Luna Kiara

Unanswered Questions

Kiara

It would be an understatement to say I was perplexed. I didn't want to trust a strange man who arrived out of nowhere in the woods.

So many questions remained unanswered.

What was he doing alone in the woods at night? Why was he addressing me as mate? What were those odd sparks I felt whenever our flesh brushed against one another? Why did my body yearn for him to touch it?

It was strange.

Strangers touching me was something I disliked. I despised it when guys went too near to me. And after what the goons had done to me, I had no desire to associate with guys.

But there I was, all alone. Allowing him to carry me through the woods to a place only God knew about, and believing him when he said he wouldn't harm me.

I couldn't bring myself to approach him and clear my doubts. The events of the day had left me fatigued and shocked at the same time. At the very least, he had gotten rid of the criminals.

I took a big gulp of air.

When he shattered the metal chains, I was taken aback by his strength. He effortlessly broke them with his bare hands. Nonetheless, I was pleased when he grabbed the thug's arm and twisted it. It was good to see the perpetrator like that. I would have personally assassinated him, but Oswald was fast. He broke his neck like a withered twig.

His power was terrifying. It seemed as though he had superhuman abilities. Nothing seemed to be able to deter him. He was unstoppable.

It startled me, so I fled, trying to find a way out of the woods. The jungle was dark and I had a hard time seeing my route because it was late at night.

When he grabbed me, I thought my heart might jump out of my ribcage. What if he wanted to murder me too? My common sense told me that I shouldn't trust a shirtless stranger who had discovered me in the middle of nowhere but my heart was telling me otherwise.

Nonetheless, I didn't have an option. He promised that he would not harm me. In addition to warning me that I was heading farther into the woods and that a rogue could catch me.

I wasn't interested in being apprehended once more. For me, the last few days have been nothing short of hell.

While he held me in his powerful arms, my eyes began to close. Despite my tiredness, I battled it. I couldn't possibly go to sleep right now. I couldn't rest until I knew where this stranger was taking me.

He took me to a small cottage in the woods, much to my astonishment. It was a modest cabin, but it was warm and inviting. He carefully placed me at the front door and opened it.

I looked at him, still terrified. Was he expecting me to go in? As he rubbed the back of his neck, he shuffled on his feet.

"This is, well... my home. You are welcome to stay here. I'll assist you heal," he started.

My mouth drew apart. Was I meant to remain with him at his house now? This was not going in the direction I desired. I started to regret that day I had run off into the woods. I should have contacted my coworkers and attempted to explain everything to them. At least then, I wouldn't be in this mess.

"I'm going to stay outside. You can sleep in the room."

He hastily added after remaining silent for sometime. Perhaps he sensed my unease. My brow furrowed.

Why was he treating me so well? Did he intend to take advantage of my trust after earning it? I pressed my lips together and took a peek around. We were surrounded by a variety of different sized and shaped trees. Darkness enveloped everything around us.

I let out a sigh. I didn't have much of a choice.

"Th... thank you," I mumbled as I walked into the small cabin. It was a one-room cottage with limited furnishings. In the room, there was an old mattress. That's probably where he used to sleep.

"You can sleep there. I would have taken you to the river to bathe, but it's late. We may go there first thing in the morning," he stated "You still have to recover. You're in pain," he added.

I nodded, forcing a smile. When he left me alone in the room, I glanced at the closed door, perplexed.

He was being very gracious... But for what? Perhaps I should make an attempt to flee before he decides to exploit me.

It wasn't long until my worn out body relaxed on the mattress. The bed was hard and unpleasant, but it provided the most relief my exhausted body had had since the day I fled.

My eyelids became heavy, and I was fast asleep in an instant.

I slept like a baby the entire night. I didn't anticipate him to be calmly waiting for me in the living room when I finally awoke and walked out of the room.

My heart raced as he flashed a boyish grin.

I froze.

No! This isn't acceptable. Stop being so naive!

I criticised myself. After everything I had been through, I should be terrified of men, not ecstatic at the sight of the first one that emerged. My gaze was drawn to his well-toned torso.

My mouth was watering. Why, in the universe, was he always shirtless?

I despised it.... No. I suppose I didn't despise it, but it was… disturbing.

I forced myself to look at his face. His grin had been replaced with a sly grin. My heart raced a little faster.

Was he aware that I was checking him out? s**t!

I swallowed my saliva and looked at the open door. The day appeared to be becoming warmer than I expected. The sun's rays streamed into the forest despite the trees' foliage.

"Is it already late?" I asked, squinting at the trees.

I heard him sigh.

"It's already beyond noon."

My pupils dilated. That was the longest sleep I'd ever had.

He said, "I had been waiting for you to wake up."

It was then I noticed that he was holding some fruits in his hands.

He said, "I wanted to give this to you."

My mouth dropped open as I pondered how long he had been holding it. I smiled gratefully as I accepted the fruit.

"I... I'll start the fire."

My brows furrowed as I looked at him.

"I have caught a deer that we could roast... for lunch," he explained, "I knew you'll be hungry."

I was amazed by his generosity. Everything about him was surprising.

But I can't put my faith in him. After what Danny did to me, I'm not going to fall for the small stuff. I needed confirmation of his loyalty, which couldn't be earned in a day or two. Being tricked once was enough.

I reminded myself sternly. Despite this, I was not able to keep my heart from leaning towards him.

Damn my irrational heart!

While he skinned and grilled the deer for us to eat, I patiently waited. He was accurate. I was starving.

We ate in silence, my mind racing with unanswered thoughts. I felt compelled to question him every time I caught a glimpse of him.

Why was he living in the woods by himself? Wasn't he afraid of being alone? What's more, why doesn't he have any clothes? I want to touch his mouth-watering abs every time I see them.

No, I'd like to do a lot more than just touch them. If only I had the ability to run my tongue over them...

I shook my head and blinked.

Snap! It happened again!

I'd better get out of here as soon as possible...

He took me to a nearby clear brook, as promised, to wash the filth off my body. He kept his distance at first, glancing at me as if it wasn't such a huge thing. But he immediately took a step back, as if he had just realised something.

Inwardly, I chuckled. He was a hot guy who appeared to be too good to be true.

Wait… did I just call him hot? Ugh!

I stripped off my clothes and stepped into the refreshing water after he was gone. It was like being in heaven. The cool water was blissful.

As I cleansed my body, I was reminded of Danny's character. He was the ideal gentleman. The kind of guy every girl fantasised about.

Kind, considerate, handsome, and supportive... he was everything I was looking for in a man. But look at how he turned out. He was the biggest fraud I had ever met.

I frowned at the idea and scoffed. Sighing, I cast a peek into the horizon. There was no one in sight. The leaves of the trees swayed peacefully with the breeze.

I swallowed the accumulated saliva. Maybe now was the moment to go. Oswald was not in sight, and if I didn't take advantage of this opportunity, I might never get another.

I peered in the direction he went away and cautiously crawled out of the water, and wore the filthy shirt because it was the only thing I had.

Without spending any more time, I turned around and sprinted in the opposite direction, silently asking God to lead me to my coworkers.

***

My fortune had to be cursed. I ran right into his chest after wandering around for a long time. When my eyes met his piercing blue ones, my stomach fell.

He didn't appear to be in a good mood. I moved away, afraid he would hurt me, but he quickly grabbed me and threw me over his shoulder. He carried me to his home. I knew protesting would be pointless, so I chose to remain silent. I remembered how easily he snapped the thugs' necks. His power was incredible and scary. I didn't want to feel his fury.

On our walk back to his small cottage, I prayed to the heavens that I wouldn't have to face his wrath. I expected him to scold me, or at least scream for running away, but he didn't, much to my surprise.

"Why are you still running? Is it possible that I'm not good enough?"

As soon as he sat me down on the floor after entering his house, he inquired.

My body stiffened in response to his question. Is he good enough? Why would he ask me that?

When I didn't respond, he remarked, "I have found some outfits for you," further confusing me. He chuckled nervously at my confusion.

"I kind of stole it."

I scanned his face.

"Stole it?"

I couldn't stop my tongue from moving. It was the first time I'd actually spoken to him. I wondered if he was a thief after hearing his confession.

Before saying anything else, he brushed his tongue over his lips.

"I had no choice. It's difficult to survive in the wild. I don't like stealing, but there are instances when I don't have a choice," he responded.

"But why do you keep running, mate? We are in the middle of the forest. You have no idea where you're heading," he informed me. "Besides, you've been terribly hurt. You'll need some time to recover."

I took a big breath and exhaled slowly. I couldn't understand why he was being so nice to a stranger. The only explanation I could come up with was that he was trying to take advantage of me. He would be plotting to harm me in the same way Danny and Joy did.

I just couldn't put my faith in him.

However, he was correct at the same time. I had no idea where I was going and needed some time to recover. But wouldn't I need medical help for that?

I informed him, "I have to go to the city to get the medicine."

That wasn't a lie. Anyway, I couldn't bring myself to tell him what I had done. I couldn't tell him I had slain two people and taken refuge in the woods and now was regretting it. I couldn't tell him that I wanted to confess.

"Are you sure you want to?"

As I peered into his eyes, the tenderness of his speech made me gasp. As his blue eyes pierced mine, they were tinged with sadness.

Was he disappointed that I wanted to go?