Taming The Wild Ones

Chapter Twenty Three: That Monster Inside of Me

Chapter Twenty Three: That Monster Inside of Me

I now understand the burning inside of me. The thirst and the striving. Even before Colton, even before Elijah, my skin burned. I wanted the night. I was more reckless than the word itself. When I bled, I fought harder just to bleed more. Because of what I was, of the voices that whispered in my head, of skin that felt and burned everything at its touch. Of a heart that never stops beating.

I was more shocked than the rest. As soon as Devon said those words I couldn't move. When the truth made sense it scared me. And now I was someone, something to fear. The last of me had been stripped away and I'm left with what I can no longer hide.

Megan couldn't even come say goodbye and then we were on the road to Nebraska. As Jasper drives, Colton keeps trying to talk to me. But I'm focused on the town I'm leaving behind. Once upon a time, this place was my home. Where I had my friends and family. Turns out it was all in my head. This place was a prison, just as Elijah said. Anger flares through me like hot syrup, it crackles inside of me and slithers down my spine. I wanted to burn this forsaken town to ashes, I wanted to tear down every brick, break every bone until blood flooded the streets.

I wanted to destroy the town that has tried to destroy me.

"Haley." After the tenth time of calling me name, anger and frustration familiarly danced with his voice.

Uh-oh, I'm in trouble. I was to bitter and damn depressed to even give him the usual backlash. Stupid mate for accepting me, someone his entire family and buddy group would hate. And its not like my sparkling personality would win some people over. Or that his parents couldn't know. Or even Colton. Death brought them together and Death shall pull them apart.

Colton didn't know the whole truth. He didn't know that this little bubble of happiness we fooled ourselves into having was going to pop nastier than a pus filled zit.

But I couldn't bring myself to tell him.

"Haley, would you at least look at me." His hand creeps along the side of my face and my body completely betrays me. My head swirls and I'm flushed with this silly kind of dizziness that creeps all the way to my toes. I swallow the lump in my throat and it burns terribly.

Colton sighed. His arms wrapped around me desperately and he pulled me into him, as if I needed his strength then. That I could crumble in the moment he let go. The feeling rattles me, something inside of me quivers. I suck in a shaky breathe, a fury of sensations hitting me all at once it felt as if that thing, that monster inside of me was trying to claw its way out, feeding of Colton's warmth. The throbbing in my mouth pounds like a stampede, a dizzy and mad electricity dances right on my fingertips. Tension coils through every inch of me, bone by bone the aching begins. And not even Colton can tame it.

"Stop the car." At first I barely heard my own voice, sounding so hollow and foreign. Jasper and Colton glance my way, not sure if they heard correctly. I feel the thunder beginning to rumble inside of me. I'm digging my hands into the leather seat, flashes of colour bursting behind my eyelids. "Stop the care. Now. Before I climb over there and claw you eyeballs out."

"Shit."

The car jerks to the side. The sound of tyres screeching make my ears go haywire. I slam into the door, a sickening crack sounding throughout the car. Colton swears at his brother. My body was literally vibrating. I shove the door open, bolting out like a caged tiger being set free. Sunlit glares and my skin burns and my eyes tear up. I'm trying to breathe, my chest heaving up and down like dying person and I'm so close to frustration that I feel nothing inside of me. No warmth, no cold, nothing but an aching burn. A sob racks through me, desperation to feed, to run, to die. I'm so messed up right now I wouldn't be surprised if ghosts started showing up.