Predator

Part Twenty Three✔️

There were paintings that used to hang in the hall that was now barren; multiple beautiful paintings that Alexei had always loved to admire as a little boy, his favorite the one beside the room that held his mother's piano. His favorite painting was one of the darker ones that decorated the hall, it told such a strong, emotional story that the young boy couldn't understand on his own. He used to lean his head on his mother's shoulder as she perched him on her hip, telling him the story behind each and every one of her paintings.

She'd get to his favorite and she'd stop and stare at it in silence for awhile, her eyes holding a glint that he never got the chance to decipher. It was her favorite as well, for it held a memory that defined who that woman was. In the painting was a woman, her face hidden by her black cloak but her long black hair curled into visibility, falling down past her hips. Behind her back, gripped in thin fingers was a dagger that young Alexei had yet to see, with her other hand, she was grabbing brightly colored flowers from a little girl with bright red hair and dark eyes. The little girl wore dark colors yet her cherry red lips were pulled back in a white smile.

Alexei's mother would tell him the name, something in Italian that he never remembered, and tell him about that little girl. How the woman in the story met the girl and what their interaction entailed of. She'd tell him that the little girl disappeared after she gave the woman flowers, never to be seen again. His mother never told him honestly but now, thinking back on that painting, that was the first person his mother ever killed; that innocent little girl who only wanted to give her flowers. It was the beginning of an era of terror, the beginning of his mother's trail of blood, that only grew bigger and longer as her years went on.

That painting, and every single one of his mother's paintings now hung in the library where Maksim spent most of his time. Alexei occasionally visited only to admire his mother's work, and reflect on how he was like her - a murderer who regretted every kill. Every single one of those paintings held her victims in their last moments before she ended their lives, every detail of their bodies and faces etched into those canvases. A story of bloodshed and regret.

When the beast finally retreated to the back of Alexei's mind and let his human side reign, he stared at his brother who lay on the ground, eyes open now just staring at the sky; that regret his mother painted about flowed through his veins.

"Maksim."

"I'm fine. Grey-" He began to cough and Alexei sat him up, watching the blood leak from his lips.

"She's with Klara." The younger brother answered, guilt filling his veins. "She's safe now."

"She's not safe until she's with you."

• • •

Grey was shivering despite the blanket wrapped around her shoulders. Winter may be gone, but the early morning fog brought chills to Grey's pale skin that even the thickest blanket couldn't shield her from. She'd been inside the cabin with the silent family until the sun showed it's first signs in the dark night and only then did she move to sit on their stairs that lead to the backyard, looking out at the ominous trees.

The sun had risen quite a bit, the sky a gorgeous flaming orange to highlight the world at peace, tints of a daunting red highlighted the sky. There were birds chirping softly, little creatures crawling low in the dewy grass, the light morning fog creeping out of the tall trees. The world was alive with springtime.

Grey shivered again and out of nowhere, there he was, walking out of the trees in all of his dark and beautifully corrupted glory. She saw, for the first time, all the scars that littered his skin in the morning light, some old and faded and some bright pink as if they just scarred. She saw how with each step he took, his long legs carried him gracefully over the wet grass, muscles in every part of his body flexing with each movement. She saw his eyes as if she was seeing them for the first time again, that bright blue that seemed to shine like a flame when his eyes were upon her, the dark bags underneath them only seemed to highlight the blue. And she saw for the first time, a man with no beast. She saw Alexei Volkov, a man who had lost himself to the curse that plagued him but had still managed to find her in all the chaos. He had come back for her and she knew had she left last night, he still would've found his way to her. Because nothing could stop the beast from claiming what was his. And nothing in this world could stop a man from reaching his woman.

As he walked closer, Grey stood and she too began to move barefooted through the dewy grass. It was cold on her feet so she wrapped the blanket tighter around her as goosebumps rose across her skin. Whether the goosebumps rose from the chills or the way her body lit up under Alexei's fiery gaze, Grey wasn't too sure, probably both, but more so the latter. Upon reaching her, he placed a cold hand on her cheek and the other on the crook of her neck, right over his mark. His eyes scanned her up and down, checking for any injury and when he didn't find a single one, his lips were on hers.

The kiss was rough, it seemed that was all he knew, yet the passion pushed through his lips. It pushed through the way his lips moved against hers, and in the way he held onto her as if she'd run away at any second. So much passion behind his kiss that it left Grey stunned for a minute before she returned the kiss. And after a few moments in their own world, he pulled away to admire Grey's closed eyes and breathless, flushed look before the gray storm clashed with his eyes.

"I'm sorry."

Grey almost broke down again. "You have nothing to apologize for."

"I have everything to apologize for. There is nothing I can do or give you in this life that would amount for the sins I have committed just last night."

Grey didn't know what to say. There were no words in this world that could express what she felt. She wanted to tell him that he did nothing wrong, that everything was fine but deep down she knew that he did everything wrong and that she was terrified. But she'd never tell him that. So she simply shook her head and pulled a warm hand out from beneath her blanket to rest her hand over his cold one that lay on her cheek and she closed her eyes.

The way Alexei watched her was like no other. He took in every single detail on her face as her eyes shut and she took in a deep breath. From the three dark freckles spread around her right cheek, to the long brown eyelashes that hid those eyes of hers. He was bewitched by this girl; just him completely, for his beast had subsided to the dark corners of his mind and he felt purely human for a moment. And it seemed in that moment of humanity, he felt true feelings for the human girl before him and it rendered him breathless. It was the first time the beast was not pushing for control while around her and it let him see how much he had grown fond of the girl. These strange feelings were purely him. He wanted her just as bad as the beast inside of him did.

"Come home with me." He spoke soft, as if she would coil away from his words. "Come be my queen."

"Alexei-"

"I regret all that I have put you through. All the taunting and fear." He was so sincere Grey felt it in her chest. "Grey, you are the only food of mine I have wanted to keep around." Her light laugh was heaven to him. "Stay with me."

"What about my job? My friends?"

"They are nothing compared to the love that we could have."

"But truly, what about you?" Grey stepped back, sadness in her eyes. "Am I going to have to run from you, risk my life and watch you almost murder your brother every full moon until I learn to love that beast? I want to love you Alexei, I truly do but I fear the beast more than I've ever feared anything."

Alexei felt lost. He'd never had a person's words effect him in such a way that left him breathless, stumbling for words that seemed to lodge themselves in his throat. He knew at that moment he had fallen so incredibly hard and all he needed was for her to fall back, to get rid of the beast that kept her away from him.

"Forget about the beast, my lioness." Alexei begged, grabbing her hands beneath the blanket. "Focus on me and only me. Wish him away and he shall disappear and the world will be only ours. No beast. No fear. Nothing but love."

Grey was watching him, an emotion shimmering in those eyes of hers that he'd never seen before. They darted across his face and down to his hands that gripped hers, and when her eyes met his again, he could see all her emotions swirling in those stormy eyes. She was silent for a few tense moments before she finally opened her mouth to speak, but her voice never filled the air.

"That's a load of bullshit."