"It hurts me. It hurts me, knowing what I've done. And that pain-that pain is with me all the time. And every day I think that if I just...if I just give myself over to the blood, I can make that pain stop. It would be that easy. And every day I fight that. And I am so terrified that one day...I not going to want to fight that anymore more, Elena. And the next time I hurt somebody, it could be you."
-Stefan Salvatore (Vampire Diaries)
Alien By: Cary Brothers
&
Monsters By: Timeflies (feat. Katie Sky)
I ran through the eastern mountain range until I could not run any longer. The weather had soured into a ferocious snowstorm, and so had I. I ran until my body gave out from the pain of my injuries and the exhaustion of it all. I had finally gained a few hundred miles on her a while back, but I knew it wouldn't be long before she came to claim what was hers. At first I ran for my family, having recognized how close we were from camp. But then I ran for me, and I couldn't do it anymore. I couldn't keep running from how I felt. If she was going to kill me, then I needed to scream at her and see her face when I described all the ways she ruined me, turned me into this angry, lonely monster. I wanted to look into her eyes as the life in mine faded, I wanted her to know that there was no escaping murdering me. I would be with her forever, always over her shoulder, a forever reminder of what she had done.
My paws ached and bled from the rocky and frozen terrain as I tentatively crossed the small stream to the snow covered bank on the other side, collapsing in exhaustion. My breaths came shallow and whimpers whistled through my nostrils. I sighed in defeat as the dark forest seemed to beckon me, to flee this world and go running through the forest with all the other lost souls and broken spirits. It was a tempting offer, but I wasn't quite there yet. I knew the second she appeared across the other side of the stream, my body having erupted into butterflies. I spasmed, releasing a single bark of pain as my wolf's body sloughed back into skin, having recognized that this would be our last time to be human. My breath steamed in the cool air as I curled into a ball, the tears on my face freezing to my cheeks. I could hear her sharp inhale of breath and I knew how cowardly I must look, how defenseless and weak I am with my scarred body and jutting ribs due to lack of food.
"I c-c-can't d-do t-this a-any m-m-more." I whispered, teeth chattering with cold, still facing away from her. My legs were starting to go numb with cold. "Y-you w-win. K-kill m-me o-or l-l-leave m-me h-here t-to d-d-die."
"No." Came a growl in response, slightly muted through her grit teeth. Against my better judgement and nudity, I tried to get up, nearly sobbing in pain as the frozen ground cut into my knees and the palms of my hands. "Enough. You're going to hurt yourself."
I couldn't help it, I laughed. Well, wheezed is more accurate. "W-why d-d-do y-you c-c-care?" My body collapsed, unable to cooperate in the devastating cold, but at least I was facing her. The trees cast shadows across her beautiful features, highlighting her cheekbones and dark eyes. I glanced away, unable to look at the woman who had caused me so much pain and heartache the last few months.
"You are mine." She hissed through her fangs, her fists clenched at her sides. "No one else's."
I laughed again, bitter. "H-how a-m I y-yours? You h-have a-a-already m-moved on."
Her eyes took on a strange gleam then."You will always be mine. Now if you are finished fleeing from me, I suggest we get you out of the cold before you freeze to death."
I jerked my gaze back to hers in disbelief and anger, shaking my head, wincing as my wet hair stuck to the snow. I tried to force myself to react, but I simply didn't have the strength or energy to fight her as she crossed the stream and pulled me into her arms, wrapping my naked body in her cloak, once more carrying me through the forest. I couldn't deny it anymore, the way I sunk into her arms like butter melting on toast. "D-d-don't," I tried to protest, hissing through my teeth at the pain of my frozen skin warming against hers. I could barely make out the cut of her jawline through my hooded lids, but her chest vibrated as she spoke, her words uncharacteristically soft despite her terrifying appearance.
"Hush. We will continue this fight when you are well enough to speak." I fell silent, having given up and accepted the fact that I wouldn't be escaping again anytime soon. I faded in and out of consciousness as she carried me, time and landscape passing me by. My mind was a whirlwind of confusing dreams. Some were of my family, others were of my aunt Vienna and her strange witchy powers. I finally came to when she accidentally jostled me, a flicker of apology flashing through her eyes. I reinforced the wall in my mind even at the cost of my energy, refusing to let her get to me. It was almost surprising to me that despite all the fighting, betrayal and her having tried to sever our bond, that it still remained intact. My stomach bottomed out as we entered a familiar clearing, the roof of the homey cabin and stable quickly coming into view. I struggled weakly, but she wasn't having it as her arms tightened around me.
"Take me back," I spat out, having finally regained the ability to speak without shivering. "Anywhere but here."
She ignored me and set her jaw, heading straight for the front doors. I seethed, loathing the tears that brimmed in my eyes at the passionate memories we had shared here once, when we were happy. Maneuvering me slightly, she managed to get the doors open, revealing the interior of the cabin. Everything looked the same. The long island connecting to the kitchen and it's immaculate marble counter remained flawless. The living room was beautifully furnished, with cream colored couches contrasting nicely with the mahogany wood. An impossibly large and strange looking rectangle thing hung on the wall above the fireplace, wires dangling from the bottom of it. I figured it must be some new technology the vampires had created to satisfy their lazy, ignorant selves. The room vanished from view as she crossed into the bedroom, pain lancing through my chest at the sight of the canopy bed, now newly made with fresh sheets. For a moment I had been terrified that it would still be rumpled from the last time we were here.
I wonder how many times Nathaniel has been here. My mood darkened as the thought ran through my head.
I refused to look at her as she finally set me down on the counter in the bathroom, her dark eyes pinning me with a fierce look. "If you run, I will spank you." I ignored the way my body shivered in pleasure at the threat and bared my teeth, snarling at her while I pulled the cloak farther around me.
"Do it, I dare you." I knew my eyes flashed yellow, yet she merely smiled mischievously before turning away to draw the bath. When steam began to rise from the water, she turned back to me. I swatted her hands away as she moved to lift me off of the counter.
"Don't." I warned, wincing in pain as I slid off of the smooth surface, the rough edge scraping my back. Surprisingly she complied, stepping back and crossing her arms over her chest as I hobbled over to the tub. My hesitation grew as I looked into the water, a grimace forming when I caught sight of my birds nest hair and filthy skin, caked with mud and dried blood. I sighed and dropped the cloak, not caring about modesty since she'd already seen everything anyway. A low growl split the tense air but I ignored it and climbed into the tub, whimpering as I carefully lowered myself into the hot water.
"You can go." I muttered, hearing the door shut and finally allowing myself to relax. The water felt incredible on my battered body, as if it were cleansing me of all the pain and hurt that weighed heavily on my shoulders. I stayed in long enough to wash myself free of the grime with some sweet smelling soap, relishing in the feeling of being clean. Before long the water grew cold and I forlornly climbed out to dry off, combing out the snarls in my hair with my fingers. Wandering out, I immediately noticed that she had placed a bundle of clothes on the bed. Begrudgingly, I shrugged on the loose grey sweats and soft long-sleeved tee. My heart thumped nervously as I opened the door to the bedroom, finding her overlooking the forest from the living room window. I beelined for the couch, once again bringing my knees up to my chest. Jacob explained that it was a defensive posture, I was protecting myself. We didn't speak for a long moment, and as I watched her, so many memories flashed through my mind. It seemed like eons had passed before she turned around and at the sight of her gold gaze I completely lost it.
Painful hiccuping sobs escaped my chest as I looked up at her through my heavy lashes. "Why? Why did you do this to me? If you love him, you could've told me. I would've understood. I would've let you be happy." I choked on another sob, unable to continue.
"I do not love Nathaniel, Azalea." Her voice once soothed my aches and pains, but now it only seemed to amplify them.
"You don't have to lie." I whispered, my voice a little more than a rasp. I felt suddenly empty then, knowing that she would still attempt to lie to me even after everything. "I saw you together the day of your wedding. I saw him touching you, leading you into a room."
Her lips pursed, black veins slithering outwards from the corners of her eyes. "And I saw you running into the arms of my brother. I watched you wrap your arms around his waist as his mouth claimed yours. You are accusing me of being unfaithful yet you have appeared to have done the same."
I balked, enraged. "What the hell are you talking about? After I saw you with Nathaniel, I lost my mind, Elijah had to....." I bit my tongue suddenly, refraining from telling her about the strange new power I had acquired or that he had punched me quite brutally across the face, knowing now was not the time. I couldn't believe what she was saying. "He's like a brother to me!" I sputtered out, disgusted by her insinuation.
Her lips curled into a sneer. "I said appeared. It seems as though we both saw drastically different scenarios that day and I believe I have an explanation as to why. Nathaniel has admitted that he worked closely with Elijah and Vienna, and together they devised a plan to get you out of the palace and return you home. However they knew that you would not go. They knew that you would renounce your claim to the throne if it meant you would be able to stay with me and they couldn't afford to let that happen." Her words grew tense with rage the more she spoke.
My mind spun at the accuracy of the implications but I was still suspicious, narrowing my eyes. "That still doesn't explain what we saw."
"Vienna." She spat my aunts name out, her fingers curling into fists. Blind rage whipped and whirled into a raging hurricane on the other side of the wall, pressing against my mind. "The witch meddled with my mind. She made me believe that Nathaniel was my chosen, my mate. She made me forget you ever existed."
I closed my eyes and tried swallow around the pain her words invoked in me, but it didn't matter. I felt pathetic as more tears rolled down my cheeks as I was no longer able to hold them back. My eyes flashed open at her soft touch as she brushed my tears away, a tender look on her face from where she kneeled in front of me. "It didn't work. When you saw what you saw, I felt your rage and pain. It broke the compulsion," her palm cupped my cheek, the side Elijah had hit. Her face was murderous as she gently brushed her thumb across my skin. "I felt him hit you and then everything snapped into focus, I knew you had drawn power from me. But you were gone, and it was too late because by that time Vienna had cloaked you. I was so angry, so lost. I knew what had really happened yet all I could see when I closed my eyes was his hands on your body, his mouth on yours, touching what is mine. And worse, this vision she had imprinted in my mind showed you touching him, loving him back." She seethed, pausing for a moment to calm down before she could continue. "Once I had the thought, I went mad with rage. I was so far gone I thought you really had run away to be with him. I thought you were a part of it." Her expression was so horror stricken that I had no further doubts that she was telling anything but the truth.
"I would never!" I cried, my skin crawling with disgust at the thought of anyone but her touching me in an intimate way. I felt so foolish to have just believed what I saw and not even considered that there were other parties involved. It made sense, everything seemed so rushed, so fast in those last few moments when I woke in the tunnels below the castle. I couldn't believe my aunt had been a part of this, that she would go to such dangerous lengths knowing the consequences of invoking Elizabeth's wrath.
Her thumbs brushed more of my tears away, her forehead leaning against mine. "I think perhaps the worst part is I would not have truly blamed you if you had wanted to leave. I deserved it. I still do. Azalea, I have hurt you beyond belief and for that I will never forgive myself. But if you'll let me, I'd like to try and make it right." I searched her sunrise gaze and finding nothing but sadness and adoration shining back at me. I knew this was a horrible situation for both of us, I knew she had been forced to whip me, and I had asked for it. I couldn't live in fear anymore.
"Okay." I whispered, the words hardly even audible yet she smiled all the same. Her hands framed my face as she leaned forward, pausing just before her lips could brush mine, causing the breath in my chest to catch. "Can I kiss you?" She whispered. My fingers clamped around her arms for support as I nodded, and not a second later her mouth pressed against mine in a lingering and achingly gentle kiss. The wall in my mind lowered as she moved to the couch, hovering over me. My wolf howled, drunk with happiness. My legs automatically spread for her so her hips could press me into the soft cushions while she deepened the kiss. It was like coming home when her mind finally connected with mine after being apart these last few months. Her thoughts were filled with adoration and love, lined with a thick barrier of my face. Before long our passion grew to stifling levels, her hands roaming my body without shame as mine gripped her waist, feeling her grind against me. I couldn't stop the low guttural moan from escaping me as she suddenly bit down on my bottom lip, sending heat pooling to my belly. I yelped in surprise as her hands cupped my ass and lifted me, causing my legs to wrap around her waist and my hands to bunch in her shirt. In seconds, we crossed the room and then she was laying me down in the center of the bed, her lips on my neck, nuzzling the delicate skin there.
Before I could process what was about to happen, she pulled away and searched my face with her beautiful eyes. I heard the thought before she could even speak it and reached for her, afraid she wouldn't go any further or that she'd shut down. "Don't stop Elizabeth, please don't stop." Her eyes were alight with emotion in the dark of the room as her body fit against mine, her fingers sliding beneath my shirt, hot against my skin. I gasped as she practically tore the clothing from my body, my nipples immediately pebbling in the cool air. My canines descended as hers followed suit, landing in a pool of fabric at her feet.
I had thought that she would have devoured me with passion, wildly taking what I willingly offered. But instead she took me slowly, her fingers tracing the new scars on my back as if she were reading Braille. Her mouth found my clit as she slowly pushed inside me, my knees clamping around her head, her tongue hot and rough against my aching skin. Her rhythm began as slow and methodical, but quickly picked up pace, a burning fire pouring into my belly as I neared my orgasm. I released a low anguished moan as she abruptly slid out of me. But before I could despair, she gripped my waist with her slick fingers, sliding her tongue inside of me instead.
"Oh." I bucked against her, crying out as her tongue worked mercilessly, the friction causing my clit to throb almost painfully, unraveling me then and there. Stars burst behind my eyelids as she hovered over my body, claiming my mouth. I wanted to return the favor but she stopped me, her fingers catching my chin in a gentle grip.
"No, let me love you." She murmured, her gold eyes watching me through hooded lids, her lips swollen from our passionate kisses and glistening with my juices. My throat clamped shut at her soft declaration and the adoration in her eyes. Her name found my lips as I cried out twice more, her hips connected solidly with mine. I could feel every part of her against me as her core brushed mine, the friction causing my overly sensitive body to spasm. Her sharp teeth slid across the groove of my neck and shoulder, branding my skin. I had forgotten about the previous bite until now, but as she kissed all around the yellowish bruise, I found myself aching to connect with her. My world shattered as her fangs slid into my skin, settling deep within me, swallowing my blood with fervor. Much to my disappointment she pulled away not long after, having sensed my weakness.
As we lay there, her legs tangled with mine, her lips pressed against my temple as my eyes grew heavy with fatigue, I knew I never wanted to be anywhere else for the rest of my life. I knew this because my very soul seemed to sigh with contentment, and for the first time in months I was able to sleep without fear or pain. A smile crossed my mouth as I faded into a dreamless sleep, safe in the arms of my chosen.
🥺❤️ My heart. Enjoy!
Much love, K.
P.S. SAPPY POST BELOW
Beneath this long message that probably only a few of you will actually take the time to read, lol, is a picture of my best friend and I.
Y'all, let me tell you about this girl.
She is my rock. We have been through it all together. She helps me through my bad days, and is always willing to listen and see the different side of life even if she doesn't always agree with me. We share EVERYTHING with each other. TMI: at one point we even almost slept together 😂 (we have a marriage pact if neither of us gets married by the time we turn 40)
Anyway, I'll spare you the boredom of reading this and move on with my life advice. You don't need 10000 followers or 10000 friends to be happy. All it takes is one special person to give your life meaning. Whether that person is a friend, a lover, or of the animal variety (or even a book) that's okay. But all I will say is, put yourself first because no one knows you like you do. Liz is the platonic love of my life, but she still drives me crazy time to time, the difference is she never enrages me or puts me down. She always strives to drive me forward.
I owe most of my success towards writing to her. If I'm being totally honest these last few weeks have been some of the worst weeks of my life. My aunt is currently dying, my grandma was admitted to the ER (she's okay thankfully) and my rapist was released from prison 4 1/2 years early. But you guys....my readers.....you give me a purpose. You guys help me get out of bed in the morning even on the days I feel like nothing would change if I was just....gone.
You guys are my Liz.
Thank you for letting me share her with you, I hope you all have a wonderful night ❤️