Chapter 2 The Market

Walking through the woods as Nuella walked away from the cottage, it'd been ages since she left and the happiness she felt just by coming here was something she never imagined would happen.

Soon she came across a stream. She decided to wash her face as she was beginning to get tired and, yes, they live far off from the Pack. Agatha made sure she was well hidden from everyone.

She sat on the rock next to the water, as she rested for a while. Yes, whenever Agatha left for the market, Nuella just knew she would be back hours later.

Just then she heard a creaking sound, like someone was stepping on dry sticks and leaves. She lifted her face immediately as she sighted an elderly woman. Passing by, she looked keenly at Nuella,

"It can't be ...." She says in shock. Nuella sat there confused as to why the woman stared at her so surprisingly, she was just a normal lady, but her eyes gave her away.

The woman drew close to her to have a better look, but Nuella immediately stood up as she took two steps backwards. Agatha warned her about the dangers outside and this woman could be one of them.

The woman smiled, "I wouldn't hurt you, but I find it strange that you do not know."

A confused Nuella stared at the woman,

"What are you talking about?" Everyone kept saying the same thing, even her mother at home wouldn't stop staring at her at every chance she got.

"It's dangerous for you to be out any other day, but today?" she stated. Nuellat witched her brows in confusion, and she needed more clarity to what the old woman meant.

"What do you mean by that?" She asked, feeling safe around her.

"You meet the danger and your fate cannot avoid that. "But whatever you do, do not bite him, no matter how intense the urge could be." She said, then turned to leave. Nuella sat there trying to hold down the laughter that submerged from within. She was going to meet someone?

What are the odds?

"Very funny" she said to herself as she watched the woman go. She stood up, picked up her scarf, and just then a thought crossed her mind. The woman said she was going to meet someone,

"Hello ma, but what does he look like?" By the time she turned, the old woman was gone, the woods back to their quietness.

Nuella looked around before muttering not herself,

"That's strange...she was just there a while ago." Her eyes scanned the perimeters for a glimpse of her but nothing.

"Oh no! "What if she's a ghost?" Her subconscious mind suddenly told her. She shook her head, maybe she was just imagining the entire conversation.

She scoffed,

"I'll meet someone... Very funny." She laughed, then walked away, towards the market.

The market was noisy; buzzing with different sounds from different aspects, not of the market. The market women's chats, the honking sounds from the wielding stores, the music which Nuella was not sure where it came from,

It was a market combined with people from many different sides of the world. The Dark Moon Pack was the tallest pack, possessed the biggest market, and had the most in terms of pack members. Further, it was housed and occupied by a few refugees and internally displaced people from the war going on, which Nuella was oblivious to.

She differentiated between these classes, from the silk that merchants wore to the rags which traders wore.

She smiled beneath the scarf that wrapped her lips, leaving just her eyes, which she had barely raised as she hung her head low, admiring the dress and jewelry.

"Yes, baking soda... Mom would kill me if I didn't buy those." She said to herself.

The aura of the market was thick as a fresh bread smell wafted through her stomach; her tummy growled to show hunger. She needed to get out of this place as soon as possible before the sun set.

She got to the stall, just as she hollered out at the seller.

"Anyone around?" She called, just then a bubbling-sized woman with fat cheeks turned to her,

"My love, what would you want to purchase?"

"Baking soda, Ma'am." Nuella said to her, extending the money to her. She looked at Nuella, she hung her head so low,

"I don't think I have seen you in this place? "Did you just arrive?" She asked, but Nuella wouldn't raise her head up, so she stretched out her hand for the baking soda.

"Nah.... "I'm a traveler." She added so that the woman would be less suspicious of her.

" A traveler?" She asked, and then Nuell nodded.

"Yes." She hastily took the baking soda as she turned to leave at which she bumped into someone, making her crash onto the ground, at where her scarf immediately went off, revealing her smooth shiny, wavy hair, which bounced rhythmically with her fall.

"Hey, watch it!" She reached out and grabbed his arms, catching him off balance, sending them tumbling onto one another; instantly her eyes locked with his and all she could think about was to sink her fangs into this young man's skin and claim him as her own.

As her gaze locked in, hers, she was struck by striking features-the eyes of green tea two drips locked in hers. She would not deny the instant attraction she felt towards him. His high-contrasting cheekbones and jawlines arched into a deep frown, as if puckered by the fact that some lady, unknown, was on him in the market.

His black hair was messed up, adding to his charm.

"SIR!" she heard someone yell from behind,

"Will you get off me now?" the man said. She was dazzled by his deep voice, which was like a rehearsal wonder. His voice was deep and hostile at the same time, even in his anger, yet soothing to hear.

While the gaze deepened into each other's, Roland could not tell what was in her eyes, but he was for some reason locked into it. A strange ache hit him, felt his head being struck by a rod. The longer the gaze, the more intense the ache.

The pain started with the usual throbbing he had gotten used to-a little humming still buzzing in his head-but it shot into sharp, stabbing pain focused on all points of his head, as though some sort of rod was constantly hitting him.

"Aaahh!

He flung his arms over his head.