Haunted by the Mysterious Alpha

CHAPTER 6

Emily’s POV.

My legs were swift as I ran through the forest that bordered the hamlet, tears seeped from my eyes and cascaded down my face. I want to make it stop, the pain that glided down my throat and twisted my stomach, but I couldn’t. I could still see my father’s face, the disappointment etched on his face, and the fact he left without saying goodbye.

The soles of my shoes pounded against the forest floor and splashed mud up my feet. My breaths, ragged and frantic lurched in my throat as the tears blurred my vision. I can barely see where I was going but I pressed on, each step taking me away to an unknown destination. My thirst for solitude burned through my nerves.

All around me was calm and still, the forest a quiet sanctuary of life and light. The golden rays of the afternoon sun filtered through the thick canopy of leaves above, casting a warm, dappled glow onto the forest floor. The trees stood tall and ancient, their trunks rough with age, branches swaying gently in the soft breeze, to the distant call of birds hidden among the trees.

I weaved through the towering trunks and ducked under low-hanging branches. My legs burned, but I pushed through, leaping over twisted roots and stones. The path ahead became wider, a burst of light appearing ahead as I noticed a shift in the air; the scent of damp earth and pine had faded and was replaced by the faint, clean smell of water.

Grasping my dress, I ran harder towards the opening just as the trees gave way to a river bank. I skidded to a halt and panted. My eyes darted to a humongous cliff, its structure a towering menace over the waters. To my left, the land sloped gently downward into a wide, open valley, its grassy expanse radiating under the afternoon sun.

And then I saw it, an old bridge with wildflowers snaking around its rails. Letting go of my dress, I walked down the riverbank, my feet leaving imprints on the sand as I covered the distance to the wooden architecture. The bridge creaked under my feet perhaps from antiquity or the fact that no one had used them in a long time.

A few steps down the bridge and I stopped, reminding myself yet another of my weakness. But this was the privacy I required, some moment of solitude while I grief my unfortunate life.

The tears found their way again, veering down my face and landed on the bridge but I wiped down. Closing my eyes, I filled my lungs with the fresh air and when I exhaled, reopened my eyes. The wind caressed my face and tousled my hair behind

I tugged nervously at my necklace just as a butterfly pirouetted in my face, its wings a whirr-like ripple of silk. “Hello, little fella.” A smile spilled on my lips. I brought up my finger and it perched.

A gasp escaped my lips as I stared at the little rainbow on my hand, coming out here wasn’t a bad idea after all, look who just made a new friend.

I chuckled and just while I was wondering what to name it, something cawed above my head, a crow with eyes as red as magma. It nabbed the butterfly off my hands and that was not all, it circled up in the sky. And then swooshed down towards me.

Panic set in. My eyes widened and just as I turned to flee, my feet slipped. A devastating cry escaped my lips as I plummeted into the water and the cold deep enveloped me.

*******

“Papa!!” I thrashed under water. My five year old self struggled to keep my body afloat but I was no match for the water. The castle’s pool gripped me, like claws pulled towards the dark bottom. “Help me!” I tried to scream but drank enough water to keep me shut. My body shuddered and just as my eyes were about to flutter close, he jumped into the water and pulled me close to him.

The strong arms of my father held me in place as he flapped us towards the flicker of light.

We emerged from the water and at my first inhale of air, I coughed up lots and lots of water and vowed never to swim again.

********

With all the strength I could muster, I broke out of the surface of the water and thrashed. My arms flailed underneath the water to keep me afloat, but the weight of my dress dragged me down and pulled me towards the bottom.

It was at this point I regretted leaving the hamlet. I regretted ever leaving the sight of Randolph and my father's men, and the worst ventured down the bridge.

“Help me!!!” I screamed. Gulping a handful of water, I scanned the environment and I was all alone. “Somebody, help!!”

The current dragged me and twisted me around in the water. My vision blurred and the world around me began to fade, a swirl of black and gray. I opened my mouth to scream and gulped more water. I struggled, but was no match against the liquid monster.

And so it ends, my eyes fluttered to a close and I drew what was supposed to be my last breath.

Someone plunged into the water near me. In my unconsciousness, I felt a pair of powerful arms grab me and thrust me against a broad chest. And he propelled us towards the top. His powerful strokes cut through the water, steady and firm, and he pulled us towards the banks.

A surge of wanton desires pulsated through every nerve in my body as he lifted me off the water, effortlessly, and gathered me in his arms. Gently, he lowered me on the sand and listened to my heartbeat. He began performing rounds of compression on me, but none of those seemed to work.

While uttering profanity, the stranger leaned closer, his face hovering just inches above mine, his breath warm against my damp skin. And then his lips settled over mine.

A jolt of energy surged through every nerve in my body as he gave back to me all that the river took from me; energy, hope, my breath. A burning sensation tore through me chest as I drew my first breath and coughed up mouthfuls of water.

The world slowly drifted back to focus– the first thing I registered was the coolness of the sand beneath me and the distant sound of the river.

I tried to move, but my body felt heavy, weighed down by exhaustion and the chaos. Where am I? What just happened? Slowly, the pieces of the puzzle began to fit— I was on the bridge, I was staring at a butterfly when a crow had jetted out of nowhere and attacked me. I’d fallen inside the water.

And then I caught a scent, the sweetest I have ever inhaled; a mix of musk and honey! It must be from the one who saved me. My eyes fluttered open and I welcomed the sharp rays of the sun. I blinked against the bright light, my heart pounding, I searched for him and then I saw him.

The universe stood at standstill as I stared into the most beautiful brown eyes, his hair was wet and wavy, and clung to his forehead. I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the way his jaw tightened, how his breath hitched slightly as his gaze flickered from my eyes to my lips, then back again to my eyes. The air around us tightened, it felt thick with something unspoken, something neither of us could deny.

Who is he?

A smile touched his lips and he leaned in closer as if studying my features. His thumb traced the line of my jaw, slow and deliberate, his touch gentle but full of tension, as if he was holding back something stronger, something primal. He traced the curve of my lips and continued to my neck. I swallowed hard, the world around me fading under his single touch, my heart hammered in my throat.

I parted my lips to speak but the words died in my throat instead, my gaze fell on his arm where an intricate tattoo rested against his sun-kissed skin. My gaze traveled ravenously on his soaked torso and was back on his face. This time, a smirk lit his expression.

Then, just as he’d appeared in my life, he jerked to his feet and left. “Wait!” I called out, too late he was lost to the trees. I didn't get to know his name, I wasn't even able to thank him for saving me.

All that was left were the imprints of his boots on the sand and his touch which still lingered on my skin, the warmth of his hands that’d just cradled me. My heart broke.

Will I ever see him again?