The Bonds of Love and Protection

They likewise stared at each other for a few minutes as if they were the only two people on the planet, and when she realized what she was doing, she walked away from him and diverted her gaze. Avery's feelings were awkward as she stared at the man, and she felt bad for being harsh to him due to her assumptions about him, so she was embarrassed to thank him.

"Thank you for your help, and I apologize for being impolite to you." Avery said while her head dropped in shame at the embarrassment she had given the guy in front of her. She recognizes her fault and confesses she was harsh to him, but she can't blame herself for what happened previously.

Meanwhile, Raven simply smiled at her as he watched her struggle to stand. He still wanted to stare and be with her, but it appeared that she preferred to return home. He couldn't take it any longer and grabbed Avery, who was surprised and screamed.

"What? Let me go! Take me down!"

"Are you sure you want me to take you down and let you go?" Raven's words seemed to have a deeper significance, which helped Avery relax. 

She didn't want to aggravate her injuries any further, so she remained silent as Raven walked. Until they came to a halt in front of his parked motorcycle on the side of the road.

Raven dropped Avery off when they got on his motorcycle and stated, "I'll drive you wherever you want to go on my motorcycle. Don't worry, I'm not going to hurt you. Come with me, I promise I won't hurt you. Because I'm not a bad guy, I rescued you from the two men who were about to harm you. Have faith in me! I'm a nice guy, so get on my motorcycle!"

Avery, on the other hand, declined and stated, "You don't have to take me any longer since I'm capable of handling myself. You're free to leave me here!" She started walking away from the man after she said that, but Raven grabbed her arm and stopped her.

Raven remarked, "Hey, you'll be home tomorrow when you go alone like that!" He pointed to her feet and continued, "Perhaps something else will happen along the road. I'll take you to your house if you don't act. If you persist in your stubbornness, you may die soon." Raven looked around the old tree that surrounds them.

"Have you heard the legend surrounding this area? Because there are thought to be wandering animals that originated from underground, no one can escape existence in this place." He tried to scare Avery even more with what he said, but she was unconcerned since if this man only knew her true identity, she should be the one he was afraid of.

Avery explained, "I don't require your assistance, and because I have legs, I know how to get home on my own. So, please return to your home. I'm not paralyzed and most importantly, I'm not handicapped! I don't need you here anymore! I can take care of myself even if you're not at my side!" As she said that, she tried to walk again but the man in front of her was already annoyed.

Raven, on the other side, was annoyed with her and forcibly hauled her back onto the motorcycle. Even though she was already suffering, she was compelled to climb on his motorcycle. She adds that she doesn't seem to have anything against her male companion because she can sense his power as well as his distinct aura, which enhances his personality.

"When you come down, I'll kiss you!" Raven threatened her while looking at her eyes.

When he threatened to kiss Avery, she was taken aback. Ever since, no one has kissed her. 

The woman simply remained silent and consented to ride his motorcycle with him. She does not want to be kissed by the man she only met today, and she is concerned that her parents will find out. 

She doesn't want to squander her first kiss with this jerk and risk falling into a game of fate. She didn't want to reveal to the man that she was scared and fearful.

As he put on a helmet for her protection, she grasped the man's shoulder. Then he sped away on his motorcycle. Avery felt quite close to the man and held tightly on his shoulder, when she felt the very fast ride. 

She had no idea that riding a motorcycle was also terrifying. She appeared to want to jump the motorcycle and never ride in it again. She was worried that they might collide or that she would tumble into the motorcycle. Many things occupy her mind when riding the motorcycle, so she simply swallows saliva whenever she considers what might happen to them. As he felt Raven's back heat, her muscles were also trembling.

Raven smiled as he felt Avery hug him out of fear of falling off the motorcycle they were riding at the time. He accelerated his drive as it was getting dark because he knew there were many opponents in that wooded forest. He didn't want to cause any harm to the woman who was with him. 

Something horrible will undoubtedly happen to them if they do not act quickly. He didn't want to see Avery in jeopardy once more. He knew she was capable of doing it herself, but he couldn't help himself from rescuing her. He didn't want to cause any more pain to the woman.

He said to Avery, "Just hang on tight and I'll quicken the pace. You must not let go of my waistline or you will fall."

Until they get to Avery's house.

Avery, on the other hand, felt sick to her stomach as she removed her helmet. Raven, on the other hand, departed right away while she was vomiting, and she was unable to express her gratitude for his assistance. She swears she'll never go back on a motorcycle. Because she was vomiting, she took a deep breath and soothed her stomach.

When her Mommy and Daddy heard the sound of a motorcycle in front of their house, they immediately came out. They approached Avery and greeted her as soon as they saw their daughter.

"What happened to you, baby? Do you realize how concerned we are about you? Who sent you and where did you come from? He didn't even come down to properly meet us. Is he hurting you?" Her mother's questions made her feel increasingly uncomfortable. 

Avery's gaze fell to the frayed edges of the couch, her fingers tracing the patterns absently as she sought the right words. "He was the one who saved me earlier," she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.

She could feel their astonishment vibrate through the air, a silent wave crashing against the security of their living room walls. The timeworn sofa felt less like a refuge and more like an interrogation bench under the weight of their concern.

"Saved?" Her father's question echoed, heavy with confusion and worry. He leaned forward, his hands clasped between his knees, the lines on his forehead deepening. "What exactly do you mean?"

The silence that followed seemed to press down on Avery, urging her toward the truth. She watched as her father's eyes searched hers, the familiar shade of brown now clouded with regret.

"I'm sorry I was late in picking you up," he continued, his voice tinged with self-reproach. "I had to go somewhere else and didn't pick you up on time. Can you explain to us what happened to you and why the man who brought you to our house saved you? We're extremely concerned about you!"

"Something... happened on my way home," she started, her fingers still playing with the worn fabric of the couch. "Please don't worry," she added quickly, mustering a reassuring smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "It's sorted now, thanks to him." Her voice held a note of finality, a silent plea for them not to dig deeper.

"Tell us," her mother echoed, a frown creasing her brow as if the word tasted sour.

"Two of my schoolmates—they blocked my way." She watched as her parents' eyes widened. "They threatened to harm me." The words spilled out now, faster, her voice a whisper of leaves in the wind. Her mind replayed the moment those faces had loomed before her, the sneer in their voices, the promise of pain in their eyes.

Avery's father clenched his jaw, a muscle ticking in his cheek, the lines of his face carved in stone. Her mother's hands lay folded, knuckles white—a silent testament to her fear.

"Sweetheart," her father began, but Avery cut him off, needing them to understand.

"I couldn't expose my genuine identity," she insisted, lifting her head to meet their worried stares. "I've promised not to bother you with...with what I can do. So I pretended." Her hands mimicked frailty, a ghostly pantomime of the weakness she'd feigned.

"Then, out of nowhere, that man appeared and..." She trailed off, watching as relief flickered across her mother's features, momentarily eclipsing the anxiety.

"Saved you," her mother finished, exhaling deeply. It was as if the room itself breathed out, walls contracting, air shifting. "It's fortunate that he came to your rescue! I'm delighted you fulfilled your promise to us, but you should still be prepared to protect yourself."

Her mother's voice was firm, yet beneath the layers of gratitude and instruction, Avery heard the tremor of fear that sought to undermine the steel in her words.

Avery nodded, the ghost of the stranger's intervention wrapping around her like an enigmatic shroud. She thought about the strength he'd shown, the decisiveness of his actions. A protector's instinct stirred within her, an ember that wouldn't be extinguished.

"His scent," she began tentatively, a half-smile playing on her lips as she delved into the memory, "was unusual." Her mother and father leaned in, their eyes searching hers for clarity. She met their gaze squarely, an ember of wonder flickering in her own.

"I can't explain it, but his smell and aura are truly different. He doesn't smell human or vampire because his fragrance is like a wild animal."

Her fingers traced the pattern on the armrest, the tactile sensation grounding her as she sifted through the enigma of this stranger. "His presence is peculiar and his distinctive strength is indeed exceptional." Avery's voice held a note of awe that resonated in the quiet room.

"An animal, you say?" Her father's voice broke the hush, roughened by a sudden wariness.

"Yes, but not just any animal," Avery clarified, her smile fading as she replayed the encounter in her mind's theater. "More like something untamed, fierce... free."

"Wild animals can be unpredictable, darling," her mother cautioned, her voice laced with a tremor. "It's both a blessing and a peril that he came to your aid."

"Unpredictable," Avery repeated softly, contemplating the double-edged sword that word represented. She pulled her knees up to her chest, wrapping her arms around them, seeking comfort in the familiarity of her home, the sanctuary it provided.

"Indeed," her father murmured, his hand reaching out to cover hers, squeezing gently in reassurance—his own way of reinforcing their unity against whatever might lurk beyond the threshold of their haven.

"Exceptional," Avery whispered, more to herself than to them. Her thoughts swirled like leaves in an autumn wind, each one a question marking the trail of the stranger's departure. Who was he? And why did he possess such a strange and potent aura?

The questions hung in the air, unanswered, as the family sat together, the bonds of love and protection knitting them closer in the face of the unknown.