Red

40. Skin Tight

big things are coming in the next few chapters... and you might hate me for some of it😂😂 but i promise it will all come together in the end!!

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"Xael, this is beautiful. I don't even know what to say." Lifting the thin yet sturdy fabric in my hands, I shift my thumbs over the soft material and watch it glimmer in the light.

Two months had passed since we had come down to the camp. Two terribly long and grueling months that consisted of all kinds of perplexing emotions. A month ago, I was constantly waking up early in the morning feeling like my gut was going to twist inside out and before the sun even broke the sky I had my head in a bucket—throwing up the food I had the night before.

To top it off, weeks ago I had begun to feel irrationally emotional. It got to a point where one sunny day when everyone had gathered for a luncheon in the soldier's barracks and Fareoh had squished a bug that was annoying him—I just couldn't take it. The inconsiderate bastard couldn't have any sympathy for a small animal that may have just wanted to hang around because it was hungry... It had sent me over an edge I didn't know I had.

One moment I was sitting across from him, and the next Rome was desperately trying to hold me back as fire power had erupted from my hands and had a choke hold around Fareoh's throat. To say everyone was shocked was an understatement. I had spent the rest of the day in our tent and slept off any more irrational decisions that might've taken place if I'd been in public. I had later apologized to him for my display of aggression, but if I was honest, Fareoh deserved it.

He had continued my training on willpower as soon as everyone settled in and with each agonizing hour I spent with him the training only seemed to be getting harder. Every time I learned something new and became consistent with it—he moved onto something else. Something harder and more complex. He pushed me to limits I didn't even know I had, and when I reached those limits he yelled at me like I wasn't already dealing with another demon crawling around inside of me already.

There were a few times he tested me to the point where I had begun to envision myself hurting him in very unique ways, most involving a knife and his throat—but I never let myself act on those thoughts no matter how tempting they were. I knew Fareoh was just trying to help me in the best way he could with his hideous personality.

Very recently had I begun to feel different about him as all the hours we spent together caused different sides of the table to be shown.

     Underneath the darkness he held around himself like a blanket, there was a quiet and reserved man that kept to himself. I'd seen him break that barrier a few times when I'd finally achieve a milestone in my training, and the smile that would appear on his face would make my heart soar with joy. He had loosened up around me as well and conversation between us that was outside of training came easier than ever.

     Fareoh shared parts of his life with me, like how he had come to meet Xael and his first impressions of her—which included her very unique sense of humor. It was a reason he fell in love with her, he had told me. It wasn't just the bond that was already between two mates that struck that feeling, but the connection they make with each other over time. That was the most powerful one, he had said.

Another sensitive thing he shared was why it was only him, Xael, and Isra. Only one of his generation could carry on the magic his family carried, and that was Fareoh.

Which meant Isra would never find a mate, and would never be able to have children of his own. Fareoh told me that even if Isra wanted to, he wouldn't be able to because he was sterile.