I am really sorry that it’s quite short but I thought that I am delaying uploading this story a lot. So, I decided to upload as much as I have written. My mood is really down so I am not motivated enough to write further. But I would try to write and upload the second half of this chapter soon.. Hope you’ll understand.. (WARNING - UNEDITED)
-Shine Hope (dreamer37)
“He has a beauty to him that is not quite angelic, a quality that's both ethereal and dark.”
Helen Boswell, Mythology: The Wicked
Chapter = 21 (Part – 1)
Cherryl stared outside the window into the endless darkness of the forest. Though the sun was shining to its fullest but the trees in the forest were clustered so close together that blackness was its only inhabitant. She still couldn’t believe that she dared to enter the gloomy darkness last night. She sighed as she continued staring outside, Despising those birds which were flying freely in the sky while she was locked up in a castle. She almost felt like a helpless princess, waiting for her prince to rescue her while the dragon in the form of Damien Richards guards the castle gates. She felt like laughing hysterically at her silly thoughts.
She had woken up that morning at the sound of the door slamming shut. Her breakfast was placed already on the bed side table along with a steaming cup of coffee. She tried real hard to ignore the hunger but at last she gave in and devoured her breakfast and kept the plate aside but she managed to gulp down only the half cup of the coffee. Afterwards she had stood up from the bed and took a seat by the window, bathing in the sunlight.
It was been almost two hours since she finished her breakfast still no one has come back to retrieve the plate. Loneliness and the strangeness of the unfamiliar place was taking its toll on her and her thoughts shifted to her family which made her heart clench painfully inside her chest. She resisted the urge to cry and stood up from the chair. She padded to the washroom and made her way inside. She took a long bath and pulled on the robe which was placed on the counter already.
She carelessly walked out but froze at the door frame when she noticed a silhouette on the chair which she had vacated. Her heart quickened its pace as the twin blue orbs rose to her face. She pulled the robe tighter around her frame and gulped nervously. His heated gaze stayed on her face before travelling down to her exposed legs and then back up to her face. The look of pure heat in his eyes made her drop her gaze to the floor. She stared at her naked feet while her heart kept jumping around.
It only took him a few seconds to reach her frozen form. Her mouth went dry as she felt his heat wrapping itself around her; he was so close to her. Their chests only separated by a few inches. She stopped breathing completely when his hand made contact with her chin. His fingers, softly traced her jaw line as he lifted her face up. His gaze burned into hers and his eyes glowed brighter than ever. His fingers sensually travelled from her chin to her neck leaving a trail of heat and goose bumps behind. The mark on her shoulder sent sparks throughout her body in response to his heated gaze.
Instead of stopping on her shoulder his fingers went underneath her robe and traced her collar bone. The shiver which went down her spine brought her back to the reality and instinctively she flinched back from his touch. His eyes flashed at her reaction and a low growl escaped his lips. His hand dropped to his side and he clenched his fists tight. His posture turned rigid and he turned his back towards her to hide his lengthened canines.
“I brought some clothes for you.” His gruff voice echoed in the silent room.
Damien’s anger rose to a new level when she didn’t even bother to respond. The only girl who was made for him, who was meant to be his other half, who was suppose to be his and who was supposed to make him human again, wanted nothing to do with him. With his blood boiling and his transformation at the bay he left the room.
Cherryl stared after Damien as he stormed out of the room in furry, leaving the door ajar. She hurriedly walked to the door but instead of running out of the room she closed it shut. She hurriedly walked to the bed where her clothes were lying and she changed in lightening speed. She sighed in relief once she was fully clothed.
She was trying to slow down her crazily beating heart when a loud bang from somewhere around the house made her jump in fear. She slumped down against the bed and hugged her knees to her chest as another violent crash echoed in the house followed by several others. She covered her ears trying to block all the brutal sounds.
Damien has again locked himself up in his room and was wrecking it up. He transformed into his beast as soon as he had walked out of Cherryl’s room but instead of going out he went to his room and locked up the door.
Samuel has just come back into the castle when he heard a loud crash from upstairs. He walked towards the part of the house from where the sound of numerous crashes was coming in hurried footsteps. As soon as he stepped in the familiar hallway he spotted Mrs. Faulkner standing at the far end with her worried gaze lingering on the door as another loud crash echoed through the house followed by the sound of terrifying growls.
“What’s going on?” He asked in a worried tone as he jogged towards the elderly woman.
“Damien has lost it again.” She replied in a soft voice keeping her gaze on the bolted door. She flinched a little as a ripping sound came from the room.
“Damien, open the door. You need to calm down or at least go outside.” He said as he banged frequently on the door.
A few snarls and angry growls were the only response to his words as the trapped creature scratched the door and sent another antique piece hurling across the floor.
“What happened? He was fine when I left earlier.” He asked the woman standing next to him as he stepped away from the door, keeping his eyes focused on the wooden surface.
“All I know is that he went to Miss. Cherryl’s room to hand over some new clothes to her and he came back like this. I don’t know wh-
“The nerve of that girl! I knew she was a bad news! She made him lose his control and now left us to face his wrath! This is all her doing and she is going to fix it! ” His blood boiled and he stormed towards the room in which she was staying.
He kicked the door open startling the figure huddled on the floor. He stormed towards the frightened girl and grabbed a hold of her arm. In one swift moment he pulled her upright. His hold on her arm tightened as he glared down at her.
“I Warned you didn’t I! Now get ready to face the consequences.” His bone chilling tone made her heart drop down to her knees.
Without any other word he dragged her out of the room. The muffled sounds of a growling animal became louder as he dragged her down the hallway towards a door on the far end where Mrs. Faulkner stood. Startled by the heavy footsteps the old woman turned her attention towards the approaching duo.
“What are you doing Samuel?” She asked in a worried tone as her gaze shifted to the frightened girl behind him.
“I am doing what I am supposed to do.” He answered in a cold voice as he dragged Cherryl further towards the door.
He fished keys out of his pocket and stuck them in the keyhole of the door. He turned it unlocked the door. A ferocious growl came from the creature in the room followed by a loud bang. Cherryl whimpered and tried to pull back her bruising arm but Samuel only tightened his hold even more which made her wince.
“Samuel! Are you out of your mind? Damien is out of control at the moment. She might get hurt. Please let the poor girl go.” Mrs. Faulkner’s voice was pleading but Samuel paid her no attention.
“Isn’t she the chosen one? Doesn’t she bear his mark? So there’s nothing to be worried about. She’ll calm him down.” Sarcasm dripped from his each word.
He stared down at Cherryl, who looked at him with wide fearful eyes. He gave her a mocking smirk in return. Mrs. Faulkner’s pleas and words faded into to the background as he opened the door and thrust her in. She whirled around ready to run for her dear life but he shut the door in her face.
The room suddenly became deathly quiet and all she could hear was the drumming of her own heart. Cautiously, she turned around and stared into the darkness of the room. A soft growl came from the left far corner of the room before the glowing blue orbs emerged from the darkness.
Cherryl stared at the beast with wide eyes as he stalked towards her growling lowly in the back of his throat. She pressed her back into the door, sensing no way out of there. Scenes from when she first saw him in the clearing, trying to kill a girl started flashing in front of her. She turned her back towards him and started banging on the door, frantically.
“Please let me out! Open the door please! Let me out!” She repeated madly.
The tightness in her chest increased as she felt his hot breath on her neck. She turned towards him with wide fearful eyes. The creature kept on growling as a silent tear ran down her cheek. His eyes zeroed on the tiny drop. He lowered his head and stepped back. He raised his fists high up in the air, making the girl in front of him flinch. He snarled and punched the door with a violent force, breaking it off its hinges. The surface on which Cherryl was resting her whole weight disappeared from behind her and she tumbled to the floor. She scooted away from him. He snorted and turned his back towards her. Confused, she stared at his back as he walked to the window. He looked at her over his shoulder and held her gaze before jumping out.
She was startled by the emotion she managed to read in his eyes in the duration of a few seconds, ‘pain’.