Her Protection, His Purpose

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I looked down at my feet, then back up at him - but in the split second I had glanced away, he had vanished.

Flustered, I stopped, then felt two fingers grab onto my left palm. I looked back, locking eyes with him again.

"How did you-?" I started, but he shook his head and I stopped my question.

"Not here." he said, his voice hushed and deep like the tunnels stretching beneath us. He made a slight nod towards one of the streets, glancing at it, and when his eyes returned to mine I felt my core clench. I licked my, suddenly dry, lips and nod.

He turned his back to me and gently guided me down winding streets, through alcoves I'd never seen, or at least noticed, before. My face felt warm - my hand must be cold, because just his two fingers feel like they're about to melt my entire hand off.

Finally, we were inside. If you asked me to return to the market, I would have no idea which way to go.

Suddenly, I realized what I had done. Blindly, I had followed a random man - very handsome, but still a random man - into what could quite possibly be his murder chamber. It was the handsomeness that had gotten me.

I pulled my hand to me again. Having left his fingers, it felt like there was now a void where his fingers had been.

"Who are you?" I asked, taking a half step back towards the door.

Slowly, he turned to face me, his face as striking as it seemed devoid of emotions.

"My name is Aros. And you are my.."

Aros paused, saying the next word with softer features and almost reverence, "mate."

My heart skipped a beat as I took in his words.