Soul Keepers (Editing) #Wattys2020

21|

He sat in the corner of the darkened room naked, watching. The curtains were open allowing moonlight to spill into the room bathing everything in pale light. The female was asleep his bed; her hair like dark spun silk fanned out on the pillow, her pale shoulder peeping out from under the red sheets, her beautiful round face tranquil in sleep. Hed had her many times that night even moments before; but it had felt wrong.

Her blood did nothing to ease his hunger; the feel of her body never bringing him enough satisfaction.

She was wrong.

She wasnt the one he wanted. She was a poor substitute for the woman he truly wanted, the woman he truly loved. His Milliana.

He rose with predatory grace and was across the room in the blink of an eye. He stood over the sleeping female watching the subtle, even rise and fall of her chest. She was wrong. She wasnt what he wanted.

Micah knelt by the bed, his fingers trailing the curve of her shoulder. She moaned at the contact leaning into his touch, her eyes fluttering open. His fingers curled around her neck and she was fully awake now, a playful smile was on her face. Her eyes languid, flared with desire when she saw him. He tilted his head to the side studying her. She was beautiful, delicate but she was wrong. 

He increased the pressure of his fingertips and her smile slipped, her fingers hesitantly brushing at his wrists. Fear ignited in her eyes when he only squeezed harder. A rush ran through him and he only squeezed more. She was fighting him now, her breaths only a whimpering cry. Her heels dug into the mattress as tears leaked from her eyes.

The thought to turn her never occurred to him. He never turned females, they were a waste of resources and only ever good for blood and sex. Now that she didn't suffice in either capacity she was useless.

She didnt want to die. Not like this and not here. She fought, but he was stronger and she came to the realization that he was dangerous all too late.

Youre wrong. Youre not her. Youre not her.

The light went out from her eyes and her face went blank, her fight lessening, hrr body falling limp. He threw his head back reveling in the feeling. This was the only thing that made him feel anything.

*  *  *  *  *

Millie gasped at the feeling that ran through her. The rage, the pleasure and the feel of another death stabbing into her consciousness; another life prematurely snuffed out because of Micah. It was always the strongest when she was near to or when she had been near to him.

What happened?Theo asked gathering her closer when he felt her body stiffen. Whats wrong?

Micah. Im sorry," she murmured moving away from him. Theo only held her closer. "Its always uncontrollable when, after...

Hey, he took her chin and tipped up her head to look at him You dont have to apologize for that, ever."

Millie allowed herself to relax and snuggled back into him. She hadn't wanted to think about what meeting the Old Ones would mean but she had to now. She thought about her Mating Mark and for the first time she felt some sort of hope. Maybe, just maybe, they would find a solution. Her fingers idly traced a thin white scar on his side that she hadn't noticed before, but then she'd been too busy to notice much of anything.

"What happened here?" She wondered innocently.

His body stiffed marginally before he relaxed again, his hand taking hers. He kissed her fingers before linking them with his. It was a subtle action, but she noticed.

"You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to. I don't have the right to push."

He tipped her head up again. "You have every right to ask, about anything. Its's just hard for me to talk about." He took a bracing breath. "It happened on my last mission as an Enforcer," he started and Millie shifted so that their naked upper bodies were pressed together. Theo played with the ends of her hair an action that he drew comfort from. "I had never, since I became an Enforcer, questioned orders. Whatever I did, no matter how hard or brutal I did it because I thought I was doing the right thing. Even when I figured out that all of my missions weren't exactly right, when politics and personal gain became the reasons for thing, I still did it. I didn't know how to be anything but what I was."