Before Forever|| T.M.R

Chapter twenty-eight: Malfoy Manor

"We're both drunk on the elevator
When I kissed you for the first time in New York City, uh
I swear to God, I never fall in love
Then you showed up, and I can't get enough of it"
-my ex's best friend, Machine Gun Kelly

***

Tom couldn't help but let himself become visibly concerned over the scream he had heard. His heart began to beat faster, and in the moment he stopped at the edge of the forest, hoping to Merlin that she was just joking around with him and she was close behind him in pursuit. However, when he looked back into the forest, he saw nothing.

"Valencia!" he shouted over the clearing, hoping she could hear him from wherever she was located. He was attempting not to worry, but as a flock of birds flew over his head, almost as if running away from something, he felt his heart pick up in pace. They were running away from something, and he didn't know what it was that had scared the witch so profoundly.

When he heard no response his hand immediately went toward the wand in his pocket, and he tried to figure out where her voice had come from. He needed to know where she was before it was too late. What if it was already too late? What if the creature had gotten her before he could? What if she was lifeless?

What if she was dead?

Riddle began to panic as he searched around to find her, he listened closely for any sounds of feet flashing against the ground. Yet, he heard absolutely nothing apart from the rough rain. He began to overthink about it, he knew if he had listened to her when she said to take them to the hotel they wouldn't be in this situation.

If Tom had listened to what Valencia told him, she wouldn't be fighting for her life against the unknown. If he hadn't left her alone in the forest they could be running together, fighting together, but they weren't. He was fearful that she might've been to weak from exhaustion to take whatever it was after her on.

"Tom!" a voice shattered his thoughts and he snapped his head toward the clearing. There she was, laying on the ground sobbing from the large piece of meat that had been pried from her bone. Above her, was something he had yet to see, and had only heard of in books at Hogwarts.

He tried to remember the creature from his studies but the witch was clouding his judgement. Tom couldn't think straight when he saw her looking to him with hope, thinking he would save her. In that moment, even though his heart was pulling him toward her, he hesitated.

For he wasn't sure what he was doing, his chest was pulsing with a sour feeling and he had to hold a hand over it unsure what was happening. Then his brain, a whole different part of him, was telling him to leave her there. Abandon the woman he had grown to care for, make sure she didn't make it out alive, just so she didn't interfere with his plans.

"Tom please!" Valencia screamed in horror and his feet began to move again, as he remembered whom she was and what she was doing. The creature on top of her clawed at her face and she struggled to maintain a strong grip. She looked frozen apart from the grip she had on the things arm.

Tom Riddle fastened his jog into a run, sprinting until he was getting closer to the scene. He felt the anxiety fire up in his stomach and he let out a low growl before grabbing his wand. He was livid, his eyes matched the eyes of the beast, red and hungry. As well as their movements, both in sync, bloodthirsty.