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Just like last time.

So, I stepped further from under his body to face him fully.

“Gods,”I uttered in fright and shock when I finally saw him in his entirety. Even my vision hadn’t prepared me for real life. He was a monster but, deep down, I also knew that…

He was my monster.

So being braver than ever before, I spoke his name.

“Cerberus, look at me,” I said, making him stop his growling before his heads all came back toward me. I stumbled back a few steps, scrambling over the debris of what was left of the fountain.

“I KNOW YOUR FACE,” he said, making me gasp in a breath.

“Ye… Yes, you do,” I stammered.

“I KNOW YOUR VOICE,” he said again, and tears started to form before becoming too heavy and falling down my cheeks.

“AND I KNOW YOUR SCENT.”

I nodded, my breaths heavy, making my chest rapidly rise and fall.

“Yes,” I agreed, forcing my voice to sound more even.

“FATED ONE,”he said in a slightly softer tone and finally, I lifted up my hand and held it out to his head. Just like in my visions, the same as past Ella had done, showing that I had been brave enough the first time and that I was brave enough now. And my reward was to feel his nose push against my hand, making me suck in a quick breath as he submitted to me. But then the second he rumbled,

“MY WILD ONE.”

I burst out crying even harder, throwing myself into the softer fur at the side of his head, holding on as I shuddered against him.

“Yes, always,”I told him, and after this was when I finally felt something happen.

A bright light forced me to close my eyes, and despite not wanting to let go, my fists lost his fur as it slipped through my fingers. But still I remained against him, now feeling a rippling sensation against my body as he started to change. Which meant I had no choice but to step away.

I squinted against the light as shadows at the center changed, growing smaller and smaller until finally the last time I blinked, it revealed my dreams.

It revealed the only man I had ever loved.

My HellBeast, the way I knew him best.

“Jared!”

“Ella!” he shouted as we ran toward each other, him getting to me first after first leaping over the debris in his way. Then I was in his arms as they wrapped around me, picking me up so my feet were off the floor. My head was cradled to his neck as I breathed in deep. The scent of him like a soothing antidot to this whole ordeal.

“Oh, Ella… my Ella, baby… I’m here, I’m here now, it’s okay… never going to lose you… never again, baby.”He spoke these sweet words to me, smoothing back my hair and making me realize I was sobbing into his neck. Now barely able to believe we were finally together again.

“I missed you so much! I tried to get back to you, I wanted to but I…”

“Ssshh now, it’s okay, it’s alright… calm for me, baby, for it no longer matters, not now we are together.”

I nodded into his neck before pulling back to finally look at his face. My hands needing to touch him, to prove to myself he was real, asking him again,

“You’re really here… this isn’t a dream?”

“No ,Ella, it’s not dream, for if it was, then it can take us both, for I never wish to wake from having you back safely in my arms.” More tears fell at that but then he said, “But just in case, lets prove it.”

Just as I was opening my mouth to ask how, he put me on my feet so he could frame my face and kiss me. My entire being came alive instantly as the emotions flowed from me in a whoosh of air. I moaned in his mouth as he deepened the kiss and I finally felt whole once again. As if a piece of me that had been missing was back, making my soul complete. The rest of this world just faded away and, with it, the reminder of how close I had come to giving myself up just so others could live.

“Fuck, I was so worried about you, baby,”Jared said fervently, as soon as the kiss was over, and he could once again hold me in his arms. I nodded as the emotions churning inside of me wouldn’t let me speak.