Chapter 02: The Stranger

MORANA

My eyes moved in that direction, searching in the dark until I found a huge silhouette. The white hair stood out as the figure of the male emerged from the shadows.

He continued to approach, his steps echoing on the ground, until we could see him in full.

I remained motionless as my heart skipped. His eyes were on me and I lost my breath when I saw their color. They were an amber shade between yellow and gold.

They were like two sparks in the midst of darkness, like twilight in the sky, extraordinary and mesmerizing, just like his face, sculpted and masculine.

The white hair was tied back, with some strands falling over his forehead.

Those hairs...

Something sparked in my memory, but it quickly disappeared.

The male's chest was broad, as were his shoulders, and his arms and legs were muscular. He was wearing black clothes, which made his figure even more imposing and frightening.

His strong and dominant energy filled the air, surpassing that of the male in front of me. He was bigger than any other male I had ever seen.

"You are..." the male closest to him began to speak as if he recognized him.

"It's better you get lost, we're not sharing the bitch here with one more," the one close to me declared, interrupting the other.

Then, in the blink of an eye, the male with white hair lunged at him, grabbing his neck and pinning him against the wall to my left.

Everything happened so fast that it was the sound of the male's body crashing against the wall that made me startle.

"Shit!" the one near the street shouted, taking a few steps back. "Don't fight!" He tried to warn the male who was pinned.

But he couldn't fight even if he wanted to. The male with white hair was squeezing his neck so tightly that he could barely breathe, struggling to free himself.

In a display of his superhuman strength, I saw the male increase the grip, holding him with just one hand. The other male desperately struggled for air, his eyes wide with agony.

The male with white hair seemed out of control, and I knew he was about to kill the other. And as much as a part of me, dark and thirsty for justice, wanted to let him do it, I couldn't.

"Hey!" I called out, hesitantly.

He turned his face toward me, his movements more animal-like than human.

I held my breath seeing his eyes. They were almost completely red, burning like flames, full of wrath. His fangs were also visible, sharp and gleaming.

I swallowed hard before I could speak.

"Don't kill him."

He kept staring at me, his jaw tense and the muscles on his face tightened, showing his contained fury, ready to explode at any moment.

His heavy breathing filled the surroundings, each exhale accompanied by a deep and threatening growl.

"Apologize!" He growled in an animalistic way, turning to face the male and pressing him against the wall with crushing force.

The male grunted in pain before looking at me.

"I... sorry..." He managed to say with difficulty.

"Scum!" the one with white hair growled, dominated by anger, throwing the male against the one further ahead, causing both to fall to the ground. "If you ever approach any female like that again, I will tear you apart." He threatened, the deep and animalistic sound of his voice making me shiver.

Meanwhile, the two males quickly got up from the ground, terrified and hurried to flee; one of them tripping over his own legs before managing to stand up.

Then, both ran towards the street, leaving the alley and disappearing from our sight, but I could still hear the sound of their steps echoing down the street as they moved away.

The huge male with white hair remained still in front of me, his body still tense.

When the sound of steps finally disappeared completely, leaving only the tense silence hanging in the air, I heard him growl softly, a mix of disdain and triumph.

My heart was still racing and my hands trembled. I felt relieved and miserably cowardly. I was so terrified that I couldn't react.

As hard as it was to admit, I had just realized how weak I was and could have been dead because of it. The feeling of helplessness was horrible and had a bitter taste.

The male standing in front of me finally moved, turning to face me. His face was more relaxed and his eyes had returned to their normal color, but his body was still tense and his gaze predatory.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

His intense gaze seemed concerned, his eyebrows furrowed. His voice was so deep it always seemed to send a shiver through my skin.

He saved me. Why? Thinking about what those males could have done to me if he hadn't appeared made my entire body shudder.

"Yes. I... Thank you."

He didn't say anything, just continued staring at me in silence, his gaze making me tense.

Crossing my arms in front of my body, I forced my legs to move, determined to walk away. But I only managed to take one step before he blocked my path with his huge body, making me feel minuscule.

A chill ran down my spine and arms. I swallowed hard, lifting my face to look into his eyes. The amber glowed in the dark.

He seemed hungry, looking at me with an intensity that made my body tremble in a different way.

Maybe I had been hasty in thinking I was safe. Once again, I felt cornered. But this time, there was a part of me, somewhere, that didn't want to flee.

Suddenly, he took a step, making me step back, but I didn't avert my gaze from his face. Then, he kept advancing, making me retreat until my back collided with the metal again.

A strange sensation of restlessness overwhelmed me, something I had never felt before, as if my entire skin was tingling. His presence emanated such a strong and dominant energy that it was making me dizzy.

"Don't fight, I won't hurt you," he said, his deep voice freezing me in place.