Luna - Beasts of Beauty Series - Book 1

Chapter Twelve

A loud screech escapes my lips as I bolt up in my bed. My skin is covered in cold, sticky sweat, my eyes are pouring tears, and my heart is racing. 

When did I even get back to my room?

I got tired walking back from the lake, so Connor had shifted and carried me the rest of the way. I must have fallen asleep on his back. 

A knot forms in my stomach as the last image of my dream flashes through my head: Evander's bloody face and lifeless eyes.

Memories of the giant rogue near the lake fill my mind and terror strikes my heart.

As my mate, Evander is in horrible danger. Even if he doesn't give a damn about my existence, the people that do will use him to get to me if they find out he's my mate.

Maybe they already have.

They cursed him to hurt me; of course they already have!

An overwhelming urge to check on him consumes me and, before I can stop myself, I am getting out of bed. 

Should I go, though? This may just be setting me up for a brutal encounter.

I mean, the last time I saw Evander in the middle of the night, he's been kind, I think to myself. I begin to remember the warm, comforting feeling of him holding me close, forcing the nightmarish images away. Maybe the curse is only a daytime thing?

While it is possible, that definitely does not feel right. 

An image of my mate's broken body appears in my head again, pushing away any hesitation I have. I need to see him for myself, if only to make sure that he is okay.

I open my door and come face-to-face with a concerned Asher. He takes one look at my tear-stained face and his eyes widen.

"Evelyn? Are you okay? Where are you going? What happened?" He throws the questions at me, leaving me little time to respond.

"Oh, hi," I mumble stupidly. I wasn't expecting him to be there. "I had a nightmare. I was going to go see Evander," I tell him before I can stop myself. That was a stupid thing to say, I think to myself. Asher won't let me bother Evander.

"What? Evelyn, no. I'm not letting you go to Evander," he says, crossing his arms. "Are you serious? Why would you think that is a good idea right now?" Deep down, I know he's right, but I'm still very annoyed at how he is talking down to me right now.

"I'm a grown woman, Asher, I can do what I want," I tell him, trying to put a sense of conviction into my voice but it just comes out weak and broken. Just like me. He opens his mouth to protest, but I interrupt before he can. "He died in my dream, Asher," I confess. "I just...I just need to see that he's okay. He's my mate."

His eyes soften and he looks conflicted as he thinks about my words. I sniffle and pull on my sleeve to wipe some tears off my cheek. All this crying is pathetic. Asher sighs causing my eyes to dart back to him, my hand frozen near my cheek. He reaches his hand up and swipes away the tears on my other cheek. My heart races and my eyes widen as I watch him carefully. My cheek heats up under his touch.

"Are you sure you'll be okay?" he asks, watching me carefully. "Do you want me to come with you?" I smile softly but shake my head.

"No," I respond. This time, my voice is sure. I can still see the uncertainty in his eyes. "I'll knock on your door when I get back," I offer. "If you really need to make sure I'm okay." I notice him relaxing slightly at my offer. He smiles sheepishly and rubs the back of his head.

"I would appreciate that," he admits. "I'm sorry. I just know how he treats you an-"

"Asher, it's okay," I tell him. "Having someone looking out for me is a really comforting feeling. I appreciate that." He smiles again and wishes me luck before hesitantly walking back to his room.