The Beast's Possession
81: He is getting too strong.

**Bane

pov**

My pleas shocked her speechless, but I couldn't blame her. I was throwing so much on Aife's shoulders, I truly felt genuinely guilty for what I was doing.

Ever since I woke up, I couldn't think of anything but her. Somewhere along the way of losing my consciousness and being brought back by her, I was sure I died and faced a real angel.

At one point, I realized it was her. It was her who fought for me, her who called for help, and her who cried on my chest while begging for me not to die.

After everything I had done, she still remained by my side...

Aife had an amazing opportunity to get away from me, but she didn't. She chose my life over her own freedom, and as selfish as it sounded, I wasn't sure if I could ever forgive her for the choice she made.

She was too good to be trapped here and ruined by the darkness that surrounded us all.

And while I fought with my stupid emotions, he got only stronger. He was fighting to hurt Zion, but after my eyes set on Aife sleeping on that couch yesterday, he grew restless, obsessed.

I had to get her as far away from me as possible. The sooner the better.

"If I could turn back time, if only I could predict what would happen after taking you away from that pack, I wouldn't have done anything. It's too late to regret what has been done, just know I would change it all if I had the power to do so. You're finally free," I muttered the last words, struggling to swallow around the lump in my throat.

Slowly, I pulled my hand away from hers, stood up and left the room.

This back and forth bullshit I kept pulling on her was tiring. Surely, it had to be worse for her, that much I knew, so it was better if she left this god forsaken land.

I tried. I fucking tried to be the man I wanted to be, but every time I pushed back, the darkness came back twice as strong.

And sadly, one of the things I had noticed lately was that it was growing even stronger the more time I spent around Aife. The more I tried to open up to her and get closer, the more aggressive it became.

At this point, if I chose to remain as selfish as I had been all this time, it would harm only her. My own issues would become her downfall.

I hated admitting this, but I had grown too fond and hopeful of her. I couldn't let my feelings rule my mind and pull her into the abyss of destruction I was heading to.

Rounding the corner, I ran into someone. "My bad," I muttered without looking at the person.

Strong hands grabbed my shoulders and shook me. "Bane, what the hell is wrong with you? Did something happen to Aife? Why did you leave her alone?" Zion shouted.

Recognizing his voice, I looked into my best friend's eyes and the sense of the overwhelming guilt hit me with new strength. He too had suffered because of me, more than anyone else, yet he chose to remain by my side. Zion was too loyal to know what was better for him. My entire pack was the same.

A damn slideshow of memories flashed before my eyes, proving time and time again how unfit I was of the title I held. I was no Alpha, I was a disease, a curse they didn't deserve.

"I set her free," the words felt heavy, almost unreal.

Expecting Zion to smile, to tell me I was making the right decision, I felt truly let down by the reaction that was nothing of the sort of what I wanted.

"Have you lost your goddamn mind?" He hissed, digging his fingers into my shoulders.

I didn't fight him or try to break out of his hold. If Zion was about to lose his cool and attack me, the least I could do was take it. Everything he had to give.

But he didn't attack me. Zion just held me and looked at me with nothing but disappointment in his eyes.

"He is getting too strong. It's not safe. I told you she's safe with me, but she isn't. Yesterday, when he saw her, something in him clicked. He had never craved blood as much as he wanted hers yesterday. I don't think I can hold him back for any longer. No one is safe around me."

Admitting defeat was hard, especially with something I had fought against my entire life. Years of never ending battle with the darkness that followed every step I took finally took a toll on me.

I was tired. Tired of fighting, holding back, and most importantly - living with a secret that would take me to an early grave.

"You didn't tell her why you're doing this, did you?" Zion asked, pulling me back to reality.

I shook my head.

"So you didn't come clean with her? Just sent me away to sit down and tell her that after killing her family and entire pack, you're pretty much tired of playing around with the poor girl so now you're throwing her out like a broken toy?" His voice kept growing louder with each word passing his lips.

Zion probably wanted the entire pack to hear his anger, not that I could blame him.

He, the same as me, had grown very comfortable with her presence. But, unlike me, Zion looked at her as the older brother would look at his baby sister.

"Some secrets are better left untold, my friend. I rather have her hate me and run than let me take even the tiniest space in her heart, even if only for pity. I can't risk her coming back here. It's too dangerous. If I need to lie and hurt her to save her, that's exactly what I will do. I pulled her into this mess, so I have to fix it."

I spoke nothing but the truth, but I couldn't bring myself to look into his eyes. I had taken too much from him already.

As much as it pained me, I let out a breath and muttered the words I dreaded more than anything. "Maybe you should go with her too. Me and you both know what will happen next."

"Hell, no. She's special and she's not leaving. Neither am I," Zion argued.

"Listen," I started, but he cut me off.

"No, you listen. She had a prime chance to leave yesterday while you were bleeding your ass off on the kitchen floor. And she didn't. She stayed with you, shielded you while you were at your most vulnerable and this is how you react? I mean, do you even hear yourself? You need to get yourself checked or some shit, because right now, you're not fighting your darkness, you're feeding it."

He was right. I was, in fact, feeding it as I pushed everyone who mattered away from me. If the darkness were to take anyone, I wouldn't allow it to have more than me.

Zion pulled his hands away from me and stepped aside. "Go and get some sleep. We will talk about the measures you want to take after your bloody nap. In the meantime, I will go and talk to Aife. If she chooses so, she can leave. If she doesn't, well, suck it up, buttercup, she ain't leaving."