Emma's Pov

　　I bang my head, already throbbing, hard against the front seat when my brother brakes the car with all his might. My body also lurches forward, but the impact isn't as strong as that of my head. I blink disoriented for a few seconds.

　　"What the fuck is this?" James says irritated inside the car. I look ahead, at the road we're on. Some other cars behind us swerve with honking and cursing coming out of the windows. I just don't know if it's directed at us or the man standing in front of my brother's car hood. "You idiot, get out of the way. Are you trying to get yourself killed, you moron?!" James shouts with his head out the window.

　　I look more closely at the guy standing in front of the car. It takes me a few seconds to recognize him because, well... the last time I saw him, he was short on clothes. My eyes widen when I recognize the guy I had saved hours ago in the forest.

　　The mysterious man was now dressed quite casually. Faded jeans, and a tight black V-neck shirt that accentuated his extraordinary muscles even more. His long golden blond hair was now tied back, with only a few loose strands falling over his shoulders. On the mysterious guy's face, a pair of dark sunglasses rested, hiding the large blue eyes he had.

　　As if noticing my reaction, the man flashed a mischievous smile in my direction, completely ignoring my older brother's complaint. "Are you deaf, brute?" James shouts at the guy and then honks the horn. "Get out of the fucking way or I'll run this car over your fucking body!"

　　"You can try that. But you'll ruin a beautiful paint job," the guy replies with humor and adjusts his shirt as if it had some defect. He lowers his face, letting the sunglasses slide down his long nose, and his blue eyes land on me, "Need some help, princess?"

　　The question catches me off guard. Was he here because of me? To rescue me? This had to be a fucking joke!

　　Before I could confirm that yes, I did need help, my brother interfered again. "She's fine. She doesn't need anything! Now scram, you fucking asshole!"

　　The man takes off his glasses and tucks them into his shirt collar. His steps are firm yet calm as if he's in no hurry at all. He goes to the driver's door and pulls my brother by the collar of his jacket with surprising strength. "I heard her screaming for help three kilometers from here. She clearly needs something, and you... you're not capable of providing that to her. But I, well..." his eyes gain a mischievous glint before continuing, "I sure am capable of giving her what she needs."

　　I'm breathless for a few seconds. The tears that were streaming like a waterfall from my eyes before have stopped completely. My desperation to escape is now replaced by a rush of adrenaline.

　　My brother isn't intimidated by the guy's audacity. In a quick move, my brother frees himself from the guy's hand and angrily opens the door, slamming it shut right after. "Who do you think you are, you asshole? This," my brother points at the car, towards me, "is none of your fucking business, got it? So get lost!" James then pushes the guy who doesn't budge an inch from his spot.

　　My brother is a warrior, and knows how to fight one-on-one, but the other guy's height and weight are practically double his. The fight won't be pretty.

　　"When I hear a beautiful girl screaming for help, I make it my business. And you don't seem like someone very trustworthy anyway," the guy retorts seriously. He takes a few steps back, just creating a small space between him and my brother.

　　"She's my sister, and you don't know the fuck she's done. She's no saint; she's a murderer!" James declares, and I widen my eyes at his lying words.

　　"Liar! I didn't murder anyone; I've said it a thousand times! You just can't see it," I retort angrily at my brother's false statement. I increasingly realize that my family doesn't give a fuck about my true well-being.

　　For the love of the Goddess, even a stranger I met less than five hours ago is here to rescue me from my own family and pack. My life is a divine tragicomedy for sure!

　　My brother turns to me, glaring at me with angry eyes. "Shut up, Emma! I've said it doesn't matter if you're innocent or not; if Michael wants your skin, it's hers that I'll hand over to him!" James retorts. Before he could say anything else, a punch cuts through the air and deeply hits my brother's face.

　　The impact of the punch resonates in a way that I gasp in fear at the thought that it probably broke my brother's jaw.

　　"That's not how you talk to a princess, especially one who is, unfortunately, your sister!" the guy declares with his fist still clenched, ready to face my brother James.

　　James has a swollen lower lip, with a long cut down to his chin that bleeds moderately. When he adjusts his body and turns his back to me, I can only watch his slow movement advancing to hit the other guy. But the man dodges with almost superhuman speed, allowing my brother to simply punch empty air. The guy winks at me, and I find myself gaping at his dexterity and balance.

　　Before my brother can attempt another blow, the guy lifts his knee and hits my brother in the ribs, on the left side of his body. My brother falls to the ground with a groan of pain, the guy's black military boot hits my brother's chin with an impressive kick.

　　"Stay on the ground, punk. It'll be better for you," the guy warns before walking to the driver's door of the car. He unlocks the passenger side doors and I stumble out, unable to believe what I had just witnessed. The guy extends his hand for me to regain balance, and I notice some metal rings on his fingers. I hesitate for just a few seconds before accepting his hand. "It seems it didn't take long for us to meet again, princess."

　　I stammer my response as I feel an electric shock pass through my body, "Y-yeah... and in clothes." My response elicits a pleasant laugh from the guy. He extends his arm to me, and I intertwine mine with his. He led me to a black and red motorcycle a few meters away on the roadside, which until that moment, I hadn't even noticed.

　　I don't know where this guy is taking me, but it will surely be much better than going back to the Moonshadow Pack. I look back, and see my brother getting up with difficulty. Our eyes meet, and a spark of hatred rises in my brother, but it doesn't scare me, it only saddens me. "Please, take me away from here," I plead in a lamentable murmur.

　　"Whatever you want, princess."