Chapter 17: Awaited Present

As he try to have a clear look at me, I lower my gaze. Suddenly, he grabs my feet, anxiousness scatter from his voice. I look at him. "What's that, Alexandra?" He quickly light up fire and shows me the mattress is all red with blood. My heart clenches in fear after seeing the blood. "How did you get the cut?" "When I got up from the water, felt some pain beneath my feet but it was not that severe." "Oh, seriously! You got a whole broken glass penetrated into your feet!" "Let it be, Nathaniel. Don't bother about it. Thousands of broken glass is penetrating my soul everyday and killing me from inside. I think it's better the way it is. I just want peace of my soul."

He looks at me being shocked. I don't know why I'm telling him these things. It makes me feel cringe as well but still I can't keep it hidden. I wanna express it. I wanna make my heavy heart feel a little relieved.

His aura remains stable by my whimpers, his sole focus on my injured feet. Though his expression betrays concern, his nature eludes me. His eyes, glistening with a mixture of worry and determination, only willing to heighten my unease. The intensity of his actions sends shivers down my spine, a primal fear gripping me as he examines my foot with unwavering attention. His repeated sniffing fills me with a sense of dread, each inhalation echoing in the silence of the room.

Suddenly, he springs into action, tearing off his shirt with urgency. Half of it is instantly draped over his nose and mouth, a makeshift barrier against the scent of blood and uneven flesh. With the remaining part, he wipes away the crimson stains from my skin before dousing my foot with water. The sight of him furiously scrubbing at the mattress only adds to my fear, his actions betraying urgency bordering on desperation.

It's clear that he's battling some internal conflict, torn between concern for my well-being and his own internal reactions. Despite his efforts to maintain patience, his actions betray the struggle within. And yet, among the chaos, there's a flicker of gratitude for his adamant dedication to my care, a silent reassurance in the face of uncertainty.

After cleaning my foot, he uses his knife to bring out the broken glass from my foot. I spare a sky wrecking scream. Finally he brings out the glass which is like 3 inches long apparently. Blood begins to flow at an even faster pace.

Gradually he's acting like a maniac. "You've some herbs that stop blood. Where's it?" "Oh, let me check." "Check it quickly you damnit!" He says being annoyed.

Finding out the herb, I hand him it instantly. After chewing it, he places it on my wound, and slowly the blood stops. He then bandages my foot with a dry cloth and immediately moves to wipe away the blood from the surroundings with water.

I don't get it why he's acting weird all of a sudden. His eyes are all red now as if he's craving for my flesh and blood. Flesh and blood! Now I get it why he's acting like a maniac. The flesh of my leg is completely bruised due to the deep cut. I am scared myself.

The food Marina gave us, he starts eating quickly and breathes heavily. When his stomach is full, he calms down a bit. I look at him being shocked. He wants to kill me and everything is out of his control now. He could have closed my chapter if he wanted, so why is he trying so hard to control himself?

Then suddenly he comes to me and pulls me by my arm. His eyes are red in anger. "Have you mated with human?"

"Eiiiiii! What's that now?" I say being disgusted. "I myself a human. Why should I need to be mated with human?" "You're lying!" He roars in anger. I roll my eyes listening to him. Lol, he's literally stupid.

"Nathaniel, please take a nap. You're now a maniac. After taking a nap, you'll be okay." I force him to lie down. In doing so, I ruffle his hair—silky, beautiful hair. It feels good touching those hair.

"You removed my pain like a maniac; can't you love me like that crazy?" He looks at me as I ask. "Have your food and sleep. You also acting like a maniac and you also need sleep."

I'm happy to hear him. I also eat food in a hurry. Then I lie down next to him. By that time he is drowning in the sea of sleep. "Now even if someone eats me, you won't feel it, sir." "It's not so easy that someone will eat my prey." "I thought you're sleeping." "How can I sleep so easily when I smelled something disgusting." I chuckle listening to him. "I bet in your whole life you haven't struggle that much to control yourself from tasting something delicious like me." "Don't tease me. It will turn into the opposite." "Okay, okay. Sleep tight." "Good night," he says.

After a while, I glance towards him, wondering if he's already asleep. But as soon as my eyes meet his, I realize he's awake, and he's looking right back at me. It's one of those strange and embarrassing moments where our gazes lock unexpectedly. In a second, time seems to stand still as we both exchange the surprise of catching each other's eyes.

Being embarrassed, I quickly avert my gaze, my heart is fluttering. The air between us feels charged with a newfound feelings, as if the universe itself is holding its breath, waiting to see what will happen next.

Despite the awkwardness of the moment, I can't help but grin broadly, fail to control the joy bubbling up inside me. There's something undeniably magical about sharing this beautiful moment with him, even if it catches us both off guard.

With a shy smile still dancing on my lips, I turn my head to the side, pretending to be interested in the jungle.

As the days slip by, a familiar flow reconcile in. I find happiness constantly teasing him, a playful dance of drollery that we both know so well. There's a comfort in sharing every detail with him, as if he's become the keeper of my secrets, the confidant of my soul.

Yet, beneath the surface, his actions towards me are changing. Gone are the frequent disrespect and sharp words, replaced instead by a rare feeling and a willingness to lend a helping hand. But mischief still twinkles in his eyes, a reminder of the spirited bond we share.

Together, we travel into the heart of the forest, our footsteps echoing among the ancient trees. With no destination in mind, we lose ourselves in the web of nature, finding solace in the aimlessness of our journey.

In this zigzag path, my life takes on a new meaning, a reflection of the unpredictable twists and turns of our companionship. Never did I imagine that in this aimlessness, I would discover such deep joy in his company.

Every moment spent with him, whether in conversation, leisurely walks, or playful swims, becomes a proof to the pure delight of our connection, a story unfolding with each shared laugh and whispered word.

But the underlying fear still bothering me. Everything has undergone a big change. Perhaps he has taken pity on me. Maybe now, if I muster the courage to ask, he might help me return home. With these thoughts swirling in my mind, I gather the courage to tell him what's in my mind.

"Umm, Nathaniel, I have something to tell you?" He looks at me curiously indicating me to proceed. "Please forget everything and help me going back to my family?" I request him. "How can you expect?" "I'll give you 50k dollars, my life long savings." He laughs loudly listening to me. "I can't imagine how can you gather that audacity!" He declines as expected still I request him. "Please, Nathaniel." "Aren't you happy here?" "Yes, I'm." "Then why do you want to leave?" "You have to understand this is not my world. I miss my family." His face darkens listening about my family. For so long, I can't understand why he harbors such hatred towards my innocent family. "Oh, I forgot. You left your Jason, your world that's why you're struggling against me to go there." "You need to believe me. I don't know any Jason." "Stop!" He says, "As you wish. I will fullfil your desire then. No need to lie."

I feel super happy and excited, like a big wave of feelings crashing over me. It's a moment I have been really hoping for and wanting for a long time. And now that it's finally happening, it feels like a dream. I'm just so, so happy to hear him say those things, to know that he gets it and he's on my side. It's like all those good feelings are too much to handle all at once.

In that moment of extreme happiness, I can't help but wrap my arms around him in a tight embrace. It's a indigenous reaction, fueled by my emotions. It's like a weight being lifted off my shoulders after carrying it for so long.