Chapter 24: The Demons Between Us

“Give me your coat, Cassidy.”

“Oh, right—here.” I took off my coat abruptly as I strode to the table. I gaped as I traced the scars on Zarion’s back with my finger. He was lying uncomfortably on the table, too uncomfortably.

Heavens above, I saw him smirking in the corner of my eye probably because of my reaction. “Oh, Zarion…” I gasped. My hand remained on his back, rubbing his skin and letting him know that I am just here. I’m right here, Zarion. Don’t you worry.

“Get a chair and put it in front of me so I can see your full face, Cass.” Like a child, I followed his order and pulled a chair so that I could look at his face properly. Immediately. He’s not in good condition though. “What is this, Zarion?” My voice was full of worry. “I thought you're Zarion the Great—the invincible?”

I hate him so much. But why do I still care for him? I didn’t know he was suffering when I knocked on that door earlier. I never heard his screams. Didn’t even feel the wrongness in the air. Now, looking at his scars, it looks so painful. I should have known. I should be the one tending to him, standing next to him. I should have been the one treating his wounds and staring at the viciousness of his scars.

He was so damn mysterious. He never tells me a piece of him. While me…I was an open book to him. To everyone. All the emotions and information he wants from me, I let him read it. Laid it before him. All of it, as if he was my God and I am his worshipper.

Tears started rolling down my cheeks while touching his face. “Hey, hush, it’s okay…” he whispered to me in a somewhat choking voice. He cannot move his body, so with his arms— I could only get a reaction from his face.

“You were okay when I got out…” I whispered, slowly caressing his face with my thumb.

“I’m never okay when it’s dawn, Cassidy.”

“W-What—What did you say?” I swallowed. “Why?!”

“I let the demons consume me.”

“D-Demons? I don’t understand!” I said, pointing to the scars on his back. Zarion only let out a small laugh. “Would you believe me if I said it’s my doing?”

I exhaled and inhaled, then exhaled again. I don’t want to believe it, but his eyes were serious when he muttered those words. All I could ask is, “Why?”

He met my unblinking gaze. “Because of my demons, Cassidy. I can’t control it—I’ll never be able to, that’s why I hurt myself to stop them.”

“And it happens during dawn?”

“Yes, the intensity depends on the day. Today is lethal.”

“How do you know?”

“Sometimes, I just went out to the woods to hunt and kill animals and act like a rogue. But today was something. I could kill anybody in my sight. I was afraid I could kill someone… innocent in the wild or I could meet a human, so I stayed inside. Elliot helped me.” Zarion looks at Elliot who was leaning on the door. His white gloves were packed with his blood and I tried to sniff the tangy smell away. But it won’t, proving the conclusion that, despite all I’ve witnessed since the day Zarion rescued me from the cold and brought me to Brandon’s pack, I am a human after all.

“He’s lucky I didn’t kill him.” I just noticed his eyes were bloodshot, exasperated enough that sleeplessness was vivid in his unyielding eyes.

“Correction, you nearly did kill me.” Elliot intervened in the conversation as he looked at Zarion, his voice was playful but his eyes shimmer with concern. “When you knocked on the door, I immediately paused because I smelled a familiar scent. And Goddess, I was right. It was you.”

Zarion’s eyes remained on my body. “Can it be cured?” I sighed, biting my lip as my sight found Elliot again.

“The what?” Elliot’s face was full of confusion.

“His psychological illness,” I replied.

Elliot snorted. “What is that word, huh? Mind to elaborate, please.”

“I mean, we should stop it, right? He can’t keep on hurting himself like this!” I cried my voice out and pointed at Zarion’s open and closed wounds. Blood still glistening on the table with apparent crimsoness “I think it’s a psychological illness, Elliot. We call it when someone’s—”

“Wait, I get it. You think Zarion’s crazy? Humans are really ridiculous, aren’t you?” Elliot was right, though. We can sometimes be ridiculous. He stuck out his tongue, and showed his hands at me to prove a point.

“Yeah, he’s crazy,” Elliot sarcastically laughed and softly punched the walls beside him. “That’s why he came here with you to—”

“Elliot. Stop it.” Zarion cuts him off even before he can resume. The latter heaved a deep sigh and nodded. “Fine, fine, I’ll leave you two to get some time alone.”

“Thank you,” the former Alpha whispered. I wait for the sound of the clicking of the door knob before grabbing Zarion’s hands and softly curl my fingers on them.

“You…” I forced my voice to not come out as a sob, but it seems he already knew it despite how I tried to hide it. Zarion just let me do that while we shared a look that seemed to last for eternity.

Silence enveloped the room; the sound of our breathing and the pounding of our hearts are the only thing that spanned between us that I almost forgot that the sound of the burning fireplace was echoing in a few distance.

“Now you can’t go and find that witch,” I smirked.

But his fingers wrapped my wrist. I already knew his words even before he voiced it out. “I still can, Cassidy.” The grin on his face widens as he caresses my lips, then my face.

Scoffing, I grinned back.