“I’m not afraid…”

Unmistakably beautiful; her cherry lips shone, a wide yet composed ivory smile further enticing me with innocent laughter. I valued the scintillation of her almond eyes like no one else could: the accusatory, suspect glint; the intensity of her sultry stare; her fragmented, puzzled expression, tipped with the arc of her dark, sculpted brows.

My drooping eyes, underlined with minute, dark circles, now gazed into her opposing auburns. An alluring crimson suddenly flushed from her ears to her chin, outlining her curved and gently quivering jaw. She held my gaze.

“I’m not afraid of you,” she repeated, slowly reaching for my cheek, ashen in the dull midst of the forest. Peculiar warmth swathed my face as her soft thumb weaved, tracing the curves of my cool, marble skin. I was, of course, stimulated by every stroke, however, failed to blush soft rose at her touch. Her path caused a trail of heat, like a surreal electric zing from her being to mine.

“Perhaps you should be,” I warned, replacing her hand regrettably. Turning away, I crunched through the sea of leaves towards a nearby tree stump, simply out of habit, to unnecessarily rest my limbs. Gouging whole chunks of bark, I carved the stump with my dense nails until it was nothing more than a stick. Her eyes never darted from mine. “In fact… sometimes I wish you were. Do you know how much easier that would make this, Grace? I’m the most dangerous guy you know, and yet, here you are. Standing, inviting me into normality,” I couldn’t help but snigger, my vividly red lips curving into an unintentional smirk, “I will never be normal.” My narrowed eyes, now covert rubies, escaped her intent gaze. I couldn’t bear even the slightest glimpse into those inviting black whirlpools for fear of swimming in their depths forever. They remained fixed.

“It doesn’t have to be like this. I don’t care what you are… it doesn’t matter to me,” she implored, her soft, brown eyes glistening, reaching for mine.

“But that’s just you, I mean, what about what everyone else thinks of me?” I question anxiously, noticing her expression fall. Edging closer, I placed my hand on her slender knee. “Of course I care what you think Grace, and I appreciate it, I do. It’s just; some other people aren’t as accepting as you.” Diverting my eyes from hers, I added, “I can’t even begin to think of the types of things people in the village have heard about me and my association with… them.” I flinched at their mentioning.

“You’re different from all of the others. You know the difference between right and wrong. You won’t hurt me,” her words almost fooled me, their angelic tone persuading. Warily, she took a small step towards me and nestled into my neck.

“Listen Grace,’ I was whispering now, cupping her chin, tilting her face up, to my level. “It’s too dangerous. You don’t know how much I’m holding back right now. I can’t lose control. Not with you.” Her body hung over itself, causing her russet hair to fall around her frowning, pallid face as she leaned into her hands. As I admired the magnificence of her exterior, I observed a teardrop spiral over her freckles, roll past her burgundy lips and plummet to her knees. My defined brows moulded around my garnet eyes tightly now, wincing at her pain. “The last thing I want to do is upset you. If I ever hurt you, I could never forgive myself.” The words were agonizing jabs, a reminder of her timid and fragile nature. At my conclusion, a minute furrow appeared above her damp nose, diminishing her beautiful face to a creased frown.

“But I trust you. We need to be together… just you and me!” she wept hysterically, tears streaming from her moist oak-browns, pleading with me. “We were meant to be. Why do you think I met you?” Her loose curls now bonded to her face, a mesh of brown overlaying cream. “You’re the one who told me that everything is meant to happen for a reason. We met because there’s something here… you can feel it too, I know you can!” Sobbing, she seized my hand in an unyielding embrace. Initially, I resisted, closing my eyes in hope of maintaining self control. Yet, I knew I simply couldn’t help but respond to her tenacious clutch. Affectionately, I wound my fingers into hers, one hand still cradling her warm, blossomed cheek, erasing her tears.

She rose, stumbling closer; her brunette locks bounced with ease and fluency, skimming my cold, muscular shoulders. Enthused, her mysterious eyes now darted around my face, inspecting every contour carefully.

Trembling, she replaced one hand on my face, a delicate caress. Her remaining hand swept up my body, grazing my firm chest before darting to my neck. Tingling sensations traced the jagged grooves of my spine as my mind explored emotions I wasn’t aware existed until that moment.

“Grace…” I began cautiously, but her pale and feeble finger hushed me, rubbing my lips sensitively until my speech was limited to vowels. Now, merely a foot from me, she was perilously close. Her fingers wandered, becoming entangled in my caramel tresses, and for just a second, her nose brushed mine: a gentle bump. Her sweet scent now lingered as I watched her jaw, extending and clicking very slightly with each breath.

I was instantly drawn to the gentle pulses of her throat: a sudden escaping quiver… temptation.

I salivated.

In that moment, all sense dithered from my mind, now dominated by desire, lust: thirst. My scarlet lips were beaded with moisture, the adrenaline thrusting through my veins, granting me power and potency. My muscles were becoming more substantial. My senses became more intense. Crouching, I readied my deep claws for attack.

“I trust you…” she murmured, shaking slightly, wide-eyed, clinging to my bulging, marble arms.

Instantly, my eyes swam with a dark, hungry onyx.

“Don’t.”