Awake with a handsome stranger
1071 Words
Mia's POV
I woke up to the sound of birds chirping afar. This part, however was very quiet except for the leaves rustling softly in the breeze. My head throbbed, and I winced as I pushed myself up, realizing I was lying on the forest floor. My wound that wasn't healing last night, was gone. For a few seconds, my vision was blurry. The air was crisp, but a deeper chill crept through me when I saw him—a man, crouching I'm front of me.
He was tall, broad-shouldered, and impossibly handsome, but that did nothing to ease the fear coiling tightly in my chest. I didn’t know how I had gotten here, laying so comfortably between the roots of this large tree.
How could I trust him? Not after what happened last night. Memories of the chase came back to me. The warriors that Logan had sent after me seemed odd as they had run after me. Their eyes were unresponsive. Their betrayal, the violence and finally, that look of pure joy as the poisoned knife was driven into my side while the others used their claws to rip me apart... it was still too raw.
"Who are you?"
I fought the urge to scramble away as I asked. I reached for his dagger that lay down beside me unguarded but he grabbed it first. I had my claws out in less than a second. A small growl leaving my lips.
No, I needed to be smart. My eyes darted to the man again. He hadn't made a move yet, just watched me with awe and amusement, like he didn’t expect me to be scared of him or be pulling a stance.
"You are amusing. I should really be the one who is weary and afraid," he sat down.
He must think I’m weak. Helpless.
I wasn’t.
I bent down in a bid to stretch. He watched me closely. Has he never seen a woman in a blood stained white dress before?
My body ached, but I knew I would still fight if I was attacked. I stood up slowly, testing my balance. His lips moved, saying something as he got up, but the blood was pounding too loudly in my ears to make it out. I didn't care. I let my training take over.
In a heartbeat, I closed the distance between us, catching him off guard. My fist connected with his side, and I moved behind him, locking his arm. He grunted, surprised, and I used his moment of hesitation to sweep his legs from under him.
He fell hard, the ground shaking beneath us as I pinned him down, my knee pressing into his chest.
“Who the hell are you?” I demanded, my voice shaky but firm. My heart hammered in my chest, not just from the exertion, but from fear. Not of him, but of what he might represent—another threat to my life. Worse still, he could be the darkness that the goddess was speaking of.
His eyes widened, and he raised his hands slowly, palms out.
“I’m not here to hurt you,” he said, his voice steady despite the position he was in. “I found you unconscious. I was just trying to help.”
For a second, his words cut through the panic, and I studied his face closely. He didn’t look like he was lying, but I couldn’t let my guard down. Not yet.
“I’ve heard that before,” I muttered, tightening my grip on his arm. He burst into laughter.
The situation was unthinkable. A strange man, pinned underneath me, was laughing like he had just heard a joke.
He winced as I applied more pressure, his breath coming in short, controlled bursts. His eyes, though, remained locked on mine, unflinching. He was no longer laughing and that left me satisfied a bit.
“I get it,” he said quietly. “You don’t trust me, but I swear—I’m not one of them. Whoever they are.”
I didn’t ease up. His words didn’t mean much in a world where people lied to survive, and betrayal was as easy as taking a bath. The memory of Logan’s frown and Mara's smile as they betrayed me flashed in my mind, twisting my gut.
“Prove it, that you are not a part of them” I spat.
He swallowed hard, his chest rising and falling under the weight of my knee. “I don’t have anything to prove. I don't even know who they are,” He paused, his tone softening. “And I’m not going to fight you. If you think I’m a threat, do whatever you need to do.”
"This is difficult." I whispered.
"I could easily flip us over, but I have chosen not to. I'm respectful and mindful of your worries, miss." Maybe it was the exhaustion creeping in, or maybe it was the way his face softened, like he truly understood the fear that gripped me.
I eased off just slightly, still wary but letting him breathe properly. “Why were you here? In the middle of nowhere?”
If I was asked the same question on a normal day, I would be short of words too.
He shifted cautiously under me, though he made no move to break free, just as he promised. Chivalry was not dead in this one.
“I’m... searching for someone.” His voice was low, almost hesitant.
I stiffened, my thoughts going back to the place that I had fled from. Did they send another search party after me?
“Who?” I asked after a few seconds of deep pondering.
He paused, studying me again, as if deciding whether to tell me the truth. I pressed my knee into him again, I saw him turn pale before I released. "Talk!"
“A woman. She is supposed to be from these parts, or so I was told.” he said, almost laughing at himself.
I narrowed my eyes, distrust flaring up again. It sounded too familiar, too coincidental.
“And you just happened to find me?”
My mind ignored the fact where he stated that the woman was from these parts. We were in a freaking forest!
His next question threw me off guard, making me know that I was being unreasonable.
"Are you the one that I'm looking for?"
- Writer
