The Beast

The Beast (23)

I held onto the warm mug that was in my hands, palms sweaty, as I peered up at Adrian through my lashes with obvious nervousness radiating off of me in waves.

But I wasn't the only one nervous. He was as well.

He continued to restlessly pace back and forth across the dining room, running a shaky hand through his hair almost robotically as he mumbled to himself under his breath. He seemed to be stumbling over his words, and I could often hear the words 'what do I say?' leaving his lips in a somewhat panicked way. He looked so confused and helpless that I couldn't do anything but stare at him as my own hands shook, not finding the strength in me to even speak to him.

He just told me that he was a shadow demon and my head could find no way to wrap itself around his statement. It almost sounded ridiculous, but one look at his honest features and the way it all seemed to fit him, had a part of me starting to believe in him.

But I had no idea what a Shadow Demon was, what one could be capable of, and  what one would do. And this scared me. It scared me so much because at that point I knew...

I never knew who Adrian really was...at all.

Why was he here? What was his purpose? But most of all, who was I to him?

I clutched my chest with one of my hands, feeling my heart pounding painfully. It was ready to break, ready to finally be led to its destruction. Because if I was nothing but a mere toy Adrian wanted to play all this time, I knew... it would be my end.

It was funny, really. It was pathetic how I managed to fall in love with a man who I never truly knew. He was a stranger yet I let him in. He was dangerous but I yearned for his embrace. And now, he was showing me this whole new world, turning my whole life upside down, and telling me that he was no man but a demon. A shadow demon. Wasn't it a pathetic thing for me to do?

Yet... He cared for me. In a world where everyone thought I was a freak, hated, and left alone to fend for myself, he appeared. And where I was called a freak, he was thought to be a beast of his own. But even with our differences, he cared. Even when he knew I was broken, he tried. And even when the whole world was there to beat down on me, he was my savior.

I knew nothing about him...

No. I did know one thing..

He was a beast, a beast who saved me. Not only from the world, but from myself as well. And falling for him was something I could never ever change, even if I fought through hell and back.

But somehow, I didn't even want to try to change it.

But what was all this going to cost me in the end?

He sighed audibly, breaking me abruptly from my thoughts before he cautiously made his way over to me. His steps were slow and his posture was tense, eyes flashing dangerously with something I couldn't recognize.

They almost seemed darker than they usually are.

I fidgeted under his gaze, watching through my lashes as he finally made his way to me, crouching down until our eyes could meet with less difficulty, his masculine scent wrapping around me like a dark blanket that threatened to suffocate me... yet keep me safe at the same time. Even at a moment as such, I found myself addicted to the scent, breathing in the smell that was all Adrian.

I tilted my head to the side, fully aware of the determined look he wore as he gazed down at me. It made me feel small, but at the same time, it made me feel... wanted.

Dragging a firm hand gently through my strands of hair, I watched as he breathed in deeply then let out a shaky breath.

"Are you... scared?" He seemed to hesitate at the last word, his voice coming out weaker than I expected. My breath caught at the question but refused to gaze at him head-on.