Sold To A Beast

Mr. & Mrs Blood

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Nightmares are dreams too.

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Coal?

Andrew laughed lowly beside me, taking the coal in his hands as he smiled at me. "I can sense your confusion, my love." My face was even with his chest when Andrew moved to crouch in front of me, taking my hands in his. His fingers ran over the torn skin in my palms from when my nails had dug in from anger. Andrew looked up at me worriedly, his eyebrows pinching together. "What happened?"

"It was from earlier, I did it." My thumb brushed his cheek lovingly, running over the freckles on his face. He closed his eyes, leaning into my hold as he groaned lowly.

Andrew pulled away, holding my hands again as he studied them. "You have some tiny hands and fingers."

Maybe, but you have no idea what these hands and fingers could do -

Andrew's eyes widened and looked up at me with a growing smile. He shook his head lightly, kissing my palm. "You little pervert! I knew I liked you."

I bursted into a fit of laughter and fell back onto the bed in embarrassment. "You weren't supposed to hear that!"

"You weren't supposed to think that and want me to hear it!" Andrew corrected, kissing my knee as he tried to rein in his laughter.

I defended myself.
"I can't help it, really - I mean look at you! You're gorgeous!"

Andrew stood from his crouch, leaning closer to me until we were inches apart. I was feeling selfish and wanting more than just this, Andrew's fingers tilting my chin upward to meet his gaze. His arms rested on either side of me, trapping me in my place as he moved closer. "Do you truly love me?" Andrew asked me, a smile smile stretching onto his lips. Andrew liked to hear me say it, his eyes sparkling now  with excitement as he waiting for my answer.

"Of course I love you."

Andrew's eyes dropped to the floor, his face darkening from the heat of his blush as he cleared his throat. He took my hands, plopping the coal into my palms before enclosing his hands around mine. "This may hurt, but I will do my best to remove the pain."

I was distracted, unprepared without any warning. Andrew's hands heated above mine as our hands began to tighten together. The heat began warm, reminding me of the feeling of holding a cup of coffee. It wasn't much longer before the warmth turned to a scalding burn, my hands feeling like I was holding them under boiling water.

The pressure hurt too and I almost believed the coal would break or melt into my palm. My hands were going to melt into each other if this didn't end soon.

I rested my forehead against his shoulder as I took the pain as best as I could. If he was taking most of my pain, I couldn't even begging to imagine what he's feeling.

"Andrew, what are you doing?" I cried out, my voice straining.

Andrew's mouth was next to my ear, his soothing voice almost making me forget about the pain.

"I'll love you long after death, Emily Heart. You've possessed me, your eyes showing me how you view the world. There is still good in this evil and cruel world, and it's in you my love. God - you make me see the good, even when I refused to believe anything else. You make me believe that - I can be good too."

The coal began to shrink in my palms as our hands began to cool, a sigh escaping my lips as I basked in the moment of relief. Andrew's hands still held mine firmly against the cooling substance. It was smaller now, shaped differently from before.

"Emily -" Andrew's voice was low as he removed his hands and opened mine. I'm my palm lay a ring made entirely out of the diamond, my breath catching in my throat as I looked back up at Andrew in surprise."I can't bear to live this life without you anymore, I've grown attached. I selfishly refuse to let you go, and for good reasons too. I've taken many things from you, including much of your free will and freedom, and if you'd allow it, I'd like to continue taking things from you for the rest of your life."

I was confused, looking up at him expectantly. What would he want to take from me?

He grabbed the ring from me and kneeled in front of me, my eyes widening as we stared at each other. Tears sprung to my eyes as the butterflies took control, I turned slightly away from him to stop the nervous laughter from getting out of hand.

"I want to take away all your rainy days and replace them with nothing but the sun for you, my love. All of your insecurities, I want to heal them away until you only know how to smile." Andrew slipped the ring onto my finger, kissing my shaking hands like he hadn't noticed. "I do believe the Moon Goddess knew what she was doing when she gave me you, but I believe that even without fate or chance - in a hundred lifetimes, in any version of reality - we would find each other, and I would choose you every time." Andrew swiped his palm at his eyes, but nothing would rid the glassy look to them. I raised a hand to my face to cover the shake of my lips as Andrew grew a little emotional. "If you'd allow me, I'd like to stand by your side as your Alpha, mate and best friend through our struggles and achievements. I want to be there and witness every smile, every laugh, every tear, every mood swing, every period with you. I want to overcome the world and its challenges with you and only you - and possibly a few little Andrew's and Emily's running around with us. I want to hold you close now and always. Emily, will you marry me?"

I held his face in my hands, taking a deep breath before looking back at him. "Are you sure?" I laughed nervously as my face burned.

Andrew nodded his head with a nervous chuckle of his own. "More sure of anything in this world."

I brought my hands to cover my face as the tears rolled down my face. I looked back at Andrew, nodding my hand as a cry choked itself past the lump in my throat. "Of course - of course I'll marry you."

Andrew stood from his place in front of me and embraced me, lifting me from the space on the bed as he held me. I wrapped my limbs around him, burring my face in his neck. Andrew laughed lightly with a sigh, smoothing my hair with his hand. "Don't cry my moon, I can't take it."

"I'm not crying, you're crying!" I accused with a sniffle, lifting my face to see Andrew in a similar state as I was.

He cleared his throat at my attention, turning his face away from me. "No, I'm not."

"Liar," I said, pulling his face back to mine as I reached up to brush his tears away. Andrew did the same to me, smiling as his eyes bounced over my face. 

Andrew placed me back on the floor, taking my left hand in his as he played with the ring. "Now you're mine in human customs too, and there's not a single thing you can do about it."

"Oh hush." I laughed, slapping at his chest lightly. "I just stopped crying.

"I half expected you to scream at me and throw a pillow in my face.  Again." Andrew snaked his hands around my waist, pulling me into his chest from behind. 

"Don't get comfortable. That will happen later once I realize what I've done." I joked, leaning back into his hold. He tilted my head back so that we were looking at each other. His touch against my skin was a comforting burn, but his lips on mine scalded like no other. This kiss was gentle, just a reminder of the feeling.

Andrew parted with me, caressing my neck with the tips of his fingers. "Don't you ever leave me Emily Blood."

I liked the way my name sounded rolling off his tongue, "I would never even dream of it, Andrew Blood."