Red's Wolf

Three

Watching an irrational fear, a dreaded nightmare come to life had her hushed. Or perhaps the cold was finally getting to Rosalyn and it was numbing her brain to ice. Her wide eyes were outlined in black and the insides were rimmed with red veins of fatigue. She studied the stranger who was breaking apart the metal claw devouring her ankle. He possessed strength that he had reserved from her, only showing hints of what he was really capable of.

Wisps of gold hair fell over his forehead clinging to his skin, some tendrils were matted with blood. His brows were oddly dark, a sharp contrast to the lighter fibers on his head that were swaying with each motion of breeze and body. Although dawn had yet to come and dirt riddled his entire form, parts of his skin that were untainted seemed to glow in the night. A Prince of Darkness, the thought rang in her mind. Yes, this man looked like a scorned angel that had been stripped of his wings.

His hands were quickly ripping the final slivers of metal containing her. It was when his fingers brushed over her broken skin that she hissed in pain, pulling away from him. Rosalyn watched as he stilled and his eyes found her own, in the span of those few seconds she found herself drowning in the depths of black. Unable to hold his gaze she looked at the metal he held within his palms, the skin on his hands seemed to be slowly burning, almost as if his body were repulsed by the silver chained fragments. And yet, without a word he returned to his task. It was then Rosalyn knew her future would be determined by the choices she was about to make.

It would be a gamble, a dangerous game to play with someone like him, a creature like him. But if she wanted to survive she would have to fight for herself, or else there would be no life left to live. She studied his hands, watched the metal singe his skin and melt the pale layers until his flesh darkened and more blood flowed. It seemed painful to her, useless to her, that he would go through all of this trouble and ache to free her.

His voice repeated within her mind then, "Open your eyes," he had commanded. His hands had manipulated her body, her posture, to his liking and none too gently. He had found her like a hunter found his prey with little effort, would he let her go? Rosalyn glanced at his face, studying the hard contours of his features and the word no resolutely came to mind. There was no way she expected him to let her go.

Rosalyn looked around at her surroundings once more, a fog had submerged the world into a murky haze. The trees were lost in a sea of grey mist, she had no recollection of which way she had come. There was no way to tell which direction her village was, she would have to go on her own intuition. The moon had disappeared behind clouds, so light was minimal. The outcome of what she was about to do did not seem to be in her favor, but giving up was the same as willfully dying.

Rosalyn felt the final frozen shell of metal slip away from her skin, it fell harshly against the other scraps. The forest seemed to be utterly still and silent as Rosalyn internally read a final prayer to God. She willed all the courage she possessed and worked her way closer to him. Strangely enough he did not know what to do, which Rosalyn took full advantage of. He peered at her with an expression that she could not understand.

"Thank you," inches away from his face, her voice was a whisper. "Thank you, for helping me." She raised her voice to a higher octave. Rosalyn's body unconsciously inclined forward, as her head swam with dizzy sensations. His hands wrapped around her arms holding her upright, Rosalyn's dark hair swept over his bare chest.

The aroma of her scent wafted through the air and a carnal desire began simmering within him. Feeling her skin beneath his own sent a gentle thrum of chaotic electricity through his nerves. He wanted her, he wanted her in every possible way. It did not matter if this was infatuation of the flesh, or an obsession with how she looked. She had been trapped and he had found her then set her free, only to cage her himself. Without having control over himself he jerked her forward, her eyes widened as an audible gasp left her lips. His face trailed over the curtain of her hair and he took a deep breath savoring her aroma like a fragrance. She was trembling within his heated hold, her fear was as tangible as she was, causing his desire to double.

Rosalyn felt his breath fan over her face as his lips neared her own. Light as a feather he moved them over her's. She pulled away, "Thank you, but I must go." He frowned at her, while his brows pulled together. "I have to go home." She said again while trying to pull away. His grip on her tightened, surpassing the hold of the chains she had been locked within. Silently he denied her of what she wanted, she was right, he wouldn't let her go.

A split second decision was made then, Rosalyn secured one hand around a shard of metal while the other latched onto a braided rope of it. Without hesitating she stabbed the triangular shard into his naked abdomen, the man's hold relaxed considerably. Twisting the scrap further inside him Rosalyn pushed his body as back as she could. Unsteadily the girl rose on shaky feet, his eyes were a pool of undisguised rage that promised retribution.

"Run." He said to her.