A Fallen Angel

Chapter 7 - Picking your charge

---Ethan’s POV---

It was only after what seemed a few minutes of pacing in my study on the upper floor that I realized that I had unintentionally missed breakfast. But I couldn’t help myself; after this morning, my curiosity to find out more about Caitlin had peaked and it was as if my personality had split two ways.

The old me, which was curious about who Caitlin really was and why she and Lilith had bonded at first sight. He was still there, but barely hanging on with my robotic self in charge. But outside… I shook my head as I slightly yanked at the ends of my hair when my hands passed through them.

I had been shocked when Caitlin blatantly refused to hear about my past, saying that it was my story to share. The other humans weren’t so noble and had been prying and searching for an answer, something that had unnerved me. I had obviously thought that Caitlin would be the same, lunging for the juicy details of my private life.

It was then that the hidden part of me had roared back to life and diverted Leo’s attention with a decoy, wanting to have some time on my own with Caitlin. My stare had bored down on her, slowly slipping past her defenses and I had caught glimpses of her laughing with her friends, her parents hugging her or just talking to her and a glimpse of her home.

The visions had snapped back before I could decipher it though when Lilith had waved her little hands in front of me, effectively breaking my telepathic connection wit Caitlin as I heard her whine “Daaaad, I’m hungry and if we don’t hurry, Leo and Lilly are going to eat everything!”

I had blinked and blinked again until I had realized that I had been trying to pry my way in Caitlin’s life and memories. My former self had been pushed to the back again when I took control of my heart and mind, reeling them both in tightly.

“What am I doing?” I hissed between my teeth as I mindlessly turned around to walk towards the windows and stare outside for a while. The fact that Caitlin seemed withdrawn after that little scene made me feel…sad. Why would I feel sad?

“Argh! What is she doing to me?” I snarled when every twist and turn of my feet, every path my mind ventured on, all ended the same way; Caitlin being stuck in my mind as if I had branded her image there.

An image of a smirking Deidra wrapped in the arms of that Demon forced itself to the forefronts of my mind, making me snap in anger as I hurled the closest thing I could lay my hands on to the wall.

The small and delicately crafted wooden side table smashed to splinters against the harsh and unforgiving stonewalls. Just like that, the anger faded away as the image of my mate in another’s arms evaporated into thin air. My shoulders slouched as I fell to my knees and held my hands in front of my face.

“Not again. I won’t let anyone get to me again. Never again.” I chanted to myself, shaking with suppressed emotions before I managed to get back on my feet. I couldn’t love someone again. I wouldn’t. I hid those feelings a long time ago and I wasn’t about to let them out any time soon, or ever.

I would just have to make sure that my old self stays locked away, no matter what happens. I would just have to remain completely in control and make sure to Caitlin that whatever this is…..