Wake of the Dead | Three

Chapter Forty-Five | Killian

"K-Killian? Killian, wake up!" Raven cried out. Killian only stared up at the sky, he didn't want to move. He couldn't. "No, no!" The younger man sobbed, shoving into his shoulder. Hot tears fell onto Killian's cheeks, but they weren't his own. "No, please, you have to stay!" Raven continued to beg. "What about Jasper, what about me? You said we'd get to leave together, you promised! You promised to teach me to hunt, remember? You promised we'd make a group, you promised we'd be safe!"

I promised. Killian's mind grew hazy, the echoing of a familiar voice floated through his skull. Dominick. He'd promised him and he hadn't gotten to keep it. Digging his nails into the metal floor of the cage, he closed his eyes tight and wrinkled a snarl onto his nose. "No." He rasped. "I can't."

"Yes, yes you can!" Raven yelled. "You have to. You have to, you made a promise and you've got to keep it, you hear me?" The younger man shook his shoulder hard, his voice was wavering so badly that Killian could barely understand it. "Come on. You've got to stay awake, okay?"

Killian stared up at Raven with blurred eyes, his fingers twitched halfheartedly. He was relieved when his friend's hand reached down to hold his tight, their foreheads pressed together. "Come on, just breathe, that's it. That's all you have to do." Raven's encouragement brought comfort to him, his body felt more warm than cold. I'll try my best. He hazily thought. He blinked once, he didn't want to speak. If he did he wouldn't breathe.

"Just—just make it until morning okay? I'll get us out of here. I'll get us out of here and it'll all be okay. I promise, I'll save you, I won't let you die!" Raven continued shakily.

Killian sank back into the darkness of his own mind, letting every one of the sensations his body was experiencing wash over him, consume him into a blanket that was a mixture if grief, fear and pain. Jasper. Jasper...

Almost as if it were playing on a screen, he could vividly imagine every moment he'd spent with his lover. The punch he'd given him the moment they'd met, sprinting over the roofs of cars to find shelter after a hoard had begun chasing them in the city. Their joirney to the river, Jasper's strong, warm arms that guided him to safety, shielding him away from the inevitable pain he would face.

That first night they'd been intimate, how warm and comforting Jasper was, the softness of his voice. His delicate palms, his ginger kisses, the safety he provided when everything was over, how he'd held him. Killian hadn't ever felt so loved until that moment.

He swallowed hard, tears began to well at the corners of his eyes. A sob left his lips between desperate, rasping gasps. His chest felt as if it were closing, every breath brought a new wave of visceral agony. I just want Jasper. Jasper meant safety, love, strength—everything Killian ever wanted. He'd finally found it, all in that one man. The one who'd shown him it was okay to be afraid, it was okay to be emotional. It was okay to be loved. He'd been cherished, Jasper hadn't ever spent a single moment doubting him.

It hurt to be alive. But it hurt even more to let go.

Killian wanted nothing more than to see Jasper again, to feel his warmth, bask in the utter devotion he felt towards his partner. He wanted to feel close to him again. He remembered the thoughts at one point, the things he imagined they could be. They began to slowly creep up on him, cling onto him with a vicious resolve.

He could imagine a wedding, a long and happy life, a future where everything was safe, where Jasper was always at his side. Where they could freely love one another without the prying eyes of strangers, the judgment that followed their every step. They could grow old together in a perfect world, a world where he didn't give up. Jasper. Jasper. Jasper! No matter how hard he tried, Killian couldn't grip onto consciousness for much longer.

Suddenly, Raven's loud, angry screams pierced his ears. Somebody grabbed onto him and dragged him out of the cage, tossing him roughly to the ground. Killian could do nothing but endure whatever was going to happen to him. His vision was cut off when a blindfold was tightened around his face. Voices were speaking, but nothing made sense. It wasn't long before he gave in and let the darkness swallow him up.