Jagged Embrace

Chapter 55 - Will

Will let the cold water flow down his back. It'd only been moderately warm when he'd started his shower. Now it was ice cold. Too much. All the shit in the last couple of days was too much. Even with the distraction of sex with Maeve and all the weird conversations with her, his worry over Ander still nagged him. It was a test of willpower not to check on the video link constantly to make sure he was still okay. Will balled his hands into fists. It was his fault. It didn't matter what Mason said. He was the one that caught the musk of the alpha and was so god damn cocksure.

He will live, I saw to that, the voice growled at him.

How the fuck do you know? You aren't a damn doctor.

Neither are you, it replied.

I really can't fucking deal with you right now. Get out of my head.

Coward, you cannot ever deal with me, it barked at him.

Will grabbed the sides of his head. Shut the fuck up! he screamed in his mind.

I am always here. You will submit to me - eventually, it said with a sneer in its tone.

I will never fucking submit to you, asshole. I'll never let you out.

A ferocious growl reverberated in his body, down to his bones. Without warning, Will dropped to his knees in agony. It was going to rip him apart to get out. He felt something snap in his body and his vision blurred.

"Will? Are you okay?" Maeve's fearful tone broke through the noise in his head.

Maeve, he didn't want to scare her. He didn't want to, either. The shower curtain opened.

"Oh, my god, what happened?" Her hands reached for him and helped him get off of his hands and knees to stand. "Why is there blood?" Her voice trembled.

Blood? He shook his head and stumbled into the room with her and flopped on the bed. Fuck, he was tired again.

She put her hands on either side of his face. "Will, look at me."

He turned his view to her soft face. "I'm okay," he said hoarsely. "I just stayed in too long. Guess I'm still kinda beat from last night." An explosion outside stopped his words. Immediately, he was up and in front of her. It took a few seconds and several more explosions for him to remember it was July the 4th. Right. His left arm released her and he sank back to the bed. Fuck, he needed a drink.

"Will, you're really scaring me? Please tell me what to do to help."

Her words felt like bullets. It wasn't only hearing them that hurt, it was the truth behind them. There was nothing she could do to help him. Being crazy before didn't really bother him. It made sense. Years of fighting in a war were bound to fuck you up, but now... how could he tell her the mess in his head? The shit just under the surface. She'd already been a victim to that part of him. Ander warned him years ago what the war would do to them. But, Will told him the only way to get the monsters was to be one. One glance at her proved that.

"I'm fine. I just need a drink." He looked for the nearest liquor and grabbed the bottle, finishing whatever was left in it. He was the bastard that had abused her and kept fucking her all night.

Maeve padded into the bathroom and turned the shower off. Another explosion. It is important she is not aware of the passing of time. Ander's words echoed in his mind. Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! There was no lie she was gonna believe about the fireworks. They were screwed.

She came out of the bathroom with a dark expression. A loud knock on the door stopped her before she opened her mouth. With no regard for his nakedness, Will hurried to the door. He'd never been so relieved to see Mason, even knowing the shit storm that was about to happen. This argument he could handle.