Page 22 of A Soul to Keep

“Why do you keep looking away from me?” he asked instead of answering her. “Are you that disturbed by me now?”

He couldn’t hide the irritation in his voice. He didn’t like that she couldn’t even look upon him at all.

“Withhumanblood on your face, making it obvious you’ve just eaten one? Well, yes. I find that rather creepy to look at.”

Hmm...He knew humans found the blood of their own kind disturbing. He reached down and dug his fingers into the snow to feel it munch around his glove.

“I did not finish eating him.” He started rubbing the wet powder on his face. The heat of his body melted it enough to wash the blood away. “I came to find you instead.”

“To eat me?”

“No, to find,” he corrected sharply. “It helped that I did not discover you running.”

He’d been hunting her, and he was unsure of how he would have acted if he’d had to continue chasing her. It would have made those cold numbing hands squeezing his mind grip more forcibly. It had actually eased when he’d seen her standing there in his red hazed vision, almost as if she was waiting for him.

Part of him wanted to eat her, the desire to eat humans ever present inside him, but another part of him had wanted to find and protect her.

“Standing still had actually helped?”

“Yes.” He most likely would have clawed into her upon her capture and spilled her blood. Hunger and thirst would’ve pierced him, and he would have truly ended her.

He finally turned his head towards her when he was finished cleaning his skull. “There, is that better?”

She peeked at him slowly before she turned her face to him completely. “Much better.”

His eyes wandered over her shivering form as they continued to walk at the slowed pace he’d set.

“You are cold. I cannot carry you on my right arm currently, but I’m sure I could hold you with my left.”

He offered his arm out to her.

She scrunched her nose, making the bridge crinkle as her gaze took on a concerned hint. “But you’re hurt.”

“You weigh nothing to me. You will not tire me any quicker than my wounds.”

“Well... I guess itwouldbe warmer.”

“Come, little human.” He gestured his hand out to present more of his left arm for her. “Let me melt your heart.”

His vision took on a purple hue, his eyes turning to that colour, when pink began to rise in the arch bones of her cheeks accompanied by the tiniest peek of a smile. It was the first one he’d seen from her soft looking lips, and it caused heat to swirl in his gut and steal his pain from him completely.

It was a strange reaction from him, a foolish one, but it caused his insides to sing when she willingly stepped over to that side of him and sat upon the crook of his elbow that he lowered for her. He curled his arm around her, spanning his hand around her side completely, as he hoisted her up into the air and away from the snow.

She came to me.Even after he’d changed into his most monstrous form in front of her.Perhaps there is a chance of hope after all.

He took a few quick sniffs of her chest where he’d licked away the herbs and oils that had been bathing her natural smell, causing her to make this strange squeaking noise.

Elderberries andredroses– each coloured rose had their own specific scent.Their meanings didn’t escape his notice, and Orpheus huffed before taking his snout away from her flesh, feeling a ripple of satisfaction ruffle through him.

Her smell is pleasant to me.And she didn’t smell of honey or cream or of food, which was also a good thing.

Reia was curled up in his arms again as he cradled her. Night had fallen, and he’d offered to carry her like this now despite his wounds.

His pace was brisk once more.

The idea of being surrounded by delectable heat and away from the potential of being swiped by a Demon in the trees was the only reason she’d agreed.

His warmth and strong forestry scent enveloped her, which was both relaxing and soothing.I can’t believe he smells so nice.Other than the metallic tang of his own blood, which smelt sharper than any other she’d smelled, she couldn’t help being drawn to it.

---