Soulmate

Chapter 4

The sunlight shinning through the window made a burning sensation to his eyes. He blinked once, twice, until his vision cleared from the blur of sleep. He groaned, shaking his head in pain, and sat up slowly in his bed. As he started to look around, he noticed dirt smudged all over the walls, followed by deep claw marks, leaving crumbs of the walls on the floor. The curtains had been ripped off, teared from the metal rod, hanging crooked in the window, and the chair beside the window was smashed to pieces. Nicholas stood in the middle of his room, shock and confusion written all over his face. A few slurred memories from the night before erupted in his mind. He remembered howling at the moon, a beautiful woman running in the woods. That woman, he thought to himself, must have been his mate, as the tingling sensation he felt from his chest was new and unnatural to him. He also remembered his father, jumping on him, snapping his jaws at his son's throat, with a ferocious warning in mind. Everything else was an undecipherable blur. He even wondered how he got inside his house, it was obvious he wasn't in a good state when he did. A soft knock on his door brought Nicholas back to reality. Irritated by his confusion, he slammed his hand on his desk aggressively.

"What?!" He yelled, his temper running wild. The door opened, and the blond maid walked in, her eyes glued to the floor in submission.

"Your father sent me to clean your room, before Maria could see the evidence of... Well, you know what." She said shyly, whispering her last words. He sharply nodded, and stormed out of his room. As he was about to turn into the hallway, he bumped into a figure, frail compared to his, who almost flew back where it came from. He frowned, a subtle growl showing his short patience, and looked down to the new girl, who had her mouth opened wide in surprise, and her cheeks bright red. She looked back at him, leaning against the wall from the hit, with her big green eyes, and a spark of intelligence hit him in surprise.

"What? Are you going to sit there all day?" He said with a harsh smirk on his face, as if it was the only type of smile he was able to create with his lips. Nicholas slowly leaned over her, towering with his confidence, but made no move to help her. He scoffed arrogantly. "And, just so you know, close your mouth. You look as if you're trying to catch flies." He stretched his back with all his might, standing tall, and puffed his chest.

"It doesn't help your situation very much." Nicholas added snobbishly. He left Maria insulted with no words to say. She left her eyes on him as he walked away. Why would he be so cruel to her? It was all so out of the sudden. The girl gathered herself, and stepped at Nicholas' door. She put a hand on the varnished wood, pushing lightly. She was welcomed coldly with Jenna pushing her back into the hallway.

"Not now, Maria. I'll go see you later." Jenna said softly, closing the door in the girl's face.

Maria grunted, conflicted about everyone's sudden cold shoulder. Voices in the hallway caught her attention. What did Jenna mean when she said they didn't want her to figure out about "you know what"? She wondered what those two were hiding from her. She followed the voices, old skills of her younger teenage years coming back to her mind. He had taught her everything she knew today, from picking locks to climbing walls. As she thought of him, refusing the overflow of emotions and memories, Maria leaned on the closed door, wincing to hear the muffled conversation.

"...I can't believe that you lost control! I thought I taught you better, I guess not" Louis' voice was loud, as he seemed enraged after his son.

"Father, it was a one time slip, it won't happen again."

"Better not," Louis lowered his voice cautiously, out of the reach of Maria. "I can't have wild-... around the house, even less when Maria is here."

"I won't let that happen. If she ever does, I'll take care of her." There was a silence, and Maria's eyes shot open. Her heart raced as she realised the true meaning of those words. The girl made a note to herself not to trust these people, no matter what happened.