I suddenly became very aware of the thrumming of my heart during the quiet silence around me.
I closed my eyes and started counting slowly in my head, holding my hand to my heart.
One..
Two..
Three..
Fo-
A snapping of a branch had me shooting my eyes open, and wildly looking around the black forest surrounding me. Branches rustled to my far left and I jumped, yelping in a high pitched note.
A big arm wrapped protectively around my waist and a familiar scent enveloped me. I was instantly relieved and the sense of security made its way around me.
I felt safe. My breathing was still uneven and my heart still tried to regulate it's beats.
"I'm here now. No need to feel unsafe. I'll protect you, nothing will happen to you while I'm around. I promise"
His voice was deep and rough, sending warmth rushing through me and butterflies exploded in the pit of my stomach.
A noise in the distance made me snap back into reality and the arm around me tightened, bringing me further back against a hard chest.
My lip quivered and I turned around burying myself into the chest, fisting my hands in the soft cotton fabric. I yelped as a series of loud movements played out behind me. I squeezed my eyes shut, a stray tear trailing down my cheek.
Noticing my discomfort, the person holding me shifted before pressing my right ear against his heart and the arm that once held my waist came up and he held my ear closed.
The sound of metal made me realise what was about to happen and the ugly sounds became louder. I tightened my fists and squeezed my eyes as tight as they could go, trying my best to listen to the rythmn of the heart that beat loudly against my ear.
A few more seconds past and the sound of a gun went off made my ears ring, besides the fact that they were closed. The hand which was on my ear went to my waist rubbing small circles to soothe the fact that I'd soaked the fabric of the shirt and wrinkled it under my tight grip.
"Shhh...Everything will be okay sweetheart." His voice seemed to calm the rapid beating against my ribcage and the fact that there were more than a dozen bodies laying behind me.
I looked up, avoiding the scene behind me and gazed into the black orbs of the beast that everybody feared. The beast who'd saved me.
The beast who loved me. He raised my chin with his hand and planted a soft kiss on my lips. I knew then, there would be no where to go without him.
