CHAPTER 2
Charlotte Petrova looked at the man standing in front of her. Lord Niklaus appeared lost in thought but yet was still so dangerous... and attractive. She mentally slapped herself before her thoughts went astray. There was no doubt he could kill her in one second without lifting a single finger. He could simply compel her to take her own life. Good heavens!
"Are you thinking about how to kill me?" She boldly asked.
He raised an eyebrow before speaking, "Whatever gave you that idea sweetheart? I'm not yet done with you."
"But I am of no use to you my lord. What would someone like you want from me?"
"Three favors, to be claimed whenever I want. In return, I will not hurt you."
She did not have to ponder long and stretched out her hand so they could shake on it.
In a flash, he was behind her. She felt his hand graze her neck as he pushed her silky hair front such that the back of her neck was exposed. He then leaned over her shoulder and whispered into her ear, "Meet me in the woods near the berry bushes an hour before sunrise tomorrow morning. I trust you to keep this our secret, Charlotte." He kissed the side of her neck and disappeared into thin air.
For a few moments, she stood there, trying to recapture the feel of his touch so that she could save it in her memory. He made her feel things that no one had ever made her feel before. Realizing that it was not like herself and that she had better leave before anyone else found her out, she fled.
When she arrived home, she told her mother she was tired, promising to tell her all about the masquerade in the morning. She would sneak out later to meet Lord Niklaus when her parents were asleep... ...
He did not say a word when they met and simply led her deeper into the woods. The early morning air was chilly and she shivered, pulling her cloak tighter around her. She had explored the woods herself before but not at this time. Who knew what dangers lurked ahead? As if reading her thoughts, he offered her his hand. She took it, knowing that she would be safe from any wild beasts with Lord Niklaus by her side. Besides, he seemed to know the woods pretty well. The thought gave her some comfort and she held on tighter to his hand, which evoked an amused smile from him.
They walked on for quite some time. Even though they did not exchange words, his presence alone was enough to reassure her and strangely, she felt comfortable just being with him. They reached a meadow just as the dawn began to break. He started looking for something amid the tall grass and when he found it, he called her over. Pointing to a plant with purple flowers, he asked her if she could identify the plant.
Relieved that this was what he needed her help for, she peered closely at the plant.
"I believe it is Aconitum, also what the witches call wolfsbane, my lord."
She head him murmur something about the werewolves and them avoiding the meadow.
Why would he be interested in knowing about the plant though?
Realization suddenly dawned on her. He probably wanted to take revenge for his step brother's death. She had heard about what happened to little Henrik and how Lord Mikael had forcefully made his family vampires so as to protect them from the werewolves.
It was common knowledge that Lord Niklaus was blamed for his step brother's death. She knew that the two had been close, having often observed them. She had once seen him teach little Henrik how to ride a horse and he had been very patient, rushing to his step brother's side whenever little Henrik fell off the horse. Now, not only did Lord Niklaus have to cope with the grief of losing his step brother but he also had to face his step father's wrath.
Feeling the urge to comfort him, she stepped closer to him and wrapped her arms around his waist.