Beastly novel Chapter 45

I watched him silently as he ate the food on his lap, his small hands cutting up the pieces of meat into small bites. His face occasionally lifted to smile at me and then went back down to focus on his food. After he had shrunk down in size, I had managed to get a shocked Xander out of the room and used food as an excuse. He had ordered Cole to get it and just then got a call that he was needed at the border for something important. In irritation, he had ordered me not to go back in without him and stalked away with horns sticking out of his forehead. Literally. All that was left was for him to destroy and kill everything in his path for him to officially earn the title of the devil.

One to not listen, I had taken time to calm myself and when Cole returned with some food, I entered back into the room with it and served it to Marcus. Now, we sat in silence as he ate and I tried not to let the anxiety eat me up as I waited. Finally, he finished and dropped the plate on the bedside cabinet before turning his full attention to me. A beautiful smile stretched on his face and for some reason, it gave me comfort. My eyes glanced at his neck and I took note of how it had the imprint of Xander's hand.

"Your hair is even wilder now." he said and subconsciously, my finger lifted to the scattered tendrils that had been let loose when Xander pulled my hair tie "I remember how difficult it was to brush that out for you."

"I can't imagine." I murmured, not knowing if I should tell him I didn't really remember it being wild. Most of my memories of my hair were of it being dead and flat "So it's true then. You really are..."

"I am." he said simply as I trailed off. I pursed my lips together and instead of freaking out not, folded my arms across my chest and gave him a heated look

"Where have you been?"

"Around. Mostly travelling and fulfilling duties that I have." Duties? What about me? I was so unimportant he left me to fulfil duties only Lord knows who gave to him

"Why are you here?"

"Because..." he started "...it's time for you to begin your training."

"Wait, what..?" I paused, staring at his childish form "Could you please change back? I feel really awkward speaking to you when you look this way." In less than 10 seconds, he reverted to his size, the hospital gown no longer looking bogus on him "Thank you. Now, about this training?"

I spoke to him like I hadn't spent most of my childhood with him. It was like all those years I spent mourning his supposed death and the fact that I was alone, were all falsehoods. What was the truth? They usually say the truth sets you free, but it felt like the more I learnt, the more I would be tainted. It would become difficult for me to believe anything people said, no matter how glaring the evidence was. I just hoped whatever the truth was, wouldn't break my heart.

"I know you have a lot of things to say to me. A lot of things you want to ask me. I'm not going to beat around the bush and I've tried to prepare myself for this moment for years. Before we begin, I just want you to know that I never wanted to hurt you and I did my very best to protect you. You can hate me all you want, but please don't turn me away."

It was funny how his words were almost like Xander's. Unlike Xander however, he wanted to lay everything out in the open at once. Hopefully, he didn't want to hide anything from me.

"Why?" I asked quietly, my voice strong "Why did you leave me? I thought you were dead." His face grew serious and his brows furrowed, something akin to regret swimming in his eyes

"I'll only be able to answer that if I start from the very top." he replied "You and I are special people Avaline." It hit me like a ton of bricks as I sucked in a breath. Nobody had called me that name for years. I had forgotten how the name was fondly used by my brother when I was a child

"I haven't heard that name in a while."

"Probably, but it is who you are still, isn't it?" Was I? I didn't believe so "I was born into this world to protect you."

"You haven't actually done a good job of that, have you?" Although my voice was light, I'm sure he could deduce that I was making a deliberate jab at him

"I tried my best, but ultimately, my best wasn't good enough. I'll regret it, yes, but I believe if fate didn't deal us these cards, you'd have ended up in a more uncontrollable situation. Now, are you going to keep attacking me or will you hear what I have to say?" My silence was all the confirmation he needed and he nodded "Good. Let me begin..."