Blindfolded

Eirlys Lumi,

A cold, bone-freezing chill ran down my spine, slow and merciless, as if icy fingers had traced the length of my back. I flinched instinctively, my breath catching in my throat while my heart nearly skipped a beat.

The night air around the forest had already been cold, the wind whispering through the tall trees and carrying the damp scent of soil and river water, but the voice that reached me cut through everything like a blade.

This was the first time someone's voice had ever made me feel scared.

On top of that, his scent drifted through the forest air—heavy, commanding, and thick with authority. It wrapped around me like invisible chains, demanding obedience in a way that made my knees weaken and tremble slightly beneath me. My wolf stirred uneasily inside me, alert and cautious.

I hid myself quickly behind the wide trunk of a tree beside a thick bush, pressing my back against the rough bark. Small twigs snapped faintly beneath my shoes as I shifted my weight, but I stilled immediately afterward. The leaves rustled gently in the night breeze above my head, and somewhere nearby the river continued its quiet murmur.

Even so, I didn't want to run.

“I have some herbs,” I finally spoke up, forcing my voice to sound rougher, harsher. “If you don't want to die here, you better not look at me!”

I mimicked the tone of an older woman with a foul temper, letting my words come out sharp and impatient. It would help hide my identity better.

Silence fell like a heavy blanket over the forest.

The wind stilled for a moment, and the only sound that remained was the faint rush of water nearby and the sharp, uneven breathing of the injured man. Each inhale sounded strained, like it scraped through his chest.

“You have herbs? At this hour? Was it you?” His voice dropped into a low growl that vibrated through the quiet woods. “Did you attack me?”

I could hear him shifting slowly through the leaves, his boots brushing against the ground, moving with the careful awareness of a predator tracking prey.

“You do have lots to ask, don't you?” I scoffed quietly from behind the tree. “Do you want to lose your arm to this poison, or just keep barking like a dog?”

My tone snapped through the darkness.

Although my words were rude and completely unnecessary, I knew what I was doing. Acting this way would draw his attention away from questioning who I was and focus it on the emergency instead.

The silence that followed felt even heavier.

His scent suddenly thickened in the air, rich and suffocating, pressing against my lungs as if the forest itself had grown smaller. He was pissed...

“Damn. My knees are shaking,” I whispered under my breath.

I could hear the rustling again, slow, deliberate movement through the leaves, but I carefully shifted my position behind the tree. My breathing remained light and quiet.

Nobody in this world had ever managed to catch me while I was hiding.

Then suddenly, a sharp, cold chuckle sounded from behind me.

“Barking dog? Do you even know who you are talking to?”

My heart lurched.

God. What kind of person was this? For a fleeting moment, my mind went to His Majesty but I laughed it off. He wouldn't be here at this hour, right?

The pressure on my chest grew heavier with every second, as if the weight of his presence alone was enough to crush the air from my lungs.

I narrowed my eyes toward the darkness beyond the tree.

“A pathetic man who can't accept help,” I replied sharply. “Listen, you have only ten minutes to treat your wound. So let me help. I need to leave as soon as possible.”

“So you really don't know who you are talking to,” he said, sounding almost amused now. “Fine. But if you dare to do something funny—”

“I don't give a fuck about you, Sir,” I cut him off impatiently, my nerves making my words sharper than usual. “I just can't ignore an injured person. So don't make me leave.”

“You've got nasty behavior,” he sighed, though there was a hint of laughter buried beneath his voice. “What do you want me to do?”

“Close your eyes and let me do whatever I need to do,” I said quickly. “The silver is turning black from blue. It will damage your muscles soon and cause paralysis if it isn't treated immediately.”

He didn't respond right away.

The wind picked up again, brushing against the leaves and carrying his scent past me in another wave.

“Are you listening?” I asked calmly.

“I have closed my eyes. So do whatever you want.”

I moved swiftly from behind the tree, keeping my steps light against the forest floor. When I finally saw him clearly, he was standing with his back toward me, shoulders tense beneath the dim silver glow of the moon filtering through the branches.

Using the chance, I pulled out my customized scarf and quickly tied it across his eyes.

Instantly his hand shot out and grabbed my wrist.

His palm was warm, large, and firm, fingers tightening around my skin as if he could easily twist my arm if he wished.

“What are you doing?” he demanded.

“You're hurting me,” I said coldly, trying to pull back slightly. “I need to make sure you don't see me.”

His voice dropped deeper.

“Why can't I—ugh!”

He winced suddenly, releasing my wrist as his hand shot toward his shoulder. His nails dug into the muscle as pain tore through him. Under the faint moonlight, I could see the ugly discoloration spreading across his arm, blue veins darkening into black beneath his skin.

Clearly the poison was working its way through his muscles.

“Pathetic,” I muttered quietly.

Without wasting another second, I grabbed the dagger lodged in his flesh and snapped it out in one swift motion.

His breath hitched violently.

“Fuck! What the hell!”

“Quiet, child,” I grinned playfully, stepping closer to examine the wound.

Damn.

He had a great body.

Even under the dim moonlight I could see the defined lines of his back and shoulders, muscles shifting beneath his skin as he tried to hold himself steady despite the pain. My fingers trailed briefly along the firm muscles before I realized what I was doing.

I immediately stepped back, shaking my head.

“Keep your perverted thoughts away in front of a patient, you dumbhead,” Moon scolded sharply in my mind.

“What are you doing?” he growled, trying not to move.

“Stitches are needed,” I muttered while inspecting the deep wound. Blood continued to seep slowly from the cut, dark against his skin. “But I don't have anything to close it. But…”

I quickly crushed the herbs in my palm, grinding the leaves and stems together with my fingers. The sharp green scent filled the air instantly as the juices began to seep out, sticky and strong.

Thankfully I had done this before, and there was water nearby.

I moved quickly toward the river, kneeling beside the cool rushing water. The cold liquid stung my hands as I rinsed the crushed herbs and squeezed them again, extracting as much juice as possible.

Behind me, he remained strangely quiet.

Not even a groan escaped him.

The scarf still covered his eyes, though in my haste earlier it had slipped slightly, leaving the lower half of his face visible. His jaw was tight, breath slow but controlled.

“He is sexy. Maybe we can seduce him,” I grinned playfully while scooping water into my hands.

“He is dangerous,” Moon replied firmly.

Her warning was clear.

We were not foolish enough to mess with someone like him.

“How long will it take? I have to go back.”

His cold voice snapped me out of my thoughts.

“Sorry,” I said quickly while standing. “I forgot that a storm is coming.”

The wind had started to grow stronger now, rustling the trees loudly.

“Do you have a handkerchief with you?” I asked.

“Handkerchief?” he muttered before digging into his pocket. “Here.”

I didn't even look at it properly before snatching it away and soaking it with the herbal liquid in my palm.

“Bear with me,” I warned.

Then I pressed the soaked cloth firmly against the wound.

“Ugh!”

He groaned deeply, his body almost collapsing forward as the medicine burned against the poisoned flesh.

“You still feel pain,” I muttered while holding the cloth firmly in place. “That's a good sign.”

I removed my jacket from the tree quickly and wrapped it tightly around his shoulder and back, securing the cloth against the wound with a strong knot so it wouldn't slip.

“Listen,” I said while stepping back. “Shift into your wolf now and return home. Don't take off the jacket until you meet a healer who can stitch the wound.”

Without waiting for an answer, I grabbed my shoes and turned toward the forest.

“I am leaving. Make sure you don't get caught in the storm, Sexy Boy.”

Then I shifted.

Moon burst forward the moment my body transformed, paws hitting the forest floor as we ran through the trees as fast as possible. The wind roared through the branches above us while distant thunder rolled across the dark sky.

I had to return quickly.

I still needed to attend the dinner tonight to finalize my mission as His Majesty's bodyguard.