Sequel: Queens of the Night ›
Kings of War
Shaun
Elizabeth slipped out behind him, and he listened to her feet move down the hallway until there was nothing but silence. His knuckles were bruised and smeared with blood, the same blood that pooled on the floor, but he didn't seem to take any notice. The fucker got what he deserved. He felt no remorse, nor did he feel like he had been overly violent or reactive. He did what needed to be done. And now there was a lot in him that needed to be taken care of. Anger, fury that she hadn't told him, fury that she had kept this big secret from him and fury that she hadn't trusted him to care for her. Something told him that there was a lot more to this story that he had yet to hear.
Shaun's breath was heavy from the exertion and rush of adrenaline, face and body spattered with blood. His eyes were locked on Eli, and he had no words for her quite yet. No, he wouldn't speak to her until he thought he could do it without yelling. She had been through enough today, it wasn't the time for him to yell and berate and make her feel bad. She requested he not say anything, and for the time being he complied, even though it was hard for him to keep his thoughts to himself for any amount of time. Setting his feet, he crossed his arms over his wide chest and fixed her with a hard stare. She had a lot of explaining to do.
The words spilled out of her easily, and it was a little difficult for him to stop himself from interjecting. But like he had agreed, he kept his mouth shut, stare leveled with her. Finally, when she was finished telling of her ordeal, he spoke.
"Not telling me was stupid. You were being an idiot to think that I wouldn't put an end to it and protect both you and Jason."
He stepped forwards until his chest nearly brushed against her, laying a hand on the wall alongside her heead. Catching his lip ring in between his teeth, he looked down at her. He could taste Stephen's blood, and it wasn't entirely unpleasant. It made him feel a little victorious.
"Gina was different," His voice was a growl, low and serious. "She lied about shit all the time, I knew all along she wasn't telling the truth. I looked into it, I did, but there was abso-fucking-lutely nothing to back up her accusations. She made all that shit up, Eli. Have I ever been bad to you? Have I ever fucking hit you, or hurt you or Jason or made you think, for even one fucking second, that I would have done something like that? You're not my whore, nor have you ever been. Nothing Stephen said to you has a grain of truth, and I'm fucking furious you didn't tell me. If you would have, I would have dealt with it right then and there. You know I'd never let him hurt you like that. You fucking know it, Eli, don't stand there and tell me you don't."
He had loved her. That was too sappy for him to say, especially now when he was all worked up and angry. It had hurt when she had left, taking his little boy with her. It had proved all his thoughts about love-- pointless, because the one you loved would always leave you, by choice or in death. It would hurt, and he didn't like all that emotional bullshit. Waste of time and effort, and that was why he had never loved before her, not in all the centuries he had been alive. She had been different, although he didn't know why and he didn't know how. Sighing heavily and rubbing at his eyes, he only seemed to manage to smear the blood over his cheeks.
"You should have known better than that." he said finally, eyeing the rather small woman that stood before him. "You should have known that if you'd told me, I would have protected you from that." It hurt a little that she hadn't; that she hadn't trusted him to look after her or to punish soundly anyone that hurt her. Hurt was a useless emotion though, and it tended to come from him mashed with anger, and there was plenty of that. "Somebody's gotta clean this mess up. You come with me, we're goin' back to my room. We've got shit to sort out." he was frowning. Although he was unsure of how to handle it, he didn't let his words leave any room for argument. It was bullshit. Hurt and anger and frustration, emotions and feelings he always shunned to the back of his head. Having them pushed to the foreground was a real pain in the ass.
Shaun's breath was heavy from the exertion and rush of adrenaline, face and body spattered with blood. His eyes were locked on Eli, and he had no words for her quite yet. No, he wouldn't speak to her until he thought he could do it without yelling. She had been through enough today, it wasn't the time for him to yell and berate and make her feel bad. She requested he not say anything, and for the time being he complied, even though it was hard for him to keep his thoughts to himself for any amount of time. Setting his feet, he crossed his arms over his wide chest and fixed her with a hard stare. She had a lot of explaining to do.
The words spilled out of her easily, and it was a little difficult for him to stop himself from interjecting. But like he had agreed, he kept his mouth shut, stare leveled with her. Finally, when she was finished telling of her ordeal, he spoke.
"Not telling me was stupid. You were being an idiot to think that I wouldn't put an end to it and protect both you and Jason."
He stepped forwards until his chest nearly brushed against her, laying a hand on the wall alongside her heead. Catching his lip ring in between his teeth, he looked down at her. He could taste Stephen's blood, and it wasn't entirely unpleasant. It made him feel a little victorious.
"Gina was different," His voice was a growl, low and serious. "She lied about shit all the time, I knew all along she wasn't telling the truth. I looked into it, I did, but there was abso-fucking-lutely nothing to back up her accusations. She made all that shit up, Eli. Have I ever been bad to you? Have I ever fucking hit you, or hurt you or Jason or made you think, for even one fucking second, that I would have done something like that? You're not my whore, nor have you ever been. Nothing Stephen said to you has a grain of truth, and I'm fucking furious you didn't tell me. If you would have, I would have dealt with it right then and there. You know I'd never let him hurt you like that. You fucking know it, Eli, don't stand there and tell me you don't."
He had loved her. That was too sappy for him to say, especially now when he was all worked up and angry. It had hurt when she had left, taking his little boy with her. It had proved all his thoughts about love-- pointless, because the one you loved would always leave you, by choice or in death. It would hurt, and he didn't like all that emotional bullshit. Waste of time and effort, and that was why he had never loved before her, not in all the centuries he had been alive. She had been different, although he didn't know why and he didn't know how. Sighing heavily and rubbing at his eyes, he only seemed to manage to smear the blood over his cheeks.
"You should have known better than that." he said finally, eyeing the rather small woman that stood before him. "You should have known that if you'd told me, I would have protected you from that." It hurt a little that she hadn't; that she hadn't trusted him to look after her or to punish soundly anyone that hurt her. Hurt was a useless emotion though, and it tended to come from him mashed with anger, and there was plenty of that. "Somebody's gotta clean this mess up. You come with me, we're goin' back to my room. We've got shit to sort out." he was frowning. Although he was unsure of how to handle it, he didn't let his words leave any room for argument. It was bullshit. Hurt and anger and frustration, emotions and feelings he always shunned to the back of his head. Having them pushed to the foreground was a real pain in the ass.
♠ ♠ ♠
anger <3