Fate

Six

He couldn't do this.

Crossing the river had been a feat in itself, claws sinking deep into the silt and his ruined boots, along with the constant breaking and healing of his bones, making walking an extra challenge. Elyssa's arm was bleeding from where he had accidentally dug into her in a futile attempt to remain upright. She had been spending the last few minutes trying to coax him up the hill, but he simply didn't have the strength to make the climb.

His knees buckled, his legs no longer made to hold his upright weight. He wasn't going to be able to hold back much longer. He pushed Elyssa back, ignoring the way his clawed hand ripped through the front of her dress. He could feel bad about it later. "You need to leave," he gurgled through a mouthful of blood and saliva. There would be no storytelling tonight.

She looked at him like he was crazy. Which, given the circumstances, was amazing that this was the thing that made her resolve break. "Are you insane?"

"Not...safe."

"You're practically falling to pieces and there's blood everywhere! I'm not leaving!"

"GO!" he roared, though it sounded more like a terrifying snarl than anything. He gave her another shove, scrambling as far back as he could manage while she fell backwards into the stream. Later, he would feel apologetic about many things, but right now, he was too concerned about wanting to kill her. It would be so easy. He could rip her throat out with his teeth before she would even have chance to react. So, so easy.

He hadn't even realized that he was stalking towards her until she scrambled back and up, water splashing. He stopped growling and stared at her in horror. Or at least the closest thing to a horrified expression that his half-formed face could manage. "Please."

He wasn't even sure what he was pleading for. Please, get out of here. Please, end my pain. Please, let me sink my teeth into your smooth flesh. Please.

She came to her own conclusion about what he meant, studying him carefully before nodding once. "I'll come back for you." Then she gathered her skirts and splashed away, only stopping once to look over her shoulder at him once she was safely on the other side of the river, before disappearing down the trail and out of his sight.

Once she was gone, his eyes slid closed and he slumped to the ground, the cool dirt pressing up against his cheek. Elyssa and the others would still be in danger, but the chances of him crossing the river again were slim. Not with the cabin so close. But still...the risk was high enough to worry.

"Don't...kill," he murmured against the ground.

No promises.

It was foolish to expect more than that, so it would have to do. It's not like he had the energy to keep fighting anyhow. So he stopped. The pain went away immediately, replaced by a warm glow that spread throughout his entire body. It lulled him to a state of complete calm and bathed him in a soft yellow. His thoughts slowed, as though they were drifting through syrup to reach him. It was so addictive, this feeling. There was no pain here. No hunger, or bloodlust. No anything. He would be content to stay in this feeling forever.

Then stay, a voice cooed through the yellow. I'll take good care of us.

Stay. Could he really? Just remain in this peaceful corner of his mind forever? Completely unbothered by the world around him? He tried to think of a reason why he shouldn't, because he knew that there was one, but the thoughts were too slow to come.

Stay, the voice repeated. It echoed around him from all directions. Stay. Stay. Stay. Stay. Stay.

"Okay," he whispered back, sinking into the yellow further. "Okay."