𝐟𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐤

19. "Stars, hide your fires; Let not light see my black and deep desires."

It was behind me, I couldn't make out its silhouette or scent, but it was cloaked in shadows darker than the night sky. 

I paused only for a second before I took off running. In the back of my mind, I felt  it was a useless effort, but my survival instincts kept me pushing forward. Despite my best efforts, I felt it grow closer. 

Terror flooded through me as I realised my attempt to run was futile. I mentally braced myself through the panic that rose in my chest as I crouched my back, preparing to let my beast consume me. 

I stopped before I could phase when I saw him. Past the shadows under the evergreen, I saw dark hair framing an angular face. His high cheekbones accentuated his deep dark eyes. His mouth slowly stretched into a smirk that wasn't cruel as I expected.

I blinked in disbelief, but I found my fear morphing into relief. 

"Gabriel." I gasped with a grateful sigh. 

Gabriel's eyes flashed to me, his black brows pushing into an anguished frown over his deep-set eyes.  My whole body started to hum as I felt his eyes on me. It was strange seeing him standing before me after two weeks without a glimpse of him. 

Without another glance, Gabriel started to walk away. 

"Wait!" I choked out the word, reaching for him in sheer desperation. I stumbled forward to follow him, but it was too late. I cried out when a sharp pain bit my ankle. The pain tore through my nerves, pulling me to the ground. I clutched my ankle until the pain slowly subsided. I realised a large thorn had lodged itself in my foot. 

After managing to pull it out, I found Gabriel watching with unreadable eyes. He hadn't left as I had thought.

When I looked up, I found Gabriel watching with unreadable eyes. We stared at each other for a long moment. It was only for a few seconds that we stared, but it felt like an eternity. He released me, and with a jerk of his head, he signalled that he wanted me to follow him. 

I followed at once, quickening my pace with a grateful sigh.  We walked in silence for what felt like miles. Gabriel was too busy scanning our surroundings to spare me a glance. 

After a while, the wilderness started to thin out as we started to walk an upwards slope. Gabriel scanned our surroundings before heading towards the mountains to the left. I immediately spotted a few caves at its bottom.

The cave was dim and small enough to make me feel claustrophobic. It was empty but ominously quiet, with no chirping of grasshoppers, no hooting of owls. Something about it braced me with instinctive tension. 

I sat down carefully, avoiding the damp parts of the stone floor. My thoughts were incoherent. I wasn't sure how I should feel being in such proximity to him after what happened before.  I didn't know if I could do this, but I was too scared to be alone. A shiver trickled down my spine as I recalled the last time we were together in a cave. I remembered the strength of his hands as soft as silk against my skin, as the heat from his breath drew chill bumps down my neck.