Page 28 of Hunted By Fear

This time, I didn’t use fear and power to keep her with me; this time, I made her love me and molded her into the perfect woman for me.

It’s been days already, though I don’t know for sure how many. I’d been away, unable to push off my duties to Heaven any longer, despite how desperately I wanted to stay with her.

She is everything to me.

All I’ve worked for, all I dreamed of, and everything I care about.

I’ll be damned to the lowest levels of Hell before I let those bastards take her from me.

They are demons. Sick, twisted beasts of men who have no divinity and nothing to offer.

No, Aerilyn will come home to me, eventually. I just need to make her miss me, and if that means making the pain of my loss a little harder to ignore…well, a little pain is worth it.

Especially if it’s not mine. Though I would happily endure it if needed.

“My little butterfly will be back in her cage soon enough.” I slam the front door shut behind me as I go, leaving the house in a state of chaos that is only a small-scale representation of what I feel without her. I can’t stomach staying in the home I built for her without her. The thought alone is enough to keep me going.

Aerilyn will be back, and until then, I have ways to keep myself busy because in order for her to go missing, someone had toknow I was gone. Which means someone has been playing both sides of the fence.

The room is quiet for a moment before I hear the unmistakable sound of her sniffling.

She’s crying, again.

I hate it when she cries.

But even if I couldn’t hear her sniffles, her sadness fills the air. Her pain is like a physical thing I can taste as her emotions tug me toward her, the need to fix everything for her so strong it’s like it’s trying to pull me apart from the inside.

Just a moment ago, I’d been about to chew Kai out for teleporting me without waking me. My anger fades away as I crawl across the bed, desperate to hold her in my arms, to try and fight the demon that has bright white wings and should fight to keep her safe.

“Aeri, hey, it’s okay, I’m here,” I tell her as I squeeze her tight, as if I’m trying to piece her back together. If only it were that easy, I’d never let her go.

This might do more harm than good, seeing as she has no idea who I am or what she is to me, but I can’t stop myself. The need to hold her and comfort her is so strong, I feel as thoughI’m missing a part of myself until she’s once again resting in my arms.

She doesn’t move away as I pull her close to my chest, tucking her under my chin as I wrap my arms around her. I’m not huge; Asta, Talian, and Kai tower over me in comparison, yet she still feels so small as she curls into me.

Neither of us says a word, but I feel some of her sadness bleed away. I’m not sure how long we sit alone in the middle of her bed as the fire dies and the room grows darker, but it doesn’t matter. It could be minutes, hours, or days, whatever she needs. I'm here.

If this is all I can offer her for now, I’ll take it. It’s so much better than sitting, afraid to touch her, watching her battle herself and Rome, alone.

Fuck, I hate this so much.

“Bast?”

Everything stops, and I suck in a sharp breath, unable to release it for a moment as I sit in shocked disbelief.

“Aeri?”

I’m unsure what else to say. Pulling back, I glance down at her, where she still remains in my arms, only to find her eyes already assessing me.

“I can feel him in my head. I know it’s wrong deep down, but it’s like I can’t stop.” Her voice is quiet but hoarse from crying, with a slight tremble that makes me hold her even closer. I’m stronger than she is, built differently. I know it would be all too easy to crush her, but I make sure to be careful. The urge to hold her close is so intense it almost feels like a physical ache in my chest. “I’m not in control, and I might never be again.”

My arms shake as I try to control myself. I want to rip him apart, killing him nice and slowly, only for him to come to Hell so we can torture him for the rest of eternity.

It’s the least I can do for her, this beautiful soul who did nothing wrong but be born to the wrong family.

“You will. We’ll make sure of it. Just trust us…trust me.” I’m begging her to give me a chance. Pleading for her to keep being strong, even though I wish she didn’t have to be.

Demons are proud creatures; begging is beneath us, because what's the worst you’ll do, send me back to Hell?