I would love to start my story with something along the lines of “it was a dark and stormy night” but that does not fit, nor would it be appropriate for my story. The truth of the matter, as I see it anyway, is that it was not dark or stormy. It was simply an unbelievably bad day for me.

I was enjoying a hike in nature that day. It was probably around late afternoon or early evening. The trail was a little muddy and the air a tad muggy, but otherwise, everything was perfect for a walk through the forest. Until the accident happened. I misjudged my step and took a tumble down a short hill directly into a tree.

The next thing I knew, I lay on the ground, my head pounding and something sharp poking me in the spine. I rubbed my head, and my fingers came back coated in my own blood, a sight that frightened me in the dim light of the almost full moon. I sat up, a movement that I instantly regretted as my head began to spin and nausea hit me hard enough that I leaned over and retched water and stomach acid onto the mud beside me.

Wiping my mouth dry on my long-sleeved shirt, I looked around, trying to see by the light of the moon where I was and if I could see the path I had fallen from. It was nowhere in sight. I did not recognize my surroundings which were strange given how well I knew the area that I had been hiking.

It was not until I climbed to my feet and turned around that I noticed I was not alone. I gasped with surprise at the young-looking man that stood before me. He wore unusually fancy clothes for the location we were in. He had long blonde hair that reached down to his shoulders, dazzling green eyes that seemed to almost glow in the darkness, and a strong and memorable face. Who goes hiking in a suit? I peered up into the taller man’s face. He was gorgeous by my standards. I could feel my heart begin to race as I gave him a once-over with my eyes.

“Why have you come here?” The man asked me.

“What?” I asked him. The words did not make sense. It was like garbled speech that was not coherent to my mind. The man cocked his head to the side and gave me a strange look. He then took a step towards me. Instinct kicked in and I took a step back but clumsily fell on my rear end. So graceful.

The man soon loomed over me. “I asked, why have you come here?” He demanded.

I simply stared up at him with a dumbfounded expression on my face as I pieced together what he was asking me in my mind. “Um.” I finally said. “I- um. I don’t remember coming here.”

The man shook his head and crossed his arms over his chest. “You’ll be coming with me then.” He said as he leaned forward and grabbed me by the waist and threw me over his shoulder roughly.

This, of course, caused my world to spin and fear to kick in. Why was this man I did not know taking me? I tried to scream, but my throat felt like sandpaper. So instead, I opened my mouth wide and bit him. He threw me down to the ground, knocking the air from my lungs. I was panting and holding onto my chest when he moved to glare at me, his arms crossing over his chest once again.

“How ungrateful of you. I’m here trying to rescue you and you’re going to bite me?” He scolded; his brow furrowed. He reached out for me once more and I squeezed my eyes shut, recoiling as I was certain that he was about to hit me.

It was then that I felt a light touch against my face. It was gentle and his hands were warm. I opened my eyes slowly and looked up into the green eyes of the man. I licked my dry lips with my sticky tongue. The man heaved a sigh.

“I’m going to pick you up and bring you back with me. You should be safe where we are going. You simply have to trust me.” He said softly. I nodded in silent agreement to his words. I did not know where I was, and it was extremely late at night from the looks of it. It was either trust this stranger or get picked off by wild animals. The former sounded better than the latter. He soon picked me up once more but gently this time and lifted me onto his shoulder, his woolen shirt chafed against my face harshly. I do not recall the journey but the next thing I knew, I was being placed gently on a bed with black sheets and a thick plush throw blanket. I gasped with surprise and looked up at the man. Was he an angel for saving me? Or was he a wolf in sheep’s clothing?

I could not have known at that time what was in store for me, the only thing I did know for sure, was that I was somehow going to get away from this place.

“Sleep.” The man said gruffly as he moved to take off his shirt. My eyes went wide when I took in his strong stomach and his muscular physique. I licked my very dry lips once more and swallowed dryly.

I shook my head and tried to open my mouth to speak but all that came out was a weak cough. The man gave me a look with a raised brow before handing me a half-filled glass of water. I drank it greedily despite the small film of dust on the rim and the dirty aftertaste.