Page 29 of How Does It Feel?

I shifted, pulling the black dress back down over my legs. I shivered as I felt the frayed hole of fabric in the back and front of my dress where the blade pierced through my dress and body. The skin under it felt soft and tender. It was hard to see through the mess of blood, but the wound now appeared to be closed.

It couldn’t be.

It was the palest pink with blue and purple veins around the scar, but it was closed? I no longer had an open wound. The fox’s tears and licks had healed me, brought me back from an almost guaranteed death somehow.

In my delusions, or lack thereof, I had missed the sound of footsteps approaching until they echoed directly behind me. I remained kneeling on the forest floor, unsure of what to expect and now too frightened to move. Was this one of the forest creatures they had spoken of?

“Well now, for a human, this is quite impressive,” rumbled a familiar deep voice.

I turned as fast as I could, which wasn’t very fast at all, and scrambled to the aid of a tree that held me up. The wide oak’s bark pressed comfortingly into my back as I held it tightly for balance.

The man stood in front of me.

He crossed his arms nonchalantly over his chest while glaring down at me. He harshly raked his unkind eyes over me with a faint glimmer of amusement, pausing at the hole in my dress for a moment before continuing their ascent.

One corner of his mouth lifted in a smug, vengeful smirk.

I was able to get a good look at him now, standing in the moonlight. He was beautiful. There was no other way to put it. Gorgeous in a hauntingly evil way with the bone structure and build of a Roman god. High cheekbones and a sharp jawline, skin as clear and smooth as porcelain. What kind of monsters looked like that?

Obviously, only the worst kind.

“Wh-what are you?” I asked shakily as my tremors vibrated my vocal cords. “Where am I?” At the sight of him alone, my body convulsed so hard with dread that I feared I would fall to the ground.

“Absolutely brilliant,” he whispered. “And here I was wondering why the humans sent such a useless weapon such as yourself. I was just returning to collect your head and send it back. ”

His voice was so deep and quiet that goose bumps prickled across my arms at the sound of it. Eerie and venomous, like it could put me under a spell if it wanted to.

He stalked toward me, slowly. Each step delivered with the intent of causing more fear. The right side of his grin had pulled so high a dimple formed on the stupidly attractive cheek. On someone else, it probably would have been cute, but on him it looked unhinged and sinister.

He continued his steps until he had hemmed me in against the old tree. My back burned from pressing so harshly against the tree bark. Even this close, the darkness seemed to merge with his skin, blending us both into the darkness of the night.

“No one has sent me. I was in the forest alone and fell. I landed on you somehow—I suppose—I’m so sorry, but there’s been some kind of mistake. I mean no harm, please, please just let me go. I’ll find my own way back. You will never, ever see me again, just please don’t hurt me again,” I begged near silently as fear strangled the words before they could reach a normal volume.

Tears trailed down my face, falling off my chin in a waterfall.

His cold blue eyes stared. He looked so stoic he was nearly lifeless save for the predatory pleasure his features briefly expressed when he had struck me with fear. His body slouched as he leaned against the tree on either side of my head. I always thought of myself as a smart person, but in that moment of fear, barely a thought went through my mind, let alone a plan to escape. I’d never felt such fear and terror in my life. I could barely speak because I was so frightened. This was the man that had dug talons into my shoulders and held me while another had run a sword through my body.

“Oh, you’re good, I’ll give you that,” he purred.

A dimple popped as he grabbed my waist with his gloved hand.

Without thinking, I slapped him across the cheek. Hard.

It was purely a reaction.

I covered my mouth with my shaking hand and waited in horror for the reaction I knew would surely come from the savage monster.

He looked back at me slowly; his face had turned from the force of my hand. The view of his side profile was like a painting of some Greek god.

“I’m so sorry—” I mumbled as my jaw shook, making it hard to talk.

He grabbed my jaw with a large gloved hand.

A small whine escaped my lips as I tried to shove him away, but his chest was firmer than the oak pressed against my back.

“Please—” I cried.

His sky-blue eyes twinkled with a menacing sparkle that hadn’t been there before.