Blamed

Chapter 14

The bathroom was full of steam by the time I had gotten out and I wiped the mirror with a wet hand, clearing the fog. Bags and tired eyes stared back at me and I sighed. I grabbed a towel and wrapped the white cloth around my lower body.

I reached for another towel and began drying my hair.

'I can't believe she cut me. In the nose. She was close to taking an eye out.' Leo suddenly grumbled. I rolled my shoulders, running a hand over my beard.

'She's a killer. What do you expect?' I asked bitterly.

'She's also our mate.'

'Our mate who kills because apparently, that's what she loves to do.' I spat. I dropped the smaller towel in the sink, running a hand through my midnight hair.

'Maybe she can--'

'She won't change, Leo! Just stop.' I said sharply. He whimpered slightly but then growled.

'She is our mate, Paxton. The only person we're meant to be with. I won't lose her because you want to be angry and childish.' He snarled. I rolled my eyes.

Air gushed into the small room as I opened the door and I headed back to my room. Droplets of water trailed down my chest and I could see my footprints leaving wet spots on the wood floor. I'll clean it later.

'You're being dramatic.'

'And you're being unrealistic. People die every day. You're a killer yourself, Paxton. You know what we've done in the past to get here. Don't be close-minded on this.' I gritted my teeth, my hand on the doorknob to my room.

'It's not the same, and you know that.'

I pushed open the door and came face-to-face with a surprised looking Crimson. She looked like she was attempting to escape from the ropes and had been caught.

"Pax... Woah." She breathed out. Her eyes visibly moved up and down my body, shamelessly checking me out. I growled at the look in her eyes. My skin became hot from her eyes trailing my body and I cleared my throat, trying to get her attention.

"You're... uh. You're back. I didn't think you would be back so... soon."

Her gaze was glued on my body, but soon she moved her eyes up to look me in the eyes. There was a pull between us, no doubt. A pull that felt dangerous, but exciting. I wanted to devour her, yet I wanted to dig my claws into her chest at the same time. Talk about being torn between the two.

"You have to stop running away, Crimson." I finally managed to say something after a while. She rolled her eyes and rested her back against the headboard. Her don't care attitude began making me annoyed.

"There are people that want you dead. You can't go running off." I scolded.

"Everyone wants me dead! Even you want me dead. It's nothing new." She moved her foot back and forth, seemingly unbothered. I growled and walked over to the dresser, looking for some underwear.

"I don't want you dead. It's just..." I trailed off.

"It's just I've killed people in self-defense and your people don't like that. So now you have no choice but to kill me or at least bring me to a punishment that will satisfy your people." She said with a hint of anger in her voice.

I turned to her, the task at hand completely forgotten.

"I could care less about satisfying my people. You're slaughtering creatures left and right like cattle! I am the leader of this region and I have to handle this situation the right way." I growled out. She glared at me.