Instinct [TEMPORARILY ON HOLD]

Dark and Cold - I Was Told

A/N: Sophia - our gorgeous heroine - above.

This chapter is dedicated to diana109 for being the first comment on this story! I loooove the support this story is already receiving, and I'm super super exciting to let it unfold!

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The breeze quietly whispered against my skin - well, at least what was exposed of it.

I pulled my jacket tighter around me, as a small shiver ran down my back, shaking and rattling me me to my core. My pulse was rallying miles an hour, my eyes wide and searching the shadows around me.

An uneasy feeling clenched my stomach.

I felt eyes on me.

My head whipped around, trying to surprise my follower-

-but came across an empty alley.

I shook my head. I was going crazy... Perhaps, late night coffee wasn't the brightest idea.

The noise of a trashcan rattling startled me, and once again, I swirled around. This time, it wasn't just my imagination playing tricks on me. I was sure of that.

I tried to even my breathing. Quieting my sounds, I could hear the world around me better.

And it was silent.

The world around me went on, sirens and car horns sounding in the background - but they were all far away. In this dark alley, it was just me. And whatever was hiding between the shadows.

I saw my breath coming out in puffs. It was freezing out tonight, the cold New York air chilling me right down to the bones.

I couldn't see anything out of the ordinary. This wasn't a bad neighborhood, but just like every street in the big apple, the dark alley was lined with trash cans, and discarded items. The lights from the main straights shone in here, enough to illuminate the ground so I wouldn't trip, but not enough to light up every little corner.

It was just a cat - I told myself, pulling my jacket tighter around me.

My coffee was no longer warm, and I started wishing desperately that I would have just made the coffee at home, instead of deciding to step out of the comfort and safety of my apartment.

Granted, I would have never ran into my handsome stranger... But the thought of him wasn't going to bring me comfort now.

Exhaling the breath that I've been holding, I started walking again.

Another noise...

I swirled around one more time, quicker than before, hoping to catch a glimpse. No one... "I swear, I'm going out of my mi-"

"Walking alone at this hour, miss?" A deep, mocking voice sounded from behind me. I spun around on my heel, and nearly bumped into the tall man in front of me.

He was wearing a dark, puffy jacket, along with an equally dark beanie. The light from behind him didn't allow me to see his face clearly, but I could make out the light beard he was growing on his dark face.

I took a step away from him. "Excuse me." I mumbled, under my nose, and tried to walk around him - in an impossibly wide circle.

Any hope of him being in this alley with me was just a coincidence fled out the window when he caught my arm.

"Not so fast, baby." He grinned, and my stomach dropped. "Let's talk a little."

My heart was beating a million miles an hour. I heard it in my ear, as my blood rushed around my body. I was trembling.