Chapter 49: Chapter 49

I roamed my eyes around the area, looking for Ethan. I glanced at the wall clock and found it was already six in the morning. He was gone on the bed beside me when I woke up. No wonder I felt like something was missing. I was used to placing my hands on his chest whenever we were sleeping together. Except for the moment, he was in a coma, and I was forced to be in a separate room to sleep. I let out an enormous sigh. Where could he have been at this type of hour?

I walked towards the grand staircase on the first floor of this house. I couldn’t help but look around at the magnificence of the interiors. I know Harry was rich and all, but looking around made me realize that I can look lack a beggar compared to him. The place has high ceilings, most likely to hurt your neck just to glance up. It has window walls, but Harry said the outside is tinted and can not be seen.

I sighed. Something weighed down my chest when I abruptly recalled the news we had seen the last day. After that, Ethan was not with his usual self, and I understood why he had been acting a little distant and not in the mood to talk lately. Not only his life was in danger, but also mine. Allen was persistent in capturing Ethan just for the sake of his title. I know he has every right to get mad since Ethan killed his other comrades, but we had no choice.

He will kill me. Even though I was ready to die but Ethan came and rescued us.

Now, people out there know who we are. Allen also connected the dots about the appearance we disguised before. The security has now doubled. Every force, troupe, and unit out there is surveying each road of this city. Yesterday, they declared a military takeover. They temporarily shut down all the streets, caging us inside this city. It’s as if we can’t go around without getting caught. They misunderstood Ethan. They don’t know his pain. His sacrifices. How he saved my life countless times. How he save Bobby’s life. A poor innocent dog was saved by him.

But they wouldn’t care. All they could see was Ethan was a beast. A monster its head needs to be chopped off. I realized my tears were forming in the corners of my eyes. My emotion was peeking to burst forth. I breathed in and out, calming my nerves. I shouldn’t worry about these things too much. After all, Ethan and I agreed to Harry’s plan to leave this country and move far away to Asia, where no one would see or know about us.

“Man, are you serious?!”

I flinched when I heard a commotion, snapping me back to reality. I glanced towards the hallway that would lead to the kitchen. My eyes widened when it was coming from a familiar voice. My heart beat flipped as I hurriedly strolled down the stairs, almost stumbling and losing my balance when I finally reached the kitchen. The scenario made my breathing hitched when I saw Steve was there.

And so was Ethan. I have been roaming around the upper floors of this house this whole time turns out he was here along with Harry, who has already recovered. He was positioned in front of Steve, and it seemed he was stopping him from doing something. I narrowed my eyes into slits, glancing down, and I realized Steve was holding a gun, and it was pointed at Ethan, who stood there with hooded, tired eyes.

“Ethan!”

When I screamed his name, they all turned their attention towards my way. I run up to him, halting in front while spreading my arms to protect him whenever Steve pulls the trigger. Ethan placed his hands on my shoulder, pushing me to the side, but I didn’t stir in my spot. Instead, I lifted my chin, staring straight into Steve’s eyes, who looked tired from all these messes.

“Get away, Natasha! You are protecting a monster!” Steve’s yell echoed throughout the kitchen, but I shook my head firmly, clenching my jaw.

“Ethan is no monster! He is my husband! If he is a monster, he should have killed me long ago!” I screamed back while tears were pouring down my cheeks. Steve couldn’t pull the trigger because his friend was in front, blocking his view, and he knew Harry had just recovered from the shots he took for me. His condition is still sensitive. That’s why somehow he’s concealing himself to go berserk.

“Don’t fucking lie, Natasha! He somehow had a plan to kill you before! I saw your wounds when we were on the beach last time. It was large claw marks! At first, I didn’t pay much attention to it because you might have had a rough childhood, and you don’t want to talk about it. But now, after the news had spread, it totally makes sense….” Steve nodded as his eyes went dark when he observed Ethan, who was silent behind me. However, I could sense the intense energy radiating from him.

Ethan was calming himself. He knows that doing something so reckless would only add fuel to the fire. I glanced at him, then looked up. Ethan noticed my watery eyes, and his eyes went chancy when he saw my tears.

“Dude, I called you here not to fucking cause chaos! Listen to me first-”

“You’re siding with them, Harry?! Are you for real?” Steve shook his head, taking a step back. It’s as if Harry dropped a bomb.

Harry was silent for a moment, watching his friend’s reaction. He was contemplating whether or not he should tell Steve was his thoughts were when he sighed in defeat, nodding in response.

“Yes, and I will help them to escape from this country,” Harry said with pride and determination while facing his friend, who was voiceless to utter a single word. A long deafening silence prevailed in the room when Steve broke it.

“W-why? Aren’t you afraid he might kill you? H-how about those people he killed? You saw the news, Harry! You weren’t born yesterday!”

“Steve, listen to us-” I was about to speak when Steve pointed the gun at me.

“Shut up! Because of you, Harry lost his senses! He’s blinded by his love for you! I wouldn’t let him risk his life just because of a woman he met!”

The most unexpected thing happened. Steve pulled the trigger. It was as if Everything had slowed down, and the bullet was aiming for my forehead. I couldn’t move as my eyes were focused still on the shot when I felt a hand grab my shoulder and then push me away. Everything happened so fast in a blink of an eye. Before I knew it, I was already crying and yelling at Ethan, who took the bullet for me. Blood was now dropping on the white tiles.

“Ethan!”

Ethan didn’t move from his spot. Instead, he stood there straight while clenching his jaw. His eyes were famished for revenge. I crawled closer to him, standing up directly to check his condition. Ethan didn’t even bother to gaze down at me. His eyes remained on Steve, who was also daze. Harry punched Steve square on the jaw in just a blink, pulling his collar.

“You bastard! Ethan saved my life! Don’t you get it?! The authorities wanted to kill Natasha and me! We would be dead by now if it weren’t for him!” Harry’s voice thundered all over the kitchen as his veins were about to pop out from his forehead.

Steve’s eyes widen when the realization hit him. He parted his lips and was about to say something when I sensed Ethan walk past beside me. I panicked when he started to cross the gap between him and Steve while blood was dripping and pouring on the floor. I know it’s just a scratch on his arms, but it deepens his flesh. He still needs to be treated!

“Ethan!”

I was about to stop him with what eve scheme he was planning when Ethan stopped at least five meters away from Steve whose about to pass out. Harry didn’t back away from his position. He remained standing between the two in case something turned upside down.

“I understand what you meant. I was a monster….” Ethan started.

“I know I look scary, hideous, horrible, and every negative thing you can say to me when I turn a werewolf. I know the world will turn its back on me because of my curse and all the sins I have caused. I understand those words you said….” Ethan trailed off, looking down at his bloodied hands.

“I used to enjoy killing before. I can admit that. I love people suffering because why the world is so unfair to me? I get to see their looks so genuinely happy. While I, on the other hand, am dead inside.”

Ethan wiped the blood from his arms before slowly lifting up his eyes to stare at Steve, whose body was now trembling.

“Everything changed when Natasha came into my life. She gave me a purpose. She taught me how to be open with my emotions. She’s the reason why I no longer wanted to kill for fun. She didn’t change. I changed to be a better husband, lover, and soulmate for her.”

I covered my mouth, choking back a sob when Ethan said those words in front of Steve. In front of somehow who he had just met for the first time. Ethan isn’t the type who would tell his story, emotions, sentiments, rants, life, and Everything about him to someone he doesn’t know who they are.

“Not just people who can change and give a second chance to live, Steve,” Ethan mumbled, trailing off before continuing.

“Also monsters, like me.”