Asher stared down in shock at the woman at his feet. Her eyes, bright blue orbs, pleaded up with him. He hated that he was standing there, but he felt as if he was in shock. He shook his head, regaining his composure. He bent down and cradled the woman in his arms. Asher poked his head out of the door, looking around to find whoever had brought this woman to his door. Seeing no one, he closed the door, ran to the bathroom, and quickly turned on the shower. He needed to find out where the blood was coming from.

"I'm sorry," he apologized to the woman. "I need to find where the blood is coming from to help you." His hands rested at the edges of her shirt. "I need to take this off." He silently asked her for permission but knew he would do it anyway.

The woman's eyes flickered up at him. She started to open her mouth, but nothing came out. Instead, she just nodded. She was permitting him to do what he needed to do. In the light, he could see her features. Underneath the blood, he could see caramel-colored skin, smooth. Her hair was too matted and bloody to tell what color it was, but he couldn't focus. He needed to find where she was losing blood. The woman's body was shaking uncontrollably. He didn't know if she was cold or from shock, but he was bound to help her.

Asher quickly removed her shirt, moving her so her body was under the water spraying down from the showerhead. He gently wiped the blood from her skin, still not finding where the blood was coming from. His eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"Were you hit?" he asked her quickly.

The woman shrugged her shoulders. "I'm not sure." Her voice was a whisper around him.

Asher's eyes snapped up to her face. "What do you mean?"

Her blue eyes seemed to penetrate him as she stared up at him. Her eyes searched his face desperately. "I ran." Her voice sounded exhausted. Her eyelids started to fall, fatigue taking over her body.

"You don't remember getting hit?" He continued to move his hands through her hair, clearing it of blood. Now that the blood was clearing, he could see that her hair was striking white. He tried to keep her awake by talking to her, wanting her to answer his questions.

The woman shook her head as her eyes opened and closed.

"Why were you running?" Asher tried to get her to answer again. He waited for a moment before trying again. "Who were you running from?"

Her hand moved up and clutched onto his arm. "My family."

The blood was almost gone from her body. "Who's your family?"

"I'm tired," her voice whispered.

"I'm almost done," Asher reassured her. "You'll stay with me until I figure out why you were running and who your family is." She was cleaned from blood now, but her jeans were soaking wet.

The woman looked up at him. "I'm cold."

Asher looked down at her jeans again. "I, um, need to take your jeans off. They're soaking wet."

The woman nodded. "All right."

Asher's hands moved down her body, resting on the button of her jeans. He quickly took them off, throwing them in the corner of the shower along with her shirt. He got up quickly and grabbed a towel before turning off the showerhead. He wrapped the woman in the towel and carried her out of the bathroom. He stopped outside the bathroom, realizing he didn't have another spare room. Declan had taken over the spare bedroom. Asher took a deep breath and placed her on his bed as he entered his room. He pulled the covers over her tightly.

"I need to know your name," Asher ran his hand over her wet hair.

"Miya," her voice was calm as she answered him. Her eyes closed as her body relaxed underneath the covers.

Asher couldn't help the smile that spread over his face. This woman was beautiful. He needed to figure out why she was running and came to his door, covered in blood. Suddenly, a wave of protectiveness and possessiveness came over him. Whoever made her run couldn't be a good man. He'll figure it out.

"Miya," he tested her name on his tongue. He ran his hand over her forehead one more time before straightening up. "Get some sleep. I'll expect answers in the morning." He turned around and left his room, closing the door behind him. He made sure to check on Declan before heading to the living room. Grabbing a blanket, he laid down on the couch, covering himself.

Usually, he enjoyed the silence of the cabin. He was constantly surrounded by noise, but the house's silence always comforted him. Now, everything was too quiet. He got up three times, ensuring every door and window was locked. Eventually, he turned on the television, creating a soft noise in the house and distracting him from his thoughts. Laying back down, he let his eyes close and sleep take over.

----

Asher woke up as the sun was starting to rise. An orangish hue broke through the shades. He stretched his arms out as he stood up. He walked over to the kitchen, warming up a bottle for when Declan woke up before he checked on the woman sleeping in his room.

Miya.

Asher couldn't help but think that she was beautiful. There was much trauma behind those eyes. He saw that last night. He could only fathom what those eyes had seen. He knew what years of abuse and trauma looked like on a person. His fists clenched at his sides as he stood at his bedroom door. No woman should ever be subjected to any abuse. He will kill the people responsible for her showing up bloody on his doorstep.

He regained his composure as he knocked on the door. A small female voice came from the other side. "Come in."

Asher opened the door and smiled warmly at Miya. He only hoped that his smile reached his eyes. Miya was still wrapped up in the covers. Her white hair fell tangled around her face. "How are you feeling?" he asked her as he sat on the foot of the bed.

Miya's blue eyes shone with curiosity as she stared at him. "I'm okay." She wrapped herself tighter with the covers as she looked around the room. "W-Where am I?"

Asher's eyebrows furrowed. "Do you not remember what happened last night?"

Miya's eyes snapped over to him. "Did we-?"

"No!" he answered quickly. He sighed. "No. You showed up at my door covered in blood. You're not hurt. I didn't find any wounds on you except for a couple of bruises and scratches, but nothing to have caused that much blood." He paused as he watched her face, hoping to see any recognition. There was none. "You don't remember?"

Miya shook her head. "I'm sorry, but I don't remember anything."

Asher nodded slowly as he looked around. "You told me your name was Miya. Is that right?"

Miya nodded. "My name is Miya."

"Okay." Asher stood up and pointed to his closet. "Pick whatever you want to wear. I will figure out what happened to you, but I'm sure you're hungry. I'll fix some breakfast; come out when you're dressed."