward her and the pain almost tearing his heart into pieces when they were apart were clear signs of them being fated mates.
In the last months, he had tried to ignore his urges to be close to her and was angry about his cruel fate to have a human as his mate but to no prevail. He always ended up somewhere in proximity to the orphanage and would watch her for hours. Although he would force himself to go home after a while, it never took him long to return. In the end, his heart didn't let him rest until he came to terms with the matter. He knew he would face many challenges, such as convincing his people to accept a human as their future queen or making her fall in love with him in the first place. But after researching companionship further, he realized this could become a blessing if he managed it correctly.
However, when he went back to the orphanage, the girls had disappeared and, to his dismay, were nowhere to be found. It took him two months to track them down in Laros, and when he finally saw her exit the exam building, he was dumbstruck. She still looked as beautiful as ever and seemed to have matured much, making her even more alluring.
His entire being itched to make her his right that instant, but he had to be careful. Each species perceived a soulmate or soul tie differently. While humans felt the bond superficially, it had profound meaning and consequences for supernatural beings. Werewolves having more animalistic traits than the other creatures, had their core tied to their soulmate, which was led by instincts and could neither be disregarded nor forced upon. Hence Damien had to give Eliana the time to develop her feelings for him for her to accept him wholeheartedly.
Lost in his thoughts, Damien didn't realize that he had sat there for a long while until Eliana resurfaced from the exam building. After finishing the oral exam, she planned to wait outside until the results were hung on the board, which didn't take long.
Dragging her exhausted mind to the display to check her scores, she was surprised to be welcomed by a commotion. "What is going on?" She asked a fellow student standing beside her.
"Apparently, a fugitive was reported to be seen around here, and they are searching for her." His answer made Eliana stiffen immediately, and she had to control her reaction so that nobody noticed her distress.