Beast

Chapter 10

Kane groaned as he woke up. He pulled up a hand to his aching head. Why is my head killing me? He thought. He felt a shiver come from next to him. He reached out and grabbed the comforters and wrapped his arms automatically around the body nestled into his chest. He nuzzled the top of the person's head before realizing something. How the hell did someone get into bed with me?

Panic washed over him. Was that whole 'beast' thing a dream? Was the castle? The people? Scarlett? Am I just back at my brother's? What about the person? How many brain cells did I lose to be dumb enough to do that?!

The person groaned slightly before snuggling into Kane's chest. A warm feeling spread throughout Kane's body making him feel somewhat calm. He lifted the covers and was happy to see that he and the other person were clothed. He looked at the legs of the other person for a moment. They were covered in scales but on some parts the scales were broken, revealing harsh wounds.

He lifted his eyes up and was met with Scarlett's closed ones. Her face was scrunched up in pain, causing Kane's heart to go out to the young woman, before they flashed open to terrorized eyes. Kane pulled Scarlett into his arms and rubbed her back soothingly before she could even realize where she was. He held her like that for a few minutes while Kane murmured soothing words into her ear.

Scarlett pulled back slightly and looked up at Kane. He cupped her scaled cheek, running his finger across it with a sense of  alleviating feels spreading through him. "You okay?" He whispered.

She nodded. "Nothing I haven't delt with before. Thank you for, um, calming me."

"I just reacted. My sister used to have nightmares all the time and would crawl into my bed so I could calm her down." Kane reminisced, a smile on the memories of his older sister looking to Kane for protection. Now she has her husband for that.

"You have siblings?"

"Yeah, an older brother and sister. Their names are Tray and Zoe." Kane said.

"I always wanted siblings, or at least blood related ones." Scarlett's voice was soft and melodious, like when she speaks to May-Belle.

"You got little May-Belle as a sister, in a way." Kane was enjoying this moment of calm between the two of them. It was something he hasn't experience with a woman in a while; conversing.

"Yeah, well it is how she has always referred to me as. Her mother was a governess and her father was a servant. I would play with May-Belle when she was a baby. When she started talking she couldn't pronounce my name so she called me Sissy." A smile graced her pink lips, one of few parts of her body that wasn't covered in scales.

"I had a nickname growing up too. It was Kane the butt pain." Kane reminisced. Scarlett cracked up laughing. Her laughter was contagious, causing Kane to laugh as well. When they both stopped laughing Kane added, "My sister gave me that nickname when I was ten and sat on a thumb tack. Fifteen years later and now her kids are calling me Uncle Butt Pain." Scarlett tried to hold back but burst out in a fit of giggles. "Giggly much?" Kane asked whilst chuckling.

"I can't help it sometimes. When I was younger Joseph would call me Giggles and then tickle me to death with the help of my father and mother."

Kane raised an eyebrow. "Joseph would tickle you? With your parents?"

"I know Joseph and my father come off cold, hell I do as well, but not everything lives out on the surface, now does it?" Kane nodded. "Joseph and I are close friends and we were practically siblings growing up, still are. That's why he's one of few that will disrespect me. As for my father, he is just protective."

"I understand. I'm protective of my family too." A far away look filled Kane's eyes. "Anyone even thinks about doing anything to my family I'd kill 'em."