Chapter 17

They were nearing the town when Eric veered off the original route. Instead, he took a shortcut, only to find a new security checkpoint ahead. Several uniformed officers were patrolling, and when they saw Eric’s car, they signaled for him to pull over. Two officers walked over to the window and knocked on the glass. “Sir, please roll down your window. We need to conduct a check.” Eric complied, rolling down the window. “Please show your ID, sir. And is this lady your wife?” One officer pulled out a notebook and began writing. “Yes, she’s my wife,” Eric replied, handing over his identification. “She didn’t bring hers, but I noticed this checkpoint wasn’t here before. What’s going on?” The officer compared the IDs and handed them back with a smile. “More and more people have been settling in this town lately. It’s beautiful, isn’t it? But for safety reasons, we’ve set up this checkpoint to help the original residents feel secure.” Eric didn’t question it and nodded, about to roll up the window. “Sir, please wait a moment,” the officer continued, writing in his notebook. “The road into town is under construction, but you can take the road over there. It’s a bit out of the way, but it’ll still get you to town quickly. Just be cautious—it’s not lit.” Eric was slightly puzzled but figured that the shortcut he had taken earlier probably led to the road under repair. He glanced toward the dark road ahead, which seemed like an endless abyss. But he was exhausted, and Stella was already half-asleep. The other route was too far, so reluctantly, he said, “Thanks for the heads-up,” then rolled up the window and drove down the dark path, unaware of the malicious looks the officers exchanged behind them. Once they left, the officer who had been taking notes grabbed the walkie-talkie. “They’re gone. Let’s begin. Follow the original plan… Yeah, it’s confirmed. It’s them.” “Why are we on such a dark road?” Stella, jolted awake by the officer’s questioning, rubbed her eyes and asked Eric. Eric quickly steered the car and explained, “The shortcut’s under repair. The other route’s too far, and this one will still get us to the house quickly.” “You have a place in the Silver Moon Pack?” Stella stretched lazily. Eric kept his eyes on the road, not glancing at her. “Big deal.” “I thought you’d have bought a place in London—” Suddenly, the car collided with something with a loud crash. Eric slammed on the brakes, but both of them were jolted forward, only to be yanked back by the seatbelts. Stella gasped, her chest rising and falling rapidly. A mist formed in her eyes as she turned to Eric. “Did… did you just hit someone?” A thin layer of sweat appeared on Eric’s forehead. “Shut up. With a sound that loud, how could I—” “Well, aren’t you going to get out and check?!” Stella unbuckled her seatbelt, flung open the door, and jumped out. Eric tried to stop her. “Don’t go! I’ll check!” But Stella was already running ahead. With a resigned sigh, Eric grabbed the flashlight, unbuckled his seatbelt, and followed her outside. “There’s no blood, though?” Stella bent down to inspect the road in front of the car, puzzled. “What did we hit, then?” She spoke, attempting to move forward. Eric, now fully aware of the situation, quickly grabbed Stella and pulled her toward the car. "Get in the car! We need to leave, now!" "But we just—" Stella began to protest, but before she could finish, the sharp whistle of wind cut through the air, and in the blink of an eye, Eric had thrown her behind him. Sensing danger, Eric instinctively ducked to the side, shielding Stella with his body as he looked up to see a man standing in front of them. Dressed in black, he was nearly invisible in the night, the only thing betraying his presence being the glint of a silver knife reflecting the headlights. "Quick reflexes," the man whistled, admiring Eric's reaction. Eric didn’t have time for conversation. His focus was entirely on getting Stella to the car and getting out of there. He leaned in close to her, his voice low. "No matter what happens, don’t scream. I’ll do everything I can to protect you. If it comes to it, just run." Stella bit her lip, her eyes filling with tears as she shook her head. Despite the pain of Eric’s firm grip, she tightened her hold on his hand. Eric froze for a moment, and despite the gravity of the situation, a subtle smile tugged at the corner of his lips. The man, watching the exchange, understood what Eric was thinking. His playful expression disappeared, and he gripped his knife tightly, stepping forward, ready to unleash a deadly strike toward Eric. Eric dodged, twisting his body to avoid the blade, while his free hand shot forward in a swift punch to the man’s stomach. The man grunted in pain, his face twisting in anger as he shifted tactics. But each attack was expertly avoided by Eric, who found gaps in the man’s defense to strike. The man’s frustration grew, and after a few exchanges, blood began to stain his clothes. He yelled behind Eric, "Damn it, BEN! How long are you going to watch?!" Hearing the mention of a possible accomplice, Eric became more alert. He stopped sparring with the man, delivering a powerful elbow to his chest before twisting his wrist to disarm him. He snatched the knife and, in one fluid motion, drove it into the man’s heart, twisting it as he did. The man’s blood sprayed across Eric’s face, and he raised an eyebrow in irritation, quickly pulling the knife free and scanning the area for any more threats. Stella, witnessing her first killing, continued to bite her lip, silently following Eric’s lead. When he told her not to scream, she complied without question. Time seemed to stretch on, and still, there was no sign of further danger. Eric didn’t believe the man had been alone; he felt there were still threats lurking. The police earlier—now that he thought about it, they hadn't been real officers. But… turning to glance at Stella, whose face was a mix of fear and confusion, he saw how she had never faced anything like this before. He’d always shielded her from such horrors, and now, for the first time, he had thrown her into this chaos. She was terrified, and he hated himself for it. He grabbed her hand and guided her to the car, quickly opening the door and ushering her inside. As he straightened up to close the door, he caught sight of Stella’s widened eyes, staring behind him. Before he could react, she suddenly scrambled out of the car, spinning around to embrace him. Her back pressed against his, just like before. After a long moment, they were holding each other again. He recognized her—her hair’s sweet scent, her warm body, the soft, smooth skin of her lips and neck. Her breath against his neck, her delicate arms… But all of it lost its beauty the moment his hand brushed against the blood still flowing from her body. "Stella!" Eric shouted, his eyes burning with fury, as he yelled at the woman in his arms.