Into the woods I P U B L I S H E D

„My heart is broken,

I don’t know what to do.

You are making me go insane because that’s the only thing you can do.”

- Elizabeth

Elizabeth

I woke up in a room full of darkness. Everything around me was different and dark. I didn’t remember getting here. I didn’t remember this room or this foreign place at all.

Moving a little, I felt the silk sheets wrapped around my body, and beneath it, I was only in someone’s t-shirt with my panties on.

My hair was spread all over the soft pillow. I have never felt the softest pillows like this one in my entire life. It was like I was sleeping on the clouds.

Turning my head around, my eyes landed on a man standing in front of the window with a glass in his hands. He was covered with the moon’s glow that made him look even more mysterious.

But I knew that man in front of the window. I knew those strong shoulders, those legs, and that hair. I knew that this was the man who I had fallen for and yet, I had ended up being broken-hearted by his lies.

„Did you sleep well?” He asked, taking a sip from his glass. He didn’t turn around to face me, he just stayed there, watching the night. I didn’t answer him, I just stared at him, trying not to cry again. My heart hurt and I felt betrayed again.

„Answer me,” He shouted and I shivered when he turned around, looking me with intense eyes. Oh, he was mad. He was mad because I found out the truth about him. I chose to ignore him and his question.

Getting up, I walked around the gothic room searching for my clothes. I could feel him behind me as I stood in front of a black closet, trying to find my clothes in it. His fingers slowly traveled down my neck to the shirt. Slowly, yet gentle, he moved the t-shirt a little and dipped his head on my neck, leaving wet kisses down my neck to my scar.

He smelled of fresh cologne and whiskey. A scent that I had never smelled on him before, and yet, I liked as much as I liked this normal one. But right now I needed to show him that I was mad at him for lying who he actually was. Moving away from him, I sat on the bed and tried to avoid his gaze by looking down at my shaky hands.

„You are not going to to talk to me,” He sighed and with one throw, the glass hit the wall and shattered into tiny pieces, riping the red wallpaper in some places.

I tried not to be scared of him. I know that he would not hurt me, but now, I wasn’t sure anymore.

„There is no reason to talk to you,” Lifting my head up, I looked at him directly in the eyes. I could see the sadness in them.

„How did you found out about the tunnel?” He walked to me like a predator hunting his prey. His eyes traveled down my body and I felt exposed in his shirt.

„It doesn’t really matter.”

„It doesn’t matter?” He took my phone out from his pocket and threw it next to me. „Who called you in the library?”

„You were checking my phone?!” I stood in front of him. „Did you ever heard about personal space? You can’t just check my phone whenever you like it!” A wave of courage went through me as I yelled at him with everything I had locked in myself.

„Of course I will check when you lie!” He yelled back at me.

Stepping back, I pointed a finger at him. „So I lied once! You lied the whole time!”

„I had my reasons to lie!” I shook my head and laughed. I was so wrong.

„Why are you laughing?” He asked.

„Cause I was so stupid to think that you were different than Jack,” I can’t believe that I actually thought that he was different. Maybe, just maybe, I thought he was my happily ever after. But I guess, I was wrong.

„Who the hell is Jack?” He grabbed my hand and pulled me to his body, but I threw his hand away from mine as soon as he placed his other around my waist.

„My ex, just like you.” He dropped his hand down and looked away from me. My heart hurts, but I needed some space to think everything through.

„You are breaking up with me?” I don’t know.

„I need some time to think about all of this,” I whispered. I could already feel my tears falling down my face.

He shook his head. „I will not let you leave me,” Turning around, he smacked his lips on mine. This kiss wasn’t sweet, it was angry, full of hurt. I tried my best to push him away from me.

„You can’t just kiss me and think that everything will be fine again,” I said to him, but he didn’t give up, he kissed me again, but this time slamming me to the wall, trapping me between his kiss and the wall.

„I can, and I will,” His voice was extremely low, and his eyes, they were turning darker, almost black.

„Henry, leave the poor girl alone,” The older woman from the table stepped in with the older woman that saved me. The older woman was beautiful, with long blond hair and pure white dress. When I looked closely at her, I could see the resemblance between her and Henry.

Omg, she was his mother.

„I could hear both of you from the other side of the house,” she. said.

„Mother, stay away from this,” He pointed a finger at her before returning his angry gaze at me. „You will not leave me, okay?” His voice was calm, almost too calm for my liking.

His mother walked to us, placing her hand on his shoulder. „Calm down, Henry. Everything can be explained,” She turned to me. „Go with Mrs. Wolfowitz, Elizabeth. She will give you your clothes.”

The older woman that saved me, Mrs. Wofowitz, grabbed my hand and took me out of the room. „Let’s get you dressed and something to eat. Then we can all sort this out in a nice, calm way.” She led me down the hallway to a different room where I found my clothes already waiting for me on a bed.

„Thank you for everything, but I would love to get dressed and go home,” Taking my clothes, I continued. „I need some time to think this through.”

She smiled. „Of course. I understand what are you going through right now.” I took the shirt off and threw it on the ground. I didn’t really care that at this moment the old woman was watching me as I dressed up.

After I get dressed, I realized that there was no dirt on them. „Thank you for washing my clothes. You didn’t have to,” I smiled at the old lady.

„It’s okay. I will call your uncle to come here and pick you up,” Before she walked out, I stopped her. „Wait. You know Louis?” Of course, she knew him. He worked here. And that means he already knew Henry.

„Yes, your uncle is master Henry’s right hand,” She said after a few seconds.

Right hand? Great.

„You don’t have to call him, just bring me to Nicklaus and I will ask him to bring me home.” Someone knocked on the door, and a second later, Nicklaus walked in. „Someone called my name?” He smiled, but I wasn’t in a mood for joking around.

Seeing my face, he walked to me, placing a piece of hair behind my ear. „Let’s get you home, okay?” I nodded. Taking my coat, he helped me to put it on.

„Thank you,” I thanked him.

„It’s nothing. Let’s get you out of here,” He took my hand, and as we stepped out of the room, Henry appeared in front of us, looking like a wild animal. He stared at Nicklaus and his hand on mine. Taking a deep breath, he walked fast to us. „You. This was all your fault,” He said to Nicklaus.

Before he could do anything to him, I stepped between them, looking Henry directly in the eyes.

„Don’t you dare blame him for this,” I said. He calmed down when he saw me standing in front of him.

„Elizabeth,” He whispered my name, trying to take my hand in his, but I pulled it away as soon as he touched it.

I shook my head. „Don’t. Just don’t.”

„Henry,” In the corner of my eye, I saw Tyler and an older man, I guess his father, walking to us. The older man placed his hand on him, trying to calm him down. „Go, my dear,” He said to us and I didn’t waisted another second as I stormed down the hallway to the main door with Nicklaus.

When we stepped outside, Nicklaus’s car was already waiting for us in front of the house. He took the keys from a man, opened the door for me, and as soon as I sat down, he ran to his side, stepped in and turned the car on.

Turning my head, I saw Henry stepping outside the house, yelling my name. I tried not to look at him again because I would probably jump out of this car and run into his arms.

„Are you okay?” Nicklaus asked me as we drove through the forest. Now I realized that the house was set deep inside the forest where no one could find it.

„No,” I tried to be strong, but I couldn’t. All the tears I kept inside me were starting to fall down.

„Cry,” He took my hand. „Let it all out.”

And I will. I will let it all out

~ - ~

„Why didn’t he tell me who he was?” I suddenly asked as we sat on the porch of my house. It was still dark outside and like two little kids, we threw stones as far as we could down the yard.

„He was afraid,” He answered. „He was afraid that you wouldn’t be with him if you know the truth.”

„Afraid? Just because he is a Nightclaw, like you?” I laughed. Why I always fell for the wrong ones?

„That’s one of the reasons,” He turned to me. „Listen, he already knew what you thought about us, and that’s why he was afraid if he told you his real name that you will reject him.”

I stayed quiet for a second. „How did he know what I thought about your family? And what other reasons are you talking about?”

„He has his own ways, and the other reasons aren’t mine to tell. I didn’t tell you because I promised him that I will let him tell you,” Standing up, he looked at the forest for a minute before he smiled down at me.

„I get it why he loves you and you, him,” He paused. „You two are perfect for each other. Just give him a chance to explain himself,” He waved at me when he entered his car. After he drove off, I still sat here for a few minutes, looking at the sky and tried to think about what to do now.

Getting up, I unlocked the door, walked in and as I placed the coat on the hanger, Lena appeared in her nightdress.

„Where were you?! I called you like ten times,” She stood next to me, and as she saw my face int he mirror, her face softness. „What happened?”

„Nothing. Where is Louis?” I turned to her.

„He had something to take care of,” I started laughing like a maniac. Walking to the stairs, I took each shoe off and threw it to God knew where.

„You mean, he had to run to Henry and his family, the Nightclaws.”

She opened her mouth to say something. „So you...”

„Know? Of course, I know. I want to ask you why didn’t you tell me, but I already know the answer. He told you not to tell me until he was ready, right?”

„What did you find out?” She made a step to me.

„Only that he was a Nightclaw.”

Henry

I stood on the balcony and looked at the stars, trying to calm down, process what happened today. I had millions of questions in my head and yet, I only knew one answer to them. Elizabeth knew who I was.

„Son,” My parents walked to me, and my mother placed her hand on my shoulder, trying to comfort me.

„I need some time alone,” I said to them, still looking at the stars.

„We will leave you alone, but we need to know, why did you lie to her? Doesn’t she deserve to know about us, about who we are?” My dad asked even if he already knew the answer. He wanted to hear it coming from me.

„Because she is afraid of us, dad. She doesn’t trust Tyler, and bearly trusts Nicklaus. I was the only one who she trusted and I blew it,” I paused for a second. „I thought, maybe if I gave her some time getting used to all of this then I would tell her everything. When she was ready.”

„What now? Who told her about and how the hell did she find the tunnels?”

„I don’t know, but I will find out,” I clenched her phone in my hand. „When I will found out who told her, he will pray not to die.”