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.

the river as possible.

officially rejected. Yet, the pain of what had happened hadn't lessened at all. Even when I was mid-fight, the bear with the black hair and eyes was on my

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

water was only six feet. But I had been completely submerged to

I melted into the touch even though

hair washed away from my face as I

made me gasp, not out of shock but from the wave of

of his neck, holding him closer. I

He was here.

I gasped, feeling him moving us closer to the shore until the water only went up

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

shook my head, thoroughly confused and trying to hide

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

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.

I couldn't

made me smile, and as he watched my lips curve up, he relaxed. But he didn't let go, and

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

chance to win

once I mentioned it. He nodded slowly, forcing his eyes away from my

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

he would push me off him, pull us out of the water, and leave me here

to expect from

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

closer to his, and I wanted so badly to steal a kiss but knew I couldn't. He had made it clear that he

it didn't give me the right to kiss him without knowing it was what

"Damien."

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

Damien. It suited him.

a strong name, one that matched the man, and as I repeated

opened my eyes as his 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

feel how large he was, and a shiver went down my spine in anticipation, even though I knew nothing

away later when he rejected