Page 6 of The Minotaur's Motivation

I froze. I hadn't realized that she had so much information about me already.

"I might be a monster, but I'm not a heartless monster."

She nodded and looked away again. What was going on in her head? She’d come in here while I was nearly maze mad, then she'd found out I was a murderer with some sort of ethical code.

I watched her, feeling a sense of peace wash over me. I could tell now that she liked to stare off into the distance when she was thinking. Her nose would scrunch up slightly and her lips pout a bit. I wanted to bite that turned-up little nose. Gods help me. And she was kind. What other sort of person could be a therapist to monsters in prison? Our vibrations were lulling together now like calming waves lapping on a beach. It was the most content I’d felt since my father died. I wished we could stay like this forever. Being alone would hurt more now I knew how it could feel to be near your mate. But it was worth it, for this moment of peace alone.

"Cam, I know you might not like the sound of this initially, but please hear me out. I think it might be worth blindfolding you on the way back to your cell…"

A growl erupted from me before I could stop it, and she flinched. It was barely perceptible, but it was there. Hot fury at myself and my lack of control burned at me. I never, never wanted her to flinch because of me. Because of anything. She might not love me back, but I would protect her from anything. At any cost.

"I know, I know, Cam. But I think it might help with the maze madness on the way back."

"I would be vulnerable to attack. I can't allow that."

"I’d come with you and be there the whole time."

"You think you could defend me from an attack?"

She was just a small human, what could she possibly do to protect me?

"I protected you once today, didn't I? I might not be as big as you, but I have a different sort of power in this place. I’d shout if anything untoward was happening so you could pull your blindfold off. We won’t put restraints on you."

I growled again, but it was more of a muted grumble. She didn't flinch this time.

"Can you trust me, Cam?"

I didn’t trust anyone. But every moment together was pulling me closer to her. I wanted to give her this trust. Give her the gift of something that I had never offered to anyone else.

"Yes. But I’m only doing this for you. I won’t allow anyone else to do it."

She blinked with surprise and then smiled. It was the first truly genuine smile since we met. It made me giddy for a moment, and I wanted to sweep her back up into my arms. Instead, I gripped the arms of the chair tightly. I wouldn't frighten her again. I would stay in control. For her.

Chapter 5

Cerys

I could see him tense up. He was gripping the arms of his chair so hard I thought he would break it. Asking him to be blindfolded was a lot to ask, and I'd expected him to say no. Vehemently. This wasn't a monster who trusted easily, I could see that. But he was giving me this. I didn’t understand it, but I’d take it as a win. The session hadn’t been a complete disaster after all. I’d vaguely remembered that seeing the turns in a maze was part of what sent minotaurs wild, so I was hoping this would help.

He saw nothing wrong with what he had done to land himself in prison. And if I was being honest, I could see why. My job wasn't to judge him; we were past that part of the process. He’d experienced something terrible at a young age. I could understand the desire for justice that could burn through you. That had probably shaped who he was now, but it didn't have to affect his whole life. I could help him with that. Maybe better than I’d ever been able to help myself. A vision of my mother flashed through my mind, bleeding and dying on the floor. I pushed it away. Now wasn't the time.

"Okay, let's get you back to your cell calmly then."

I stood up and untied the silk scarf from around my neck.

"Will this be okay as a blindfold?"

He nodded, so I walked towards him and reached up to tie the scarf in place. He was so big. I took it slowly in case he freaked out at any point. He took a deep breath but didn't speak or react in any other way.

So far so good.

I took his hand to help him stand up, and felt him tense. But he held it and stood up. Yet again, I was face to face with his muscled torso. The smell of caramelized oranges and musk hit me. I hadn't noticed it before, but I had been convinced I was going to die. The smell was delicious. I wished I could bottle it and wear it as a perfume. I realized I was just standing sniffing him, and took a step back. There was something weirdly attractive about this hulking monster acquiescing to me in this way. I pushed the feeling down. There was no way I was going to allow myself to find a monster criminal attractive. I didn't care what some seer said about my soul being entwined with a monster's. Surely that could mean a lot of things?

"Okay, follow me.”

He walked confidently as I led him around the furniture, even blindfolded. I suppose if you are big enough to crush everything in your path you don’t need to be anxious about banging into it. Outside the room we came face to face with Officer Daylen, who looked back and forth between us, seeming very confused.

"I'm leading him back to his cell blindfolded to reduce the maze madness. Which should have been accounted for in the first place."

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