Page 29 of Monsters (Vengeance #3)

With that, the second woman tonight slammed my office door on their way out. Well, Marabella hadn't. My little lamb had gently closed it before disappearing into the night. My head pounded at the thought of what an asshole I was. Who the fuck does what I just did? What the fuck have I done?

“She’s nothing.”

She’s fucking everything and that’s the problem.

Clearly I suffered from self-destructive tendencies.

I was obsessed with Marabella and there was no way she would want to deal with that.

Maybe it was better that she hated me. I closed my eyes thinking about how perfect her body felt pressed against me.

How those massive dark eyes and wheat-colored hair filled my constant dreams. Fuck. I couldn’t stop thinking about her.

Obsessed. I was fucking obssessed.

This was a mess.

I’d just hurt my little lamb. That was so fucking wrong.

I was the one who stopped her from getting hurt.

I was supposed to keep my little lamb safe because she was mine.

Demons were known for being possessive but I’d never felt it until she came into life.

Immediately, I had started calling her mine.

Mine to protect. Mine to care for. Mine to love.

Ever since that first day I'd been the big bad wolf keeping my little lamb safe.

Not anymore.

I stood up and locked up my office. I’d deal with all of these documents tomorrow. I practically jogged towards her chambers hoping that she was still up. When I got to her small door in the workers quarters I felt a snarl pull at my lips.

What the fuck?

A guard, low ranking, was opening her door. I stepped closer and watched as the man looked around and swore. Shaking his head he turned around and I closed the door, locking both of us in.

“What the fuck? Oh shit!” The asshole paled.

A very dark feeling filled my chest. I had no idea where Marabella was but I had a feeling that she hadn’t been sleeping here for a bit. My power leaked out and wrapped around the guard as he started blabbering.

“I was just checking, man, I was worried. A sweet thing like Marabella...”

His words cut off as I snapped his neck.

It did nothing to cure my bloodlust. I had bigger issues though. Where was she?

My eyes closed and I did something I promised I never would do. I tracked her. My demon growled low in my throat as I let my instinct take over as I neared the library. I walked in and before I knew it I was climbing the massive ladder that led to the storage room.

I felt everything go still inside of me at what I saw.

She looked like fucking Thumbelina. Her soft hair was spread out everywhere and she was wrapped up in her clothes on a pile of soft fabric that sheltered her like a flower. Had she been living up here? Fuck. How had I not caught onto that?

Without thinking, I easily lifted her and jumped down with ease, landing without a sound. Her breathing was even but a small frown marred her brow. When we entered my chambers, I laid her on the bed and moved towards the chair near the fireplace .

Fuck.

How long had she lived there? How long had that bastard been scaring her? Hurting her?

I must have made a noise because a pair of large dark eyes blinked open at me. Silence permeated the area and when she spoke her voice was empty.

“What am I doing here, Palo?” She whispered.

“I moved you here.” I stated as pain flashed in her eyes. “How long have you been sleeping up there?”

“Past few ni… you know what? I have nothing to say to you.” She stated and stood her body in only a sheer slip. I could have fucking died and gone to heaven with that vision in my head.

“Sit down,” I commanded softly.

I had to admit, I was a bit of a control freak and super demanding. Marabella, for whatever reason, Maker bless her, put up with me and just offered an eye roll when I did something crazy. Usually.

“No!” She growled and I felt myself still. She had never been this upset. I’d fucked up. I didn’t even know how to fix this. I hadn’t ever had a formal relationship beyond a one night stand.

“I’m nothing,” she stated with tears in her eyes, “remember? Well, workers that are nothing don’t sleep in aristocrats’ chambers.”

I tightened my hands on the chair because I was a second away from snapping.

“It wasn’t like that,” I whispered, feeling a sensation of pain pulse through me that I'd never experienced before. This wasn't our dynamic. She was all soft and sweet while I was a cold and demanding bastard, except to her. Usually.

“Yeah?” She laughed with no humor.. “Whatever you say. I get it. Knowledge is more important than anything else. ”

Her body was by the door and I nearly strapped her to the bed to keep her here.

“I..”

“Next time you’re in the library, Palo?” Her tears spilt over her cheeks as she spoke. “You should read a fucking book about how to be a good friend.”

The door slammed shut and I felt my heart break.

What the fuck was happening to me? She was right. I was a terrible friend.

Marabella - 1.5 years later

I hated that I had to walk through here today.

After a year and a half, I still hated this place.

Every time I saw Palo it hurt, but today it was my actual job to inform him of something.

Since that night, he’d tried to talk to me several times.

It was stupid. Everytime I ignored him and it didn’t help that he was making my life lonely.

He literally warned everyone off me, mostly men, so I was just fucking alone. All the time. What an ass.

I knocked on the door and as it opened I nearly laughed. How fucking ironic.

Trinity.

She looked down at me and I maintained her eye contact instead of thinking about Palo being a few feet away. I swallowed and spoke.

“Sorry to interrupt, ma’am,” I offered a smile. “I have a message for Palo, but I can…”

“Get out.”

Oh, good. What a fucking asshole.

“Trinity, get out.” Palo stated softly as my eyes shot to the ground to hide my surprise.

“What?” she hissed. “Why? ”

“Because I fucking said so,” he ordered sharply, “I need to talk to Marabella, so leave.”

Now I was positive there was something wrong with me because that commanding tone was a total turn on. I totally felt my heart flutter so I also got angry. I was furious with him.

“No. Really. Don’t,” I muttered but Trinity slammed the door and I was stuck.

His office looked different. There was no order to it and everything seemed messy. His hair was longer and he looked… sad? I felt my heart squeeze.

“The message is from your brother…”

“I don’t give a fuck about the message, lamb,” I stilled as he caged me against the wall in a move faster than a blink. My heart fluttered and his dark eyes tracked my pulse for a moment. I forgot what it was like having him this close. What it was like breathing in his scent.

“You should. It is about…”

Then his lips were against mine and I gasped into his mouth.

Pure pleasure exploded through me and his vanilla smoky scent wrapped around me in greeting.

I shivered as I curled into him and his body dominated me with ease.

As if it was meant to. As if I was meant to.

It was so easy to let him take control. My first kiss was now his.

I know. I was such a freakin’ loser. Who was twenty and just having their first kiss? Someone sheltered most of her life.

“No.” I pulled back as tears filled my eyes. “You do not get to take my first kiss. Not now.”

His expression was heartbreaking as he placed his forehead against my own, his arms shaking with tension. It was so easy to ignore his constant attempts at communication when he wasn’t right here smelling like vanilla. They had been constant, for the record. Week after week.

“Marabella,” he spoke in a rough voice. “Please.”

“Please what?” I tried to ignore how my lips tingled.

“Forgive me,” he whispered softly. “I need you back in my life.”

“No. You don’t get that back. You hurt me, Palo. You hurt me really fucking bad. You treated me like I was nothing,” I whispered in a hushed tone.

He groaned as if in pain, rubbing his nose against my hair. “You are everything, not nothing. That’s the fucking problem.” Then his temper spiked. “I’m not sorry about that kiss, I’m glad it’s your first one, lamb. It’s mine and you’re mine.”

Tears spilled over as I shook my head. “Stop.”

“Please?” His voice took a begging tone as he grasped my shoulders.

“I don’t trust you to choose me over work,” I spoke softly.

His eyes darkened and he buried his nose against my neck, “I promise I will do whatever…”

“Friends.”

“What?” he asked softly.

“I said ‘friends.’ You can be my friend.”

Mostly because if he didn’t stop talking, I was going to give in.

A small smile broke onto his lips. “Thank you.”

Without another word I turned and left. I’d never given him the message but it hadn’t been that important anyway.

Palo - Queen Gray’s coronation

I was close to killing every single guard here. I watched as Marabella gracefully walked down the hall in front of me in that damn dress that Gray gave her. Every head that turned toward her made me growl like the possessive bastard I was.

She was mine.

We might still be just friends but she had started wearing the necklace I gave her nearly two years ago, so she’s mine. That’s final. I really was grasping at straws when it came to her. I needed something from her. I felt like a fucking dog begging for a bone.

“Lamb,” I caught her shoulders gently as she looked up at me expectantly.

“Yes?” She arched a graceful eyebrow. How did this woman get sexier every day? I wanted to taste those lips again. My gaze drew down to them and I nearly groaned.

“We need to talk,” I demanded.

Her lips pulled into a smile. “We are.”

I pulled her into a tiny corridor and pressed her against the stone wall, eclipsing her smaller frame. Her breathing quickened as she watched me with a clear challenge. The woman was making me mad.

“Marabella,” I said softly. “I can’t keep doing this.”

Her eyes warmed and she looked over my expression. “Alright.”

“Alright?” I frowned.

“Yes,” she said softly. “If you can’t do this anymore, I understand.”

I growled. “You know I don’t mean it like that, woman. I want you Marabella. I want you more than any fucking piece of knowledge or social connection. The kingdom could go to hell-”

She touched my lips and I didn’t hesitate. Her sweet mouth was inexperienced and I found I loved that. I grasped her neck and she let her head fall back as I devoured her lips. God, I loved her. I was going to lock this woman up. She was mine. Mine.

The word was like a chant in my head.

This is what happens when your demon loses control.

Marabella - Nearly a week later

Tears welled up in my eyes as I walked home. The rain was soaking me and the Horde had a nasty winter chill that had crawled up out of nowhere. Gray had given me the night off so Palo had planned a date for the two of us. The bad part?

He didn’t fucking show.

No word. Nothing.

I wrapped my jacket further around me as if it would keep my heart and stomach from hitting bottom. When I walked into the castle, I sighed and moved towards my quarters feeling not only rejected but exhausted. I didn’t want to play this game with him anymore.

I wanted someone who looked at me like Gray’s men looked at her.

Or how Vegas’s group obsessed about her.

I just wanted someone.

My room was larger now with a fireplace and massive private bathroom. I changed out of the wet clothes and locked my door, crawling into bed as I watched the flames crackle.

No word. Nothing.

Nothing.

Nothing

The word still taunted me.

When I eventually fell asleep I felt as though my heart was breaking all over again. I hated how much power he had over me .

Palo - A few hours later

I stood in front of her door and put my head back to rest on the opposing wall.

Maker. I just couldn’t get this right.

I knew, even if I explained that I’d had to talk to Edwin and Byron, she would still doubt my commitment to this. I couldn’t blame her.

Did I even bother to knock?

When I raised my hand, the door opened and there stood my sleepy little owl. Her eyes were dark and lips pressed together. She didn’t say a word.

“I’m not going to make excuses,” I stated softly. “It was an emergency regarding Edwin and his team.”

“I believe you,” she stated softly.

But?

“I believe you, but that doesn’t change anything for me. I can’t be with someone who doesn’t view me as a priority.”

“Lamb,” I whispered.

She shook her head. “No. Thanksgiving is tomorrow, Palo. I don’t want to get into this. You and I are over.”

A low growl came from my chest and before I knew it, I had her frame pressed against the opposing wall with her scent wrapping around me. I pulled back a tiny amount.

“We are never done or over,” I demanded, “I fucking love you. I can’t let you go.”

Her eyes filled. “You love me?”

Had I never said it? Oh fuck.

“Yes,” I stated softly.

She shook her head. “This is too much. I need time.”

“But..”

“Time,” she whispered and I let her go.

“You don’t get to ignore me,” I whispered. “I will do anything for us to move past this, but you can’t ignore me. Or I’ll end up doing something crazy like tying you to the bed.”

Her lips tilted but she spoke softer words. “Like I said, time.”

Without her permission, I kissed her lips and pulled back. She turned pink and before she could slam the door in my face, I walked away.

I clearly needed to move some things around. I had a bigger priority than work now.

Marabella.

My little lamb.