Page 83 of Ruin

I sat up, pulling the comforter around me, my mind racing to catch up with the whirlwind of emotions. “There’s more?” I stammered, struggling to keep my voice steady.

Arik began to pace, his movements reflecting his inner turmoil. “Claire, I do not know if I can control myself. That is why I always stop. I have been protecting you.”

The shock of his words hit me like a cold wave. “Oh,” I managed, my voice barely a whisper.

My confusion deepened as I tried to understand the full extent of his situation. “Wait, are you telling me you haven’t had sex in hundreds of years?” I asked, incredulously.

“Three hundred and sixty-two years, to be exact,” Arik responded, his voice tinged with frustration and a touch of bitterness.

I blinked rapidly, trying to process his words without adding to his distress. Arik stopped pacing and appeared at the edge of the bed, his back turned to me, his posture heavy with unresolved tension. He let out a deep sigh, his shoulders sagging with a mix of frustration and resignation.

“I still don’t understand,” I said, my voice filled with a mix of confusion and a desperate need for clarity.

In a sudden outburst, Arik slammed his fist into the wall, the impact reverberating through the room. His anger was palpable, a raw and visceral expression of the internal battle he was facing. As I lay there, my heart pounding wildly, Arik’s voice cut through the haze of desire and confusion that had enveloped me. His words were laced with a deep, consuming intensity that sent a shiver down my spine.

“I may lose control. I may hurt you…or bite you and be unable to stop. Ambrosio said I may kill you.” He sighed; his eyes locked in the distance.

His confession made my breath hitch, and a wave of fear swept over me. “Can’t I stop you?” I stammered, my voice trembling with a mix of desperation and dread.

A dark, resonant laugh filled the room, and before I could react, Arik was on top of me again. His hands were suddenly pressing my wrists down against the bed, pinning me beneath him. I was completely at his mercy; my body caught in a state of electrified anticipation and helplessness.

His face was inches from mine as he whispered into my ear, his breath warm and haunting, “I will turn into a monster. You will not be able to stop me. No matter how hard I try, I cannot guarantee your survival.”

A gasp escaped my lips, and I shut my eyes tightly, trying to escape the crushing weight of his words. The sensation of Arik’s body leaving mine was almost a relief, though it was quickly replaced by an aching emptiness. When I opened my eyes, he was standing a few feet away, his expression a tumult of anguish and regret.

“I thought you weren’t going to hurt me?” I whispered, my voice cracking as tears began to well up in my eyes. The pain of his words and the fear of his intentions were too much to bear.

“I don’t want to hurt you,” Arik said, his voice breaking as he shook his head. “If I lose you…”

The vulnerability in his voice made my heart ache. I could see the struggle in his eyes, the torment of knowing he could never fully explain the gravity of his situation without risking everything.

He breathed in deeply before continuing. “I need you to know. You need to know everything. I cannot keep this from you. Sure, at any point I could have just done it and taken my chances. I could have turned you days ago. Or I could have killed you days ago.”

His words hung in the air, heavy with the weight of his unspoken fears. I turned away from him, rolling onto my side, the comforter wrapped tightly around me as a shield. I could feel Arik’s weight settling on the mattress next to me, his presence a comforting yet painful reminder of what we were caught up in.

Arik pressed his body against my back, his touch gentle as he brushed the hair from my face. His hand moved to caress my back in a soothing rhythm, trying to ease the tension and anguish that had settled in my heart. His touch made my cries soften and slow, though the tears still fell freely.

“I am sorry. I am so sorry,” he whispered into my ear, his voice choked with emotion.

I could feel the wetness of his tears against my skin, and it broke my heart to know how deeply he was suffering. I swallowed hard as I rolled onto my back, trying to steady my voice.

“Can you try? For me? Stop yourself before it goes too far like you did before?”

The silence that followed was thick with unresolved tension. I lay there, staring at the ceiling, my mind racing as I tried to piece together the fragments of our situation.

Arik’s face pressed gently against my cheek, his lips brushing against my skin with a tenderness that contrasted sharply with the intensity of the moment. His kisses were soft, but each one carried a weight of longing and regret that made my heart ache.

Slowly, I turned to face him, my eyes locked with his. The depth of emotion in his gaze was almost overwhelming. “Please,” I finally said, my voice steady and filled with certainty.

Arik’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. “I need to hear you say it,” he said, his voice trembling with a mix of hope and fear.

“I know the risks,” I said calmly, forcing myself to meet his gaze with unwavering determination.

Arik’s reaction was immediate. He grabbed the back of my head and pulled my lips to his with a fervent intensity. As our bodies pressed together, it was as if the rest of the world had vanished, leaving only the heat and urgency of our desire.

“Tell me you are going to stay with me forever,” Arik begged, his lips moving to my neck, his touch both tender and demanding. His bite was gentle, barely a whisper of sensation, but it sent a jolt of electricity through me.

I gasped, my voice barely a whisper as I moaned, “I’m yours.”