Mysterious Village

Combing his brown hair with fingers, he walked towards Nina and the beaten guy escaped growling and limping with pain. "Are you fine?" he asked, examining Nina's face.

"Hmm!" Nina nodded.

Smiling, he pulled the back door and got in with her. As Nina sat diagonally, Ace sat facing her with his legs folded on the seat. "Now, tell me, why were you sad."

"Let me ask you a question, but please answer it truthfully."

"Mmm!" Ace murmured as he scratched his beard, gazing at Nina.

"Did James plan everything?"

Ace heart raced, and he didn't understand what she meant by everything. "Everything?" he asked in a puzzled tone covering up the tension.

"He met me on the pavement, gave me a job with high salary and very kind contract. I suspected everything from the start- job offer without an interview, salary package of $120 a day for a traveller and that employee-friendly contract. Even though I had thought of all those, the village details, especially the full moon and the beach attracted me.

After I came here, the treatment the villagers gave me, and no other tourists in such a beautiful place were evident that something was happening around me. Am I put into danger? I have seen in some films that people in rural areas kill young girls as a sacrifice for God."

Ace chuckled and laughed loudly upon listening to her last statement.

"Ace, don't laugh! I am seriously frightened. And......I even thought that you were told by James to be and to pretend in love with me." she uttered fast, bending her head in guilty as she was sure that he loves her, after what he told that guy.

"It's true! James asked me to be with you and protect you."

"What?" Nina shouted in disbelief. "So, you were really pretending to ..." She was unable to complete the question as all the fear and worry seemed to stop her breathing.

"Love You?"

Nina nodded with wide eyes, which were trying to hold the tears. She repeatedly told herself not to cry over him again and again. She hated herself for weeping every time.

"Do you really think that I am acting? Fine! What should I do to make you believe?" Ace asked with an angry and concerned tone.

Nina blinked her eyes and scratched in confusion, "Didn't you say that you are with me and protecting him because of James?"

"Yes, but he didn't ask me to love you. In fact, he wouldn't like or agree to it if he finds out."

Nina sat silently with numerous questions and doubts in her brain. "Tell me, how I should make you believe in me?" Ace yelled. He was annoyed and frustrated that Nina didn't trust him. Though he knew that she would be someone else wife soon, his heart throbbed on being questioned about his love.

Nina was startled on hearing Ace's enraged voice. Glancing at Ace's eyes, it was evident that he was about to cry, but the expression showed the amount of angry he was carrying. "You don't have to do anything," she replied, looking into Ace's eyes.

Abruptly moving towards him, she hugged him and whispered, "I know that you aren't allowed to hug me, but please let me this time. Ace, I am filled with multiple questions, but none of them has an answer. Can't we find a solution to be together?" she sobbed, making her tears crawl onto his shoulder. Ace jerked as by the warmth of her tears. "Nina, I can't decide unless I talk to James."

Hearing that name, she broke the hug, "James! James!... Who is he to decide my life? He might be your uncle, and the villagers are your family members, so you hear and listen to them; I don't have to do that." Nina screamed and started breathing heavily, folding her hands.

"Nina, please! Let's go to James fast and decide after hearing what he has to say."

"Fine! I will do that!" she remarked, rolling her eyes away from Ace.

Rubbing his eyes helplessly, he got down, sat in the driver seat and drove as fast as he could. He was absolutely unsure of how Nina would react on knowing that he was a werewolf. Will a human still continue to have feelings if they knew that they were in love with an animal? He didn't understand why Moon Goddess had given her such a fate. Since he wasn't concerned or curious about marriages among werewolves from childhood, all of this was very new and crumbling his brain.

As they entered the city, Ace bought a shirt t-shirt with the word- 'HOPE' printed on it for Nina. She quickly changed behind the driver seat, kneeling down a little. Without wasting a second, she jumped to the front seat and knocked the window screen, signalling Ace to come in.

Ace rushed inside, and on Reaching the office, both got down and walked towards James office, grinning and waving to Emily at the reception.

"Hi, Uncle!"

"Hi, Ace!" James exclaimed, standing from his seat. "How are you, son?" he asked, hugging and patting Ace on the back.

"I am fine, thank you, Uncle."

Nina entered the room too in a few seconds gap. "Good Afternoon, James" she smiled warmly.

"Good Afternoon! Liked the village?" he asked casually.

"It's not just a village! It's a mysterious village. Hope you know that right, James." Nina satirically commented, tilting her neck and raising her eyebrows.

James was stunned by that statement and didn't know how to respond. Ace was utterly shocked by Nina's words. Even though he knew that she was angry with James, he didn't assume that she would react that way.

Before James could react, she questioned him, "Why did you send me there, and what do you want from him?"

Ace sighed, listening to her words. She appeared like a different person to him. The girl who was sobbing and weeping most of the time in the car was firing and interrogating. Every question was put and asked in such a way that a person would start feeling weak in knees.

"Nina, I have called you to explain the purpose of sending you there. I will tell you both the legend of the village. Please trust me." James uttered, watching Nina with a deep set of eyes.

Glimpsing the truthfulness and honesty in his eyes, Nina sat down, followed by James and Ace. Although Nina and Ace were curious to know about the village and its legend, they were frightened and scared too.

Glancing at Ace, James suddenly vexed, "I was fine with you growing your hair and beard but please at least tie it in front of me." Nina laughed at James expression, he was clenching his fist and closing his eyes tightly.