The Monster Within - Book 1

Chapter 29

'You're pregnant.'

I laugh at him but he doesn't give in. His face is a flat line, causing my smile to fade.

'What?'

'You're pregnant.'

'Yeah, I heard you. What are you talking about? Is this a joke, because it's not funny?'

'I'm not joking.'

'How the fuck would you even know that?'

'Apart from you not bleeding in the last month you've been here?'

Has it been a month? My stomach drops a little.

'I can be late. It's not like clockwork you know.' I say with a bite.

'Cassandra, I can smell it on you.'

I screw up my face, not believing what he's saying.

'You can smell that I'm pregnant?'

'It's a wolf thing.' he shrugs.

I laugh again.

'I don't believe you. This is ridiculous.' I say stepping away from the door and closer to him.

'That doesn't stop it being true.'

'I can't be...' I say more to myself as I run my fingers through my hair. 'I don't even know you.'

'Yes, you do.'

'No, I don't. I've not even been back in this town 3 months. You kidnap me, fill my head with all this fantasy crap about werewolves and now you can magically smell that I'm pregnant? Bullshit!'

He just looks at me as I get more and more irate. I stare back as the anger builds in me till I start to feel myself boiling over.

'Tell me it's not true.'

He doesn't reply.

'Please... Tell me.' I say a little quieter.

He doesn't speak.

'Apollo?' I whisper.

'This is good news. It's what we want.' 

He reaches his hand out to touch me, but I slap it away.

'No. This is what you want. I told you I didn't want this. I'm not ready to be a mother.'

'Of course you are. You're much older than my mother was when she had me.'

'I'm not your mum.' I shout at him. 'I just... I can't deal with this.' I say as I look towards the back door, into the woods.

'Cassandra, don't.' Apollo warns as if he can read my mind.

But it doesn't stop me. I run out the door. I can't do this. It isn't what I want and this is my body. It's not his choice, it's mine. My bare feet crunch into the dry leaves as I run as fast as my body will carry me. I hear footsteps behind me as Apollo follows me out of the door.

'Cassandra.' He shouts after me.

I don't get far before my breathing starts to falter causing me to lose momentum, with Apollo closing in on me.

'Stop.' He shouts, much closer to me this time.

I know in my head that it's pointless trying to outrun him. But I can't bring myself to just give in to him.

Then I feel a hand grab onto my arm, pulling me in the opposite direction. I jerk myself out of the strong hand wrapped around my bicep, causing me to fall to the floor, landing on my side.
I roll onto my knees and try to bring myself to my feet, but Apollo wraps a hand around my ankle, pulling me back towards him. My hands thrash around in the leaves as I try to find something to use to pull myself away, but there's nothing. His hand lands on my hip as he pushes me onto my back, putting an end to my escape.

'Cassandra, stop.' He shouts as I swing my hands in front of me frantically.

His hands grip onto my wrists, stopping my movement as he climbs on top of me to keep me still.

'Cassandra.' He shouts again as I try to wriggle underneath him, with my robe coming undone, exposing my breast.

'Cassandra.' He says, a lot more calmer as my movement stops completely.

I lay on the floor with Apollo on all fours over the top of me, both of us panting for air. His eyes look into mine as if he's trying to read my thoughts. Then he lowers his lips to mine and kisses me. A single tear falls down my face, causing him to pull back slightly. His wipes the tear away with his finger and looks into my eyes again, unsure of what to do next. Without thinking I lift myself up to him, pressing my lips to his. I wrap my arms around his neck and pull him back down to me, as I slide my tongue into his mouth. I'm stopped by a wave of emotion that rips through my body, causing a torrent of tears to run through me. I need this man more than I realised. This bond is going to keep pulling us together no matter how hard I try to escape it.

Then I feel my body being lifted from the floor as Apollo carries me back to the house wrapped in his arms. He carries me all the way up the stairs and into his bedroom, laying me in the bed where he holds me as I sob against his chest.