Repost in case you missed the chapter posting since I did it at an ungodly hour again
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"No, no, no. Absolutely not. No."
"James, you're not even listening to me."
"Because it's an incredibly stupid idea!"
"I did hear the word incredible in there," I said trying to lighten the mood slightly.
"Not in a good way," he snapped.
"You said you were going to hear me out. You haven't even listened to everything-"
"I don't need to! I know exactly what you're going to say. You want to stick yourself into the European branch of the same group that tried to kill us three months ago. The same group that made us run all the way here. You want to join them when they very well could have people watching out for you. Do you realize at all what that sounds like?"
"James. I know it sounds stupid, do I ever know how it sounds. But they aren't looking for us here. They don't even know that we left."
"As far as you know. What if they do suspect him, what if they think he has Alex with him and they're just using them to get to you?"
"That's not what's going on."
"You don't know that though! You can't tell me that you know what they're doing."
"I know how they work, James. I was them."
"Damn it!" James slammed his fist down on the desk so hard I could hear it rattle. "Why do you insist on doing stupid things? Why is it so damn hard for you to just stay quiet and lie low?" I could see a vein in the side of his neck popping out and his eyes were flashing between dark brown and glowing yellow.
My eyes went wide and I took an involuntary step back. This was not a side of him I'd seen before. This was beyond his normal anger, he tapped into his werewolf rage. This was the part about them that scared me most.
The Organization had taught me that werewolves were unpredictable, that much was true at least. They had a constant rage built into them. I believed it was related to the chemical changes that a person underwent turning from a human to a wolf. They had those primal instincts, the animal that sometimes took charge. Not to mention their increased body temperature. All of it combined essentially made them a ticking time bomb of rage.
James' fuse had just run out.
I had no idea what to expect from him now and that was what scared me.
"James," my voice was a shaky whisper.
"You just don't get it. How would you feel if I went running out there after ghouls and God knows what else?"
"I'm trained to fight them. You've had three lessons in fighting," I said evenly.
"I'm still stronger than you are. Everything is stronger than you," He took a predatory step forward.
"I know how to use untrained strength to my advantage." I took another step back.
James took another forward, his eyes shifting slightly.
"James, you're scaring me."
This was the first time I'd even been scared of him. Even when I'd found out what he was I hadn't been scared. The huntress was where I'd felt most controlled, comfortably within the skin of the stone cold killer with weapons that I held like a life line.
I was completely exposed right now. Even if I had weapons, there was no way I'd be able to use them against him. I just wouldn't be able to do it.
"Good, maybe this is the only way you'll listen."
As he took another step forward I stepped back. I felt the wall directly behind me now. I had no where to go, I was completely trapped. I knew it would be pointless to try and side step, he was faster than me and I had no idea what he would do right now. He was completely unpredictable.
For the first time in over five years I sent a silent prayer up. Not for me, but for him. A prayer that I'd get my James, my Jared back.
"This isn't who you are," I whispered.
"Not who I am? How do you know who I am?"
"Because I know you."
"You knew Jared. This isn't Jared, this is James. I knew Electra and even she wasn't as stupid and reckless as Eliza."
"It's just a name!" I shouted. "It doesn't change who you are, who we are. Not to the world, and not to each other."
"Then why does it seem like Eliza has given up all hope? Why is she stupid enough to want to walk straight into that group and essentially hand herself over? Is she suicidal? Does she not care what will happen to her? Does she not care about those around her and what it would do to them? Does she not care about James?" He was seething by this point, and his words struck me like a dagger plunging into my heart.
I didn't think, it just happened. I felt the stinging in my hand before I registered that I'd just slapped him across the face.
"Fuck you," I spat.
When his head turned back and his eyes opened they were wide and the yellow glow was gone.
"How dare you even ask me that. I came to you with this so I could talk with you about it. I could have gone behind your back, I very well could have but I wanted to talk it through with you first. I didn't come here with it so you could go all wolfy on me and try to threaten me into submission. That's not how this works.
"And how dare you ask me if I care or not. If I didn't care I would have left your ass back there in the states for the hunters. If I didn't care I would have taken care of you myself. If I didn't care I wouldn't have left my entire life behind to be with you."
My voice was coming out controlled and even but there was a force behind it, one that said I was beyond pissed. This was my version of a wolf and I knew he could feel it.
I grabbed my jacket and the key to the room and went out the door. I had no idea where I was going, but I knew I wasn't going to stay there. There was no way I could stay in that room any longer.
I was pulling my jacket on as I entered the stair well and made my way down. I stormed past the person at the front desk with a cheerful smile and through the door.
I knew that the idea hadn't been the smartest, but I had just wanted him to listen to me. I just wanted a rational conversation that didn't turn into yelling and screaming. It was frustrating how every discussion that regarded the paranormal turned into a yelling match between us.
What pissed me off the most though was that I'd been scared.
James had made me scared of him and that wasn't something I was used to. I'd been afraid before, sure. But I'd thought he would be the one person I wouldn't have to fear. The fact that his outburst had caught me off guard, that I'd let him surprise me-
I looked up finding myself outside one of the pubs James and I frequented.
"You look like my next mistake," I said as I looked at the sign. I went in and straight up to the bar.
"What can I get for you, little lady?" The man behind the bar asked in a British accent.
"Shot please. Surprise me, but make it strong."
"Sure thing." He winked at me and turned around.
When he turned back around he set a small glass in front of me. I picked up the class and tipped my head back, downing the liquid quickly. It burned on its way down and I sucked in a breath between my teeth.
"Another?" I asked scooting the glass toward him.
I took a few more shots, beside the first two they were all different. After downing eight shots I opted for the beer.
I looked around at the nearly empty place. It was still a little early so there weren't too many people. Everyone else was sitting throughout the pub.
The man sat the glass down in front of me and I took a long sip.
"Penny for your thoughts?" He asked.
"You really don' want my thoughts," I mumbled slurring slightly.
"And why would that be? What's going on in that pretty little head. Something's bothering you."
"'s jus relationship problems. Probably not something I should be talkin' 'bout."
If I started talking now, the gates would be open and I wouldn't stop. That much I knew in my alcohol muddled brain.
"Ah, relationships."
The man took out a towel and started to wipe down the table top.
"Have y'ever felt like the person yur with don't fit in with you?" I asked tilting my head to the side.
"Yeah. It didn't really last long after that realization though."
"I mean. I mean I like the guy an' all. It jus' we come from different sides. We jus' fight an' I feel like we have completely different perspec- tives."
"Is that necessarily bad? Maybe different perspectives could be a good thing," the guy offered.
I looked around the building. There was another man across the room who was looking at me. He looked slightly familiar, like I'd seen him in the pub before. One of those regulars probably.
"What're you lookin' at?" I spat at him. He looked back at the person he was there with shaking his head slightly.
The front door opened and Jared- no, James walked through the door.
Oh great. Him again.
The man that I'd snapped at looked up and nodded once at James as he made his way over to me.
"There you are. I've been looking everywhere for you." He sounded worried and exasperated. His hand reached out to touch my arm and I pulled it back before he was able to. The stool I was sitting on swayed slightly.
James reached his hand out to steady me and I swatted his hand away.
"Don touch me." I tried to sound angry. I just sounded drunk and ridiculous though.
James' jaw clenched as he looked down at me but his eyes looked hurt. Good, he could stand to be hurt.
"I think it's time we get you out of here," he said firmly.
"I don' think you can tell me-" I poked his chest nearly leaning too far forward as I did. I had to catch myself on my tip toes. "What to do."
He let out a long shaking breath.
"Eliza. You've had enough to drink. It's time to go back home now."
"Home?" I shouted. "We don' even have a home! I lef' my home because a you."
Jare- James took a visible step back like I'd hit him.
"I'm not going to argue about this with you while you're drunk. If you want to have this conversation with me when you're sober then so be it. Until then, I'm going to do my part and make sure you stay safe. Now come on."
He reached for my hand and I pulled back again.
"I'm not goin' any place with you. You scared me."
James' eyes darkened and he looked pained. He lowered his voice so only I could hear him. "This isn't really the place to be talking about that. I'm sorry it happened. I didn't mean for it-"
"You didn't mean. But it happened."
"Is this guy bothering you?" The man behind the bar asked.
"This is my infuriating boyfriend," I grumbled.
"I seem to remember the last time we were in here I was your financé," James said trying to lighten the mood slightly.
"Well righ'now I'm glad that's not the case," I spat.
The man behind the bar motioned for James to step to the side. They talked to each other in hushed tones and I took a big swig of my beer.
My eyes met with the guy across the room. He had been watching but when he saw me make eye contact he looked away.
The two guys stepped back over.
"I think I'm going to have to cut you off now. I'm not saying you have to go with him, but I'm not going to serve you anymore." He looked almost apologetic about it.
I just rolled my eyes and hopped off the stool nearly falling on my face. I took cash out of my pocket and laid it down on the bar and then stumbled my way to the front and out the door.
Jared- no... James was right behind me in no time. I wanted to get away from him but I hadn't known where to go before and my capacity to think clearly and form rational thoughts had left me about one beer and three or four shots ago.
I didn't know where else to go beside back to the hotel. Could I get another room, my own room?
No... He had all the money.
"I want my own room," I said looking back at him. The motion made me sway and nearly fall over.
He reached his arm out and steadied me. I tried to pull myself free but his grip on me was firm.
"Let me go right now or I'll scream."
"Why do you have to be so difficult?" He asked sharply as he let me go.
"Me be difficult?" I whirled around to face him and threw my hand out to the wall to steady myself. "Me be difficult? You're no walk in the park either, Sunshine!"
"But I don't go out and try to drink my problems away," he hissed trying to keep his voice down.
"That's because you don't get drunk!"
"This is really not the place for us to talk about this. Let's get you back inside and settled in. We can talk when you're a little more here."
"I'm fully here! Jus' 'cause I don't have a filter doesn' mean I'm not fully here."
"You never had a filter anyway."
"You'd be surprised."
"Let's just get you inside."
I wanted to argue with him, I really did. But I was starting to feel sick and inside didn't sound like a bad idea. I may be drunk, but I knew I didn't want to puke up my guts on the sidewalk here.
I turned and started walking myself. I started going faster than my legs wanted to allow and I stumbled. Jar- James caught me again and this time he scooped me up in his arms and carried me.
I wanted to protest it but I just couldn't anymore. I had to close my eyes because the movement was making me dizzy and mixed with the alcohol. Well, if I didn't close my eyes I would be throwing up all over the both of us.
That would be even worse than the sidewalk.
I could still feel the swinging motion and it wasn't much better. But at least I wasn't having to watch everything move.
We went in the back way, at least that's what it felt like, and he slowly made his way up the stairs pausing momentarily to open the door.
I felt the bed under me and Ja-mes' arms fell away.
I was lying there perfectly still. It felt like everything was still moving though. I opened my eyes to look at the patterned ceiling and it looked like it was spinning.
I knew spinning was a bad sign. I'd never experienced it before, but I'd heard that it was never fun, and it wasn't good. Well, they were right about it being no fun. What I wouldn't give for everything to just stop moving. I was lying still, that meant that everything should be still. Instead it was like I could feel the Earth's spinning orbit as we worked our way around the sun.
I could hear James pacing the floor. Maybe he was the reason I could feel this spinning. He was the only thing still moving.
I wanted to tell him to stop but as soon as I opened my mouth I felt a wave of nausea roll over me.
I rolled off the bed, landing with a thud. I heard James say my name and start moving toward me but I was already up and running to the bathroom. I fell to the floor in front of the toilet with my head hanging. My arms around to keep my hair from falling in.
The tile was cold under me, seeping in through my pants. The porcelain of the toilet was freezing against my bare arms.
I had only a moment before it all started coming up. As the heaves racked my body tears sprang to the corners of my eyes.
There was a heavenly moment of pause between the heaves and I heard James' voice from the doorway.
"Do you need anything?"
I just shook my head. What I did need though was for him to just go away. This was definitely not something I wanted him to see. Everything was starting to crash back down on me and I was feeling miserable. Not just because I was puking from drinking too much, but because of what I'd said to him.
My forearms crossed over the toilet and I rested my forehead against them. The tears brought on by the heaves were now flowing steadily.
"Ugh. I'm sorry," I said in a small voice.
"Wait, are you talking to me or yourself?"
Alright, I deserved that.
"You," I whispered. "I didn't mean-"
"Yes you did. Please don't try telling me that you don't. If there's one thing I know about alcohol is that it lets a person's true self shine through, it lets them say what they're really feeling. You're angry. So was I. You meant everything you said."
"I didn't mean to say it. I shouldn't have said it out there. I did mean it."
I paused for a moment. I felt like I was done throwing up. At least for now. I got up on shaky legs, grabbed a cup by the sink and filled it with water. I took a swig and rinsed my mouth out before slowly making my way past James and curling up on what had been my side of the bed.
"But I'm sorry," I said as I pulled the covers up.
Within moments I was out, pulled into a dreamless sleep that was thanks to the alcohol muting everything else.
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So a little more of a tense chapter than others... Apparently there's trouble in not so paradise.
Remember to leave you comments below. What did you think of the chapter? What do you think is going to happen? What's going on with our little couple?
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