Fierce? Getting her ass kicked by three men, and he called her fierce?

Soraya wanted to laugh if it weren’t for the adrenaline coursing through her veins. Those assholes had gotten her good, and there was a slight ringing in her ear.

“Allow me to take a look at that,” Alkimos said while reaching for her face.

His voice…she liked the sound of it. The deep cadence of it soothed her. Even still, she froze as his fingertips brushed strains of hair behind her ear then he moved down to grip her chin and tilt her head to the side so he could get a better look at her wound.

His touch was gentle, and his fingertips hovered just above the throbbing she was beginning to feel as the adrenaline and shock wore off. She didn’t know why she was letting him do this, but the next thing she knew a warm almost numbing sensation started to spread along her temple.

“There. How does your head feel?” His voice rumbled, low and steady.

Blinking up at him once, twice—it hurt to look at him straight on all of a sudden. The pulsing throb she felt behind her eyes earlier was coming back in full force, and she tried to blink the pain away.

Ignoring that particular pain, she reached up to the side of her head and tenderly touched the spot where the tingling sensation was fading. Prodding the skin, she didn’t feel anything out of the ordinary, but when she pulled her hand away, she stared with shock at the blood coating her fingertips.

She flinched when he wrapped his large hand around her raised palm and brought a cloth to her fingers, gently wiping away the blood. His touch was tender as he held her hand, and tender still when he brought the cloth to the side of her head to pat away the blood there.

Soraya swallowed hard. “I—why am I bleeding?” she asked, confused.

He tilted his head slightly to the side. “You were attacked rather viciously.”

“I was?”

Then, what Soraya could only describe as understanding softened his eyes. With a kind smile, he gently took her hand. “Come, I shall escort you to your lodgings. It’s not safe out here for you.”

Then, what Soraya could only describe as understanding softened his eyes. With a kind smile, he gently took her hand.

“Come, I shall escort you to your lodgings. It’s not safe out here for you.”

It was on the tip of her tongue to argue, but as he began to lead her away, his arm wrapped securely around her shoulders.

Before they moved too far, she happened to glance back and noticed an indent in the concrete wall, with spiderweb cracks spreading outward from the center.

The three men came rushing back to her mind, and she swallowed hard at the terrifying memory. That was right… she’d had her head slammed against the wall, right around where the indent was.

I must be in shock, she concluded. I might even be concussed—how else could I forget what happened to me so soon?

No sooner did the thought cross her mind than her legs gave out beneath her, forcing her to lean heavily on the stranger—Alkimos—for support.

Without a word, he bent down and swept her off her feet. Strong arms enveloped her, pressing her against a solid chest. She felt so tired. So unbelievably tired.

“Where do you live, little one?” she heard him ask, his voice gentle, just as her eyes slid shut and she fell unconscious.

~

The methodical sound of footsteps stirred her awake.

The first thing Soraya felt was weightlessness as if she were wrapped in thick blankets and drifting through the air. She’d had dreams like this before—completely paralyzed, her eyes shut but fully aware. In those dreams, her body would start to float off the bed, unable to move a muscle as she drifted higher and higher, trapped in her mind until she managed to gasp herself awake.

Except this time, her eyes blinked open without restraint, and she realized she truly was floating, cradled securely in the arms of someone very strong.

“Is this your apartment?”

She looked up and squinted at the kind, handsome face of the stranger. There was something about the light in the hall that made it difficult to focus on him fully. The lingering pain behind her eyes pulsed faintly but hadn’t disappeared entirely.

His question registered in her mind, and she slowly turned her head to look at her door.

Apartment 303.

“This is my apartment,” Soraya said, confused. Her voice was raspy, as though she were waking from years of sleep. How did he know where she lived?

Exhausted, she let her head fall back against his chest and closed her aching eyes. She figured he probably wanted to be done with her. He could lay her by the front door and leave for all she cared at that moment.

Click.

She heard the front door swing open, and then she felt herself being carried inside. Her heart jolted—why wasn’t the door locked? She was sure she’d locked it before she left.

Fighting to wake herself, she struggled to open her eyes and placed a weak hand on his chest, pushing as she mumbled, “Letmedown.”

Even in her exhaustion, she was acutely aware that a strange man was carrying her half-conscious into her apartment. He may have saved her, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t a potential threat.

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

The door clicked shut behind them as he walked deeper into her apartment.

A flutter of panic rose in her chest. She didn’t know where he was taking her. She’d heard the stories—women saved from one attacker, only to be assaulted by their rescuer.

She opened her mouth to protest no matter how feeble the demand would be when he gently started to lower her. She felt her bottom meet a hard surface and the top half of her body tipped back before he wrapped his muscular arm around her waist, his hand splayed in the middle of her back.

He sat her down on the island bar in their kitchen.

“Steady, little one. You must have taken a bigger hit than I originally thought.” His soft, rumbling voice sent shivers down her spine. “Are you cold?” He asked, worry clear in his voice.

She didn’t respond as another shiver ran down her spine.

His body shifted around her, and his comforting arm slipped from her back. His other equally muscular arm wrapped around her, and she heard the faint rustle of fabric. Something large and heavy—his coat, she realized—was draped over her shoulders.

Warmth surrounded her, and instinctively, she took a deep inhale.

Lavender and sandalwood mixed with something else she couldn’t quite place—something tantalizing and familiar completely enveloped her. It was like a memory she no longer consciously held, but her body remembered.

Her earlier panic and distress evaporated in an instant and she found herself leaning into him, her nose burying itself in his chest.

And she just breathed.

His hand slipped into the back of her hair, holding her against him, letting her take her time as she unwound herself in him.

She liked it. She liked it a lot that he was allowing her to find comfort in him. Then his scent changed. It became more enticing, beckoning her to find a way to get closer.

Her hips shifted on the counter, thighs rubbing together as little sparks of arousal danced on her clit.

Her hands moved on their own accord, reaching for the front of his turtleneck sweater. She gripped the soft material between her fingers. Her legs slid along the countertop as she tried to pull him between her inviting thighs when his throat cleared.

The hand that was cradling the back of her head tugged on her hair slightly.

“Let me see you,” he commanded softly. His voice was richer, deeper, and slightly breathless to her ears.

Soraya allowed him to pull her away from his chest, her head tipping back between her shoulder blades, her eyes still closed shut. She was breathing heavily; her pulse began to beat faster in her chest—like a wild call coming from within her that she couldn’t control.

As she struggled to gain control of herself, Alkimos tilted her head to the side, and she felt his other hand brush strands of her hair behind her ear again.

A soft intake of breath and her eyes finally cracked open.

His mouth was slack as he gazed down at her face. His studious eyes latched onto her dark ones. The pulsing behind her eyes had eased somewhat, and she was finally able to take a good look at him.

He had kind eyes. Kind silver-gray eyes.

There was a slight flush to his high cheekbones and she watched as his lush lips trembled slightly while he gazed down at her. His fingers trailed down her ear before hovering just above her lips. He was so close to touching her.

Soraya wanted him to touch her. She needed him too.

A needy noise escaped the back of her throat.

Alkimos stepped between her legs, and her body sang at his nearness. She yanked on his shirt again, and to her relief he actually leaned further down over her, causing her hips to slide off the counter until her center was flush against the buttons of his slacks.

Her legs wrapped around his hips and she squeezed her thighs as he leaned her back against the counter, hand still cradling the back of her head.

“Of all the places to find you. I never thought I would meet you in this world, little mate,” he whispered.

She didn’t know what he was talking about, and she didn’t care. She only wanted him closer. She squeezed her thighs tighter around him, and he shuddered against her.

She liked that—a lot.

Her hand slid up from his chest until it reached the warm skin of his neck. Curving her hand around the back of it, she pulled, and he came obligingly, closer and closer until she was able to capture his bottom lip, sucking it into her mouth.

Soraya had no clue what she was doing or why he was going along with her inappropriate demands. She was not in control.

He groaned, but she spoke too soon. Proving he had the stronger moral strength not to jump the bones of a stranger he’d met less than twenty minutes ago, he pulled away from her.

She tried to drag him back to her, but his casual strength broke her hold as if she were nothing more than a rag doll.

“There is nothing more I would like to do than claim you, little mate,” his deep voice came out gruff. “But I must see to your needs first and perhaps learn your name.”

Breathless, she managed to respond. “Soraya.” Then she squeezed her eyes shut, trying to regain control of her facilities. She was acting insane, and they both knew it. “I’m sorry,” she whispered, ashamed. Had she just assaulted him? Fuck, she had definitely taken some liberties with him, and guilt trickled through her at her actions.

Grabbing ahold of that sticky emotion, she forced her arms back to the counter and pushed herself up.

He furrowed his brow. “Sorry for what, Soraya? There’s nothing to be sorry for.”

“I just—” she sucked in a shaky breath, “I’m pretty sure I just assaulted you. And I don’t even know—”

Faster than she could register, he had her chin between his thumb and forefingers, forcing her to look at him. All signs of emotions whipped from his face. “You did not, little mate. I was equally enjoying myself with you. Do you understand this?”

Shocked by his fierceness, all she could do was nod.

“Good, Soraya. Now, go find a change of clothes.” His face darkened suddenly. “The stench of those males on you is eating away at my patience the longer it blocks your sweet scent from me.”

Sweet…scent…males…

“Huh?” That was all she could manage to say.

Without another word, he pulled her off the counter and gently placed her on her feet. The alluring scent of lavender and sandalwood mixed with something uniquely him was more potent the closer she got to Alkimos. “Wash and change; we shall discuss more when you have settled. I see there needs to be a long discussion.”

Her mind reeling, she nodded in agreement. Don’t ask her why, but she trusted him more than she trusted herself at the moment, and a shower was a nice escape from whatever the hell just happened on the kitchen counter. What she wanted to continue on the kitchen counter still as her body throbbed.

Turning around, she fled to her room, quickly grabbing fresh clothes before ducking into the bathroom to take a nice cold shower to help collect her thoughts.

When she was finished washing up and changing into her new hoodie and leggings, she stepped out of the bathroom with her phone clutched in hand.

She spotted Alkimos leaning against the kitchen stove, his arms crossed over his chest. He seemed to take up the entire space, like her apartment was trying to contain him but was simply too small to hold him.

His eyes were on her the moment she left the bathroom, making her feel self-conscious.

Feeling incredibly shy, she opened her mouth to speak, but her phone started ringing. Looking down at the screen, she didn’t hesitate to answer Jesmine’s call.

“Jesmine?”

“Soraya! I’m—”

Soraya didn’t catch what Jesmine was about to say next. An ear-splitting shriek blasted the speakers, making her rip the phone away from her ear just before the call went dead.

Wide-eyed, she spun toward Jesmine’s door, which stood open to reveal a dark, empty room.

Where the fuck was Jesmine?