As I walk through the dark streets, I cannot help but think of Adwin. I wonder what she is doing right now, how she is coping after last night.

She has been on my mind since the festival. Seeing her in the clutches of those men was more than I could stand. In a split second, a switch was flipped, and a darker side of me took over. The side I have been hesitant to show her. By the way she reacted, she was not ready to see it.

I know she has heard the cautionary tales of Devils-all humans have. I wish she had had more time to understand the dichotomy of me fully. I do not want her to fear me, but I think she might.

I want to go to her tonight, as I always do, but she said she needed time. I could not stop myself last night when I felt her panic, but I felt as though she did not want me there.

The truth is, Adwin needs to learn more about me, and soon. She deserves to know all of me. She also needs to know what being bonded to me entails.

The bond is stronger than ever, and with each day that passes, it becomes harder to ignore. My cravings for her, for her touch, are growing. The hunger gnaws at me, a beast clawing its way to the surface.

I cannot deny the effect Adwin has on me. But she is also human, and humans are fragile.

I do not regret killing those men, but I understand how it can affect Adwin. Her entire worldview has been challenged, and she needs time to adjust.

My thoughts drift back to her. The scent of her, the softness of her skin, the way her eyes light up when she smiles.

It is not just physical, but emotional, too. Adwin has a warmth about her, an innate kindness. She is everything I am not and can never be.

And yet, we are bound together. Our souls are entwined, and the pull is undeniable.

I sigh, shaking my head. This is not how I wanted things to go. The bond is not supposed to be such a burden.

As I approach the gates of my home, I pause, sensing something off. There is a change in the air, a disturbance.

I reach out with my mind, seeking the source of the disturbance. To my surprise, it is a familiar presence, one I have not felt in years.

"Gavin."

A figure materializes from the shadows, a tall, lanky man with dark hair and darker eyes. He is a few years older than me, but his face is timeless.

"Brother."

"What are you doing here?"

Gavin smirks. "I heard you found yourself a little human pet. Thought I would come check it out."

"Adwin is not a pet."

"She is human. What else would she be?"

"She is mine," I say firmly.

Gavin raises an eyebrow. "Yours? How interesting. You have not had a human in your care in years."

"This is different."

His smirk deepens, and a pang of memory strikes me. Memories of another time, another love. Aurelia. Her face flashes before my eyes, her smile, her laughter. She was everything to me once, in a world that was as dark as it was captivating. We shared a bond, not like the one I have with Adwin, but deep, nonetheless.

Aurelia understood the complexities of my nature, the struggle between darkness and the flickers of light that sometimes penetrated the shadows. But our story ended in tragedy, a reminder of the cost of loving a creature like me.

Could it be different with Adwin? The fear that history might repeat itself gnaws at me.

"Gavin, what do you want?" I ask, pushing the memories aside.

"To see if you have finally learned your lesson."

"What lesson?"

"That humans and our kind do not mix. You know what happened with Aurelia. Do you want to repeat that mistake?"

I clench my fists, feeling the old anger and grief stirring. "Adwin is not a mistake."

He chuckles darkly. "We shall see, brother. We shall see."

As Gavin fades back into the shadows, I stand alone, wrestling with the past and the future. Adwin deserves the truth, all of it. But am I ready to reveal everything? To expose the darkest parts of my soul and risk losing her?

The thought is unbearable.

I turn back towards the town, my decision made. I need to be honest with Adwin, no matter the consequences. She has given me her trust, and I must not betray it, not if I want us to have any chance of surviving the truths that lie between us.