Sold To A Beast

What I Want

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Having a low opinion of yourself
is not modesty.
It's self-destruction.

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We walked out towards a black suburban, my body halting by accident at the memory of riding in one of these the first night Andrew bought me.
Brooklyn noticed me stop, looking behind her before looking at my face. Her eyes moved to Andrew's for a short moment before clouding.
"You shoved her into one of these the night you got her?" Her eyes were still clouded and yet she glared in the right direction of her brother. "Look how scared she is, the poor thing. She probably had no idea what was happening."

Andrew followed close behind me, bickering with his sister as we passed. We entered the car and took the seats facing the driver, Andrew skipping the middle seat between us and settling down next to me. Brooklyn took the opposite corner from me and James filled in across from me. Finally the car began to move and we were off, the gravel beneath us crunching.

It wasn't like I didn't want him to sit so close, but earlier it felt like he had admitted some of his feelings for me, and I wasn't sure of how to react knowing our circumstances.

A man I hadn't seen before drove us, staying silent and looking ahead the entire time. He followed Brooklyn's Alpha directions well, only responding with a nod of us his head. James pointed to some of the wolves outside to draw Brooklyn's attention and she eagerly scoot closer to see if they were recognizable.

"Are we going to a human store?" I muttered to Andrew, my eyes wanting to look out the window but I was hesitant. Just because there were more of us traveling together than just Andrew and I, didn't give me any special circumstances. I didn't want to rise any suspicion of running away or trying to remember my way out of the forest.

"Yes." Andrew whispered, his eyes closing before he rested his head against the back of the seat.

"Are you angry with me?" Andrew had warned me before about his great hearing, and I didn't want to risk embarrassing us to the others if they overheard our conversation. Andrew gave no indication that he had heard me, his body remaining still and his eyes still closed.

"I've already decided that you can do no wrong in my eyes, so it is you that needs to be asked the question." Andrew's hand slowly stretched out to touch mine, his fingers brushing my skin. "I crossed the boundary I told you you wouldn't have to worry about, and I have upset us both because of it. I want to apologize to you, for going back on my word and that I hurt you. Hurting you was never my intention."

I rested my head against his shoulder, his eyes opening as he leaned some of his body back into my side. "I'm not upset either, and I'm feeling much better now that we've talked."

A small smile fell onto his lips and I couldn't help but smile back at him.
"Good."

He asked for my hand, palm held towards the ceiling waiting for my hand. I gently closed my fingers, welcoming the warmth of his hand.

"You know, my mother was the only one to treat me normally up until she passed. She sat me down one night after I was being a complete monster and told me that, I wasn't the person I would grow to be yet." Andrew closed his fingers around mine, his gaze daring to meet mine as he continued to remember. "She told me that when others would be able to reach for my hand with no hesitation - no fear - that's when I'll know I've been changed."

I small smile landed on my lips before my mind was troubled. If only someone had told me even just a little bit about this world - Andrew and I could have gotten along better from the start. Andrew noticed my shift in moods, his hands squeezing mine after to a moment to get my attention. His eyebrows furrowed.