6. Abbadon

As the days slip by, I watch with a curious mix of satisfaction and unease as Eliza"s strength returns, her alabaster skin regaining a healthy flush, her vivid emerald eyes sparkling with renewed vitality.

"Take it easy," I insist with a scowl.

But she doesn"t listen. She moves through my dark, decadent lair with growing confidence, no longer jumping at shadows or shying away from my demonic visage.

To my surprise, I"m captivated by her gentle nature, the way she still sees beauty in this brutal world. Foreign feelings take root in my hardened heart—protectiveness, tenderness, a desire to be worthy of her growing trust.

I, a creature of darkness, am drawn helplessly to her inner light.

With a start, I realize that I have come to care for her, not just as my destined mate, but as a woman in her own right. A soul of strength, resilience and compassion, shining bright amidst the darkness.

These feelings are foreign, unsettling in their intensity. I"m a creature of rage and bloodlust, hardened by betrayal. Tenderness has no place in a blackened heart like mine. And yet...I cannot deny the way my chest tightens with unfamiliar emotions in her presence—protectiveness, admiration, a yearning to be worthy of her.

In Eliza, I see a defiant spark that refuses to be smothered, no matter how the world tries to snuff it out. So different from my own power, born of hate and savagery. I am drawn to that inner light, moth to flame, even as some part of me recoils from the foreign pull.

Despite my misgivings, I seek her company more and more, listening raptly as she speaks of the simple joys and sorrows of her human life. The roots of these unbidden feelings dig deeper each day, slowly conquering my resistance.

I know I must soon reveal the truth of our bond, though fear claws at my throat. Fear that this fragile connection will turn to revulsion when she learns she is fated to a monster. But I cannot in good conscience deceive her. She deserves to know, even if it means watching horror fill those luminous eyes.

Steeling myself, I go to find my beauty, a beast desperate to lay himself bare. I can only pray that the strange and wondrous bond growing between us will weather the coming storm. For I am already more than half-tamed by her compassion, and the thought of losing her now pierces me to my very core.

With that conviction burning in my chest, I gather the courage to take the next step. One crisp morning, I present Eliza with sturdy boots and a warm cloak, tokens of my desire to show her more of my world. She looks up at me quizzically as I tenderly drape the garment over her shoulders, but there is trust mingled with the question in her eyes.

"I thought perhaps you might like to accompany me on my patrol today," I rumble softly, gauging her reaction. "See more of my lands, breathe the fresh air."

Though I sense her hesitation, a hint of the old fear as memories of abandonment flicker across her face, Eliza places her small hand on my arm. I cover it reassuringly with my own, marveling at the delicacy of her pale fingers against the dark gnarled sinew of my flesh.

Gently, I cup her face in my large hands, holding her gaze steadily. "I know the forest frightens you," I acknowledge. But I swear on my life, Eliza, that no harm will befall you at my side. I will protect you always..."

"Do you trust me?"

She searches my face for a long moment before releasing a shuddering breath and leaning into my touch. "Yes," she whispers. "I trust you, Abbadon."

My heart soars at her faith in me, in us. I draw her close, relishing the way her slender frame molds perfectly against my battle-hardened body. She is so small, so fragile compared to me... and yet in her resides a power over me that I am only beginning to fathom.

"Good," I murmur into her hair. "There is much I wish to share with you."

With that, I tuck her hand into the crook of my elbow and lead her out into the misty morning. Today, I will lay my very soul bare before my destined mate and pray to the dark gods that when all is revealed, she will still look upon me with tenderness.

As we stroll through my estate grounds, I keep Eliza close to my side, my arm curled protectively around her slender shoulders. The murky sky above casts an eerie light on the twisted trees and thorny brambles, but she does not flinch, not as she once did.

"How are you feeling?" I ask, my voice a low rumble.

She glances up at me, a spark of that defiant spirit glimmering in her green eyes. "Better. Stronger each day. Your medicines have been quite effective."

A ghost of a smile flickers across my lips. "Good. I am... pleased to hear it."

She arches an eyebrow. "Are you? I thought perhaps you enjoyed having a helpless human to order about."

I growl softly but there is no real menace in it. She has grown bolder in her time here, unafraid to challenge me. It both vexes and intrigues me.

"You are no helpless human," I say, meeting her gaze. "You never were, even when at your most frail. There is a strength in you, Eliza. A fire that refuses to be extinguished."

She looks away but I catch the hint of color that rises to her cheeks. We walk on in silence for a time, picking our way along the overgrown path. The heavy perfume of night blooming flowers hangs in the air.

"Abbadon," she says quietly, hesitantly. "Why have you done all this for me? Am I not just another lowly human to one such as you?"

I stop, turning to face her fully. I take her delicate hands in my massive, clawed ones.

"No," I say firmly. "While I will admit, there was a time when I thought you were. But trust me when I tell you: You are not. You are so much more."

I see the question in her eyes, the confusion and beginnings of fragile hope. The truth hovers on the tip of my tongue. That she is my mate, my destiny. That the bond between us is unbreakable, undeniable.

But something holds me back. A fear that it is too much, too soon. That she is not yet ready to shoulder the burden of a monster's eternal love. Because that is exactly what I am to her.

A monster.

And so I simply lift her hands to my lips, pressing a surprisingly gentle kiss to her knuckles. "Come," I say, tucking her hand into the crook of my elbow once more.

The questions still burn in her eyes but she nods, allowing me to guide her deeper into the untamed wilds of my lands. Allowing me to keep my secrets a little longer. But soon, very soon, I will hold nothing back from her. My fierce, defiant, beautiful mate.

As we walk, I point out the hidden wonders of my lands—the luminous night-blooming flowers that carpet the forest floor, the eerily beautiful weeping trees with their trailing lavender leaves, the fist-sized emerald beetles that drone through the balmy air. Eliza takes it all in with wide, wandering eyes, her lips parted in awe.

I can"t help but watch her, this delicate human woman who fate has inexplicably tied to a beast like me. In the dappled light filtering through the canopy, her pale skin seems to glow, her dark hair taking on an almost otherworldly sheen. She is so beautiful it makes my chest ache.

We eventually emerge into a small clearing dominated by a placid, mirrorlike lake. The water is a shocking emerald green, the color both vivid and translucent. Eliza gasps at the sight, slipping free of my arm to move closer to the shoreline.

"It"s...breathtaking," she whispers, sinking to her knees at the water"s edge. She trails her fingertips over the glassy surface, sending ripples spiraling outward. "I"ve never seen anything like it."

As Eliza kneels by the emerald lake, entranced by the play of colors against the backdrop of the towering forest, I move behind her. Almost hesitantly, I rest my large hands on her slender shoulders, marveling at how delicate she feels beneath my touch. She sighs softly and leans back into me, her head resting against my chest.

Emboldened, I wrap my arms around her, enfolding her petite frame against my much larger one. She fits so perfectly there, like she was always meant to be in my embrace. I bow my head, my cheek brushing her silken hair, breathing in her sweet scent that calls to something deep and primal within me.

"Eliza," I rumble, my voice rough with emotion.

Slowly, she turns in my arms to face me, her hands coming up to rest on my chest. Her luminous green eyes meet mine and I"m lost in their depths, drowning in the vulnerability and trust I see shining there.

"Eliza," I repeat, my voice low and fervent. The words I long to say dance on the tip of my tongue, desperate to be released. I want to tell her everything, to lay my battered heart at her feet and beg her to be mine.

But I hesitate, a sudden uncertainty gripping me. Is she truly ready to hear the depths of my feelings? To learn that fate has bound her eternally to a monster like me? I"ve already placed such a burden on her slender shoulders by bringing her into my dark world. I fear that confessing the mate bond now might be too much, too soon.

So I bite back the declaration fighting to burst free, swallowing the words like shards of broken glass. Instead, I raise one hand to cup her cheek, my thumb tenderly stroking her satin-soft skin.

"Thank you," I murmur hoarsely, "for being here with me. For seeing beyond the beast to the man beneath."

Eliza leans into my touch, her eyes fluttering closed as she nuzzles into my palm. "You"re not a beast, Abbadon," she whispers. "For what it's worth. At first, sure. I heard all the stories, and I'm still not entirely convinced this isn't all a ploy to eat me. But you"re so much more than that. I see your heart, your strength. Your humanity."

Her words shake me to my very core, lodging in my chest like a glowing ember. She sees ME, not the monster, not the demon warlord. But the lonely soul within, desperate to be understood and accepted.

Blinking back the sudden moisture in my eyes, I slowly release her, stepping back to put a little distance between us before I do something foolish like crush her to me and never let go.

"Come," I say gruffly, holding out my hand to her. "There is one more place I wish to show you before we return."

Eliza takes my hand without hesitation, her delicate fingers intertwining boldly with my clawed ones. The simple gesture of trust and affection threatens to unmake me completely.

One day very soon, I will hold nothing back from her. I will lay myself bare and pray to the dark gods that she will accept the heart of a demon as her own. But for now, I will savor her presence at my side, a precious gift I never dreamed to receive.

And when the time is right, when she is ready...I will reveal the glorious and terrifying truth. That she is mine and I am hers, bound together by the unbreakable threads of destiny.

My mate. My love. My everything.