**a DEAL with him **

--

Eliana stared at the man standing before her. The dim light from a flickering street lamp outside cast long shadows over his face, making it impossible to tell if he was friend or foe. 

Probably foe. 

She took a cautious step back. "Right. So let me get this straight—you just happened to be here, in the middle of nowhere, at the exact moment I show up? Coincidence?" 

The man didn't move. "I was waiting." 

"For me?" 

A slight nod. 

Yeah, definitely not a coincidence. 

Eliana let out a dry laugh. "Look, buddy, I don't know what kind of game you're playing, but I don't do mysterious deals with shady guys who appear out of thin air." 

"You're being hunted," the man said simply. "You won't last long alone." 

Her jaw clenched. She already knew that. She'd been running for months, dodging government agents, bounty hunters, and power-hungry psychos who thought owning a healer was the same as owning immortality. She was exhausted, but trusting a stranger? That was a whole other level of stupid. 

"Who even are you?" she asked. 

"Kieran Wolfe." 

The name meant nothing to her, but the way Kieran carried himself—rigid, controlled, dangerous—made Eliana uneasy. 

"And what, you're offering to be my bodyguard?" 

Another nod. 

"Out of the kindness of your heart?" She scoffed. "Yeah, sure. Totally believable." 

"I don't expect you to believe me." 

"Good, because I don't." 

Silence stretched between them. Kieran remained still, his sharp gaze unreadable, while Eliana's mind worked overtime, trying to figure out his angle. 

He had one. Everybody did. 

The wind howled through the abandoned train station, rattling broken windows and stirring old newspapers along the cracked floor. She had spent the last few months relying on her instincts, and right now, those instincts were screaming at her that Kieran wasn't someone to take lightly. 

But they were also saying something else—this man wasn't a government dog. He wasn't here to capture her. 

So then why? 

Eliana exhaled slowly. "Say I even consider your offer. What's in it for you?" 

Kieran was quiet for a moment before answering. "Survival." 

That caught her off guard. "Excuse me?" 

"You're valuable," Kieran said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "The most wanted person on the planet. Every faction is after you. Siding with you guarantees my survival." 

Eliana blinked. "That's a weird way of saying you want to use me." 

"I don't deny it." 

At least he was honest. 

She studied him again. The sharp-cut jaw, the calculating eyes, the way he stood—perfectly still, like a predator waiting for the right moment to strike. This guy was trained, that much was clear. 

"You a mercenary?" she asked. 

"Used to be." 

"Government?" 

"Not anymore." 

"That's not an answer." 

"It's the only one I'm giving you." 

Eliana huffed. "Great. Just what I need. Another cryptic asshole in my life." 

Kieran didn't react. He just watched, waiting. 

She ran a hand through her hair, frustration bubbling under her skin. She hated this. She hated not knowing who to trust. But she hated being backed into a corner even more. 

She had two choices—keep running, alone, and risk getting caught. Or take a gamble on Kieran and see where it led. 

Neither option was great, but at least one gave her a fighting chance. 

"...Fine," Eliana muttered. "But if you try anything shady, I swear to God, I will—" 

"You won't," Kieran interrupted. 

She scowled. "Excuse me?" 

"You won't kill me. You don't have it in you." 

Arrogant bastard. 

Eliana turned away before she punched him, shoving her hands into her pockets. "Whatever. Let's just get out of here before my fan club shows up again." 

Kieran nodded. "We move at dawn." 

She paused. "Wait, what? Why not now?" 

"You need rest. And I need to check if we're being watched." 

Okay, that was… actually smart. But Eliana wasn't about to admit that. 

"Fine," she said again. "But I'm keeping my eye on you." 

Kieran didn't reply. He just turned and walked away, disappearing into the shadows like he'd never been there at all. 

Eliana sighed. "Yeah. That's not unsettling at all." 

Tomorrow, she'd be back on the run. But for now, she closed her eyes and let exhaustion win. 

---

Let me know if you'd like any other tweaks!