Destructive Decisions

CHAPTER 14: Destructive Decisions

One word continued to reverberate through Mattie's mind as he turned away from the kitchen, Alive. The terrible creature who had killed nearly all his family and many of his kind was Alive! He stumbled back down the long, unfamiliar hallway, pausing at the base of the massive spiraling stairs. He and Drake were to remain in the west wing until everything was resolved. {Until they can decide what to do with us... more likely...} He gripped the railing with a trembling hand as his gaze moved from the direction he should be going in, to the east wing where he knew the creature was. He gritted his teeth against the anger and nerves that were threatening to overflow. His knuckles turned white as he squeezed the rails tighter, fighting against the urge to put an end to it all. {Alive or not... she's bound to be weak...} His eyes narrowed with resolve as he released the rail and turned toward the east wing.

Mattie's body shook with unease as he made his way down the long hallway of the third floor. It was the floor he'd seen the most people moving around on... including the gigantic man who reeked the worst of her sickeningly sweet scent. Tall double doors caught his attention. He forced his trembling hands to pull open the heavy doors.

His eyes scanned the room as he stepped inside. It was an office… His brows furrowed in irritation as they moved across the paused screen depicting security footage from the mansion massacre. There were papers littered across each of the desks in the room, the small one under the screen and the larger one in the center. His fingers ran across the smaller desk, scattering the papers more. His name written in sloppy handwriting caught his attention. He lifted it and scanned the document. From what he could make out from the scribbled writing, it was debating the circumstances around Jos's treatment of him during the attack. He let out a huff of annoyance as he scanned the conclusion of the document. "Figures…" He tossed it back down before moving over to the larger desk. The shiny glint of metal caught his attention. He tilted his head as he pushed the papers that covered it to the side. {A letter opener…}

He lifted the opener and studied the intricate handle. A serpent wrapped around a trident was etched into the well-worn metal. Tiny jewels decorated the scales while large rubies were set into the eye sockets of the snake. He ran his finger across the sharp tip of the letter opener. His eyes darted around the room before sliding it into the back of his jeans and pulling his shirt over the handle to hide it.

He made his way quickly from the room making sure to close the doors securely as he did. He wandered through the hallway of the third floor checking rooms as quickly and quietly as possible until he found the one he'd been looking for. Soft breathing sent a pleasant hum through the room. He pulled the door closed behind him as noiselessly as possible and turned the lock. He reached around his side for the letter opener as he neared the bed. His brows furrowed and his gaze hardened as he tugged the blankets down.

A soft moan escaped Jos's slightly parted lips as she rolled to her side.

***

Jos couldn't help the warm smile that curved her lips as she ran her hand across the full swell of her stomach. A light kick from her swollen stomach caused her smile to widen more. She reached over and nudged the sleeping man beside her. "The baby just kicked. Here, fill." She gripped the hand that moved toward her stomach and placed it on the spot where the baby had kicked. "There, she did it again!" Her warm eyes, swelled with pride as they lifted to the loving face smiling back down at her. "I love- Oh…" Her eyes bugged as she quickly released hold of the hand she'd been holding against her. She quickly shuffled across the bed, but the hand caught hold of her arm.

"There's no need to panic. It's only a dream…" Hypnos's soft, lulling voice echoed through the suddenly dark room. His curious gaze moved down to her stomach. "Surely you know as much…"

Jos swallowed hard as she followed his gaze down her body. Tears burned her eyes as she watched the large swell of her stomach deflate back to its normal flatness. She squeezed her eyes tightly shut as she looked away from her body and the man. "Why are you here? Couldn't you give me at least a moment of enjoyment?" She pushed herself up into a sitting position as she tugged the blankets up to cover her nearly naked body.

He bent closer to her and rubbed the stream of tears away with the pad of his thumb. "I could have given you more time with this dream, but how do you think it would have ended?" He shrugged as he tugged her face back around to meet his. "I've sat through this one more than once now, have I not? I merely thought I'd save us both the pain of its ending."

Jos pulled her face away from him as more tears flowed down her cheeks. He was right. She'd had this same dream multiple times now and each time Arei had become upset at some point. Sometimes his anger and disappointment would be instant… other more painful time it would be after she would lose the baby… or even worse he would become enraged once she'd given birth and the child would be born a monster as she herself had been… "Very well… thank you… You may leave now…" She whispered, trying not to let the hurt she felt reflect in her voice.

He tilted his head. "Why stay with a man who brings you so much pain? You realize you're a strong person. You don't need anything he has to offer."

Her head snapped back to him. "And what? Are you suggesting I be with you? Are you offering me some kind of sick protection?" She bit out.

A smile tugged at the corner of his lips. "I will admit, I have nothing to offer outside of dreamland." He waved his hand, and the dark bedroom was replaced by the peaceful lagoon Jos used to live in. "Until I am free, I shall never be able to offer anyone much more than this…"

Jos pulled her knees close to her chest and wrapped her arms tightly around them, resting her chin on her knees. She studied the beautiful man beside her from the corner of her eyes. "You want free because you are lonely, right?"

He let out a sigh as he leaned back onto his forearms and bathed in the moonlight of the lagoon. "Yes… among other reasons…"

Jos turned her head, resting the side of her face on her knees. Her eyes trailed over his pale, ghostly body. "Well, I stay with him for similar reasons… I don't want to be alone… and I love him…" She shrugged, still gripping her legs tightly. "If that means I have to give up some things in return for his love, then so be it…"

Hypnos opened one eye as he turned his head toward her. "You make it sound like the man is merely allergic to your favorite flower… or a cat…" He laid down on the cool sand and tugged her hand free from her legs. He held up her hand, letting the moonlight catch the diamond of the engagement ring she wore. "It is not something so simple he is asking you to give up. If it was, then your dreams would not be plagued as they are… And deep down you know this."

She arched her brow at him. "Are you my spiritual guide now?"

He chuckled as he lowered their hands to the sand but did not release his grip on hers, instead he entwined their fingers. "No, nothing nearly as useful…" He studied her before answering. "Just someone who has taken an interest is all."

Jos tugged her hand away from him and stood up. Wiping the sand from her bottom, she replied. "I don't need more… individuals… taking interest in me. I only want to live in peace."

He pushed up from the sand. "Shall that be before or after you help free my siblings?" He walked over to her and clasped her chin bringing her face up to meet his. "You should have died those three days ago… you and your lover should have died in that house fire a few weeks ago… but you haven't. And do you know why that is? Do you honestly believe it is only because I have some kind of unrequited feelings for you, Kraken?"

Jos tried to pull away from him, but he tightened his grip almost painfully. His cold, Amethyst purple eyes held hers as if looking deeply into her soul. She let out a gasp as he suddenly released his hold on her and turned back to gaze up at the bright moon. She rubbed her sore jaw. Her brows furrowed as she studied him. "If you are not interested in me personally then why give me the warnings… why visit me nearly every night?" When he didn't answer or even bother taking his gaze from the moon, she tugged on the thin material of the open linen shirt he wore. "Well-" Her words died off as his brilliant eyes turned back to her and burned into her.

He lowered his face inches from hers. "Well indeed…" He shifted his head from side to side studying her closely, a smile curving his lips as she swallowed hard. With a chuckle, he stood back up straight. "As much as I'd love to answer those questions for you, I believe our time here tonight is over…"

She bunched her brows. "What do you mean?"

He took her hand and brought her knuckles to his lips, pressing a kiss to them as he whispered. "You have a guest…"

Jos could feel her body awaken and the sounds of the room begin to register even before her eyes opened. A clatter against the floor caused a smile to spread across her lips as she waited for Arei's soft touch or light kiss. When no touch or kiss came after several long moments, Jos slowly opened her eyes. She jerked back with a start as unfamiliar eyes met hers. She scrambled for the sheets and tugged them up around her neck. "Who… what are you doing in here?"

Mattie swallowed hard as he stood back up straight. "I… I…" He cleared his throat before sending her a confused, curious look. "You… you really don't recognize me?"

Jos's brows knitted as she tried to think past the sleep that still clouded her mind. The first images of the boy that flashed through her mind was that of him in the werewolf cellar." Her brows furrowed in confusion. "What are you doing in here?" She watched as he slowly backed away from the bed and lowered to retrieve something from the floor. Something about the fear in his expression triggered another more recent memory. Flashes of the boy bending to retrieve heads from a blood-soaked hallway flashed in her mind and caused her to sit up stiffly in the bed. "You..." She watched in concern as he tried to hide whatever it was he'd gotten off the floor behind his back, but he wasn't quick enough to mask the shein of silver that flashed in the bright morning sun. Her eyes narrowed as she studied him. "Were you hoping to use that on me?"

A shriek escaped Mattie as a tentacle shot past him and snatched the letter opener from his hand. He watched in horror as the tentacle dropped the opener into her waiting hands for inspection. He swallowed hard against the lump that was building in his throat. "I... it's not what it looks like..." He took slow, cautious steps back toward the door.

Jos's eyes moved from the sharp blade in her hand to the timid boy. "Were you planning to stab me with this?"

He shook his head rapidly in denial as he watched her move from the bed and slowly approach him. His back hit with a thud against the hard wooden door of the room. He pressed against it, wishing to somehow absorb into its thick frame as she came toe to toe with him. He turned his head to the side, squeezing his eyes tightly shut, a whimper coming from deep within his chest.

Jos arched a brow as she held the letter opener out to him by the blade. "Here... but how did you expect to use this to kill me? Were you planning to stab me in the heart?" She waited until his fear-laced eyes meet hers. "I have three, you know..." She nodded to the blade as he continued to hesitate to take it. Once his trembling hand was finally wrapped around the handle, she pressed it to her chest. "You could stab me here... now if you'd like... but..." She moved his hand down, dragging the blade over her breast and to the center of her abdomen. "If you don't also stab here... and here." She moved his hand and the blade yet again. "Then I'll only regenerate and heal..."

"Wh... Why are you telling me this?" Mattie whimpered.

Jos tilted her head as she released his hand. "You want revenge for what I did to your family, yes?"

Mattie shook his head. "N...no..."

Jos's brow shot up. "Then what? You always come into people's rooms carrying weapons?"

Mattie shook his head again. "N...no... I-"

"Then what?" Jos took a step back and spread her arms out. "Take your shot... do what you must. I'm tired of it all, already. End this now, if you feel you must."

Mattie dropped the letter opener and crumpled to the floor beside it. "I... I wanted to hurt you... I did... but not as revenge for those bastards you killed... but... but for the torment you put me through... but... but... I couldn't..." His words faded, replaced by tears. "You... You were too beautiful... to human..."

Jos lowered to the floor in front of him. She placed a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry..." She waited for his watery eyes to meet hers. "I hate the monster I become as well, but she can't be stopped when pushed to that extent. You have to understand what... what they did." Her own voice broke with emotion. "Your aunt forced my hand. She left little option... unfortunately the monster has very little sense of moral or humanity once she's been invoked..." Jos let out a sad sigh as she set back on her heels. "And I know it is something I need to work on... to change before I go back to my life as it has been..."