His Match

Chapter Sixteen

The mirror in the bathroom had a thick layer of steam on it after I showered. I opened the bathroom door to enter my bedroom, escaping the confines of the humidity. Tossing my towel onto the bed, I slipped into a silky bathrobe. 

I headed downstairs to grab a hair dryer from the bathroom I had used yesterday. The house was silent, as I was the only one inside. As I reached the bathroom, I heard a rustling noise from outside, but assumed it was just an animal in the bushes. Once I found what I needed, I headed back upstairs to my room. 

After plugging my hair dryer into an outlet in the wall, I sat at my vanity. I stared into the mirror, noticing a foreign object on the floor. Standing up, I walked over to the shut door. I crouched down and picked up what seemed to be a sealed letter.

I rushed back to my vanity and sat down, tearing at the envelope. Pulling out a letter, I skimmed over it. However, I reread it a second time and noticed what it said:

Harley Bates, 

If you have found this letter, you are still alive. Congratulations, you managed to kill a newly turned werewolf. However, we have many more that are ten times stronger than her. You will receive several letters in the next few weeks that will give you instructions. We will tell you our ultimate goal in the next letters we send. Do not tell anyone about this, or you'll regret it. Thank you for your cooperation.

- A Friend

My heartbeat quickened and I tossed the letter onto the vanity. What the hell? I thought to myself. I knew I shouldn't be scared of a letter, but for some reason it felt real. Yet, if this was what seemed to be a threat, why would it be signed by a friend?

Hundreds of questions were racing through my mind, but I knew what I needed to do. I had no other choice but to cooperate, in fear that my own life was on the line. Frantically, I hid the letter in a place know one would find it.

After I hid the letter, I sat down, taking a deep breath. "It's fine, you're fine," I repeated over and over to myself. However, then I began to think. When I was downstairs I heard a noise, which must have been someone entering the house to leave me the note. I looked around my room, to see if their were any signs of forced intrusion but there were none. 

I was so confused, but I had to conceal it. The note instructed me not to share anything, and I was not planning on disobeying before I knew more about what was going on. I had to pretend like nothing happened and continue like normal.

~

I had been finished getting ready for about a half an hour when Ashton came home. He held flowers in his hand and was wearing a casual suit. "I brought flowers," he said eyeing me up and down. I was wearing a turquoise dress that my mother had packed for me. "Isn't that what they do in the movies?" Ashton asked referring to the flowers.

"Do I have accept them?" I asked, sarcastically. He entered the house and placed the flowers in a vase quickly. "So where are we going?" I questioned as he led me outside.

Opening the passenger door of his car for me he answered, "Dinner." I rolled my eyes, and he knew I wanted a more descriptive answer. "A restaurant that a friend of mine owns. He's cool with the whole supernatural scene so I won't get much trouble there." I tilted my head, in confusion, "You know, being a young multimillionaire and all. Most people would think I'm some sort of hitman or drug dealer."

"Maybe they'll think you're doing something illegal and take you to jail. Then I can leave," I added.

Ashton shook his head, "That's not how this movie thing is supposed to work." He made a sharp turn out of the wooded area, "Now admire me without speaking, like the girls do in the chick-flicks."

"You wish," I murmured and narrowed my eyes. He laughed and continued to drive, leaving me with to deal with the pit I had in my stomach from the note.