13~ HIS MONSTROUS SIDE

SAGE POV

My breath caught in my throat, my chest squeezing painfully. The sight of that man eating another’s heart was burned into my mind like fire, and before I knew it, my feet moved on their own.

I stumbled back once, then twice, then turned and ran.

My pulse thundered in my ears. I didn’t know where I was going, I only knew I had to get away.

But I barely made it three steps before a strong hand grabbed me, yanking me back as though I weighed nothing.

Knight’s deep voice rumbled behind me. “Why are you running?” His grip tightened, and I could feel the heat of his body at my back.

“You are a werewolf. Why are you scared? You think it’s wrong to punish someone?”

I smacked his hand off me and spun around, my voice breaking free from my throat in a strangled, trembling scream.

“You are a monster!” I choked out, my words shaky but loud. “That was a person… a whole person! I get that we eat animals raw, but a man? How can you make someone eat a whole man?” My chest heaved, the words scratching my throat, but I forced them out. “You are a monster!” My throat hurt but yelling that to his face left me satisfied

He only rolled his eyes. Before I could back away, he grabbed me by the waist and lifted me clean off the ground.

“No!” I screamed, kicking, struggling against his hold, but he was too strong. He moved faster than I had ever seen anyone move, the world around us blurring as he sped away from the training grounds.

“Knight!” I heard Tracy’s voice from far behind us in panic. “Don’t you dare hurt her!”

I bit him on his so hard, sinking my teeth into the arm holding me, desperate to make him let me go. But he only growled low, gripping me tighter.

When he finally stopped, he dropped me roughly onto my feet. My legs gave way and I stumbled, catching myself just in time then froze as my eyes landed on what lay before us.

Several bodies were half-buried, half-rotting, their faces twisted in death.

The stench hit me a second later and I bent over, gagging. I vomited until my stomach was empty, my entire body shaking.

Then I felt his warm, calloused hand patting my shoulder. “Are you okay?” he asked casually, as if this was normal.

I vomited again, not able to hold myself. When I could finally breathe, I tried to run, but he caught me by the wrist.

“Don’t move,” he commanded, dragging me back and forcing me to face the corpses, it was so irritating how could someone in their right sense stare at these

“Look at them!”

“Let me go,” I whispered, tears blurring my vision.

He turned me toward him, his dark eyes like burning coals. “You are going to become Luna,” he said coldly.

I shook my head, stumbling back until my shoulders hit a tree. “I don’t want to,” I cried, my voice cracking.

“You don’t have a choice!” he snarled, grabbing my chin and forcing me to look at him. “I own you!”

“I am not property!” I shouted, my throat aching with the effort. “Please, just let me go! Kill me if you have to, just let me go!”

For a moment, something flickered in his eyes, hurt, maybe but I didn’t care.

His expression hardened and his hand shot to my throat, pressing so hard that I began to choke. His fangs lengthened before my eyes, gleaming.

“Don’t you dare reject me,” he growled, his voice dropping lower, dangerous.

I tried to push him away, but he pulled me in instead, crushing his lips to mine.

His kiss was brutal, making my eyes widened. “let… me..” I mumbled against the kiss but it only gave him entrance.

His teeth caught my lip, biting down just enough to make me gasp, and then his tongue pushed past my lips, claiming my mouth even as I tried to push him off.

Tears stung my eyes and slipped down my cheeks. My hands hit his chest again and again, but he didn’t let go until I sagged against him, too exhausted to fight anymore.

When he finally pulled away, his lips were wet with my tears and blood. His mouth trailed lower, brushing over my jaw, down my neck, kissing along my collarbone until I shuddered.

Then, as abruptly as he had grabbed me, he released me.

I staggered back, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand. My voice trembled but held when I spoke.

“I hate you.”

For a second, silence stretched between us. Then he let out a low, humorless laugh. “I have been called that my whole life,” he let out before he proceeded. “But why does it offend me when you say it?”

“Because that’s what you really are,” I spat, my nails digging into my palms.

He turned away from me, his shoulders tense. “You have no choice,” he said quietly. “You will accept the monster as your mate.”

“Never!” I shouted. “I would rather you kill me!”

He turned back, staring at me for a long, unreadable moment.

“You can talk now,” he said finally, tilting his head. “Guess this technique worked.”

I glared at him, rage coursing hot through my veins. I didn’t care if he heard me now.

He began walking away, expecting me to follow. I didn’t move, guess this is a great opportunity to stay far from him.

“Walk,” he ordered without looking back. But I stood my ground.

“I said…” He paused, and before I could react, something dark shot out of the trees.

It was a Rogue… Its claws slashed toward me, I only stood there in shock watching my life flashed through my eyes but Knight was there first.

Pain exploded across his chest as the claws sank deep, right over his heart.

I gasped, horrified, as blood spread across his shirt. I gasped almost breathless.

Knight grabbed the rogue by the throat with one hand, twisted hard, and snapped its neck with a sickening crack, making it fall to the ground.

“Told you to walk! Don’t mess with me Sage!” I was stupefied that I couldn’t even say a word.

Again he defied to take it further making me flabbergasted. With a furious snarl, he drove his hand into its chest, ripping out its heart. The rogue gave one final whimper before going still.

I dropped to my knees, shaking violently as Knight lifted the still-beating heart and bit into it, tearing into it with his fangs.

When his dark, bloodstained gaze turned toward me, he actually winked. My mouth was left ajar.

His wound closed before my eyes, skin knitting back together as if nothing had happened. He rolled his shoulders, cracking his neck.

Then he crouched in front of me, holding out the heart like an offering.

“You want to eat?” he asked, voice calm, almost mocking.

I gagged, the bile rising in my throat again.