I took a shaky step back, feeling the rough bark of the tree dig into my spine. “Please,” I said, my voice barely a whisper. “I just need to get away. I won’t tell anyone what I saw.”
His gaze locked onto mine, unyielding, but something in his expression flickered. His eyes softened, just for a second, as they dropped back to my belly. I could see the conflict in his stance, a struggle between his instinct to eliminate any threat and some other force—perhaps pity.
“You’re pregnant,” he murmured, almost to himself, his voice laced with a reluctant understanding.
“Yes,” I whispered, seizing the moment. “I just want to keep my child safe. Please… let me go.”
He hesitated, his jaw tight as he weighed his options. I held my breath, every second stretching into eternity, but just as I thought he might relent, the forest stirred behind me. A faint rustle, too quiet for a normal ear to catch, alerted him instantly.
He jerked his head toward the sound, his gaze hardening. “We’re not alone,” he muttered, his voice cold and clipped.