Soul Snatcher

by annie nadine

  “You loved him once and just because he now wears a different label you turn against him? He could have been different!” She tried to make him see through his stubbornness.

  “He will never change!” He yelled.

  “You will never change!” She screamed the words at him.

  They stood in silence, both breathing a little heavier from the emotion and yelling. They looked at each other, neither one ready to give up their side.

  “What if it were me?” She asked, her voice now a whisper from the pain. “What if I were the one who had been changed?”

  “Then I would not have a choice.” He said the words before he had thought about them.

  Annie turned and ran out of the room and away from the person who she used to think was her friend. When she was at the bottom of the stairs she heard Eli call after her but she ran faster to her room. She ran inside and slammed her door shut, locking it with fervour. Eli came running up, grabbing the handle to try and open it. She stepped back as he struggled with the lock.

  “Eli, leave me alone,” she said through the door.

  “Annie, please. I did not mean it,” he pleaded.

  She thought she might have heard tears in his voice but she did not care. She had no desire to make amends, at least not tonight. Silence suddenly filled the air. Both of them knew that he would be able to break the lock if he really tried but he didn’t. He had already ruined everything. Annie was the only woman he had ever loved and now look what he had gone and done.

  With his fingers weaved together, Eli stood with his hands holding the back of his head trying to figure out what he could do to change what had just happened. Seeing that there was nothing he could say to fix it he closed his eyes and realised he would have to give up on trying, for tonight at least. He dropped his hands to his sides feeling defeated and went to his room.

  He closed the door and smashed the wall next to it with his fist. The gaping hole looked odd in the elegantly decorated room. He looked around in the shadow of the room, as if he would be able to see something that would console him. Everywhere he looked, all he saw were silhouettes of things that reminded him of his family now gone in one way or the other.

  Exhausted and regretful Eli dropped onto his bed, kicked off his shoes, pulled off his coat and crawled under the cold covers. He closed his eyes and tried to push away what just happened but he found it impossible. He predicted a long, sleepless night.

  Annie stood in her dark room in shock. She had never yelled at anyone before much less fought with them so fiercely. Her heart was racing and her hands shook from the adrenaline. Holding her hands against her chest, as if they would protect her from the pain of the fight, she made her way to her bedside table and relit the lamp that had gone out. Seeing the book on the bed she picked it up and started reading the rest of it frantically. Baden said he would be there the moment she finished the book and all she wanted to do was see him.

  She sat and read faster than she ever had in her life and when she finished the last word she snapped the book closed and stood, holding the book high as if to declare her completion. Where the space at the end of her bed had been empty Baden now stood watching her. Wearing just his usual black pants and ivory slip shirt, he looked incredible as always.

  Something on his face told Annie that he had heard every word of the fight and it made her heart break. She slowly placed the book on the bed and paused for a moment. Finding no hope in stalling she let her tears fall and she ran to him, wrapping her arms around his neck and crying against his shoulder.

  “I am sorry, Baden,” she said through the tears. He enclosed her in his arms and held her close. He had spent so many years fighting the pain of his brother’s disownment and had avoided it with his anger but this time he let himself be hurt from it. He refused to cry though, he would not give Eli the satisfaction.

  “Annie, I have always known the way Eli has felt towards me. Please, do not cry,” Baden said trying to comfort her. She pulled her head back and looked at his face.

  “It does not mean it is acceptable or does not hurt you,” she said knowing that he had to be hurting. He couldn’t help but love her even more. She was kind hearted and thoughtful and most of all selfless.

  “I agree but there is nothing we can do for the time being,” he reasoned, wanting to forget about it. She nodded knowing he was right. He looked over to the book then back to her.

  “I have finished,” she informed unnecessarily.

  “So you have,” he said. He was too fearful to ask what the outcome would be. For a moment they stood in silence, both a little afraid to say anything.

  Finally, he spoke.

  “Before you say anything I want you to know that no matter what may come, knowing you has changed who I am. I do not think I will ever be the same and if you ask me to leave and never come back, just know that I love you.” He said it as calmly as he could though inside he felt as if he would die if he had to walk away from her.

  The words squeezed around Annie’s heart and though she had already made up her mind, his words helped to cement what she had decided. Instead of speaking she pushed up on her tiptoes and moved her lips closer to his. Baden’s lips trembled a little in anticipation of kissing her. He swallowed back his nerves and took in a breath to prepare himself.

  “Are you sure?” He whispered when her lips grazed against his. She froze and nodded, not wanting to interrupt the moment.

  Before she continued towards the kiss he beat her to it, wrapping his lips around hers with gentle passion. She tightened her grip around his neck and he crept one of his hands along her back, up into her hair. He used the other to pull her against his body even more and he felt her warmth against him, it tingled through him.

  The momentum of the kiss grew and became more intense by the second. Their breathing became heavy and stilted. She wanted him and he wanted her and they both new it. She started to pull them towards the bed and, though he would be able to physically restrain her, he moved with her eagerness. He could feel her soul trembling with desire and it fuelled his own.

  Annie went to lie on the bed, hoping that Baden would move with her but he stopped them. Their kiss was paused but their lips remained together. He looked at her, not wanting her to make a choice she could never take back. She could see the question in his eyes and though she was thankful that he was being careful for her, it did not change her mind. She continued to pull them towards the bed.

  After the slightest hesitation, seeing that her answer was yes for him, he went with her.

  With his arms around her he gently lowered them onto the bed, being careful not to push all of his weight onto her. As they kissed she began to pull his shirt up and over his head and he moved in order to help her. It slipped off easily and she almost exploded from seeing his perfect, shirtless chest. He let his lips trail down her neck and move to her chest as he slipped his hands along her legs and started to pull the skirt of her dress up. She arched her back in pleasure and moved her legs so they were either side of him. She intertwined her fingers through his hair as his mouth moved lower on her chest. When his lips hadn’t grazed low enough for her liking, and his hand had reached well up her thigh, he stopped suddenly.

  “What is it?” Annie asked desperate to keep going. Baden twitched his head to one side then looked up to her in his frozen position.

  “Damn,” he whispered under his breath, his body tensing in frustration. He moved and kissed her quickly then pulled back much faster than he wanted to. “Until next time,” he promised then he disappeared out the window, grabbing his shirt on his way out.

  Before she had time to react she heard her door lock being opened with a key and Eli barged into her room. She barely stifled the scream that tried to jump out of her.

  “What are you doing?” Annie yelled with anger in her voice from the disruption of the single greatest moment of her life. She rushed off the bed and stormed up to him. “How dare you come into my room without knocking!” She s
aid shocked and angered.

  “I cannot keep it like this. We must resolve our conflict,” Eli demanded. In the back of his mind he noticed the open window and her flustered look. He didn’t have much time to think about it before Annie pulled him away from the thought.

  “Fine it is resolved, please leave.” But they both knew she was not over it.

  “I am sorry to come in like this but there was no other choice,” Eli said not sounding sorry at all. She tried to grab the key he had used to open the door from his hand but he moved it away from her grasp.

  “I can see how you had no other choice than to intrude upon my privacy,” she jeered, grabbing at the key again to no avail.

  “Annie, I tried to kill Baden.” Eli stunned her into silence and she stood still just staring at him. “I was with him the night he was attacked, I waited for him to turn and I tried to kill him. I did it because I was meant to as a tracker. I knew how strong he already was, let alone how strong he would be after being turned and it was too much of a danger to leave him. I could not take the chance of leaving him alive in case he chose to embrace snatching. At the time I had not even heard the story of Stewart and I went there thinking that I was going to kill him.” The confession tumbled out of his mouth quickly, as if the words were desperate to break free.

  Annie took a step back from his words. Eli was the reason why Baden hated humanity. What kind of person betrays their brother in such a brutal way? She could barely bring herself to even look at Eli, she found it hard not to push him back out the door and never speak to him again. Somehow her loyalty for Baden had grown just as quickly as her love for him and she felt like defending him with every portion of her being. But she couldn’t because Eli knew nothing about the two of them and she wanted to keep it that way.

  “He and I were close…closer than any other brothers could be and we had always been taught to protect each other. My father said that I had to take are of Baden because he was younger than me,” Eli said solemnly. “After our parents died all we had was each other…until he was turned. And because of what I did, Baden has hurt many people.” Eli’s guilt washed over his face.

  “Why would telling me this make it better?” She asked him, not caring that her anger was obvious. As much as it annoyed her, she could see the sorrow in his eyes.

  “I did not want to and every day since then I have blamed myself for what Baden has become. Every murder is another weight on my shoulders. It is entirely my fault,” he confessed his personal torture. And as much as she wanted to stay mad at him she couldn’t because she could see that he truly did regret what he had done. And because of her inimitable, forgiving soul she forgave once more.

  “You should tell him, Eli,” she encouraged. “You cannot take responsibility for the actions of others but you can change the actions that you regret in your own life.” She realised that blaming Eli for Baden’s actions was just an excuse because no matter what, Baden was the one who was responsible for himself.

  “I know that but somehow it does not make it easier,” he said sharing his feelings with her. Her anger slipped away and was replaced with compassion. Giving in, she embraced him forgivingly and he held onto her desperately, feeling comforted by her touch. “I do not want to lose you,” he whispered.

  “Do not fret, Eli. You have not been freed from me that easily,” she assured him light-heartedly but she meant it in a different way than he did. She pulled away and he reluctantly let her go. “Now let us look into this tomorrow,” she suggested. He nodded in agreement and held the key out for her.

  “Sorry,” he said trying to look innocent. She gave him a warning smile then took the key from him. “Goodnight, Annie.”

  “Goodnight,” she said then he left. She closed the door and locked it.

  After waiting for a moment to see if Baden would return she gave up and got dressed into her nightgown. She went to bed feeling disappointed, she wanted Baden to come back so they could finish where they left off. She lay there thinking about what he had looked like with his shirt off and how they had been so close.

  When she was partly asleep Baden snuck back into her room and slipped in the bed beside her. His presence helped her sleep easily, the whole night through. Though he wanted so badly to be with Annie he refrained from starting what they hadn’t finished. He could wait to make sure she was certain of her choice. He would wait because he loved her.

  CHAPTER 32

  Annie woke with Baden beside her. When she turned drowsily towards him and her eyes met his, he smiled and she in turn did the same. Pulling her closer to him he wrapped her up in his arms and she snuggled into him, resting her head on his chest.

  “Good morning,” he said softly, taking in the smell of her hair. She let out a contented sound on her breath.

  “Good morning,” she said in return. They laid there quietly for a time just enjoying being with each other. He sat there deliberating whether to confess something he had kept hidden for years. It was something trivial but he wanted her to know it.

  “My name is Badenoch,” he said abruptly, as if he needed to say it before he backed out. It took a few seconds for her to gather what he had said and realise he was telling her his full name.

  “Badenoch.” She looked up at him as she tested the name with a smile.

  “I wanted you to know that.” The look on his face was so sweet she almost cried. He looked like he wanted her to like it so much.

  “But you prefer Baden?” She guessed and he felt warmed that she had realised. He nodded slowly with a smile that looked almost shy. She took her place on his chest with a smile and again they fell into a comfortable silence. He could feel the pleasure in her soul that he had told her.

  “Can you tell me?” Annie asked softly after a while. Baden paused trying to think of what she might want to know.

  “What would you like me to tell you?” He asked playing with a curl of her hair. She swallowed her nerves before she spoke.

  “Tell me about your life as a soul snatcher,” she said. She kept her head on his chest and decided not to look at him, she thought it might be easier for him that way.

  Baden’s body tensed around her and she half regretted asking but part of her needed to know. He almost refused her request but he knew he had to tell her. She had already heard some things and now it was time for him to tell her the truth. After she knew everything she might turn him away but there was no use in living a lie.

  “I…” he started to say but then she interrupted him.

  “You do not need to tell me,” she offered him an out. It didn’t really matter who he had been, it only mattered who he was now.

  “I will tell you,” he said but then he remained silent. Annie wasn’t sure if he was going to say anything but she thought it best not to push him. They sat in silence for a while whilst he gathered his thoughts.

  “After I had been turned I left this town. I promised myself I would never come back. Eli had come to kill me as I knew he would, though at the time neither of us knew that was impossible.” His voice sounded thick with emotion but he maintained his composure. Baden had found out about Stewart’s story after he was turned. It seemed that the trackers were selective in what stories they divulged to each other. “So I left and discovered what I was capable of in my new form. I did not expect it to be much different from being a tracker but it was. Trackers are fast and strong but their senses are only slightly heightened compared to humans. My eyesight was remarkable, I was able to see through the night as if it were day. All of my senses were intensified. I could run faster than any other snatcher I knew and my strength far outweighed every other,” he explained.

  She played with the front of his shirt and he smiled at her delicate way. He had to push away the selfish desire to edit his story. He wanted to make it sound better than it really was but that wouldn’t be fair.

  “Feel free to ask questions,” he encouraged before he continued. “I found that my abilities were phenomenal. Later I heard about
Stewart and gained more information regarding my own traits from the story.” He knew that Annie knew the legend. She couldn’t help but remember the detail that Baden couldn’t be killed which made her think of the night she thought she had killed him.

  “Baden,” Annie interjected. He paused and looked down to her and she looked up at him. “I need you to know that the night in the rain when I…” She couldn’t bring herself to say it. She couldn’t believe she had stabbed him. Knowing what she wanted to say, he pulled her a little closer and comforted her.

  “Annie, you have no need to apologise. You did exactly as you were meant to do.” He was horrified that she felt bad for what she did.