If We Don't Leave This Town

Caedes stood before her, utterly captivated by her. Every movement she made, every word she spoke, only served to deepen the infatuation he harbored for her. As she greeted him with that soft, melodic voice of hers, a rush of warmth flooded through him, igniting a heat he could scarcely contain. Though he would try.

A rough chuckle escaped his lips at her playful response to his warning, his eyes drinking in the sight of her with obsessive hunger. "Mariah, always finding excitement in the face of danger." He remarked, admiring her silvery eyes and the way they glinted at him. Yet, beneath the surface of his somewhat composed exterior, Caedes battled with his thoughts of Mariah, her body and soul haunting his every waking moment. The curve of her smile, the sparkle in her eyes, the graceful sway of her movements – each detail of her etched into his mind like sacred scripture. He often found himself trailing the sharp lines of her ribcage, and the fragility of her framework. Then her visage, again entranced by those intricate markings, framing the delicate contours of her face, and he yearned to touch her now more than ever. But he refrained. Oh, how he painfully bridled his desire.

Her confession, that he was the very monster she sought, sent a thrill running through him, his mind racing with fantasies he could hardly articulate. Thoughts of reminding her of his bestial nature. "A creature lacking in frightful qualities? Perhaps I should remedy that by giving you a taste of both – assuming you're bold enough to handle it." He whispered the challenge, looming over her with predatory intent. If she wanted to tease him, he would return the favor two-fold.

As she began to speak of news, Caedes found himself hanging on her every word. Her tone had turned serious, the playful banter set aside for the moment as he delivered his undivided attention to her. “What is it?” He took a step back, affording her the space to compose her thoughts as he watched on. The duality of the brute shining through.