The Dark Beast's Love

Miraculously enough, I felt a lot better the day after. It shouldn't have been the case and I knew that but based on what I already knew about this place, things work a little differently than in the outer world. Riven still wouldn't let me exhaust myself however. It took a while to convince him that I was okay and steady enough to help out around the glade but even then he only sent me to do the easiest tasks.

"Come on," I complained once I was finished with my second round of apple picking. "There is surely something else I can do. The apples won't go bad today."

"You should be happy that I'm not tying you down on the bed," Riven said but stopped when he realised what he'd just said. However, the damage was done.

"Maybe you should," I purred and he threw me an unimpressed glare. "Or I can do it to you if you prefer it that way."

If Riven had had anything in his mouth, he would have choked on it and suffocated. Instead, I had to be satisfied with watching his breath stop in his throat before he violently started coughing. "Enjoyed that thought, didn't you?" I grinned as he calmed down.

"You are a spawn of the devil," Riven responded with a raspy tone and I threw my head back to laugh.

"Take care of your words, Riven," I said. "Who knows, the sickness might get you as well."

This time it was he who chuckled amused.

"I don't get sick, dear," Riven responded. "Immune."

I gaped at him.

"That is hardly fair," I exclaimed and looked at him. "How does that fit in?!"

"Sensitive senses and super strength," Riven reminded me. "You didn't think my immune system would be hyper as well?"

"So you've never been sick?" I questioned and tilted my head.

"Not since my first transformation," Riven confirmed and returned back to the fish trap. "I must admit, however, that seeing you sick really reminded me of how miserable it is."

"Why thank you," I said ironically. "It was."

A beat of silence passed before Riven spoke up again.

"About the other thing," He started out slowly. "I think I would love to be the one restrained."

It took me a moment to realise what exactly he was referring to and when I realised, a blush spread through my face and caused me to go all red. Riven, the asshole, laughed amused when he saw how flustered I was.

The worst thing was the image that filled my vision the moment I allowed myself to think about it. Him, naked and tied up, panting and moaning my name while under my mercy. After what I had heard the first few times, I was certain that his voice while begging would be intoxicating. I had not even seen him completely naked yet, but I had seen enough to know that he was beautiful under his clothes and the thought of him under my control made my throat dry for a reason that wasn't the illness.

"You better remove those thoughts from your head," I violently twisted my neck when turning towards him.

"I can smell your arousal on you," Riven said, too proud for his own good. "And believe me when I say that I would have loved to fulfil your fantasies, but you're sick, so you'll need to wait."

"I don't know what you're talking about," I denied, the glow still on my cheeks as I cursed his senses.

"Don't act shy on me now, Liliana," Riven chuckled. "Besides, it was you who brought it up.'

99

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"As a joke," I reminded him. "I didn't think you would actually agree."

"Oh," He said slowly. "So you weren't thinking of me tied up and unable to move so that you could do anything to me."

It actually scared me how accurate his descriptions were and I wonder if heightened senses also meant reading minds.

"You are a horrible person," I muttered under my breath with no heat, and then a moment passed. "I think some restraining would do you some good, maybe teach you some manners." Even without hyper werewolf senses, I noticed that Riven stopped breathing.

"Who knew," He said slowly, testing out the words. "That you were freaky."

I threw one of the apples from the basket at his face and he flinched away at the impact.

"Watch your mouth," I warned.

"What?" He exclaimed delightfully. "I would never have guessed. I thought you were more of a gentle and intimate kind."

I didn't give him the satisfaction of a response.

"Don't worry," He said then with his back towards me. "I like that you aren't."

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If my jaw had dropped before, it was unretrievable now.

"Dear gods, you are freaky!" I accused with a pointed finger.

"I have unfortunately lacked company to really know," His grin grew wider with every word he said. "But I do see the appeal."

"I think I'm going to be sick," I said, covering my face to fake a gag when I in reality actually hid my blush.

"Oh please tell me if you are," Riven responded. "I would love to hear you giggle again."

Another apple went flying his way, but this time it missed his face due to poor aiming.

"Hey, quit throwing those!" Riven protested.

"Then quit being an asshole," I snapped back.

Riven took the apple from the ground and tossed it into the basket with movements of pure elegance. I watched him move and wondered when his company became so easy to be around. It wasn't always. There were days when all I saw in him was the blood on his hands, the blood of my mother, the blood of my old teacher, the blood of the people in my town. But now, I looked at him and saw a boy who was robbed of choices way too soon. He'd been wrong to want to steal another's happiness, but he should not be forced to steal for the rest of his life. He'd learned his lesson. He'd grown gentle. He shouldn't be punished anymore.

In the back of my mind, I could feel my ancestors disapproving of my affection for him. But I couldn't hate him anymore. He'd done unforgivable things but I couldn't hate him when I knew what I knew now. It wasn't fair to him. And it wasn't fair to me either. I hoped that my mother didn't hate me. I hoped that she would look down on me and recognise my decision as kindness and not an act of betrayal. But in any case, I knew that I couldn't just hate him anymore. "Hey," Riven's voice cut through sharp with concern. "Is everything alright?"

I gave him my best smile, and this time, no part of it was forced.

"Yeah," I replied. "Everything is fine."