Chapter Twenty One

Brielle’s POV.

 I stood frozen, my heart pounding in my chest as the low, menacing growl echoed through the forest. My eyes darted around, but I couldn’t see anything. It was getting da, and every shadow seemed to move in my eyes. My thoughts raced as being pregnant made this situation ten times worse. I had to get out of here.

 Taking a deep breath, I quickly scanned the area, looking for a way out. I didn’t have much time. I turned to run, but then I saw it. 

 It was a mountain lion, powerful, stepping out of the shadows. Its eyes locked onto me, watching my every move.

 I took off, running as fast as I could, my breath coming in short, panicked gasps. The forest blurred around me, branches scratching at my skin, but I didn’t care. I just needed to get away. The sound of the mountain lion’s paws hitting the ground behind me filled me with terror. It was fast, too fast.

 My legs burned, and my lungs felt like they were on fire. The pain of running so much and so quickly was unbearable, but I couldn’t stop. Not now. I pushed myself harder, willing myself to keep going, but it was no use. The ground suddenly seemed to shift beneath me, and I tripped, falling hard onto the forest floor.

 Pain shot through my body as I hit the ground, and for a moment, I couldn’t breathe. I lay there, stunned, trying to gather my thoughts. The growl came again, closer this time. I struggled to get up, but my body wouldn’t cooperate. The fear of what was coming paralyzed me.

 I turned my head just in time to see the mountain lion come out from the shadows, its eyes gleaming with a predatory hunger. It was so close now. Too close.

 I couldn’t help but panic, and I forced myself to move, to get up, but it was like my body was in slow motion. The lion advanced, and I knew I couldn’t outrun it. My mind raced, searching for anything that could help me.

   “Help! Help me!” I screamed, hoping someone, anyone, would hear me. But the forest remained silent, my voice swallowed by the trees.

 The lion crouched, ready to pounce. My heart felt like it was going to explode. I couldn’t believe this was happening. I couldn’t believe I had let it get this far. The thought of my baby flashed through my mind, and adrenaline filled me. I couldn’t let this happen. Not now, not like this. We were going to survive.

 Using every ounce of strength I had left, I scrambled to my feet, ignoring the pain that shot through my body. I had to keep moving. I turned and ran, but the lion was already in the air, its powerful body crashing into me, knocking me to the ground once more.

 I hit the ground hard, the impact knocking the wind out of me. The lion was on top of me now, its hot breath on my face. I struggled, trying to push it off, but it was no use. It was too strong.

   “Get off me!” I screamed, my voice raw with fear. I fought with everything I had, kicking and clawing, but the lion’s claws dug into my skin, pinning me down.

 Just when I thought it was over, a loud, piercing howl echoed through the forest. The lion hesitated, its ears twitching. The howl came again, closer this time. 

 The lion growled, its attention shifting. It looked back at me, and for a moment, I thought it was going to attack again, but the lion seemed to be distracted.

 I lay there, gasping for breath, my body trembling with adrenaline. The pain from the encounter radiated through me, but relief flooded in as the immediate danger wasn’t focused on me again. I struggled to sit up, and just then, I heard a howl.

 A flash of movement caught my eye, and then a figure burst into view— golden hair catching the last rays of daylight, eyes fierce and somewhat calm in a scary way. In a blur of motion, the figure launched at the mountain lion, striking it with a force that sent the predator sprawling.

 The lion yowled in surprise and pain, momentarily stunned by the unexpected attack. The figure turned toward me, shouting something I couldn’t quite make out over the rush of blood in my ears.

 Fear and relief were all I could feel within me as I watched the whole thing unfold. The figure fought with a primal intensity, driving the lion away from me. Every move was precise, every strike calculated to protect, and I felt a lot of gratitude and confusion. Who was this man, and what was happening?

 I tried to call out, to thank him, but my voice caught in my throat. My body ached, and I struggled to move, still pinned down by the weight of the encounter. The man’s form blurred as he moved swiftly, forcing the lion to retreat deeper into the forest.

 As the sounds of their struggle faded into the distance, leaving me alone with the encroaching darkness, I shivered despite the warmth of the evening. My thoughts raced, trying to process what had just happened. Damien had saved me—again. But why? What did it mean?

 With a lot of effort, I managed to push myself into a sitting position, leaning heavily against a nearby tree. The forest seemed eerily quiet now, the rustling leaves and occasional night sounds filling the void left by the departing predators. I wrapped my arms around myself, trying to calm the tremors that shook my body.

 The realization of how close I had come to death was still weighing me down. If the man hadn’t arrived when he did, I might not have survived. The thought was sobering.

 Footsteps approached, and I tensed, instinctively preparing for another threat. But then the man came back and he hurried over to me, dropping to his knees beside me.

   “Miss, are you alright?” His voice was soothing, a deep rich tone, the kind that could melt a woman to her feet.

   “I…” I opened my mouth to speak, but then my vision became blurry almost immediately.