Chapter 1
The cold November air whirled around the almost barren streets. The sun had long set and the girl should have been home hours ago. Her flat was two streets away, less than 10 minutes, if she sprinted. Her calves were burning as she ran; she wouldn’t last much longer in her current state. She never had been particularly athletic, though it hadn’t been a disadvantage until now. Especially since she was outnumbered, three to one.
She had sensed a dark presence following her a few streets back. Little did she know it was more than one man tailing her. She had no choice but to fight back, as three brawny men all tried to grab her. At that moment, for the first time in a very long time, the girl had felt complete and utter fear.
She had one advantage: she knew the layout of the confining city like the back of her hand. She had lived in the run-down outskirts of London for 4 years; she knew the ‘in’s and out’s’ of the sorry excuse of an area. She ducked into a small alleyway, accidentally knocking over an empty black bin as she ran away. For the noise she was rewarded with the loud thudding of heavy booted feet as they followed the sound.
Her legs screamed out in protest as they began to slow down, unrelenting waves of panic threatening to drown her. She couldn’t stop because the moment she did, it could be her last. She knew better than to let her guard down unless she was behind closed doors. Anything could be out there. Let your guard down for even a second, and it could be your downfall. That was how she lost her best friend. She wouldn’t make the same mistake a second time.
“Come on, you really don’t think we’d let you get away that easy.” A taunting call came from one of the men, his voice sinister and predatory.
She trembled as she heard them approaching. She kept her gaze locked behind her, trying to spy her pursuers, turning blindly down another alley. But she had already made her mistake. She found herself backed against a biting brick wall.
She tried to think where she made the wrong turn and what was on the other side of the wall.
The thick barrier of fear clouding her mind made it impossible for her to think straight. All she could think about was the sound of footsteps echoing around her; her shallow breaths forming around her in white clouds, like a scream in the eerie midnight air.
By the time she realised that she was in the alley behind Giovanni’s pizza place, connected to the intersection one street away from the flat she was currently squatting in; it was too late. The man grabbed her wrists, trapping her against the rough wall.
“Get your fucking hands off me!” She growled out, her voice strong and commanding; she tried to pull away.
Deep down she knew her resistance was futile. In this neighbourhood everyone looked out for themselves. No one would come to her aid, even if they could hear her cries.
They dragged her forward like a rag doll, the men groping and touching her body with eager, filthy hands. She knew that eventually something like this was bound to happen, especially to someone like her; but she was a fighter. She didn’t care if it was futile, she scratched, clawed and screamed as much as she could. Perhaps then, if she decided to report it to the police, they might take her more seriously.
“Shut the fuck up bitch,” The man who held her wrist growled. His hand snapped back, whistling as it whipped across her cheek in a brutal slap. It left her disoriented, effectively subduing her efforts to fight back.
Hands found their way up her shirt. Or maybe they had torn it? She wasn’t entirely sure. A foreign feeling invaded her body. Her stomach dropped to the floor, head spun as she choked on her silent fear. Any light at the end of the metaphorical tunnel was becoming dimmer with each passing second.
She let her mind drift away. Perhaps it would be easier if she were somewhere else, she thought, perhaps it would pass quicker.
Goosebumps pricked her skin. The cold air caressed her exposed skin softer than her would be rapist when the man in question was ripped away with sudden force. His two companions whirled around to watch their friend’s face get repeatedly pummelled by a tall, dark shadow of a man.
He dropped the unconscious man from his hold, turning his attention to the two other shitheads standing before him. He could take them. He had an advantage they would never see coming.
“Step away from the lady.” A deep booming voice commanded, the threat and pure dominance in his tone impossible to ignore.
The cowardly pieces of shit, took two steps away from the woman, edged around the mysterious stranger before they took off in a sprint in the opposite direction. Their footsteps echoing across the concrete until they faded into the distance.
“Are you okay?”
The stranger came toward her, his tone gentle. Noticing her dishevelled form, he pulled off his suit jacket draping it around her shoulders. The material drowned her smaller frame, and the man couldn’t help but think about what she would look like wearing only his clothes.
The woman looked up, the man who saved her standing a full foot above her, maybe more. His features were obscured by the darkness, but there was something about his voice that the woman entranced. It was strange, and she knew it was strange, but she couldn’t help but think about what it would be like to have him whisper sweet nothings into her ear.
She shook her head disappointed with herself. Considering where she was, and her current situation she was still potentially in danger. She didn’t know this man or his intentions, and whilst she was thankful, she still kept her guard up in case he decided to try something with her too.
She didn’t speak, just nodded. Walking past him out the alley way with the intention of walking back to the flat. The man followed behind her quickly, his footsteps alerting her of his movement; she swung round instantly so that her back wasn’t towards him.
“Wait, are you sure?” He spoke, “I don’t feel good about leaving you here like this. At least let me give you a lift home, or the hospital or police station.”
She could see him a little better under the light of the street lamp, but just barely. She could make out dark hair, and stern features; he was intimidating, but not dangerous. She almost scoffed at her own thought, that was exactly how monsters looked- normal.
“Oh, no that’s okay.” She replied, forcing a small smile on her lips, it hurt to do and she wasn’t entirely sure she managed to do much more than grimace. There was something about him that unsettled her; maybe it was the fact that she wanted to get into his car, she wanted to let him do more than give her a lift and that terrified her.
He loved the sound of her voice. It was rougher than he expected, and a little bit deeper, he could tell she was not soft spoken. It didn’t matter, he loved it- was this what it meant to meet your soulmate, to love with no rhyme or reason?
“Please,” He prodded, it was gentle and concerned rather than invasive, but it still made the woman uncomfortable. She had never had anyone show her any kindness or sympathy for a long time and she wasn’t sure how to respond or feel. “I’d feel terrible if something were to happen to you. Plus you should probably have someone look at your face, it looks pretty bad.”
“Look I don’t want to go to the hospital okay. I’m fine.” She gritted, her voice coming out harsher than she meant it to. She hated hospitals, and she wasn’t injured enough to go to A&E anyway.
“Okay, I can take you home then?”
There was nothing there either, and she didn’t want anyone to know where she was staying. If he realised that it wasn’t really her home, (which he would since she had been using the window to get in and out,) he would probably call the police.
When she didn’t respond, he spoke again. “Look, I’m not leaving you here on your own. So it’s either you get in my car, or we stand here all night.” He wasn’t annoyed, simply nonchalant and incredibly sincere; the woman had no doubt that he would follow through.
“I don’t have anywhere to go.” She admitted in a small voice, she didn’t think that he would have been able to hear her. She hoped he didn’t hear her.
“Oh,” the stranger paused, thinking for a moment. “You can come stay with me for a while, if you want. At the very least, I can give you some ice for your cheek.”
“I don’t know who you are...” She frowned, her brows furrowing. There was a part of her that realised however, that although that was true, she had nowhere to go. Going with this man was perhaps her only option.
Even in the darkness of the evening he could still see her, clear as day. His fingers twitched, literally twitched by his sides as he tried to resist the urge to run his thumb over her creased brow; he didn’t like to see his mate conflicted.
“My name is Phoenix.” He held his hand out towards her, wanting to feel her hands in his. Her eyes drifted to his extended hand, watching the offending limb with suspicion.She hesitated for a moment, before deciding against any physical contact, he may have saved her, and even given her a name, but she still didn’t know who he was- not really. “What’s your name, love?”
She watched him, watching her, his head tilting to watch her curiously. In the soft orange glow of the streetlight, she just managed to make out light coloured eyes- blue or maybe grey.
Maybe it was in the way he looked at her, or something in the sound of his voice, but she wanted to tell him her name. She didn’t understand why or how, and frankly it frightened her, but she could feel something. It was as if she was tethered to him, connected somehow as ludicrous as it seemed.
“Arabella.”
Her voice was barely louder than a whisper as she looked up at him. Her brown eyes wide, he could see the green flecks clearly in them; his steel grey eyes staring back at her, capturing her in a heated gaze. She felt a small tug in her stomach as he looked at her. Something about that gaze told her that she would not be leaving this man’s side.
“Arabella.” He whispered in wonder, like whispering a prayer. It was a beautiful name, perfect. He could imagine what it would be like to wake up and have her name be the first thing on his lips. He smiled, and even though she couldn’t see it properly, she felt it within her somehow; it was beautiful. “It’s nice to meet you.”
A quiet passed between them for a moment. Phoenix not wanting to prod the woman but give her time to make a choice for herself, and Arabella, confused and trying to figure out what to do.
He took the time to look at her, to really look. She was stunning, even as her face began to swell slightly from her injury. In her he saw it all. She was the seasons; her skin caramel brown, like autumn leaves when they fell; snowflakes freckling her nose and cheeks; eyes of chestnut, rich like the earth, flecked with the lightest of green in the first bloom of spring; her full lips, the arch of her brow, and high cheekbones harsh enough like the scorch of the summer sun.
Goddess, she was truly a visage to behold.
“So what do you say?”
“Okay.”
Arabella followed behind Phoenix a few feet to where a dark coloured car sat parked on the street. Phoenix smiled, opening the passenger side door for the woman to get in.There was the resonating sound of a door slamming and then silence as he walked around the car to get into the driver side.
Arabella knitted her fingers together on her lap, the silence weighing on her just as much as the realisation of what could’ve- would’ve- happened to her had Phoenix not stepped in when he had. She barely heard as Phoenix got in, and started the engine; all she could think about was how close she came to yet another shitty circumstance trying to destroy her life. She couldn’t understand why it seemed that misfortune followed her everywhere she went.
She could feel warm wetness on her face. The silence was broken by her gasping for air as more broken sobs left her mouth. The car was completely silent apart from her sobbing. She was overwhelmed with the onslaught of emotion that she felt. She hadn’t felt such raw emotions in so long, she had learned to block it all out. But now all at once, she could not stop the liquid feelings that were running down her face- no matter how hard she tried.
She had not cried, not when her real home was turned to ash, not when the orphanage gave her to that monster, and not when her best friend was murdered right before her eyes. Not once in her 20 years of life had she let her emotions so out of control.
Phoenix’s heart squeezed painfully at the sound of her sobs; he could feel it painfully in his veins, a burning need to comfort her, to make her feel better. He took one of his hands off the wheel, reaching it across the console to rub her jeans-clad knee gently. The warmth and comfort she felt from him startled her a whole lot.
Although her body craved his comfort, she crossed her legs, forcing his hand to fall away. She hated that this stranger could stir up so much emotion in her, that he was affecting her so much without her knowing why, how, or even if she wanted to.
“Let me help you Arabella, just trust me love.” He murmured softly, his eyes momentarily leaving the road to focus on Arabella. He wanted to tell her, and tell her everything right then and there; but he didn’t want to overwhelm her anymore. She was already distressed and probably weary, the last thing he wanted to do was push her over the edge by telling her the truth.
He patted her knee once more, this time she let him. It scared her how okay she was with it all, how okay he made her feel, just from a mere touch. It was almost as if calmness was seeping into her body from her touch. As if he were a balm to soothe her aching mind.
“You should sleep.” His voice was soft as he spoke, yet still dominant and somehow still enticing.
She glanced at him, cautiously. She resisted, part of her unwilling to bend at his command, but her eyes disagreed with her protests. She still didn’t know if she could trust him- if she should trust him- but she was far too exhausted to think. Her earlier fight had drained her completely, eyelids heavy with tiredness, on the brink of sleep.
There was a warm feeling encompassing her; she had never felt anything like it before. As much as she hated to admit it, this strange mysterious man had saved her, comforted her, and it felt okay.
