Before I could respond, a sudden blur of motion cut between us. The assassin staggered back, his grip broken, and I blinked, breathless, as I saw him—a familiar figure, all dark menace and raw power.
He didn’t spare me a glance, his attention fixed solely on the assassin who’d dared to touch me. His eyes blazed with a lethal focus, his body tense and ready to strike.
“What do you think you’re doing?” his voice was low, lethal, the kind of voice that promised violence.
The assassin sneered, but his confidence wavered, his stance shifting defensively. “This is Alpha Daniel’s business, rogue. Back off if you know what’s good for you.”
He didn’t respond. He simply moved, faster than I could follow, his fist slamming into the assassin’s jaw with a bone-crushing impact. The assassin barely had time to react before he was on him again, relentless, each hit precise and devastating. It was like watching a storm unleashed, cold and unstoppable.
Within seconds, the assassin lay motionless on the ground, and he straightened, his breathing steady, not a hint of emotion on his face. He turned to me, his gaze hard but piercing.
“Why are you here?” he asked, his voice harsh, demanding answers.
I hesitated, words failing me under the intensity of his stare. My mind raced, torn between survival and the inexplicable trust I felt in his presence. “I… I’m trying to get away,” I finally managed, my voice barely more than a whisper. “Daniel… he betrayed me.”
His gaze flickered, and though his expression remained cold, there was a shadow of understanding in his eyes. He took a step back, letting out a slow breath. “More of them will come,” he said bluntly, scanning the dark forest around us. “You won’t survive on your own.”
I wanted to argue, to insist I could manage, but exhaustion weighed me down. I was at my limit, and we both knew it. “I have nowhere else to go,” I admitted, swallowing the knot of pride in my throat. “And my child… I need to keep us safe.”
His jaw tightened, his eyes narrowing as he considered me. There was a tense silence, thick with an unspoken conflict, before he let out a resigned sigh. “Fine. You can stay with me—for now.”