Word Count: 1818

~Vaela

Hale drinks in the scene in front of him, expression muddled with confusion.

"What the hell is going on?" He demands, looking between Trace and I.

Trace now cowers against the far wall, mortified. He thought I was hallucinating after the hit I took to the head, and now he's looking at a Sin.

"You're the Pureblood Vaela talked about." His voice shakes as he speaks.

"And who are you?" Hale demands.

Trace swallows, pushing away from the wall as Hale strides in, slamming the door closed behind him. He's realising how weak he is compared to the Sun, so he may as well own his fear.

"I'm Trace. I'm her boyfriend." I grimace. Trace is setting himself up to face what he inflicted upon me all those years ago.

Hale blinks, coming to terms with who he is looking at.

"You're the one who murdered her," he says softly.

His tone is deceptive. I can feel the anger rolling off him, so palpable it hurts me, and I'm thoroughly enjoying this exchange already, even if I've fought against all these weeks.

"I...It's not what you think," Trace says carefully, glancing at me.

Hale steps toward him, hands seated in his pockets. "Oh yeah? And what should I think, Trace?"

It's hard to find this amusing as I'm bleeding out on the floor, Hale clearly not having noticed the extent of it yet.

But just having him in the room has dissolved some of the pain, keeping me from falling into unconsciousness.

"I love her." Trace's whisper makes me shudder. This isn't good.

"What a shame. She's my mate," Hale mutters, drawing his hands from his pockets. Trace's gaze remains pinned to them, waiting for him to make the first move.

"Oh..."

"And I've spent far too long thinking about what I would do to you the moment I saw you." There's a taunting smile on Hale's face, but it's hardly because he's happy.

Although I don't doubt he will enjoy this...

"I like to consider myself a reasonable man, but when it comes to Vaela, I couldn't be more unreasonable." He looks at me, and I smile weakly, feeling my face pale.

Trace's back is pressed so tightly against the wall, I wouldn't be surprised if he falls straight through it.

"Please don't hurt me..." He begs.

"I've held myself back long enough. Now I'm to kill you," he breathes.

"Hale-"

Any words of protest stop short in my throat as Hale raises his hand, and without even touching Trace, sends him hurtling across the room, his entire body slamming against the far wall.

The sound is sickening, as Trace slides to the floor, whimpering as the Pureblood advances on him again.

"Perhaps I would have mercy on you, in another situation. Mortals take lives with no consequences, I should not be surprised. But unfortunately, you happened to kill the one person you should never have touched."

Hale reaches down, grabbing him by the collar of his shirt.

"I didn't know she was your mate." Were i anyone else's my mate, he would have killed them.

He now knows how impossible that is.

Hale smirks down at him, a terrifying air about him that even has my stomach turning. "Now you do."

He grabs Trace again, knocking his head back against the wall. The sound echoes through the room, accompanied by Trace's pained groan. Hale is taking his time with him, enjoying the suffering of the man who once killed his mate.

Hale backs away, brushing his hands together. Trace reaches behind him, and when he pulls his hand back, it's covered in blood.

He stumbles to his feet, bracing himself on the wall.

"Fight me like a man," he growls, raising his fists.

I'm not sure why he would think he would fare any better against Hale in a fist fight, but if he sits here, he's going to be killed regardless.

"You are not a man. You are a coward. And you will die like one."

Hale wanders around the kitchen, opening and closing drawers, letting Trace sit in the uncomfortably silence, awaiting his fate.

With Hale's back turned, I can see Trace's eyes wandering to the door, but even my delirious state from blood loss, I know he would be a fool to make that move.

Hale picks a particularly large knife from the drawer, stalking over to Trace, who has been edging toward the door.

"I want to be the one to bring you your final breath. I've wanted that the moment I found out what you did to Vaela," he growls, before pushing the knife into Trace's stomach.

I squeeze my eyes shut before I can witness anything too graphic, hearing the thud of Trace's body on the floor.

Peeking my eyes open, I see him clutching his stomach, looking at me with wide eyes.

"I love you," he whispers, before his eyes flutter closed, and he rolls onto his back. As I watch the life seep from him, I don't feel anything but numbness. I've wanted him dead for so long, and seeing it now doesn't feel like how I thought it was.

But maybe that is because I'm bleeding out right now onto the floor.

Hale checks his pulse, before turning to me. "He's dead."

"And so am I," I breathe, feeling myself slump back, unable to find anymore energy to keep myself propped up.

Hale is at my side in a moment, finally noticing my blood soaked shirt and what has spilled down onto the floor around me. "Woah, Vae, what's going on?"

"I'm dying Hale. My stomach," I grit out, a dark vignette shading the outside of my vision as I come closer to falling unconcious.

Hale lifts the edge of my shirt, examine the wound on my stomach. "Oh fuck. He did this to you?"

I nod, trying to concentrate on my breathing.

"It's okay, I know a great healer in the mortal realm who can help you. Just hold on," he says, the panic evident in his voice as he draws his arms under me.

The moment he picks me up, however, I lose my fight with consciousness, and fall into the depths of darkness.

The next time I wake, the pain hits me in waves, making it impossible to move as my eyes flutter open, wincing at the light above me.

It takes a few moments for my memory to find me again, as an unfamiliar woman comes to stand over me.

"How are you feeling?" she asks.

"Alive, but barely."

"You should be okay now, just stay lying down for awhile," she instructs, adjusting my pillow for me. I have no idea where I am, although I vaguely remember Hale telling me he was bringing me to a healer in the mortal realm.

I twist my head, realising there is no one else in the room with us. "Where's Hale?"

"Outside. I had to send him away because he was fussing too much," the woman says, laughing slightly. I smile, knowing exactly what he would be like in this situation.

"He's my mate," I tell her.

It feels strange saying that, but if feels right.

"That explains a lot," she chuckles, moving away to open the door. Hale stalks in immediately, clearly having been pacing by the door the entire time, waiting for me to wake.

The relief on his face makes my heart melt. All that concern washes away, replaced instead by overwhelming happiness as he makes it to my bedside, clearly unsure of where he can touch as he looks over me.

"You're okay," he breathes, brushing my hair back up from my face. I stare up at those silver eyes, grateful I'm alive, that I'm here with him.

"I think so."

"We nearly lost her there. A moment longer I doubt she would have survived," the healer exclaims, helping me sit up a little more.

"She's okay now though, right?" Hale demands.

"Yes, but it will take her some time to heal. Don't push her too much." The healer gives me a curt smile, before she leaves the room.

Hale lets out a long breath. "I'm so glad you're okay. I thought you were..."

"It's okay Hale, I'm fine now," I assure him. I don't feel so fine, my stomach burning with pain, but I'm so grateful to be alive and to have Hale here, that I don't care. I'll heal, now that I'm united with my mate.

"I'm taking you home the moment she allows me to," he tells me, looking tempted to just do it right now, regardless of the healer.

I take the water he hands me, glad to coat my dry mouth and throat. "Home. It really is my home now, isn't it?"

"It doesn't have to be. I will build you a place anywhere you desire. Just say the word and it's done," he tells me, like he fears I won't go back to the cave with him just because I don't like it. I would laugh, if it wouldn't hurt so much.

"I actually like the cave. As long as you're in it." I have far too many fantasies with myself and Hale in that cave to refuse to go back there now.

"I'm taking you there soon, alright?"

"We are mates," I say, unable to smother my delighted smile.

"The moment we touched, I've never known happiness like that in my long life. You're everything I've been searching for," he tells me softly. I squeeze his hands, on the verge of tears, knowing that everything he has said is everything that I feel.

"You can save my life," I murmur.

He smirks. "I plan to, and very thoroughly."

"Hale!"

He leans down and kisses my forehead. "It will have to wait until you're better I'm afraid. So for now, you'll be stuck in that cave with me again."

"Just because we are mates doesn't mean I don't want to fix all this. I don't want to be mortal," I remind him. As soon as I'm immortal again, I can live out a normal life again, although this time, I will have Hale by my side.

Hale nods assuredly. "Trust me, making you immortal again is as much my priority as anything else. I want you strong, healthy and ready for everything I plan to throw at you."

I smile, knowing what that means. "Comforting. Now, I want to go home."

"You look fine to me. I think I'm going to steal you away now," he smiles.

💗••💗

As always, the story will be available 10 chapters ahead on Radish!!!

You can also find it on GoodNovel (:

• A DEMON'S KISS IS OUT NOW ON WATTPAD•

"You...You what?"

Kastriv examines my husband with an unforgiving, ice cold gaze. "I want to fuck your wife. And you're going to let me."

~Midika 💜🐼