Cold Blood Beast

6

Lia

My body is crushed under his as my back hits the cold water. Everything is dark as I'm fully submerged.

The icy chill runs up my spine and I splash around trying to grab my senses. My butt hits the bottom of the creek and I quickly sit up. My head comes out of the water as I cough violently.

Hair sticks to face my soaked clothes clung to my frozen skin. My heart pounding in my chest.

I quickly cover my head waiting for the scary man's hand to go around my neck again. I feel a thick lump in my throat and pressure behind my eyes. "P-Please don't hurt me... I'll leave I-I didn't mean to get that close." I sob out my body shaking from the fear and the cold. Father was right. He's always right. Yet, I was stupid enough to wake the sleeping beast.

My back hits a hard rock and I tuck my knees into my chest. I don't dare look up as it falls silent, the only thing heard is my frequent heaves for air and sobs.

When nothing happens I slowly lookup. My lips trembled at the sight of him. He was breathing heavily and clothes soaked just like mine.

His chest rose and fell, his dark hair stuck to his face. His large black wings dripping wet and hung low over his shoulders in a sad seeming way. He looked very conflicted.

"Who are you, and why would you dare cross the line that separates humans from us." He demands loudly as I try to focus my blurry vision.

I look behind myself quickly. I could make a break for it. The thought was clearly my stupidity talking. He has wings. He's stronger and bigger than me. I'd snap like a twig if he wanted to break me.

"I said. Who are you?" He growls out slowly.

My eyes snap to his, my mouth opening and closing like a sunfish to speak but no words come out. He moves forward in the water and I tense up.

"Lia!" I blurt out. I look down at my lap ashamed of breaking the rules and leaving the cottage this long. He told me bad things were out there and I didn't listen.

"Lia what?" He says. And I close my eyes.

"Lia Locke, Daughter of Abram Locke." I was proud of my clear speaking. I train my eyes on his reflection in the water. If he wanted to kill me I'd be dead by now.

That reassuring thought helps me rise to my feet, my dress heavy from the water. I clasp my hands behind my back looking up at him. His eyebrow scrunched and a hand scratched his stubbled jaw looking deep in thought. He was huge and his wings spanned out behind him gracefully. He possessed this dominance that made me want to submit to everything he'd ask me of.

"Locke..." He whispers in contemplation. He made it sound like it was so familiar to him.

I step back slightly more than ready to head home and never to leave the house again.

"Don't move." He demands angrily and I freeze up in fear.

"Your father, Abram. The doctor?" He asks stepping closer and raising a sharp dark eyebrow.

"Yes." I respond, my back plastered against the rock as he moves in closer. An evil smirk on his lips.

"He'd hate to see her disappear wouldn't he?" He mumbles against my neck, hot breath fanning my ice-cold skin under the sunset. His wings twitched and flapped as they slowly and protectively wrapped around me. It was weird with the threat he just made hanging over my head.

He was warm and I hated that I felt a sense of safety in his arms even in this midst of stabbing fear. This was such a weird switch from before.

He opened his mouth and ran sharp teeth along the slope of my neck. I felt his hand grip the back of my dress so tightly like he was fighting something within. I cowered away and grabbed onto his wing that wrapped partially around my shoulders. I was going to push it away but I noticed my touch made him shake on top of me and he moaned loudly in my ear. My mouth dropped open from shock. Is he aroused?

"Fuck, didn't your father teach you to never touch a beast's wings?" He says pulling away from me with closed eyes. His voice was strained and angry.

"I'm sorry," I whisper quickly sneaking out of his hold. I move through the water lifting my dress and getting out. I wrap my fingers around the hem and wring out all the water. I move the wet hair off my forehead and start to leave. I'm done with this monster. I was terrified yet intrigued. A bad combination.

"Where are you going?" He asks in his commanding tone. I came to realize that's the only way he spoke to people. Like he was in charge or something.

"H-home." I ramble out quickly stepping back and grabbing my basket of pears.

I turned my back to him but it was seconds before he was in front of me. He looked angry, bared his fangs and wet wings flapping to keep him off the ground.

"You can't leave. You're on my territory, which means you belong to me." He says loudly. Again, stepping close.

I don't belong to anyone. I am no one's property. I could've easily said that to him, loud and clear- showing my courage. But in all honestly, I was still terrified. And it's okay to play safe when you're scared.

"Please." I whimpered out softly feeling helpless like begging was my only way out of this situation. I met his eyes as tears filled mine. His chest rose and fell heavily. He was still soaked and so was I, only I was shivering and frozen to the bone.

His scowling mouth closed and his eyes held me down. His hand reached out before he pulled it back to his side swiftly. He secured his hand in his pocket like he was trying not to touch me again.

The silence allowed me to leave. I gripped my basket and nodded to him a farewell. I moved past him quickly, looked over my shoulder once only to see his back where the beautiful black wings flapped around him.

I took off into a sprint eager to get home. Tears slipped from my eyes now and then but I was quick to wipe them away. I ran faster feeling like I was being followed- hopefully not by that beast. I am paranoid.

I was shaking and shivering in the darkness. The sun had already set by the time I arrived back at the fruit trees near our house.

I ran up the hill and burst through the front door without thinking.

A/N:
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