I see Merida walk around the corner, she must have heard us yelling. She stops, looking unsure for a second. I wave to her. I completely forgot she was coming over today, I honestly didn’t think she would show, but man am I happy to see her.
“Hey Imogen, what’s going on?” She asks, nervously.
I can tell she is wary of Theo, keeping a good distance away from him and not really approaching us, so I turn and walked toward her.
“Stay out of it, Merida.” Theo spits.
Merida puts her hands up and goes to leave. “Don’t talk to her like that! Wait up, Merida!” I call out to her before jogging after her.
Suddenly, Theo is in front of me, his easy-going attitude completely gone, in its place the version of him that scares me. I stop dead in my tracks. I cross my arms across my chest, refusing to be intimidated by him. Merida stops and watches; I can tell she looks panicked. Like she thinks he’s going to harm me. I stand my ground, refusing to back down.
“Merida, leave now!” Theo screams in a rage.
Oh, hell no I am not putting up with this shit. “No, Merida. Stay. I’m coming with you.”
She hesitates, unsure of what to do, but I can tell she’s scared of Theo, she looks between us and the direction of her car. I know any minute she’s going to leave me behind. I move and Theo copies me, side stepping and moving in front of me again.
“Unless you’re going to tell me who she is, move.” My voice is ice cold.
“No, you’re staying here and that’s final.”
I shove past him, his hands snaking around my waist and lifting me off my feet from behind, he uses his other arm to trap my arms across my chest holding tightly as he walks toward the house. When we approach the house, Tobias has finally come out from hiding in the room. Theo walks up the steps while I continue to struggle.
“Either you tell me who this woman is to you or I leave,” I say to Tobias.
Merida walks up the steps behind us, she keeps her distance, but I’m glad she didn’t tuck her tail and run. Theo tries to take me up the steps, but I throw my head back, my head connecting with his nose. I hear the crunch of it breaking, and man does my head throb. I think I do more damage to myself, but it’s effective. He lets me go and clutches his nose.
He’s livid, his fangs protruded. He grabs me, shaking me by my arms. Tobias places his hand on his arm. “Let her go now.” Theo stops shaking me but doesn’t let go, instead he pulls me closer, his nose nearly touching mine. His eyes staring into my fearful ones.
“You want to know who she is?” He screams; his cool breath makes me shiver.
“Theo, don’t you fucking dare!” Tobias tells him, gripping his arm tighter. I can see Merida behind him, her eyes wide and fearful. His eyes gleam, he wants to upset me but what he says next doesn’t upset me, it destroys me.
“She’s our fucking wife!” I feel like I have been punched in the gut, completely winded. I blink back the tears that are threatening to fall. My mouth suddenly loses all moisture. She’s their wife.
“What? You’re fucking married?”
Tobias looks panicked. Theo finally realizes what he said, lets go of my arms, and staggers back. Merida looks on the verge of running and is visibly shaking.
“Let us explain. Please.”
“No, I want to leave now,” I scream, tears running down my face. Merida is about to bail, turning toward the front door, but I call out to her. “Merida wait.” I run up the stairs and grab my handbag.
I can hear Theo and Tobias yelling at each other. I don’t care, I’m not going to be someone’s mistress. Grabbing my phone off charge, I walk back down the stairs, ignoring them both fighting in the living room. I can hear things getting broken.
Merida stands frozen, not moving, her eyes watching the fight that has broken out in the living room. I touch her arm and she jumps; “Let’s go.” I say, she nods but as soon as we turn to the door, Theo is standing in front of it.
“Leave, Merida. or I will make you.” His voice is ice cold. Merida pales and goes to walk around him, his eyes never leaving her. I push Theo to the side to follow after her. “Not you, you’re staying.”
“Like fuck I am. I won’t be the other woman, Theo, now fucking move. What did you think you could be married and we would all live like one happy family? Fuck off.” I snap.
Merida opens the door and walks outside, heading toward the car, she looks back at me fleetingly.
“Tobias, tell him to move or so help me god I will fucking reject the pair of you right now.”
Tobias moves to my side, his lip is bleeding and his shirt ripped. “Let her go Theo, we need time to cool off. She will be safe with Merida.” Tobias says, his chest pushing into my back.
I have to fight the urge to lean into him. This stupid mate bond is going to be the death of me. Theo glares at Tobias, refusing to move. My face is drenched in tears, my hands shaking. How can they do this to her, how can they do this to me?
“Move please,” I beg. I just need to get away from them, clear this constant fog taking over my brain, that’s them.
“She’s dead, Imogen. You don’t have to worry about her.” Theo’s eyes search my face, waiting for a reaction, but I don’t care that she’s dead.
The fact is they are or were married and didn’t say anything, yet she was on Tobias’s mind. How do you compete with that? “Move please,” I repeat, as I look at Tobias. He nods at Theo and Theo steps out of the way.
“She can’t get far, Theo, just let her go.” Theo growls lowly.
I dart past; Merida looks relieved when I walk out heading towards her white Subaru Liberty. I open the passenger side sliding into the seat. Only when I try to plug my seatbelt in do I realize how badly my hands are shaking. Merida, seeing me struggle with the belt, leans over and clips it in for me.
“Thanks.” She nods and quickly starts the car, doing a U-turn. She turns the car around and starts heading down the driveway. I lean back on the seat, closing my eyes.