Beasts With Beauty

Chapter 4

Macella's POV

Marcella knew the exact moment something changed.

It wasn’t loud.

It wasn’t dramatic.

It was a pull.

Subtle. Sharp. Familiar.

Marcella.

Her breath caught.

Grayson.

Lilith surged instantly, her presence rising like a tide beneath Marcella’s skin.

He found us.

Marcella froze mid-step in the dark corridor she’d been wandering through. The underworld didn’t have a clear layout—everything curved, stretched, shifted—but somehow she hadn’t gotten lost.

Not really.

Something here always guided her back.

But now—

Something else was pulling.

Stronger.

Brighter.

Grayson, she pushed back, focusing hard, forcing her thoughts outward the way they used to when they were kids.

For a second—

Nothing.

Then—

Marcella…?

Her chest tightened.

Relief hit first.

Fast. Sharp. Almost painful.

“i***t,” she muttered under her breath, though her voice wavered slightly. “Took you long enough.”

A faint echo of something like a breath of laughter brushed her mind.

You okay?

Marcella hesitated.

Her eyes scanned the shadows around her, the faint red glow tracing along the walls, the distant hum of power that never stopped.

“No,” she said quietly.

Then, more firmly—

Yeah. I’m fine.

A pause.

He didn’t believe her.

Of course he didn’t.

Where are you? he asked.

Marcella let out a soft breath.

“Somewhere dark, dramatic, and way too comfortable for my liking,” she muttered.

Lilith purred.

You like it.

Marcella ignored her.

Underworld, she sent back simply.

Silence flickered through the bond for a second.

Then—

Yeah. That tracks.

Despite everything, Marcella huffed a quiet laugh.

There he was.

Still Grayson.

Still him.

“What about you?” she asked aloud, even as she pushed the question through the bond.

Angels, he replied.

Marcella’s jaw tightened instantly.

“Of course,” she muttered. “Golden boy.”

Not funny.

“It kind of is.”

But the words lacked bite.

Because now that the connection was there—

Even faint—

She could feel him.

Not fully.

Not like before.

But enough to know—

He was tense.

Worried.

Trying not to show it.

Marcella leaned back against the cold stone wall, closing her eyes briefly.

For the first time since she’d woken up here—

She didn’t feel completely alone.

And that scared her more than she expected.

Because it meant losing him again would hurt worse.

They didn’t hurt you, did they? Grayson asked.

Her eyes snapped open.

“What?” she scoffed softly. “Please. I think I’m the scariest thing down here.”

Lilith practically preened.

Correct.

Grayson’s presence flickered—something between relief and frustration.

Marcella.

Her expression softened slightly.

No, she admitted finally. They didn’t hurt me.

Another pause.

Good, he said quietly.

Silence settled between them again—but this time, it wasn’t empty.

It was… heavy.

Full of things neither of them were saying.

Marcella pushed off the wall, pacing slowly.

“We’re not getting out of this easily,” she said, more to herself than him.

I know.

His response came too quickly.

Like he’d already accepted it.

Marcella frowned.

“That doesn’t sound like you.”

A flicker of something strange brushed through the bond.

Not just emotion—

Something sharper.

Images.

Light.

A battlefield.

Marcella’s breath hitched.

“What was that?”

What was what?

“You just—” she stopped, pressing a hand to her temple. “I saw something.”

Grayson went quiet.

Too quiet.

I’ve been seeing things, he admitted after a second.

Her stomach dropped.

“Define ‘things.’”

The future.

Marcella blinked.

“…You’re joking.”

I wish I was.

She dragged a hand down her face.

“Great,” she muttered. “So you’re psychic now.”

Apparently.

Despite the situation, she almost smiled.

Almost.

“What did you see?” she asked.

Another pause.

Longer this time.

Nothing good, he said finally.

Marcella’s chest tightened.

“Grayson.”

I don’t know if it’s set, he continued quickly. Or if it can change.

That made her still.

Change.

The word echoed in her mind.

Something about it—

Something about the way he said it—

Triggered something deeper.

A shift.

A pull.

Like the darkness around her was listening.

Waiting.

Marcella frowned slightly.

“Then we change it,” she said.

Simple.

Certain.

Like there was no other option.

Grayson let out a quiet breath through the bond.

Yeah, he said. We do.

But even as the words settled—

Something else stirred.

Deeper.

Colder.

Not from him.

From her.

Marcella stiffened.

“Lilith,” she whispered.

Her wolf was already moving.

Already reacting.

Do you feel that?

Marcella nodded slightly, even though no one was there to see it.

“Yeah.”

The shadows around her shifted.

Not dramatically.

Not enough for anyone else to notice.

But she felt it.

Like they were responding to her.

To her thoughts.

To her emotions.

Marcella’s pulse quickened.

“Okay,” she murmured. “That’s new.”

You’re not just feeling this place, Lilith said slowly. You’re affecting it.

Marcella’s eyes narrowed.

“That’s not possible.”

You’re half demon, Lilith reminded her. Did you really think that wouldn’t mean something?

Before Marcella could respond—

The air changed.

A presence.

Familiar.

Powerful.

Behind her.

“You’re starting to feel it.”

Marcella didn’t turn immediately.

She didn’t need to.

She already knew who it was.

Kelizal.

She exhaled slowly, then glanced over her shoulder.

“Feel what, exactly?” she asked.

He stepped closer, his gaze sharp.

“This realm,” he said. “It’s responding to you.”

Marcella crossed her arms.

“Yeah, well, I didn’t ask it to.”

“That doesn’t matter.”

His eyes flicked briefly around them, like he could see something she couldn’t.

“Power like yours doesn’t wait for permission.”

Marcella’s jaw tightened.

“Then maybe it should learn to.”

Kelizal’s lips curved slightly.

“That’s not how this works.”

Silence stretched between them.

Marcella hesitated.

Then—

Grayson, she sent quickly. Someone’s here.

The response came instantly.

Who?

She didn’t break eye contact with Kelizal.

Him.

A pause.

Then—

Be careful.

Marcella almost rolled her eyes.

“When am I not?”

But even as she said it—

Something deeper in her chest tightened.

Because for the first time—

She wasn’t entirely sure.

Kelizal stopped a few feet in front of her.

Close enough now that she could feel the heat radiating off him.

“You reached him,” he said.

Marcella stilled.

“…Excuse me?”

“Your brother,” he clarified. “You reconnected.”

Her eyes narrowed.

“How do you know that?”

Kelizal held her gaze.

“Because the moment you did—this realm reacted.”

Marcella’s stomach twisted slightly.

“That’s… not normal, is it?”

“No,” he said simply.

A beat.

“Neither are you.”

She huffed softly.

“Starting to notice that.”

Another pause.

Then—

“What else can you do?” he asked.

Marcella frowned.

“I don’t know yet.”

“Then it’s time you found out.”

Her expression hardened.

“I’m not training with you.”

Kelizal tilted his head slightly.

“That wasn’t a request.”

Marcella’s eyes flashed.

“Try me.”

For a split second—

Power snapped between them.

Sharp.

Electric.

The shadows around her deepened.

The air thickened.

And Kelizal—

Smiled.

Not mocking.

Not amused.

Something darker.

Something pleased.

“Yes,” he said quietly. “That’s exactly why you’re here.”

Marcella’s pulse pounded.

Lilith surged.

And somewhere deep inside her—

Something answered.