How To Tame Monsters

Chapter 14: In The Dark

A/N: Happy Valentine's Day everyone. I hope you all enjoy this day and this long, spicy chapter!

Peirce's POV:

Once Salifix went into nightly meditation, I focused more on the piece of me that I left in Nia's shadow earlier today. I shifted, pouring more of myself into the piece I left, peeking out of her shadow I took in the sight of the dark room.

Three beds in the relatively small room and a body in each bed, breathing deep and even. Well, not all the bodies, Nia's was tossing and turning like she was having a nightmare.

I reached out, trailing my finger down her cheek hovering an inch from her skin. Nia's hand lifted up and then landed back into the pillow almost catching my hand, if I didn't pull away in time.

Nia's eyes snapped open and she lifted her head, tears gathering in her eyes. I ached to reach out and provide her with some comfort, but I stayed in the shadow only watching her as I have been with Salfaix the last two weeks.

Nia wiped her eyes as her wolf materialized beside her, snuggling against her side. Nia smiled at the easy affection, then her eyes flicked over to mine before looking away.

I melted completely in the shadow as her eyes snapped back over to where my eyes were visible a second ago and hissed, "Who's there?"

Following my instincts I made my eyes visible in the shadow, "My name is Peirce"

Her eyes narrowed further and her hand reached for her phone, "what the hell are you doing here?"

"Checking on you. I feel very protective of you after I touched your shadow earlier today", I gave her as much honesty as I could.

She blinked a few times, lifting her hand to her face to rub the sleep out of them, "Give me your hand"

Nia sat up fully in the bed and reached out her free hand for me to take. I extended my shadow allowing it to drape on her open palm, watching as she sat her phone back down.

Nia nodded slowly before a yawn slowly escaped her, "We're mates too, I think. I definitely feel something. What are you, if you don't mind me asking?"

I called my shadow back, ignoring the urge to send my shadows all over her, delighting in the faint feel of her skin, and the zoo of animals her touch brought inside me. I wondered if now was the best time to tell her everything, could I betray Salifix so easily?

"I'm cursed '', I stated the truth, "trapped as darkness until it's broken somehow. That's probably why the connection doesn't feel as prominent to you"

A groan and shuffling of sheets reminded me that there were other people in the room besides us. Nia turned her head looking at the other two women sleeping in their bed.

She let out a sigh before getting out of bed and walking over to her wardrobe, slipping on a hoodie and shoving on sneakers. As she moved back to her nightstand to grab her phone I asked, "What are you doing?"

"Leaving them alone to sleep. We can talk more outside anyway. If you want to?" She paused mid-swivel towards the door to look at me with a slightly raised eyebrow.

"Sure. I'll hitch a ride in your shadow again. Is that ok?" I realized that asking permission now is the least I can do for her.

"Hop on", She smiled as she watched my shadow move from the darkness of the room back into her shadow.

She moved through the building quickly and quietly like a stealthy mouse. It didn't take long before we were outside and she sat at the base of a large tree near her dorm building, her shadow blending with the shadow of the tree.