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Chapter Eleven
Devin took a slow breath as she let Ashley help her from the SUV. No amount of determination would stop the world from spinning out of control, and Ash’s firm arm was the only thing keeping it from tipping up to smack Devin in the face. Every thump of her heart felt thick, too slow to pump the numbing sludge through her veins. She felt empty, hollowed out. A husk that moved and breathed.
“Hey, man, back off,” Ash shouted, pivoting to put her body between Devin and the black figure rushing towards them. Seeking to protect her friend from the cloud of rage barreling down the walk.
“Shut the fuck up,” Beau snarled, grabbing Devin’s other arm and wrenching her away from the protective circle of Ashley’s body.
“You get the hell off of her, you worthless fuck,” Ashley roared as she tugged Devin back.
To Devin’s surprise, Beau went stumbling backwards from Ashley’s hard shove. From the glimpse she had of the twisted mask settling over the firm lines of his features, so was Beau. Long strides carrying him forward, Devin tried to focus on the curling fists coming up from his sides.
Ash was going to get hurt if Devin let this continue. Bad. This hadn’t been any part of her plan, though Devin didn’t know why she thought getting a bunch of Alphas together in an impossible situation would end differently.
Devin sidestepped with her hand held out to stop Beau. Unable to track the giant fist rushing through the freezing night, it seemed to jump from Beau’s shoulder to her solar plexus within a single blink of her eyes. Devin grunted with the impact, feet clearing the crunchy grass before she flew back through the cold. She marveled at the thick fluidity of the motion, arms pinwheeling in slow motion before the ground sped its way towards her.
Landing hard on the lawn, her breath exploded from slack lips in a white plume towards the stars. The pinpricks of light swirled and danced, a show just for her as her heart stuttered and threatened to stop.
“Stupid bitch! Why did you do that? Fuck, baby.” Voice gravel coarse, Beau leaned over her to clutch her hand. He pet at her shoulder with jittery fingers, the wild blue of his eyes raking down her body and back to her face. Reassuring himself he hadn’t killed her.
Ashley appeared at Devin’s other side. Their shouting crammed inside of Devin’s skull, stabbing deep into her brain in a mangled chaos as her ears began to throb, deafened by a shrill whine. Ash shoved at Beau, making him tug at Devin’s limp hand, jerking her across the cold grass. Ashley dragged her back, bowing over Devin to force Beau away. Someone’s hands came to her back, helping her to sit up, though her lungs still refused to work, and it seemed her heart had given up the fight as well.
Blinding light swerved over the surreal scene.
Even painted in broad strokes of shadows and pitch, she knew it was Rey. Knew every straining hill and valley of him back-lit from the open car door. He didn’t bother with decorum, didn’t care who saw him as he ran up the short patch of lawn to her. She held a wavering hand out, collapsing backwards despite the supporting grip from the others.
Air rushed into her lungs, frozen and painful, the moment he scooped her up into his arms. Heat invading every molecule of her being, it wiped away every physical hurt. His purr loud and rich, it doused her in cushiony softness, dragging her limbs down in comfort.
None of it was real.
The bond bucked in her chest. Demanding more, incensed when she failed to respond as intended. The scream that had abated while at Ashley’s trickled back in. A shrill cry that grew louder by the second. Rey’s dark gaze shone black in the dim light from the windows behind them, a seed of uncertainty planting itself deep. Devin watched it unfurl, beginning to bloom before he dragged his eyes away.
“I’ll deal with you later,” he growled at Ashley, climbing to his feet with Devin safe in his arms before cutting his attention to Beau. “And you.”
“Don’t you dare,” Devin choked out as Rey entered the house and hurried towards the bedroom that had been her prison for too long. The agonized cry battered her ribs from within, hammering against the delicate cage of bone to be free.
“It’s going to be okay.”
He wasn’t listening to her at all. Rey placed her on the bed as if she was fragile china, working her borrowed clothes free with swift movements. Laying her bare so that he could show his teeth and bellow his rage at the fist sized crimson stain that was fast approaching purple.
“It’s going to be okay, sweetheart,” Rey swore to the blotchy imprint, fingers ghosting over the painful swell of her stomach. “I’ll get someone here. They’ll look you over.”
“I don’t need anyone to look at me.” Recoiling from his attention as Rey sidled closer, she covered her body with splayed fingers. Ineffectual at best, it still gave her a moment to drag her thoughts from the blood-soaked mire. “I needyouto listen.”
Rey didn’t hear her. He shrugged out of his jacket, and it was then she saw the smudges of dirt and darker things. Not from her, and not his, only the crusting scabs her nails left on his skin visible as he shuffled free of his shirt. Clothing cast aside, he started climbing onto the bed. Careful of her but unwilling to leave her be. His intentions made clear as Rey wedged his knee between hers, spreading her thighs. He meant to mark her with his scent, reassure himself that no other had touched her in her absence.
“Get off of me!” Devin gave a warbling cry, shoving at Rey’s shoulders. Failing to do more than cause his body to rock, she gave voice to the hollow scream. Opening her mouth wide, she let the agonized wail free.
Rey stumbled back from the bed with eyes wide, hands held palm out in a weak display of surrender. Too little, too late. The scream wouldn’t stop, the shrill howl tearing at her throat until the very sound of it was bloody. Devin curled over her stomach and pulled up her knees as she fisted her hair. Ripping at the thick locks as the fraying strands of her sanity snapped with a vicious thunder.
Only it wasn’t her mind. Rey’s roar wasn’t even directed at her. Beau stood between him and the bed, Beau’s hands raised to push at the air. Telling Rey to stop, to back away.
Devin fell onto her side to choke on the wretched cry as it finally began to fade. A thin keen at the last as she wrapped her arms tight around the sensation of being hollowed out with a rusted spoon. She couldn’t feel the bond anymore at all. Not the slimy chill of it, not the liquid heat she’d come to associate with Rey. There was no comfort, no security to be found in the bleak depths of her soul.
“I just wanted to talk,” Devin mumbled against the sheets stained with her cold sweat.
“Rey, take it easy.” Though his voice was strained, Beau still tried for peace. A strange act for him, all things considered. Sidestepping to keep Devin hidden from Rey’s view, he attempted to calm the enraged Alpha.
“Get out of my way,” Rey shouted, trying to rush past Beau, only to be shoved back.
