hu

gi

onto her face. From the figure still crouching beside him at such close proximity, he could see the slope of he

rkness that eva

ble memory of how he had ended up on the cold wood floor evaded him-why he was bur

w the

ht flickered throu

r

is movement became a blur of actions as he lunged for her.

l escap

from one

force to send her flying in the opposite direction had he not held on. She slipped from the jacket and la

The scuffle was short-lived: muffled grunts and squeals, huffs of utmost terror from her as he finally rolled her onto her back a

us-weary, cautious, and pressing back into the floorboards like a puppy. He could feel the

rose and fell rapidly, the careful outline of her ribs pressing against his inner thigh. She was small, far too small. And he w

poke for

nized her quietly, from her brows to her hair braided and finally those eyes. Cau

d as his breath left harshly, a

of red. His whole body had tensed above her quiet one. It took him a few b

canines bared themselves at her

e afraid, to discern who was most powerful in the room. Carefully, he relieved the pr

breathin

ted slowly, each word

yes as she processed the message, the way her mouth c

sh

eyes were incessant. He needed a drin

d she added hastily, "Just a few meter

hrough his mind's eye. He was running through the woods, hunters and their hounds loosed after him... he remembers the pain

cl

ff the cliff and trusted in the

be

akening. The lack of that prodding, needling voice. The one he

was s

chi

ing and precisely evaluating the direction of this interaction. The man ignored it, forcing

ut remained pinioning he

ing o

ous, he would know... after a moment he spok

t your place, you're too young." It was true, within the short time frame of being around her, he had concl

as a servant

know what

from the ground and rose with languid grace. His height easily left her suspended in the air, and

ey

ut missing much, from the pebbled pathway to the overgrown yard with weeds. The shape of the moon smiled down at him wickedly. He could feel the warm

He could not familiarize h

t all the mo

ilver in her direction where she was still suspende

effort he raised her closer to his face, so close he could see the dark spot under her left eye, smell the faint odor of river and fish on her s

artbeat thundering, smell the tangy sweat. She met his eyes b

ir

e. You're in his shed... its some old

r un

es

know I

d know-" at the sight of his narrowed eyes, she raised both palms as if placating a dog, "li

d-thin arms and nonexistent biceps then

small but I pack

. And she did just as quick. He looked out the window again just as a ring of light

I swe

o be webbed in. But it was altogether not the worst. He could have drowned in the ri

s was a

what her

th the slightest inclination of suggestion. Finally, the beast had spoken. He had momentarily forgotten about its presence, yet now

d to the voice, to give it any hint of obedience. But h

r a brief moment he saw his visage mirrored in the pupils of

owlishly yet

" He r

e hot wires, in his eyes. Just the briefest glimpse of th

ar

" He re

hing... when he heard it. Just at the threshold of

the cottage

ncle step