The way his dark eyes seemed to dissect her makeshift covering and bare limbs sent shivers down her spine. He cocked his head, a silent query in his intense gaze. The air hung heavy with the mingled scents of damp earth and decaying foliage, now overlaid with a subtle, sharp tension emanating from him.
"Who are you and why are you in my territory?" he finally growled, his voice a low, authoritative rumble that echoed through the oppressive stillness.
His eyes narrowed, taking in her pale skin and the awkward arrangement of giant leaves. He likely perceived her as something utterly foreign.
Rami stammered, clutching the damp leaf tighter against her chest. "I... I... I don't know," she managed, her voice barely a whisper. The memory of the violent tremor and her transformation into a snake, followed by the disorienting shift back to human form, remained a chaotic jumble in her mind. She instinctively recoiled as his gaze lingered on her face, a flicker of something unreadable in his intense scrutiny.
He observed her shy demeanor, a critical gaze sweeping over her exposed form. "You're not from my clan," he stated, his voice laced with a note of intrigue. "You carry the scent of… nothing familiar, save for the faintest trace of the albus" – the last word a guttural sound that resonated with a primal understanding of her white form.
Despite his imposing presence, a strange curiosity seemed to temper his initial territorial aggression. After a long, assessing moment, he inclined his head curtly. "Very well," he said, his tone still firm but now edged with a hint of something else. "I'll take you to my village".
The air around Rami and the imposing male seemed to thicken, a palpable tension born of their stark differences. Despite his overwhelming presence, a strange, almost unsettling curiosity appeared to temper the male's initial territorial aggression. After what felt like an eternity of silent assessment, he finally inclined his head, a curt, almost dismissive gesture.
"Very well," he rumbled, his tone still firm, yet subtly edged with a hint of something else—a nuance Rami couldn't quite decipher but that brought a sudden, cold wave of relief washing over her.
"Oh... Thank you," she murmured, her voice barely a whisper, her eyelids heavy with a weariness that went beyond physical exhaustion. He nodded, his expression softening, a subtle shift that hinted at a complex nature beneath his rugged exterior.
"Hold on tight," he instructed, his voice a low, unexpected gentle murmur, as he effortlessly swept her up despite his massive size. Rami clung to him, her fingers instinctively grasping, acutely aware of the powerful ripple of his muscles beneath her hands.
A small question escaped her lips, almost involuntarily. "Am I not heavy?".
He threw his head back, a deep, resonant laugh erupting from his chest, a sound that vibrated through her, sending shivers down her spine – shivers that were, surprisingly.
"not entirely of fear".
"Not at all. You're tiny," he said, a note of amusement lacing his words as he subtly, almost imperceptibly, tightened his arm protectively around her. The gesture, simple as it was, carried an undercurrent of possession.