Lea Wulfric

When I manage to regain consciousness, my brain can't figure out where I am or what has happened, nor can it wake up enough to allow me to open my eyes. When I try to move, I am harassed by nausea, and it throws me even more out of balance. Did something bad happen? Am I okay? Did I pass out because I was dismembered and couldn't stand the pain inflicted on my body? Panic takes over me and I silently take a mental inventory of each of my limbs, looking for signs of wounds, blood, or any suspicious substance. I find nothing, beyond the fact that I remain in one piece, none of my limbs have been torn. I smile to myself due to my obvious stupidity, everything is fine, and I'm exaggerating.

Snap out of it Lea, this is no time to be laughing, open your eyes, I mentally yell at myself.

I try, but my eyelids seem to refuse to open, I struggle furiously with them, but nothing happens, I just find myself completely blind, thanks to the weakness I'm facing.

I try to recap where the hell I ended up. I was on a trip, as usual. And also, as usual, I never get out of my car, just to take care of some basic needs, and that’s what did, I found a place where could eat and go to the bathroom.

I arrived in the Shifter Forrest state, after crossing a police checkpoint that gave me a lot of hassle to get on my way. I was hungry, needed some water for my lips and gas for my car, so I stopped at a gas station. I refilled my tank, took care of my car, put some oil in it, some water, and filled the air in the tires. After that, I grabbed my stuff and crossed the street to a quaint little restaurant where I ordered a plate of food, and then... Nothing. Total darkness, I have no memory after that.

I think I try to remember, and... I see a red thing running through my body, I don't know how to explain it, it's so diffuse that I don't think it's real, it was an... explosion?

I open my eyes abruptly and wide when they finally seem to listen to me. The first thing I notice is a dark wooden ceiling, I recognize that I'm lying on a kind of bunk bed, there's an uncomfortable pillow under my head, and I'm very thirsty, as well as hungry.

“Was I kidnapped?” I wonder out loud, thinking I have said it in my mind until I hear a husky, masculine laugh in response.

“Kidnapped?” the voice asks sarcastically, “more like saved. If it weren't for me and my men, you'd be burned right now, and pretty much dead.”

I bite my lips to keep from letting out a moan that came out of nowhere at the sound of his voice. What's wrong with me? Did I just get turned on by hearing a sentence from a stranger? Am I out of my mind? Or is it just the concussion? Because I swear to the heavens, I had to have hit my skull, and that's why I'm so groggy.

I can't spot the mystery man who spoke to me, I only know he's sitting in the corner of the room, but he's blurry, my eyes can't quite focus on things because I need glasses to perform that feat, and I have no idea where mines are. Because of the way his figure looks, I can guess that he's crossed his arms and that he's very robust, the rest of the details are a mystery to me.

“Where am I?” I manage to articulate.

“At the fire station in the city of Beorhtwulf,” he answers, his voice is thick, resonant, and direct, the voice of a grown man who possesses some kind of leadership.

For a moment I don't know what to tell him, and then I react. Even though I don't know what's going through my mind.

“How did I get here?”

“To the city? Or to the station?”

“Both.”

“To the city, I have no idea, I was waiting for you to tell me, and to the station, I brought you. As I said before, if it wasn't for me, you'd be completely burnt, you'd be nothing but ashes floating in the air.”

“What do you mean? Why would I be burned?”

“We rescued you from a fire, the flames looked as if hell itself had broken loose on earth, and you were in the middle of all that mess. Floating around like a bloody terrifying witch from the underworld.”

Oh no, it happened again! I think to myself. On more than one occasion I have ended up setting myself on fire, out of nothing, I just combust into flames. I don't understand why, and that's why I've tried to run away as fast as possible, I'm dangerous to the rest of the people around me. Damn birthmark!

“Can you explain to me how you burned down half of my village just by flying in the air?” he asks, with a certain deadly tone that gives me goose bumps.

“I don't know, I don't even remember being surrounded by fire. I don't know what you're talking about, I swear.”

He stands up and when he does so, the sound the floor makes under his weight is terrifying and makes me think he must have heavy footwear, perhaps boots, which makes me swallow thickly, a hit on the rips with military bots will leave a huge bruise. He walks toward me like a skilled predator, making me shiver. This man is not ordinary, my gut tells me he's a magical being, like a shifter, or a warlock, or maybe a Nephilim... I hope he's not a vampire, those guys sure are nasty, I haven't met the first one who has any appreciation for human life.

I try to sit up, I get a little dizzy doing so, however, I manage to steady myself. I must be very vigilant in case I have to run for it and save my life as usual. I reach inside my pants for my mistletoe spray, but can't find it. I then realize that I am not wearing my clothes, these rags are too big for my body, and that is saying a lot because I am not a thin woman.

“I can smell your fear, when I should be the one running from you, Witch!”

Shit! So, if she's a supernatural being, and I'm in serious trouble. Although every time he calls me a witch something jumps inside me, as if the word squeezes my nipples, causing me electric shocks of pleasure.

“Why are you calling me a witch? I'm not supernatural, I'm a human. Are you going to hurt me? What do you want from me?” I speak so fast that I don't know if he understood me.

“I just want to know what you're doing in my city. And when are you leaving? You are dangerous, and my pack doesn't need you that right now.”

“Pack? So, you're a shape-shifter?”

“What a good act! Should I bring your Oscar? Pretending you don't know I'm a shifter, so I'll fall for your lies, well guess what, princess? That'll never happen!” he growls, so loud and deep it causes me terror, and not for the first time in the last 5 minutes, I know I have to get out of here and fast.

As he gets closer to where I am, my eyes pick up the missing details. He is wearing a black t-shirt, and a pair of worn-out jeans, and as the sound made on the ground, I had thought he was wearing boots, and now my eyes confirm that I was right. His hair is black and combed up, he's tall, I'd say he must be a little over six feet tall, probably ten or twelve centimeters above me. He wears a sensual beard that makes me want to comb with my fingers.

I feel intimidated, as weak as I am, and with my only weapon against supernatural beings gone, I am no match for this specimen. There is a door right behind him, will it be my only escape?

I jump to my feet, to run away, but I'm not going anywhere but down. My body wasn't ready for that quick movement, so my knees bend. I hope I fall onto the bed, so I don't hurt myself too much, plus I pray my head avoids the wall, or we'll end up passed out again, or just dead. Wouldn't that be a happy ending? My voice asks in my mind.

However, I never end up falling, instead, strong arms wrap around my body, holding me halfway.

I open my eyes and become breathless... His eyes are blue, like the shade of the sky, and they seem to cross my soul. They are so perfect, that they hurt, and I can't stop looking at them, I'm locked in them. Without any control, I gasp, just as he lifts me to my full standing position. That causes me to reach out my arms and cling to his shoulders. My breasts rest on his rock-like chest, and I feel the wetness rise in my crotch, and my cheeks heat up, sure enough, I'm completely red.