Emily closed the distance between her and Ryan. I could hear the loud heartbeats in my eardrums. I dared not interfere, as I didn't want to be punched in the face. For the first time, Ryan looked equally as scared as me. Her hands balled into fists, and in a swift moment, she punched Ryan hard enough to make him stumble. Ryan stared at her in shock as blood spilled from his mouth. Every maid on that floor was in shock. I quickly hugged Emily to stop her, but it was of no use. She pushed me aside and jumped on Ryan, making him fall backward. His back hit the ground too hard as Emily continued to punch him relentlessly. After a good five minutes of trying to kill each other—well, Ryan didn't hold back either—so he pulled her, and it became like a cat and dog fight. I decided to pull Emily away. To be honest, Ryan did deserve some beatings, so I let her beat him up.
"Leave me! He deserves to die after what he has done to you!" Emily yelled, trying to get out of my grip.
"Emie, calm the heck down. I have lots of things to explain, and you've already punched him too much. Look, his nose is bleeding, and his mouth too," I said and pulled Emily away. After a while, she calmed down. I took a proper look at both of them and couldn't help but laugh. They were both looking hilarious: nose bleeding, hair messy, clothes pulled and torn, and each lost one shoe.
"What's so funny?" they both asked at the same time. Upon realizing that they both death-glared each other, I laughed harder at their expressions. After a while of catching my breath, I replied, "Look at you two. You're both quite similar."
"Don't you dare compare me to this menace!" they both said at the same time, proving my point. I laughed again while they both faced away from each other in anger.
"Come on, let's get you both fixed," I said and took them both inside my room.
"Emily, you'll need to wait since you're the one who started all this," Ryan stuck his tongue out and teased Emily, to which she responded by punching him in the guts. I sighed, wondering if I was taking care of two adults or toddlers. I made Ryan sit at the dressing table chair and Emily on the bed. Emily was fuming.
I took a cotton swab and started wiping off blood from Ryan's nose. Once I was done, I took another swab and applied medicine to his fresh-cut wounds. He hissed, and as I looked into his eyes, the tension built up, but Emily broke it by saying, "Don't be a child," and rolled her eyes at him. He just showed her the middle finger. I was done with Ryan, so I sent him to sit on the bed and called Emily. She was less hurt than Ryan. I did the same things with her, then took a comb and brushed her hair, which was all tangled from Ryan pulling it. Thankfully, he didn't leave any bald spots. Once I was done with her, I gave her a few of my clothes and a towel and told her to go for a shower, which she agreed to since her clothes were all bloody and torn.
"I signaled you no, yet you spoke the truth. Now look at you," I said to Ryan as I combed his hair. He did lose quite some hair because Emily pulled a little too hard.
"Whatever," he said and faced away. I grabbed his chin and made him look at me.
"Promise me you won't fight her again."
"Okay," that's all that left his mouth.
After detangling his hair, I massaged his head for him since it was partially my fault too.
"Before she comes out, I want you gone from her sight. If she sees you, she will try to kill you again," I said to him after finishing up with the massage, knowing Emily. She would take about an hour and a half in the shower, which means we still have an hour to hide Ryan. Ryan got up from the chair but accidentally got hit on the side of his stomach. He hissed. I know him well after I punched him; I know he is strong. He won't be hurt by a mere punch.
"What's wrong?" I asked him.
"Nothing," he said and walked towards the door. Before he could reach the door, I pulled him back and pushed him onto the bed. He was about to say something, but I put my finger on his lips and shushed him, to which he obeyed. I stared into his scarlet eyes and then slowly lifted his T-shirt. I knew he wanted to protest, but he quietly obeyed. I stared at his almost-perfect abs for a while longer and had to pull myself out of the thoughts. I looked over to his side; it was a fresh scar. It looked like a scar from a tiger's claw or a werewolf, but the scar was not small; it went all the way to the back. I turned him over and removed his T-shirt. There it was, a huge scar that tore his skin to the bones, all the way from the back to the sides of his stomach. I gasped at it and quickly took the first aid box from the table. I applied the medicine, and he hissed at the burning pain he felt. I slowly caressed his shoulders to assure him as I continued applying the medicine. We were both silent the entire time. None of us found the need to talk as I quietly bandaged him. Looking at the scar, I doubted it was from any animal; I thought it was a werewolf, but I dared not to ask.
After I was done bandaging him, I helped him wear his T-shirt. Our eyes met, and the tension was back again. The silence and loud heartbeats were the only things we could hear. I was relieved since not only mine but his heart was beating fast too. He was sitting at the edge of the bed, and I was standing right in front of him; our eyes never broke contact as his hands made their way to my waist. He pulled me closer; I was taller than him since he was sitting, so he had to look up to keep our eyes in contact. He hugged me as I let my hands go through his hair.
"You have no idea how much you drive me crazy, savage," he whispered. I smiled and leaned in.
"How about you show me?" I teased. I knew it would drive him nuts. I was also very aware that Emily was showering in the bathroom of this specific room. One of his hands went to the nape of my neck and pulled me down slightly just so our lips could meet again. He kissed me desperately, and I kissed him back. He slowly slid his other hand inside my top; his cold skin made contact with my warm bare skin. His hand caressed my waist as my hands ruffled through his hair. We were so lost and wanted to be lost in this moment...
As we melted into each other's embrace, the world outside seemed to fade away, consumed by the intensity of our connection. But just as our passion reached its peak, a sudden noise shattered the tranquility of the moment, jolting us back to reality.
I pulled away from Ryan, my heart racing as I listened intently, trying to discern the source of the disturbance. Was it Emily? Had she finished her shower already?
Before I could gather my thoughts, the sound came again, louder this time, more urgent. It wasn't Emily. It was something else, something much more ominous.
With a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach, I turned to Ryan, my eyes wide with fear. He mirrored my expression, his grip tightening on my waist as we both braced ourselves for what was to come.
And then, with a deafening crash, the door burst open, revealing a figure looming in the darkness beyond. It was Emily, her eyes wild with rage, her fists clenched at her sides.
But as she stepped into the room, a strange sense of dread washed over me, sending a chill down my spine. Something was different about her, something... otherworldly.
I glanced at Ryan, my heart pounding in my chest as I realized that we were not facing Emily alone. Whatever had taken hold of her was far more sinister than anything we had ever encountered before.
With a sense of foreboding, I braced myself for the confrontation that was about to unfold, knowing that our lives were about to be irrevocably changed by the darkness that lurked within Emily's soul. And as she advanced towards us, her eyes burning with an unnatural fire, I knew that our worst fears were about to be realized...