Chapter 348: Husband’s Whereabouts_Part 2
Disappointment unlike anything she had ever known consumed Belle at the thought that Jamie had not died. The feeling itself frightened her so much that a chill ran down her spine. The desire to kill someone, truly end their life, was something she had never experienced before. She had not even been able to harm a rodent in the past. But after the day she had killed that man in the basement, something inside her had changed. Now, she no longer found the thought of killing to be entirely wrong.
She had always been full of compassion toward any living, breathing thing. When had she become so vile, so heartless? Though she knew it was natural, even justifiable, to be furious when someone hurt your child in such a cruel way, one that could have been life-threatening had Angel been human, she still did not believe the sheer rage and her strong urge to kill, to watch the man suffer, were normal feelings.
It scared her so much that she found herself afraid of her own self and of what she was truly capable of doing.
"Where is Rohan?" she finally asked quietly, turning her weary eyes to Evenly, who was watching her just as closely.
In her heart, Belle knew that nothing would comfort her now more than talking to someone who truly understood what she was feeling, someone who would hold her, reassure her, and remind her that she was still herself. Because deep inside, she no longer felt like her own person. Her compassion and morals were slowly slipping away, dying little by little with each dark thought that overtook her mind.
Rohan, she believed, would understand her better than anyone else if she told him.
"I don’t know. I couldn’t find him anywhere in the house, and nobody has seen him after breakfast," Evenly answered, recalling how immediately after Rav had carried the unconscious Belle into her room, she had rushed through the house to search for the duke.
She had wanted to inform him of Belle’s condition, but no matter how far or hard she looked, the man was nowhere to be found. And from how she couldn’t sense him anywhere nearby, she was certain he was not within or around the Dawsons’ residence.
Belle’s worry returned when she realized Rohan was not in the house. But then she reassured herself with the thought that he must have gone out to conduct the investigation he had spoken of, the one he intended to carry out in Aragonia to learn the truth about that Isabelle.
"What’s the time?" Belle asked.
"Just past supper. I kept food for you in case you’re hungry and—"
"I am not hungry. I will wait for my husband to come," Belle interrupted quickly, doubting she could eat anything at all without seeing her husband first.
Evenly gave a curt nod. "Alright." Then she fell silent.
"Won’t you ask me why I behaved like that today?" Belle spoke again after a long stretch of silence, a silence broken only by the sudden rumble of thunder outside, flashes of lightning streaking the sky, and the strong wind that made the candles flicker as though they would be blown out.
Evenly knew that Belle’s behavior in the shop had been completely abnormal, and she also remembered how Belle had managed to hurt Rav so badly in her frenzy when he had tried to stop her. But Evenly was not the kind of woman to point fingers at someone she considered a friend simply because she had acted out of character in public. If Belle wished to tell her what had happened, she would. Evenly would never force or probe her.
Now that Belle had asked that question, Evenly looked into her anxious eyes as she replied.
"I would have behaved even worse if it were my son who had been hurt in such a way," she said with a serious expression that brought a reluctant yet grateful smile to Belle’s lips. Belle reached out and gently clasped the other woman’s hand in hers.
Another thunderclap shook the night sky, and soon the rain began to pour steadily. The wind rattled the windows, whistling through the small gaps, making the curtains sway inward as Belle gave the vampiress’s hand a firm squeeze.
"Thank you for being my friend. I never thought I would find one who isn’t judgmental," Belle whispered softly, her voice weighted with relief and gratitude. She appreciated deeply how Evenly had not judged her or questioned her actions, even though Belle herself could not fully understand them yet.
"It’s nothing, Belle. You were there for me when I needed someone, and I will be here for you as well, no matter what." Evenly placed her other hand gently over Belle’s and gave her a small, reassuring smile.
As she spoke, her thoughts suddenly drifted to Rav. She remembered how badly he had looked when he carried Belle inside earlier, his face scratched and bleeding. Knowing how silent and reserved the man was, she realized he would never ask for medicine or treatment for his wounds and would let them be to heal, which would take some time as he wasn’t a pure blood.
The thought of him leaving those wounds untreated pricked her heart with concern and unsettled her mind, and she rose quickly from the bed, saying,
"I should go and check on Angel. I will come back to check on you again as well."
"It’s fine, you don’t have to come back for me. Rohan will come for Angel when he returns and bring him to me. You should go and rest," Belle said softly, recalling how Rohan had done the same the night before and how he had promised he would continue to do so every night they remained here.
Evenly hesitated, looking reluctant, before she finally nodded and bid Belle goodnight. She closed the door softly behind her just as the steady rain grew into a loud downpour with thunder.
Belle turned worried eyes toward the rattling window, where lightning lit up the night sky and the rain hit hard against the glass. Every clap of thunder made her chest tighten with unease. She felt restless and uneasy, thinking of her husband out there in the storm. She hoped with all her heart that Rohan would return soon, because the longer he stayed away, the harder it was to calm her anxious mind.
’Why am I suddenly feeling this much unease?’ she thought in her mind.