The Step Brother

Chapter Eight: A Beast Called Loneliness

I just wanted to write a quick thank you to all of you who continue to support me and this book.  You are all are more than fantastic!  Seeing all the votes and reads pile up and multiple is amazing, I am still so shocked so many people are interested in my story.  Reading all of your comments supporting the book and me inspires me to write, so keep it up guys!  : )

Thank you all, so much!

To celebrate my upcoming birthday, and to make up for not updating last week, I have decided to update as many times as possible this week!  Today is the Monday update, and I will try to post an update both Wednesday and Friday!

 And, as per usual, the flashbacks will be opened and closed with a flower blooming gif.

I hope you guys enjoy it!  And don't forget to keep a look out for my update on Wednesday and Friday.

Chapter Eight: A Beast Called Loneliness

Loneliness is a strange, dangerous beast, and Nikolai knew it well.  It creeps up slowly, attacking in the dark of the night and in the silence of an empty room, attaching itself to its victim with claws made of bitterness and fear.  It prowls on legs made of anger, desperation, grief, and a never ending array of sadness that never seems to dissipate.  It flows over its prey, like a perpetual blackened fog that penetrates the mind leaving turmoil and insanity in its wake. 

He had been dragged alongside loneliness, had clawed and fought and screamed as it pulled him into the terror of its being.  The darkness had long since swallowed him whole, the smokey black fog filling his every crevice and turning him into a monster of desperation and greed and rage.  The beast crawled inside of his veins, licking at his every nerve with an intangible but very real pain that kept him awake on the long, silent nights of his life.  He was now a creature born and bred of loneliness, ruled by his fears and cravings, threatened by the solitude of a life spent alone and unloved.

She was here now.

Sunshine, a bright, warm light poured out of her with a liquid urgency that fought the darkness that had ruled his life, that had tortured his every waking moment, that had slowly crushed and murdered the man he used to be.  When she walked into a room, looked at him with those wide, blue eyes, placed her small, silken hand into his, the beast and its darkness was forced to retreat, burned and scorched by the light of her goodness.

He could never feel alone, not with her.  He couldn't do it, couldn't live without her, without her love, without her light, without her warmth.  She would never, never leave his side again.  If he had to shackle her, bind her to him, ensnare her in his trap, he would.  She would not get the chance to leave him again.  He would rain a fiery hell upon her before ever watching her go.

He watched her, always watched her.  She was turned away from him, those eyes he so loved fluttered closed, her charcoal black lashes brushing delicately across her cheekbones.  It was dark, the light of the bright sun hidden from them both in the underground parking garage, but he could still see her, see every detail of her face.  He saw the dimple in her right cheek, making its appearance every time her lips twitched.  He saw the delicate curve of her sloping nose, leading his eyes to her lips.  Those lips.  They were soft, delicate, but oh so delightful.  There was a sultry sensuality hidden in the innocent set of her rose petal lips, filled with so many promises of future gratifying indulgences and pleasures.

He wanted to reach out, to run his fingers along the velvety skin of her face, to feel just how soft and inviting her lips really were, to run his hands through her silky blonde curls, to hold her and reassure himself that she was, in fact, real.