The Beast's Possession

**Bane

pov**

It felt a little foolish that someone actually thought that they could hold me back from doing what I wanted. Even more so, if they decided to bring up Aife.

A part of me couldn't understand how I've been so foolish. As I stared at the king, the realization hit me like a ton of bricks - her birthday was barely a week away, and I had no damn clue about it. I had forgotten to ask her when it was. How? How could I have been so careless, so damn blind and oblivious?

We had been together for a while now. We had shared the wildest of experiences both as enemies and lovers, and at one point, I had silently prided myself on knowing Aife so damn well without asking her intrusive questions. Yet, in this one crucial aspect, I had failed miserably.

The king still watched me, probably expecting an answer or reaction, but I was so stuck in my mind, so overtaken by the disbelief and disappointment I felt that I couldn't show any reaction even if I really wanted to.

The room seemed to close in on me as I replayed some of the memories we shared in my mind. We were lying on the bed, Aife in my arms, so close we could almost become one with each other, wrapped up in each other's warmth and comfort, silent as ever.

Back then, that was when I could have used the chance I had. Aife had asked me in passing when was my birthday, but I never bothered to return the same question. She had the right to think that I truly didn't care about her, especially if I wasn't a decent enough man to ask the right questions.

Now, as the realization set in, a wave of insane disappointment washed over me. How could I have missed something so important? Birthdays were a big deal, especially when turning twenty-one - a milestone, a rite of passage. Aife was about to meet her wolf, become a new person, grow and most importantly - meet her mate.

Goddess, no one had any idea how much I feared the last one. How much I feared that there was a man out there, who was ready to worship and love her the way she deserved it. While I had tried my best to be the man she needed and wanted, even I knew I fucking sucked.

And yet, while all of those thoughts and fears coursed through me, here I was, unable to move a goddamn muscle, caught off guard, still wondering how I could be that oblivious to those around me to miss a date that meant the world to the woman I loved with all my heart.

I sighed, running my hands through my hair in frustration. The disappointment in myself was palpable. It wasn't just about never finding out a date - it was about basically proving to Aife that I never cared enough to open my damn mouth and do a task as simple as ask a question.

Fuck, I was a moron. A top shelf moron, expensive one, very hard to find. Possibly the only one ever made. Yeah, for French I would be expensive perfume, but in reality, I'm an asshole through and through. But now, with only seven days left, I felt a growing sense of urgency to make things right.

Sure, I still had to figure out how to get away from here and return home first. That part, yeah, it didn't seem like something easy to accomplish as the king still sat on the bed and watched me like a hawk. "Don't," he suddenly barked, nearly making me jump.

I arched an eyebrow, acting like I had no idea why he decided to scare me all of a sudden. I knew why his reaction was aggression - the guy could read me like an open book, he knew I processed the information and realized that I had fucked up, so now, I was planning my escape.

"And don't act like you don't know why the mood in this room changed. Bane, you are a great man, even greater Alpha, but in your soul, you are a fucking teenage boy. You forget important shit and then, your dick suddenly does the thinking. Surely, it can't be your brain that is thinking right now, because my dear friend, there is no way you'll get out of here without being noticed. So, don't, just don't even think of it." He grunted and ran a hand through his hair, clearly close to as frustrated as I was feeling.

Sucking in a deep breath, I shook my head. "It's just that I can't seem to escape the weight of my actions. How could I have been so blind? So fucking consumed by the routine of life that I managed to neglect the need to cherish the details that make her unique? I never asked when her birthday is. Never. The love of my life is about to turn twenty-one and here I am, completely unaware of that fact. Imagine what would happen if I were home. Just imagine. I would spend the day acting like I always do and the next moment, boom, she's down, crying and screaming in pain, about to meet her wolf while I stand aside, wondering what the fuck is happening."

With each word that left me, the weight of my actions became worse. At one point, I found it hard to breathe and focus on anything but the fact of how much I had fucked this all up.

As my friend, he had to give me advice. Or at least listen and pretend that he was thinking, but what I got instead was a fit of laughter.

The king laughed so loudly, he looked like a madman. As if there were ghosts tickling his feet and holding him hostage, never allowing the poor man to take a breath.

"Ha-ha, such a jokester I am, so funny, even I can't stop laughing. Geez, I'm having so much fun here, glad my words amused you too. I would be so bummed if you wouldn't find this confession just as damn funny as I did too. I'm about to cry laughing any moment now," I grunted, clearly voicing my displeasure with his attitude and behavior.

However, to my surprise, instead of being the absolute dick he so often was, the king instantly stopped laughing and pinned me down with his gaze.

"I wasn't laughing at your fuck up," he announced without any extra information.

The last thing I wanted to do was to pull information out of him. I was okay with the king, willingly explaining himself, but I refused to turn this conversation into interrogation. I wasn't a cop.

Rolling my eyes, I grunted a low, "whatever" and left it at that.

Soon enough, the room was silent again. We didn't look at each other nor offer any explanations. After the first few minutes I was so tired of the silence, the only thing on my mind was a stupid nap and finding a chance to get out of here. "Bane," he sighed, still looking at the wall. "I was laughing because I couldn't believe my ears. I know this sounds silly, but trust me, you would laugh too. Especially if you would really hear yourself now. Instead of being your usual careless self, you're having a mental breakdown because you didn't know anything about the birthday. You're freaking out. Man, I can't believe it. Alpha Bane, of all people, he's in love. Wow."