A STRANGER

Maybe there is a beast… maybe it's only us.

-William Golding, Lord of the Flies- 

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He was standing right before Raine's eyes, towering over her body. His tanned skin glimmered under the sunlight, his curly long hair which was hanging to his shoulder was messy and his eyes were the color of golden, they were looking right into Raine's black pair of eyes. 

His golden eyes shimmered in delight and infatuation, while the black loose tee shirt and ripped jeans covered his lean built body. 

He was almost as tall as Torak, but much skinnier than him.

The shock and fear crept through every inch of her skin. She stepped back when that man moved closer to her until her back hit the glass sliding door to the balcony. 

He stopped as well, kept their distance only a few centimeters away. 

Raine landed her gaze towards the direction of the bathroom, she still could hear the sound of water pattered down on the floor. Torak was oblivious to what was happening, as she whimpered silently.

"What is it?" He tilted his head curiously. "You can't talk?" His voice was barely a whisper while observing her, there was no sound coming out from her lips, despite how terrified she was and then tears started to pour from her eyes. 

"Is it possible the purest being is so fainthearted like this?" He mumbled more to himself.

Raine was suffocated by the way he looked at her, as if she was a prey. She looked at the bathroom'sdirection once again when she heard the sound of water from the shower stopped. 

That man also looked at the same direction as her and clicked his tongue irritably. "It seems he will come now." Again, he talked to himself in lazy tone and resumed his attention towards the terrified girl. 

"Well, this is the fastest way to test it." He contemplated for a while. And then, he pointed his forefinger and touched the exposed skin on her cheek.

Raine looked at his skinny finger with his long and sharp nail that was coming closer to her face. She was too terrified to look at what he was going to do to her, so she shut her eyes andjust be ready for the pain that was about to happen or something worse than that. 

And then, his nail pierced her cheek as she felt the stinging pain from her cut wound. However, he pulled back his hand abruptly.

The absent of it made Raine opened her eyes to see what was going on when she heard that man mumbled unconsciously.

"It is really you…" He looked at his forefinger. The tip of it which made contact with her skin was badly charred.

Looking at the burn on his finger, Raine was remindedto an unpleasant memory in her mind, but she knew what she has to do.

Raising her hand, she wiped her cheek with the back of her hand and looked at the faint blood stain it. Like what she had thought, those creatures who had been hunting her couldn't touch her blood. Something bad would happen to them if they made a direct contact with her blood. 

After all these years, Raine had just learnt about it.

Hence, with the remaining blood on the back of her hand, she stepped forward and shoved that man away. 

Out of instinct, he stepped aside before Raine could touch him. He thought the terrified girl would fight back finally, however to his surprised she dashed toward the bathroom.

"Interesting…" A devilish grin made its way to his lips.

Raine didn't look back at the man when she sprinted and barged into the bathroom. Fortunately, Torak didn'tlock the door, so the moment Rained stepped foot inside the bathroom, she immediatelycaught a glimpse of his figure behind the glass barrier.

Her body moved faster than her mind could work. Within a second, she could smell the woodsy scent that only belong to him as she pounced on him.

Seconds before Raine's body collide with his, Torak turned around with a low growl, ready to battle with the intruder. He was half shifted with extended claws, however he froze in place when he saw it was Raine and the moment she hugged his waist her scent was all he knew.

Torak was flabbergasted for a while before conscious registered into his mind. Out of instinct he wrapped his arms around her trembling body.

"What happened?" Panic was laced in Torak's voice.

Something wrong had happened. He sniffed the air and sharpened his hearing, but he caught nothing.

He just left her not too long and all of his warriors have secured the entire floors. What else could threaten her?

Torak cupped her face and urged her to look at him. Only then, he saw a wound on her cheek, it still slightly bleeding.

"Someone inside the room?" Torak tried to keep his voice in calm tone so he wouldn't scare her, but when Raine nodded. Torak's blue eyes darkened.

"Stay here." He said with a deep voice, but Raine shook her head like a rattle drum, she was too afraid to be alone again. 

Without any other choice, Torak made her to let go of his waist and hid her behind his back instead as he walked out of the bathroom.

His blood was boiling and it didn't help when the beast inside him also felt on edge. A stranger was inside his room and hurt his mate!

He swept his eyes across the room carefully as his body turned rigid. 

Nothing.

There was no one inside the room. 

The room was empty. 

He walked toward the window, checked it, but it still locked.

[Calleb!] He mind-linked his Gamma.

[Yes, Alpha]

[Do you see something suspicious?]

[No. Everything is good.]

[Get over here now! And ask someone to check the floor.]

[Yes, Alpha.]

Torak turned around and hugged Raine who was still trembling. She buried her face on his bare chest as he stroked her back.

"It's alright. It's alright…I am sorry." Torak kept whispering some soothing words to her ear. It was the second time within two days Raine was frightened. 

Somehow, he was upset to himself.

Raine jerked in his arms when there was a sound of the door was being opened. "It's Calleb." Torak toldher.

"Alpha! Everything is good!" Calleb's voice could be heard before his happy-go-lucky figure appeared, yet his light step came to halt. His eyes widened. "Alpha, why are you naked?"