His initial throaty hiss, like the unsettling whisper, still echoed faintly in the air. Now, his gaze was fixed on her, taking in her makeshift covering of oversized leaves and her bare limbs with an unreadable intensity.
He likely perceived her as something utterly foreign, a creature unlike any he had encountered in this territory. His stance held a cautious alertness, his powerful frame coiled and ready despite his apparent stillness.
Rami felt a fresh wave of unease wash over her. He was even larger up close than she had initially perceived, his presence radiating a raw, untamed power that made her feel acutely vulnerable. A knot of anxiety tightened in her chest as she took in his imposing figure.
Her eyes traced the length of his legs, noticing a few dried pieces of grass clinging to one knee.
A fleeting thought crossed her mind: "Wait... was he kneeling back there?" The idea that he might have been observing her before revealing himself sent a shiver down her spine.
His intense gaze, however, was not solely focused on her. Rami noticed his head was subtly angled, his attention directed slightly past her, towards a point deeper within the less dense growth. It was the same direction from which the initial scurrying sound had come before she entered this more open area.
Whatever had made that sound had seemingly retreated, but Yves's unwavering focus suggested he was still aware of its presence, a silent predator keeping watch over his domain.
The stillness of the atmosphere had been a boon to his hunt.
Yves had remained motionless for hours in the taller, unfamiliar grasses, every muscle coiled with anticipation.
He had been tracking a scent for days, and finally, the prey – a creature whose musk promised a satisfying meal – was within striking distance, wandering further out from the denser trees. He was about to lunge, the moment ripe, when the creature suddenly veered, its movements erratic, as if alerted to a new presence.
Then, she appeared. A strange female, stumbling into the very path where his prey had been moments before.
"Wasn't it supposed to be food?" The thought flickered through his mind, a primal instinct momentarily overriding his hunting focus. Her unexpected arrival had clearly spooked his quarry, sending it fleeing deeper into the woods.
He abandoned the hunt; the opportunity was lost, and this anomaly demanded closer inspection.
As he emerged from the grass, his gaze locked onto the female. She tilted her head back to look at him, her eyes wide and filled with a terror that was far more palpable than any fear his usual prey exhibited. Her reaction was… unusual. Prey typically tried to flee silently or fight with desperate ferocity. This creature simply looked...Petrified.
He took in her appearance. Her skin, where visible beneath the awkwardly draped oversized leaves, was pale, with a hint of slight olive. It looked soft, fragile. Her scent was faint, unlike the strong, musky odors of the females of his kind. There was a delicate sweetness to her, mingled with the unfamiliar aromas of the forest – damp earth and decaying foliage.
It was a scent that sparked curiosity rather than immediate hunger. She clutched the giant leaves to herself, a gesture of vulnerability that he noted with a detached interest. This was no hunter; this was something… else.