As Christian felt the warm touch of her fingers on his skin, his eyes automatically fluttered shut, reveling at the feeling. He nodded and finally sat next to her on the bed.

As Ana told him her story, Christian felt a gut wrenching pain in his heart. It broke into tiny pieces, as Ana told him of what happened to her.

"We were coworkers and worked at the same firm. One day he asked me out and before we knew it, we had moved in together. At first everything seemed okay. We were like any other couple, until I noticed after two months that he was acting differently towards me. One day I saw him with another woman by accident. When I confronted him, he lied and said that she was just a client. But I found out a week later that he was sleeping with her. And when I told him to leave, he slapped me.

That was the first time I received a slap from him. I wanted to get out of that relationship, but I didn't have the strength to. He kept asking for forgiveness and I forgave him. He promised to change, as I took him back. I attempted to keep it from my family, but my dad and Kate knew that something was horribly wrong between him and me. They eventually convinced me to leave him and on the day I left, he followed me at my dad's place. He begged me to let him into the apartment, and me being so stupid did as he asked.

That was a huge mistake! We were in the kitchen, because I was busy cooking dinner. And when I refused to go back with him, he threatened to kill me. I told him no and it was then, when he struck me. I fell to the ground, but picked myself up. In the process I grabbed a knife, trying to defend myself. We struggled and he… he."

As that particular memory flashed through her head, it became all too much for her. Ana broke down and let it all out. She began to sob loudly and uncontrollably; her whole body was shaking from her sobs. Christian sat next to her, but he was too dazed to react.

After her sobs subsided, he cupped her face lightly and asked." What did he do to you, when you two struggled? Tell me."

Ana sobbed and looked him in the eyes." He… he stabbed me." she whispered.

As those words reached his ears, Christian began to lose control again— knowing that her blood was spilled by the hands of a piece of scum who deserve to DIE, made him want to throw up. How did someone so good end up with a scum like that?! He couldn't understand! As rage and anger arose from within him, Ana reached out to Christian.

"Christian… don't. Don't let your anger get the best of you. I... I am healed now. Try to calm down." she pleaded.

"No!" he roared.

"He made your blood spill! He doesn't have the right to breathe. He should be punished!" Christian shouted angrily.

Ana shook her head." He did get his punishment. He uhmm… he spend time in jail." She replied.

"No!" he growled, as his eyes glowed yellow again.

At this point, Ana was scared out of her mind! She didn't know what was going on. What was happening to him? All she knew was that she had to do something to calm him down.

"Christian, please calm down. Please." She pleaded.

Her words reached his ears, but at that very moment Christian was incapable of processing them. Instead, he grabbed the sheets from the bed and tore them apart. At that, Ana jumped up, as his action startled her. She watched in horror, as the veins on his neck grew. He was panting, his chest heaving, his eyes locked on hers, a storm raging behind them.

His inner monster wanted to get out, but when Christian saw the fear in Ana's eyes, he violently pushed his other-self back, and sank on the bed, sitting on it, his head down with his hands over his face. At this point, he knew that it was too late. Ana had already seen him in the process of turning, but it didn't matter to him. Her ex had hurt her; that fact was too overwhelming. He wasn't able to contain himself any longer!

"I will personally see to it that that piece of scum suffers… I will make him suffer with these bare hands of mine. "He promised, his whole body trembling from rage.

Ana was terrified, but yet she stayed. She wanted to run from him, but something told her not to do so. It was then, when she had an idea. Ana stood in front of him and pulled her night gown over her head. There she was, only in her underwear, standing in front of Christian.

He turned his head the other way and closed his eyes.

"Christian, look. Look at me." She demanded.

At that, he once again felt like he was on the verge of turning. Why was she doing this?! Why was she feeding the monster within him?

Ana huffed at that, and grabbed his hand roughly. She placed his hand over her right hip, making him squirm.

"You don't want to look at it? Then feel it! Feel the scar that Philip has given me. Do you feel it? It's all healed, right? Yes, time has healed it." she said firmly.

As Christian slowly traced the scar on her hip with his eyes closed, a tear rolled down his cheek. He sighed deeply and felt his anger and rage fade away bit by bit.

"Yes, it's healed, Christian. And now you are here. And I need you more than ever. I need you and I love you. Please don't let your anger take over. Look at me." She demanded.

He looked up at her with so much love in his eyes.

"Look at my scar. Look at it." She commanded.

At that, his eyes darted towards her hip and in that moment, he saw the scar.

"I am alright, see? I'm okay, now. I have you. And I know that you will never hurt me. I'm not afraid anymore— of nothing and no one, because you are in my life. Because I know that you will do whatever it takes to keep me from harm. Christian, I want to spend my life with you." Ana confessed.

At that, he looked up at her. "Ana. My beautiful, amazing whirlwind." he whispered, his voice gruff and deep.

His fingers trailed the line of her scar once more, as he gazed into her eyes.

"Kiss it. Kiss my pain away." She ordered.

As he dipped his head and brushed his lips on her scar, her eyes closed involuntarily. Her body trembled at his touch, so intimate. This felt more intimate than anything else she has ever experienced in her life. At that very moment Ana felt like this very kiss had healed her wound. This very kiss had mended her heart— completely. Just like Galya told her that day in the woods.

"When you have opened up your mind and have discovered that it's all real, you need to let him mend your heart. And you need to mend his. I see in your eyes that you are living with a heavy burden. And I also see the pain that you are carrying with you. Give him the chance to help you heal." She said.

As Christian noticed how she was reacting to his touch, he suddenly pulled away. Ana whimpered at the loss and looked him in the eyes, dazed and confused.

"Christian?" she asked, her voice shaky.

At that, he looked the other way and felt a gnawing pain in his heart. He didn't want to lie to her anymore... And though he didn't know how to explain it all to her, he decided to try. He knew that she was going to have to make a choice, after he had told her the whole story. Maybe Ana will stay, but he totally doubted it. Christian was sure that Ana was going for option B and leave. And though he was terrified to lose her, he decided to tell her the truth, the words leaving his lips right now.

"Ana, that night you got attacked, that was me in the woods. The 'wild animal' you heard, before you fell and were unconscious, that was me. My cousin Giorgos attacked you. And that night I fought him, because he had physically hurt you. We fought in our 'other forms' and now he is still in a coma... And the boy, Xylia's son... he, he is Giorgos' son— he is also cursed and can turn into an 'inhuman thing, a monster just like Giorgos and me. These last few days, I have been at Xylia's to help her son control his rage, because I went through it also when I was ten years old. The only way not to turn is to stay calm in every situation; that's why 99 % of the time I am in control of my emotions. But of course controlling the 'monster' within is a very difficult challenge to overcome, but Xylia's son will one day be able to do so. He just needs time and me." Christian confessed.

As those words reached Ana's ears, she had great difficulty processing it all. She wanted to laugh at him, because he surely was joking. But the way he looked at her and the way he said those words, didn't sound like a joke at all. He was serious and she knew it. Her heart hammered against her rib cage, as she attempted to let it all sink in. Ana was still standing in front of him, while Christian sat on the bed.

As the seconds passed, she stared at Christian, the look on her face filled with total and utter shock.

He doesn't know if she will believe him, but he wanted to tell her the truth, so there was no turning back now. He had to continue." My people believe that the curse is real. They believe that fate has brought you here in Tinos, so you can break this curse that was cast upon my family long ago." Christian added, choosing the words as carefully as he could.

At that, Ana's mouth fell open, her eyes almost popping out.

"You... you are joking, right?" She asked, her voice all squeaky.

Christian shook his head at that, and decided right then and there to convince Ana that he was not joking at all. The 'monster/ inhuman' side of him gets triggered by anger and rage, but just like his super senses he was capable of switching it on and off, the result of years of practice. So, Christian concentrated his hardest and showed Ana his other form; his eyes turned all yellow, his fangs gradually appearing, and also his long, sharp claws!

At that, Christian really didn't know how Ana was going to handle seeing him like that, but he wanted her to know this part of him too. As he watched her closely, he noticed a familiar emotion in her gorgeous eyes— she was afraid, terrified even, so he concentrated and turned back to normal again.

Christian wanted to show her that he was still him and that she mustn't be afraid, not of him— never should she be afraid of him.

"Ana." He whispered, and attempted to reach out to her.

But in that split second, she instinctively took three steps back from him, instead of grabbing his hand...

That action made his whole world crumble around him. He knew it... she was going to leave... She was going for option B and leave him for good.

As a tear escaped Christian's eye, he felt that she was slowly but surely slipping away from him. He was losing her and as he felt a gut wrenching, sharp pain in his heart, he watched his sweet Ana.

Aside from the fact that Ana just saw with her own eyes what Christian could become, there was this other big thing that nearly suffocated her. It dawned on Ana what they all were expecting from her, overwhelming her completely. This was a huge responsibility; one she didn't want to burden herself with. Ana was certain that she wasn't capable of being the savior they all hoped and prayed for.

As time slowly crept by Christian didn't say one single thing, but only looked at her with pleading eyes, his arm still stretched out, his face filled with hope.

He kept watching her, but didn't see Ana budge one bit, still frozen at the same spot three steps away from him, her eyes still filled with fear and disbelieve. At that, Christian believed that he had lost Ana...

'She will leave me, now.' were the words that rang loudly through Christian's head, the little hope he had left in his heart evaporating into thin air.

At that, Ana wanted to react, but before she was able to say or do anything, they both were startled by Calinico shouting." FIRE! FIRE!"

That's when the fire alarm began to blare loudly and everything turned into chaos...


Note: So, Christian did tell Ana the whole truth.

What will Ana do?

Will she pick option A and stay?

Or will she choose option B and leave him for good?

Tell me you all, which option will she go for?

Thanks, you guys!

J