“I don’t appreciate being watched,” he said, his voice low and edged with warning.
“I didn’t… I didn’t mean to,” I stammered, clutching my belly protectively. My heart thundered in my chest as he approached, his movements slow, deliberate, like a predator circling its prey. “I’m just passing through,” I added quickly, though my voice shook.
His gaze dropped to my belly, and for a fleeting moment, his expression softened. He took a breath, as if gathering himself, but his eyes remained cold. “You shouldn’t be out here alone,” he said, a strange hint of reluctance in his tone.
“That’s not your concern,” I replied, summoning the last of my courage. “I need to keep moving.”
But he didn’t step aside. Instead, he leaned closer, his face a breath away from mine. “You saw something you shouldn’t have. That makes you a liability.”
Panic flared, and my pulse raced. I could feel the sharp edge of his intent, the chilling calculation in his eyes. He wasn’t just another rogue; he was something more dangerous, someone who valued nothing but survival.