Scares Me - Maya's POV

The overwhelming urge to make space consumes me. I look at him, trying to figure out if I can truly run without him catching me, but I know that is a long shot. Instead, I yank my wrist free from his grasp as my heart continues to hammer in my chest. The weight of his claim, his possessiveness, settles over me. I'm his, even if I don't want to be. It's only a matter of time. The words echo in my mind, making my chest tighten. I need to breathe. Yes, I need air. I turn to walk away, knowing his gaze is on me. There is nowhere to run, nowhere to turn to. Even if I miraculously made it out of the manor, I'd never make it through the woods without him catching me. I'm in his sights and he's never letting go, even though I don't know why. And deep down, I know he'll never tell me. As I keep walking down the hallway, I hear his soft footsteps right behind me. I smirk, knowing he'll follow wherever I choose to go. Instead of heading back to my room, I head to the far end of the manor and find a doorway leading outside. I need fresh air more than anything. Every sound around me fades as my hand lands on the door and the other lands on the knob. One twist and fresh air from outside comes pouring in. It brings with it relief. Relief that I have desperately sought. Once I'm outside, the sound of rustling leaves replaces everything else. The cool breeze helps calm my nerves, but it doesn't erase the heat still lingering on my skin. I reach up, touching my lips lightly, remembering the searing kiss between us. 'Thinking about me," Damian says as he steps out behind me and closes the door. 'Why would I?" I ask in a whisper, not wanting to admit I was doing just that. The more important question I should have asked is why I let it happen. He bought me and that is something that will never change. They might as well call me Belle and him the beast at this point, because that is what we are. At least, what it feels like. I continue to move, hoping my feet will take me further away from him. Once I find the nearest tree, I lean against it, trying to sort through the raging storm that is within my mind. Part of me wants to fight him, to tell him I'm not his to claim. But there is this growing part of me that likes the way it sounds. I don't hate the way it feels, and that scares me the most. More than him, the pack, or anything else. I don't want to belong to this world. I want to go back to what I once had. 'Hiding isn't going to change anything," Evelyn calls out, startling me. I jerk my head to the side, only to find her standing a few feet away. Then she looks to the side and sees Damian approaching. 'Ah, I see you have already found her. I thought she might be trying to get away. It is bright out, though, so I should have known." 'Yes, I'm definitely not hiding when he followed me through the estate to make sure I didn't escape," I say, before turning to lock eyes with him. 'A girl can't get any peace around here." This only causes Evelyn to chuckle. 'Just wait. Wolves get worse." What little smile had spread across my lips fades quickly. 'Worse?" She laughs even louder. 'They are possessive beasts, especially the males. No one takes their female nor gets near here. Not even other females." Her eyes flick to the side. 'Not when she hasn't been claimed yet, and he's hunting her." I want to laugh, because it sounds ridiculous, but when I look behind me, I know it's not a joke. He truly looks wild, like he's hunting me, and it's only a matter of time before he gets me. 'What do they do once you give in? Does the hunt ever finish?" I ask, trying to make sense of everything. 'I mean, it's not like I'm running from him and he's still stalking me." 'Oh, honey, he will hunt you until he sinks his teeth into your flesh to claim you as his. Then the real fun begins." I shudder as I hear those words. 'He'll do what? Sink his teeth into my flesh? Where and when?" Evelyn shrugs. 'When you accept what you are to him. The claim mark will be of his choosing. Some get one on the throat. Some on their thigh. You never know where his wolf will mark you once you accept." 'And if I don't accept?" She eyes him. 'You won't be able to resist. Eventually, you're going to cave to him." 'And you're just now telling me this? I haven't even been here that long, but I could have been told this once I arrived. Anything would have been better than finding out now." I look behind me, noticing he has come to a stop. His eyes are flickering back and forth between glowing and human. All I hear is Evelyn laughing again. 'Your running has set him off. He won't let you out of his sights now or ever. If you thought he was clinging before and demanding you stay by his side before, it just got worse. His wolf is fighting him." 'So what you're telling me is I did this to myself. Don't complain. Got it," I say, laughing nervously. 'What if I never let him claim me?" She sighs and steps closer, but that only earns her a growl from Damian. He calms once he sees she isn't getting closer. 'Damian doesn't give his heart easily. If he wants you by his side and says you're his, it means something." I bristle, but she just shakes her head. 'You're scared and I understand. But you'll have to stop fighting just for the sake of fighting. I think you may like him more than you want to admit." I look back at him, still clutching the tree. She's right. I like him more than I ever want to admit and it scares me.