Chapter 742. In The Trees
Mauve knew she had wandered. Jael would be so mad when he returned, but she couldn’t help it, especially when it looked like the farther she went, the better her eyesight got. Was this how vampires saw in the dark? It only looked like the sun had set even when there no moon.
She stopped in front of an anthill. It was a very small one, and she had to bend forward to see it properly. She smiled; she would have certainly walked all over it if the situation had not changed. She stood to her full height and rubbed her stomach. She had to thank the little one for this. She shivered as she recalled the time she had been so unfortunate to... Mauve quickly crushed the thought. She could still feel the bites of the ants even almost a year later.
She jumped over the hill, walking further into the cluster of trees. She wasn’t too far; she could still find her way back, and she could hear the voices and the fight. She suddenly felt goosebumps pop out on her arms. Jael must be back.
She looked up to the sky. It was still starless, but the air felt cooler. Was it because it was getting closer to dawn? Mauve wrapped her arms around herself. She wasn’t cold; it was more instinctive than her being chilly.
She looked around. The compound was huge; even in the daytime, she doubted she would be able to walk the entirety of it in one day. She shook her head, a smile on her face, and turned to head back.
Mauve froze; she would have sworn she heard her name. Jael was back then. She sighed—playtime was over. She was not only in for a scolding, but he might decide to never let her come out again. Mauve had to find some way to convince him otherwise.
She heard a branch creak as though something stepped on it. She whipped her head around and didn’t see anything. Was that Jael looking for her? What, did he have a sixth sense? That was too fast.
"Jael," she called but didn’t get a response.
Mauve frowned and narrowed her eyes in the direction the sound came from. It took a moment; the trees covered it, so it was hard for her to make out what she was looking at. But when it took a step forward, past the trees, that silver gleam was all she needed.
Its eyes were locked in on her. It wasn’t as big as the one that had attacked her before but it was just as terrifying. Its fangs were ridiculously long, drool slipped down the corner of its lips, and the smell was strong enough to make Mauve’s eyes roll to the back of her head.
Her first thought was to scream, and she almost did, but she quickly clamped a hand on her mouth. She couldn’t outrun it; she knew that immediately, and she had already drawn attention to herself by calling out to Jael.