The storm hadn't let up. Rain hammered against the windows of Ivara Ashbourn's small apartment as she sat curled up on the couch, a book open in her lap. The soft glow of the lamp cast warm shadows across the room, but even the comfort of her favorite novel couldn't distract her from the unease prickling at the back of her neck.
She glanced toward the window. The street outside was dark and empty — or so she thought. But then she saw it. A figure stumbling through the rain, barely managing to stay upright.
Her heart skipped a beat.
Without thinking, Ivara grabbed her coat and rushed outside. The cold bit into her skin immediately, the wind whipping her hair around her face as she ran toward the shadowed alley.
"Sir… are you okay?" Her voice wavered as she approached.
The man didn't respond. He was slumped against the wall, his dark hair plastered to his forehead, and even in the dim light, she could see the blood — too much blood. Panic flared in her chest, but she forced herself to stay calm.
"Hey… hey, can you hear me?" She knelt beside him, her hand brushing his cheek. He was burning up, his skin ice-cold despite the fever.
Suddenly, his hand shot out, gripping her wrist with surprising strength. Ivara gasped, her eyes locking with his. And for a second, the world stopped.
His eyes were like nothing she'd ever seen — sharp, dark, and filled with a kind of danger she couldn't comprehend. But there was something else there too. Pain. Desperation.
"Leave…" he rasped, his voice rough and broken. "It's… not safe."
But Ivara didn't move.
"Not without you," she whispered.
And in that moment, she made a decision that would change her life forever.
~~~