The Vampire King's Possession
Chapter 742. In The Trees

Chapter 742: 742. In The Trees

Mauve knew she had wandered. Jael would be so mad when he returned, but she couldn’t help it, especially when it looked like the farther she went, the better her eyesight got. Was this how vampires saw in the dark? It only looked like the sun had set even when there no moon.

She stopped in front of an anthill. It was a very small one, and she had to bend forward to see it properly. She smiled; she would have certainly walked all over it if the situation had not changed. She stood to her full height and rubbed her stomach. She had to thank the little one for this. She shivered as she recalled the time she had been so unfortunate to... Mauve quickly crushed the thought. She could still feel the bites of the ants even almost a year later.

She jumped over the hill, walking further into the cluster of trees. She wasn’t too far; she could still find her way back, and she could hear the voices and the fight. She suddenly felt goosebumps pop out on her arms. Jael must be back.

She looked up to the sky. It was still starless, but the air felt cooler. Was it because it was getting closer to dawn? Mauve wrapped her arms around herself. She wasn’t cold; it was more instinctive than her being chilly.

She looked around. The compound was huge; even in the daytime, she doubted she would be able to walk the entirety of it in one day. She shook her head, a smile on her face, and turned to head back.

Mauve froze; she would have sworn she heard her name. Jael was back then. She sighed—playtime was over. She was not only in for a scolding, but he might decide to never let her come out again. Mauve had to find some way to convince him otherwise.

She heard a branch creak as though something stepped on it. She whipped her head around and didn’t see anything. Was that Jael looking for her? What, did he have a sixth sense? That was too fast.

"Jael," she called but didn’t get a response.

Mauve frowned and narrowed her eyes in the direction the sound came from. It took a moment; the trees covered it, so it was hard for her to make out what she was looking at. But when it took a step forward, past the trees, that silver gleam was all she needed.

Its eyes were locked in on her. It wasn’t as big as the one that had attacked her before but it was just as terrifying. Its fangs were ridiculously long, drool slipped down the corner of its lips, and the smell was strong enough to make Mauve’s eyes roll to the back of her head.

Her first thought was to scream, and she almost did, but she quickly clamped a hand on her mouth. She couldn’t outrun it; she knew that immediately, and she had already drawn attention to herself by calling out to Jael.

The monster stared at her, tilting its head and licking its lips. Its tongue was long. It stood more like a monkey than a wolf. Its front limbs were longer—or was it the way it stood? It took a step forward, and Mauve knew there was no way she would be able to escape in time.

Her hands moved from her mouth to her stomach. This beast would tear her to shreds, but that wasn’t the only problem. Mauve wasn’t alone. Someone else’s life was in danger. Why didn’t she just listen to Jael?

The monster took another step closer, and Mauve broke out in sweat. She was going to die, wasn’t she? It was the calculated way the monster slowly walked towards her. It was going to attack, regardless of what she did; it was clear as day.

Mauve shut her eyes tightly, and when she opened them, it was upon her, its claws so sharp they glinted in the dark night. Mauve screamed. It was her only retort, but at least it was something—it was some defiance.

*************

Jael was just at the trees when he saw Danag. "Sire," the guard looked like he would vanish. "I only turned for a second, and then she was gone."

Jael was calm now. At first, he had decided to go with Louis, but as soon as he moved, he found that he could sense Danag. The guard must be with her or at least knew what direction she went, so he had headed there instead.

"Where is she?" he asked. He would deal with Danag later, but right now, finding Mauve was far more important. They both jerked as he heard a strike. A paler must have gotten to the vampires in the field.

"I think she went in there," Danag said.

"The trees?" he asked, and Danag nodded. Jael swore—even if it was safe, why would she go into the trees at night? Was she not worried about snakes or worse? The castle was fenced, but that didn’t mean it was completely safe from wild beasts.

"Let’s go," Jael said with an exhausted tone to his voice.

Danag nodded. He didn’t look relieved—more like more agitated. They walked in, and Jael took off. He could smell it. It was here. His vision turned red as he realized the smell wasn’t moving, the creature wasn’t moving—but it was hard to tell; it was quite a windy night. But Jael knew.

When he heard that scream, it felt like someone had gutted him. It was sheer willpower that kept him moving. The pain in his chest was just too much for him to bear. When Jael got to the scene, he didn’t know what he was looking at. It wasn’t until Mauve feebly called out to him that he snapped out of it. She wasn’t dead, he thought as he rushed forward. However, the way she sounded was enough to make his knees weak, and his slow heart pounded.