Chapter 1 #2
Her heart raced. Her breathing thundered. Her footsteps fell heavy on the cobblestones. More than once, she nearly tripped. And more than once she considered turning to see if she had lost them…
“You can’t run forever!” the voices echoed down the various alleys and swirled with the wind. “We’ll find you, and when we do…”
Octavia turned and darted through random streets.
It was dark now, the night was silent, and she knew as she knew anything that she could not escape.
With each step she took, the going became harder.
Each turn she made, and her chest hurt from the exhaustion.
There was nobody about, nowhere that she could go…
A sudden sharp turn appeared at the end of the alley, and she took it. As she did, she dared a glance over her shoulder and –
“Oh!” she yelped as she ran headfirst into the wall.
“Easy there,” a deep voice commanded, just as a pair of strong hands took her by the arms before she tumbled back.
It wasn’t a wall at all! Rather, it was a man whom she had charged into.
He was much taller than Octavia. His body was wide, his chest thick, and those hands, which continued to hold her steady, were strong.
She looked up to find his eyes, and she gasped because they were dark pits that seemed to swallow the night.
Handsome too, with a strong jawline and sharp features, she could not make out his face fully in the dark… just as she could not look away.
“I… I am sorry,” she stammered. “I did not see you.”
“Clearly,” he said with a deep voice. “Although I cannot imagine that you saw much of anything, running with your head down as you were.”
In ordinary times, Octavia might have felt fearful to be in the presence of a man like this, alone as they were. She glanced quickly at his clothes, noting the black cloak he wore, not shabby and mistreated, but not fine either. He was a businessman, she guessed, perhaps a member of the gentry.
Whatever he is, he is far better than those who are chasing me…
“You must help me,” she said quickly, even as he continued to hold her steady. “Please, you need to hide me.”
“Hide you?” He frowned as he looked at her; those eyes were unblinking, and she could not pull away from them. “From whom?”
“I am being chased,” she said. “By dangerous men. Please, they will be here at any moment.”
“Is this a scam?” His eyes flicked down her body, noting her dress, which was common, no doubt. “A trick to try and rob me?”
“What? No!”
“I –”
“We’re coming for you!” Marcus’ voice broke through the night, close now, just around the corner.
“Who is that?” He turned to follow the voice.
Octavia’s pulse still raced. Her breathing was still heavy.
And her entire body trembled with fear… most of which was on account of Marcus and his bullyboys, some of which was from this dark stranger.
He still hung onto her; she felt small and frail in his arms, but a decision was made quickly, and Octavia did not have time to decide if it was a good one or not.
“Here!” With all the strength that she could muster, Octavia wrenched herself backwards, tearing her arms free. The sudden movement caught the stranger by surprise, and he turned and started. She then lunged for him.
Her hands took him by the shoulders; she pulled with all her strength, and he stumbled forward, falling onto her, his bulk washing over her like a tidal wave and throwing her against the wall of the alley.
Octavia’s back hit the wall, and the stranger’s body pressed and covered her. He was strong and agile, able to push himself back just enough so that he did not crush her. But before he was able to step away, she took hold of his cloak, gripped it tight, and pulled him into her.
“What are you –”
Her hands went to the back of his head, groping through his thick black hair, just as she pulled his face downwards. She then buried her own face into his chest, an arm around his back, her leg lifted, and wrapping his body like a vice.
“Please…” She whispered into his ear as she held him. “I beg you…”
Time stood still. Octavia and the stranger’s bodies were entwined.
Her head was buried in his neck. He smelled better than she thought, a strong musk that made her head swim, and her legs tremble.
His hands moved to her waist as if to push her away, but he held her instead, gripped tight, those strong hands owning her so that she was as helpless as a newborn babe.
“Where is she?” Marcus’ voice breached the alley. “I saw her –” He stopped, and Octavia saw out the corner of her eye the three dark figures pull up when they found her with the stranger.
“Thought she went this way,” one of the other men said.
“You thought! You thought!” Marcus snarled. “Come on, must be this way.” They turned, sprinted down another alley, and their footsteps slowly faded into nothingness…
Alone now, Octavia should have pushed back the stranger without hesitation, but things were not that simple. He still stood against her, his massive body still covered and protected her, and for the first time in as long as Octavia could remember, she felt safe.
“I take it those were the men from whom you ran?” he asked, his voice low but still deep.
“Oh!” Octavia came into herself and pushed the stranger away. She was shaking, unable to meet his eyes, so she brushed down her dress and pretended to right herself. “They were.”
“Who were they?” He sounded generally worried for her.
She snorted. “No one of consequence.”
“They should not be…” His expression hardened and he turned to look where they had run. “If you like, I can send for the authorities. Men should not be pursing women through dark alleys.”
“Isn’t that the truth,” she laughed. “Thankfully, all they pursue now are shadows.” She took a deep breath to calm herself. “Well, if that will be all…”
With Marcus and his two men no longer a problem, Octavia figured now was as good a time as any to be rushing in the opposite direction.
She certainly wasn’t going to stand here and exchange trivial conversation with this strange man.
He might have just helped her, but she had a strange feeling about him, one she could not figure out.
“Good evening.” She put down her head and stepped around him.
He snatched for her arm, but she dodged it. “Where are you going?”
“Away from here,” she said over her shoulder.
“I best not find my wallet missing when I return home,” he called after her.
She laughed. “Just as I best not see you again. I do thank you for your help, however. I owe you one.”
With that said, she ducked around the corner and picked up her pace, vanishing into the night as she was so used to doing. That incident… it was close, far too close.
It is high time that I sort my life out. Only, how might I do that… perhaps I should have asked that dark stranger for a job.