Sorry for the super late update!!

It was completely dark as they ran out into the night. The trees reached out, biting at their skin and tearing their clothes. Jaxson pulled on Zoey's hand, forcing her to run faster. Her eyes stayed trained on the ground in fear she would trip.

Jaxson suddenly reached behind her and held her up, bridal style. Zoey shrieked as Jaxson continued to fly through the trees.

"I can run! Let me down."

"No, you will slow us down."

Zoey heard snarls and something pounding against the soil of the forest. Panic surged through her, and her heart hammered in her chest. She clenched harder into Jaxson, looking for a sense of safety.

Jaxson began slowing down. He was unsure of where to go to escape the beasts that chased them. A whiff of water gave him an idea.

Zoey felt Jaxson pick up in speed. She was stunned by how fast this man could run—proving to her once more that he was not human.

She heard the sounds of running water before she could see it. Before Zoey knew it, she and the Beast stood at the edge of a cliff. They were peering down at the thundering roar of the waterfall crashing into the waters below.

Zoey gasped as a cool breeze blew droplets of water flew up onto her skin. She shivered, causing Jaxson to grip her tighter.

He could hear the snarls getting closer and knew they would be on them in a matter of seconds.

"Do you trust me, Zoey?"

She followed his gaze to the black pools below.

"No! Are you crazy? You could kill us!"

Zoey struggled to get out of his hold. Her panic bubbled up inside her and gripped her heart in an iron grip.

"Zoey! I need you to trust me." He pleaded with her.

She could hear whatever was following them get closer, and she realized this was their only chance at escaping.

Zoey looked up into the dark shadows of his eyes and nodded.

Without another word, he walked to the cliff's edge and jumped.

She gasped, feeling her stomach drop.

As they hit the water, Jaxson lost his hold on Zoey. The river ripped them apart.

The flowing water pushed them down, turning them around. Zoey clawed at the water, struggling to get to the top as her bag added weight. She also wasn't sure what direction the surface was. Her lungs screamed at her to take a breath.

Just as her vision darkened, she broke through the water's surface. She took a deep breath of the forest air, gulping down as much as possible.

Zoey remembered she wasn't the only one in the river. She looked around frantically for Jaxson.

"Jaxson!" She cried out, dunking her head back in the water, but it was too black to see anything. The river continued to pull her body downstream, but she fought against the current to try and find him.

"Oh, so you do care about me."

Zoey screamed, her body freezing in terror.

She turned to look behind her, glaring at the Beast as he stood chucking on the shore. He walked down the edge of the river as it continued to pull Zoey slowly down.

"You jerk. How could you do that to me? Especially at a time like this."

He shrugged, a big smirk pulling at his lips.

Zoey groaned and tried to swim to the edge, but she was never good at swimming or even that strong, for that matter.

"A little help would be nice."

Jaxson chucked again, climbing back into the bitter water. He grabbed ahold of Zoey, helping her out.

She shivered as the cool air bit at her wet skin. She could barely feel her fingers and toes.

Jaxson leaned in close to her neck, causing her heart to jump in her chest.

"I think that wiped away most of our scents. We need to hurry in case they decide to come down here."

Zoey rang out her clothes as she followed Jaxson. Her body shivered uncontrollably, and her teeth chattered.

He looked behind him as he noticed her lips turning blue.

"Ah, sorry, Zoey! I forgot humans can't withstand cold for too long."

He pulled her up in her arms again. Her head bounced against his chest as she tucked it close to his body. She was surprised by the heat radiating off his body, even with his clothes still soaking wet.

"How are you so warm? That's not normal."

"I'm not normal, remember."

Zoey nodded, pulling her cold body close to him. She relaxed into his arms. Her brain only focused on finding warmth.

They both stayed silent for however long they walked until Zoey was tired of their travels. Not as tired as Jaxson was, though.

Zoey looked around, noticing that it was starting to become brighter. The sky lightened from black into a navy blue.

Jaxson suddenly cursed, shifting Zoey's eyes up to him as she wondered what was wrong.

"We're not going to make it."

He mumbled under his breath. Jaxson turned his body to look around him before turning in a direction that was absolutely off course.

Zoey stared at him questionably. She turned her head to look where he was looking and spotted a small hole leading slightly into the ground, not far from them.

Zoey figured that wherever they were going was too far, and Jaxson needed a break.

Jaxson slid down into the hole, which Zoey realized was more of a cave. The cave was small, only leaving a bit of room for movement. The cave was dark, and it stayed dark even as the sun rose from the mountain tops.

Jaxson sat them both down at the back of the cave. Zoey shivered as he pulled away from her, taking his warmth with him. Her clothes were still damp, and the frigid cave did nothing to help.

Jaxson grumbled something under his breath and placed his arm back around her.

Zoey tensed. She felt uncomfortable with him touching her, but it helped take away the cold.

After a while of staring out the cave entrance, Zoey finally drifted off to sleep. Jaxson was able to relax, knowing she wouldn't run away. His eyes started to droop, and as much as he fought it, he fell asleep.

Zoey awoke a few short hours later. She was surprised to find Jaxson asleep next to her as she expected him to be awake and guarding her.

Zoey carefully pulled his arm from her shoulder and stood up from the ground. She felt a pinching pain in her neck from how she had slept.

As she stretched it out, she went to the cave entrance, looking out to the midday sun. Zoey climbed out and broke into the light of the day. It wasn't the warmest day, but it still provided Zoey with enough heat to be comfortable.

She sat on the fallen leaves and tilted her head back, letting the sun rays fall upon her face.

Zoey did not know how long she had been out in the sun, but suddenly, she heard shuffling coming from inside the cave.

A deafening growl came from inside. Zoey stood hastily and stepped backward, tripping over a fallen tree, and landed flat on her behind. Her body was filled with an icy panic from the rage she felt within the growl.

She waited for the Beast to emerge from the cave as she dared not move. She couldn't.

"Zoey!" Jaxson's voice rang out through the trees. Freighting any bird who was near. Zoey had never heard his voice like this, and her brain was scrambled with fear. She couldn't make a single thought.

She tried to get her mouth to form words, but it only came as a quivering mess.

Zoey thought she was over her fears of the Beast, but any sense of anger coming from him seemed to raise her panic even more.

After a few moments of her listening to his shuffled and low growls, she was able to move her body closer to the cave.

She stayed just outside the entrance of the cave as it gave her some security.

Jaxson's eyes widened slightly as he sighted her, but they moved into slits.

"What are you doing out there, Zoey?! I thought you had left."

"I-I was enjoying the sun's rays."

She clenched her teeth, hating the stutter that followed her words.

"Well, come back in here so I can keep an eye on you."

Zoey looked down at the cold, dim cave. She wasn't ready to go back in there yet.

Zoey was worried that she might never see the sun again whenever they got to wherever they were going.

"Why don't you come out here? You could use a bit of sun."

Jaxson scoffed at her words.

"Zoey, I won't ask again. Come in here."

She felt anger creeping up her spine.

"No. If you want me, then come and get me."

Zoey snapped but regretted her words, knowing he would genuinely come and get her.

But he didn't.

Jaxson just stayed in the cave, shooting daggers at her.

It suddenly came to her.

"You can't come out here, can you?"

A grumble of annoyance rang from his throat. "Have you ever seen me out in the sun?"

No. No, she hadn't. The Beast was always spotted at night, and even the many times she had seen him, he had never been directly in the sun, or it was at night.

"But I've felt you watching me during the day."

"I have my ways."

There was so sign of a joke in his tone.

Zoey went to step back into the cave, but an idea came to her.

She turned from the cave and started trekking towards the trees.

"Where are you going?"

He called to her.

"I'm leaving. You can't catch me if you can't go out in the sun. Neither can the things that were chasing us last night.

"Zoey, don't do this! You won't make it home. You don't know the way."

"I'll find it!" Somehow.

"Zoey, please."

The desperation in his voice caused her to stop. She turned back around and stomped back to the cave.

"Then give me answers. If you tell me what is going on, I promise I won't leave."

"What if what I have to tell you makes you want to leave."

"Then so be it."

~~~~~~~

Thanks for reading!! Sorry again for the super late update.