by Hana Blue
“Damnit Aine, what is your problem?” Dominic’s voice roared through the bathroom, following a slam of the door. I let out an audible sigh. Maybe if I just ignore him, he will go away. So that’s what I did. I could feel him getting agitated, but grabbed the soap and just continue on with my shower. I started humming as I washed off, and my nonchalant attitude was only fueling his rage.
With a quick motion he ripped the shower curtain open, his face twisted with anger. With a sigh, I shrugged off his attitude and carried on with my shower. Desperately trying to ignore the fact I felt his presence behind me.
“Aine.” He said my name, his voice much calmer. “Look at me for a second.”
I shook my head no and rinsed off the soap. I felt his hands grab my waist gently, turning me to face him. With one hand on the side of my neck, and the other cupping the side of my face, I felt my irritation wash away with the water. With the pad of his thumb, he stroked the scar that crossed over my eye and down my cheek.
“Why would you maim yourself? Why would you want to hurt yourself that badly?” His voice was full of emotion as he looked at me, and honestly it made me uneasy. I wasn’t sure if I would ever get used to seeing a side of him that didn’t hate me. It was nice, it really was. To see a softer side to this man who in a whole was frightening, but I guess part of me didn’t trust it completely.
I cleared my throat and pulled away a little, but he only took a step closer to me, both of us now under the water raining down.
“Look, I don’t talk about it, especially with people I don’t know.”
His face twisted with confusion. Looking into my eyes deeply. “I don’t know about you, but I believe we can make exceptions for our case.” A slight smile curved at the corner of his lips, and he raised an eyebrow. “Wouldn’t you?”
I shook my head ‘no’ and exited the shower, quickly grabbing a towel to wrap around myself. “No, I don’t”
Grabbing another towel, I bundled up my hair in it on top of my head. “Mate or not, I still don’t know you and you don’t know me. Don’t think because they mate us, and that we fucked that I owe you any explanation for my own actions.”
“Damnit Aine, wait. He called out to me as I exited the bathroom, fleeing to the bedroom. The sooner I could get dressed and get away from him, the better.
I quickly threw on some jeans, and pulled a tank top over my head, rushing to get ready. I didn’t want to answer these questions; I didn’t want to have to relive it again.
“Aine, please stop.” He came and wrapped his arms around me, burying his face into my neck from behind.
“You don’t have to tell me, but I hope one day you will. I am doing my damndest to do this right, but I will need to you give a little.”
He pulled my hair to the side and kissed my neck. “I want to make this work, I will need you to try as well.”
With that he left the room and I felt my body settle, letting a rough breath escape my lungs.
* * *
DOMINIC ~
“So what exactly are we watching?” Allea asked, shoving her hands in her jacket pockets curiously.
“Aine, she’s training her sister.”
Allea and I looked out to the colossal beasts fighting, their red eyes glowing like a neon light at night. Seeing Aine in that form was incredible. Frightening, really. She looked almost looked feral, the way the scars prevented fur to grow in spots. How aggressive she became. It was fascinating how powerful and rage filled she became compared to her sister.
We watched as Aine taunted her sister mercilessly, I could tell they were communicating somehow, but it wasn’t able to be heard by others. The younger one flinching and almost trying to flee at every lunge Aine made at her. She wasn’t even trying to fight back. It was strange. Seeing a beast that refused to fight.
“Why are their eyes glowing like that?” Allea pondered, still watching them. My only answer was a shrug.
I did not understand how or why they were glowing like that. It seemed I only saw it on the others when in the beast form, but I had seen Aine do it in the alley as a human. So my theory of it being solely connected to that form made no sense.
An enormous scratching sound snapped me out of my thoughts. I looked up just to catch the tail end of Aine swiping her paw down onto her sister’s face, sending her flying straight to the ground with a thunderous crashing sound. The younger wolf struggled to get up, looking like a fish out of water. Then an exchange of glances that I couldn’t quite understand took place between the two. Aine suddenly became more ferocious, For the first time since they started fighting, we heard an actual voice. It was Aine’s.
“Get the fuck up, Caireen. Fight me back!”
The girl whined, finally getting onto her feet. She howled out in sorrow at her sister, almost like she was begging her to stop. I saw Micheal coming from behind us from the corner of my eye as Aine threw herself into the girl, bringing her right back to the ground. Pinning her down with her weight. Large snarling teeth only centimeters away from Caireen’s face. It was such a turn from the loving sister that she seemed to be before.
“Fight back, or I WILL kill you!” She roared out into her sister’s face.
In a panic, Micheal changed behind us, rushing towards the girls at full speed. Throwing himself into Aine, he wrestled her to the ground, his mouth around her throat. Caireen quickly got up and changed back, fleeing for the house with tears in her eyes. Aine flipped Micheal onto his back, taking the power of the situation back. With a sickening crunch Micheal found his arm in Aine’s jaws, as she ripped and tore at the flesh, wildly thrashing her head from side to side, a sickening sound rolling from her throat.
“Dominic, you need to help.” Micheal’s distressed voice called out, his arm now completely shredded.
Lifting him from the ground, Aine threw him across the courtyard, turning to face me, blood dripping off of her teeth, snarling viciously. Quickly I forced myself into my wolf form, swallowing hard. Unsure on how I would be able to take her on seeing what she had just done to Micheal.
“No! You need to be a beast like her!” Micheal screamed from the background, charging at her as she took a slow menacing step in my direction.
Panic filled my chest. I didn’t know what I had done before. I didn’t even know what I was. How was I supposed to change into something I didn’t even know existed? Micheal struggled to slow Aine, his arm almost unusable. Allea stepped back, her eyes full of fear as Aine got closer, practically dragging Micheal behind her.
“Aine, Stop.” I linked to her, trying to ease her, but it was like she wasn’t in there. My words did nothing. Coming back outside, I saw Caireen drag Daniel behind her.
“You need to get angry!” She screamed at me, pushing Daniel forward.
Micheal laced his arms around Aine’s neck, trying to pull her onto her back to stall her.
Caireen pulled Daniel in to whisper at him for a moment and he shook his head in disgust. Next thing I knew, Daniel was running to my side. I snarled at him to back off, but he didn’t. He swallowed hard, staring at me before letting an almost disturbed smile cross his face.
“I saw the mark. Apparently she didn’t care either, she just begged for more. She begged me to fuck her so you could feel it.”
There it was. The jealous rage from before. The rage that stemmed from so low, I couldn’t control it. Daniel ran from the hills as I felt my bones snapping and cracking like they did before. All I could see was red, and the only thing I could think of was making her pay. Punishing her for being so damn stupid, pushing me like that.
Within a second flat, I towered over her unyielding form, ready to tear her limb from limb. Grabbing her throat in my claws, I drug her down to the ground, my teeth finding themselves buried deep into her shoulder. She thrashed and wailed. Clawing at my chest for dear life. I knew she was leaving behind some substantial damage, but I felt almost no pain. I yanked my head back ripping the flesh off her shoulder, causing a chunk of fur and flesh to ha
ng off, leaving bone exposing.
Startled by the sight of it, I backed off a bit, wavering enough to let her get the upper hand. I felt my back make contact with the hard ground, as she forced herself over me, biting down over my neck.
“Control her!” Micheal yelled out from wherever he was hiding. “You need to get into her head!”
Get into her head? I can barely control my own. Frantically I tried to link to her, but she wasn’t there. This wasn’t her.
Desperately I tried to think back to what she had done when she controlled me. Is that what they needed me to do? I didn’t know what she did, she only… wait. Grabbing her neck in my claws, I forced her to look at me, making her look me in the eyes like she had done to me.
“Please Aine, be in there. Stop” I desperately pleaded into the beaming red orbs that looked down at me hatefully. Keeping my eyes ever locked on hers, I watched as her breathing slowed and an almost crazed look come across her eyes.
“Stop Aine, stop.” I willed to her, trying to communicate it to her through not only the link, but my eyes.
“Outstanding job.” I heard her voice reply as calm as could be. A smile appearing in her eyes. “Now let me go.”
“No, this is a trick.”
“Yes and no. Just look away.”
I swallowed hard, averting my gaze form her. She quickly morphed, leaving herself as her dainty human form laying on top of the wretched grey form I was stuck in. She grabbed my shoulders, and pulled her face that was so very tiny in comparison, up to mine. Taking the sides of my face in her hands, she placed a small kiss on my nose.
“Come back Dominic.” She whispered, her eyes still glowing, looking deep into mine.
Doing as she asked, I forced myself back, finding myself under her still. “What the fuck is wrong with you Aine?” I screamed at her, tossing her from my body.
“I was testing a theory.” She muttered, standing up and walking away.
Seventeen
Demons
“Get your ass back here Aine!” I hollered out to her, swiftly following behind her into the house.
Never even bothering to turn around and address me, she kept moving, making her way to her room, the blood on her shoulder drying quickly as a brand fresh mark shined bright into her skin where I fought back.
I cringed at the sight, feeling guilty for yet again hurting her. What in the fuck was going on? What kind of game was she trying to play? Thoughts of this complete thing being set up and deliberate resonated with me, making me furious. I needed answers. I needed her to explain exactly what she was trying to do, but as usual, she was quick to run, unwilling to talk. To explain.
“AINE!” I called out to her again fiercely.
The slamming of her bedroom door echoed throughout the hallway as she disappeared behind it. Throwing the enormous door open, letting it crash into the wall behind it, I followed her, grabbing her wrist to stop her. She snarled in response, her nose flaring as the irritated breath escaped, her upper lip quacking in frustration.
“What the fuck was that?” I barked at her.
She turned partially to face me, shrugging a shoulder with a coy smile. The anger in her features quickly being taken over by sarcastic humor. “Like I said. Testing a theory,” she replied plainly. Looking all too pleased with her vague answer. She snatched her wrist back and rubbed it with her other hand. “I wanted to know if I knew you.” She muttered, her face hardening as she looked at me. “Turns out, I was wrong about one thing, and right about another.”
She narrowed her eyes, an icy grin crossing her face as she spoke before turning away from me, yet again. Her issues with communication were most definitely going to be the end of me. She sighed, rolling her eyes, and started to dress again, tossing some clothes in my direction as well. Which I slipped on quickly.
At least she was considerate, I guess. Despite her unwillingness to try with me.
“What were you wrong about?” I asked her gruffly, unable to contain my frustration and internal fear that I was battling. This whole situation is far more than my mind could comprehend, and her stubbornness wasn’t helping.
She sighed, pulling on the last article of clothing and faced me, taking a step forward to shorten the gap between us. She looked less irritated, and more or less worried now. Which I wasn’t sure was relieving or frightening.
“When you changed the first time. That was your first time doing it, wasn’t it?” She questioned somberly, searching my eyes for answers.
I nodded slowly in reply.
“Thought so.” She remarked, followed by a deep breath and a nod of understanding. “There has only been one other time that I’ve seen a wolf like that. A true demon. But he didn’t have a wolf form and was a little different. I wondered if you were that wolf, but you aren’t. It was a foolish curiosity.”
I swallowed hard. “Ok?” I remarked in a curious tone.
I didn’t know what to say to that, what to think. But as she mentioned this other wolf, pieces fell together. Information that I had gathered while here finally starting to fall together. That tattoo on the back of her neck must be the wolf she was talking about.
I cleared my throat. “And what were you right about?”
She licked her lower lip somberly, reaching up to the scars on her face. “You hate it too. Being a beast.”
She let a heartbreaking smile form on her lips, the tips of her fingers gently skimming down the marred trench that crossed over her eye and down her cheek. I sucked in a sharp breath as I watched her intently.
“I did this to myself. Yes. You want to know why?”
I nodded at her, taking a step forward, welcoming the possibility that she was about to open up, even just a little. To confide in me.
“My eyes glow when the beast is in control. I used to thrive on it. Using the power of the beast no matter what form. Then one day, it hurt someone I loved dearly, so I tried to get rid of it by clawing my own eyes out. Obviously, that didn’t work.” She lowered her gaze to the floor, looking lost in the memory. Her hand still lingering there by her eye.
A trend became clear as she spoke. The trend of her dark soul trying to break out. It seemed she was all too quick to fight, even if that meant against herself. From mauling her own throat to rid herself from my mark, the divots on her neck where she no doubt tried to snuff out the pain from our bond, and a slightly disfigured face, trying to banish a power she abused.
She wasn’t afraid of pain. She wasn’t afraid to hurt; the scars left behind meaning nothing to her. The marks not even being to phase her. But it was becoming all too clear. She was afraid of herself. Much like I have been my entire life, and even more now, knowing the vile creature I am.
My heart felt like it was shattering for her, feeling her anguish and my own so easily. I reached out for her, the distance between us now so minimal that she was less than an arm’s reach away, and pulled her into me. Wrapping one arm around her waist, and the other cupping the back of her head.
Her hands found their way to my chest, where they rested softly. Her palms flat against me like she was about to push me away, but didn’t have the strength to.
Again, she seemed to soften, melting into my chest where she finally laid her head. Letting me hold her close to me. Whether either of us would like to admit it, the hatred was drifting. No matter how much she was trying to fight against it, and against me. She was letting me under her skin; she was trusting me.
These small moments when she would let down her guard were quickly becoming something I lived for. The warmth that came with knowing this fierce warrior was willing to show weakness and rely on the comfort almost addicting.
“Who did you hurt?” I muttered curiously into her hair. Wondering if this had anything to do with her overprotectiveness of her sister.
“We need to go, we’ve got company.”
I spun on my heels, pushing Aine behind me at the sound of Daniels’ voice coming from the open doorway. “Fuck off!” I growled at the m
an who stood shirtless at the threshold of her room.
I felt Aine tense behind me, and a wave of regret pool throughout her. I eyed him over carefully and finally saw it. The answer to my question.
Across his stomach were large gashes, resembling those of enormous claws shredding him open. She hurt HIM. Anger built quickly in my gut as I looked at it. Realizing that she had harmed herself for the sake of this piece of shit. She lived with regret for hurting him, torturing herself for it.
The aura of love and respect that pooled between the two of them made me sick to my stomach. Feeling the way her entire body relaxed as soon as he was present, made me murderous. Realizing I had no chance to have her feel that way about me. Not as long as he was there.
“What’s going on?” Aine asked Daniel from behind me. Sounding worried.
Ignoring me completely, he addressed her, stepping to the side to see her from behind me. “We’ve got a small pack scouting out the area, looks like they are hunting.”
“Us?” she questioned softly, and Daniel nodded.
“Grab your killer mate and let’s go.”
My entire body went rigid, using all of my strength not to attack him. Fighting back every ounce of rage in my body. Knowing if I hurt him, I’d hurt her. I snarled at him as he left down the hallway, then turned to Aine.
“You hurt him, didn’t you? You hurt yourself for hurting him.” I growled to her and her face dropped, answering my question. “And you will always love him? Never me. Mate or not.” I questioned again, the fury in my soul building like wildfire, quickly becoming out of control.
She kept her head low, and I scoffed.
“We need to go.” She whispered, pushing past me, her shoulder knocking into my arm as she made her way around.