Drawn to the Sea

Chapter 22: False Killings

I would like to apoligize in advance for how shitty I make Douglass feel in this chapter. Also, blood/gore warning for the end of the chapter.

Douglass

I tried to push myself back up, but my arms wouldn't obey me. Three weeks. I'd held out for three weeks. I'd come up with excuses as to why I couldn't be intimate with him; I didn't feel well, my body was still adjusting to the climate in hell, I didn't look good enough for him yet. I hadn't so much as kissed him. He'd bought my lies, albeit begrudgingly, and backed off. Until now.

He pressed his hand onto my throat, picking me up like I was nothing and slamming be against the wall. "You know... I'm starting to think that you're just making things up to get out of what you owe me."

I clawed at his hand, trying to breathe. "Max-- I can't--"

"Can't what, Doug? Can't breathe? Can't bear to sleep with me? Is this about that puny little wolf you were playing around with?"

I closed my eyes, tears starting to run down my cheek, no matter how hard I fought them. "Please--"

He squeezed harder and I felt my skin break. "Oh, begging are we? I love it when you beg. Of course, I love it more when you're begging for something else."

I almost gagged at the thought of what he was implying.

He clicked his tongue. "Maybe I should eliminate the problem if it's distracting you so much."

I squeezed his wrist hard, and I felt my claws poke into his thick skin. "Let go."

"Giving orders, are we? You know I hate it when you do that..."

"You promised you wouldn't hurt him."

"I did." He slackened his hold ever so slightly. "But that was before I realized how much of a problem he is."

I felt my eyes flare. "Don't touch him."

He hummed, leaning forward. "Again with thinking you can order me around? Why, I should just rip his little heart out and make you eat it-"

He didn't get to finish his sentence. My hands flared, searing hot. He shouted, yanking his hands back. I dropped to the floor, my scales glowing like lava. "You don't touch him. Ever."

He looked at me, fear flashing in his eyes for a split second. "How dare you--"

I clenched my fists, feeling the ground below me rumble. "You heard me, Max. You heard what I said."

He snarled, gripping his wrist. "Oh, I heard it."

I didn't back down as he stalked back towards me, his wings spreading. I stood my ground, even when fear twisted in my gut.

His golden tattoos glowed as he summoned his power. "You dare challenge me, lover?"

"I am not your lover. I haven't been for a long time. You only ever saw me as a toy to break and abuse."

"And you think it was any different with that wolf?"

"Nate cares. He's better than you could ever dream to be."

"And what makes you think that?"

I stared him right in his eyes. "He loves me. He would never hurt me.

To my surpirse, he laughed. "Oh, Douglass... How he fooled you."

I felt my confidence waver. "What?"

He stepped back, walking towards the door. "You're so sure about somethig that was a lie, lover."

"You don't know what you're talking about." Even though I thought I beleived that, I had to fight against the lump in my throat.

"To think you told him about me. You did, didn't you? You told him about me and that's why he asked if it was really Max?" He chuckled, putting his hand on the door. "Little siren... You only gave him fuel for the fire he was lighting right under you."

The door opened, and the last person I was expecting to be there was standing in the doorway, clear as the day I left him. Nate.

"Nate...?"

He grinned, but it wasn't the sweet one I knew. This one was sick and twisted. "Hello, Douglass."

"Nate, why are you here? I told you not to come back--" He started walking toward me, still grinning. "Nate? What are you doing?"

When he made it to me, he hauled his arm back and swung. His fist connected with my face, sending me down. I grunted, looking back up to him in fear. "No..."

"Yes." He grabbed the thick chain I was wearing around my neck, hauling me up. "It was all an act, Douglass."

"No. No, you told me you loved me. You heartbeat--"

"I told you I was a good lier."

I stared at him in fear, my heart giving a spike of pain. "Nate, this isn't you. You wouldn't hurt me."

He lifted his fist again. "Oh, I would."

When he punched me again, I didn't have time to react. He went on and on, all the while Max was watching from the doorway.

"I never cared about you."

"You were so easy to use."

"I can't beleive you thought I loved you."

"So gullable."

I only got the sense to fight back when I was already beaten to a pulp.

I increased the temperature in my hands, using them to make him back off. He circled around me, growling lowly. Every time he got close, I would take another step back. He eventually backed me against the wall.

"No where to run, little siren." He raised his clawed hands. "No where to hide."

I shook my head. "Nate, please--"

He snarled, lunginf at me with his claws aimed for the kill. I yelped, closing my eyes and thrusting out my own clawed hands in defense--

His body sagged against mine. I slowly opened my eyes, staring in horror at what I was looking at.

My claws had gone through his chest. I was holding his heart. I whimpered, shoving his body off me and dropping his heart. My bare chest was slick with his blood, and my gold skirt was soaked soaked with it. I stared at my hands, shaking so hard that I thought I might drop.

My eyes moved to his body, a hole ripped through where I'd clawed his heart out.

Oh, gods. I'd clawed his heart out.

I let out a small noise, dropping to my knees beside him. I'd killed him.

I'd killed him.

My hands clasped the sides of my head, his blood smearing in my hair. I felt tears drip down onto the floor. My breathing quickened as I realized what I'd done.

And for the first time in a long time, I remembered how stupid I was to think that I could've ever been happy.

After all, I always fucked everything up, right?