Her Dryad Dom (Beastly Falls)

Chapter 2 Dom

W e were halfway back to my house before Aspen spoke up. "You know, following a strange monster back to his house when I don't have anywhere to flee to is an inherently bad idea... no matter how steamy this chemistry seems to be between us."

"Stay out in the wilderness and wander around without a clue where you are and no phone signal is a better idea?" I stopped walking but didn't turn around. Looking at her would weaken the pathetic amount of resolve I'd started building. Shit. Just being near her made me want to claim her as my mate even though I knew that was all kinds of stupid.

"Tell me, Dom," she insisted. The way she said my name almost melted every bit of my resolve. "Why can't I leave?"

She needed to know about the barrier, and every fiber of my being screamed to keep her away from the truth. If I told her, she might never leave, and that thought alone threatened to strangle me with roots and vines. I couldn't be the reason she stayed. She had a life, people who loved her out there in the real world. No, I refused to keep anyone tied to this cursed town.

I wrestled with the words clawing at my throat, yearning to spill out. Pushing her away would be kinder, but the selfish part of me, the part that craved her with a primal hunger, wanted her close. Forever.

My silence stretched between us, as impenetrable as the cursed barrier itself.

"Dammit, Dom! I'm not playing games here." Her voice cracked like a whip, lashing at the restraint I held over my darker desires.

"Fine!" I snarled as I turned on her, my branches recoiling in a dance of agitation. "There’s a curse, Aspen. Anyone who comes into this town... they can't leave. They're trapped."

"Trapped?" Her voice was a whisper, yet it echoed like thunder through my soul. Her reaction was visceral, a flicker of fear in her eyes that I loathed being the cause of.

"Forever," I confirmed, the word tasting bitter on my tongue. Well, mostly. I refused to explain the rest.

"You don't belong here," I growled, the words rough as I fell back into my usual grumpy nature. "You should've never come to Beastly Falls."

She stood her ground, unflinching. "But I had to come," she admitted, her voice laced with an undeniable compulsion. "Something drew me here, and I couldn't resist it."

I stared at Aspen, her blue eyes filled with determination as she demanded answers.

"Tell me more about this barrier and why I can't pass through it." Her voice was steady and firm, like the cross-examination of a seasoned lawyer.

While she hadn't told me she was a lawyer, I'd seen it on the papers that had fallen out of her backpack during the crash. I planned on going back and retrieving her backpack when I had a moment. It was true, I couldn't leave either, but I could reach through the barrier and retrieve items as long as it was only branches that crossed. That was how I helped trees grow on both sides.

"Look," I grumbled, a part of me wanting to push her away because no one deserved to be trapped here. Being stuck as a tree for all eternity sounded better than condemning her to this place. But another part of me, the part that craved connection and desire, hesitated. I had a fated mate... the one soul in all of the cosmos that completed mine. I still couldn't believe it.

"Dom, you have to tell me what's going on. I don't understand why I can't leave." She stepped closer, her face flushed with frustration and confusion.

"Trust me, Aspen, you're better off not knowing." My limbs twitched, branches and leaves rustling in my agitation. If I could go seven days without fucking up, she would be free to leave and go back to her life.

"Better off? If I'm stuck here, I deserve to know why!" She crossed her arms over her chest, scowling at me.

The truth was, I knew more than most in Beastly Falls. The mayor had confided in me that the barrier would punish me if I didn't woo Aspen to mate with me. It was a cruel twist of fate, having found my destined love only to potentially condemn her to a life trapped in this cursed town. It was the truth for any mates. They were the only ones who could enter the town.

"Fine," I growled, unable to resist her pleading gaze any longer. "But let's head to my place first. I'll tell you everything there."

"Thank you," she said, though her tone remained guarded.

As we walked through the dense forest, the weight of my guilt grew heavier with each step. I was the one maintaining the barrier, after all, the one who'd put us both in this impossible situation. And now, faced with the possibility of losing her forever, I had to decide: could I protect her without getting too close?

Inside my home, I poured us each an iced tea, the amber liquid shimmering in the dim light. Aspen took a sip, her eyes never leaving mine.

"Alright, Dom. Tell me about the barrier and why I can't leave," she demanded once more.

"Beastly Falls is cursed," I admitted, my voice rough as bark. "The town cut itself off from the rest of the world to protect its secrets. Anyone who enters can't leave."

The air around us crackled with tension, and I could feel the heat of her gaze on me. Her lips parted as if to speak, and I braced myself for another barrage of questions.

"Dom, I need to know about the barrier," Aspen insisted, her voice firm yet laced with desperation.

Annoyance surged through me, and I spun around to glare at her. My heart raced, torn between irritation and the undeniable allure she held over me. "You shouldn't have come here in the first place. You don't belong in Beastly Falls," I growled, my words dripping with bitterness.

"You've already said that." Her blue eyes glistened with vulnerability. "I had to come. I couldn't seem to stop myself." She hesitated, then added, "I felt drawn here, like something was pulling me."

"Everyone who ends up here feels that way," I admitted begrudgingly, my chest tightening at the thought of her being trapped in this godforsaken town.

"Then tell me more about the barrier, please. What is it? Why can't I leave? What is this curse?" Aspen pleaded, her determination unyielding.

I clenched my fists, the rough bark on my knuckles digging into my flesh. "I told you," I spat out. "The town's cursed."

"Tell me more." Aspen's gaze bore into me, an unwavering mix of curiosity and stubborn determination. Her voice was soft, but held a steely edge.

"Details don't matter," I barked, branches quivering. My guilt threatened to overwhelm me as I recalled my role in maintaining the barrier... The very thing that kept her, and everyone else, trapped here.

"Please, Dom," she implored, a hint of vulnerability in her eyes. "There must be a reason why you're so reluctant to talk about it."

"Because I'm responsible for it!" I roared, unable to hold back the truth any longer. The words spilled forth like a torrential downpour, washing away the fragile defenses I'd built around my heart. "It's not my fault this town is cursed, but it's my fault we're all still trapped here!"

Aspen's eyes widened at my confession, but she didn't shy away. Instead, she stepped closer, her determination unrelenting. "How?"

I couldn't stand the intensity of Aspen's gaze any longer, so I did what I always did in moments like this... I retreated. My body twisted and contorted as I transformed into a tree, my limbs becoming branches and my skin turning to bark. I towered over Aspen, hoping she would take the hint and leave me be.

"Really?" she huffed, clearly annoyed by my sudden transformation. "You think you can avoid me just by turning into a tree?"

Aspen fell silent for a moment, studying my wooden features. Then, with surprising tenderness, she reached out and traced her fingertips along the grooves of my bark face. Her touch sent shivers down my spine, the sensation both unfamiliar and alluring.

"Dom, I don't know what it is, but I feel drawn to you," she confessed, her voice barely above a whisper. "I want to help you, even if it means staying here in Beastly Falls."

Hearing her say those words shattered something inside me, and I couldn't resist her any longer. I shifted back into my man-ish form, the hardened bark receding from my face and limbs, leaving a softer one in its place. My eyes locked onto hers, torn between gratitude and irritation.

"Fine," I grumbled, cursing my own weakness. "I'll tell you more about the curse, but don't expect any miracles."

Aspen nodded, her expression determined as she waited for me to continue. I sighed, knowing there was no easy way to explain the town's dark history.

"Beastly Falls cut itself off from the rest of the world," I began, my voice heavy with regret. "Anyone who enters can't leave, and most people can't even get close to the town. They're repelled by the barrier, like they can sense the danger lurking within."

"Except for some," Aspen added, her eyes narrowing. "Like me."

"Like you," I confirmed, my gut twisting at the thought of her becoming trapped here. "There are a few who manage to slip through the cracks. The spirit of the town decides to let them pass through the barrier. And once they're in, they're bound by the curse just like everyone else."

A shudder ran through Aspen's body, and I could see the fear flickering in her eyes. But she didn't back down, her resolve unwavering.

"Thank you for telling me," she said softly, her hand finding mine and giving it a reassuring squeeze.

"Fine, you know some things now," I snapped, my voice rough with emotion. I gritted my teeth, trying to ignore the urge to pull her into my arms and shield her from the curse that threatened us.