Chapter 3: Freedom
A week after the dinner with the Romero's, at the stroke of midnight, when everybody is still asleep, Carmella creeped through the kitchen ceiling in a form of lizard. She needs to get out of the house right before Nana Isabel wakes up to prepare Sunday tea and oil for the family shedding. After passing through the man made fountain, Carmella shifts into Nana Isabel and wore an old lady's wig she hid in the bushes. Juanito, their human gardener greeted "Nana Isabel, you ready for Sunday market? you're up too early." "No Juanito, just looking for some herbs and medicine roots for today's tea" She replied trying to sound like an old lady. "You want me to come along and help, it's still dark". He asked. " I am ok. get more rest, you will be doing a lot of work today for the shedding" she continued. She hurriedly went to the back gate where she hid her bicycle, it will take her 2 hours to get to town. She is ready for the big change.
It's 2 am and everybody is awake, gathered in the main hall of the mansion. Elizabeth asked Nana Isabel where Carmella is. "Have you not called Carmella yet?" Nana Isabel looked around and said "I called her twice, her doors were locked so I thought she woke up already and was just changing". Elizabeth went up to Carmella's room with the keys to her door. When she opened it, the bed was clean and all made up. She checked her closet and was surprised to see her clothes gone. " Ask Juanito and the guards if they've seen Carmella going out of the main gate." she commanded.
"What's the commotion all about?". asked Antonio. "Well, Carmella is nowhere to be found. Her closet's been emptied. What do we do?" cried Elizabeth. "Mama, do you think this has something to do with the arranged marriage with Ricardo Romero?" asked Luis.
"We have to call the Romero's, they can help us with the village and town search" said Antonio.
Meanwhile at the Romero Mansion, Mr Romero had just finished his conversation with Antonio, gathered his men and his son's to inform about the runaway Carmella. "I was just informed by Antonio that her daughter Carmella took off and ran away from home. We are asked for help to do a search in town. This is important, we have to get her back before the preparation for the wedding starts".
Ricardo knew he has to do the search in town "I'll do the town search, let the rest of the men search the nearby villages".
"I have to get my bride back at all cost!" Ricardo in front of mirror, in a few seconds his eyes turned green and shape shifts into another man, so handsome as if he just came out of a fairytale book. This is his secret he can't tell anyone. Apparently he got his late grandmother's ability too, like Carmella. "I will find Carmella disguising as Edward, this is the only way to find her."
What will happen when 2 Shifters who are forced to marry each other, meets in town in their disguised selves?