TO TAME THE BRUTAL LYCAN BEAST-Chapter 99: TOUCH HER AGAIN
AZRAEL
An inexplicable feeling twists and turns in my gut. My chest tightens with every breath I take, and a sinking feeling engulfs me every time I think of Valoria.
Is this what helplessness feels like?
I’ve never been helpless, so I can’t tell.
Nor have I ever had a reason to be, until I saw her cold limp body on the floor of Elowen’s room—blood leaking from her mouth and a fading pulse.
The world itself had paused, faded to black and white. I felt nothing but a feeling akin to death itself, deep and engulfing, consuming me entirely.
Nothing else mattered other than doing everything to get her back, after which I stayed at her side for twenty-four hours until she woke up.
Why had I gone to those lengths?
I haven’t figured it out yet. It remains a mystery why I want to bask in the light of her presence, want to hear her voice even if she’s screaming at me or calling me a vile disgusting monster.
It’s why I want whatever it is for as long as I can have it without it being taken away from me.
I realize I’ll do anything to preserve her fleeting life, even if it means making one more Lycan with my blood. All of this simply boils down to my greed after finally finding something entertaining enough after centuries.
Something that Elowen has now dared to touch.
I’m at her door in mere seconds of leaving Valoria alone for a little while to cool off, ripping her door off its hinges with one tug.
The new set of maids she managed to gather after murdering the last set turn towards me, gasping from terror, and scurry to take cover before the door goes flying in, shattering one of her see-through walls made out of glass.
"ELOWEN!" My voice thunders through the walls of the space around us.
"My love!" She shrieks with delight, peeking from the couch she sits on with a wide smile on her face.
The cucumbers from her facial fall off piece by piece as she leaps off her chair with her hands wide open, running toward me for an embrace.
My hands grab at her neck before her arms can wrap around me.
I squeeze tightly, applying enough pressure to cut off her oxygen and strangle her, yet instead of fear or trembling, her smile doesn’t fade despite her gasping for air.
"You know how much I love being choked, although I prefer doing it on the bed," she jokes between gasps, looking towards her bed in the far corner.
I toss her away against the adjacent wall, which she crashes into with her back. Unamused, I watch as she slowly rises from the rubble, dusting the debris off her robe.
"Why the long face, darling? Something crawl up your ass and... die?" She chuckles lightly, knowing exactly what she’s doing—setting me off on purpose.
It’s another one of her annoying taunts, only this time is different from just riling me up once in a while. She’s done something she never should have.
"I warned you not to touch her."
"Who?" She feigns ignorance, looking through her nails before showing hints of recognition. "You mean the little mutt you’ve developed a fetish for?"
She continues to joke, drawing closer again, unafraid even though I’ve just flung her against a wall and choked her.
This is the Elowen I know—psychotic and insane in all of the most unpleasant ways, with a sadistic obsession to toy around with weaker things solely for her own enjoyment.
The Elowen I wanted to have no contact with Valoria, who right now will continue to be an embodiment of weakness unless she accepts my help.
"Remember when I was your latest obsession?" Her hands play with the collar of my shirt once she’s close again, a sly grin on her face. "Something weak and helpless you could toy with, and you wanted to add me to your collection of broken things?" She continues to veer off topic.
"I made it clear she’s off limits," I repeat sternly.
"I know, I know, that was my bad. But when you get so riled up like this..." She sucks in her breath and rolls her eyes into the back of her head, trembling with ecstasy before finally exhaling. "...How can I not take the opportunity and do a little teasing? But that’s not what’s important right now, baby."
Her hands drop from my collar and she takes two steps back, holding my gaze with a secretive smile. Her hands fall to the tie that holds her robe together.
"I’m back. You know what that means, right?"
She unties the bow with one gesture and her robe comes falling, revealing her stark naked birthday suit to me—voluminous breasts and a seductive figure—before slowly stalking up to me again.
Her hand falls on my chest.
"You need to make up for lost time," her voice drops to a seductive whisper.
If I was ever moved by any of these pointless gestures, I’m not anymore—barely able to hold back my anger and now my repulsion.
"What? You’re not in the mood?" Her smile fades the second she realizes how painfully obvious my lack of interest in her is.
Shattering that impossibly high ego of hers.
"I’m done with this." I turn to leave, moving for the door, but she appears in front of me again, fizzling from a cloak of darkness—the same skill Eros has been adept in using to answer my summons.
"Is it because of her?" Her eyes stare at me with accusation, as if I owe her an answer, which I never have.
Her smugness begins to melt away gradually, revealing the annoying terrified woman beneath it all.
"You didn’t lose a boner for other women when you fancied me."
"Maybe because you weren’t flattering enough even then. I didn’t keep you for your body, remember? You weren’t remotely special, but your pain was something fierce." I smirk, stabbing at her ego.
"Don’t change the subject. That was never an issue for the other million and one times you’ve fucked me. You had an orgy to welcome me the last time I was away on a mission, so let’s shake whatever it is that’s bothering you and have one again. Your new pet can even join us. I know you want to. We’re soulmates. I know you more than you know yourself."
"No." I cut into her delusion. "You’ve only ever been my property. I made you to bring destruction, to turn that pain burning in your eyes into enough chaos I can feed on, to get everything I’ve been wanting once and for all. You know nothing more than I’ve allowed you to know. You’re a pawn."
"A pawn that you need!" She snaps finally.
A vein pops on her forehead and neck, throbbing with heated blood.
"Do you know why the all-powerful devil needs someone like me? Because you’ve always been weak, refusing to fully embrace your truly monstrous and evil nature and pretending to be good." She seethes through gnashing teeth.
"You only kill people you’re sure deserve to die while passing it off as cruelty. It’s always been pathetic, and you know it. That’s why I’m here. I’m the representation of that wicked repressed side of yours dying to be let out to bask in blood from random massacre. It’s your villainous blood coursing through my veins, isn’t it?"
"Shut up."
Her voice is getting annoying.
This conversation is getting annoying.
"You can’t kill me. You won’t hurt me because I’m the key ingredient in your plot against the desert. You need me as much as I need you. What other version of soulmates could be better than this?" She caresses the side of my face, rubbing her finger down the side of my chin delicately.
"You’re sicker than I made you out to be." A smile that does not reach my eyes spreads onto my lips.
"Let loose for once, Azrael. Stop being a pussy and live a little."
I nod slowly, humoring her.
I raise my hands to her face slowly, both hands cupping the side of her face, from which she smiles proudly and expectantly. Her eyes turn sensual and fall to my lips, wanting something more now.
Then my smile drops, and in a swift motion I snap her neck.
The crack of bone against bone lets out a sick echo before her body plops onto the ground, motionless.
It’s not enough to kill her.
As much as I hate to admit it, I need her alive still. But it’s enough to cause her painful agony from healing herself from something similar to the brink of death.
I proceed with dusting away bits of her that are left on my collar and shirt, adjusting it as well before I stare down at her body again.
Neck snapped out of place, naked body splayed out haphazardly on the floor.
"This is your last warning. Touch even a single hair on Valoria’s body and I will grant you a death most agonizing, useful or not."
