I didn't understand why I was crying until the tears hit my cheek. It wasn't from pain, and neither was it from fear. Rather, it was the look in his eyes. Although he looked cold and stern like a rock, somehow I could see his gaze softening, even without him showing it.
It was that silent promise that if I hadn't survived this… the entire world would have burned.
He lifted me without asking, his arms firm around me as my head fell weakly against his shoulder.
I could feel the heat of his skin against mine, the rhythm of his heartbeat.
"You're safe now," he whispered, almost like he was trying to convince himself too.
My half-lidded eyes lazily swept through the forest floor; my stomach churned again at the sight of the bloodied limbs scattered across the ground.
I inhaled deeply as my heart pounded in my chest. 'This man is a complete beast.'
