"What the hell?"
Sera turned as David, Jack, Doug, and Mike came skidding into the kitchen. Their eyes widened as they took in the spectacle before them. "What's going on?" Kathleen cried. Mike spun back around to block the doorway. "Get out of my way!"
Mike refused to budge from the doorway as he turned his head to see what was going on. Beth stood; her eyes were vivid and hateful as she lifted her chin. She spun and bolted out the door, seeming to blur and disappear as she moved. Liam took a step after her, and froze; his body was tense and shaking.
His ruby gaze darted back to Sera. Sera's mouth gaped open and her heart leapt into her throat as he came at her. A scream tore from her as he seized hold of her arms and ripped her off the floor. "What were you doing?" he roared.
Fresh terror spurted through her in the face of his obvious rage. A rage that was now focused solely upon her. All of his control was gone.
"What were you doing?"
He punctuated each word with a small shake. "Liam!" David shouted. "Liam stop!"
David's words did nothing to dim the fury blazing through him. The hands on his arms ripped a shout from him as they tried to pull him away from Sera. He released Sera and spun toward them as he instinctively shielded her from whoever was behind him. David and Doug took a hasty step back, their hands raised in surrender.
He turned instantly back to her. Tremors wracked her body as she stared at him with a petrified look in her eyes. Her shirt had been ripped from her collar to mid chest. Blood marred her porcelain skin. The sight of that blood further unraveled him.
He took a step forward. She whimpered as she scuttled back a few feet. At any other time the obvious sign of her distress would have stopped him. It didn't now. The fact that she could have been killed, the fact that she had almost been killed, had shattered all of his control. He would not lose her. He would not take the chance of losing her.
Sera had seen what was inside of him before, but not like this, never like this. Before, she had always been able to glimpse something of Liam inside. There was nothing there now. There was no flicker of green in his bloodshot eyes. There was no hint of softening in his contorted features. He had lost complete control, and he showed no signs of being able to regain it.
She wanted him to change her. She wanted to be with him. But not like this. He looked as if he was going to kill her.
She scrambled back. He was on her in an instant. Sera screamed as her hands flailed wildly. He grabbed them and pinned them down. Pain blazed through her wrists, but it was nothing compared to the terror constricting her chest and throat. "Sera!" Kathleen screamed.
Hands grasped his shoulders and tried to rip him away. "Liam don't!" Doug yelled. "Don't do this!"
He spun and lashed out with his fist. Doug was flung into the kitchen cabinets as if he weighed no more than a twig. His own eyes flashed red before he took a deep breath and steadied himself. Liam looked at the others, but they made no move to come near him.
His eyes focused on her again. The smell of her blood was thick in the air; the riotous fluttering of her heart was hammering in his head. He pushed her hair back and pulled her forward. She cried out as she fought against him. Her thrashing only made him more determined. He was going to make her his for good. He was going to make sure that no one ever hurt her again.
"Liam please," she whimpered as his teeth skimmed her neck. She choked out a strangled cry. "Please not like this. Not like Jacob."
He was pulled back, ready to strike, when her words slammed into him with the force of a sledgehammer. They rocked his body and soul as they knocked the demon out of him. He released her wrists as he pulled away from her. Her eyes were tumultuous and terrified, her hair a tangled mass about her beautiful face. Blood marred her delicate cheek and chest, the smell of it was heady, and enticing, but he did not go after her again.
"Get away from me Sera!" he grated. "Get away now!"
She needed no further encouragement as she scrambled to her feet and stumbled around the island. Jack reached out to steady her, thought better of it, and dropped his hands back to his sides. She had taken a risk with mentioning Jacob's name. She had known that it would either drive him into a further rage, or help him come to his senses. She was extremely grateful that it had gone her way.
"Get her out of here!" Liam spat. "Get her out now!"
"Sera!" Kathleen yelled. "Sera are you okay?"
"She's fine," Mike answered when it became obvious that Sera wasn't able to do so.
"Get out of my way! I want to see her! Now!" Danielle and Kathleen were both screaming and shoving at Mike.
"Get her out of here!" Liam bellowed. "And take care of them!"
Mike pushed Kathleen and Danielle back as they fought to get away from him. "Everything is fine," he said lowly. "Jack, help me."
"Let us go!" Kathleen screeched. "He's hurt her! I know he has!"
Mike took hold of Kathleen's chin and forced her to look at him. She was fairly spitting as she beat ineffectively at his chest. "Everything is all right," he said. "Sera just had a nightmare, but she's fine now." Her eyes began to glaze as his power wrapped into her mind. Beside him, he could hear Jack whispering the same words to Danielle. "You saw for yourself that she was all right. Now, go back to sleep."
Kathleen looked dazed as she turned to leave. Danielle followed behind her. Mike sagged against the wall, feeling completely drained. "We can't keep doing this," Jack muttered. "I feel as weak as a newborn kitten."
Mike nodded his agreement as he turned back to the kitchen. David and Doug were before Sera, blocking her from Liam. Liam was standing by the sink, his hands clasped on the counter so forcefully that he was shaking. His head was bowed, but hunger still radiated from him like a heat wave.
