Page 45 of Monster's Maiden

Aiden and Maya do not move; they do not speak. Their silence only fuels my temper.

"I will tear this forest apart!" I scream, my voice carrying the weight of centuries spent in solitude and longing. "I will not rest until she is by my side again."

Their faces pale further, their fear sharpening into something almost tangible. But it is not enough to quell the storm within me.

Lara continues to stand between them. She remains silent and torn. Her eyes lock onto mine, pleading for something neither side seems able to give.

“Look at her!” I bellow, feeling the cold bite deeper into my core as my aggravation intensifies. “She’s not your prisoner to save! She chose to stay with me!”

Aiden’s frightened gaze shifts to Lara for any signs of aid or reassurance of their safety.

With one final step forward, I loom over them, my shadow casting a dark pall over their forms. "Choose wisely," I say, each word dripping with menace. "For your lives depend on it."

I leave the threat hanging in the air like frost on a winter morning—tangible and deadly.

The forest holds its breath as we stand locked in this standoff. The primal part of me relishes in their fear; another part of me aches with the desperate need to have Lara back in my arms.

Suddenly, Lara moves. She throws herself between me and her friends, her slender form a fragile barrier against my rage. Tears stream down her cheeks, catching the pale winter light like glistening shards of ice.

“Lara, get out of the way!” Maya’s voice is sharp, filled with fear and confusion. “He’s going to kill us!”

I want to roar my frustration but hold back, watching as Lara’s resolve hardens. She stands in my way, her body trembling yet unwavering.

“Zyrith, please!” she pleads. Her voice cracks with desperation, each word verging on the edge of a sob. “Stop! Don’t hurt them.”

Her words hit me like a physical blow. The fire within me wavers, flickering under the weight of her plea. Her eyes—those deep pools of sorrow and love—pierce through my fierceness. I feel her anguish as if it were my own, a raw wound that refuses to heal.

I halt any further advances, my body tensing as I wrestle with conflicting urges. The desire to protect her wars with the bitterness I feel towards those who ripped her away from me.

Why does she protect them? They tore us apart, stole her from me. Yet here she stands, defiant and vulnerable, begging for their safety. Her loyalty to these humans baffles me, igniting a storm of mixed emotions.

My gaze locks onto hers, and for a moment, time stands still. The world around us fades into insignificance. I see the pain in her eyes. Suddenly, I fear losing what we have built together in our subterranean sanctuary.

She reaches out with trembling hands, palms pressed against my chest. Her touch sends ripples through my hardened exterior, softening the edges of my resolve.

“Please, Zyrith,” she begs again, her voice quivering with distress. “Don’t harm them. They just want to keep me safe.”

“Keep you safe? From what? From me?” I ask. My voice booms like distant thunder.

“Yes!” Aiden shouts, his voice tinged with agitation. “You’re a monster! You kidnapped her!”

“I did not kidnap her,” I counter, my gaze never leaving Lara’s tear-streaked face. “She chose to be with me.”

Aiden steps forward, his jaw clenched in defiance. “Lara, this thing—this creature—can’t be trusted. You need to come back home with us now.

“She will do no such thing!” I roar. I grab Lara’s arm tightly, and implore, “Why do you defend these humans when they want to take you away from me forever?”

“Because they’re my friends,” she says softly, her hands grabbing mine. “They are trying to help me. They don’t understand...”

“Understand what?” I demand, though my tone softens against my will.

“Our bond,” she replies. “What we share.” She looks deep into my eyes. “I love you, Zyrith, but I can’t let you hurt them.”

Her tears fall freely now, mingling with the snow at our feet. Each droplet is a testament to her love for me—a love that transcends our differences and defies logic.

“They do not see what we have,” I murmur, more to myself than to her.

“No, they don’t,” Lara agrees. “But that doesn’t mean they deserve harm.”

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