Chapter 38 38
If only she had been a she-wolf.
Then she would’ve understood what a fated mate truly was what it meant, how deeply it bound two souls together.
But the Moon Goddess had chosen a human for him instead.
A beautiful, innocent little girl.
“Why did you try to run?”
His voice was gentle, but beneath it lay a need for answers.
She stayed silent.
He didn’t allow it.
“I need the truth.”
This time his tone dropped dangerously low, leaving no space for excuses.
“Y-you… y-you l-locked me in,” she whispered.
When he didn’t respond, she knew he wanted more.
“I w-was scared y-you’d hurt me.”
Her chin trembled as the words spilled out.
He already knew the answer.
But hearing it still twisted something ugly in his chest.
More than anything, he wanted her to feel safe with him.
Yet he had given her no reason to.
“I won’t hurt you,” he said again.
For the third time tonight.
Sofía only nodded, unable to find her voice.
Fernando gently tended to the wound on her forehead.
His eyes drifted over her swollen, bruised face, and rage surged through him all over again.
Those men deserved to die.
Her cheeks were already puffing from their blows.
He was relieved she’d showered.
He couldn’t smell them on her anymore.
Now she was wrapped in his clothes, and a powerful possessiveness coursed through him.
His gaze lingered on her small frame drowning in his oversized shirt.
She looked…
Adorable.
The word startled him.
It had never existed in his vocabulary before.
Yet somehow, this girl was rewriting everything inside him.
“W-what h-happened t-to t-them?” she whispered.
Though shaky, he understood.
“I handled them,” he replied calmly. “The police would’ve caught them by now.”
As he placed the supplies back into the first aid kit, her voice came again.
“W-who a-are you?”
For a split second, tension seized him thinking she sensed his secret.
But then he realized she meant something else.
“Fernando Ruiz.”
He stood and walked toward the kitchen.
She hadn’t eaten all day.
She must be starving.
Cooking wasn’t his strength he always ordered food.
But at this hour, everything would be closed.
Then again…
He wasn’t an ordinary man.
He was a billionaire who had faked his own death to fool enemies.
Damn it.
He opened the refrigerator, pulled out fruit, and cut them into awkward shapes with whatever skill he had.
He poured a glass of milk and carried the tray back.
Sofía was quietly rubbing the bandage on her ankle when she heard his footsteps.
She straightened immediately.
He placed the dish in front of her.
Her eyes flicked from the food to his face.
“Eat.”
His tone made it clear no arguments.
She slowly picked at the strawberries, cherries, and a slice of apple.
After a few bites, she stopped.
Normally she ate well, but today…
Everything had destroyed her appetite.
The irony wasn’t lost on her.
The man she’d been running from was the same one who’d saved her.
“Here.”
Fernando placed two pills in her palm.
“Painkillers.”
She nodded faintly and swallowed them with milk, only managing half the glass.
He wasn’t pleased with how little she consumed, but he didn’t push.
Taking the tray, he left.
When he returned a while later, she was still sitting there, lost in thought or misery.
“Try to sleep,” he said softly.
She lowered herself onto the bed, pulling the duvet up to her chest.
Her stiff posture told him everything.
She was afraid of him.
What would happen when she learned the truth about what he was?
She would be shattered.
Probably run far away.
“You’re safe here,” he murmured.
“T-thank you,” she whispered in a small, fragile voice.
“For what?” he asked quietly.
“For s-saving m-me.”
She peeked up at him through thick black lashes.
Control.
He growled inwardly at Hunter, who was desperate to pull her into his arms.
Fernando stepped closer and crouched slightly.
Her muscles tightened instantly, bracing for pain.
But instead…
His lips pressed gently against her temple.
The kiss was pure.
Soft.
Protective.
Her breath hitched.
“I will protect you,” he whispered before turning away and leaving the room.
Outside, he inhaled deeply, forcing calm into himself.
As he headed to his room, he heard the soft click.
She locked the door.
The corner of his lips lifted just slightly a rare expression on his face.
Good.
She should be cautious.
Inside his room, heat rushed through him.
He yanked off his shirt and collapsed onto the bed.
His thoughts filled with only one person.
His mate.
What happened today would never happen again.
He would shield her from every danger in this world.
But how would he protect her…
From himself?
She wasn’t foolish.
Naive yes.
But not stupid.
She understood what men wanted.
And she could read the hunger in his eyes.
She feared him because she was drawn to him.
Her body craved his touch.
Her mind fought it.
Maybe she had trust issues.
But why?
Had someone broken her heart?
Or hurt her before?
Whoever it was…
He would make them suffer slowly.
Painfully.