Her Fierce Protector

Chapter 6

"YOU know, a lot of our tribesmen think that I will inherit your father's position because I'm the best."

Ashera kept rolling her eyes whenever she heard the proud stories of Ruso. She kept sighing as well, being bored but trying to act interested.

"That's when I thought that we are really a perfect fit for each other. You're beautiful and I'm handsome, right?"

Ashera shrugged as a response as she looked around looking for a way to escape from Ruso. She already had enough of his air and she hated it a lot, he has the habit of telling a lot of stories to her that could never be done without boosting himself.

"I really admire you, Ashera. You're not just beautiful, but adventurous too. You are brilliant, and I really like your voice."

"Okay," Ashera said, she doesn't seem interested. She was looking at the flowers around and sighed again when she remembered how beautiful the flowers are in the Alawin forest. That's the beauty of earth when there is nothing and no one that destroys it. It is the kind of beauty that grows naturally, spontaneously perfect.

She is thankful for the rules they believe, because of that, the Alawin forest is untouchable, no one dared to enter the dangerous forest that they believe to be the home of werewolves. Though, at the same time she felt annoyed, because of that baseless belief, she cannot go there whenever she wants to.

She felt sorry for her fellow tribesmen, those people who believed in that baseless belief, because of that, they missed the chance to see the paradise, the very beautiful place of Alawin forest, and she knows that the forest can offer more for a stranger like her, and she is willing to explore the forest, yet because of his father's strict surveillance, looks like her plan will be very impossible.

"Ruso, I think I have to answer the call of nature, I want to pee," Ashera said to her boastful suitor.

"Sure, I'll accompany you—"

"What?!" Ashera shouted, "What do you mean by you'll accompany me? Are you out of your mind?!"

"Your father told me to keep my eyes on you, Ashera—"

"No!" Ashera yelled, "You'll just stay here while I do my thing there! That's a private thing!"

"Ashera—"

"You'll agree, or I'll tell father that you're disrespecting me?" she threatened.

Her boastful suitor sighed, "Alright. Just be quick, and don't ever deceive me, or else I will tell your father about your stunt."

Ashera smiled successfully and went behind a big tree.

"Turn around, Ruso!" she ordered, and she grinned when she saw Ruso doing what she had told him to do.

She glanced at Ruso, and instead of doing her thing, she immediately ran as fast as she could away from Ruso. She was laughing when he finally got there in her favorite forest.

"Oh my home!" she happily said as she turned around, "I missed admiring your beauty!"

She started feeling the fresh air, she closed her eyes as she breathed in the fresh air that she had missed, the cold blow of wind that was embracing her skin, she smiled as she opened her eyes… Yes! I'm in Alawin Forest!

She started walking and roaming her eyes around, making herself satisfied with the beauty of greenery. Those trees are full of green leaves, the grasses and wildflowers that grow everywhere, those fruits were resting on the ground because of too much ripeness… it's just her who gets to see and experience it.

She admired the beauty of butterflies on the flowers, and she wondered how the forest would look at night. She would love to see it.

"Ashera!" she suddenly stopped when she heard the familiar voice of Ruso, sounding so mad.

"Ashera! Trust me, when I see you, you will never like what I will do to you!" Ruso shouted.

Ashera gasped and tried to look where Ruso is and her mouth dropped open when she saw him coming to the entrance of Alawin forest. She started panicking, didn't know what to do, but she was shocked and her heart thumped doubling the normal pace of its beat when a pair of muscled arms wrapped around her and carried her. She was about to scream for help, but the stranger covered her mouth and they hid behind the big stem of a tree she didn't know.

"Ashera?!" her eyes widened when she saw Rosu coming in her direction, "Ashera!"

She watched Ruso roam around, probably looking for her and she silently prayed that her mad boastful suitor would not see her. She even forgot about the outrageous person who just carried her and pulled her to hide. And when realized that, she prepared himself to scream but she stopped when the person whispered in her ear giving her goosebumps.

"Let him leave first," the stranger said in a very cold voice that she could even feel on her skin.

They all waited for Ruso to leave, Ruso kept on calling her name but she had no plan of answering his call.

Just go home, Ruso. You're just wasting your time and energy!

When Ruso finally left the forest, that's just when the stranger gently let go of her.

"You can scream now, Lady," his deep and cold baritone voice enveloped her ears. She had never heard of such an amazing voice before. Instead of screaming, she turned and looked at the guy.

Her eyes settled on the stranger's eyes. She gulped and got mesmerized, seemed hypnotized by that beautiful pair of gray eyes. The guy never averted his gaze, he bravely fought her stares. Her eyes traveled up, and that's when she noticed that like his eyes, he also has dark gray hair and thick brows. Her eyes traveled down, and her mouth dropped open staring at his aristocratic nose, and she suddenly gulped seeing those pinkish wet-looking lips.

Wow!

"Done checking on me?" the guy asked. That's just when she remembered that she knew the guy… but why do I only appreciate his appearance now?

It's… Amaru, that awkward-looking guy with the emotionless face she met last time with that talkative other guy named Xerxes…

Her eyes narrowed when she suddenly remembered her basket.

"Where is my basket?" she suddenly asked without even thinking. She saw his sexy lips opened, then suddenly turned his head and a soft chuckle escaped from his mouth. Ashera looked at him and unbelievably admired his well-defined jaw.

"N-nevermind…" she said and shook her head, she gulped a lot of times. "What are you doing here? Didn't you know that Alawin forest is dangerous for you, a human, to stay?!"

His gray eyes darted into her, she gasped and moved a step backward.

"Alawin forest?"

"This!" Ashera pointed to the ground, "This is Alawin forest! A forbidden forest for mortals because this forest is dangerous!"

The guy looked down on her feet and immediately looked back at her eyes again, "And where are you standing now, Lady? Aren't you a mortal? Yet… your feet are on the ground of the forest which you say is forbidden." He suddenly smirked, then smiled sweetly, though his eyes remained emotionless.

Ashera gulped and rolled her eyes, "I love this forest… this is my… home," she said, her voice losing volume.

"Home?" the man let out a sarcastic laugh. "If this is your home, you must live here then. Where is your house?"

Ashera threw a dangerous glare at the man who owned those pair of gray eyes who just sounded rude at her, "It shouldn't be your thing to know where my house is! You shouldn't be here! This place is dangerous!"

"Hmm…" the man said and walked away, and she got the urge to call him.

"Hey! Where are you going?!"

He turned to her, "Home…"

"What?!" Ashera shouted, she walked towards the rude man, "W-why? Where do you live? I thought you live in another village? You got lost again here?"

The brows of the man furrowed, "It shouldn't be your thing to know where my house is…" he said mimicking her.

Ashera pouted, "It's so strange to meet a stranger… I got used to the people in our village. I know all of them… do you have a mother?"

"How could I be made without having one?" the man logically said making Ashera felt insulted and irritated.

"You can just answer my question without being sarcastic, right?!" Ashera yelled.

"And I guess you can speak without yelling, Lady."

"Your friend is nicer than you!" Ashera said.

The brows of the gray-eyed man turned up after gearing what she had said. He averted his gaze and sighed.

"What are you doing here, Lady? I thought this place was dangerous. Aren't you a mortal? Or maybe you're a goddess…"

"What?! I'm a mortal!" she yelled again.

"You look like a goddess… a pretty goddess, Lady," he said bluntly and Ashera did not know how to react. She got used to hearing compliments, especially when it's about her beauty, but only his words caught her off guard.

She was speechless, she just stared at his face. He looked so perfectly handsome. She couldn't even believe if he was true, or just a product of her imagination… and she wondered why she didn't notice such a masterpiece during their first meeting.

"Stop staring at me like you're exploring my body, Lady," the guy said.

"I have a name!" she yelled again, got irritated with what he kept on calling her, "Ashera is my name! Don't call me lady! My name is beautiful!"

"No one argued about your name being… horrible."

"Shut up!"

The guy chuckled again and sighed, "You better leave now… Ashera."

Ashera had goosebumps again gearing him calling her name. Why does my name sound even more beautiful when he is the one uttering it?

Ahh! Maybe this is just the effect of being guarded strictly for days… feeling and hearing strange towards… some… things

"I'll bring your basket next time, Lady… I'll get you some ripe and fresh fruits so you'll not be eating those green… sour… one."

"What?! Are you insulting me?!"

The man smiled at her, "You still look… loving even when you act like that, Lady… you're a poison."

"Shut up!"

The guy stares at her, and she can't believe herself stopping herself from breathing as if she was being careful with her actions.

"Such a temptation…" he murmured enough for her to hear, "I should leave now…"

The man moved away, Ashera watched him… and just found herself smiling, admiring his wide shoulders covered with clothes.

He's… different.