Elle and the Mysterious Beast (One Direction)

Chapter 4 - Unexpected

This whole week has been a blur since the incident in the woods. I can’t get the look in his eyes out of my head. I’ve been basically grounded to my room all week, this is the first day I get to leave. Phillip’s been gone with his father visiting other villages so fortunately I haven’t had to deal with him.

It’s cool out today, chillier than usual. I put on a jacket over my long sleeve shirt and head outside. Today is break day so no men are hunting and most people are hanging out in their homes trying to stay warm. I can almost see my breath it’s so cold. Odd for March.

I don’t see Anna anywhere but I do spot Shane reading by the fountain. “Hey Elle!” he says when he sees me approaching.

“Hey Shane.”

“Finally out of prison huh?”

“Heh, yeah. Where’s Anna?”

“Home, like everyone else. I’m kind of glad I prefer the cold so I can enjoy the quiet out here to read.”

“Listen, I need you to do me a huge favor.”

“Anything,” he says with his eyebrows raised.

“I need you to cover for me.”

His face drops a little, “Where are you going?”

“I uh, I dropped something important in the woods and I need to go find it.”

“Elle, it’s too dangerous. Sure it’s daylight but can’t you just tell one of the other men to go look for it?”

“No, I need to do this and I need to do it alone.”

“I feel as if this is much more than you just dropping something,” he says questioningly.

“I’ll be okay, I promise. I really need you to trust me, please Shane.” I give him my best hopeful smile.

“Fine,” he says with a sigh. “Please be careful.”

With a quick thank you I’m off in the direction Phillip had taken me. No one seemed to notice me even leave, Shane didn’t even watch so he didn’t draw attention. I don’t even really know what I’m doing exactly, I just know that I need to know more. There was something about that beast, he didn’t seem scary at all. I actually felt, I don’t know, safe a little when I was near him. Maybe that’s only because he’d just saved me from the wolves but there was something in his eyes, a calm that made me feel calm too.

The wolves aren’t out in the daytime quite as often so I don’t think I’ll have too much trouble, and I don’t.  I walk swiftly down the path I’d taken a week ago. I don’t really have a plan, I guess I’m just hoping I somehow come across a clue or something.

I recognize a clover shaped log and I know I’m in the spot the beast had appeared before. I can see so much more now in the daylight. It’s still fairly dim through the thick wood but I see so much more.