Chapter 34

Viv woke up the next day, dragging, her eyes feeling like they had been attacked by sandpaper. She had a hard time sleeping last night. Every creak the house made, every time the furnace turned on, woke her up. She knew the house was warded and no one could get her here, but her base brain apparently didn’t get the memo. Grabbing a shower made her feel a little more human, Viv snorted at the thought. She pulled her hair into a messy bun and called it done. She needed a big influx of caffeine to make it through the day. Mac hadn’t come home last night, which probably also caused her to not sleep well. She had gotten used to his heat in bed in a very short time and had a hard time sleeping when he wasn’t there.

Walking out into the kitchen, she saw Thomas waiting for her, a cup of coffee and a travel mug ready to go.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “I know it’s not Mac’s fault, but I’m scared for you. D gave me the nicest lecture last night.” He sniffed.

“I’m sorry too. I lost my temper. I never, ever thought it was D’s fault.”

“I know. Now give me a hug so we can make up,” Thomas demanded, opening his arms and making grabby hands.

“I hate it when we fight,” Viv said, grabbing Thomas in a tight hug.

“I made you a coffee for here and one for work. Both have your favorite peppermint mocha creamer in it. Your bagel’s almost done.”

“Thank you. I love you, you know that?”

“I do. Just like you know I love you. Promise you’ll call me, D, Liam, Mac, anyone, if something seems weird,” Thomas demanded.

“I will. I’m safe on library grounds, in my car, and here. I’m just going to go to work and home until it’s over. I don’t want to take any unnecessary risks. I figured we can get the groceries or food delivered and the wards won’t let anything unsafe through.”

“That sounds like a good plan,” Thomas agreed.

Viv ate her bagel, leaning against the counter, her hip resting next to Thomas’. She really did hate when they argued.

“Thank you for breakfast. I better go or I’ll be late,” Viv said, giving him a kiss on the cheek.

She kept checking her mirrors, seeing if anyone followed her from home, but she didn’t notice anything unusual. She also figured the guy would want to stay away from the protective demons that lived in their house. Pulling into work, she breathed a sigh of relief to be under an additional ward.

Walking in, she turned on the lights, getting the computers woken up and everything ready for the library to open. It would be a good day, she said to herself. If she said it enough, she might believe it. Midmorning, she felt her shadows return and turned down the lights near the help desk, creating shadows closer to her for Mac to hide in. She felt a brush against her skin and popped in an earbud. It was times like this that she really wished telepathy was a thing, but Mac said that wasn’t one of his powers. There were very few people who had that gift, according to D and Mac.

“I missed you,” she said softly. If anyone noticed her talking to herself, the earbud would make them think she was on the phone. Not the most professional response, but she also didn’t know a better way to talk to her shadowy boyfriend. After the last couple of days, she didn’t care what it looked like either, she really needed to talk to him and be near him.

“Are you okay?” she asked. There was a light touch on her right arm, signaling yes. “I’m glad.” She paused but figured D or Liam had already told him. “There were lilies and a note delivered yesterday. Liam collected them. Thomas and I got in a stupid fight, but we made up this morning. I’m going to stick to the house and work,” she promised.

She felt her legs being embraced in a hug. “Why don’t you grab some sleep? I know you must be exhausted. I can keep the lights dimmer so you can sleep behind the desk with me.” Another touch to her right arm made her smile. “I love you, sleep tight.” Viv smiled as she felt a brush against her lower back, their signal for “love you.” She could work like this, knowing her mate was close. Just feeling him in the same space made her feel calmer and safer.

It was after lunch in the middle of the afternoon when the phone rang again. Viv answered her standard response. “Thank you for calling the library, how may I help you?”

A male voice chuckled. The sound sent shivers down her body, her hand reaching back into her shadows, trying to wake Mac. She felt the shadows draw closer, wrapping around her.

“You and your blasted mate can both die,” the voice said. “But he’s harder to kill. You’re much easier, just a puny little human. Do you know how many of those I’ve killed?” he asked, glee and fond memory in his voice.

Looking down, she saw Mac text Liam. Killer on phone to Viv at library. See if can trace. She knew Mac wanted to rush outside and see if he was there, but she was grateful that he had stayed with her.

“No, and I don’t particularly want to,” she said, trying to keep him on the line to give Liam the best chance of tracking the call. “I’m sturdier than I look.”

“Oh, I’ve heard all about how you survived an attack from a few of us. That demoness was beautiful to watch in action. Did she show you her barbed tail attachment? That was a particular favorite of mine to observe. It was an amazing piece of equipment. The person she impaled would scream and cry, it would rip them up so good, blood would just start pouring from them sometimes. She accidently killed one or two when she got a little too enthusiastic. Some of the others with her were amateurs, but she was the real deal. I was sorry to hear she was gone. It just means the rest of us need to up our game to fill the void left behind. She and her mate used to make the most delicious videos. Hmm, those were good times. I bet you looked delightful as they held you for her. I wish I could have seen it. Umm,” he moaned into the phone, the rhythmic sound of skin on skin making it clear he was jerking off to the memories.

Viv felt like vomiting. At least they hadn’t recorded her; Mac and Liam’s teams had torn apart the house and the building and found nothing like that.

“You can tell the lovely detective trying to trace this call, that he’s out of time. I’ll be going, and I’m not close by.”

Viv slowly hung up the phone. She grabbed her cellphone and typed a message to Liam. He hung up. Knew you were trying to trace it.

Mac wrapped himself around her, the shadows probably looking odd if anyone looked behind the desk, but she couldn’t bring herself to care at the moment. She needed the comfort, to know that he was there for her.

“Are you able to stay home tonight?” Viv asked softly. She didn’t want to demand he stay home, especially if there was a chance he could stop the guy now, but she needed to feel him in bed next to her. She felt the touch on her right arm and felt some of the tension in her body relax. Maybe she could get a full night’s sleep tonight.

A patron came to the desk, asking for help finding something, helping distract Viv from the phone call. She had never been more grateful for the after-school rush. It kept her busy until closing, Mac shadowing her into the break room, where he finally took his solid form.

“Hey, love,” he said, grabbing her in a tight hug. “Are you okay?”

“Not really, but I’m okay because you’re here. I had a hard time sleeping last night without you.”

“I’m sorry. We thought we had a solid lead. He’s been at this a long time and has left fake trails and solid-looking leads everywhere. Some of them are part of his crimes, but they’re scattered about. It’s like finding a needle in a haystack,” Mac said. He was beyond frustrated with the case and now the asshole was targeting his mate and Mac couldn’t find him to keep her safe. It was eating at him. He had lots of help on this case, and no one was having much luck. “Let’s go home. Eat some dinner, snuggle, and go to bed,” he suggested. He was exhausted and he knew Viv was as well.

Viv nodded, holding him a bit longer before letting go and stepping back to grab her coat and purse from her locker. Mac followed her out, watching around the area, using all his senses to see if they were being watched. It seemed quiet out for now.

Thomas and D weren’t home yet, so Viv just heated up some frozen soup that she had made earlier in the month. She set the other container to thaw in the fridge in case they wanted some when they came home. She just wasn’t in the mood to create a big meal, or even throw together something simple. She knew Mac had to be weary and exhausted. The case had been taking him all over the place. Luckily, he had been many places during his life and knew people everywhere, so he could open a portal most of the time. The ones where he couldn’t, he had been porting to a nearby town or airport and renting a car and driving the rest of the way. It sounded horrible.

As the soup heated in the microwave, they changed into pajamas. Viv wanted to be comfortable and warm after today. They ate in relative silence, but Mac placed his toes over hers, keeping them in contact the whole time. She got a ding from Thomas, the text message saying he and D were going to go see a movie, if they wanted to go. She told them to have fun, but they were probably just going to go to bed.

Carrying the dishes to the sink, she rinsed them off and stuck them in the dishwasher to run later. She let out an undignified squeak when Mac swept her up into a bridal carry and brought her into the bedroom. He laid her on the bed, his hand resting lightly on her waistband, his eyes asking if she wanted more. Viv pulled her top off, giving him her answer. Mac carefully removed her pants before taking his own clothes off. He crawled between her legs, kissing her gently as he slid into her body. It was slow and sweet, something they both needed. As their orgasms faded, Mac drew the covers over them. Viv leaned over and grabbed her pajamas off the floor, putting them on before snuggling in. It was awfully cold to sleep naked right now.

Curling up against Mac’s warmth, she fell asleep, his arms holding her tight.

Viv strained against the cuffs, her body spread eagle. The men surrounding her, their penises out and aroused at her suffering. She heard them laughing, taunting her. A whip here, a sting there, biting. When she started to fade, a sharp smack to her face brought her back.

“Hold her down. It’s my turn now,” the female said. Viv couldn’t see much, but she knew this was going to hurt. Hands held her body open, despite her attempts to close her legs, to keep them out. She felt the barbs cut into her skin. This time there was no saving her. The metal-tipped tail shoved its way inside impaling her body. She screamed as she felt her body being shredded by the thrusts, her blood spilling onto the floor. The tail pulled out, whipping across her body, leaving traces of her own blood everywhere. The big guy was suddenly back, forcing his cock into her broken body as the others held her mouth open for theirs, others jerking off on her, kicking her ribs, shoving their fingers into any hole they could find, even the ones left by the bites.

“Viv! Viv! Wake up. Dammit, wake up!” a harsh male voice ordered. She knew that voice though. That voice was safe. Someone was shaking her, and then a gentle kiss pressed to her forehead. That didn’t make sense. No one kissed her here. No one was gentle.

“It’s not real, Viv. Come on, come back. I’ll make us sundaes.”

Sundaes? She frowned. Thomas wasn’t here, D had rescued him. There was no food, no water, certainly no ice cream. She whimpered as she saw the men getting ready to change position, the scorpion tail coming toward her.

“NOW, VIV!” the first voice, the safe voice demanded.

She felt a grabbing sensation along her mate bond to Mac. It was like he was reeling her to him. She felt her eyelids flutter as she got closer and closer to him.

“That’s it, that’s my girl. Come on, you can do it,” she heard Thomas say in his teacher voice.

She felt like she was in quicksand, but she clawed her way to being awake. She could feel her harsh breathing and the tears tracking down her face. Mac was leaning over her, his face the first thing she saw. A sob escaped as she pulled his head down to her, burying her face in his shoulder, breathing in his scent, letting it wash over her and anchor her in the now.

“It’s okay. It was a dream, it’s not real,” he murmured over and over. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her body into his, and then sitting up, putting her in his lap. Thomas walked over, tears in his eyes as well. He wrapped his arms around her and Mac, holding her tightly. He pressed a kiss to her head before letting go.

“I’m going to go get those sundaes ready. Maybe some Irish coffee too,” he said, his voice thick with emotion.

Viv nodded, squeezing his hand before she let go. The door shut behind him.

“Do I need to call your therapist?” Mac asked softly. He’d pay any amount of emergency fee there was to get her help tonight if she needed it.

Viv shook her head. “I’ll call her in the morning.” She rested there, head on his shoulder, arms wrapped around him. She could hear his heart still racing. “I was back in the building. But this time she got the chance to finish. The first big guy, the one who left, he was there and went next. They held my mouth open and forced their fingers everywhere,” she said, tears falling again, her breath hiccupping.

Mac held her tighter. “Okay. Let’s do that exercise, see if that helps.” He wasn’t sure what else to do but didn’t want to let her go. She was clinging to him like he was her only lifeline. It had been like this during the really bad nightmares right after the kidnapping as well. Her therapist had taught him how to do this exercise.

“Five things you can see?” he asked.

Viv opened her eyes. “You, the picture frame of Thomas and me at graduation, my rose, the comforter, my dresser.”

“Good. Four things you can touch.”

“You,” Viv said, rubbing his back with one hand before moving it. “The bedspread, your pillow, the side table,” she added as she stretched her arm out.

“Three things you can hear?”

Viv listened. “Your heart,” she said with a faint smile. “The furnace, Thomas in the kitchen.”

“That’s awesome. How about two things you can smell?”

“You. Sweat.” She needed a shower. Eww.

“You’re doing so good. One more. One thing you can taste.”

Viv leaned up, giving Mac a kiss. Nothing passionate, no tongues involved, just a press of her lips to his. She licked her lips as she pulled away. “You.”

“How do you feel now?” Mac asked.

“A little better, not like I’m stuck in the dream.”

“Let’s try one more. Breathe in for five seconds. Now hold it. Good. Slowly let it out. One more time. In. Hold it. Let it out,” Mac said, breathing with her.

Viv concentrated on her breathing, feeling the last of the dream fall away. “Okay. I think I’m ready to go out. Do you think I can grab a quick shower first? I feel gross.”

“I’ll go let Thomas know you’ll be a couple minutes. I love you,” he said, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

“Thank you,” Viv said, breathing him in one more time.

She didn’t even wait for the water to get really hot; it was warm, but not her normal temperature. She just wanted to wash the grossness of the night off as quickly as possible. She ran the soap over her body, scrubbing her hair roughly with shampoo. Viv paused, reminding herself that it wasn’t real, that most of the dream hadn’t happened, the stalker/serial killer’s words just bringing back old fears. She still slid her hand to her vagina, making sure there were no rips. Taking a deep breath, she felt around her anus, breathing a sigh of relief when the hole was still small, no tearing, no bleeding present, no large scars that would have been left behind by the dreamed attack. Stupid brain. The real attack had been bad enough, she didn’t need her brain to make it even worse.

She quickly dried off, pulling on new clothes, and left her bedroom to surround herself with her friends, her family. And gorge herself on sugar.