The beast and the blessed novel by Ashley Breanne novel Chapter 119

Fourteen: Tobias

Tobias's P.O.V.

I growled as I threw another collection of old, stained floorboards into the back of my truck. It wasn't often that I drove it. I despised the sound of the large machine, and being trapped inside the cage felt suffocating, but in times like this, I had no other choice.

Neighbors, who had done nothing for years when they heard the crying or screaming inside my childhood home, were outside watching as I gutted the house as quickly as possible. The new flooring order wouldn't arrive for a couple of weeks, but I felt my chest grow lighter with every floorboard I ripped up.

The longer I stayed in the house, the less I seemed to notice Ana's scent. It hurt to know that the last piece of her I had was about to be thrown out. Still, as I dropped the last load of the blood-stained wood into the truck bed, a little bit of the guilt I had been carrying lessened.

It was a step closer to leaving my past behind and moving forward to the future, toward Joselin.

I worked until the sun started falling, returned home to shower, and then went to the dining hall.

The head table was empty, and I glared at the door impatiently to catch a glimpse of my witch. Her smell was so unmistakable that it was as if she were in the room with me, and my nerves drove me wild. I needed to tell her about Ana and that I was finally getting closure. I needed to ask her to consider giving me a little more time.

My spine straightened as the doors were pulled open, and Joselin walked in, her hand in the crook of another man's arm. I felt my stomach twist, and I saw red. Her gaze slid right over me as if I was just another face in the crowd, and I wanted to jump over the table, throw her over my shoulder, and take her back to my house.

A sickly, sweet smell rolled off her as she walked by, and I growled as I saw a bite mark on her perfect flesh. Siren.

Had she not learned her lesson the last time?

Joselin's head turned, looking over at me at the sound, but she kept her lips pressed together as she walked by.

I knew exactly who the man was. We had been warned of his arrival in the castle, but I hadn't expected my witch to be with him.

He smiled brightly at her, enamored by her beauty, and it made me want to kill him. But he was Natalie’s brother, technically a member of the royal family. As much as I wanted to kill him, I had to restrain myself.

Still, he needed to leave before I took his departure into my own hands.

"You guys should have seen her. Joselin was incredible. I've never seen someone fight like that!“ The man offered Joselin a piece of bread as he boasted about her, and she accepted it. He had a child-like excitement about him, but he sounded old enough for me to challenge him and not feel guilty.

"Tobias taught her most of what she knows,' Natalie said, and I smirked as I knew she had my back. Joselin turned to glare at the queen before looking back at me.

That's right, baby. Eyes on me.

"Tobias?" The man asked, his elbow bumping against my woman's, and I growled again, not bothering to look away from Joselin to the newcomer. I had gone all day without seeing her, without her scent and her touch. If anyone took her away from me now, I would tear them to pieces. "Ah, the man glaring at you? How long did they train together? Fifteen years, maybe? n

His tone was getting under my skin, and I was ready to throw my knife at him and skewer him to his chair. The fact that he knew how long Joselin had been in my life told me that she had told him about me. What she shared, I couldn't be sure.

"Yes," She whispered, the soft response coming across her lips like a defeated sigh. Joselin cleared her throat, shifting in her chair as she forced her eyes away as one of the servants placed her plate in front of her. The rest of the pack was buffet-style, but my plate remained empty as I watched her closely.

She could feel me. I knew she could. Her perfect legs pressed together, and I licked my lips when she looked up and met my stare again.

Oh, baby. Don't you worry. I'll ease that ache for you real fucking soon.

My stare followed every bite to her mouth as I watched her lips wrap around the utensil. Everything about her was unintentionally sensual.

Natalie quietly spoke to her brother, but I ignored them, focusing only on my woman. I would never let Joselin go, not until my dying breath.

"Huh?" Joselin said, tearing her eyes away from her plate to look at the blonde.

"I said you should let me take you dancing tomorrow." He repeated, and I felt my eyes burn as they turned black when my beast came forward. One more word from his mouth, and I would issue the challenge.

"Only if you think you can keep up with me." She smirked, but I didn't miss how she lit up at the invitation.

"Hm, I think we would move well together." He responded, and my nails extended as I held myself back from ripping his throat out.