He Looked Like A Zombie

••• Arabella’s POV ••• The sound of a ringtone broke the silence in my office, and I quickly picked up my phone, connecting the call without checking who it was from. I was too focused on my work and couldn't be bothered to check who the caller was. Everyone knew I didn't like to be disturbed during working hours, so whoever called me must have important stuff to talk about. After Abigail was detained, life seemed to go back to normal, with no one making trouble for me. Even Shawn or Lina didn't come to me and begged me to help Abigail. They seemed to accept the fact that Abigail had done something wrong and should be punished accordingly. “Ari...” a female voice called my name the moment I picked up the call. “What’s up, Rosa?” I asked as I recognized her voice while still signing a document. “Remember when you asked me about black magic?” My hand stilled, and I put down my pen to focus on listening to her. “Have you found out anything useful?” I asked her and leaned back on my chair. “I have,” she replied. Now, all my attention was entirely focused on her. “What did you find?” “I think it’s best if I tell you face to face. Do you have time today?” she asked. I looked at the documents but decided to meet her as this was an important matter. “I can meet you now,” I told her. “Shall we meet at the cafe halfway between my place and yours?” she requested. “Sure,” I agreed. “Send me the location.” “Alright. Meet you in thirty minutes,” she said and sent me the location of the cafe once we hung up. I picked up my bag and went to get my car, driving to the cafe according to the GPS. After the dining scene with Max’s pack members and how we found out that black magic was involved, I naturally asked Rosa to gather more information about dark witches. Hearing she had some information for me, I became anxious. It looked like this would be more important or difficult to handle than what I had imagined since Rosa preferred to meet than talk about it on the phone. But then I was kind of excited, too. Maybe the information she had gathered could also help in breaking Max’s curse. Abigail seemed to know something about it, and her mom had a dark witch’s energy. “If Max’s curse is broken, you have no reason to stay with him,” Iris suddenly spoke. My heart trembled when I realized she was right, but I couldn't be selfish and not want him to break his curse. I ignored Iris, stepped on the accelerator, and drove a little bit faster so I could meet Rosa as soon as possible. “Goddess!” I shouted and stepped on my brake, causing my car to screech to a halt as a strange man suddenly staggered toward the middle of the road, blocking my way. My heart beat fast as I realized I had nearly hit him. I looked at the man through the windshield and frowned when I saw his appearance. He was pale… Furthermore, he looked… famished. He was very thin, nearly skeletal, with sunken cheeks, which would cause concern to anyone who saw him. He kind of looked scary… like a zombie, but I knew zombies did not exist, so I wasn't scared of him. It was apparent he needed help. I thought about what to do, but seeing his body swayed and he fell to the ground, I made up my mind to help him. It wouldn't be good for him to stay on the road or stray around. I should bring him to the hospital… Getting out of the car, I went to him and reached out my hands to pull him up. “Are you alright?” I asked gently to show him that I meant no harm. He looked up, and I noticed he looked even paler with dark eye bags now that I could see him clearly. “Let me help you up,” I bent down and touched his arm. He looked vigilant, but I quickly assured him, “I mean no harm. I just want to help you. I will drop you off at a nearby hospital.” Finally, he took my hand, and I pulled him up. He staggered, bumping into me, and his weight nearly toppled me to the ground, but luckily I was able to balance myself. I tried to guide him into my car, but he seemed reluctant. “You can't stay here. Let me bring you to the nearest hospital,” I repeated my words gently. He shook my hands away and stepped toward my car, his body strangely stiff. “Ari, this man smells odd,” Iris suddenly reminded me. “You better not engage with him. He might be dangerous.” I frowned. Did he smell odd? He did. He didn't smell like he belonged to a pack. Was he a rogue? He smelled like a homeless person who hadn't bathed for days, but it didn't mean he was dangerous. I didn't feel anything threatening coming from him. His aura was not menacing at all… “Iris, he needs help,” I told her. “I can't leave him here.” Mom and Dad sometimes helped weak rogues, and that teaching had been embedded in my mind - to help those weaker than us, whether humans, rogue werewolves, strangers, those we knew, or just about anyone. So I didn't heed Iris’ warning and insisted on helping this stranger. I couldn't be heartless and not help someone who obviously needed help. Iris kept quiet after that, and I assumed she had consented to me wanting to help the man. “Let me help you,” I told the thin man again and touched his arm, this time dragging him slightly and pushing him toward the passenger seat before he could refuse. I closed the door for him once he was seated and went to the driver's seat. Taking my phone, I quickly typed a message to Rosa to let her know my situation. [Rosa, I will be a little bit late. I need to help someone and drop him to the nearest hospital.] Once done, I put my phone away and started the car. Before I drove away, I glanced at him and saw him turn his head to look at me. I felt goosebumps all over my body as he fixed me an eerie smile. Before I could react, I saw two pairs of hands shot out from behind me. One pair firmly held me in my seat, and another covered my mouth. I began struggling when I realized what was happening. “Iris!” I yelled at my wolf and tried to shift, but strangely, Iris didn't reply, nor was I able to shift. What… What was happening? Why couldn't I shift? Did they do something to Iris? But how... No one could make a wolf inside someone else’s mind sleep! Did I lose my wolf? “Iris!” I kept struggling and trying to gain access to my wolf, to no avail. The next second, I saw a cloth covered with blood from the corner of my eyes before I felt that cloth replaced the hand that was covering my mouth. The strong, coppery smell of blood assaulted my nostrils, and I detected another more pungent scent that made me feel weak and sleepy. I gradually lost my consciousness with the stranger’s eerie smile as the last thing I saw.