Leanna-Chapter 251: [LEANNA] 1.4

The cogon bed!

I hurried and went on my knees while my hands feel the dried grass.

It’s still warm!

That means someone was sleeping here not long ago.

A sense of relief and happiness filled me, which ultimately left me baffled.

I’m just happy because that means he hadn’t left and he didn’t report the incident to his superiors.

I agree with my thoughts.

Or he wanted to search the mountains for survivors to kill. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

My face sank. Panic replaced the warmth within seconds, and I sighed in surrender.

There’s no use in overthinking things.

What will happen will happen.

The important thing is to survive during these times of war.

I gathered my bearing and made my way towards the stream.

I was too focused on my thoughts that I didn’t notice I was already near the river, out in the open. When my eyes decided to check the stream for any signs of life, it almost went out of its sockets.

I thought I was hallucinating since I seemed to be seeing an enchanted man bathing in the river under the faint glowing moon.

Our eyes meet, and the world stopped.

Such mesmerizing frosty eyes, shining like aquamarine stones.

"You’re back."

I was pulled out from the illusion upon hearing his voice.

I blinked, and rubbed my eyes to make sure what I was seeing was indeed him. He was wet, dripping in waters from head to toes. His naked body sparkled that it hurts my eyes.

How can his skin be so white?

My gaze inched towards his abdomen, not minding the scars all over his body. All it could see were those muscles and the sexy line of his pelvis down to his . . .

"Like what you see?"

My eyes flicked to his while my hand wiped away my drool. Did he saw me drooling, ogling his body even with all this darkness?!

Embarrassing!

I gathered what remained of my pride and asked in a pretend, angry voice, "W-what are you doing here?"

He just looked at me until I felt conscious. Then he smiled.

A genuine smile with upward curved of the lips.

If this guy was already handsome with an expressionless face, his smile definitely dimmed the moon in comparison.

. . .

. . .

That was exaggerating, but not too far off.

"I was searching for you," he answered in a warm voice that left me gasping for reality.

I still must be hallucinating.

"W-why?"

I couldn’t think of a reason why he said he was searching for me.

Unless . . .

He was searching for me so he could kill me? Or he was searching for me so he could torture me to talk if there were other survivors here, hiding?

My face darkened while my brows creased in one line as I pierced the man with my glares.

He probably guessed my thoughts when he sighed as he shook his head. "I’m not searching for you because I wanted to kill you, nor I was searching for you because I wanted to torture you for information."

He actually guessed it? This man is dangerous!

I cleared my throat and snapped, "Then why are you still here?!"

". . ."

". . ."

Instead of answering, he approached me, out of the river––

Naked!

I wanted to flee, but my legs were grounded firm on the dirt as my eyes locked with his.

"Because of you . . ."

. . .

. . .

Huh?

My eyebrow rose, and I look at him in bewilderment.

Because of me?

What did I do exactly?

My voice got stuck in my throat when he appeared just inches from me. His nearness was suffocating that I couldn’t breathe much less talk.

He reached out his hand, and I was utterly dumbstruck when he held my cheek.

"W-what’re you––!"

"I had accepted my fate at that time, dying in this mountain . . . But then you came, and I wanted to live."

". . ."

". . ."

SLAP!

I swat his hand away.

"What is this?! Is this a new kind of trick?! A plot to get on my good side so you can ask me for information?! As I remembered it, you were this close to killing me when you woke up!"

I threw him my most evil glare, yet he just continued to smile, not minding the sting of his arm –– well, of course, it must have at least hurt since my hand was numb from the slap.

I used too much force!

"At that time . . . I didn’t know what came over me. It was a new kind of feeling . . . ," he mumbled as he shook his head a little as if in conflict with himself.

"I wanted to live for you . . . but I also wanted you to kill me for what I did to your people . . . and when you left . . . I felt fear . . . unimaginable fear for the first time for the reason I might never see you again . . . ," he said, voice so low and eyes so soft. He stared at me with so much warmth it moved my heart, washing away any doubt.

"D-did you hit your head or something?" My head lowered, and I stared at my fingers, unable to look at the overwhelming emotions in his eyes. Afraid I’d be swoop by those feelings within.

He chuckled. "Maybe I did."

He moved closer, and it was no longer my feet that were paralyzed, my whole body was numb when he caught my chin and forced me to meet his gaze.

"I had died back there . . . This life, you gave it to me. From now on, I will live this life solely for you."

". . ."

". . ."

Thump

Thump

At this moment, all my senses were on him, and nothing else. I even heard the pounding of our hearts as he filled my vision.

"Your name . . . Tell me your name . . ."

My mind was floating in the haze of daze. Unable to think. I just stared at him. Being pulled into the depths of his frosty aquamarine eyes. Lost in the emotions within.

It was a first kind of feeling.

I didn’t know what it was or how to describe it . . . but all of a sudden . . . I wanted to cry.

Cry in happiness when my heart beat in rhythm with his. I never knew my heart was missing a piece until I met him.

"I-Iraya . . . My name is Iraya."

END 🐇