Scarlet
Chapter One
"Grrrrr!" The beast growled before it slowly transformed into a human. Its fur turned into brown skin. Its claws into fingers. Its animal head turned into a human head with dark hair, a pointed nose, amber eyes, and a clean chiseled jawline. A handsome man. He was naked. He had a big load, big arms, and a hairy chest and abdomen with hard muscles.
I swallowed. My fear turned into confusion, guilt, and secret yearning. My stiff muscles remained stiff at the sight of a hot naked man in front of me. "Wh—who are you?" I finally managed to ask.
He didn't move for a while. Then he approached the bed and crawled toward me. He moved so close that I could smell his manly scent. He looked intently at my face. He sniffed my neck. My lips tightened. "I should be the one to ask you that," he said.
I clasped the bedsheets. He finally moved back before I could push him away, giving me some space to breathe. I took two deep breaths. My hands loosen up. I opened my mouth and said, "Allan... He let me stay here."
"I see... So my little brother brought a girl with him again," he said. "Did he really think I'd fall for his trap? You should get out of here right away. This is my room."
"Ah, pardon?" I asked. In my mind, I replayed what just happened. I was asleep when a beast entered the room, transformed into a man, a hot and naked man, and then told me to get out because this room belongs to him?
"My brother shouldn't play pranks with me like this. I don't have a plan for finding my mate." He stood up and walked toward the closet. He had nice butts. He opened the closet, picked up a white robe, and donned it. He glared at me; his amber eyes pierced through me like a knife. "What are you still doing there? You should go out already, or do you want me to sleep with you?"
Wait, what? Sleep with a handsome man? I... I'm still processing things, but he already lounged on the bed before I could make a move. He laid his head on my thighs. He looked me in the eyes.
"I don't know who you are. I've never seen you before, but you're beautiful; maybe we can make this work." He closed his eyes, his lips preparing for a kiss.
I swallowed. "What the fuck is wrong with you?" I shot as I finally regained my rational mind. I stood up and tried to escape, but the charming predator held my hand and pulled me back, putting me in a very dangerous position, under him, under his grasp, under his dominion.
The expression on his face turned serious as he looked down on me. Then he slowly moved his face close to mine. I struggled, but it was hopeless. He was all over me; his hands clasped my hands. He lips my lips, like apocalypse.
12 years ago...
It was 8:00 PM on the wall clock. My mother was telling me bedtime stories—The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain—when we heard an angry and insistent knocking at the door.
"Stay here, sweetie. I'll check who it is. Don't make a sound, and don't come out until I say so," Mom said, putting the book on my lap. She opened the door of my room, stepped out, and closed it. I could hear her footsteps. "Who are you?"
I heard a thump as if something heavy fell on the floor. "Ahhhhh!" My mother screamed.
I got confused about what was going on, so I peeked through the tiny hole in the door of my room and saw my mother being raped by hideous beasts. There was an ocean of blood all over her body.
"No! Get away from her!" My father shouted, charging toward the beasts with an axe, but he was killed before he could save Mom. The axe he held fell down to the floor as a big wolf-like beast cut off his head with its sharp claws and flung it outside like a ball.
My heart skipped a beat. My eyes widened. I wanted to scream, but the fear that those beasts could hear me and kill me like what they did to my parents prevented me.
I covered my mouth with my hands; tears streamed down my eyes. I wanted to save my mother, but what could a six-year-old girl do against those beasts? I swore I'd never forgive them. I'd grow stronger and wiser to avenge my parents' death.
After my parents passed away, Aunt Hilda and Uncle Benjie became my foster parents. They had two daughters, namely Lara and Hailey. But they never made me feel like I belonged to their family. They treated me like a maid. I usually woke up early in the morning to cook their breakfast. Then I'd do the dishes, the cleaning inside and outside the house, the laundry, et cetera, like a typical Cinderella life. I barely had time for myself.
Unlike my cousins, I never had brand-new gadgets or designer clothes. I always wore their old, stained clothes and asked them if I could have their broken gadgets. Sometimes they even get mad at me, especially Hailey, who often tweaks my hair or makes fun of me if she gets angry. One time, she pushed me into the swimming pool, and because I didn't know how to swim, I almost drowned and died if Lara hadn't saved me.
I felt like my life didn't matter to them. Sometimes I wish I just died with my parents. I'm surrounded by people, yet I feel so lonely. I never felt like I was home. Maybe I should be thankful that they let me stay in the garret of their house. The place where I could almost feel the rain touching me or hear the silent whisper of the night. I've thought of ending my life many times. I just couldn't do it. There's a reason why I'm still alive. I want to become stronger and hunt those beasts that killed my parents.