The Beast And The Blessed

Six: Charlie

Charlie's P.O.V.

It was like I was doomed to make the same mistakes repeatedly.

Twice. Twice in two weeks, I had returned to camp covered in another creature's bodily fluids. Only this time, it wasn't because of my carelessness.

I had gone savage.

All of my pent-up anger and emotions were set free, and I unleashed a fury on the Oread that I hadn't known I had in me. My parents, brother, and every tutor I ever had would have been appalled by my behavior today.

It thoroughly impressed the men, and they sat back and watched as I dropped my sword and took the woodland nymph on in hand-to-hand combat.

I knew my team wouldn't let anything happen to me. They would have jumped in if I were about to get seriously injured. But they didn't have to.

Typically, I made executions quick.

But one thing Roman insisted on was training to be better when unarmed. I could take almost anything down with a blade, whether a sword or a dagger. But going into one of those fights without a weapon was a suicide mission.

The Oread was unstable and weak enough that I knew she would be an excellent creature to start with, and she was. Her disease-ridden body and manic state made her attacks sloppy and easy to predict.

I had maintained the upper hand during our scuffle until she collapsed and fell onto me.

Woodland Nymphs were known for being one with the woods. Their skin had spots of growth with moss, mushrooms, and flowers. If one were to touch it, the growth tended to leave a thick green residue behind, staining anything it came into contact with.

Similar to a tree, and probably the one she was bound to, she was diseased. Her body had been rotting, stinking to the high heavens.

When she collapsed into me, her rotten moss-covered body pressed against my front with a squishing sound that would be burned into my memory forever. But the smell, oh Goddess, the smell was horrendous.

There was no way I could go to sleep without rinsing off first. Even having my dirty clothes near the camp would keep everyone awake from the putrid smell.

I knew the river was safe during the day, but I had never had a reason to inspect it at night. Several creatures only came out when the sun had gone down, and the water couldn't be seen through. But it was a risk I had to take.

The night vision my wolf granted me allowed me to see several feet into the running water, and after determining the coast was clear, I waded in. It was the first time that the cool water had been unwelcome. It felt unreasonably cold without the sun, and I knew getting out to sleep with wet hair would be horrendous.

Still, I walked forward until I was able to submerge myself completely. Grabbing fistfuls of sand, I began scrubbing at my clothes. The faster I could get this over with, the better.

away from my mate's side of the river as possible. Today

hadn't even been officially rejected. Yet, the pain of what had happened hadn't lessened at all.

joined me and what fight I was in for, but the bubbles from their movement obscured

deepest part of the water was only six feet. But I had been completely submerged to clean myself and my clothes with the sand as quickly

erupted along my skin, and I melted into the touch even though

as I tilted my

made me gasp, not out of shock but from the wave of desire it sent rushing through me as our

his neck, holding him closer.

He was here.

to the

dagger. I wasn't expecting to find you trying to drown yourself!" He sounded furious, but

my head, thoroughly confused and trying to hide

know how terrifying that was to see? I walked up, and you were under the water, struggling! I thought something had dragged you down!" I figured his yelling would have

in a whisper as understanding dawned on me. Whether he understood it or not, he felt the mate bond too. It was why he came back to the river at all. He could have turned around and walked away when he saw me here, whether I was underwater or not. He could have either kept or gotten rid of my dagger. It would have fetched him a reasonable price in town. He

looking concerned and confused. When they landed on my lips, I couldn't

lips curve up, he relaxed. But he didn't let go, and I didn't want him

clothes." I wanted to tell him he hadn't hurt me that bad when he said he didn't want me. Not bad enough to make me suicidal. I would never let a man bring me to that point.

subject of being mates, before I had a chance

again once I mentioned it. He nodded slowly, forcing

between his. I pulled them back and then wrapped them around his waist. His eyelids lowered, and he made a low

moment when I thought he would push me off him, pull us out of the water, and leave me

no idea what to expect from this man, which

make him happy when I didn't know

to his, and I wanted so badly to steal a kiss but knew I couldn't. He had

me with mixed signals, it didn't give me the right to kiss him without knowing it was what

"Damien."

of my nose brushing against his from our proximity, but neither of us was pulling

Damien. It suited him.

man, and as I repeated it in

look embarrassed as he gripped me firmly, pressing my hips into his. Instead, he let out a low growl when I adjusted my legs and locked my ankles behind

shiver went down my spine in anticipation, even though I

walk away later when he rejected me. Having