"Elias!" Covered in blood, Tessa called as she walked up to the half-dead Elias lying flat on the ground.
Now sitting beside him, she moved his head onto her lap and continued tapping him, hoping to bring him back to life.
"Stupid! Your wolf would have finished off the boar in one second, why was your human form so weak?" Whining, she smacked his chest and sighed, getting increasingly frustrated. He would have won if he transformed, why did he risk fighting in this form when he knew he was weak?
And why was a king so weak in his human form? For someone who boasted about taking down animals easily, he sure didn't live up to those words.
"Wake up you fool," dropping her head on his chest, she begged, her voice desperate. She might be framed for killing him even though it was obvious the boar did it.
The ministers would do anything to get rid of her and if she was in their shoes, she would take advantage of this type of situation. There was no witness and they could easily say she lured the boar to kill Elias knowing he was weak in his human form.
"Were you always this chatty?" The last voice she expected to hear spoke, and she slowly raised her head to meet his gaze. She couldn't explain the amount of joy flowing in her body the moment she met his eyes.
Unknowingly, tears started flowing out of her eyes and she pushed Elias away.
"Hey!" He called, groaning in pain. How could she push him like that when he just came back from the dead?
"Don't talk to me, let's go back." Turning away from him, she ordered and wiped off the tears on her face. She was worried that someone like him would easily die, it was all for nothing.
"How do you expect me to walk in this situation?" He asked, causing her to turn to face him with an annoyed gaze.
Without saying another word, she walked back up to him and harshly helped him stand, his hand resting on her for support.
"You shouldn't treat a patient like this," he said, acting weak though she knew he was pretending. If he could open his eyes after that scary fight with the boar then he still had a good amount of strength left in him.
"Were you always this chatty too?" Using his words on him, she asked and started walking through the forest, not bothering to consider his situation as they walked.
Fortunately, the horse was still tied to the tree and hadn't escaped yet so she put them both on the horse and securely tied Elias to herself on the horse. It would be better for her to ride to avoid him fainting while he rode the horse.
"Slowly," resting on her shoulder, he whispered into her ears and it made goosebumps rise on Tessa's skin. His hot breath made her feel excited and she imagined him blowing hot air all over her skin.
'Geez, he is a sick patient, what are you thinking?!' Scolding herself inwardly, she warned and shook her head that didn't go unnoticed by Elias.
"What is it?" He asked.
"Nothing, just shut up!" She snapped at him and didn't listen to any of his naggings until they got back to the tent.
"My king!!" Everyone began whining when they saw them both covered in blood, but no one moved to ask about Tessa's well-being. All eyes were on Elias and it gave Tessa relief that Elias didn't die. As expected, they were worried about him even when she was covered in more blood.
"He is still alive, you all should quit the drama." Rolling her eyes, she bluntly said and handed Elias over to Andrew.
"What is her deal?" One of the consorts said, eyeing Tessa as they watched her make her way toward the tent.
Tessa didn't pay any attention to the murmurs and kept on walking until she reached the tent, where she entered without looking back at the onlookers.
"My lady!!" Worried, her handmaiden exclaimed when she saw her clothed in blood, moving closer to examine her body properly.
It hadn't been two hours since she left hunting with the king, how could she have sustained this much injury in that time?
"I am not injured, this is your king's blood. What I need now is food not concern," clarifying, she raised her hand, stopping her maid from examining her further, and walked up to the chair.
Dumbfounded, her handmaiden stayed rooted to her feet, unsure of how to fathom the situation. Who would believe what she just said when she was covered in blood and dirt? And if truly the king was injured, could she have…?
As if reading her thoughts, Tessa shouted, "What the hell are you thinking?!! If I wanted to kill your king, I would have done it and escaped, why come back here?" Disappointed by her handmaiden's reaction, though it was normal.
She was a thief, a renowned one at that, it wasn't shocking that anyone would suspect her of a crime amidst a crowd first. Unfortunately, the people's regard for her was so shallow that they thought she would carry out operations in such a quackish way.
"I didn't say so my lady, let me help you with food." Shaking her head, the handmaiden quickly defended and immediately left the room to run her errand.
When the handmaiden left, Tessa took a deep breath and covered her face with her bloodied hands, almost tearing up. Yes, don't be surprised, she might be a thief but she only leaves injuries on her victim's body, and that is why they live to tell her story.
She has never killed anyone in her heist before, though her lackeys might have done it, there was none she was aware of.
Seeing Elias lie unconsciously in the forest triggered some memories in her, and she almost lost it.
'That empty man.'