The rustling of footsteps in the leaves disrupted her concentration. She made out the two forms hurrying into the woods from the castle at the same time a delectable, fresh scent invaded her nostrils, nearly eliciting a gasp. The figures were surely vampires, one male and one female, but she discerned this from their size alone, nothing else about their form was evident in the dark forest. Her olfactory sense had taken over. This was beyond any scent she had experienced, alluring to the point of distraction. She pinched her nose and shook her head to regain focus. Even breathing through her mouth, the musky essence somehow assaulted her composure. Heat rose to her neck and goose-bumps lifted the hair on her arms. The desire to see what was generating this perfume clouded her judgment and she almost chased after them. When the duo broke into a full run, distance finally diluted the pheromone, enabling Elisabeth to think rationally.
She pressed her fingertips against her temples, willing the pounding rush of blood to cease. What was that? Who was that? Should I have stopped them? No… they were running away from something or someone. No threat. Probably misfits. How anything possessing such a magnificent fragrance could be a misfit was left unanswered. Who could tell what these freaks found unappealing? She took in the crisp night air, clearing much more than her lungs. The excitement left her even more drained, but each time she closed her eyes, her mind wandered, bereft of the addictive aroma, until she finally fell asleep from pure exhaustion.
Elisabeth woke to chirping birds; her cheeks still wore the blush of a sensual dream, apparently brought on by the fleeing vampires. The details were blurred, but the enticing odor from last evening lingered in memory, just out of reach. She closed her eyes again, willing the dream to resurface, searching for more than a silhouette of a tall man amidst a backdrop of molten gold. Frisson mixed with frustration, creating an unfamiliar as well as unwelcome emotion. She stood, shaking her hands as if the ethereal sensation could be shed through her fingertips. Her focus shifted to the castle and the carriage sitting in front. "No!" She had missed the passengers again. Hands clasped over her eyes, she groaned her ineptitude.
Worry set in when she calculated that Joshua should have returned by now. Even if he had moved at a leisurely pace, which surely he hadn't, he would have been back by sunrise. Perhaps he had decided to rest before returning; if she added a three hour nap to his journey, he would arrive shortly.