Chapter 7: Chapter Seven

Saffron’s neck prickled with awareness. The tiny hallway suddenly filled with supercharged electricity that had goosebumps erupting up her skin.

The air prickled with power, as whoever was behind her began to walk towards her, his heavy footsteps the only sound to be heard in the dimly lit hallway.

She swallowed past the lump that wedged in her throat.

Don’t react, she told herself, going as still as a statue, even as every muscle in her body wanted to shiver at the coldness that seeped into her bones.

Don’t run, she chanted, even as the feeling of danger overrode her senses.

Saffron knew that whatever was making its way towards her was a predator. And the one thing that goaded a predator into the hunt was when its prey reacted to it or ran away from it.

Don’t move, she added, as the heavy footfalls grew nearer, and nearer, her heart beating a staccato rhythm that was sure to send her into an early grave.

But, that wasn’t what bothered her at this moment. The predator behind her was far more dangerous than her heart going into overdrive ever will be.

Was this the moment that she was going to die? The silence from the voice in her head unnerved her, and even though she was sure this was going to be her end, she could admit that she missed the comfort it had given her.

Since the moment she had first heard the soft lilting feminine voice in her head, Saffron had known that she would never be alone. But now, in its place, there was only a cold chasm she had never felt before.

She suppressed a shudder, forcing herself to remain still, even as the danger now only stood a hairsbreadth away from her.

Saffron remained still, head bowed, doing her best not to flinch, even as she felt his breath on her exposed neck.

When he lifted his hand and combed it through her tangled silver-blonde hair, a shaky breath escaped from her lips.

Inhale.

Exhale.

Inhale.

Exhale.

Inhale, one… two… three.

Exhale, one… two… three.

She coached herself internally, his spice and woodsy scent overwhelming her senses with each inhale and making her feel utterly confused.

When his large palm shifted down to her neck, his grip tightening infinitesimally, Saffron knew he could break her neck without effort if he so wished.

The thing they said about your life flashing before your eyes during your moment of death? They lied.

Saffron didn’t have any flashes or any moment from the past invading her mind in that moment, nothing except the most primal need for survival clawing its way to the front of her mind as his grip tightened around her neck.

Though she no longer had any dreams to live for, she still had her revenge plot to carry out.

Her father had to pay for selling her, the Alpha had to pay for what he did to her, and his men, oh how she would rejoice carrying out her revenge on them.

Oh, she was going to survive whoever this was trying to take her life without even letting her see who he was.

“Who are you?” he murmured, stroking a finger down her spine as he released her neck.

What? She tried to ask, but her lips refused to move, partly in shock at the turn of events.

Just when she had mustered the courage to fight for her life, he hit her with this?

“Who are you?” she asked in return, trying to turn her head to look at him, but his hand went back to her neck, just as swiftly as it had moved before, keeping her head in place.

Slowly, his touch drifted up to pinch her chin, jerking her to face him, the dim lights casting shadows across his face.

Her breath hitched at the intensity in his dark eyes, as they searched, studied, and caressed every of her features down to her feet before moving upwards and lingering on the fading bruises around her neck and the side of her face, his jaw clenching hard. “Who did this?”

Her heart skipped a beat, not just because of his words but because of the dark flare of rage blossoming in his gaze as he tilted her head to one side, and the other, studying her bruises intently.

She blinked, her lower lip trembling as her heartbeat accelerated.

What was she to do? Could this strange predator of a man help her in her quest of vengeance? If she were to give him a name, would he punish the one who had left the bruises on her?

But, she wasn’t sure if she could trust this man. After all, there was still an underlying sense of danger that he exhibited; even as he tried his hardest to tamp down the dominance in his voice and stance, Saffron could still feel it.

Was he a part of this mafia gang or not? Did he work for the Alpha? And if he did, why was he here, treating her with such tenderness that belied what she knew about the brutal men in the mafia?

Though there was a flare of interest in his gaze, Saffron found that she wasn’t disturbed by it, unlike before when she had been surrounded by those men in the cabin.

And, that thought along with all the questions she had about the strangeness of this man and this situation had her sealing her lips shut.

She couldn’t risk trusting this man with the only reason that she had, to survive this hellhole.

No, she wasn’t going to say a word, not even as his dark brown eyes perused her with interest that was reflected back in her irises.

His lips curled upwards, as if he sensed her inner musings.

“What is your name, human?” he asked, his dark gaze flickering with open curiosity and something darker.

And there was that damn word again. Human.

Yes, she was human, and she was so tired of being referred to as that, as if they were different from her, as if they belonged to another species that wasn’t entirely human.

It took her a moment to reply, her tongue feeling too heavy in her mouth. “Saffron.”

“Saffron,” he replied, rolling her name on his tongue, his gaze still perusing her face.

He considered her in silence, as he tilted her head upward to meet his gaze.

Maintaining his gaze took considerable effort, every instinct of hers roaring for her to drop to her knees before him and keep her gaze down but she refused to do so.

Though continuing to stare at him physically hurt her senses, Saffron didn’t know where else to look. She was simply captivated by the swirls of gold in his dark gaze and the threat of something unknown deep within his orbs.

His lips curled slightly, as he watched her reactions to him before he released her chin and took a step back.

“Until we meet again, Saffron.”

With those final words, he was gone, just as suddenly as he had appeared.

Saffron let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding.

And it was then that she realized that she didn’t even know his name.