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.

far away from my mate's side of the river as possible. Today had been a nice distraction, but Roman had been

had happened hadn't lessened at all. Even when I was mid-fight, the bear with the black hair

and what fight I was in for,

water was only six feet. But I had

along my skin, and I melted into

hair washed away from my face as I tilted my head back upon

deep, familiar voice made me gasp, not out of shock but from the wave of desire it sent rushing through me as our bodies pressed together

closer. I blinked several times as

He was here.

are you here?" I gasped, feeling him moving us closer to

trying to drown yourself!" He sounded furious, but with

confused and trying to hide

you 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 alerted the men from camp, but the world was silent beyond our

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 help but lick them, even though they were

curve up, he relaxed. But

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. But with how tight he was holding me and how close his face was to mine, I couldn't find it in me to bring

back to the subject of being mates, before I had a chance to win him

down on me again once I mentioned it. He nodded slowly, forcing his eyes away from

flow of the river pushed my legs further against his, one slipping between his. I pulled them back and then wrapped them around his waist. His eyelids lowered, and he made a low noise in the back of his

water, and leave me here to return to his den. But he didn't. Once

what to expect from this man, which was

was I supposed to make him happy when I didn't know

to steal a kiss but knew I couldn't. He had made it clear

it didn't give me the right

"Damien."

and I felt the tip of my nose brushing against his from our proximity, but neither of us was

Damien. It suited him.

matched the man, and as I repeated

hands slid from my hips to hold me up by my butt. Damien didn't look embarrassed as he gripped me firmly, pressing my hips into his. Instead, he let out a low growl when I adjusted my

in anticipation, even though I knew nothing more would happen. I couldn't let it, not when he

to walk away later when