Why hurt me so

Delilah burst into tears as soon as she closed the door behind her at Morian's apartment.

The sadness and knowledge of Morian's betrayal crushed her heart, making it too heavy to bear. And she hated herself for betraying Ciaran. She had fallen in love with the same entity that had caused Ciaran so much anguish and pain. How would she explain this to Ciaran, and what about Mori? She had replayed everything in her head over and over, but what was his end goal? Why had he gone to such lengths? Several thoughts raced through her mind, each vying for center stage.

She felt an intense pain in her stomach, looked down as blood flowed down her thighs, and rushed into the bathroom, horrified. The blood didn't stop flowing until she gave birth to something, a fetus, which came out of her like thick jelly. Delilah was horrified by what she saw; it was strangely shaped and splattered with black blood. She gathered herself and cleaned up. The stress of the preceding few weeks caused her to miscarry the child. It shocked her so deeply that she was overcome with grief and a new sadness. She expected to feel relieved after miscarrying the child, but the termination of that pregnancy solidified her position and decision to end things with Morian.

Apart from these agonizing feelings she wished she could get rid of, nothing tied her to him anymore. She wished h er feelings for Morian had left her the moment the fetus left her body.

She sat in silence in his living room, waiting for Morian to return. She couldn't pretend any longer, despite Lance's advice not to confront Morian. She wanted answers once and for all.

Morian opened his apartment door and turned on the light switch, illuminating his living room. Delilah was sitting on his couch.

"What are you doing sitting in darkness like a spectre my love?"

Morian laughed, releasing a sigh of relief. Delilah didn't laugh back; her face was stoic, with a frown that froze her face.

"I will ask you just one time. What are you, Morian?"

Delilah rose from her seat on the couch, her arms crossed defensively, waiting for his response.

"My Love, what's gotten into you? What are you talking about?"

He walked closer to her, closing the door behind him and setting his briefcase on the floor. He noticed her blood-soaked clothing.

"What happened to you, Delilah? You're drenched in blood."

She ignored his questions.

"I beg you Morian, do not lie to me anymore. What are you?"

He met her gaze after taking a deep breath. Her body language was cold and distant, unlike the affectionate Delilah he had grown to know. He assumed she was now aware of his little secret.

"Are you sure you want to know?"

"Yes," she swallowed.

"I am Death."

Delilah's stomach sank, she felt foreboding, and her entire body tensed. She struggled to breathe as she touched her chest and felt her heart implode. The truth was not as reassuring as she had anticipated. She had spent the previous few days debating how to confront him, and nothing could have prepared her for the flood of emotions that washed over her.

"My name isn't Morian, I am called Mori."

"My God, so it's true? Everything is true."

Delilah sat back on the couch, dizzy from the knowledge; her world had been turned upside down. The man she had fallen in love with stood before her, but he was a stranger, an entity disguised as a human. Delilah felt fear for the first time since their relationship began; there had always been a darkness to Morian that she couldn't quite explain, and now she knew why. Even though this realization terrified her, she still loved him; she had fallen in love with Death. Hearing him say those words tore a hole in her heart. Some part of her hoped it wasn't true, that it was all a terrible nightmare and she'd wake up in the arms of the man she was about to marry.

Morian walked closer.

"No! Stay away from me!" Delilah screamed; raising her hand to emphasize that the distance between them be maintained.

Morian stopped in his tracks.

"I know it's a lot to take in but I was going to tell you."

"When did you intend on coming clean? Before or after I bound my soul to yours for eternity?"

Morian swallowed; everything was falling apart. He'd worked so hard to ensure this moment never happened and now like spilled milk everything slipped from his fingers.

"You don't remember Delilah but, in every lifetime, once your life came to an end, I was there to help you transition into another life, and guide you through your death. Wishing that I could walk through every lifetime with you. But I could not because I was destined for other things."

He got closer to her, frightened Delilah got up, and he kept walking until there was little space between them.

"But now I get to finally touch your skin, your beautiful soft skin. I can finally kiss you, those beautiful lips, to finally have you in my arms after spending eons pining after you. You don't know what it's like to love you, to ache for you. There is no soul in all of existence like you."

Morian looked into her eyes, and then her lips, gently he brushed her cheeks with his fingers.

With closed eyes, he inhaled her scent, basking in the full splendor of her perfume fragrance.

His every word was an offer of seduction, Delilah fought in her mind and spirit to make sense of everything that was going on around her. She fought her own heart not to give in to love, not to give in to her feelings for him. When she looked at him, she saw the face of her lover, her fiancé. She had found the man she wanted to spend the rest of her life with. Her mind was struggling to accept this new reality. His beautiful eyes used to be the most enticing thing in the world to her, but now it felt like she was staring into the eyes of a stranger, a stranger whose intentions she didn't fully understand.

"Don't run from me and do not be afraid Delilah. I am the same man who made love to you the other night, knowing the truth about me changes nothing, I will never harm you. You are safe with me." Morian said reassuringly.

Delilah trembled as she looked at his hand on her face and then up into his eyes. She closed her eyes again, fighting every emotion that rushed to the surface.