Nichole's eyes widened as she ran quickly to the door with Bella. They were both Nichole arranged her clothes for work while Bella prepared breakfast when the loud notice caught their attention. As they approached the door, they saw a black and white cat seated at their doorsteps, stained with blood.
"Stella!" Nichole exclaimed, her voice trembling. Too occupied to notice, she had missed the fact that the cat had followed her from behind as she walked past its cage. It had gotten injured in a waste bin while searching for food in it. Unable to access the food, it fell into the waste bin and in a struggle to get itself out of the bin, it rolled over towards the forest in its injured state, which accounted for the blood stains she saw close to the first. She lifted the cat softly from the ground, excited. "What happened to you?" She sobbed, patting the cat lightly while on her shoulders. Her mind raced with memories of her mother's suffering as the cat shivered in pain. Her mom had lived a tough life while she was alive. Her dad was a cheat and beater. He'd hit her mom at every chance he got making her life miserable. She watched as her dad used whatever he had in his hands to hit her mom whenever they argued, leaving scars on her body, but her mom still couldn't walk away because she didn't want her to live a tough life as she did. Although still little, she had suggested running away to her mom many times but she'd refused stating that they'd be fine. Her dad had brought his mistress to the house a lot of times when her mom wasn't around which made her hate him even more. A few months after her dad had made a promise to her not to hit her mom again, Her mom had taken, which made her excited knowing she'd finally be less lonely, but while in a hitting argument, her dad pushed her to the ground and she landed at the edge of the glass table, hitting her head hard and breaking the table. She fell into a coma soon after and died later on with her baby. Watching it all as a child left a huge scar on her, making her hate her father so much. He took away everything she ever loved. She'd stay at the house longer after the death of her mother in other to protect all that she had, but her father's mistress who he later got married to, provoked her at every chance she got making her uncomfortable. She left the house promising her late mother vengeance when she finally made it. Her father's abuse of her and her mother left a huge scar on her mother, and seeing Stella's injuries brought it all back.
Bella broke the silence. "I'm relieved she's safe."
Nichole nodded. "I am too." She patted the cat softly. "I wonder what happened to her. I'll let her stay for the time being, till I'm sure she's safe out there"
"Yeah, you should. Let's go in and get her washed up Nicky." Bella suggested Putting her hands on Nichole's shoulder.
Kyle stood atop the skyscraper, stalking her this time. Earlier, he had noticed something when he tried to teleport home. Unable to do so, he searched his mind for the cause of his newfound mortality. It led him to the moment she hit him hard on the chest, where his lurna bead was housed. The bead was the source of his power, and without it, he was just a human. Now powerless, he struggled with every step he took. He had always moved with ease, mostly teleporting or bolting, which was why he often appeared only at night.
Now, he watched her closely, ensuring he didn't lose track of her. He had struggled earlier to find her and where she lived, finally discovering her when she stepped out of her house to investigate a noise. Determined not to lose her again, he observed her intensely, noting every step she took from her doorstep to the bus station. He descended from the skyscraper, tracing her every move. She boarded a bus, and he followed. On reaching her office, she felt a strange sensation and kept looking around as she moved.
"Looking for someone?" Bella interrupted her continuous glances.
"No, not really." She looked forward. "It just feels like someone is following us."
"Following us?" Bella asked, surprised.
"I guess so. Just felt a bit weird earlier. It might be nothing." She gave a reassuring look.
She had become very sensitive since she ingested the lunar bead, but she assumed it was because of the trauma she faced in the forest. While she didn't have the powers vested in the bead, she was now more sensitive than any human. It was her new superpower, allowing her to sense things more acutely. But she sensed him more as the bead bonded them together whenever they were close
"It might just be post-traumatic stress. I would advise you to rest, but I know Mrs. Logan won't be okay with that. Just take care of yourself when we get home, okay?"
"Yeah, I will." A smile escaped her tired face.
Realizing she had noticed his presence, Kyle turned away, ensuring he knew where she worked and had a way to approach her. He now knew where to find her during the day, but nighttime was still a mystery, so his assignment wasn't complete. He lurked near her office, waiting patiently for her to leave work.
"Hey, remember me?" he whispered, barely audible to the person seated opposite him in the restaurant. "I saved you from the werewolf earlier." He continued, searching for the right words. "I've got something of mine in you, and I...I..." He struggled with the words, unsure of what to say next and how to explain. How was she going to understand that he wasn't human? How could he tell her she had swallowed something of his in the forest? He reassured himself that he would find the right words with practice, waiting patiently for the right moment to approach her, he continued pacing around. He never lacked words to say when talking to people, but it was different this time cause he'd had to explain his individuality to anyone before. For the first time, he was less confident but he was determined to get his bead no matter what.
While pacing close to her office, after waiting for a while, she walked out of the building.
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