The Beast's Possession

**Bane

pov**

The world around us stopped. All I could see was her, the pain in her eyes and tears that were just about ready to roll down her cheeks.

I wasn't speechless because I didn't want to make a choice she was demanding of me. The silence came from the shock that caught me off guard.

Aife came here, fuming in anger, looking like she was ready to show me my place, but instead, she looked past everything and offered me another chance. Why was she offering me the second chance while I never gave her the first one?

Using the moment of my confusion, she broke out of my arms and started backing up. Once Aife nodded at me only one time, I knew she took this moment as my answer. What I knew even better was that I had to stop her. For good. Reaching out, I grabbed the front of her shirt again and pulled her back in my arms. I held her so tightly, for a brief moment there, I thought I could break her if I didn't loosen my hold.

Without uttering a word, I started backing away until we entered the office and I could slam the door shut. "I'm not letting you go. No more games, no more secrets, no more bullshit from my part. I know my words mean nothing to you, and I don't blame you, but I just can't let you leave. I tried to, but I still came back to see if you took me up the damn offer. I'm sorry, but you mean too much for me to let you go. I can't lose you too," the last words were merely a whisper, but those hit me the hardest.

I recalled how I lost the woman I loved. I recalled our good and bad times, how much I feared she might leave me, and the day when she really did. Maybe it wasn't her choice to leave my life, but it still happened.

Despite how sick and twisted was the moment I first laid my eyes on Aife, I knew there was something about her. But now that I had spent more time around this woman, I was sure she would become the death of me. For her, I was ready to do more than I could admit. Probably to a level of insanity.

While I was stuck in flashbacks from memories, I didn't notice her sobbing in my arms until I felt how she started shaking.

Concern hit me in waves as I loosened my hold on her and brought my hand to her chin, gripping it and forcing her to look at me. "Did I hurt you?" As soon as the question left me, a massive lump formed in my throat. Wasn't it funny how weeks ago, all I could think of was how to break her, but now, I feared I squeezed her a little too hard? Why the fuck I felt like I couldn't forgive myself if I hurt this woman?

Aife shook her head. "Not yet. But I'm sure you will."

Now, tears rolled down her pink cheeks in full swing. I cupped her cheek and started wiping the tears off, locking my gaze with hers in hopes to read her emotions. "Will I?"

She nodded, a little too eagerly. "Of course, you will. It's a part of your nature. To bring me down to my knees by saying the right things just to turn around the other moment and take the words back. Don't make promises you don't indent to hold. Don't make statements you don't mean."

How could I prove myself to her? Maybe if I offered to cut my chest open and show her how my black, wicked heart was beating for her, that would do the trick?

But instead of voicing the idea, I decided to speak my mind. "I mean it. As twisted as my behavior is, I really meant the words I spoke. You're special. I don't want to lose you."

"Tell me why your behavior is so twisted then. Tell me and I can try to help. Or at least, I will understand," she pleaded.

I shook my head. "Not now. Soon, but not now. Just because I truly have feelings for you doesn't mean I'm ready to dig up the skeletons of my past. I want to share my secrets with you, but I still need time. Can you wait on me?"

Aife closed her eyes, took a deep breath and nodded her head. "For as long as you promise you will stop running and pushing me away. Can you at least do that?"

I had to think about it. If *he* got stronger, I would surely try to get him as far away from her as possible. Besides, I wasn't quite sure how he operated and why he was appearing so often lately.

Ever since I brought Aife here, he had started appearing more often, which truly terrified me. With Milly, he never showed his presence, he didn't pay attention to her or mind her presence, but with Aife, yeah, he's dangerous.

If I let my guard down around her, he could take advantage of the moment of weakness and fulfill his sick promises.

I knew I was being selfish by keeping her here before I made sure she was safe, but I also knew that she wouldn't come back to me if I let her go. So, it wasn't like I really had a choice in the matter.

"I promise I will try my best. That's all I can give you for now. I understand if my attempts aren't enough for you, but I can't throw empty promises at you. It wouldn't be fair to you."

Honestly, a part of me was expecting the rejection to follow. The bigger part of me. The tiny leftover part held onto the hope that she would understand...

Holding my breath, I remained silent, waiting for an answer.

To my utter surprise, Aife smiled and nodded as her gaze met mine again. "I can live with that. For as long as you will truly try your best, I can take that. It's more than enough for me."

My heart exploded in my chest. Not only because I absolutely adored the moments when she smiled, but also because of her words.

Almost everyone around me always reminded me how my best had never been enough, yet this tiny woman just claimed that it was more than enough for as long as I tried.

Along with an immense sense of happiness, I was smashed with a painful wave of overwhelming guilt. After everything I had done, she still remained by my side, still gave me a chance and had faith in me.

If I fucked up this one, I wouldn't have another. Maybe not because she wouldn't be willing to give me another chance, but surely because I would refuse myself of such a thing. I wouldn't allow her to torture herself just because I was stupid and let her down again.

"So that's it? We're trying this... thing?"

I wasn't sure if we were supposed to put labels on what we shared, so I chose to give her the honor to decide how fast we went. Honestly, for as long as we did everything together, hand in hand, I didn't give a shit about labels or speed. All I wanted was her at my side. As pissy and stupid I had acted, I couldn't remember the last time I was as happy as I had been while waking up and falling asleep next to her.

"This thing... I suppose we're trying it, yes. And if you really want to use the big boy words, don't cringe at addressing yourself as boyfriend. I suppose we're dating now."