Monster

“I… I am sorry okay? I just.. I just…” The words were stuck in my mouth, with me unable to say anything. He took a step towards me, making me take one back, trying to keep the distance between us.

“I am…, I just… “ I tried again to get the words out “Please don’t hurt me” The tears were streaming down my eyes before I could stop myself, then he shifted.

He looked at me long and hard not saying anything before he came close to me, picking me up from the ground.

I was still, barely breathing so that he would not get annoyed. Ethan hated when I breathed a certain way, said I was irritating when I did that.

“You need to relax. You just ran with your condition” He said in the most gentle voice I heard even with the rage still very much on his face “You risked your life Anya” He said, his tone sharp at the last part. I said nothing.

He seemed to know that I was not going to say anything, before taking me back to the pack clinic.

“I could come down so you could…” I started, as soon as we reached the door so he could open the door with ease, but he held me tighter, looking at me with a look that screamed one thing ‘Don’t move’

I rested back into his chest, gulping. “Why did you run?” He said as soon as he dropped me as gently as possible on the bed. It was a different room this time, something I was thankful for, because no matter how the woman from earlier had cleaned the floor, I could still see the blood stain on the floor.

I focused on the floor, where the blood would have been if I did not change rooms, almost as though it was still there.

“Anya…” He let out a breath, like he was running out of patience. “You thought I would hurt you?” It was not really a question. More like he already knew the answer and wanted me to confirm.

“I… the thought was not out of place” I muttered under my breath, but he still heard me.

It was quiet, almost too quiet that I had to look up at him. “I see” He said, that sad look from earlier sitting on his face again.

“I did not hurt him” he finally said. For some reason, my face lit up.

He was not a monster, he was not as dangerous as people seemed. I nearly smiled at the thought but he seemed to have mistaken my smile for something else because his face clouded almost instantly.

“You care for him?” He said, looking away from me and fixing his eyes on the wall like it was the most interesting thing.

“What?”

“You don’t have to lie about it. I understand if you do, but you have to know, I would not let you go” I blinked, trying to understand how we somehow managed to reach this point.

“I despise him if anything” I countered, feeling a tad bit offended that he would think of something like that.

“But right now, you just.. you were happy…”

I shook my head “Your reputation, I thought you would have killed him but you let him… I don’t mean to be rude, but I was just thinking that maybe you are not the monster everyone makes you out to be and-”

“I am” He cut me off, the smile falling from my face as he spoke. “I am every bit the monster they make me out to be. So please, don’t give me credit.” I gulped, definitely not what I was expecting, so I kept my mouth shut.

“I only did not kill him because you would suffer from the effect of the loss of  mate. I nodded. The whole situation finally making more sense.

It grew quiet again, neither of us knowing what to say, mostly because well… I honestly would rather not say any other thing in case I upset him. “I may not be the perfect mate you have thought about in your head, but I can promise you, I would do anything to in my power to protect you. Even if it means me turning into a monster like I did there, then so be it” He said, not even looking at me. I could have sworn that I saw fear spread across his face for the briefest second before he masked it but I shook it off. I mean what could possibly make him scared?

“Thank you. I would do anything in my power to keep you safe too” I could see the tension on his face break as he turned to me., it looked like his was trying his hardest not to break out into a laugh.

“You would protect me?” He said, smiling as he looked at me.

“I might not look it, but I am a very strong person on the inside. He touch my hair, ruffling it up a bit.

“I am sure that you are, but for now, let me do all the protection okay?” He said ruffling my head a little bit more before walking out.

I sighed, resting my head on the pillow. “Maybe it would not be all that bad” I said, a smile finding its way to my lips as I closed my eyes.

“Hey” the voice made my eyes snap open, unease washing all over my body. “I hope I am not interrupting anything” Vallery said, making her way into the room, uninvited. “I heard you got hurt.”

I looked up at her, the smile on her face screaming all shades of fake but I played along. “I was just trying to get some rest” I said, giving her that smile that she had given. “I brought you something.” She said, standing up to go get something

“Actually, it’s fine. I just would like to be by myself if you don’t mind” Her eyes widened for a bit.

“I don’t think you have a choice though” She said, looking at me with a smile, but her smile said otherwise…