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. Today had

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

in for, but the bubbles from their movement obscured my

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

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

face as I tilted my

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

hands grabbed the back of his neck, holding him closer. I blinked several

He was here.

us closer to the shore until the water only went up to our

I wasn't expecting to find you trying to drown yourself!" He sounded

I shook my head, thoroughly confused

see? I walked up, and you were under the water, struggling! I thought something had dragged

voice came out 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 also didn't need to jump into the water to fight an unknown, nonexistent creature

looking concerned and confused. When they landed on my lips, I couldn't help but lick them, even though they were already wet from being in

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

I would never let a man bring

had a chance to win him over would just be asking for him to reject

just shut down on me again once I mentioned it. He nodded slowly, forcing his eyes away from my lips but

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

pull us out of the water, and leave me here to return to his den. But he didn't.

to expect from this

to make him happy

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

give me the right to kiss him without

"Damien."

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

Damien. It suited him.

name, one that matched the man, and as I repeated it in a soft and unintentional sigh

my hips into his. Instead, he let out a low growl when I adjusted

could feel how large he was, and a shiver went down my spine in anticipation, even

away later when he rejected me.