“Alex…” His voice trembles and his hands start to shake. He takes a staggered step back, and when he hits the kitchen island, he flinches. “Fuck, I’m… I’m sorry…” He looks down at his hands, like he sees something that no one else can.
“It’s okay, man. I’m fine.” Alex tries to console him through small gasps, but Damien slides along the counter, eyes glued to his palms. Serena finally lets me go, but as I step up to him, he just shakes his head and backs away from us all—away from me.
“Baby…” I try to step towards him again, but then he just turns around and storms off, leaving his phone on the countertop. John looks at me briefly before stepping after him, and as the crowd starts to disperse, I’m stuck only looking at one set of eyes.
Dr. Von stands by the stairs, watching over the commotion, and her face isn’t what I expect. It’s not worried or scared, and there doesn’t seem to be any empathy there, either. Her features are tense with acknowledgment, like she predicted this would happen, and my anger returns just as it did last night. I can only imagine what she’ll say to him now, and the thought alone scares me. I’m sure he already hates himself even more for what just happened; she doesn’t need to make it any worse for him. She clearly isn’t helping him, and while John may still see a need for her services, I’m not sure I do.
Chapter 13
Damien
Four Days Later
'Somewhere Only We Know' – Renee Dominique
Traitor…
They speak to me even as I stare at the floor. I’ve triedveryhard the past few days to ignore them, but they’re getting louder. My dreams are becoming more realistic each night, and it’s hard for me to shake them away. Alex’s face made something click, something that I’ve been trying to avoid, and I know my nightmares are trying to tell me what it is. I hate how he looked at me. His eyes locked onto mine like I was going to kill him, and for a moment, I was going to…
I was just so fucking angry. His touch caught me off guard, and knowing Ashia was right beside me kicked my protective instinct into gear. My hand tightened around his throat like I could snapit in an instant. His life was mine to take in that moment, and when I saw the fear that resided in his eyes, he looked like all the others—all of my victims.
It didn’t even look like him when I turned around. For a brief moment, he was Saconne… It was like everything around me vanished and I was back there once again. That one simple touch had me reeling in desperation, and I would’ve done anything in that moment to survive. It wasn’t until my little wolf called for me that I realized what I had done. I couldn’t even bear to look at her… I know the fear I would’ve seen in her eyes…
“How do you feel with your parents going back home today?” the doctor asks, snaking her way into my mind.
“Fine.” I don’t take my eyes off the floor, not willing to look up at her yet. There’s a brief pause, a dead silence that feels anything but empty before she starts again.
"I see you now have some outfits for your daughter. Does that make you feel a little more prepared?" Dr. Von inquires, but she sounds muffled, like she’s more than just a few feet away. An invisible veil is blocking my ears, and all I can seem to focus on is the beating of my heart.
"Yes," I answer automatically, not really paying attention to what she said.
Foul…
“Did you even look at her face before you smothered her?”
My eyes snap up to her.
“What did you just say?” My tone comes off sharp and quick, surprising her. Her eyebrows pinch together, and her lips thin into a straight line, like I’ve truly confused her.
"I asked if your wife likes her new car?"
Wicked…
I blink a few times, desperate to make them stop. I obviously heard her wrong… That’s been happening the past few days, too. The voices are starting to come alive, impersonating the peoplearound me. First, it was Alex…then it moved onto Zeke and Carter—even Serena at one point. Thankfully, I haven’t snapped again like I did a few days ago, but there’s no telling when I will again. Apart from Ashia, I don’t know who to trust. I know that she’s the only safe space for me, and that’s why they couldn’t get to her before.
"Hasn't she told you?" I retort, no longer trusting what she says. The confusion on her face deepens, and then she closes her laptop softly.
"I figured she would have been clear about her feelings. Ashia refuses to speak to me. So, apart from my observations around the home, I have no idea how she feels.” She tilts her head, staring at me like she’s growing curious. “Are you two having trouble communicating?"
"No," I snap back.
Liar…
I close my eyes and keep them shut, focusing only on the sounds of my breathing. If I focus on that, perhaps I can make them go away long enough to get through this damn hour.
"Are you hearing them now?” Dr. Von’s tone is soft but curious, as if by her question alone, she didn’t already know that answer. “When do the voices normally present themselves?" she asks next. I open my eyes once again and force myself to participate in the session.
“What do you mean?”
