The Mask Of The Monster - Chapter 87

(From Leandro’s Perspective)

I had a feeling that she was hiding something from me since last night, but I did not want to push her because I knew when she was ready, she would tell me. The incident in the morning was in my mind all the time. It was very intimate and she liked it too, but suddenly she pushed me away as if she was afraid of something…

I was writing some important letters to Anders when I sensed a shifter touching her and that was also without her consent. A mark allowed us to sense if the other one was touched by a shifter and a human, but as it was a half mark, I could only sense if she was touched by a shifter. The feeling was like a tingly burning sensation in the veins and when a shifter touched the other one without their consent, the burning sensation would be strong and hard to ignore, it was not like I would ignore anyway.

I had come to find her as soon as possible. Because of the mark, I could sense where she was. When I reached the house, I heard her talking to another person. And he had sensed that I was here.

I could not believe she hid it from me that she had found her dad. Why would she do that? Did she think that I would not let her meet him?

I had a clear idea that it was a risk for me to talk to him, but I could not just let her be with him even if he was her dad. He was the one who left her. How could I be sure that he would not do the same thing again?

I wanted to be the one to describe why I did not kill her and why she was staying with me. Ella must be feeling bad for me after hearing the same thing again and again and she was trying to make everyone understand that I was not the type of person they thought me to be. But she did not know that_ I was always a deadly monster, but to her, I could be anything but that monster.

“I was in my Beast form when I found her. She helped me regain my human form for the first time,” I said.

“How?” Alessandro asked. By the look on his face, he still feared me just like before. He should as well- after all, I was still a monster no matter how different I was to Ella.

I looked at her and found her looking at me as well with an always eager look on her face. She was always like this, always so curious about everything.

“She touched me without backing away with fear, she caressed my fur even though I might be the most heinous looking creature,” I replied, maintaining eye contact with her. People usually feared the way I looked at them, but she did not. She seemed to be comfortable with my gaze despite the coldness that I could not change fully yet even though I tried.

“Why did you touch that creature, Ella?” Alessandro asked as if he was talking about something nasty and despicable.

“Because she wanted to see if my fur was soft or not,” I replied for her and she nodded, smiling broadly.

Alessandro looked shocked as he looked at both of us with his mouth half-open. I did not care what others thought about the way she and I talked. To me, it was perfect and that’s all that mattered.

“She was tired perhaps and she fainted, but she did not faint from fear. It was clear in her eyes,” I said. I knew she did not want others to know that she feared blood, so I decided not to tell her Dad that, rather I tried to come up with a lie. “I took her with me to where I live. And you already know where I live, don’t you?”

“Yes, I do. But we never could go there. They fear you the most,” Alessandro said.

Ella had a questioning look on her face. I nodded at her, telling her with my eyes that “I’ll tell you later”. She understood and pouted, just the way she always did when she was told that I would tell her something later.

“I wanted to kill her thinking she was one of Nicklaus’s people. I would not have waited to hear an explanation from her just like someone like me would do. But I waited for her to get up. She intrigued me and killing her just like that did not sit well with me,” I said and glanced sideways at Ella who did not seem to care that I had thought of killing her. She was still looking at me with those curious eyes that always made my heart go wild. “After she woke up, she told me how she got here and said that she did not even know Nicklaus. She was just a stranger and even if I knew that she could lie, I still decided to let her go. She wanted to leave too. But after she left, I could not stay still. I was_ worried if something happened to her, so I went to look for her. I did not have to go far, she was running back getting chased by three Orgades. Then I took her back with me and she made a deal with me.”

“A deal?” Alessandro asked, shocked.

“Yes, a deal. We made a deal that she would bring me information from the castle for me and I would let her stay with me,” I said.

“How could you make such a deal with her? She is just a child,” Alessandro said.

“I’m not a child, Dad,” she said carelessly. “And besides, I’m the one who nagged Leandro to make a deal with him.”

“But how do you get inside the castle?” he asked.

“I work as a servant there,” she replied.

“My daughter- a servant? Disgusting! Moreover, it’s dangerous! If the king or his father see you and take an interest in you, you don’t know what can happen…,” he said, panicking and I could not help but find the resemblance between Ella and her father when worried.

“I know. In that case, they’ll take me as their slave. But I’m being careful not to get in front of them much. I have Jed there and Edrich is helping too. So everything is going well,” she said.

“If a single thing goes wrong, you can die too. You can come and live with me, Ella. You don’t have to worry about doing anything. My place is your place too,” he said.

“No,” I said dismissively.

“Why not? She won’t stay at your place and she won’t have to work as a servant anymore. She will be safe,” he said.

“She will stay with me,” I said.

“Why are you doing this to her, my lord? If she leaves, it will lessen your burden. You won’t have to share your place then,” he said.

“No, Dad. I want to stay with him,” she muttered.

“What?” he was shocked. He should be. To be honest, I was a bit shocked too by her normal saying. She liked me, but I had a feeling that if her dad asked her to be with him, she would go. But she did not. She wanted to stay with me, with a monster.

“You heard me, Dad. It’s not just the deal… Never mind. All that matters is that I want to stay with him. And as I’m an adult, I can do as I wish,” she said firmly. I had never seen her talking so expressionlessly and it kind of gave her a suppressed fierce look. She did not raise her voice, but it did not make her look weak, rather she looked dangerous in her way. I did not know this part of her existed and I wondered what she would be like if she was a leader. “I’ll leave now. I need to go back to the castle. It’s been more than two hours. I told Jed I would come back soon. Anyway, goodbye.”

She stood up and Alessandro stood up as well.

“Please come and live with me, my little princess. Dad is worried about you.”

“Sorry, Dad, but I already have a home. But if I ever need a place to stay, I’ll come to you. Just let Leandro know where the place is, I have to leave now. And when I’ll come to stay with you, make sure you care about me and be a bit worried about me. It’ll make me feel good,” she said, her eyes cold and her lips pursed. “And, Dad_ I’m not a little princess. I never was. So, you better not call me that. I’ve always been Ella, just Ella.”

“Can you at least forgive me?” he asked desperately.

“No,” she replied sharply. “I don’t forgive.”

And just like that, she left, not glancing back even for once.. But I could feel the sadness radiating from her and I found myself promising again that no matter what, I would not let her feel like this ever again.