CHAPTER 5
1566 Words
ARTEMIS GASPED when she felt someone behind her. She faced the man, and her eyes looked at him. His face was blurred, but she couldn’t feel any fear, as if she was already anticipating him to come.
She stepped back, and the man stepped forward, until he cornered him into the bed. Artemis was already sitting on the bed, and the man was in front of her. She closed her eyes when the man touched her face. His hand was cold, but the way he touched her was gentle and with care.
“My beloved…”
Artemis’ eyes were closed. She was anticipating something to happen, but she didn’t know what it was.
The man cupped her face, and their lips met.
Artemis opened her mouth to accept the man’s kiss, and they did. The kiss was passionate. Later, she felt her back hit the soft mattress, and the man was on top of her, showering her with kisses.
I don’t know him, but the way he moved and touched her, it felt familiar. Artemis said in mind.
“Hmm…” Artemis’ lips parted when the man’s lips travelled to her jaw, down to her neck. She even tilted her neck to give him more access.
Suddenly, a phone rang, making her open her eyes. She looked straight at the ceiling of her room and realized that she was dreaming.
It was just a dream.
She took a deep breath and closed her eyes.
Artemis couldn’t believe that she would dream something like that. What was happening to her? And in her dream, she likes being kissed by that man. Who was that man?
She touched her lips and felt like she really kissed someone. Honestly, she felt relaxed and at ease with that man in her dreams. Now, she’s curious about his identity. She never felt at ease with any man, but this man in her dreams was different.
Artemis’s attention was shifted when her phone rang. It was her alarm. She reached for her phone from the nightstand and looked at the screen. It was already five in the morning.
With reluctance, Artemis dragged herself out of bed to perform her morning routine before going to work. She fixed her bed, made her breakfast, and ate, then took a bath, got dressed, and went to work. This was her daily routine, and she had already gotten used to it.
“Morning, Doc.”
Artemis smiled at her colleague. Aside from her daily routine, the smell of the hospital has also become part of her life now. The smell of medicine had immunized her sense of smell so that sometimes, she couldn’t smell it anymore. All her life, she has been in the hospital, working.
“Hi, Doc,” Dr. Jacob greeted her with a smile.
Artemis politely nodded her head and headed towards her table. She put her bag on her chair and took her doctor’s robe, put it on, and her stethoscope. She took the patient’s chart and went to the patient’s ward to begin her work.
“Hi, Doc.” Danica, one of her colleagues, greeted her. Danica was her colleague, but she was also a friend.
“How’s the date?” Artemis asked, grinning.
Danica shrugged. “It’s good.”
Artemis chuckled.
“How about you?” Danica asked.
“Me? What do you mean?”
Danica playfully nudged Artemis. “When will you find someone? Or you haven’t met the man making your heart beat faster,” and she wiggled her eyebrows.
Artemis shakes her head. “I don’t want to find anyone right now. I am busy with my career.”
Danica put her arms around Artemis’s arms.
Artemis felt the coldness of Danica’s hand. She thought it might just be because of their cold office. “And how about Doc Jacob?”
Artemis frowned. “Doc Jacob?”
“Yeah,” Danica nodded.
Artemis shakes her head. “I’m not interested.” Though she could feel it, she was not interested in entering any relationship.
Danica knew Artemis’ character, so she let her be.
When lunchtime came, Artemis and Danica went to the canteen to eat. Jacob went with them.
While having lunch, Artemis noticed that Jacob was stealing glances at her. “Do you have anything to say?” he asked.
Jacob shakes his head.
Artemis continued eating. Later, Jacob started talking to her, talking about some random stuff that she could relate to. Doc Jacob is a kind man, and she could tell that he is also a gentleman. She was not a dumb person, and she could feel that Jacob wanted something more than just a friendship. Actually, Doc Jacob had already told her before that he liked her, but she was not interested.
“I’ll drop you off at your house later,” said Doc Jacob when they finished eating.
Artemis politely declined. “It’s just walking distance. No need, but thank you.”
“You can walk with her if you want,” Danica suggested.
“Right, I’ll walk with you later. It’s dangerous for a woman like you to walk alone on the streets.”
Artemis could only smile. She had gotten used to walking alone in the streets when going home at night. She is no longer afraid. And besides, she has nothing to fear because she has no enemies.
“That’s right. It was scary at night. Did you hear the news yesterday? A body was found in an abandoned lot, and it had no blood. A bite mark was also found on his neck. So, they thought it was made of bloodsuckers.”
“Like what?” Artemis asked as she looked at Danica.
“Vampires. Vampires suck blood to live.”
Artemis and Jacob laughed.
“You’re a doctor, Danica. You believe in that nonsense,” Artemis said. “We’re already in the modern world. One more thing, vampires don’t exist.”
Danica smiled mysteriously. But that smile disappeared instantly. “Not that I believe it, but it seems that way. Besides, who else would do that if not ordinary people, right?"
“Monsters,” said Jacob.
Artemis nodded to agree.
Danica suddenly looked at Jacob.
“What?” Jacob asked. He was slightly taken aback by the way Danica was looking at him. It seemed threatening, and he could see the pain in her eyes. “Are you okay?”
Without saying any words, Danica left the canteen, leaving Artemis and Jacob. The two could only look at each other and were confused about Danica.
Something was off. Artemis thought.
Danica was not like that. She was a cheerful person, but after Doc Jacob mentioned the word ‘monster’, Danica’s expression changed. And she witnessed it. Danica also seemed hurt by Jacob's words, but for what reason? She was confused.
For the rest of the afternoon, Danica didn’t utter any words and left after her shift.
When Artemis finished her shift, she had packed her things.
“Let’s go.”
Artemis looked at the door and saw Doc Jacob waiting for her. She nodded her head, and they left the hospital. As they were walking to her house, Artemis could feel the pair of eyes looking at her.
Halfway to their destination, Jacob suddenly stopped.
“What happened?” Artemis asked.
Jacob smiled. “I have something important to do, Artemis. I’m sorry. I can’t accompany you on your way home.”
“It’s okay.” Artemis nodded.
Jacob hurriedly leaves.
Artemis continued walking until she felt a gust of wind on her back. She felt like someone had passed quickly behind her. She looked behind and didn’t see anything, but she could feel the presence. Since growing up, her senses were sharp, and she couldn’t be mistaken. Someone must have been behind her.
Suddenly, Artemis found herself pinned to the wall. Her eyes widened when she saw the creature in front of her. It was dark, but with the help of the streetlights, she was able to see the person strangling her.
“What sweet blood you have, human,” said the man strangling her. His voice was deep, and he spoke with a growl.
Artemis was frightened and holding the man’s arms, but her strength was nothing compared to the man in front of her. At that moment, she was asking for help in her mind. She didn’t know that all the people she knew. The first person who came into her mind was Theo. The man at the Milktea Shop.
Theo! Theo! Theo!
When the man in front of her opened his mouth, Artemis saw the fangs. She couldn’t think of anything right at the moment. Before the man could bite her, he was shoved away by a strong force.
Artemis was dropped on the ground, and she caught her breath.
“Are you alright?”
Artemis was stunned and quickly looked up. “It’s you.”
Theo smiled and offered his hand to Artemis.
Artemis took Theo’s hand, and he helped her to stand.
“You’re bleeding.”
Artemis looked at her arm. She didn't know how she got her wound.
Theo suddenly tapped his finger on Artemis' forehead, and she lost consciousness. He held his mate in his arms. “Don’t worry, when you wake up, you won’t remember anything.”
That’s what he thought. He underestimated the bond of being soulmates.
- Writer
