Under Your Scars (Under Your Scars, #1)

by Ariel N. Anderson

“I don’t want to kill you, angel. I want to keep you all

to myself. You’d better take off those rose-colored glasses and accept that the only place you belong is in my black heart.”

“They need to know what happens when they touch what’s mine, Elena. They’re going to convert religions, because they won’t be praying to God, they’ll be praying to me. Begging for my fucking mercy after I hunt them all down and show them the true meaning of fear.”

“If you’re so concerned about my humanity, Elena, then reach into my soul and find it, because I’m not sure I have any left.”

Can’t remember the last time someone had the balls to shoot me. Respect.

Even with my voice dripping in venom, her name tastes so sweet on my tongue.

Eight. I’ve given him eight souls since September sixth. It should have only been one. It should have only been me.

I think the best love stories come from the people who say that love came out of nowhere for them,

not from the people who were looking for love in the first place.”

It’s a shame I’m already destined for Hell, because it’s not where angels belong. But I’m not going anywhere without her.

“I am painfully, catastrophically in love with you.”

Then I met you, and falling in love was like some nuclear catalyst inside me. I’ve been consumed by it—by you. I can’t think about anything else except how much I want you to be mine to love, forever.” He takes a deep breath. “I mean that in the kind of way that’s going to suffocate you one day but I can’t stop. I can’t fucking stop. I won’t be satisfied until I am every part of your existence as you are mine.”

I fucking love you, Elena, and you will love me back. I don’t care if I have to destroy you in the process.”

If I wasn’t meant to love you, then fate would have let me pull that trigger.

I may have saved you that night, but you saved me too.

If you never find it in your heart to trust me again—if you never believe another word I say—believe that I love you. My love isn’t perfect, and it isn’t beautiful. It’s broken and scarred and ugly, but all of it is yours. I will always be yours.

Hope. That’s what I have to live for. Hope that one day I might get to hear you say, “I love you too.”

“I love you. I will love you forever. Even when we’re nothing but bones in the ground, I will find you in the afterlife and cherish you like I always have.

I will chase away all your demons because you know I’m scarier than they’ll ever be.

“So how do I make it last an eternity?” “By remembering that a gilded cage is still a cage.”

“What if I don’t want you to be gentle?” “Then I’ll love you violently instead.”

“I love you.” I say through gritted teeth, her hair wrapped tight around my fist. “I love you so much it makes me insane. I love you so much it makes me dangerous. I love you so much that I would burn this world for you and all the people in it just to keep you all to myself. Do you understand me? If it comes down to a choice, you will choose me. I don’t give a fuck if it costs the remainder of your soul. You are mine and only mine.”

“How do you know me better than I know myself?”

“Because I see more than you think I do. And I see an angel who just got her wings.”

“You’d start a war for love?” “For Elena? I wouldn’t just start a war. I’d win it.”

“I’d offer you my heart and my soul, but you’ve had both of those from the moment we met. What more of myself do I have left to give that you don’t already possess?” I sigh wistfully. “I have my last name, if you think it's worthy enough to follow the five letters you’ve carved into my heart.” I take a deep breath. “Elena Louise Young, my angel, my love, my life, will you marry me?”

“Bye-bye, daddy. I’ll miss you.”

“I told him to go fuck himself, because I’m not going anywhere without you.”

“I’m going to burn this fucking world to the ground just to get some goddamn peace.”

“Let’s burn it together.”

“We keep secrets to protect the people we love.”

“You asked me to chase away the monsters under your bed. But the monster was never under your bed, was it? It was in your heart.”

“Okay, baby. Just…turn around and count to one hundred, and I’ll get you some pancakes, okay?”