The First Hunter

Leanne

Bet-Khar leaves the room and I'm left alone with the fire-breathing male named Zahraun. His head snaps in my direction as the door slides shut and panic begins to raise in my chest. He sits on a couch about 15 feet away from me. The look in his eyes make every hair in my body stand on end and send shivers down my spine. I don't know how long I stayed motionless by the entrance staring at him. A minute? Ten minutes? Maybe If I didn't move he'd be think I'm dead.

With a scowl on his face he begins to move. He rises from the couch to his full height, and his towering frame and dark energy makes the room feel small. Then, to my shock and disbelief, he begins to remove his chest-plate. His movements are slow and deliberate.

Somewhere in the back of my mind, a small rational voice tells me to stay calm. That same objective part of me takes notice of the heavy armor now laying on the ground. I've polished Bet-khar's armor once, and I can see that the discarded armor is constructed from different materials, with varying degrees of tribal and symbolic ornamentation.

As of yet, he haven't made any aggressive moves towards me. He seems to be examining me with interest. But something tells me that if I ran, he would be thrilled. After all, I am prey.

As I continue staring at him, still frozen in place, he removes his wrist gauntlet and wrist blade. His nostrils flare slightly, as though inhaling the air surrounding me. He angles his head to my direction, his corded muscles bulge and he balled his fists.

I take two steps back when I see his knuckles turning a brighter shade. My back hits the door and I freeze. There is nowhere to go. He bend down to remove his remaining coverings, the loincloth joins the armor on the floor. He squares his massive shoulder, flex his arms and raise his chin in defiance. Is he showing off himself to me?

My eyes widen at the sight of a naked creature who may have been worshipped as a god by ancient earth civilizations. A deep breath makes his chest expand even further, showing off a skull trophy necklace adorning his thick neck.

Before I could blink, he is in front of me.  A low growl is the only warning I have before he grips my wrist with lightning speed. I feel the color drain from my face. His large hand encircles my wrist firmly but not too painfully. With fluid motion he places his other hand on the small of my back, and lean towards my face.

I try to break free but he is built like a war tank. Dipping his head to my neck he inhale deeply and exhale with a groan. His hot breath against my skin give me a sensation similar to a mild electric shock, leaving me paralyzed in place. He presses me close to him and give the sensitive spot on my neck a slow lick and I whimper. The sound make him stop abruptly. He look at me, his expression dark and unreadable, and then very deliberately removed his arms from around my waist and step away.

He cocks his head slightly to the side, eyes glowing in the dim light as he peer down at me. His imposing height put me in line with his waistline, and I notice faint scars all over his torso. One particular scar on the left side of his chest look bad, and I flinch imagining the pain and agony he sustained. An array of emotions crosses his features as he studies me. His chest raise and fall rapidly and I shiver, realizing that he is holding onto his self-control by a hair.

His expression turns cruel and I shriek in fear. He turns his back to me, head held high, and elegantly walks to the other room without a word.

What the hell just happened? I shake my head, barely holding back tears. Collapsing on the floor, I wrap my arms around myself and pull my knees up to my chest. I didn't want this – any of this. The complete loss of control over my own life is overwhelming, and the fact that Zahraun is the one chosen to keep me... make me feel even more vulnerable. I'm completely out of my league and I just want to go home.