32
1152 Words
Azriel
I had been so lost in her.
The sound of her moan against my mouth, the feel of her skin against mine. The way she had arched into me every time I so much as brushed her hip, her thigh, the curve of her waist. She had been fire in my arms, and I had been the moth too desperate to burn.
Everything had gotten into my head. The scent of her arousal, the taste of her on my tongue, the way she'd screamed my name.
I'd gotten drunk on the ecstasy.
And I'd let the wolf slip out.
I hadn't even felt it happening. One moment I was human, lost in the heat between us, and the next my canines had lengthened, sharp and hungry, and I'd done the one thing I'd promised myself I would never do.
I'd bitten her.
The noise in my head, the constant, painful ache of the wolf's restlessness, calmed down the moment her blood burst into my mouth. It was sweet, intoxicating. A peace I'd never felt before took over me. A relief I hadn't even known existed.
A peace I didn't even deserve, because Seraphina was slumped against me, unconscious, her head lolling against my shoulder, and I'd felt relief? Peace?
I stared down at her pale face, at the dark trail of blood sliding from the bite mark on her shoulder, and my stomach turned to ash.
I'm a monster.
I'd bitten into her, and now she was going to wake up, ask questions, and run for her life. That was if she survived it.
Panic took over and I carefully adjusted her in my arms, my hands shaking so badly I could barely hold her. The water lapped cold against my waist, indifferent to the horror unfolding in my chest. I needed to get her out of the water. I needed to—
I froze.
Voices came from the upper part of the mountain.
They were whispering, but with my enhanced hearing, it was as though they were speaking right next to me.
"—don't feel right about it, Mike. They're good people. They help with the harvest, they watch the children. Seraphina even nurtured my daughter when she had the fever last week."
I knew that voice.
Thomas. Nia's husband. He was the father of the little girl Seraphina had taken care of on our second day in the village.
"And Azriel," he sounded conflicted. "He's done all the hard work we don't want to take on in the village. He's hardworking, and they're good people."
"Good people don't matter when there's a bounty on their heads," Mike replied. He'd seemed like a normal guy. He never stood out, and I hadn't really paid him much attention. "You heard what those men said. Anyone who finds a man and woman together and brings them in, they'll pay us and let us leave. They promised to safely guide us out of here. We could go back home. To our real family. Don't you want that?"
"Not if it means we have to hand them over to those barbarians." Thomas's voice rose, then dropped again, as if afraid of being overheard. "Those terrorists? You saw what they did to old Maren's town. Who's to say we won't be next if we admit that we even know who they're looking for?"
"We won't," Mike countered, but I could hear the crack in his confidence. "Don't you think we should at least try?"
"Then we'll be risking the lives of the whole village just to save ours," Thomas responded slowly. "Is that what you want?"
A long silence stretched between them. I held my breath, my arms tightening around Seraphina.
"I don't feel comfortable with this," Thomas finally said. "I don't feel comfortable at all. We should rethink this, Mike. Sleep on it. Let's talk about it tomorrow."
"There's nothing to talk about." Mike tried again, but his voice had lost its edge. "The bounty—"
"Can wait one night." I could hear their footsteps retreating. "Come on. Let's head back. I need a drink."
I waited until their footsteps had faded, even for my exaggerated hearing. Only then did I move.
Fuck! This was more complicated than I would've ever imagined. It was obvious that someone was playing checkers while we played chess.
I waded toward the shore with Seraphina curled in my arms, gathered her clothes with trembling hands, and ran as fast as I could through the forest until we got to the village. Then I sneaked into our hut and laid her on the bed. Her skin was pale, the bite mark darkening on her shoulder.
She was covered in sweat and already running a fever. I couldn't even be bothered to think about the conversation I'd heard at the river. I quickly grabbed a cloth from the wash basin, wet it with cold water, and wiped away her sweat. Then I pressed it gently against the bite mark, wiping away the dried blood on her skin.
My heart broke a million times, and I knew I wouldn't forgive myself if anything happened to her.
I kept watch over her throughout the night. I didn't even dare doze off.
Then, after what felt like an eternity, she coughed, her eyes fluttering open. I immediately bent over her.
"Seraphina." My hand immediately closed around hers. I wasn't sure if it was to reassure her or because I was scared she'd bolt out the door.
She sat up groggily, her hands instinctively going to her punctured neck.
"Azriel," she called, and it ceased my breath. "What happened?" she continued. "I suddenly felt a sharp pain, and then that's all. Did something attack us?"
She looked up at me in confusion, and I felt my whole world slipping away.
"It was..." I swallowed. "It was me."
I waited for her reaction, but she only seemed more confused. "What does that mean?"
I took her second hand too and put them together. "I mean we weren't attacked. I was the one who bit you." I looked up at her. "I'm not human, Seraphina. I'm a monster."
Then I explained everything to her. How my father had started performing experiments on me after my mother's death, how I'd slowly evolved into something that was no longer human. How a wolf paced in my head every minute. How dangerous I was, not only to myself but also to others. That was why I left her in Vegas immediately I knew I felt something for her beyond lust. And how the noise had finally calmed down only after I'd bitten her.
After I was done speaking, I searched her face for any reaction, any sign that she was about to run out the door.
But I found none.
Instead, she asked, "So does this mean you're finally okay because of me?" then passed out again.
- Writer
