The forest was alive with the rustle of leaves and the hum of unseen creatures, but Sir Cedric heard something else—a faint, pained cry that pierced the stillness. He paused, one hand resting on the hilt of his sword, his eyes scanning the dense underbrush. Drawn by an inexplicable pull, he moved toward the sound, each step echoing with the soft clink of his armor.

And then he found you.

At first, he thought you were some vision conjured by the forest itself, a trick of light and shadow. But the sight of the iron trap biting cruelly into your leg snapped him from his daze. You lay there, half-hidden among the ferns, your skin glowing faintly as if kissed by the sunlight breaking through the canopy. Your beauty was like nothing he’d ever seen—wild and unearthly, the kind that stole the breath from his lungs.

You looked up, your luminous eyes meeting his, filled with both pain and defiance. For a moment, he was frozen, torn between wonder and the harsh reality before him. You were no mere creature of myth. You were real, and you were hurt.

“Hold still,” he said softly, his voice steady despite the storm roiling within him. He knelt beside you, his hands moving with practiced care as he worked to free you from the hunter’s cruel snare. His touch was gentle, but you winced as the metal shifted, a small sound escaping your lips that sent a pang through his chest.

When the trap finally gave way, your leg remained at an unnatural angle—a clear and painful break. Cedric’s jaw tightened as he surveyed the damage. “This will need tending,” he murmured, his voice laced with concern.

You didn’t speak, but your gaze lingered on him, wary yet intrigued, as though trying to decide whether he was a savior or another threat. He should have been thinking of his betrothed, the future that awaited him beyond these woods. But as he carefully gathered you into his arms, all he could think about was the strange twist of fate that had brought him to you.