Page 117 of Evil Hearts

Mari

T he beast was soft and smelled good.

These were thoughts I definitely shouldn’t have been thinking, but I couldn’t help but snuggle deeper into the soft fur of his wide chest and revel in his warmth. I couldn’t help but appreciate the musky scent that filled my nose. I did manage to keep myself from turning my face into him and sniffing, but it was a close thing.

He cradled me in his arms as he lumbered through the trees, deeper into the heart of the forest. The moonlight disappeared behind the canopy of trees, but he moved with a surety that comforted me.

Again, a sense of safety enveloped me. I could not explain it but there was something about him that left me certain I would be protected. That no harm would come to me while I was with him. It was a feeling I’d never had before, and something I didn’t want to leave anytime soon.

Without the moon, I had no clue how much time passed before the beast carried me into the opening of a cave. The opening was narrow, and he had to turn sideways to carry me through, but he never sat me down or suggested I walk. He growled at me when I suggested I would be okay to do so.

The low, menacing sound somehow just added to my sense of comfort. He cared for me in a way I hadn’t been cared for since I was a small child. It was nice.

We entered a cave where moonlight streamed through a small opening in the ceiling. The light was weak and only gave me an impression of space.

“Stay,” the beast growled, setting me down on the stone floor. He moved away, taking his warmth and the sense of safety with him. I shivered in the cold air and crossed my arms over my chest.

Light flared in the darkness, and I recoiled, throwing my arm up to protect my eyes against the sudden brightness.

Before my eyes could adjust a paw wrapped around my leg and pulled it straight.

I jerked away, but the paw only tightened around my ankle, holding me in place. The beast was there with a frown on his face as he inspected my injured foot. It wasn’t bad. Just a small cut but you’d think I was bleeding to death with the way he glared at the small injury.

He picked up a cloth and wrapped it gently around my foot.

“I can’t tie it.” He grumbled.

I drew my leg up and tied the bandage around my foot. Clearly, it was important to him, though I couldn’t figure out why.

Once it was done, he got up and moved away from me. I was left sitting on the cold, hard ground. When he didn’t stop walking until he was out of sight, the reality of my situation dawned on me.

I was alone. In a cave. With the monster of my nightmares. And I was freezing.

Now that the fear and numbness had faded, the cold was seeping into my bones. I was bone-deep tired and every muscle in my body ached. I looked in the direction the beast had disappeared into, wishing for his warmth and the sense of safety he carried with him.

I scooted closer to the small fire he’d built and laid down as close to it as I dared. The meager flames offered some warmth against my face as the cold and darkness closed around me.

The first thing I noticed was the warmth. Every morning, I woke to the cold, expected to rise first and start the fire in the hearth. The second thing I noticed was the softness. I opened my eyes to find myself cradled against the beast; his fur soft against my skin. I didn’t know when he’d returned or when he’d moved me to rest against him, but I closed my eyes and basked in the warmth and safety he offered.

Back in the village, nothing was safe. Every moment the threat of being chosen as a sacrifice lived over a girl’s head. From infancy, we were taught to fear the beast in the woods. We were told if we wandered into the trees, he would eat us and use our bones as toothpicks. If we didn’t listen to our parents and obey the village elders, the beast would steal us from our beds. And every five years, one girl was chosen as a sacrifice. No one knew how the village elders made their choice, and no one could argue it once it had been made. We lived in fear all the time.

It was a marvel then, that the first time I felt truly safe and comforted was in the arms of the very monster we were taught to fear. It made me wonder what had happened to make everyone fear him. It made me wonder why he demanded a sacrifice, if only to let the women go. It made me wonder why he decided to keep me. I had no doubt he could have left me in the woods the night before without a second of remorse. He was willing to let me go free, but he wasn’t going to help me.

Not until the moment I cut myself on the branch. Something about that changed everything. And I didn’t know exactly what or why. And that uncertainty was unsettling.

“I know you’re awake, little human.” The sound rumbled around me. I fought the urge to snuggle into him deeper and instead pushed away from his warmth and sat up. I had questions and I needed answers.

I twisted to face the beast where he lay spread. The fire was nothing but embers, but there was no wood to feed it. Still, it offered the smallest amount of warmth against my back. I pulled my legs up and wished for my slippers. Sacrifices weren’t allowed anything but the most meager of coverings. The village elders wouldn’t want to waste any resources they didn’t have to. Clothing could be passed onto siblings or neighbors, there was no point in wasting it on someone being sent to die.

“Why did you bring me here?”