Rejected: Found By Another

Chapter 5

LYANNA'S POV

"Hey, you have to listen to me... okay," the stranger said, walking closer to me from behind.

I knew he had just saved my life, but something still told me that I couldn't trust him, and also try not to leave my back turned.

I frowned deeply, feeling the surge of anger coursing through me like a wild river as I stared at the distance down the mountain.

"Turn around and try to hear me out, please. Staying for just a couple of days to regain your health isn't a bad idea. Besides, I don't bite," he said to me, and I scoffed.

Well, until that day, I also didn't know that Lucian could bite, even worse, kill. I'd have died in the dungeon if Mima hadn't come to help me escape.

So who was this stranger thinking that I would ever listen to him? To think that he had the guts to ask me to stay for a couple of days.

"Really, a couple of days? I am not even going to stay for a few minutes," I said, finally turning around to face him. I wanted him to see the seriousness on my face and know that I wasn't going to change my mind.

The pain in my abdomen from the stab was still hitting hard even as I could clearly tell that he treated it, even from the bandage he had wrapped around it.

"I'm going to jump, all right? And you'll see, I'm not going to break a bone," I said to him, and he huffed, then a smile formed around the corners of his lips, as though he was finding my stubbornness funny.

Just right then as I was about to turn and jump, I heard my wolf's voice in my head, issuing a warning and I froze...

"You can't, Lyanna, you can't jump. If you do, I may not be able to protect you. I'm weak, we need to heal, just listen to the stranger," Reyna said in my head, and for the first time, I was about to disagree with her.

"I've listened to your guidance all this time, Reyna, but I'm sorry, I can't listen to you today. I have to leave here before the night is over," I said to her.

The stranger was just right there, staring at me with a kind of amusement in his eyes, as though he had never seen anything like me, the calm smile still on his lips.

"Reyna, just... Support me a little, my strength will fill in. I just need your help with the landing; I can leap off the top on my own, I just can't be around anyone right now... please," I said to my wolf in my head.

"Reyna, you don't understand... You're going to get us both killed. He is right, you'll suffer a fracture and the chances of you dying are 90%, I don't want to lose you now, I just found you," Reyna said in my head, and I became frustrated.

I was enduring both physical and emotional pain, and I just wished that I could be alone, but what was this now? I couldn't have what I wanted...

Just as Reyna's voice faded from my head, something else sounding like my own inner thought encouraged me to give it a try anyway, but just as I turned and was about to leap off, a searing pain tore through my abdomen where I was stabbed and I screamed.

"Ahhh..." I groaned in pain, and the stranger quickly rushed towards me, but before he could reach me, I held out my hand, signaling him to maintain his distance, and he halted.

Clenching my fists tightly, I struggled to contain the frustration that threatened to overwhelm me. It was becoming increasingly apparent that the situation was not aligning with my desires or plans.

The last thing I wanted was to be around anybody, or any man for that matter.

The pain and betrayal I had experienced at Lucian's hands were still fresh wounds, wounds that made me instinctively wary of trusting anyone again. The mere thought of being in close proximity to another man sent a shiver down my spine.

It seemed like I had no choice in the matter. His room was situated at the peak of the mountain; it seemed safe, but it was going to be torture staying with him after what I just experienced with Lucian.

I found myself in a situation where I had to rely on this, at least temporarily. The irony of it all wasn't lost on me - needing the help of another man after just being betrayed by one, the one I gave my heart to, and he threw it to the fire.

"Do you know how I got stabbed? I have no idea if you know what an Ereden dagger is," I said to him bluntly, but his response shocked me.

"Of course, I do, I know what it is... Okay. Many people think that a stab from it can't be healed, but it can... all you have to do is to trust me, come with me, and I'll help you recover faster," he said, stretching forth his hand to me.

My brows were forced to meet after I heard what he had just said about an Ereden dagger.

"Please," His voice was filled with genuine concern as he spoke. "You're not well. Let me help you heal."

I turned to face him, my eyes betraying both pain and defiance. "I appreciate your offer, but I can't stay," I replied, my voice faltering slightly.

He took a step closer, his expression showing that he was now pleading. "You nearly drowned out there," he reminded me gently. "You need time to recover before taking any risks."

"I don't even know you..." I said to him, looking into his eyes.

"I-I- Okay, I'll stay... On one condition," I said, and he nodded, walking closer to me.

"I'll do anything I can

to make sure you stay back for a while and heal properly, so... what's your condition?"

"You won't ask me any questions or try to engage in any form of conversation with me," I said, a frown on my face, and he furrowed brows.

After waiting for a few seconds, he sighed deeply. Nodded gratefully.

"I'll stick to my boundaries, I can pretend to be dumb if that's what you need for you to remain here," he said sincerely, a small smile forming on his lips.

He then shifted from the way as I quickly walked passed him back into his room as though I owned it.

As I settled back onto the bed, he handed me a glass of water. "Here, drink this," he instructed gently. "It'll ease your coughing."

I sipped the water slowly, feeling its coolness soothing my throat. I looked up at him again without saying a thank you or showing gratitude.

"My name is Xander," he said, and I gulped. He was a man shrouded in mystery, but I couldn't ask him anything since I had asked that he didn't talk to me.

He was expecting me to say my name too, but I just lay on the bed and turned my back against him without saying a word to him after he introduced himself.