Chapter 16 #2
Theo takes my shoulders and shakes me back and forth like I’m a rag doll.
“Enough Imogen, that’s enough. Fucking stop!
” he screams before clutching my face. His shaky hands told me as he is on the verge of snapping.
Tobias uses one hand to shove Theo away by the shoulder.
Theo's breathing is a hard pant of an animal, as he glares at me, sizing me up, showing another side of the monster I've never known lurked inside of him.
I stare up at Tobias, tears spilling from my eyes at the thought of them killing poor Tom and I can’t stop bawling.
“Please Tobias, make him stop.” Tobias's eyes soften a little and he swallows, looking over to Theo.
Theo pulls Tom to his feet by one arm, letting him dangle there. His eyes focused on Tom's throat.
“Stop Theo. If we kill him, we are only hurting her.”
Theo’s head snaps in my direction. The demon inside him is back.
A twisted smile paints his lips, a gleam in his eyes.
He wants to hurt Tom, slowly, he wants to kill him and make me hurt.
I lean closer to Tobias, shivering. For once, I’m finding protection from him instead of always seeking Theo's. This isn’t my happy go lucky Theo, this is the monster he keeps at bay and hidden from me and the rest of the world.
Theo heads toward me, dragging Tom with him still by one arm. I flinch, not liking his red-hot anger directed at me. He stops noticing he is scaring me. My heart thumps against my chest, my ears, my entire head pounding to the same beat as a migraine forms.
“Mom will pitch a fit if we kill him. Think Theo, we don’t have to do this.” Tobias's voice is calmer than I’m used to. But then again, how often do I see him try to talk Theo down instead of the other way around?
I watch Theo think for a second, and can practically see the wheels turning in his head as he thinks long and hard about what It is he wants to do.
No part of me doubts he wants to kill Tom.
A fearful rage consumes the vampire. What if he loses his temper like that with me?
Would he kill me, too? Would Tobias let him?
“If I let him live, you don’t leave this property,” Theo snaps at me through clenched teeth. I quickly nod, looking toward Tom. He visibly relaxes when Theo lets go of him, shoving him toward the car.
“How do I know you won’t kill him when you take him back?” I ask, scared that if Theo takes him home, he will snap on the way and slaughter my friend.
“I will take him home. You stay here with Theo.” Tobias nods to Tom. I shake my head, not wanting to be left alone with Theo either, not when he is like this. I never thought I would see the day when I actually feared him. I shiver just at the thought of being alone with him again.
“Either Tobias takes him, Imogen, or I kill him. Pick,” Theo says, moving toward me and Tobias, who is watching me and waiting for my answer.
“You’re scaring her, Theo. You will be fine, Imogen. Theo won’t hurt you. I promise.” After seeing him like this, I have doubts, but I nod, anyway. Tobias is usually good about keeping his promises, and I want Tom alive more than I worry for my own life, no matter how scared I am about it.
Tobias motions with a nod to the passenger seat of the car. "Get in. I'll take you home. We can chat on the way." Tobias lets go of me, and Theo immediately grabs me, the coldness of his hands making me shiver.
I don't speak. Tobias gets in the car and drives it off, leaving me alone with this stranger. Theo tugs my arm, forcing me toward the house. He takes my injured wrist. I shake with fear and pain, groaning with every tense step up the veranda stairs. My legs have gone through a meat grinder.
Theo scowls at me, probably not understanding why I’m so slow.
He scoops me into his arms, and I shudder in revulsion.
I grasp onto him with my one good arm, not wanting to fall to the ground.
His eyes flicker to my injured wrist, and he scowls more.
He stomps inside and up the stairs to the bathroom, placing me on my feet.
He only leaves my side long enough to start the shower before motioning for me to come to him.
My legs are frozen. How can I willingly go to that demon?
My foot slides backward. Theo's eyes narrow and he snarls at me, his fangs bared.
I freeze again, heart beating so hard there is no way he doesn't hear it. I squeeze my eyes shut. If I’m going to be hurt more, I don't want to witness it.
Theo's hands went for my blouse, gathering a handful and yanking me against him.
I try to stop the momentum by holding my hands up, and I cry as my injured wrist folds beneath the weight.
"Damn it," Theo growls at me. "I'm not going to hurt you, stop doubting me.
" His voice vibrates with anger, but it is the type of anger I've experienced before.
The demon from before is caged again. But for how long?
"I can heal you if you want," he whispers to me.
My eyes flew open, and I stare at him. I shake my head. I can't even imagine what that means, nor do I want to.
Theo stares into my eyes, and the demon from before really is banished. This was my Theo. "You're in so much pain, and I can fix it, please let me."
How do you respond to something like that?
But I don't have a lot of choices. There's no way they'll take me to the hospital.
I'll be lucky if I ever get off this property alive again. I swallow the hysterical laugh that threatens to escape me. Now is not the time to indulge in a laugh. Theo pulls my back to his chest, wrapping an arm around my waist. He takes his other palm and bites into it. Ruby droplets well then flowed out of his body. He presses it to my lips, coating them in the liquid crimson. I shake my head, trying to get away. There is no fucking way! I’m not drinking his blood.
"Drink it, or I'll force you," he growls at me. A hint of that monster is in his voice. Maybe Tobias is wrong, maybe I will be killed and pulled apart before the wolf ever returns. "Drink," he orders again. "One," he whispers into my ear.
Really? He is going to count like I was a naughty kid?
I don't want to know what happens at three, and though I hate this whole thing, I open my mouth and let his blood flood in. I almost wretch as the strange liquid fans over my tongue. But after a few seconds, a new sensation overtakes me. I’m high.
His blood is pure ecstasy. I take hold of his wrist, pulling it closer to me.
I moan as the hot fire pools through me.
The man who only could touch me with ice had blood that burned through my body and made me want more. I want to bathe in this stuff.
He brushes my hair back, a tender caress and I can feel his smile behind me. "Good girl." I gulp greedily. I can't stop. No matter how much I take.
But his words were the same ones Tobias used. The same ones that make me freeze and moan when I hear them. I really don't understand why, but I clench my thighs together. The egg is still in there. Am I allowed to take it out yet?
"We need to get you a shower, Hun." Theo kisses the side of my head. He rips my shirt away from me with one arm, letting me continue to drink with the other. I bend over with him as he removes my pants and under garments. I don't even care about the cold. This new source of heat is all I needed.
Recognition smashes into me, I drank someone’s blood, ew.
I make a quick assessment of my body. Had I grown any new parts or am I now fangy like Theo?
But instead of new secret vampire powers, I notice something more shocking to me.
There is no pain anymore. Not even a little bit.
If it wasn't for the blood that stained my skin, I'd have thought I imagined it all.
I rotate my wrist, waiting for a pain that never comes.
I glance up at Theo, and he winks at me before kissing the top of my head and pulling against him.
I let him, leaning into him more. My body feels amazing and tingly, like I could run a marathon.
No more aches or pains and even the migraine that was forming, has vanished.
Theo reaches for the soap and pushes me under the water.
Blood and dirt run down my legs, I’m filthy. He washes me quickly, turning me around to wash my hair. His fingers massage my scalp, and it’s so good, I almost fall asleep standing upright. When he is done, he rinses me off, washes himself then turns the taps off.
Pushing the door open, I step out of the shower just as Tobias comes in with two towels.
He wraps one around me and pulls me into the bedroom.
I prepare myself. There will be punishment still; I don't trust either of them to not want to torture me for this day.
“Tom?” I ask in a voice barely above a whisper.
Theo growls behind me, stepping closer.
I flinch and move closer to Tobias. “He’s at home with his wife. I promise, he is okay.” My shoulders relaxed and I suck in a deep breath. With that, I’m ready to endure.
I dry myself, and a fully dressed Theo comes out of the walk-in and hands me pajamas. I go to walk into the bathroom to put them on when Tobias takes my wrist.
“No, get dressed here. You don’t go anywhere by yourself from now on.
” I glance at Theo who watches us, his face expressionless.
I look back to Tobias, who is daring me to disobey.
I drop my towel right in front of him. My eyes not leaving his as I slip my pajamas on.
I don’t care that they see me naked; they obviously have more times now then I can count.
What I do care about is not being given any privacy.
"Imogen," Tobias growls softly, a note of warning in his words. From out of his pocket he pulls a familiar remote. "I haven't forgotten your failure today.” He points to the bed. "Go lie down, and keep your legs spread where we can watch you."