Aurélien Cullen thrived on chaos. Maybe that's why fate presented him with a werewolf for a soul mate. After all, what's more chaotic than a love that goes against your very Biology?
"You have such a beautiful soul, Seth Clearwater."
Seth Clearwater...
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"Seth."
The silence that engulfed them was an awkward one — neither knew what to say to the other. Seth hesitantly seated himself on the edge of Aurélien's king-sized bed, twisting his fingers into the deep red duvet cover.
"I'm sorry." They speak in unison, their words tumbling clumsily out their mouths. Colour rises to Seth's cheeks and he stutters, trying to form words that just won't come out his mouth.
"Why are you sorry?" Aurélien asked softly, entirely confused as to what Seth felt the need to apologise for. Was he not the monster? Was he not the one who bore the weight of many deaths on his shoulders? Sweet Seth was far too innocent, and he deserved much better than Aurélien.
"I shouldn't have run away, I panicked."
"I understand why you did. It's my fault, that's why I'm sorry," Aurélien admitted. "I'm sorry you had to see that." The last part was soft, like a whispered confession of sin in a church. And was it not a sin? For Seth was pure and Aurélien, he was tainted. Perhaps Edward was right, perhaps they were dammed.
"I don't understand," Seth said, feeling like he always seemed to be the least informed in situations. The least equipped, the least knowledgeable.
"I was so careful when we spoke that day in the forest not to show you what I was capable of, I didn't want to scare you. I didn't want you to see— to know—" A broken sound of anguish slipped through Aurélien's lips — "but you saw me still saw me...like that."
"Like what?" Seth sounded very distressed by Aurélien's pain.
"A monster, Seth. That's what you saw. A monster."
"I didn't see a monster, I just saw you," Seth said softly, reaching out to touch Aurélien's cheek, and action that surprised them both. It was usually Aurélien who instigated contact. "I just...I came across you hunting and I didn't know what to do or say, so I just panicked and ran."
"You should see a monster."
"Why?"
"Because...I've done things that aren't...good," Aurélien whispered, placing his hand over Seth's, which still rested on his check. He interlocked their fingers and moved their hands to his duvet covered lap.
"Like what?"
"Seth—"
"No, Aurélien. You need to stop trying to hide things from me. You're my imprint. I don't know how, but it's inescapable. You need to let me see all sides of you; to know you. Truly and properly," Seth argued fiercely, desperate to make him understand. For a while Aurélien was silent, caught of guard by his fervent response. Seth was right, of course. He'd believed that because they came from opposing worlds, they needed to make their own third one were they were just Seth and Aurélien. But that could never work, because he was a vampire and Seth a shifter and that was part of who they were, and therefore part of their relationship too. They needed to make space for the other among their own world; not try to ignore anything about themselves that might cause conflict between them.
