I had no doubt that Adam loved me, nor did I doubt that I loved him. It was the first time he had said the words, but they had been lingering on my lips too—words unsaid even when I knew my future was with him. I just didn’t feel like I deserved his love anymore. I needed his hate—I needed him to lash out—I needed to hear the vitriol that should have come from finding out that the girl who had infected his life was the demonic spawn of the man who turned him into a beast. The beast would have destroyed me. The man didn’t have the heart to do it. Regardless of what he said, I did feel like my parents’ mistakes defined me. Their mistakes were the reason I ended up in foster care—why I was orphaned—and the entire trajectory of my life changed the moment they hit Adam’s car.
Then that trajectory put me in his living room—when I was the last person on earth who should have ever been there.
I laid in bed and went through bouts of crying—bouts of feeling numb—and the hours passed. The sun went down, the sun came up, and Adam tried to coax me out of my self-imposed exile several times. I just didn’t have the energy to stand. I felt shattered with my heart in a million pieces around me while my soul tried to let go of my body. I didn’t know how to pull all of it back together again. I let myself believe that the mistakes my parents made were so far in the past that I had overcome them. That’s what Ms. Betty said I would be able to do when she changed my last name—I was so young then, but she told me that I would be able to put it behind me when enough time had passed, and I would be stronger for it. I definitely felt stronger as the years went by—then one horrible realization ripped my feet out from under me.
“Anabelle?” Adam tapped on my door. “I brought you some food and tea. You really should eat something. I’ll leave it out here…”
I wasn’t hungry, but I could tell that I was weak from not eating. My throat was dry from crying. I was so dehydrated that I didn’t have any tears left. I waited until Adam’s footsteps made it to the bottom of the stairs and finally pulled myself up from the bed. My taste buds couldn’t find the flavor in the food, and the tea was just warmth on my tongue, but I forced it all down. My stomach wasn’t happy with my decision because it was too knotted for sustenance. I crawled back into bed and stared at the wall again. I didn’t even want to breathe anymore. If I could have rolled off and suffocated myself with the pillow, I might have actually done it. Something inside of me—a small spark—still wanted to fight. I just didn’t know how.
Maybe I’ll just leave once Adam finally goes to sleep…
* * *
The next day
Adam didn’t let me leave his house when I was at my worst point, and it was for the best. I was in no condition to drive. I shouldn’t have even been trying to walk on my own two feet. I was no longer blinded by tears or flooded with emotions. I just felt empty. I waited until it was late in the evening, and Adam was in bed before I opened my door. The last meal he brought me was still sitting on the floor—I ate a couple of times, but I couldn’t force myself to get up when he brought the third one. Leaving him was the only option that made sense. I didn’t want to be a constant reminder of what he lost, and I didn’t know how to love him after finding out that my parents were the ones who turned him into a beast.
I don’t know where I’ll go, but this is the last place in the world I need to be.
“Goodbye…” I spoke softly when I got to his door because I didn’t want to wake him up—just saying it made my sore eyes fill with tears.
Adam’s light was off, but I could see a heap in his bed. I wished I had the courage to say those words to his face. He certainly deserved more than the startling realization that I was gone when he finally stirred. Instead, I handled it like a coward and started making my way to the stairs. I took every step with care because confronting him was too hard. I made it to the bottom of the stairs without making a sound and stared at the door. The tears refused to stay in the corner of my eyes, no matter how many times I blinked to control them. They were streaming down both sides of my face when I finally got to the door and opened it.
“You’re really going to leave.” A light flipped on, and I nearly jumped out of my shoes.
“What? Oh god!” I turned around in shock and saw Adam sitting in the living room. “I thought you were in bed!”
I almost made it…
“I tried.” He exhaled sharply, and I saw a pained expression on his face. “I couldn’t sleep.”
“You’re just sitting down here in the dark?” I narrowed my eyes to block out some of the light.
“I’m used to the dark.” He leaned forward and sighed.
Because of what my parents did…
“I’m sorry, Adam.” I looked down at the floor and wiped my tears away. “I can’t stay here with you—not after…”
“After something you had no control over?” He stood up, and his large behemoth frame filled the doorway. “Something that happened when you were still a child?”
It still happened. Time doesn’t erase that kind of pain.
“My parents ruined your life…” I squeezed my eyes shut.
“You didn’t.” He walked closer and took my hand. “You brought me back from that—you gave me a reason to live again.”
“We clung to a lie…” I opened my eyes and stared at his hand.
I never knew it would impact us like this…
“We clung to what we had.” He growled under his breath. “I’m still clinging to it—because I don’t want to let you go.”
Adam pulled me into his arms, and I melted into his embrace. I didn’t know how to stay—I didn’t know how to leave. I got the courage to walk away when I could do it without looking at him. The pain on his face was a heavy weight, and I couldn’t carry it out the door. My family had already caused him so much grief, and my leaving would put him back in the darkness where I found him. He didn’t see my parents’ mistakes when he looked at me. I had no idea how he was able to see through all of that pain, but he could. The love that had formed between us was strong enough to endure the secret I kept—the secret I always thought I would share with him when the time was right—but I never imagined it would be so tragic.
“I love you, Anabelle.” He leaned back from our embrace. “Nothing can change that. This is your home now—if you can’t stay here with me, then I’ll leave.”
“I don’t want you to go…” I looked up at him and sighed. “I love you too.”
Adam’s lips found mine, and my head started to spin. There was no way I was going to be able to leave him. My heart was already his. I was going to have to face my past with my eyes wide open and his arms around me. I didn’t know how else to do it. I could have left if he was asleep, and I would have dealt with the emotional fallout that came after I was gone, but I didn’t have the strength to pull away from his embrace. I wanted it too much—and needed it more than I needed to grieve. Adam kissed me until my head was spinning, and then he took my hand. I let him lead me upstairs and into his bedroom. I would have given him my body if he wanted it, even if my heart wasn’t in it, but he simply pulled me into bed and held me close. I felt safe, and in the sea of chaos, I found the tranquility that had become my calm in the storm.
I was wrong. This isn’t the last place in the world I need to be—it’s the only place I truly belong.
I closed my eyes, but I didn’t go to sleep, despite being completely exhausted. It felt too nice to be at peace. I couldn’t change what my parents did. They made their mistakes and ended up paying for them in the worst possible way—by taking the life of someone else in the process. The scars on Adam’s back were because of them. The fire that engulfed his car—it nearly killed him too. He found a reason to live again because I stumbled into his life, and he breathed new life into me in the process. I was his—he was mine. The road that led us there was paved with misery, but it didn’t last forever. We survived the journey to end up where we belonged, even if I didn’t understand how he could see past that turmoil.
&nb
sp; I think I might be able to go to sleep now. My sore eyes could certainly use a break from the tears.
“Thank you.” I snuggled closer to Adam. “I’m glad you didn’t let me leave.”
“It was your choice to make.” He pressed his lips to the back of my neck. “I couldn’t stop you if your mind was made up, but I’m glad there was enough hesitation to get you back in my arms.”
I don’t want to leave them again.
Eighteen
Adam
The next morning
I woke up with my beautiful Anabelle in my arms. I held her tighter than ever before when we slept—because I was so scared she would pull away the moment I closed my eyes. I had every reason in the world to let her leave. Hearing the truth was hard, but it wasn’t enough to make my heart stop beating. Having her where she belonged for one night was enough to make the wound try to close—it would be a scar again. We couldn’t change the past. All we could do was focus on the future. I knew it would take time for Anabelle to get over the shock of finding out that her parents were responsible for the accident that took Emily’s life, but I would do everything I could to make sure she saw that it wasn’t her fault.
Not even the beast could expect her to pay for something they did.
“Good morning.” I pressed my lips to Anabelle’s forehead the moment she opened her eyes.
“I slept…” She stretched out her arms. “I actually slept.”
“You’re where you belong.” I pulled her closer. “It’s easy to sleep when you don’t try to fight what you know is right.”
“Thank you for refusing to let me go.” She leaned her head against my chest. “I was turning into my own worst enemy and trying to shoulder all of that blame.”
“You don’t have to go through anything alone—not anymore.” I rubbed the back of her head with my hand.
Anabelle sighed and started to kiss my chest—slowly making her way to my lips. There was a need burning in her eyes. The closeness had been enough when I pulled her into my arms the previous night, but the morning had awakened a need that burned with a different kind of fire. I crushed her lips when they found mine, and my hands moved along her body. I wanted her just as much as I did the first night she was in my bed. Nothing could erase that passionate need for the woman who had made my heart start beating again—my beauty—the woman who found the man still hiding beneath the beast. My hands started to pull at her clothes, and she did the same to mine. Passion couldn’t change the past, but it was what we had—what we both needed to let go of the pain that was reignited in both of our souls the moment we realized the horrible truth.
“I love you, Adam.” She moved her lips to my ear.
“I love you too,” I sighed and wrapped my fingers around her panties.
“Show me…” She exhaled sharply.
I didn’t try to slide her panties down. I twisted them in my fingers until they were wrapped around my fist, then tore them off her hips. If she wanted me to show her how much I wanted her in my bed, then that’s exactly what she was going to get. I kicked my pants off, slid my boxers down enough to let my cock fall over to the top of them and slid between her thighs. I shifted until my boxers were around my knees and got them off as I lifted Anabelle’s legs. I guided my cock towards the entrance of her pussy and started to push into her wetness. Her mouth opened wide when she felt me inside her pussy. I gave her a couple of thrusts as I stretched her tightness around my girth. There was no hint of pain or discomfort on her face, and her breathing got heavy once I started to go deep.
“You were mine the first time I held you in my arms.” I leaned forward and growled into her ear. “That hasn’t changed—and it never will. You’re still Daddy’s girl.”
“Yes…” She purred her response. “Make me stay—don’t let me go.”
“You’re not going anywhere.” I lifted up and moved my hands to her wrists. “Ever.”
She had already been claimed, but her need for passion went deeper than that. She never wanted to leave me; she just didn’t know how to stay. I had to show her that she belonged with me—that the shattered pieces of our soul could come back together as one. She was home. She was mine. We were stronger than the past, and our love had never been a mistake. Love could burn away the doubt. Love could endure anything. We were two lost souls that spun darkness into light and pain into passion. There was no coming back from that—it was a journey already walked, and the path we followed had disappeared behind us. The only choice was to keep going, no matter how hard it was to put one foot in front of the other.
“Say you’re mine.” I exhaled into her ear. “Say you belong to Daddy.”
“I’m Daddy’s girl…” She moaned her response.
Our bodies came together in a bliss that brought an emotional cleansing. My cock went deep inside her—it throbbed against her g-spot. A look of ecstasy swept across her face and replaced the turmoil. I wanted to keep that look on her face forever. I teased her neck with my lips, growled into her ear and built up speed with my thrusts. The bed groaned beneath us and protested as I drove her body into it. I didn’t care if it turned into splinters. I wasn’t going to stop until I brought her so much pleasure she couldn’t breathe—so much euphoria that she couldn’t remember why she tried to run. She was going to remember the love that we shared and see that it was more powerful than any demons from the past that tried to tear through our present—and the future belonged to us.
“Harder…” She dug her nails into my back. “Don’t stop, Daddy!”
“Your tight little pussy is going to come for me—as many times as I want,” I growled into her ear and started to hammer myself inside her. “Then you’re going to beg for more.”
“Oh god!” Her head rolled back, and I felt her muscles get tight.
I hammered my cock into Anabelle’s pussy and felt her orgasm seize control of her body. It was just the first—and the next one was going to be even more intense. I wasn’t ready to stop—it was the furthest thing from my mind. I watched the pleasure sweep across her face as the orgasm peaked and kept my thrusts going. The orgasm began to fade after the peak fell into a sharp decline, but I ignited that fire again. I focused my thrusts on her g-spot and made them bring that sweet euphoria back to life. She tensed up again, and I felt those beautiful spasms that were meant to make me come begin for the second time. Her eyes closed tight, and her body shook. I wanted my release too, but I forced myself to hold back. My lips teased her neck then silenced her scream when her mouth opened wide. I kissed her until the moans stopped and immediately slid my lips to her ear.
“Beg for your next orgasm—tell Daddy what you need more than anything else in the world.” I wrapped my fingers around her honey-colored curls and pulled them tight.
“I need to come!” Her words came out in hurried gasps. “Please make me come again, Daddy!”
Listening to her plead was music to my ears, but it was too much of a turn on for me to hold back any longer. My body crashed into hers as my hips vigorously hammered her tight little pussy. It felt amazing. I was afraid my behemoth frame was going to actually slam into her with enough force to cause pain that she didn’t want, but she was too overwhelmed by the bliss coursing through her veins to feel anything but pleasure. I kept the thrusts going until the pressure in my balls got so tight my muscles clenched my bones. I could tell she was close, and there was no way I was going to finish until I felt her tight pussy come for me one more time. I centered my lust and tried to absorb it into my soul—the release had to stay inside me until she was right there with me in the same moment of pure heavenly euphoria.
“Daddy! Oh Daddy!” Her body jerked underneath me. “I’m gonna come!”
“Come for me!” I growled into her ear. “Give me what I want—show me that you’ll never leave!”
Her soul melded with mine. We were to lovers chasing the passion that would last longer than the fire burning between us. Her pussy started to spasm, and that was all I could take. My
cock began to throb and pulsate inside her. The orgasm took control of her, and mine consumed me. I slammed my dick inside her, and the cum surged from my balls. I exploded into her pussy and took her orgasm to a new height. I kept thrusting while she erupted, and every drop of my seed was drained by those beautiful spasms of desire. Anabelle’s mouth opened wide, and a scream was ripped from her throat as a primal roar rushed from mine. The release consumed us both and sapped our energy. There was nothing left. I shifted my weight and crashed into the mattress. My arms reached for Anabelle and pulled her into a tight embrace.
“I’m sorry…” She leaned against my chest. “I’ll never leave. It was a mistake.”
“This is where you belong—always.” I pressed my lips to her forehead.
The passion had brought us back together, and nothing was going to shatter that again. I needed her by my side—in my bed—and in my arms. She finally understood that. The doubt was gone from her eyes. They were filled with so much love for me, and that was the kind of love that a life could be built on. Mine would never be perfect. We had to carve our own place in the world, and the prison I chose would become our home. The rest of the world would see an abandoned mansion, but we would know that more than darkness hid behind them. The love inside the mansion was as vibrant as the crimson roses that bloomed the day I moved in—in the midst of chaos, something beautiful had found a way to breathe.
The beating of my heart is for her—every breath I take is for us. Nothing else matters…
* * *
The next morning
There was a moment of panic when I woke up. Anabelle wasn’t in the bed beside me—the spot where she slept was warm, so there was no way that she had been gone long. I heard the words she said, and they sounded like the purest form of truth, yet I still feared the worst. I grabbed my pants and slid them on before I ran for the door and took the stairs two steps at a time. When I reached the bottom of them, I heard the sound of someone in the kitchen. A sigh of relief left my body—she wasn’t gone. I steadied the panic that had formed and walked into the kitchen where I found Anabelle glaring at my teapot on the stove.
Beast Daddy: Once Upon A Daddy Page 14