An old musky scent slapped Zoey's nose as she stepped into the building. The building must have been a lot older than she had thought. Sweat trickled down her back as the building was hotter than outside, giving her the impression it had no air conditioning. Or electricity either, by the sight of lit candles everywhere.

Zoey winced as Jaxson grasped her tighter into his arm, crushing her ribs. He let go slightly, but a faint snarl left his lips.

Jaxson paused before entering a room with extensive wooden doors.

Zoey's eyes widened in shock as the room packed with people. The room echoed with voices as people discussed and shouted over each other. The door slammed against the wall, and the chatter in the room instantly stopped. Everyone flashed their heads back to look at loud noise. Jaxson's familiar scent drifted into the room, but the girls was unfamiliar.

Jaxson led Zoey through the crowd to the front, where a few people sat in chairs, observing the room. A man stood from his seat—a pleasing smile stretching over his lips. The man appeared older from his salt and pepper hair and the wrinkles adorning his face.

"Zoey! We are so happy to have you join us."

"You know my name?"

"Of course, we know a lot about you. We've been waiting for you for some time."

Zoey's eyes snapped up to Jaxson. What exactly did he tell them?

Her stomach twisted, giving her a sick feeling. Zoey was unsure of what to make of this situation. She had only known Jaxson briefly, but how long did he know of her?

Instead of speaking, she nodded. Zoey's eyes traced over every beast in that room. She could see sparks of interest in all of their crimson eyes.

"We are glad to see you've finally accepted your destiny, Jaxson, and brought her to us. "

Only a grumble came from Jaxson. It's when Zoey noticed how tense he looked.

"So what exactly are we to do now?" Zoey spoke up. She was becoming increasingly frustrated from all this secrecy.

"For now, we want you two to spend time together. Teach Zoey more about our culture and ways. We will continue to check in with you frequently to see if any developments have been made."

"Okay, are we done here?" Jaxson grumbled as his arms moved to cross against his chest. The leaders eyes narrowed sending him harsh looks, and the man sighed.

"Alright, you may return to that shack you call home."

Jaxson seized Zoey's wrist, pulling her out of the room without another word. He was walking faster than her, making him practically drag me behind him. He finally let go the second they came through the front doors. Jaxson continued to his home, but her voice stopped him in his tracks.

"What did they mean when they said you finally excepted your destiny?"

Jaxson shrugged his shoulders, ignoring her question by turning back to the house. He wanted nothing more than a few moments to himself.

"Did you want me to come here?"

He sighed, looking up to the sky before turning to face her.

"If I had a choice, no, you would not be here."

"T-then why... I don't understand."

"It was never my choice to find you, Zoey. I was prepared to search for you my entire life and fought it the whole time. I was forced to find you when I turned eighteen. I was careless and annoyed, so the town spotted me. That's when the stories of the beast emerged."

Jaxson paused, observing Zoey's peering features.

"I hoped I would be like the others, unable to find their match. It took a few years, but eventually, I came across you. But I tried everything to prevent you from coming here."

"What do you mean?"

"That first night you saw me, I tried to scare you. I hoped if I frightened you bad enough, you would move away. It worked in the wrong ways, and I'm sorry for that. I avoided you for a while, but then my-more people were taken, and I had to do something about it."

"Wait, I'm confused. I thought you always wanted to break the curse."

"No, I never saw it as a curse."

Zoey pondered his words, puzzled by previous words he had said.

"But my dreams. The way you would talk to me. The bite! You even said-"

She halted as she looked at the many eyes that watched as they passed. Zoey figured now wouldn't be the best time to ask him questions as they had an audience.

Jaxson looked back at her waiting for her to finish, but she shook her head and continued to the small house. He understood as he peered at the people he grew up with, as they now now stared at him like an outsider.

"What were you trying to say?"

Jaxson asked once the door was shut firmly behind him.

"In my dreams and that day in my brother's house, you told me..." Zoey hesitated, feeling uncomfortable bringing that conversation up. Jaxson wore a scowl on his face. An expression Zoey wore a lot when she was around him.

"You said I would become yours. Why would you say that if you never wanted me here in the first place."

A flick of red came from the shadows that hid most of his face, and suddenly, his hands snatched her waist.

He leaned in close to her neck, breathing in deeply. Zoey flinched, but it only made his grip tighter. The color drained from her face as goosebumps covered her skin.

"Because this is mine."

His lips unexpectedly pressed against her neck. One hand held onto her throat while the other held both hands behind Zoey's back. It prevented her from escaping or moving, for that matter. As his lips traveled around her neck, she lost all sense of thought. His mouth hit a specific spot on her neck, and her eyes suddenly felt droopy. Her body lost all its strength.

"What... w-what are you..." A wave of lightheadedness plunged over her and her eyes finally closed.

~~~

"What the hell is wrong with you?! What happened last night?"

Zoey screamed at Jaxson as she slammed the bedroom door closed behind her. She had woken up in bed the next night, utterly confused.

Jaxson groaned, his fingers pinching the bridge of his nose. "Not know, Zoey, I have a headache."

"You're the one with the headache? You caused me to pass out last night, and I want to know why?!"

"I don't know why! I'm in the dark just as much as you are. All I remember is grabbing you, then you asleep in my arms. If anyone will know what happened to you, it's you."

He didn't remember? Zoey thought. She was confused about how he could forget something like randomly kissing someone's neck but wasn't about to remind him.

"Why would I-" She started but paused. There was no point in this.

"Just forget it." She would rather not say what he did out loud to his face.

A loud knock on the door had Zoey jumping five feet in the air. She had felt jumpy and paranoid since she arrived. Hell, she had felt that way since she first saw the beast. Jaxson pulled the door open, only wide enough that he could suck his head through. Zoey tried to peer around him to see who it was, but he blocked her view.

"Jaxson, I'd like a moment of your time if I may."

Jaxson peered back at me before opening the door wider. A man came into the little home. Zoey had never seen him before. His stance and hair were similar to Jaxson's, making her wonder if they were related. The man eyed me before cocking his head towards Jaxson's bedroom.

"Let's talk privately."

The man left into the room, and Jaxson looked hesitantly at me.

"Go back into the room. I'll be there to get you in few minutes." I nodded, holding all questions until he came back.

Zoey waited until they started their conversation before sneaking out of the room. Their talk became heated, giving Zoey a chance before they sensed or heard her leaving. She crept closer to the room, hoping to hear better.

"What do you expect me to do?"

Jaxson's loud voice rattled the door.

"I don't know, Jaxson, use your brain. Get to know her, kiss her, f**k her for all I care. Just do whatever you can to break the curse."

Jaxson growled under his breath. He didn't like being told what to do. Especially by his uncle. The man had been treating him like a pawn his whole life.

"I won't do that. I don't even want to go near the girl."

"Don't lie to me, Jaxson. There is a reason you are connected to her and why only you two can break the curse. Find it out."

Their voices became hushed again, and Zoey could not hear what they were saying. Zoey snuck back into the room just as the door opened."I'll be checking on you frequently." The man announced as he left out the front door.

A fist rapped twice in the door before Jaxson stepped into the room. "I'm sorry about that."

"Who was he?"

Jaxson sighed, a look On his face. "My uncle."

What did he want?"

She asked though she knew what he had wanted.

"He wanted to make sure I'm doing my job." Jaxson scoffed, pulling open the cupboards. He pulled out the can of oatmeal and looked at the expiration date.

"I'm sorry, Zoey! I haven't been here in a while, so I don't keep the kitchen stocked with food. You must be starving."

She nodded. Her stomach now had a dull ache.

"Give me a minute. I'll go get something for you."

Thanks for reading!!! Sorry for the crazy long update