My Cruel Mates

Chapter 15

Claire

I wait for their breathing to even out and shimmy out of their hold, sneaking out at the end of the bed. Bennett seems to look for me, but finds Rowan and they lock their limbs around each other, settling back into sleep. I sigh in relief and grab a blanket before making my way back to the library. I have no interest in sweating my ass off all night regardless of Rowan's demands. I find the room easily and marvel at the view. It really is beautiful.

Suddenly looking at the forest no longer satiates me. I want to be in it. Smelling the trees and moisture, feeling the wind on my skin and the leaves brushing against me as I walk through the foliage.

I sneak quietly down the hallway and wait a moment at the front door to listen for movement. I don't hear anything, so slip the door open and exit, shutting the door as quietly behind me as possible.

The night is a little chilly, but I ignore the bite of cold against my skin and walk around the house. I find the large trees and weave in between them. My feet are bare and I feel every blade of grass and broken twig against them. I breathe in the scent of pine and moss deeply, enjoying the way the cold air makes my lungs feel more alive. My heart fluttered and I grinned like a child listening to the grasshoppers sing in the otherwise still night. I wandered away from the house, not sure where I was going, until I could no longer see the large forboding structure. I should have been concerned about the fact that I was lost, but I really wasn't. Worse case scenario I scream for Bennett until he comes to find me.

Eventually my legs begin to tire. I found a small pond, the sounds of frogs croaking lulling me into a sense of contentment. I grabbed a stick and sat next to the edge, playing in the mud, lifting some with my stick and listening to it plop back down to the earth. I tapped the surface of the water gently and watched the gentle ripples grow larger until they reached the center of the pond and began to fade out. The wind picked up a little, the rustling of trees soothing me as I pulled my sweatshirt a little tighter against my body and tucked my hands into my sleeves, curling myself into a ball to help stay warm. It wasn't terribly cold, and I would choose this over being in the furnace that is the spot between my mates in bed any day.

My mind wandered to the two men, currently laying blissfully unaware of my absence. At least I would think they are still asleep since no loud, obnoxious growls have disturbed the peaceful silence of the night.

That I was grateful for.

Those creatures were always growling, snarling, sneering and stomping for one reason or another.

And they called us humans dramatic.

I scoff outwardly at the thought. They were the ones upset that humans were scared of them, so they basically took over the whole planet so they could live however they want. It's rude, that's what it is. The longer I sit and think about it, the clearer it becomes. I will never be able to love these creatures. Even though Bennett hasn't been particularly cruel, he still has a foul temper that means he can go off at any moment. How could I ever trust such a circumstance?

No, they'll never look at me as more than an annoyance. A weakling. A speck of mass that has one purpose, to procreate for them. To seal their power. To seal their future. I wish I could go back to the firm, strong, defiant woman I was when they first stole me, but I no longer care. What happens to the future of my race is no longer a concern for me. Too much has happened to me. Too much pain, too much abuse from the ones that were supposedly made to love me. I scoff again at the thought.

The only thing Rowan truly loves is himself.

"What in the actual FUCK do you think you're doing?!" I hear snarled from behind me.

My head snaps around to see a shirtless Rowan glaring at me, his sandy blonde hair tousled from sleep. I don't say anything, knowing it will only anger him further.

"I woke up to find you gone. I figured you were in the bathroom and when you hadn't come back when I woke up again I had to scour the house looking for you. Luckily I could trace your scent. Imagine my surprise when it lead me all the way out here! How long have you been out here?" He asks angrily and I shrug.

"I'm not really sure." I answer and he growls in annoyance again, running his fingers through his hair. I watch him for a moment before turning back to the water.

"Let's go." He demands and I rise gracefully without a second thought, walking towards him. He eyes me suspiciously when I stop a few feet from him, waiting for him to lead the way.

"Why are you being like this?" He asks and my brows furrow.

"Like what?" I ask and he waves his hand at me.

"Doing what I say." He clarifies and I shrug.

"I told you. I don't care anymore." I say, looking at the ground. He growls a little and stalks towards me.

"So that's it? You don't care anymore? You'll do whatever we ask. What's your goal? Hoping we get bored with you and kill you?" He asks and I shrug again.

"If you don't do it, I will." I say and he grunts.

"After you give us an heir?" He asks and I nod. Hopefully that will save some other poor human girl the same fate as me when I'm gone.

"So you would give birth, become a mother, only to leave the child behind? For Bennett and I to raise? You would leave your own child without a mother?" He inquires and I ponder his line of questioning. I hadn't really considered it before, but knowing the child's father is one of the two of them, I doubt I could grow attached to it.

"I have no interest in raising a child that will grow up to be like you." I tell him simply.

That seems to break something in him as he begins to grow larger on the verge of shifting. His eyes glow a bright gold and his fists clench tight as his eyes narrow at me. I feel a twinge of fear, but also a bit of hope that I have finally pissed him off to put an end to my miserable existence and end me.

"I have had enough of your disrespect." Rowan growls, his voice much deeper than normal as his body contorts under the pressure of his slow shift. He seemed to be trying to hold it off, but was so far unsuccessful.

"You should feel priveledged to have such mates! To be given the gift of immortality! All of you stupid humans are the same. So selfish, so superior. You will learn your place in this world, human! If it's the last thing you do!"

His large, clawed hand shoots out and grips my bicep painfully. My heart hammers loudly against my chest, making the sound of blood wooshing through my ears.

I feel my body being lifted off the ground. The next moment, I'm flung hard out of Rowan's grasp and come headfirst into a tree. I hear a sickening snap before I land on the cold ground. I feel blood seeping from my head, but when I try to reach up to feel where it's coming from, my arm doesn't move. I briefly test my legs as well and find the same result. I cannot move and am laying in a rapidly growing pool of my own blood.

As my vision begins to fade in and out, I manage to move my eyes to look up at the bright moon, partly covered by clouds and eye the bright stars laid out in a beautiful pattern above me. An overwhelming sense of peace and acceptance envelopes me like a warm hug. Memories of my parents flit through my mind. My mother's smile, my father's laugh. Playing at the park as a child, waking up early on Christmas morning, my first day of school, the joy of making new friends. All of the joyful moments of my life play out before my eyes as I float away, my eyes closing as I embrace the dark, quiet end.