Mystery Man

"Velia!" a voice called from outside. Velia stirred awake, blinking groggily as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes. She had fallen asleep on the floor with her head on the bed, after staying up all night to watch over the stranger. She had moved him to her bed when he had woken up during the night asking for water, afraid of her brother's reaction.

"Velia, are you still sleeping?" her brother called again, his voice laced with concern. Quickly, she stood up and rushed to the door, a worried look crossing her face. She stepped outside, carefully shutting the door behind her to keep him from seeing inside.

"Good morning, brother!" she greeted with a bright smile, masking her fatigue.

"Are you okay? You look stressed," her brother asked, his brows furrowing as he studied her face. "Did you sleep well?"

"I'm fine, brother," she replied nervously, fidgeting with her hands. "There's nothing to worry about."

"You were already asleep when I got home last night," he said, softening his tone. "I brought your favorite ice cream. It's in the freezer."

Her face lit up, and she threw her arms around him. "Thank you so much, Big Guy!" she said playfully, batting her eyelashes.

"I made breakfast, too," Hardin continued, giving her a stern look. "Eat before your lesson, and please, don’t play games during class. I don’t want your teacher complaining again."

"I won’t," she promised, though the sheepish look on her face said otherwise.

"I should head out now. I'll be back early tonight, and I'll bring something special for you," he said, kissing her cheek before leaving. Humming a cheerful tune, he hopped on his bicycle and pedaled toward his workplace—a small bar where he served cocktails.

Velia sighed in relief once he was gone and returned to her room. The stranger was still asleep, as expected. He had been feverish the night before, and she’d feared for his life despite his obviously almost superhuman constitution. His restless sleep, punctuated by whimpers and nightmares, made her wonder what horrors he had endured.

Her gaze lingered on his face for a moment. He was undeniably handsome, and the thought made her blush. Shaking her head, she slipped into the bathroom to get ready for the day. Her teacher would be there for her lesson soon and she didn’t want her teacher reporting her to Hardin again.

Dressing was always a cautious affair for Velia. Her brother had warned her about changing in front of others, even if they were unconscious. She slipped on her underwear in the bathroom before emerging, a towel wrapped securely around her.

As she opened her wardrobe, filled mostly with shades of purple, a deep voice startled her. "You must really like purple," the stranger remarked, his voice laced with amusement.

Velia spun around, clutching her towel. The stranger raised a brow but showed no signs of embarrassment.

"I won’t look, okay? Go ahead and get dressed," he muttered, turning his back to her.

Velia hesitated, watching him for a moment before hurriedly putting on her clothes.

"I’m done," she said softly, her voice barely above a whisper.

Venom turned back to face her, his intense gaze briefly scanning her before settling on her face. Velia’s hands fidgeted nervously, her cheeks flushed.

"Thanks," she mumbled, avoiding his eyes.

A short while later, Velia returned with her breakfast. Her brother had prepared extra food, and she was grateful for it. Placing a plate in front of Venom, she smiled shyly as he looked up, his eyes crinkling with a warm smile.

"Did you make this?" he asked, his brow furrowed in curiosity.

"No, my brother did," she replied with a shy smile, her cheeks flushing pink.

"He's talented," Venom said as he forked up a bite, a faint smile tugging at his lips, his eyes sparkling with amusement.

"Yeah," she murmured, her voice barely audible.

"Where is he? Does he know about me?" he asked, his tone calm but his expression serious.

"He doesn’t. If he finds out, he'll scold me—maybe even call the cops," she admitted, her wide eyes filled with concern.

"Well, that's the right thing to do. Letting a stranger into your house isn’t safe. You never know what they might do," Venom muttered, his brow creased in disapproval.

"Well, I don't think you're going to hurt me," Velia remarked shyly, stepping closer with a quiet grace, her movements fluid and deliberate. Gently, she placed a hand on his forehead, checking his temperature.

"Your fever is gone," she said with a relieved smile, her eyes shining.

"Were you worried?" he asked, his expression softening.

"I was. I thought something bad might happen," she admitted, her voice trembling slightly, her lower lip quivering in an innocent pout.

Venom observed her, quietly noting her naive charm. She was unlike anyone he was accustomed to—simple, sweet, and endearing.

"You should shower. I'll find you some clothes," she said quickly, darting out of the room, her ponytail bouncing behind her.

After finishing his breakfast, he headed to her bathroom. It was small, cozy—like her. The shower was barely big enough for him to fit, and he chuckled at the sight of her purple soap, toothbrush, and towels.

"Who is like this?" he scoffed under his breath, shaking his head in disbelief.

He unwrapped his bandages as the water warmed and was gratified to find his wounds almost completely gone. Only a few puckered pink scars remained and he knew these would be gone as soon as he was able to shift. This girl, however, with her purple hair, clothes and toothbrush had saved his life. He'd lost so much blood, he wouldn't have healed properly if she hadn't taken him in and cared for him at just the right moment. He owed her a lot.

After his bath, Venom emerged with damp, messy hair, wearing a purple towel that barely fit around his broad frame. He noticed a hoodie and trousers neatly placed on the bed. They were snug, but manageable. And, thankfully, not purple. They must belong to the brother.

As he pulled the hoodie over his head, Velia entered the room and laughed. "You're huge! Those are my brother's clothes, but even he isn't as big as you."

"Don't worry about it, Lupetta," he replied smoothly, his lips curling into a playful smirk.

"That's not my name," she pouted, her lower lip jutting out.

"I know, but it suits you better," he teased, his tone mischievous.

"Give me your phone," he said after a moment of silence. She hesitated briefly but handed it over. He did something on it before returning it to her.

A sudden commotion outside made her rush to the window. To her shock, four large black motorcycles had pulled up. Scary looking men with dark jeans, heavy boots, and lots of tattoos climbed off and came to her door. A pounding made her jump.

She gasped and instinctively moved to retreat, but the door opened in front of her.

"Miss, we’re here for our boss," the man in the doorway said formally. His name was Blade, Godfather Marco's trusted right-hand man.

"Your... boss?" Velia stammered, her voice shaky with fear.

"Come in, Blade," Venom called from inside. Blade bowed and entered, leaving Velia confused and frozen in place.

Minutes later, Venom emerged, now dressed in a black t-shirt that fit him like a glove and made his light brown eyes stand out even more.

"Thank you for your hospitality, Lupetta," he said smoothly, heading for one of the bikes with the skull of a wolf on the front.

"Wait!" she called after him, her voice tinged with desperation. "I don’t even know your name!"

He paused, a faint smile appearing on his face, only to vanish into a cold glare.

"You don’t need to know. We’re unlikely to meet again," he said curtly before stomping on the clutch making the bike roar to life.

Blade approached her, handing her a small black card. "This is for your kindness," he said politely before joining Venom.

Velia watched as the motorcycles disappeared down the street. A strange sense of longing tugged at her heart.

"Why do I wish he’d stayed longer?" she wondered, shaking her head as she went back inside.

She stared at the card in her hand. It was a sleek, black debit card with no name or message. Just a card.

"What could it mean?" she thought, turning it over in her hands, her confusion deepening as she felt a flicker of gratitude.