Chapter 4

Cam

Icould barely focus on my own words. The woman sitting in front of me had thrown me for a loop. Her eyes were gentle and kind, but they still pinned me to my seat. There was an intensity there, but it wasn"t the sort that I craved. I wanted them to burn with lust for me. Then to lose focus as she bucked under me, crying my name. To look at me with the warmth of someone who can let themselves go completely, because they are safe with their mate. Instead, I got a look which I assumed was pity. I was, in her eyes, a raging beast with no control. I had already failed in front of her. She was sitting silently again. Talking about myself wasn't something I did much of. But I craved her attention. I needed to connect with her. I needed her so strongly I felt off balance. So I talked.

"My mother's ancestors were Mayan bat gods. She was monster royalty in her province."

"Oh, wow."

I could see a glint of genuine curiosity in her face, and she leaned forward, so I kept talking.

"My father was a minotaur who worked as a messenger. They had a secret affair. He was her fated mate. Her family couldn't believe that. He was of low birth, so it was impossible to them. Mother and Father ran away together. But Mother"s family hunted them down and killed my father when I was a child. They would have killed me too if they'd known I existed. Mother hid me under the floorboards, but I heard everything."

"I"m so sorry, Cam. That must have been terrible."

"I hunted them down once I was old enough and paid them back in kind."

I was proud of this, but I noticed her sit back in her chair, moving further away.

"And that"s why I am here. For killing the ones responsible."

"I see."

Silence again. She looked me up and down. Assessing me with this new view of me as a murderer. An out-of-control beast.

"I watched my mother fade away after he died. Trying to raise a wild young minotaur-blooded child without her mate. She deserved justice."

I sat tall in my seat. I did what had to be done for those that I cared about. She squirmed slightly as she looked away thoughtfully. She knew me now. In the ways that mattered. Something so far from human that she could never understand me. She would have rejected me, anyway. This small, perfect woman could never love a monster. But she might as well reject me knowing the full truth. Despite that I still yearned for her approval. Still wanted her with a need that I had never encountered before. I took a deep breath while she sat quietly, turning this information over in her mind. I couldn"t smell any fear pheromones anymore, despite everything I had said.

"Your file says that you left most of the household alive though. And before challenging those three men to a fight, you made sure the women and children were taken away to where they couldn"t see or hear what was happening. And you only killed those who didn"t have families of their own."

I froze. I hadn"t realized that she had so much information about me already.

"I might be a monster, but I"m not a heartless monster."

She nodded and looked away again. What was going on in her head? She'd come in here while I was nearly maze mad, then she"d found out I was a murderer with some sort of ethical code.

I watched her, feeling a sense of peace wash over me. I could tell now that she liked to stare off into the distance when she was thinking. Her nose would scrunch up slightly and her lips pout a bit. I wanted to bite that turned-up little nose. Gods help me. And she was kind. What other sort of person could be a therapist to monsters in prison? Our vibrations were lulling together now like calming waves lapping on a beach. It was the most content I'd felt since my father died. I wished we could stay like this forever. Being alone would hurt more now I knew how it could feel to be near your mate. But it was worth it, for this moment of peace alone.

"Cam, I know you might not like the sound of this initially, but please hear me out. I think it might be worth blindfolding you on the way back to your cell…"

A growl erupted from me before I could stop it, and she flinched. It was barely perceptible, but it was there. Hot fury at myself and my lack of control burned at me. I never, never wanted her to flinch because of me. Because of anything. She might not love me back, but I would protect her from anything. At any cost.

"I know, I know, Cam. But I think it might help with the maze madness on the way back."

"I would be vulnerable to attack. I can"t allow that."

"I'd come with you and be there the whole time."

"You think you could defend me from an attack?"

She was just a small human, what could she possibly do to protect me?

"I protected you once today, didn"t I? I might not be as big as you, but I have a different sort of power in this place. I'd shout if anything untoward was happening so you could pull your blindfold off. We won't put restraints on you."

I growled again, but it was more of a muted grumble. She didn"t flinch this time.

"Can you trust me, Cam?"

I didn't trust anyone. But every moment together was pulling me closer to her. I wanted to give her this trust. Give her the gift of something that I had never offered to anyone else.

"Yes. But I'm only doing this for you. I won't allow anyone else to do it."

She blinked with surprise and then smiled. It was the first truly genuine smile since we met. It made me giddy for a moment, and I wanted to sweep her back up into my arms. Instead, I gripped the arms of the chair tightly. I wouldn"t frighten her again. I would stay in control. For her.