Page 38 of The Beast Between Us

He told me I could stay as long as I liked.

So I stay.

And I read.

And for the first time in years, I let my mind wander without fear of getting punished.

***Thorne***

She’s fast asleep in the library when I return.

Her book rests forgotten in her lap, one hand still loosely curled around its edge. Her breathing is soft. Even. At peace.

I should call for Oswin to carry her back to her chambers. That would be the proper thing to do.

But I don’t move.

If I’m being honest with myself, truly honest, I just want to hold her. To feel her tucked safely against my chest. Even if it’s only this once.

I pause, reaching inward. The Beast… is quiet.

Calm.

Content, even.

A strange feeling flickers through me. Could this be an opening? A moment of clarity where I could try to tip the scale…to pull control back in my favor?

I freeze, considering it.

Never has he been this… subdued.

If I move fast, I could use this moment. Push harder. Take more. Maybe even all.

But then I look at her.

Sleeping. Trusting. So fragile in this moment.

No.

To wrestle the Beast now would trigger another war within me. One that would no doubt end in destruction. And if she were caught in the crossfire…

I couldn’t bear it.

I shake my head and sigh quietly. I will not risk her.

Grabbing the book, I look to see what she chose. It’s a journal my grandfather wrote of his many adventures. One of my favorites to read as I grew up. I place the book gently on the table, careful not to lose her place.

Carefully, I reach down and lift her into my arms.

She fits perfectly there. Light. Warm. Safe.

For a moment… just a moment… something inside me clicks into place. The Beast doesn’t resist.

He retreats. Further than ever before.

And I…

I feel almost whole.