The Artful Beast | Completed✔

#17 Camp Fire

Casper's POV

It was pitch dark with only the campfire as our lighting source, the moon was glowing, but the heavy trees shaded the ground.

Everyone went to sleep except for Kate and me since we agreed to take the night shift.

"So, what's your story?" I asked Kate as she warmed her hands.

Her face glowed with golden light, illuminating her face and her naturally orange hair, she smiled, "Are you interested or curious?"

I shrugged, "A little bit of both."

She cleared her voice, looking back at the closed tents, then faced me with a gentle look, "What do you want to know exactly?"

"How you became. . . You?" I gestured my hand towards her. She doesn't have a particularly normal personality.

She chuckled shortly, "It's nothing special, I grew up as an orphan after my parents died in a war, I've made some bad friends, and then healed myself when I found some good friends. Eventually, I became me." She had a secret look in her eyes as she stared at the fire.

I furrowed my eyebrows, "That's very ambiguous, but I guess if you're not comfortable, I understand."

She exhaled silently, running her fingers through hair, "I've never had to describe my journey, so this is new to me," Resting her palms on her lap, she began, "All my life, I've been looked at as the quiet girl, I was never asked for my opinion, I never received attention or care, it made me develop negative emotions, dangerous thoughts, I would get jealous over trivial things. I remember watching the pups play and I'd wish for one of them to get hurt, so they'd call me when they need an extra player." She chuckled humorously.

I was surprised, the girl Kate was describing sounded petty and bitter, unlike the girl in front of me.

"But as I grew older, I'd taken advantage of those lonely times to truly reflect on myself, see what I've done wrong, it was an inside development that happened naturally, guess I got affected after watching all the Elders interact with each other and wanted something like that." She shrugged at herself.

I smiled at her, "Reflecting on oneself is the best type of development." I commented, at least that's what I read.

She nodded, "Yeah, I thought of that too until I met those bad friends and got sidetracked."

"How far?" I furrowed my eyebrows.

"I don't know how bad you'd rate this, but sex became a time-wasting hobby for me." She mumbled, "It wasn't something special."

"Wasn't?" I asked curiously.

She gave me a secretive smile, "That was until I met my mate." Whispering the words to me.

My eyes widened in shock, "What!?" I whispered loudly, "When? Why are you still here?! Where is he!? I don't get you."

She giggled, "Stop talking. Before leaving him, I've made a promise to come back as a better person, so this journey is also part of my plan in bettering myself, becoming my best alone and then see if he'll bring out a part of me I couldn't discover."

"You're already a good person, Kate." It was only when said it to her that I found it truthful.

A sad smile touched her lips, "I try, Casper. I try to be. Someone shouldn't try to be good, goodness must come naturally from within." Her fingers touched her necklace.

"How can a bad person say wise words?" I asked, raising a teasing eyebrow.

She laughed, "A bad person doesn't have to be stupid, although it is stupid to be bad, it gets you nowhere in life."