Her Beast

Chapter 17: Blood red

An old musky scent slapped Zoey's nose as she stepped into the building. The building must have been a lot older than she had thought. Sweat trickled down her back as the building was hotter than outside, giving her the impression it had no air conditioning. Or electricity either, by the sight of lit candles everywhere.

Zoey winced as Jaxson grasped her tighter into his arm, crushing her ribs. He let go slightly, but a faint snarl left his lips.

Jaxson paused before entering a room with extensive wooden doors.

Zoey's eyes widened in shock as the room packed with people. The room echoed with voices as people discussed and shouted over each other. The door slammed against the wall, and the chatter in the room instantly stopped. Everyone flashed their heads back to look at loud noise. Jaxson's familiar scent drifted into the room, but the girls was unfamiliar.

Jaxson led Zoey through the crowd to the front, where a few people sat in chairs, observing the room. A man stood from his seat—a pleasing smile stretching over his lips. The man appeared older from his salt and pepper hair and the wrinkles adorning his face.

"Zoey! We are so happy to have you join us."

"You know my name?"

"Of course, we know a lot about you. We've been waiting for you for some time."

Zoey's eyes snapped up to Jaxson. What exactly did he tell them?

Her stomach twisted, giving her a sick feeling. Zoey was unsure of what to make of this situation. She had only known Jaxson briefly, but how long did he know of her?

Instead of speaking, she nodded. Zoey's eyes traced over every beast in that room. She could see sparks of interest in all of their crimson eyes.

"We are glad to see you've finally accepted your destiny, Jaxson, and brought her to us. "

Only a grumble came from Jaxson. It's when Zoey noticed how tense he looked.

"So what exactly are we to do now?" Zoey spoke up. She was becoming increasingly frustrated from all this secrecy.

"For now, we want you two to spend time together. Teach Zoey more about our culture and ways. We will continue to check in with you frequently to see if any developments have been made."

"Okay, are we done here?" Jaxson grumbled as his arms moved to cross against his chest. The leaders eyes narrowed sending him harsh looks, and the man sighed.

"Alright, you may return to that shack you call home."

Jaxson seized Zoey's wrist, pulling her out of the room without another word. He was walking faster than her, making him practically drag me behind him. He finally let go the second they came through the front doors. Jaxson continued to his home, but her voice stopped him in his tracks.

"What did they mean when they said you finally excepted your destiny?"

Jaxson shrugged his shoulders, ignoring her question by turning back to the house. He wanted nothing more than a few moments to himself.

"Did you want me to come here?"

He sighed, looking up to the sky before turning to face her.

"If I had a choice, no, you would not be here."

"T-then why... I don't understand."

"It was never my choice to find you, Zoey. I was prepared to search for you my entire life and fought it the whole time. I was forced to find you when I turned sixteen. I was careless and annoyed, so the town spotted me. That's when the stories of the beast emerged."