The gigantic tiger leaped into the air, effortlessly clearing my head as it lunged toward me. I raced to the river, where I'd seen him drop his spear. The moment I hit the water, I began swimming, only to find it was much deeper than I had expected.
As the tiger soared above, a vivid blue ball of light erupted from its mouth, shooting out and encasing the spider in a watery prison. The spider halted its charge, thrashing wildly in its futile struggle. In a heartbeat, the tiger landed on the spider, its massive blue claws slicing through the water with ease. It was over in seconds; the spider I had feared was no match for the tiger's ferocity. I swam to the shore, anxiously waiting for the tiger man to finish his business.
With the spider dispatched, he unleashed another swipe of his claws, carving a deep gash. In an instant, he transformed into a humanoid shape, extracting a purple orb, about the size of a hefty marble, from the spider's chest. He tucked it away in a small pouch strapped to his white fur skirt. Hold on—wasn't he just a tiger? How on earth was he still sporting that outfit?
"Female, what were you thinking wandering into the Blight Forest? If I hadn't shown up, you would have been nothing more than a meal for the creatures lurking here. You lack any significant magical abilities; all I sense is a dormant power within you. Have you even undergone your awakening ceremony? How old are you to still be uninitiated? Where are your guardians? This is beyond reckless."
Frankly, his ramblings were like a puzzle with missing pieces, and the few I managed to grasp? Not exactly worth exploring. I quickly pivoted the conversation and inquired, "By the way, where's the closest town or village?"
"To the east lies a village by the river, but the journey is treacherous. Since you're unaccompanied, it falls to me to be your protector. The river teems with monsters, and if you don't possess an aura that strikes fear into their hearts, you'll be under constant threat."
"Normally, I avoid taking help from unfamiliar faces, but since you've already pulled me out of a tight spot once and I'm not eager for another wild sprint through the trees, I'll gladly accept your assistance." I extended my hand for a shake, and he just gawked at it, his eyes glinting with astonishment.
"May I have the honor of touching you?"
"Absolutely! I thought we could wrap this up with a handshake."
With a swift motion, he clasped my hand, took a deep breath of its scent, and then licked it as if it were the most casual act imaginable. I stood there, dumbfounded, yanked my hand away, and quickly submerged it in the river to cleanse the oddity
He looked at my hand with a frown on his face, "Rinsing your hand off will not remove my scent."
"No hard feelings, but truth be told, my priority is to deal with the slobber rather than stress about how you smell."
His expression lit up with realization, "So, it's not my scent that bothers you after all."
"Trust me, you don't smell bad at all and just so you know, I'm Perla!"
"What a captivating name you have; I'm Kai. As for scents, I can only detect the essence of two men lingering around you—one the scent of a weak male, while the other carries the weight of age."
I snickered, "You could definitely say that. The weakling who was meant to teach me turned into a total creep the second my folks left, getting way too handsy. I was practically running for my life when I stumbled into those woods. The other scent? That's my dad's. You've got a nose like a bloodhound, and I must be dreaming this whole thing up."
"Handsy?"
"He touched me without consent, his hands roaming where they had no right to be. I shrugged, a mix of frustration and resignation. I warned my parents about him previously, but they didn't take me seriously. This isn't the first time I've had to deal with this."
The tiger man tightened his fists, his pupils morphing into sharp vertical slits. "I see," he growled, a predatory glint in his eyes.
I took a tentative step, my heart finally calming, but then a searing pain shot through my ankle. I glanced down to find it swollen and bruised, a nasty sight above my boot. As I gingerly pressed on it, agony surged through me, making me feel like it could snap at any moment. "No! No! No! No! No!" This was a nightmare far worse than the time I jumped from a tree.
His eyes fell to my ankle, and he noticed the extent of the damage. "You've been hurt pretty badly. This can't be allowed. Just how old are you?"
A bizarre leap in discussion, but let's roll with it. "I've officially crossed into seventeen."
"At seventeen, you've yet to experience your awakening ceremony, and here you are, deliberately left alone with a male not of your family unit, forced to face monsters without any escort. As your savior, I have every right to claim you under my protection and lead you to a healer."
"I'd appreciate that."
"Then you willingly accept?"
"For sure, that would be a tremendous assistance," I said.
A massive grin spread across his face, and in an instant, I found myself lifted into his arms as if I were some coveted prize. A wave of bewilderment crashed over me; it was evident that something was unfolding that was completely beyond my grasp.
Here I stood, a mix of awkwardness and sizzling attraction, pressed against the rock-hard chest of this incredibly sexy guy. It dawned on me that if I was dreaming about a hot, shirtless warrior who looked like he belonged in a wild jungle, perhaps I should consider some real-life dates when I woke up. But since I had already crafted this perfect dream guy, I figured I might as well indulge in the fantasy.
My hand glided over his bare chest, teasingly scratching at his impressive muscles. Then, out of nowhere, a deep, rumbling purr erupted from him. I scratched again, and the purring grew louder—this was surprisingly thrilling!
Yes, I definitely needed to explore the dating scene once I returned to reality. I looked up and locked eyes with him; his mesmerizing azure gaze met mine, a flush creeping onto his face. He was undeniably the most handsome man I'd ever encountered. I couldn't help but eye his lips and lick my own. While I was lost in this dream, I was going to savor every moment!
Coming Next Time: Duarte Village