The Devil's Betrothed novel Chapter 218

Chapter 218: I Am Better Off Dead

"How do you handle yourself when Seren goes through that?"

"It is a part of willpower and partly thanks to my constitution of half warlock which allows me to be more human and help me suppress my beast side really well. I can be normal when she is having her monthly cycle." He Paused for a while before speaking, "But willpower is the most important thing and the respect towards your wife. It makes things easier to handle. You will learn it slowly. Do not worry."

"I feel like more than anything, I am the biggest threat to her existence." Arlan gazed into the horizon, his gaze wistful at the brightening sky. "I could not control myself in her presence. The only choice I can make is to walk away before I do something I’ll regret."

"That’s the reason you walked away from her instead of helping her?"

The prince whipped his head in Drayce’s direction, the surprise on his face morphing to incredulity.

"Are you referring to what happened by the lake?" Arlan exclaimed. "Do you spend your nights spying on me?"

Drayce raised a brow. "I am not that bored, but there happens to be one living in my mansion. You know who that is."

High Elf Yorian!

Arlan gritted his teeth, "That puzzle of ancient bones and flesh."

Drayce smiled at his friend’s anger and returned back to the subject at hand. "Oriana will likely misunderstand you for leaving her behind after she fell into the lake."

"That lake was shallow, and she could come out on her own."

"I am not talking about that."

"Doesn’t matter. What’s suffering from a little cold as long as she can stay safe from me?" Pain flashed in his eyes at the memory. The fear, the shock and the disappointment in those hazel eyes. "If I had helped her at that time, if I had stayed a second longer with her in that state, I would have harmed her. I...I would have ended up doing something only a real beast would do. I believe I don’t have to explain to you what does that mean."

Seeing him clench his fists to the point his knuckles had turned white, Drayce put a hand on his friend’s shoulder.

Desire.

Humans were beings hailed as greedy, a race whose lives were ruled by desire. However, humankind exercised more freewill compared to their supernatural counterparts, who were more inclined to follow their nature.

Beasts were ruled by instinct from birth till death. And while ordinary beasts follow the instincts from their bloodline, divine beasts follow the instincts ingrained in their soul. They had few desires, but those were deeply rooted in their body, mind and soul. The shackles of nature on them were like a leash that would forever bind them.

No one could understand the struggle a divine beast went through when they curved their desires, and neither anyone truly understood them even if they tried to explain.