His grip tightens and he pushes off his arms, sitting up. His hands shake as he clenches them at his side, and for a second, I think he is going to punch me. The darkness inside him eats away the good parts and turns them dark.
All this talk about me being his puppet, makes me realize that he is also a puppet to the darkness, a puppet to his own mind. Cruel and unforgiving, just as he is to me.
It doesn’t change anything, though; he still did what he did. Thaddeus’ breathing becomes heavy, the lights flicker as he fights against himself. He wants to hurt me, and I know he will enjoy it when he does because a part of him enjoys other people’s pain and fear.
When was the last time he fed? I mentally question myself. The darkness is always worse when he hasn’t fed for a while, but he fed off me the other day; surely his bloodlust isn’t that bad? His entire body is trembling, and I gulp, my mouth suddenly feeling like I am trying to swallow down the sand. His eyes turn to pitch-black orbs as they snap toward me. The lights flicker and the entire house starts shaking like an earthquake.
“Run,” he says, and I stare, stunned. Then, he screams, “Fucking run!” He bellows, and I jump off the bed but not quick enough before he lunges at me. His hands are gripping my ankle, ripping me to the ground.
“Orion! Ryland” I scream, petrified. Where are they? Did they leave?
Turning on my side, I use my other leg to kick him as hard as I can in the face. He lets go, and I scramble to my feet before being tackled and thrown violently through the railing, plummeting to the ground below.
Everything is moving in slow motion, and I think I will die when I feel him grab me, ripping me toward him as he turns so he is underneath me as we hit the floor below. Landing on his chest knocks the wind out of me. For a second, his grip is gentle, his eyes their vibrant hypnotic green until something inside him flips, going to the monster; his grip tightens around my waist, and I feel the air leave my lungs.
“Thaddeus,” I choke out.
His head turns to the side, this isn’t him. This is something demonic, like looking into the eyes of the devil, his bottomless eyes pits of darkness that threaten to suck me into their void.
“Thaddeus,” I gasp, and I can feel my ribs cracking as the last bits of air leave my lungs.
I scratch his face, needing air as it is being squeezed out of me. My hand drops as I become weaker and weaker. I feel my eyes rolling into the back of my head. And suddenly, he lets go, his arms are unraveling around me, and I gasp for air. My eyes flutter open to see Ryland and Orion, gripping his arms and prying them off me.
“Run, Evelyn!” Orion yells to me, and I force myself to move, running for the front door.
I swing it open and freeze. I can’t take another step, physically can’t do it. I try everything, but all I do is give myself a worse headache and coat myself in sweat. I can hear things crashing around until I hear Ryland’s voice which makes my eyes dart to him.
“Shit,” he says when he realizes I can’t leave the house.
“You’re going to have to run with her,” Orion grunts to Ryland. My eyes watch him being flung into the fireplace as they try and hold him back.
“It could kill her,” Ryland yells to him, just as Thaddeus grips Ryland’s throat, making me scream.
Thaddeus’ eyes snap toward me near the door. His eyes flash like he is trying to remember who I am, fighting with himself. His head snaps towards Ryland, and his grip lets go as he gains control slightly before I feel the darkness consume him again. That split-second distraction is enough to get Orion back on his feet as he tackles Thaddeus to the ground.
What the fuck is going on? I just don’t get it; I don’t understand how he can get this bad. How he can just switch personalities like this, one second calm, the next like a hurricane.
Evelyn
I don’t know what to do; Thaddeus is throwing them around like rag dolls. Ryland is drenched in his own blood; Orion is fairing a little better but not much when suddenly, Ryland is knocked unconscious.
Orion’s eyes snap to me and he starts running toward me in panic. If Orion goes out, I am next, and there is nothing I can do. I can’t even run. I know I am as good as dead.
Orion is ripped back by Thaddeus. Orion turns around and punches him, knocking him backward for a second before he is ripped back toward him. Thaddeus sinks his teeth into his neck, and it is the strangest thing I have ever witnessed, almost cannibalistic. He is feeding off his own kind. Orion struggles against him until Thaddeus tosses him like he weighs nothing.
Thaddeus’ clothes start tearing and his entire body grows bigger. Black fur sprouts along his arms and chest, and claws slip from his fingers. The house is suddenly plunged into darkness, and I squint into the darkness, waiting for my eyes to adjust, but seeing nothing.
My body’s hair stands on end when I hear him growl. My heart pounds so hard I can hear it. My breathing becomes harder as I fight to stay conscious and not faint out of fear.
“Orion,” I whisper into the darkness but get nothing in return, only a menacing growl from Thaddeus. Then, I feel his hot breath fan the side of my face. I whip my head to the side, coming face to face with sharp white teeth, and I scream, running for the stairs and only making it up one or two steps before I am yanked backward.
Thaddeus’ claws rip the back of my shirt, and I drop my weight, slipping through his hands. I crawl up the stairs as fast as I can, only to get halfway when I feel his breath on my neck, so I flip onto my back and crawl backward. All I can see are sharp teeth and his reflecting eyes hovering above me as he stalks me.
As I am crawling backward up the stairs using my hands, every step, he follows, his arms on either side of mine until they go above my shoulders, stopping me from going any higher up the stairs. As I feel fur touch them, I freeze, flattening myself beneath him. The stairs dig into my back painfully.
His face drops into my neck, and he inhales. I will myself not to be afraid, but it is impossible when I literally have a furry monster about to rip me to shreds. “Thaddeus, you don’t want to hurt me,” I whisper, and he growls against my throat. My entire body shakes in fear when I hear Ryland’s voice, softly speaking.