Diwana was still in the middle of the story, with the very attentive Eron intently staring into her dark chocolate brown eyes, when they heard the front door squeak open. They both turned towards it in unison, already knowing who they were going to see.

“Hello, we just finished putting all the ingredients of the beef stew inside the Dutch oven and the potatoes are done too. Do you mind if we join you guys so we can listen to the story, too?”

Diwa's eyebrows knitted together while Eron couldn't help but smile a bit at what he heard.

“Erica, how did you know…” the widow began.

“Well… I did kinda hear you…” Macky answered for his older sister, in a sheepish tone.

“From the kitchen? I don’t think your ears are that sharp…”

“No… I mean, sorta… " the young boy interrupted awkwardly, "I kinda took some wild thyme and marjoram from the side of the house because Erica asked for some and… well…”

Di's mouth fell open, “You mean, you eavesdropped on us, Macky? That’s not exactly a nice thing to do…”

“No, no… I overheard you saying stuff while I harvested the herbs… I didn’t stay to listen, honest!”

“Are you sure?” asked the mom as her eyes narrowed again.

“Yes, mama you know I always tell the truth…”

Eron was the one who interrupted Macky this time. “I believe you Macky, and I’m sure your mama does too. Right, Diwa?”

Diwa swiftly turned and stared at the man beside her. She was slightly amazed but also irritated that the newcomer was trying to take her surrogate son's side. 

It was almost comedic but the homeowner started wordlessly ‘talking’ with her new renter through facial expressions, mostly using her eyes and her curvy rose-colored lips. 

For the sake of our readers, here is a summary of their thoughts as they had their wordless convo; which was quite cute because of how they could understand each other well despite their silence.

Diwa: I do know he tells the truth but he shouldn’t have eavesdropped!

Then it was Eron’s turn to do the same; with raised eyebrows, pleading looks and twisting lips.

Eron: I’m sure he just got curious because we’re saying their names. Sorry for that though, me and my big mouth.

Diwa: Fine, I guess I was a little harsh on him.

Eron: You’re welcome.

Diwana then slapped the new boarder’s upper arm, making sure she avoided the bandage at the crook of his elbow. The Charmer laughed and feigned being hurt just so he doesn’t get into more trouble.

“Ow…” the muscular man reacted while pretend-wincing, which made the woman feel sorry for him just a bit. 

“Sorry, but you’re just so cheeky, Eron Camden,” Di countered with a slight pout on her face.

“Whoa, you know my last name?” The Charmer said, his eyes widening.

“I read it on your ID when you paid your advance and yes, I do know how to read, thank you very much!” Di announced, slightly irritated at how Eron was reacting. "I'm not stupid, you know..."

“I never said that, Miss Diwana, I'm just surprised that you remembered it…:”

“Of course, I should remember it, you’re my renter now and I should…”

“Oh, I thought it was for another reason..."

"What did you say?"

“Ahem… Are we ok with listening to the rest of the story, or no?” Erica decided to ask loudly; even if their t wo now-favorite adults were bantering with each other, and oh how they really were liking it...

“Pweeeeassse? We’ll keep extra quiet… even if you’re telling our part of the story,” the youngest begged in her sweetest and cutest tone.

“We will just listen to you mama, promise; since we already told you everything before. Just please let us stay...” begged the most masculine among the three.

Diwa had to smile at the pleading trio, but of course, she kept them in suspense with half a minute of silence...

“Oh, alright. Just go back to your seats then.”

The children cheered while scrambling to their chairs in record time. At their speed, one would think that they were offered free unlimited ice cream instead of a story…

Well, this story was close to their hearts anyway so to them, it’s much better than ice cream.

And to Diwa, it felt the same way.

+++

As if the night felt the mood of the children, thunder started to roll and lightning started to light up the sky. None of the kids were afraid of thunderstorms but even if they were, they were too worried about Diwana to worry about anything else. 

The scare factor of an angry stormy sky was totally lost on them.

“Wait, wait… let’s not use the attic’s main door to get downstairs. We can use the secret doorway that goes straight to our parents’ bedroom instead!”

“Oh riiiight! That’s a great idea! We can surprise the bad man that way. Well, if it is a bad guy…”

“Alright, let’s look for that door. It’s behind that closet over there, right?”

“Yes, but we all need to put our backs into it to move it. Come on, guys!”

And just then, Diwa screamed again… longer this time and more terrified.

“Sister, brother, let’s hurry! Diwa is really in trouble and we have to save her!”

“Ok, ok… everybody hold on to the closet and use all your strength to move it to the right!”

“GOT IT! Everyone get into position… On Go, everyone… 3… 2… 1… GOOOO!”

+++

Just as the lightning lit up the sky and partially illuminated the master’s bedroom for a second or two, the stranger then started to let his hands roam all over her torso; even while his arms kept her body against his. Diwa immediately felt an automatic repulsion that was even worse when she had to endure her husband’s lovemaking for the first time.

At least with Mason, she gave in to his request…

With this one, there wasn’t even one.

“What are you doing… don’t touch me!”

“Huh, still playing hard to get again? Or is this you trying a rape role play with me? Yeah, I think that’s it…”

”NO! Are you crazy? Why would I even want a rape role play with you?! LET ME GO!”

Diwa’s hair stood on end as she heard the man chuckle behind her, his tone dripping with lust and almost uncontrolled desire. And she didn’t just hear it…

She felt it.

“Good job with playing the rape victim, Diwana. I am so pleased that you want to make this more believable…”

”NO! I MEAN IT! WHEN I SAY NO, I MEAN… NOOO!”

The last word in her statement was forced out of her mouth by the sudden move the man made on her. He picked her up in his arms and walked straight to the bed, dumping her on it. 

As another batch of lightning and thunder loudly announced the arrival of rain; her unknown attacker jumped on top of Diwa, stretching her arms above her head by holding her wrists tightly on the mattress. His buffed-up thighs then pushed her own legs wide open so he could settle the pulsing bulge under his pants on top of her own groin.

Di screamed once more, longer and louder this time; as she felt him thrust that hard bump of his against her dress. His actions were also making her squirm and fight against him with all her might, but he was taking this as a positive.

“Yes, my little hostage, keep it up. You’re making me want you even more because of your struggling. Thank you for trying your best to please me…”

Just then the rain came down in a furious downpour and lightning lit up the room once more. The tanned, busty woman then felt that he was about to kiss her, judging from the way he licked his lips.

And she was right…

When he tried to smooch her, Diwa turned her head to the side; still screaming but now more out of fury than terror. The thunderclap that followed hid the loud banging on the masters’ bedroom door for a few seconds before the stranger and his target heard them.

“DIWA! OPEN UP! WHAT’S HAPPENING IN THERE! HOLD ON WE’RE GOING IN!” a female voice started shouting from the other side of the door.

“DIWANA! WHO’S THAT GUY WITH YOU?! DAMN YOU BASTARD, JUST WAIT UNTIL WE GET IN THERE!” a male speaker yelled as the clattering sounds continued to echo inside the room.

Di could feel that the horny male on top of her was now feeling distracted, confused and a little frightened. She took this chance to make a move on the guy.

Not the kind he wanted, of course…

With a loud battle cry, the desperate Mrs. Wolf raised her head with a surge of feral energy and connected with her attacker’s forehead. Her vision darkened upon feeling and hearing the hard crack of the top of her skull against the shocked molester’s, who was also momentarily stunned.

“WHY YOU FREAKING BITCH!” he screeched in that high nasal voice which almost sounded feminine. “I’LL FUCKING SHOW YOU!”

Instinctively, he had raised his hand to his forehead when Di head-butted him. Now, he swung the same open palm upwards, ready to hit the busty woman who was now dazed and helpless underneath him.

Diwana braced for the impact which was aimed at her face, even while trying to get her head to clear…

“BANZAAAAIIIIIIIII!”

“ATTAAAAACK!”

“KIIIIIIIILLLL!”

Right about the same time that the three screaming children entered the bedroom; through the secret door and ran towards the bed in the middle of the spacious room, the door crashed open with a loud bang like a shotgun firing...

And then a feral and extremely loud roar drowned out everyone else’s cries…

Even the man on top of Diwa who had now screamed in terror; and could not be heard over that echoing. and long growl that echoed and re-echoed in the room. He didn’t even wait to discover who the loud snarling attacker was from among the people inside the room…

He just turned and jumped away… Off the bed in one sweeping and swift movement. 

As he felt those in the room rush after him, the man in the mask ran towards one of the large French doors of the room; crashed through them to force the doors wide open and letting glass rain everywhere. Eventually, he managed to swiftly run to the edge of the wet balcony and jump off the railings; as he sped off into the rain, and the dark forest that was just behind the house.

Adrenaline could really do wonders when a man was scared shitless. 

“Diwa, goddess… are you ok? Talk to me…” Lee said as she got to the woman first.

“Di, no! Will she be ok?” Erica cried out in panic.

“Noooo! Please be ok, puh-leeeeassse…” Katya pleaded, near tears.

“I know where the first aid kit is… wait, I'll go get it...” Macky shouted, his fear of loss overpowering his self-control.

“Leena… kids? Head hurts… body is… aching… dizzy…”

“I’ll try to go after him… you take care of her, Leena… Children, stay with the ladies...”

“Jack, NO! Let’s get her to the doctor’s house. He’s probably already left his medical clinic. Children, since the rain has stopped, please go to the town hall and tell the Sheriff what just happened. Let’s focus on Diwa. She’s the one who needs help!”

And that’s the last thing that Diwana remembered about the night inside the Wolf children’s house. A few hours later, she woke up in one of the hospice rooms in the doctor’s house and the three kids were there with her, watching over her. 

It was they who told her about Mason Wolf's accident while he was alone in the Oro Villa house with the baby. At that time, he was in and out of consciousness because his head had hit the floor hard when he fell to the floor. The doctor felt he would be better off with a nurse and have him watched over at home, due to him being infected by the killer flu.

Meanwhile their son, Cefano, was in critical condition and was just in the other room next to Diwana's. The doctor knew that it's the best option he could do for the child, who seemed to have cried himself until he was exhausted, even while the killer fever had already started to claim his health. 

Diwana only had a few bruises from her attacker and did not care to stay in bed after finding out about her son's status. 

Even if she was warned to not touch the child, she continued to breastfeed her baby even while he's sick, hoping that her milk would help him recover. Di never left Doctor Sean’s house while her child stayed there, not thinking of the dangers of her getting the fever. After all, she wasn't affected by the fever when she was taking care of her brother and sister-in-law, so why should she worry now that it's her own son that's in danger?

Worse, she knew that based on how her husband’s brother died, it was only a matter of time before she would lose her son. 

She was just thankful that there were friends like Jack and Leena who would check on her every now and then. They kept her sane and gave her news about the status of the three Wolf siblings who were now living at Oro Villa Alpha once again.

Meanwhile, Mason was kept at home while he too was ravaged with the fever. Ironically, the children were the ones who fed him, nursed him and stayed with him during his final days when the nurse also fell ill with the fever.

Fortunately for him, though his wife never left their son’s side and stayed with the baby until he drew his last breath, their son crossed into the other side days before he did. Because of this, he was able to see Diwana for the last time.

Well, not without the children’s help…

“Mama Di, I know he was pretty awful to us before he got sick; and was even planning to send us to our other relatives in the city, but he’s already sorry for what he did now. He's practically a changed man,” Erica said reassuringly. 

“Yeah, he was very humble and apologetic to us; especially since he knew you didn’t want to see him after what he did to us. But we’re ok with him now, and he is our Uncle Mason after all, even if we hardly felt it before,” Macky piped in.

“Can you please come over and visit him? The doctor said he might not last this week and he’s very sad about him not seeing you or your son,” little Katya pleaded with the Puss-In-Boots wide teary eyes

The grieving mother was not totally heartless, and at that time she was very soft and emotional. Of course, she would give in to the kids’ request.

Since it really was for them that she hardened her heart against her dying husband’s wishes to see him. And again, it’s not because she was unforgiving…

It’s because her husband had to learn.

And he did. 

Right after Di returned to their home, he wrote a letter to the Sheriff to continuously investigate the attack on his wife until they finally found the perpetrator. He also called the Village realtor and lawyer to transfer the ownership of the Oro Villa Alpha and Oro Villa Luna - the house owned by him and his brother - to Diwana upon his death. He also had their local court and the town hall process the adoption of his brother’s children to himself and Di.

He just waited for her to come back so they could sign the documents together.

And as the doctor predicted, Mason Died within a few days after his son was buried. By that time, the tears his wife and the three children shed for him were very sincere.

But not one of them would really miss him.