How The Night Moves

Delirium

Recap...

And then I was running back to help. And then I wasn't.

And then I was on the ground, crawling, crawling, crawling.

I looked into those black eyes and then I knew what this whole thing was for. And it terrified the living daylights out of me.

"Hello little Kat." Vaughn said, in his mocking drawl. "Fancy meeting you here."

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Chapter Nine- Delirium 

I scrambled back, feeling the cold brick wall of the bell tower meet my arched spine. My hands were scraping against the hard stone ground and they split and left light trails of blood over where I'd dragged them. I paid no mind to the stinging pain as I stared into the beady black eyes that mocked me. 

"Why Kat, you seem to have gotten yourself into an unfortunate position here. Let me help you - just grab my hand and I'll keep you safe." I stared at the offending limb and scowled in disgust at the blatant lie that was Vaughn. 

I growled - or tried to, it was more of a whimper - at him as I tried to make myself as small as possible. Every step he advanced, I shrunk another centimeter into the wall, like somehow I would suddenly become a part of it if I pushed hard enough. 

His returning smile showed me that he heard my whimper, and it more than pleased him. It made him excited and all the more prone to controlling me. "There, there, little Kat. I just need your cooperation for a while. I just need you to help me." 

My lip trembled and I forced myself to lock eyes with him and send him my best glare, "Never." I spat onto the ground at his feet and finally stood up, pulling myself to my full height as I gained the confidence that was my wolves nudges. 

My spine thanked me as the pressure the wall had put on it released, and my limbs ached to be released from their human constraints. I stepped closer to him and repeated myself, this time with more energy and confidence, my voice never faltering. "Never will I ever help you. Especially after what you've done to me and my family." 

But Vaughn simply laughed at me. 

At me. 

No one laughs at me. 

My hand, seemingly of its own accord, struck out to slap him quickly and forcefully on the cheek. I was satisfied with myself as I saw the bright red hand print that I left in the wake of my hand. But I figured I should probably start running before the shock left him. 

So I ran and didn't stop until I reached the edge of the balustrade. Then I stopped because there was no other way to go, and the stairs were behind Vaughn. I turned to face the approaching beast, hoping beyond everything that he would find his humanity and let me go. 

But of course that would never happen. 

Vaughn's sadistic grin had been wiped clean from his face and had been replaced by a look of disgust and pure unadulterated anger. In that one moment, I was truly terrified of what was to come. 

"Oh Kat, that was a mistake." His anger spilled over into his speech and his words were laced with fire and animosity, his gaze cold on mine. 

I tried – God help me, I did – not to flinch, but in the end I had to look away from the pure hatred in the deep pools of black nothingness.

I wanted so badly to be home, safe in the arms of Archer and Seth, but as – from this point – my life didn’t look very promising, I sent out a silent plea to whoever was listening that the two men would be alright and would survive their fight.