Dark Hunger

When Elize entered the car, Laurel shot a pointed glare at Elize as if telling her that it was her fault that she was in the jail for the night. Moreover, to her surprise, Elize was looking stunning like sunshine, while she was looking and feeling like shit. She grew bitter as she watched how Elize ignored her and sat in the passenger seat when Caleb opened the door for her. He strapped her with the seat belt taking all his time touching her. Feeling utterly disgruntled at the way the stupid vampire was behaving like a queen, Laurel crossed her arms in front of her chest and clenched her teeth till they pained. She was going to teach the bloody queen a lesson. 

"Are you fine?" Caleb asked Elize in a husky voice, making Laurel all the more riled up.

Caleb closed the car door and then rushed to the other side. He started the car. The two actresses approached him fast to talk to him about the next project coming, but despite their requests, he just vroomed out of the driveway leaving them totally flustered. 

They hit the highway soon. While he drove, had a permanent smile etched on his lips. He put the car audio on and the song that played was "White Flag". Elize took her shades out, relaxed back and closed her eyes. Caleb glanced at her and his heart steadied. He took in a deep breath, his fears allayed. 

A while back, when he saw her coming out of the lobby, their gazes had locked. But he was hyper aware of the fact that the way she walked, and the way her curvaceous, sexy body swayed as she walked, attracted the attention of every man out there. They stopped speaking and glanced at her. They ogled at her creamy complexion and breasts and lips and glossy hair. The beast in him wanted to shift and kill every man who eye-fucked her. Rage filled his chest. He had just gotten a little closer to her and they dared challenge him. But when the two men accosted her and flirted, that was it. He had shoved the two girls who were talking to him aside and strode to reach his wife before the men could speak further, his chest vibrating with fury and fists closed to kill them or rip their limbs apart. The moment he was with her, he placed his hand on her back in a complete possessive way and announced to all the men that he was her husband. Elize had frowned and protested, but seeing his mien, she had pursed her lips and visibly swallowed. 

"Thanks for taking me to Scotland, Caleb," Auril's voice pulled him out of his thoughts. "You have earned my friendship for life. I am yet to meet such sincere and dedicated men." 

Caleb nodded, not used to such adulations from men. He also didn't say that this ride was giving him the opportunity to stay close to his mate, who he had earlier thought would reject him. By Skadi! The word reject stabbed like a pointed spear through his heart. He shuddered and shoved the feeling. 

"Well, after all, he is the king of Ixoviya," said Laurel proudly. "And not a street urchin. Had he not been this dedicated, do you think he would have managed such a huge business empire with his brother?" Her voice was honeyed, laced with admiration and love. "So yes, he is a very sincere and dedicated man in each and every venture he undertakes." She also wanted to show that he was going out of his way to help not just Auril, but also protect his vampire wife for whom he has left a kingdom. 

Elize understood Laurel's snide remarks garbed under velvet, but she didn't reply.

Caleb slowly glanced at Elize who had pulled up on the seat, her muscles strained, and skin flushed. The wolf responded. "Well, I am a very dedicated person. My dedication to cur—" 

Elize whipped her head towards him. "Why have you put this song?" She snapped and cut him off. She remembered how he released in the morning right in front of her and the image had etched in her mind. He was so shameless. And now he wanted to reveal their private moments to these people? Gods. 

"Because there will be no white flag above my door. 

I am in love" he hummed the song, looking at her fondly. 

Elize poked her tongue in her cheek, changed the song and then looked out of the window in the dark. The man was a louche and his cockiness was… breathtaking. Her arms went to the back above her head. 

At Caleb's declaration, Laurel choked on her breath while Auril appeared to do his best not to burst into laughter. He rested his head back on the seat and said with a grin, "If you are tired, let me know. I will drive." But he knew that the werewolf wouldn't tire even if he had to drive like this around the world with his wife. 

Laurel's lips flattened with a tightness in her eyes. She closed her fists to the extent that her nails started biting in her own palms. She drew in a slow, steady breath and leaned back. She had to calm down in order to think of revenge when suddenly a shock of red flashed on Elize's wrist. Her eyes widened and heartbeat raced as the ruby in her bracelet glowed. She covered her mouth to stifle her gasp. That was the Amber Moonstone. She had to inform Urhan about it. She couldn't look away from the stone until Elize put her hands in her lap. 

Having slept the entire day, Elize was feeling better, but it had been five hours and they hadn't taken a break. She peered at Caleb, who was patiently driving and hardly looked exhausted. She bit her lip and then gazed back out of the window in the darkness that surrounded like an imposing thick veil. As if understanding her thoughts, he asked, "Are you tired, Lizzy?" 

"I am," she responded. Wait. Lizzy? That was an endearment. And she responded naturally. A pale blush rose to her skin when her mind raced to place a quick kiss on his lips. The wolf smiled and swerved to the next exit. He was obviously enjoying her. 

However, as soon as he turned the car, something smashed against the window pane towards Elize. She screamed and Caleb screeched to a halt, his heart racing like wild horses. He jumped out of the car and ran to the other side to inspect it. Auril and Laurel also went out. Elize unstrapped herself to get out and see and shock flooded through her when she saw that the glass had cracked slightly. She stabbed her fingers in her hair. Caleb came to stand behind her and wrapped his arm around her shoulder as he scoured through the surroundings. He narrowed his eyes as he concentrated on any sound that he might hear. Other than the chilly cold wind that rustled their clothes, there was nothing and then— Wings flapped hard somewhere in the distance. Caleb whipped his head to look towards the forest other than the sound of wings beating, there was nothing. "Let's get out of here!" he snarled and then bundled Elize in the car. 

"What was it?" she asked.