Heart of a Beast

Chapter 3 | Part 2 - Crystal

Sweltering summer heat gathered on Crystal's brow and dripped down her face.

She tried to throw off the heavy blanket and froze when it moved back into place over her.

Opening her eyes, rays of afternoon sunshine streamed down through the cracks in the boards of the walls of her enclosure. Birdsong flitted around her. Crickets chirped and sang. A mouse scurried across the rotting floor several feet away. A big furry arm draped over her waist and hugged her close to a large form with a wet nose pressed into the curve of her neck. A putrid stench of decay surrounded her.

Gagging, she tried to slip out from underneath the beast, but he only groaned and held her closer.

Her heart raced faster as fear shook her. "P-Please let me go."

Sweat drenched her body, her clothes sticking to her like glue. It was too warm. Too warm.

"Water," she whimpered, shaking more.

She needed water. She needed to lower her temperature. Too much heat...

The pain fired through her skull as she clenched her jaws. Her body twisted and jerked violently as she cried out in rasping wheezes like a strangled animal.

The edges of her vision darkened and blurred, her hearing dimmed, but the arms of the beast held her firmly until the last tremor abandoned her, weak and limp at the beast's mercy.

Tears soaked her cheeks as the ache set in and the racing of her heart slowed, but the beast held tautly. He was panting. She could feel his muscles trembling against her skin. She stiffened when his cool, damp nose touched her hot, sweaty neck and inhaled deeply.

With her chest still heaving to return oxygen to strained muscles, the beast relaxed his hold and withdrew from her.

He hovered over her. His massive form terrified her. Even with his thick matted fur concealing his body, she could feel the power emanating from him. He had the broad shoulders of a man, a strong torso, thick arms that extended out to large, rough hands with massive talon-like claws that could slice her open with one quick swipe. His fur was a dark brown with a golden-maple swirl over his eyes, muzzle, and belly.

What stopped her heart were the pale gray eyes staring back at her. Haunted with pinprick pupils that slowly began to grow in size the longer she stared back at him.

He touched her cheek with the back of his paw and whined when she flinched away.

Was that pain she saw in those eyes?

He half-growled, half-whined before he huffed and nudged his nose under her arm. He wanted her to get up?

"I can't," she mumbled.

He nudged his nose under her arm again.

Her eyes prickled. "I don't have the strength, okay!"

Huffing, he balled his paws into fists, the claws digging into the rough pads of his palms and slipped one arm under her knees and the other under her neck and lifted her up.

"No, no, no," she protested. "Put me down!"

He growled lowly, a slight rumble in his throat, and adjusted her weight.

Despite the heaviness of her arms, she instinctively reached up to wrap them around his wide neck for extra support and security.

He stiffened for a moment before his muscles relaxed. His nose pressed to the crown of her head and inhaled. His exhalation fanned across her face and her nose wrinkled at the wicked stench that met her sense.