Chapter Twenty #5
Heath disappeared. A low animalistic growl came from the back of Helen’s throat, chilling Jed to the bone.
It kept on going, becoming a howl, as if some form of possessed spirit was inhabiting her body.
The sound was heart-wrenching, a desperate cry for help.
He’d never felt so helpless in his life.
“Elena! It’s me, Jed. Hold on. Hold on!”
Her awful howling stopped. Her dull eyes lit up at the sound of his voice.
“Jed!” she gasped.
“Yes, it’s me.” He pulled her higher in his arms, her head rolling back against his racing heart. “Hang on for me, Elena.”
“Something smashed. Into...me. Taking over. Ea...eating...eating my brain.” Her hand fisted, hitting him on the shoulder. “Stop it! Stop him! Inside. Jed! I...fighting him...”
Jed leaned forward, trying to catch all her words. Smashed into her? Like the incident in the stairwell? “Get him, then, Elena,” he urged. “Don’t let him win. Go get that fucker. Kill him.””
“I can’t hear. He...screaming...in my head. Pain.”
The rumbling growl started again. Helen’s body shook uncontrollably. Where the hell was Heath? His inability to do anything shredded Jed like a knife. All he could do was rock her, trying to absorb whatever it was that was hurting her.
“Jed!”
“I’m here.” She seemed to be fighting herself and something else and he couldn’t help her.
“Jed!”
“I’m here, baby. If you can see him, fight him. Tell me what to do to help you. Please.”
His reassurances reached her and her trembling became less violent again.
“He...it...in pain, Jed. He can’t...control...he...wants out. Can’t.” Her breathing grew labored. “My head’s exploding. Can’t...see.” Her eyes rolled back again. “Going with it...him. I know...it’s him...Stratter’s. Colors. His pain...I can’t take it.”
“No, you aren’t fucking taking her with you to see colors,” Jed roared, wanting to shake whatever it was out of her.
He held her even tighter. Must control himself.
Think, Jed. She was still connected to him through the trigger.
This was the unexpected event he’d been anticipating, wasn’t it?
He was going to keep her safe through sheer will alone.
“Elena Ekaterina Rostova, do you hear me? You aren’t leaving me.
Checkered flag, damn you, listen to me. Checkered flag! You’ll not leave me, Elena.”
He pulled her face close to his, crooning over and over into her ear so she could hear him. The trigger was already activated but right now, repeating it was the only hold he had on her. Her eyes widened, registering it, and for a moment he thought she was winning her battle within her.
“Something’s terrifying him,” she gasped out. “He wants to...use me...to escape. F...fight...must...fighh...”
Helen’s fisted hand slowly uncurled as her whole body went terrifyingly still.
“Nooo!” Jed shook her. Swung her higher in his arms, burying his face in her neck. Panic like he’d never felt before enveloped him. He couldn’t lose her. He hadn’t told her how much she meant to him. Despair punched a hole in his gut. He shook her again, willing her to open her eyes.
Nothing.
“Nooo!”
Finis (for now)
Hi, I hope you enjoyed Virtually Hers. The next book is Virtually One.
Thank you,