I Face My Monsters

Chapter 25: Trust

Vale lay on the small sofa in Carlisle's office. He had done all that he could to help her. Thanks to the wolves, she had slowly stopped her shivering, and now lay burning up with a fever. 

Carlisle sat at his desk on the opposite side of the room, watching her chest rise and fall with every breath with dark eyes. His mind wandered back to just an hour before...

________

"Come on, Love... Wake up, please..." he begged. His hands moved to check the wound in her shoulder. 

The long absence of her combined with the scent of her blood was making the Lord reel within him.

He re-bandaged the wound, murmuring softly to her the whole time, begging...pleading, that she would let him see the color of her pretty eyes again. 

No response, she remained cold and unaware of his pleas.

He was practically sobbing. Grasping her hand in his, the Lord lifted his Lady's hand to his lips and kissed it fiercely. The kisses trailed up her hand, to her wrist, to her arm. 

His mouth went to her face. First one cheek, then the other. 

Then he did something he promised himself he wouldn't do.

He kissed her full on the mouth. Fiercely, longing for her to return the gesture.

He kissed her again and again, whispering his pleas for her to return to him.

His lips went to her throat. His fangs grazing the soft skin there. 

No. Not now. Not yet.

He yanked himself away, releasing his grip on her body and falling to the floor. 

The Lord retreated, but not by much. 

He gathered himself, standing back up. To think that this woman could make him tremble...

There was definitely going to be a bruise on her throat where he had kissed her... where he had almost killed her...

He forced himself away, stumbling to his chair behind his desk. Sinking his head into his hands and sighing.

________

He blinked, coming out of his reverie to see her large hazel eyes looking at him with sincere sadness.

"Vale." he said, his voice gentle, but she could hear the gladness in his voice. "Carlisle. I need to tell you," she began. Carlisle had hurried to her side, listening intently. "I needed to tell you... that I'm sorry." Carlisle blinked in confusion. "For what, my Darling? I don't understand."

"I..." she directed her gaze elsewhere. The remembrance of her nightmare coming to her mind. "I haven't told you everything about my past. About... Chance Gilbert and the rest... I'm sorry that it's so difficult for me to... trust you completely..." Her eyes brimmed with tears. 

Vale never cried. She was a get-up-and-get-going kind of person. She never let anyone she cared about see her cry. She needed to be the strong one so that other people could cry if they needed to. 

Carlisle held her close. She didn't sob. She just sat quietly in his arms, letting the tears fall. "You don't have to tell me." Carlisle whispered. "But I wish there was something I could do to help you to trust me more." "I think," She began again, "the reason why is because I'm terrified of being blind. Or tricked into believing a lie. I... I really want this, Carlisle. I really want to be a part of this family and... being... your mate..." She looked into his golden eyes again. 

"I just want it to be real. I don't want to wake up one day and find that.... that..." her eyes welled up again, her whole body looking so battered and defeated by life, Carlisle felt the overwhelming urge to protect her wash over him.

Wrapping her in his arms, he let her tears fall quietly. "My Darling Vale, my Love, my Life, I swear, right here, right now, before God, that I will not, in any way, shape or form, lie to you or give you reason to distrust me."

He let the words sink in. She closed her eyes, letting the sincerity of his promise wash over her. It felt like warm honey, washing over her heart.

That was the start of a whole new step for the two of them. The beginnings of a journey based on trust...

(Recommended song: Melting Waltz by Abel Korzeniowski)