The Beast's Possession

**Bane pov**

"Goddess, I'm so sorry to hear that. I didn't know," I spoke, fighting each word that was getting stuck in my throat.

Of all the things I could have imagined, traumatic events like that were the last things on my mind.

Honestly, I really wished the woman would have just left him, not died. And, judging by the way he told the story, I had a feeling that she never left. She was taken away and killed.

"Nobody really knows, I keep her memory a secret. It happened a long time ago, the last thing I want and need is to ruin her image by speaking of everything that happened to every person I meet. You, however, I trust. I trust you will keep my secret, Bane." He flashed me a sad smile.

Like a complete fool, I nodded my head, a little too eagerly. "Of course, I will keep your secret. Nobody will hear about this from me. It's your story to tell."

"Thank you."

A silence took over. It felt like a thick blanket that was pulled over us both, suffocating us and weighing us down. There couldn't be anything I wanted more than to get rid of the sensation.

"When can I leave?" I suddenly asked, intent to change the topic and break the silence.

He raised an eyebrow at me and gave me the 'really?' look.

"What?" I played dumb.

"What part of your brain makes you think it would be smart for you to leave this place in the state you are in right now? Especially with that beast raging inside you. Bane, please, don't be a fool," he groaned.

I really didn't appreciate his tone. While he spoke, I felt like a child who was being scolded by a parent. Even worse - someone, who did something that shouldn't be done, despite knowing it was bad their entire life. So, since I was being treated like a child, I gladly acted as one and crossed my arms in front of my chest before I made a face at him.

"Well, okay, Mister toddler. Are you mad that I didn't allow you to have snacks before dinner or do you want to throw a tantrum about not getting the toy from the store?" He laughed, fully enjoying the chance to mock me. I had a great chance to answer his mockery, but instead, I decided to keep acting like a child and pouted.

Sometimes, words didn't do the work actions could. And other times, acting like a brat brought more benefit than begging and pleading would.

"Alright," he groaned and ran a hand through his hair, clearly frustrated. "How about we discuss this and at least come up with a plan or something? Just leaving this territory without any idea in mind would be stupid, even for a hotheaded guy like you. You definitely need a plan how to tame that fucker."

Yeah, he had a point. The last thing I wanted to happen was to fall asleep and let the evil motherfucker to take over and hurt Aife. I wanted to hold her in my arms while we slept, but I had to drop the idea for now, if I wanted to keep her safe. "That's a valid point, but I'm not sure how to do that yet. Also, I really should return home. After the call I had with Zion, I'm growing increasingly worried about the pack and my Luna. Attack already happened once and I'm sure many more will be launched if I don't return. Without me around, my enemies think that the pack is left unable to defend themselves, which in turn, puts my Luna in even more danger again," I explained.

I hated the thought of anyone harming her. Including myself. I fucked up so many times in the past, there was no way I would allow myself and others to harm Aife ever again.

If it really came to it, I would rather kill myself than touch a hair on her head.

"How about I send some of my warriors there? It would be the best option, if my opinion matters to you. My men can surround your pack and ensure no intruder gets past and in the meantime, we can get you back to your feet and try to figure out a plan of action," he offered.

Damn it, the offer really was tempting. So tempting, I almost didn't hesitate to take it. What he didn't really take into consideration was the fact that I was missing Aife like crazy.

The main reason why I wanted to go back home was to get to her faster. I missed holding her in my arms, missed kissing her, missed her scent and the warmth of her presence. I missed her voice and laugh. Fuck it, I missed it all.

"I see you're hesitating. What's wrong?" His voice brought me back to reality.

As I looked up, I realized the king was standing right in front of me, looking down at me with a worried expression on his face. The corner of his mouth suddenly twitched, but never turned into a smile. "Ah, I see, the lover boy is missing his lady."

As much as I hated the wording he used, I could admit as much, so I nodded and shrugged like this was no big deal. It was a big deal, a massive one. "Understandable," he muttered and sat down next to me again. "And while your hesitance is understandable, it's also damaging." He added.

From the corner of my eye, I could see him watching me, but I didn't look his way, just kept staring into the distance and muttered, "why damaging?" "Well, since you're thinking if it's a good idea to stay here, your heart is calling you to leave and go to her, while your brain probably knows that I offered the best possible solution. The longer you think, the harder your heart fights and eventually, it will win. That is, unless you'll make a decision before that moment comes. The damaging part is that you're hurting yourself by hesitating. You're building up hope for something that you know damn well won't happen." How was this possible? Every word that left him felt like a blow, aimed straight to my heart simply because I knew he was right. No matter how much I tried to convince myself that he didn't know what he was thinking about, he still was right. "I think it's best if you get some more rest and then we can talk again. Take this as a chance to process the information you got and make a decision if you don't feel sleepy, but keep in mind that I think my advice would be the best solution for this." The king announced, slapped my thigh twice and stood up.

I watched him approach the door and stop in front of it. He grabbed the handle and gripped it before glancing over his shoulder and sharing a bit more of his thoughts. "Whatever you decide to do, I have no right to hold you back. Keep in mind that I'm trying to help as a friend, not control you or become another enemy. I want what is best for you. And right now, best would be keeping your woman alive, which in turn means keeping you away from her."