Infernal

22.

I'm only a man with a chamber who's got me,
I'm taking a stand to escape what's inside me.
A monster, a monster,
I've turned into a monster,
A monster, a monster,
And it keeps getting stronger.

Imagine Dragons

Valerie

Following Alaric, deep into the forest of Regnum; I didn't know what to expect.

My mind was clouded and confused, as we trudged through the tall trees and overgrown bushes.

He carried a blanket and a torch in his hand, as he guided us through the thick forestation.

I didn't walk by his side, instead, I walked a few feet away from him. He didn't seem to mind that I had created some distance between us. Although I should've felt confident and at ease, as I was the one who wanted to unleash his beast. Alaric was the one who should've felt apprehensive and if he did; he didn't show it. 

"Valerie," he called, checking to see how far behind I was.

I scrambled to keep up, feeling hesitant to be close to him. His eye colour hadn't changed, it was still blood red and it chilled my spine. The unknown and suspense was eating me away inside, my stomach was full of nervous knots and an unpleasant sickening feeling. I could feel the similar emotions through Alaric. He too, didn't know what to expect, and that made me feel even worse.

What if Alaric really couldn't control his wolf, and he ended up doing something he regretted?

What if I did something stupid, that would cause him to lose control?

What if-

I was too lost in my thoughts to realise that Alaric had come to a stop. I ended up bumping into his bare muscled back; groaning at the impact.

I took a step back, placing a hand to my head just as Alaric looked down at me; with a concerned frown. "Are you alright?"

"Just peachy," I mumbled, taking my hand away and dropping it down to my side.

Alaric nodded his head and pointed the torch towards an outlined path. Even though his eyesight was severely enhanced, he had bought the torch for my benefit. "Just a bit further," Alaric commented and proceeded to walk ahead.

"Alaric, you don't have to show me," I whispered.

The muscles in his back tensed, as he came to a stop. "We've been together for over a month now Valerie, I think it's time you fully understand what I am."

Although he was right, I couldn't help but feel scared.

I had no idea how far into the forest we were going, I didn't question Alaric; after all he didn't have bad intentions... did he?

Alaric stopped as soon as we came to a clearing area, that was so wide and open. The space was vast and even in the dark I could make out that the ground was dry and hard. I stood, taking in the clearing before me. The Shields pack didn't even have a clearing, only forests that I never had the chance to explore. Regnum's forests were something else, they were deep and overwhelming and I just hoped that Alaric wouldn't leave me alone and allow me to get lost.

I watched in confusion as Alaric dumped the blanket and torch onto the hard ground. He stood in a foot away from me, out of reach. The light of the torch was dimmed out, due to it facing the thick blanket. I could just about see Alaric's face, his red eyes stood out bold and fiercely.