Soren's Blackfire Luna(Breeder#5)

Chapter 3: Who Are You?

*Soren*

When the healer, Lee, arrived with Ashley, I motioned to the bed where the strange young woman slept.

Lee immediately started examining her, frowning and making strange faces.

I looked at Payne and Ashley.

“Wait outside," I instructed.

Neither of them protested and I shut the door gently behind them.

Crossing my arms, I leaned against the nearest wall and watched Lee examine the girl. The previous night, my drunkenness and fatigue had kept me from seeing anyone but Rosalie. Now I had a chance to really look at her.

She was much younger than I thought, only in her early twenties. No doubt beautiful—the kind of dangerous beauty that was bound to come with a troubled past, secrets, and baggage no one wanted to handle.

Even while she slept, eyes closed, her delicate, soft features had me captivated. She had pale skin, like a porcelain doll, and it was just as perfect and blemish-free as porcelain. And yet, her cheeks were flushed with a gentle rose color, giving her a warm and soft look.

Her hair framed her face perfectly, making her red lips and gentle cheeks pop out noticeably.

Then there was her body… I'd seen more than enough of that to know what was hidden under the sheets. A slim little waist with ample curves in her breasts and hips with a hint of athleticism.

I couldn't help but appreciate her.

There was more to her than physical attractiveness. Something in her aura told me that what I saw, part of her charm was her ambition. She was a blooming red peony, so rare and vibrant that once seen, no one would look away.

Even as I stared at her, unable to pry my eyes off, I thought of Rosalie. Sweet, gentle, quiet Rosalie. She was a white rose, soft and beautiful but not overbearing. Low key and innocent with a certain grace and elegance that made her stand out.

Nothing like this stranger in my bed.

In her sleep, her lips twitched in a slight smirk and I realized that she had a stubborn streak, perhaps even a little immaturity. The kind of immaturity that leads to rebelliousness and determination. She hadn't lived long enough for the world to strip that away from her yet.

Seeing that on her face, I realized she was one of the most good-looking women I'd ever laid eyes on…

What the f**k was I thinking?

Standing here, eye f*****g a twenty-something-year-old girl who happened to fall into bed with me… for one night! This was ridiculous.

One-night stands were meant to be just that… one night.

How did I get stuck with her the next morning?

Sighing, I shook my head. I managed to keep my eyes off of her for a short moment, but like a black hole, she kept sucking me right back in.

Over the years I'd had my share of one-night stands. I was a man, after all, I had needs. But there were rules. The first and biggest rule was that after that one-night, we went our separate ways.

We didn't ask for names, or exchange life stories, we just gave each other what we needed and then we were done.

Groaning, I rubbed my sleepy eyes. Seriously, I must have been hungover because I wasn't thinking straight.

I hadn't needed to think about or analyze my romantic life in a long time. Mostly because the only woman I had ever loved was someone I couldn't have. I'd accepted that I would never have Rosalie but I also accepted that I'd never love anyone else.

Because I loved Rosalie, I could never give my heart to anyone else, not fully. It wouldn't be fair to them and it would eat me alive with guilt thinking I'd betrayed her somehow.

Was I that pathetic? How could I betray a woman who was never mine? Love was useless in my life.

I didn't need love. I had more important things to worry about. That's why it was safer to keep my heart in a place far away and unreachable, I knew I'd never get what I longed for.

The girl on the bed, she was just a random hookup.

That was best for everyone, but especially for her. I'd never be able to give her what women wanted.

Lee moved the bedsheets around and exposed a small splatter of blood. He glanced up at me with a pointed look and I shrugged nonchalantly.

I vaguely remembered smelling the blood the night before. As it was, in the morning, when I'd put her dress back on, I had seen it on the sheets. The way she'd thrown herself at me, literally, I hadn't expected her to be a virgin.

If the circumstances were different, I might have felt a little bad for taking her virginity. But I knew enough to know she wasn't an ordinary woman.

Innocent, fragile women didn't just show up in this village in the middle of a sandstorm. Hell, most women never came to this village even when the weather was ideal.

My suspicions about this girl grew more and more as I considered the circumstances of her being here.

Either she herself was a problem, a spy like Payne suggested. Or, she had a lot of baggage and that was going to bring problems to my doorstep. Whatever she was, I didn't care about the details. All that mattered to me was whether she was or was not bringing problems.

It wasn't like we had to know anything about each other's pasts to have a one-night stand. As it stood, she needed me and I needed her. We could leave it at that, once she woke up… whenever that would be.

“Why isn't she awake yet?" I asked.

There were no visible injuries on her body, nothing more than a little blistering and dehydration from the desert. And she'd been asleep for hours. She should have been rested by now.

Lee tucked the sheets in around her and left her lying on the bed. He'd done a thorough examination and the look in his eyes told me it wasn't good news.

“She's been poisoned," he said bluntly. “It is a poison that attacks shifters. Best case scenario she loses some of her senses, can't use the mindlink or sense the mate bond, and can't shift."

“What?" It took me by surprise and I spent a moment digesting the news. “And… worst case?"

“She'll die," Lee said. “She appears to be one of the rare and lucky ones if she isn't dead… yet."

“There's still a chance she might die?" I asked. Quickly, I glanced at her face again. It would be a shame for someone so appealing to die so young…

What was I thinking?

“At this point, I can't tell whether or not she'll make it. See, it isn't just the poison in her system. The two substances could be interacting adversely. Even if the poison wasn't meant to be fatal, it could still be," he reported.

“What else was she given?" I asked, creasing my brow.

Lee cleared his throat. “Well, she has copious amounts of aphrodisiac running through her system. Normally, someone with that much in their blood would be… very amorous, but it appears her needs have been… satiated."

Fuck! She was drugged? I thought she was drunk like me! How was I supposed to know that?

No, it wouldn't help anyone if I obsessed over this one-night stand. I just needed to focus on getting rid of the problem before it came back to bite me.

“The aphrodisiac should clear out on its own, right?" I asked based on my mild understanding of them.

“Yes," Lee confirmed with a nod.

“Is there anything you can do about the poison? That's what is going to kill her," I pointed out.

“There are some meds that might… help. Whether or not she'll make it is up to the Goddess, now," Lee said.

I nodded slowly and pushed off the wall, uncrossing my arms. “Give her what you think will help."

“Soren… given the circumstances, sometimes it's better to do less in order to prevent trouble," Lee said as he got his things together.

“I understand, thank you for coming."

My suspicions about the girl were already high. Lee's reminder helped me look past her face for the moment. She wasn't some innocent woman that showed up here. Helping her could cause more problems than I wanted to deal with.

“If I were you, I would move her to the shelter outside of town without treating her. If she wakes up on her own, she can leave from there with no memory of this place. If she dies… then the problem will have taken care of itself," Lee added.

“Right…"

A soft sigh came from the bed and I looked over. The girl's lips were slightly parted sensually. She rolled away from me and all I could see was her rich, reddish brown hair down her back.

From behind, she looked just like Rosalie the first time I ever saw her. The first time I realized I loved her.

I opened my mouth to agree with Lee. However, instead of saying “okay," my words were “Let me think about it."

“Alright, I will write up the prescription and instructions on how to use it. It will be up to you whether or not you administer it," the healer said.

“Payne," I called after Lee left.

Payne and Ashley came into the room, ready for instructions.

“Tighten security around the inn and our territory," I told Payne. “Ashley, get these meds. I want you to give them to this woman according to the instructions and monitor her for the next twenty-four hours."

“Consider it done," Ashley said. She took the prescription and headed off.

“Payne, there's something else I need from you," I called, stopping him before he left after Ashley.

Ashley paused too, lingering in the hallway.

“I need you to get a thorough background check on this girl. I want to know who she is, where she's been, where she was going, everyone she's had contact with."

Whatever threats this girl brought with her, I needed to know if I was risking people's lives here to keep her from dying.

“Yes, boss."

Payne shut the door on his way out and I turned my eyes back to the girl. A moth to a flame, I couldn't look away.

She had rolled on her back again and revealed her face again. Still so beautiful and dangerous.

“Who on earth are you?" I asked in a harsh whisper.