Leila's eyes narrowed as the beast before her began to shift, its hulking form shrinking and contorting into human. The transformation, though grotesque and unnatural, stirred no wonder in her. She had seen too much to be amazed anymore. Tears slipped down her grime-covered face, hot and unchecked, even as her mind screamed for her to flee. Yet her legs refused to move, paralyzed by fear or resignation. When the transformation ended, a man stood before her, his body bare and unashamed. Her gaze, however, remained locked on his cold, steel-like eyes.
The wind stirred the air between them, carrying the scent of earth and blood. He loomed over her, studying her with a glare that felt sharper than any blade. Despite her torn clothing and the grime streaking her skin, she didn't even consider trying to shield herself.
The only thought that occupied her mind was a hope: that Arman would find her body before the shah's guard did. If there was anything left of her after this, she prayed he'd recover the medicine she carried. It was the only thing that mattered now.
"Finally…" Shahkhur's voice, deep and laced with dark satisfaction, broke the tense silence. He flexed his human hands, examining them as though they were foreign to him. His eyes then flickered up to the full moon, the dim light casting eerie shadows across his sharp features. "At last, I am free of my restriction."
His words sent a chill racing down Leila's spine, but he didn't strike her down as she had anticipated. Not yet. Instead, he moved with sudden, terrifying speed, gripping her forearm in a vice-like hold and yanking her upright. Leila gasped, the pain sharp and immediate as his nails dug into her skin. Her body instinctively jerked back, but his other hand shot out, catching her chin and forcing her to meet his gaze once more.
"Did you truly think you could deceive me?" he asked, his voice low and dangerous, each word dripping with disdain. His fingers brushed against her face as he swept a few strands of hair away, the gesture deceptively gentle compared to the steel grip bruising her arm.
"Did you think I wouldn't come for you?" His voice turned sharper, his glare boring into her as if trying to peel away every layer of her thoughts. "What was going through that clever little mind of yours? Speak, girl! Or have you lost your tongue?"
Leila's throat tightened, the pressure of his command leaving her breathless. "I—I…" Her voice cracked as she struggled to form words, her mind too overwhelmed. "I'm sorry," she finally whispered, her voice trembling under the weight of her fear.
Shahkhur's expression twisted, though whether it was anger, disdain, or satisfaction, she couldn't tell.
"I know you're just looking for another chance to run," he muttered, his voice cold as he shoved her to the ground. Leila landed hard, her palms scraping against the rough earth, but she didn't move, too stunned to resist. His words dripped with disdain as he loomed over her. "Why did you lie to me if you knew you'd regret it?"
Without waiting for a reply, he turned his back on her, his attention shifting to the mangled corpses of the soldiers nearby. Leila could only watch in silence as he knelt beside them, stripping the shredded remains of their clothing. Piece by piece, he wrapped himself in the tattered fabric, covering his bare form.
Leila's heart pounded in her chest as confusion clouded her mind. This man—or beast—wasn't acting the way she had expected. There was no overt hostility in his movements, no immediate indication that he intended to end her life. But wasn't that what he had come for? To kill her? She couldn't make sense of it.
"I'll give you a chance to explain yourself before I kill you," he said suddenly, his voice steady yet laced with an unsettling edge. He stood and turned back to face her, tying a crude knot at his waist to secure the rags. His piercing gaze settled on her, unwavering and expectant. "Tell me—why didn't you come? Do you have any idea how long I've been waiting for you?"
Leila's throat tightened under the weight of his question. Her mind scrambled for words, her fear battling against the desperate need to appease him. "I… I was scared," she admitted in a shaky whisper.
He stilled for a moment, his expression unreadable, but it was clear her answer didn't satisfy him. "Scared?" he echoed, his tone laced with skepticism.
She nodded quickly, her voice spilling out in a rush as she tried to explain. "Apart from that, I thought it wasn't real. I told my brother about what happened, but he didn't believe me. He said I sounded crazy. And for a while, I believed him. I thought it must have been a dream or a hallucination." She paused to catch her breath, her words tumbling over one another in her desperation. "I was confused and terrified. I didn't know what to believe."
"And yet you didn't come back to find out?" His lips curved into something that wasn't quite a smile—a dangerous, taunting expression that made her blood run cold.
"I'm sorry," she said, her voice breaking under the weight of his scrutiny. "I thought… I thought if I came back, you wouldn't spare me a second time."
His eyes narrowed as he crossed his arms over his chest. "I didn't kill you the first time, did I?" he countered sharply. "If I wanted to, you'd already be dead."
Her silence was answer enough.
"Yes," he said with a smirk, his lips curving in a way that sent a strange chill down Leila's spine. It was the first time she had seen anything resembling a positive emotion cross his face. Their first encounter had been nothing but rage and unbridled fury. Now, there was something different in his expression—satisfaction, perhaps. "I can finally break the curse that kept me bound to the forbidden forest for eternity. And it's all thanks to you. That, Leila, is the only reason I am not going to kill you."
"What?" Leila's eyes widened in shock, her body stiffening at his unexpected words. Her voice barely carried above a whisper as disbelief etched itself across her face.
"The last time we met, I sensed you wouldn't honor your promise," he continued, his tone matter-of-fact, as though his explanation was the most natural thing in the world. "That's why I bit you."
Her breath hitched as fragments of that night began to resurface, jagged and disjointed but undeniable. Memories she had buried deep clawed their way to the surface. Her hand flew instinctively to the back of her neck, brushing against the skin there. The memory of that searing pain came rushing back—the sharp, fiery sensation of his teeth sinking into her flesh. She remembered passing out, but nothing more from that moment.
"What did you do to me?" she demanded, her voice trembling with both fear and accusation. Her fingers pressed against the tender spot on her neck, as though she could still feel the phantom sting of his bite. Her eyes, wide with a mixture of anger and uncertainty, locked onto his towering figure.
Shahkhur chuckled softly, a low, rumbling sound that held no warmth. His smirk widened into something almost mocking, as though her question amused him.
"I saved you."
"Saved me?" she echoed, incredulous, taking a tentative step back.
"Yes, saved you," he answered flatly, his sharp gaze following her every move. He stood perfectly still, exuding a predator's confidence, knowing she couldn't escape. "And don't think for a moment you can run. You can't outrun me, Leila."
She froze mid-step, the truth of his words sinking in like a stone. Her shoulders sagged in defeat, her lips trembling as she glanced around. He was right—there was nowhere to go, no chance of getting away from him. She bit her lip, her heart hammering in her chest.
Shahkhur's smirk softened into something less cruel, though no less unnerving. "Good," he said, almost gently. "At least you're smart enough to stop."
"What did you do to my body?" Leila demanded, her voice quivering with a mix of anger and fear. "And how did you break the curse of the forbidden forest?" The weight of the night's events pressed heavily on her chest, leaving her breathless and disoriented. Everything felt too surreal to comprehend. She wanted nothing more than to escape this nightmare, to go home, crawl into her bed, and pretend none of this had ever happened. "None of this should be possible. You shouldn't be here, free, roaming around."
Shahkhur let out a sharp sigh, his irritation evident as he stepped closer. His towering presence made her instinctively shrink back, but his expression was more exasperated than threatening. "I understand you're panicking," he snapped, his voice cutting through her frantic thoughts like a blade. "But if you could just stop blabbering for a moment and listen."
Leila froze, her heart racing as she fixed her wide eyes on him.
"The mark on your neck," he began, his tone firm but measured, "I gave it to you to connect you to me. It's not just a mark—it's a bond. It only activates when you're in danger. That bond allowed me to leave the forbidden forest with the intent to rescue you. That's how I broke my curse."
"What?" she whispered, her voice barely audible. Her mind reeled, trying to make sense of his words. "How does that even work? I'm not some naive child. For something like that to happen, you must have done something to me."
Another smirk tugged at Shahkhur's lips, his eyes gleaming with amusement as he watched her fidget. The way her hands wrung together, the nervous glances she threw his way—it was all so endearing to him. Something in her demeanor softened the harshness that had once filled his gaze. Hatred had given way to something warmer, more intimate. Perhaps it was the mark that had changed his perspective.
"You're right," he said, his voice low and deliberate, as though savoring the words. "I did do something to you."
Leila stiffened, her breathing quickening. "What did you do?" she asked, her tone sharper now, demanding answers she wasn't sure she wanted to hear.
Shahkhur's smirk deepened a glint of satisfaction in his eyes. "I made you my mate," he said simply, his words hanging heavy in the air.
Leila's breath hitched, her eyes widening in shock. "What?" she choked out, taking an instinctive step back, but her legs felt weak, barely supporting her.
"You are now the tiger's mate," he added, his voice unyielding, as though her reaction had been entirely expected.