"I will make sure you regret refusing me," he threatened, his tone low and laced with menace. For a moment, Leila's breath hitched, her chest tightening as fear wrapped its icy fingers around her. His piercing gaze seemed to dissect her, and with a cruel smirk playing on his lips, he added, "Judging by the fact that you're sneaking out of the village at this ungodly hour, I can only assume you're one of the banished."
"N-No, sire," Leila stammered, her voice trembling. She instinctively stepped backward, her feet shuffling over the uneven ground as she tried to put some distance between them. Her head turned slightly, just enough to keep him in her peripheral vision, though she dared not look away completely.
His smirk deepened, and he took a step closer, his imposing presence eclipsing hers. "Then why are you wandering about in the dead of night, hmm?" he pressed, his voice dripping with mockery. "Have you not heard the news of the killings? Or the curfews set for the night of the full moon? Tell me, did you knowingly decide to risk your life out here to play with all that in mind, or are you simply foolish?"
The question hung in the air, and Leila opened her mouth to respond, but no words came. How could she talk herself out of this? He wasn't wrong—no one in their right mind would venture into the woods at midnight, least of all on a night as dangerous as this.
Shapour tilted his head slightly, observing her with the detached interest of a predator toying with its prey. "Even the Shah himself, blessed as he is by the goddess, would not dare to tread these woods on such a night," he said, his voice tinged with a cruel amusement. The faint metallic rasp of steel followed as he unsheathed his sword, its curved blade catching the pale moonlight. He leveled it at her, the point hovering menacingly close to her throat.
Leila's heart raced, her chest heaving as she struggled to steady her breath. Her wide, terrified eyes remained fixed on the blade. She swallowed hard, her voice barely above a whisper as she asked,
"But isn't this just as dangerous for you? You said even the Shah wouldn't dare venture out at night, and yet here you are."
She hesitated, her words faltering under his intense stare, but she forced herself to continue, her voice trembling. "Are you implying that you're greater than the Shah himself?"
"Be careful now," he growled, his voice a low, menacing rumble that sent a chill down her spine. Leila instinctively stepped back again. "Don't fool yourself into believing I wouldn't use this blade if provoked," he warned, lifting the curved weapon slightly for emphasis. His grin widened, cruel and taunting. "I've already sent my men to scout the forest. With the ammunition and skill we possess, no beast out here stands a chance against us."
Leila let out a soft scoff despite the danger, her disbelief breaking through her fear for a fleeting moment. The drunk governor's son clearly had no understanding of what truly roamed these woods. His bravado was laughable; no ordinary weapon could outmatch the speed and cunning of the creatures he so carelessly dismissed—let alone Shahkhur.
But her amusement only seemed to provoke him further as he added, "And let me make one thing clear—before any beast claims a single one of us, I'll make sure you die by my hands first." His voice dipped into a sickening mockery of sweetness, his next words dripping with malice. "Not before I have my fun with you, of course."
The men surrounding him snickered, their laughter a grotesque chorus that echoed through the trees.
He stepped closer, his movements deliberate, each one shrinking the space between them. Without warning, his hand shot out and seized her by the hair, yanking her head back with enough force to make her gasp in pain.
"Aah!" The cry escaped her lips as her face contorted into a wince. Her eyes darted around the clearing, scanning desperately for an escape route. But she was trapped—hemmed in by the soldiers encircling her like wolves around wounded prey.
They were soldiers, after all, trained for strength and endurance. Even if she managed to break free, she wouldn't make it far before they overtook her. Her heart thundered in her chest, her pulse a frantic rhythm against her ears.
"Please," she choked out, her voice barely audible over the sound of her racing heartbeat. Her pleas were instinctive, a last-ditch effort as the dark intent in his eyes froze her in place. She wasn't naive—she understood the meaning behind that look, the predatory hunger that made her blood run cold.
Fear gripped her tightly, paralyzing her thoughts. No plans formed, no ideas sparked. She was trapped, her body trembling, and her voice caught in.
"Why are you so beautiful?" His voice softened his grip on her hair loosening. He pressed his fingers gently under her chin, tilting her face upward as though inspecting a rare and precious artifact. His eyes narrowed slightly, roaming over her features with an almost unnerving intensity. Leila's heart pounded, the air between them charged with tension
"You are so beautiful," he murmured again, his tone low and almost reverent. He had seen many noblewomen, ladies adorned in fine silks and jewels, yet none of them compared to the raw, untamed beauty of the girl before him.
"T-Thank you," Leila whispered, her voice barely audible. A flicker of hope sparked within her—perhaps she had misjudged his intentions. If she played along with his flattery, perhaps she could find an opportunity to escape.
"I will offer you this once more," he said, his tone shifting to one of coaxing persuasion. He brushed a stray lock of hair from her face, the light touch making her skin crawl despite her outward composure. "Return to the village with me. Spend a single night in my chambers, and I will overlook your foolishness and I will let you be."
His long fingers traced the contours of her face, lingering as though he were committing her to memory. "What do you say?" he asked, his voice laced with curiosity and desire.
Leila's stomach churned, her mind racing to find a response. His offer hung in the air… It wasn't just improper—it was unthinkable. For an unmarried maiden to spend the night with a man who wasn't her husband was a violation of every moral and social code she had been taught.
"Sir, you ask of me something that is impossible," she said finally, her voice steady despite the fear coiling in her chest. "I am an unmarried maiden, and to spend the night with you would be both immoral and improper."
Her words were spoken softly but with precision, a quiet defiance underlying her tone. She stepped back slightly.
"What does a little girl like you know?" His voice turned sharp and scathing, cutting through the stillness of the forest like a blade. His grip on her hair tightened painfully, the strands caught in his calloused fingers as he yanked her head in his direction. Leila's hands flew up instinctively, desperate to ease the pressure on her scalp, but his strength overwhelmed her.
"How dare you try to lecture me about what is right or wrong?" he snarled, his face inches from hers, eyes glinting with a dangerous fire. "Are you trying to flaunt your foolishness by pretending to be wise?"
"T-That's not it…" Leila stammered, her voice trembling as tears welled in her eyes. There was no one to protect her. Her elder sisters, Madam Baran, the safety of the village—all were far away. She was utterly alone, trapped in the heart of the silent, unforgiving forest.
His grip remained unrelenting as he leaned closer, his words dripping with malice. "Even if I were to kill you right here and now, do you think anyone would know? Do you think anyone would care?"
Before she could respond, he released her hair with a violent shove, throwing her backward with a force that sent her colliding against the rough bark of a tree. A sharp, pained gasp escaped her lips as her body crumpled to the ground. The impact knocked the breath from her lungs, and for a moment, the world seemed to tilt and blur around her.
The cloth she had used to wrap her face slipped loose in the scuffle, her hair tumbling free in dark, silken waves. Her hands moved weakly to push herself up, but the ringing in her ears made it hard to focus. She winced as she felt a warm, sticky sensation trickling down the back of her head—a sign that she had struck it on the jagged bark of the tree.
Through her hazy vision, she saw him advancing toward her, his steps slow and deliberate, as though savoring her helplessness. Panic surged within her as she shook her head, trying to dispel the disorientation, but the dizziness refused to fade.
Shapour knelt before her, his movements unhurried as he seized her arms and pulled her roughly away from the tree. She gasped, her strength ebbing as she struggled feebly against his iron grip. Before she could comprehend his next move, he straddled her, pinning her beneath his weight.
Leila's heart pounded wildly, her breath coming in ragged gasps as she fought to regain clarity. She knew she had to act, but her body, trembling and battered, refused to obey her commands. Above her, his expression twisted with a dark mixture of triumph and desire, and Leila's mind screamed for a way out.
Tears spilled down Leila's cheeks, her vision blurred as she fought against the creeping darkness threatening to pull her into unconsciousness. She wanted to resist, to stop the unspeakable act she feared was about to happen, but her body felt like it no longer belonged to her. Her strength was waning, her limbs too weak to push him away.
"You are nothing but a woman," Shapour growled, his voice dripping with disdain. He gripped the front of her dress with both hands and tore the fabric apart with a violent jerk. The sound of ripping cloth echoed in the silent forest, mingling with her ragged breaths. "A woman answers a man when he calls for her. I wasn't asking for your opinion. I wanted you to obey me."
Leila shut her eyes tightly, her lips trembling as she braced herself for the inevitable. But then, an unfamiliar sensation bloomed on the sides of her neck, just behind her ears. It started as a dull ache, then rapidly intensified into a searing pain.
The skin burned as if touched by fire, the heat spreading outward in waves. Leila's eyes snapped open, her scream piercing through the quiet night. It was a raw, guttural sound, born of pain, unlike anything she had ever felt before.
Shapour stumbled back, startled by the sudden change in her. His smug expression twisted into one of confusion and fear as he stared at her, his hand frozen mid-reach. Whatever was happening to her was unnatural, and the realization sent a shiver down his spine.
Leila clutched the sides of her neck, her fingers brushing against the burning skin. Her mind struggled to process the source of the pain, but all she could feel was the overwhelming heat coursing through her.