Days passed since the ambush, but for Serah Blaze, nothing felt the same.
She tried to focus on the mission, to follow orders. But her mind kept wandering back to that moment in the jungle—when that man with thorns saved her life. Every time she closed her eyes, his face was there, haunting her dreams.
The city camp felt cold compared to the warmth of the jungle. Despite the high-tech equipment, the clean air, and the safety of the base, Serah felt a sense of emptiness.
The team had gone over their reports, analyzing the data they'd gathered, but Serah couldn't concentrate. All she could think about was the man—the Porcu Man, as she secretly called him. She had no idea who he was, but there was something in his eyes that called to her. Something wild. Something dangerous.
Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of footsteps.
"Serah," Captain Jace Rivers called out. "We're heading out for another mission briefing. You coming?"
Serah blinked and shook her head, trying to clear the fog from her mind. "Uh, yeah. I'll be there."
She quickly followed Jace into the briefing room, but her thoughts still drifted. She sat through the meeting, but her mind wandered off. She had to get answers. She had to find him.
---
That night, as the camp quieted down, Serah lay in her tent, staring up at the ceiling. She couldn't sleep.
Suddenly, a loud crash of thunder outside jolted her awake. The rain began to pour in sheets, hitting the canvas with a rhythmic patter.
Her heart raced.
She couldn't stay here any longer. She needed to know more about the man. She needed to find him.
Without a second thought, Serah grabbed her gear, slipped out of her tent, and made her way toward the jungle—again.
---
Thorn stood still, watching the heavy rain fall over the jungle. The world felt alive, the way it always did after a storm. But something about tonight felt different. He could feel it in his bones.
The woman—the soldier—she was out there. He didn't know why, but the moment he'd saved her, a bond had been formed. She didn't belong in this place. She didn't belong in his world. And yet, he couldn't stop thinking about her.
Her soft blue eyes. Her courage. Her beauty. It had been so long since he'd cared for anyone. And he couldn't let himself care now. The world he lived in was too dangerous.
But still, he couldn't ignore it.
---
Serah walked deeper into the jungle, her senses heightened, every crack of a branch making her heart leap. She had no plan, no backup. Just a burning need to find him.
She pushed through the thick brush, her breath coming in shallow gasps. She wasn't sure how much time had passed, but when she stumbled into a clearing, she froze.
There he was.
Thorn Everhart.
His eyes glowed softly in the dark, his bare chest rising and falling with each breath. The rain didn't seem to bother him at all. He was a force of nature—like the jungle itself.
Serah couldn't move. She was frozen, her heart racing in her chest. She had finally found him.
---
Thorn's eyes narrowed as he saw her approach. Her presence was like a storm in itself. He didn't speak, but his body tensed, ready for whatever she might do.
"What are you doing here?" His voice was low, like the growl of a predator.
"I…" Serah swallowed. "I had to find you. I couldn't stop thinking about you… about what happened."
Thorn's eyes softened for a moment, but only for a moment. "You shouldn't have come. This is not your world."
"I don't care," Serah replied, her voice steady. "I want to know who you are. What you are."
Thorn stepped closer, his shadow casting over her. "I'm a man who doesn't belong in your world. And you… you shouldn't be here. It's too dangerous."
Serah stepped forward, matching his intensity. "I don't care about the danger. I care about you."
---
There was a long pause between them. A pulse of electricity seemed to hum through the air, the rain falling harder around them.
For a moment, Serah thought he might push her away, that he might vanish into the jungle once again.
But instead, Thorn did something unexpected.
He reached out, gently cupping her face with his rough, calloused hand.
"I don't want to hurt you," he whispered, his breath hot against her skin.
"You won't," Serah said, her voice steady despite the pounding of her heart.
Without another word, Thorn pulled her closer. Their lips met—tentative at first, testing. And then it deepened. It was raw, filled with all the tension they'd been holding back. The heat of the kiss consumed them both.
For a moment, nothing else mattered. There was only the rain, the jungle, and the man in her arms.