bChapter /bb51 /b

bNyssa /bpov

bI /bshiveredb, /bclutching my bshawl /btighter around me bas /bbI /bbsneaked /binto the packhouse, bragged /bbpants /bescaping bme /bwhile I bmade/bb. /bmy bway /bthrough the windowb, /btrying not to make ba /bsound.

Thankfullyb, /bbI’d /barrived just in time before the guards bmade /banother round so I bhad /bba /bbfew /bminutes to climb up the window and slip into my room before anyone noticed I was gone.

I licked my bottom lip and ran a hand through my hair, pushing the bwet /bstrands bback /bbefore lifting my bhand /bto the bwall /band cing my right bleg/b, ready to pull myself up.

You knowb, /bI’d done this so many times before whenever I wanted to sneak out, memorized the guards‘ brotation /band used it to my advantage to avoid getting caught. But this time, it bwas /bharder to climb bbecause /bI’d been running and swimming for a while, and all my strength was nearly gone.

“Fuck, my arms hurt really bad,” I murmured under my breath, trying my best to climb, nearly losing my footing at one point. Luckily, I grabbed onto a stone on the wall but had to pause and take a deep breath, closing my beyes /bbas /bmy vision blurred for a moment.

Then, suddenly, I heard a calm voice that made me snap my eyes open.

“Do you need some help there, Missb?/bb” /b

I gasped, eyes widening, and before I could stop it, my hand slipped from the wall in shock, I felt myself falling.

No! No!

I wanted to scream, but no words left my lips as I plummeted toward what should have been my death. I’d climbed quite high, and if I fell, I would surely die.

Just as bI /bbwas /bstruggling to ept this fate, I felt a pair of arms wrap around my waist, catching my fall.

Time seemed to freeze as bI /bturned to see Zayn, the famous doctor, staring down at me with a look that was part amusement, part surprise–I wasn’t quite sure.

bAs /bhe held me in his arms, I caught the slight tilt of his lips, his peerless green eyes locked onto mine, and a shiver ran through me. It wasn’t just because of the cold; it felt like his eyes were seeing right through me, as if he could read every one of my thoughts.

It made me ufortable.

bI /bswallowed hard as his lips moved, yet I couldn’t hear what he was saying until he tilted his head and spoke clearer.

“Are you okay, Missb? /bYou must have been scared, the fall was pretty high,” he said, and I blinked, snapping out of my bdaze/b. I took ba /bbdeep /bbbreath/b, about to tell him to let me down, but before I could get a word out, the sound of footsteps interrupted

‘meb. /b

My beyes /bnearly bulged out of their sockets bas /bI heard the voices of the guards.

“This bis /bthe bst /bbce /bbwe’re /bchecking. We’ll rotate again after an hour.”

b“/bUnderstood!”

Oh goddess, the guards bwere /bheading this way.

b53 /b

My bhead /bbjerked /bbback /bbto /bbZayn/bb, /band bI /bbwas /babout to bspeak/bb, /bbut bbefore /bI could, I pped ba /bhand bover /bmy mouth bto /bstop bthe /bbscream /bthat bthreatened /bbto /bspill out bas /bbZayn /bbleaped /binto the bair/bb, /bcarrying me with him toward my windowb. /b

bBefore /bbI /bbknew /bit, I was bback /bin my room, and bI /bcould hear the guards‘ footsteps beneath us bas /bthey inspected the barea/b.

bNo /bbone /bbmade /bba /bsound, the air was bdead /bsilent. bI /bbheld /bmy breath, ignoring the bfact /bthat I was bstill /bin the arms bof /bba /bman I bbarely /b

bknew/bb. /b

“Let’s go, this bcd /bseems bclear/bb,/bb” /b

bJust /bbas /bthe footsteps faded, I exhaled the breath I hadn’t brealized /bI was holding, my body finally rxingb, /bonly to stiffen all bover /bagain when I realized where I currently bwas/b.

In bZayn’s /barmsb. /b

b“/bYou are drenched and shivering, Missb. /bYou’ll bcatch /ba cold if you stay in those clothes,” he said, a warm and polite smile curving his lips. I wasn’t sure if he genuinely didn’t realize our position, alone in my room or if he simply didn’t bcare/b.

Still, I couldn’t be rude to him. He had just saved me, and he was a doctor everyone respected.

“T–thank you. I’m sorry to trouble you, but could you put me down?” I asked, forcing a stiff and nervous smile. He blinked, then muttered an “Ah” before gently setting me on the ground. He stepped back, running a hand through his hair awkwardly.

I quickly stood on my own and adjusted myself, rubbing my clothes bas /bI stared at the floor.

“I apologize for making you ufortable. You were about to fall, and I couldn’t let you die. Besides, it looked like you didn’t want them ito /ibsee /byou seems like you snuck out,” he said with a light chuckle, and I couldn’t help but raise a brow.

Wow. This man really just said whatever was on his mind, huh?

bI /bshook my head and lowered my gaze.

“No, t–thank you for saving me. I–I appreciate it,” I stammered, my teeth starting to chatter as the cold began to settle deep into my bones. Zayn frowned, tilting his head slightly as he watched me.

I inhaled sharply, about to ask him not to tell anyone about what happened tonight, but he beat me to it by tossing something at meb. /b

bI /bbreacted /bquickly, catching it midair. It was a bottle filled with a clear greenish liquid. I raised a brow, staring at it, but then he spokeb, /bmoving toward the window, his coat fluttering effortlessly in the wind.

“That’ll help so you don’t catch a cold tomorrow. And don’t worry, Miss, I won’t say a word about tonight,” he said, turning to bsh /ba small smile. “Take care of yourself, and have a sound sleep.”

With bthat/bb, /bhe leapt out the window.

I rushed forward, only to find that he had vanished.

Completely gone.

Damn. I knew bwerewolves /bwere fast, but how could he disappear in the blink of an eye?

bI /bsighed and shook my head, then looked down at the bottle in my hand. I opened it and took a gulp of the liquid.

Almost instantlyb, /ba warm sensation spread through meb, /bmaking me feel bbetter/bb. /bI took a bdeep /bbreath, wiped my mouth, and shifted my bgaze /btoward the dark bsky/bb, /bstaring at the moon in thought.

“I should bget /bsome bsleep /band prepare for tomorrow. It’s going to be a long day.”