She walked across the road with her eyes barely opened. She'd gotten sick at work her body betraying her as she struggled to hold on but she couldn't endure anymore. On seeing how sick and miserable she looked, Bella went on to take permission on her behalf.
Her boss, initially Sceptical, hesited at first, not wanting to let her go without a solid reason, but had to eventually as she got weaker with time.
"Can you go alone?" Bella asked, concern etched across her face as she saw Nichole gather her things with a shaky hands.
"Yeah, I can." Nichole whispered, offering a faint smile. "I'll manage," she added, picking up her bag with an unsteady grip
"Okay Nicky. Stay safe and get well soon, okay?" Bella's voice was soft and tender, as she reached out to smooth Nichole's hair, her touch gentle as if afraid Nichole might break under any more pressure
"I will," Nichole replied, her voice weak and barely audible.
"And make sure you get some rest," Bella called out, her volume raising as Nichole slowly walked away.
Nichole assumed that the sickness had been brought on by exhaustion and the intense fear she had experienced earlier. But on a contrary, she had been afflicted with something supreme, something beyond the understanding of mortals, and her fragile human body was struggling to contain it. She moved slowly, each step an obvious struggle, her face pale as if all the life had been drained from her and her vision blurred so that she could barely see what was ahead of her as she fought to stay upright.
Kyle noticed, careful not to be see, he followed her from a distance. He cared little for Nichole as a person. But she carried somethingh of his within her, something he had to protect. So he followed, maintaining a distance of about five feet, close enough to intervene if needed but far enough to avoid detection. She was too weak to sense his presence, her senses dulled by whatever had taken hold of her.
"Hey, Nicky!" A voice suddenly echoed from behind.
Nichole turned slowly, her vision blurry, but she recognized the voice. It was Adrian, he had just returned from the states and had gone to her office earlier in search of her. His car pulled up beside her, and he quickly got out, rushing to her.
"I went to the office looking for you, and Bella told me you'd gone home because you weren't feeling well," he said, concern lacing his words. "You look weary, Nicky. Let me give you a ride home."
Nichole in her sane state would have politely declined, preferring to manage on her own, but she was too weak to argue, and the thought of walking to the bus station felt impossible. She nodded faintly.
"Thank you, Adrian ," she whispered softly.
He opened the passenger door, guiding her gently to the passengers seat and with what little strength she had left, Nichole climbed into the car, sinking into the seat with a sigh of relief. Adrain shut the door behind her and quickly got back into the driver's seat.
"I think it will be better to drive to the clinic instead" Adrain said starting his engine.
"I'll rather go home." She replied, placing her head on the door.
Kyle watched from a distance, his expression unreadable. Seeing that Nichole was now in the car and he could no longer trace her, he remained motionless, his eyes fixed at the spot were they drove. For a moment, he debated whether to continue his pursuit- he could still try to trace her, to trail the car- but he knew it would be futile. The street was busy and the car had already turned a corner, vanishing into the mass of crowded cars.
With an inner sigh of disbelief, he turned away, his thoughts crowed his mind, wondering on how he would relief himself of the stress of having to stalk a complete stranger. He'd been careful, precise, in keeping track of her movement, but know, with her safely settled in that car, he'd lost the hold he had on her. He had no idea where Adrain would take her, and while it was likely that he would take her home, he was still slightly disturbed.
He had no choice but to retreat. There was no need of chasing a moving car and moreover he didn't have his powers anymore so he couldn't telepath anymore and he also had other ways of finding her. What mattered the most was ensuring that she was safe in other to keep the bead safe. As long as she lived, he would be able to sense it.
With one last glance at the direction they had faded into, he began heading back to his abode. Hopeless as he walked having waited all they for her to be carried away. For now, he would let her go, knowing that he would have to keep a close eye on her later. The street seemed darker now, the lights overhead casting long, eerie shadows that stretched across the pavement were he walked in his black hood which arrested his facial figure. He moved swiftly, his body blending in with the shadows. As he walked to the bus station, he thought of ways to get her close to him in other to retrieve his bead.
While in motion, he allowed himself a brief moment of reflection, she was too ordinary to have captured his thoughts for this long, but he couldn't deny that she was now important- crucial even- to his plans. The thought of losing her, losing his bead was devastating. It meant losing himself and eventually vanishing. He had never heard of the exchange before and was sure his mother would have known what to do, but she was no more and his foster father was only a human who knew little about werewolves. He would need to ensure that she was safe even if it meant stepping out of his shadows and engaging more with humans, because her dying meant him evoporating into thin air at the reflection of the blood moon which was only few moths from now.
*****