Chapter 8：Purple Forest

In the purple forest...

The dirt path of the forest was decorated with outgrown roots, wildflowers and fallen leaves.

Ave took her first step into the forest, and almost got startled by the crunching of the dead leaves beneath her fancy shoes.

"Come on, Ave. You can do this." She braved herself as she trudged on, taking in the fragrance of minty grass and the damp earth. Each breath was like water, fresh and cleansing, flowing freely into her lungs.

But the fresh feeling didn't last long, slowly the sky started darkening, clouds and thunder buzzed, the trees started dancing with the heavy wind. Everything that happened was just like the morning in the castle.

Ave who was taken aback by the sudden change of the weather started to feel something odd. The sound of the wind and hisses by the trees tumbling back and forth.

The overall commotion of it gave her goosebumps all over her body. She gasped as she heard the snarls of the werewolves and the feminines overlapping whispers.

"Oho... The Human Princess is here again. She is here." The sound that spread everywhere was like the hissing of serpents, snakes.

"Welcome, Aveline." And this one was the males' whispers, or maybe a male's whispers.

Ave clenched her white knuckles tightly and spun herself around. "Who are you?" Her loud voice echoed around, her heart thumped against his chest so loudly that she could even hear the sound.

"Hahahaha." The awkward, wheezy and screeching sound of a laugh hit directly into her head, and she felt a creaking undulation of it ran through her nervous system.

She tightened her grip on her cloth and her eyes got conscious of every corner of the forest. "Who the hell are you? Come out, you freaking bastard." Her voice echoed again and the laughter impasse.

"And who do you think you are to call him a bastard?"

The feminine voice that arose from behind sounded different from a human being, It was deep, intense with the harsh clatter of breaths that was getting closer and closer.

Ave felt her legs going numb, the sweat drenching her skin, the throbbing of her own eyes, the ringing snarls vibrating in her ears. But her brain demanded solutions to its function instead of this crazy-making circling anxiety. Though it felt like her bones had no more strength and her muscles were all out of power, she still fought with herself to turn back.

And as soon as she turned back, a wolf jumped on her in a flash. But someone was fast enough to grab her by her blouse, pulled her aside from there and shot a sharp needle at the wolf.

Everything happened so fast so that Ave couldn't even realize a single thing that happened, When she was back to her senses, she saw a man holding her closely with his one hand wrapping around her waist whilst the other was grabbing the coat, gripping onto the robe over her chests. He looked breathtaking handsome in the black hoodie with the hood over his head.

Promptly, clearing his throat awkwardly, the man moved his hand from her body and averted his gaze at the wolf that was already dozed off on the ground.

"She almost killed you." He heaved a sigh and feeling Ave's fast heartbeat against his chest, he gazed at her.

She was breathing hard, wearing a magenta silk blouse. Her ponytail was ragged, flowing from her left shoulder to her waist, loose hair falling over her features that contorted without effort. Around her feet were clean a pair of shoes.

"Who are you?" The words seeped out of her mouth smoothly and faded against his face that was so close to her. The scent of fresh jasmine invaded into her senses from the body that was fastened with her. Ave took the chance to survey his eyes, they were intimidating with deepest brown infused with ripples of blackness, colouring it like vague crimson. But the man she was searching for has onyx black coloured eyes.

Her entire body shuddered with goosebumps as she met his gaze. He was staring at her so dazzlingly that it gave shivers through her spine. "Someone you don't know."

She sighed realizing she was a fool to believe that she will find the man here. He can't be that man. He is not her type. "You are not even close." She mumbled as she pushed him away and brushed her robe. She doesn't like to get close to over-handsome men. They are truly dangerous and most of them are so cruel.

"Don't change your words in the future." The words spat out of his mouth like melted butter.

Ave narrowed her eyes to slit. "What do you mean?" She was now irritated. This man had no sense of respect.

He didn't answer, just took a long breath. "Just don't change your words. That's the best for you and me as well." He muttered calmly and turned around to leave but Ave's voice stopped him.

"I asked you what did you mean?"

"I don't think I need to answer." He replied in an icy voice without looking back at her, shoving his hand inside the pockets.

He didn't bother hearing the next words as he made his way out of the forest and lost in the sight in a moment.