The Beast's Possession

**Aife

pov**

A part of me was extremely curious about what Zion was planning to do, but the other insisted I had to drop it.

What people in this pack did or didn't do was none of my business.

My main goal was to play the little, scared lamb and bend to every demand Bane would have until he trusted me and I could escape.

Focusing on that, I jumped in to help the cleaners. For a while, it actually felt nice.

People around me weren't putting me down, they focused on the work and chatted away. Some men flirted with women, which clearly was something women enjoyed.

At one point, a man approached me and cleared his throat, starting me in the process. I looked up at him and raised an eyebrow, wondering if he came to say something mean like others had done before.

Despite his tough appearance, he seemed hesitant and the slight blush on his cheeks made him look like he was nervous about something.

"Can I help with anything?" I asked since he remained silent.

He cleared his throat again and started shifting his weight from one leg to the other. "Yeah, sorry, Luna. I was wondering if you are too busy to maybe check if there are any paper cups after all or if we should send anyone to the main house to fetch some. We talked and agreed that a coffee break would be awesome, if you don't mind."

Just as I was about to open my mouth, he spoke again.

"And we also agreed that you need to rest. We fully understand it is not our call to make, but if you would allow us, we wanted to call the pack doctor to look at your hands. Those cuts are pretty nasty and everyone here thinks you should think about yourself a little more. We don't want to overstep, we're just worried about you."

A smile I didn't want to exist spread across my lips. It was foolish, I knew, but the stranger's words made me feel warm inside.

The other men and women were throwing me worried glances, clearly proving that the man wasn't lying.

"What is your name?" I blurted out.

His eyes widened a little and the blush on his cheeks turned darker. "William." He muttered, sounding as if he was ashamed of his own name.

I cleaned off one of my hands and offered it to him. "It's nice to meet you, William. My name is Aife."

One thing my father taught me was to always be kind to everyone. Even those who hurt me.

Kindness was the key to hearts and while I planned to leave everyone behind, for the time being, a friend or an ally would benefit me greatly.

With a slight tremble to his hand, William shook my hand and grinned. "The pleasure is mine, Luna. So, coffee?"

I chuckled and nodded, looking over his shoulder to gain the attention of the others who were cleaning up the mess. "Coffee for everyone or should I prepare some tea too?"

To my utter surprise, everyone's faces lighted up in bright smiles as they all called out their drinks of choice. It was so different from how it was when I just was brought here that the change was hard to believe.

No one looked down on me, no one sneered or glared daggers at me.

I wasted another five minutes trying to convince everyone that I was fine and I didn't need the pack doctor's help. When I told them there was a first aid kit in the kitchen, which by the way was a lie, they backed off and made me promise I would tend to my wounds.

Now, I had to figure out how to do that. Or, I would just call for them when the drinks were ready and lie again, probably something about not being able to find the kit after all.

Once I disappeared inside the kitchen, I listened to all of them laugh and have fun while they worked. Instantly, I started checking the cabinets and shelves for the paper cups, seeing there were no breakable ones left.

I got so distracted by my thoughts and the melody I was humming under my breath that I didn't notice how the happy, playful chatter faded and a weird tension appeared out of nowhere.

That is, until I heard the main door close and the door to the kitchen open.

Glancing over my shoulder, I froze. Bane was back. Quickly, I averted my gaze and started overexplaining what I was doing on an instinct. "I'm sorry, I was looking for paper cups because the good ones are broken and got distracted. I mean, I was working, I kept cleaning up after you left, but Beta brought some help and they wanted coffee, and tea, and drinks, and I just..."

I spoke until I was out of breath, ignoring that at one point, the only word that left my lips was 'and' over, and over again.

Bane didn't utter a word, which honestly, made the situation even worse.

Whenever he screamed or raged, it was easier for me to figure out how to go about things, but when he didn't, I had no idea what to expect.

Slowly, I turned around to face him. As soon as I did, he stepped closer and I instinctively flinched away with every step he took.

I realized I had backed myself in the corner only when he stood in front of me, his dark presence looming over me.

When he extended his hand, I didn't know what to expect or do. He looked like he was crazy - silent, unreadable expression on his face, hand held forward as if he wanted me to give him some change.

"I-I didn't take anything," I stuttered out the first assumption that came to my mind. He couldn't think that I was a thief, could he?

Bane let out a grunt, sucked in an annoyed breath and whispered, "hand."

I looked down at his hand, then at him, and again at his hand. So many thoughts rushed through my mind, so many fears I didn't want to admit, but I knew, if I didn't do what he asked me to, it would be way worse. My hand shook as I placed it in his. The moment our skin touched, I squeezed my eyes shut and held my breath.

Anything I expected didn't happen. When Bane placed his other hand over mine and gently flipped mine, I slowly opened my eyes.

He was inspecting my hand, a serious look on his face, eyebrows furrowed. "The cuts are very deep, no wonder you're still bleeding. I think there is glass stuck in them too. Give me the other hand," he muttered without looking at me. I played along and gave him my other hand, just to get the same reaction and words repeated. His actions shocked me speechless.

Bane didn't inflict any pain, his touch was warm and gentle, almost comforting. But then, he dropped my hands, spun on his heel and left the kitchen.noveldrama

I stood without moving, staring at the door, completely dazed. A moment later, he returned and told me to come closer. When I did, he gripped my hips and lifted me so I sat on the kitchen counter, or at least the part that wasn't demolished. Bane dragged a chair in front of me and sat down. I watched him place a towel on my legs and my hands on top of it. He opened the first aid kit I hadn't noticed before, grabbed tweezers and slowly started pulling glass bits out of my hands. How I hadn't noticed their existence before was beyond me. Maybe I just got used to the pain and didn't feel them cutting and moving in the wounds as I kept working?

The whole house was deathly silent, making me think Bane sent everyone away. I hated this silence, would rather prefer the voices and chatter just so I wouldn't have to hold my breath while he was around.

At one point, I zoned out as Bane tended to my wounds. Everything felt peaceful and calm while I was stuck in my thoughts, but it all changed when he decided to speak again. "I'm sorry."