20 A Persistent Evil Spirit

Months passed, summer turned to autumn, and Salana had already forgotten about that brief encounter she had had with the person who had passed out and continued on with her daily wedding preparations. Every day she would work by hand, making all the clothes she wanted to wear after they got married. Robes required intricate details and lots of time, so she started early, hoping that she would be finished just before her wedding. Ahhhhhhhh!!!! She screamed internally. She was so happy to be marrying the love of her life. It was a blessing to be able to do so. 

She was excited about their married life as well. Being able to see him first thing in the morning and seeing him before going to bed. She couldn't think of anything better than that. She smiled, thinking about how their lives would be before she was brought back to reality by the knock on the door. Her mother opened it and was surprised to see the Clan head and a few elders at the door. She quickly invited them in, perplexed as to why they were there. 

"We'll get straight down to business then. Do you know who the top Clan is in Moon Lake City? " The Clan head asked.

"It's the Moon Lake Clan, of course. Why do you ask? " Her mother replied.

"Well, the new Moon Lake Alpha has requested Salana's hand in marriage."

Salana jumped off her chair, agitated. "What did you say? I have never even met him, so how could he request me?"

"In fact, he has met you. A few months ago, you saved his life, apparently, "the Clan head replied.

In fact, Salana was genuinely confused for a moment before she remembered the young man who had collapsed not too far from her. She also remembered informing him that he had a mate. What was he? An evil spirit? The only things that haunted others with no regard for how they felt were evil spirits. For crying out loud, she had already rejected him. 

Furthermore, she had never given him her name, so how could he find her? Did he follow her home? Seeing her daughter lost in thought, Ariana knew she had finally remembered him. Salana explained to them exactly what happened, and she could see both dawning comprehension and bafflement on their faces. 

Just from that? They thought. Furthermore, she even explained to him that she wasn't interested and already had a mate. 

The Clan leader stood, followed by the elders. "Don't worry, Salana, we will explain the situation to him as well. Perhaps he didn't fully understand. "

"Thank you. I would appreciate that very much, "she replied, bowing slightly to send them off. 

She gently folded the robes she was working on and wrapped the embroidery thread up, putting them away for another day. She was in no mood to do this now. Moon Goddess, why was this evil spirit haunting her still? Should she have let him die? As soon as the thought crossed her mind, she shook her head. That was a bit too much, but he was simply too persistent. Following her home and sending proposals to the Clan to pressure her into marriage? Did he think she was an idiot? She knew he wanted to use them, but there wasn't particularly anything she could do about it for the time being. The most important thing was that they were on her side, thankfully. 

Another month passed with no sign of anything to do with that 'evil spirit' so Salana finally started to relax a bit. She resumed her preparations for her wedding by making her clothes and she spent as much time as she could with Cyrus. He had been promoted once again, so he was busier than before, but he still ensured that he made time for her. 

The thought and care he put into loving her made her feel like the most special girl in the world. She wanted to ensure he'd feel the same, so she decided to start preparing his lunch to take to work. 

She woke up at 5 o'clock to start her preparations. She'd ensured that everything he liked was present. He loved roasted pork, so she had put it on the grill the night before. All it required now was the last ten minutes to give it that golden-yellow color with that delightful crispiness when it's bitten. She prepared grilled potatoes, steamed carrots, broccoli with slices of chicken to give it a delicious taste, and some vegetable rice. After packing his bowl at 6, she headed out to wait for him at the intersection he took to get to work. 

The sky changed from a blanket of darkness sprinkled with stars to the pinkish hue of the early morning as she walked. She breathed in the fresh, slightly chilly air and smiled to herself, thinking of how surprised he'd be. By the time she arrived, the town had just started to wake up. Cocks were crowing, windows were opened, and people started moving about. She leaned slightly against the wall and waited in anticipation. 

The sky continued to brighten, but there was no sign of him. She frowned, slightly wondering if he was running late. Another hour passed, and the sun had already wiped away all traces of the quiet dawn. She noticed people standing around her looking at her and murmuring. She looked around, thinking that perhaps there was something around her that grabbed their attention, but there was nothing else besides her. 

She caught the attention of someone and asked, "Why is everyone looking at me? What's wrong? "

The man hesitated, looking around to see if there was someone else who would do it, but everyone looked away. He sighed. "Miss, it would be best if you headed to the Ariti house as soon as possible."

Salana's heart went cold. Was it related to the fact that he didn't show up for work today? Was he sick? But if he was sick, why would everyone act this way? She tried to reach him through their bond, but it felt as though he had blocked her out. He had never done that before. The more she thought about it, the more her mind raced and her heart pounded. She took off running faster than she had ever run before to get to his house. 

As she approached, the atmosphere felt so tense that you could cut through it with a knife. Everyone parted to allow her to walk uninhibited. 

Her heart trembled and her chest tightened. She couldn't stop the overwhelming feelings of panic and fear that overtook her. Every step felt as if she were Atlas, carrying the world on her shoulders. She was scared. She was scared because she didn't know what she'd find as she walked through that door.