Chapter 181 - End to pain *trigger alarm* (1/2)

Black... Cold emptiness...

Jos watched as Ry and Russ were led through the corridors ahead of them. The parade of guards leading and flanking their small group didn't speak, didn't acknowledge anything outside their own orders. Their only interactions with the group at all was after they had halted in front of a door a typed in a code to unlock it. They stood aside for Ry and Russ to enter. Her eyes shot to Russ's stoic face as he paused in the doorway and glanced back at her. The briefest of emotions flashed across his handsome face before he quickly turned and headed into the room, all but slamming the door as he went.

Blinding pain...

Jos clenched her hand into the front of her shirt as throbbing pain radiated through her chest. She swallowed past the lump in her throat. Everything she'd worked so hard over the past five hundred years had been lost in the course of six months... no... really it came down to one night. Everything had crashed down around her the second Russ had opened the bedroom door tonight. His rage and her mistake of ever getting romantically involved with him had set all the other events into motion. The sloppiness of those rapist bastards, Raven's involvement... Isha's, the suffering Shelly had been through... it all fell on her lonely shoulders.

Familiar arms pulled her into a tight hug as soon as the doors to their new room was closed. ”We'll figure this out.” His husky whisper did little to warm her.

She pulled away. ”I'm going to take a shower.” She whispered. As she stepped away from him, the wolf's troubled eyes came into view. Jos lowered to her knees and gave the wolf a tight hug then kissed her head. ”I love you.” She whispered against the wolf's ear. Jos kissed her furry cheek and whispered. ”I'm so sorry for all of this.” She pushed to her feet and headed for the hallway, grabbing the handle of her rolling bag that had been brought to the room earlier.

Shelly exchanged a worried look with Arei as they both watched Jos disappear into the bathroom. Arei let out a heavy sigh and glanced over at the clock on the stove. It was now four in the morning. ”Do you want a snack or anything before bed?” He asked. When the wolf only nodded to the hallway, he chuckled. ”My cooking really that bad?”

Shelly nodded, a wolfish grin spreading across her lips as she followed him to the room at the second bedroom. The new apartment only had two rooms. She watched as Arei pulled down the sheets and fluffed both pillows before pulling a stool over to the bed. He turned back to her and asked. ”Do you need anything? If not, I'm going to go put up the food and head to bed myself.”

Shelly shook her head and watched as he nodded and turned back toward the door. When he moved to shut the door, she barked. Arei nodded. ”Alright open it is, good night.” He sent her a warm smile as he turned down the hall.

Arei paused by the bathroom door, he could hear muffled crying drown out by the steady flow of the shower. Letting out a heavy sigh, he forced himself away from the door and into the kitchen. He caught himself glancing back to the bathroom door several times as he put up the refrigerator items. Letting out an irritated huff, he murmured. ”Stop wasting time and just go to bed, Arei... she's probably avoiding you anyways.” He berated himself. He stomped off toward his bedroom, pausing briefly to stare at the bathroom door again. ”Idiot.” He scoffed to himself as he shook his head and forced himself to close the door.

Numb...

The heavy steam created by the nearly scolding water cascading from the overhead shower faucet encompassed Jos's crumpled form. She had collapsed onto the floor of the shower, one arm clung tightly to the knees she had pressing tightly into her chest. The fingers of the other hand trembled around the single blade between them as heavy sobs rattled her body. The broken fragments of the women's disposable razor littered the floor around her. She forced her blurry vision to focus as she released her knees and turned the forearm of the arm that had been holding them over. Her hand quaked as she brought it closer to her wrist. ”Ahhhah!!!” She cried out as the sharp edge pierced the delicate flesh. She turned her head and squeezed her eyes tightly shut as she jerked the blade upwards... It was done... A calm fell over her as she watched the blood bubble from the open gash. The blade fell from her other hand as it collapsed to her side. {All the pain I have caused... All the horrible things I've done... My suffering for all these years... 2668 years of pain, abandonment, and betrayals will finally end...}

The metallic twinge of blood assaulted Shelly's nose as the wolf sucked in a deep breath. Her ears perked instantly, and her eyes shot open. She shot to her feet on the large empty bed, her eyes quickly scanning the room. {JOS!} Her brain yelled! She leaped from the bed, ignoring the discomfort to her joints the move had caused. She followed the metallic smell to the small hall bathroom. {OMG JOS WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!} She pounced against the door, barking as loudly as she could over and over until a large shadow came over head and a massive, tattooed hand came into view.

Terror seized Arei's chest as he realized something must have happened. He shook the knob furiously. ”JOS OPEN THE DOOR! What's going on? Are you alright?!” He yelled out as he continued jiggling the locked door. He glanced down at the wolf who was still digging frantically at the door herself. ”Step back.” He said. The second the wolf was out of the way; he kicked the door open. His eyes widened in raw horror as his eyes fell on the fogged glass of the shower. ”F.U.C.K!!!” He quickly jerked the shower door open and scooped Jos's limp body into his arms.

Nausea coursed through Shelly as she quickly stepped out of the way of the hulking man. Her eyes were pinned on the bright red water streaming down the drain. Yelling from the living room brought her attention back to the now empty bathroom. She made her way quickly toward the commotion.

”I don't need EMS! Make yourselves useful and get the f.u.c.k out of my way!” Arei yelled as he pushed through the two large guards at the door.

Shelly struggled to keep up as the massive man stormed through the halls of the Embassy. She stopped only long enough at the room Russ and Ry were sharing to scratch and bark a few times before running down the halls toward the man carrying her best friend.

”Get the f.u.c.k out of my way or I swear to the Gods I'll kick you through the mother f.u.c.kers!” Arei growled as he stormed toward the guards at the front doors. The terrified men darted to either side just as Arei's large bare foot kicked through the reinforced glass. He moved quickly across the broken glass not stopping until he was far enough away from the Embassy for the full powers of Poseidon to take effect. Heavy clouds began to roll in and small trimmers shook the ground as he held one arm up toward the heavens. The heavens above opened up over his head. The clouds churned angrily around the round opening as it unleashed a tidal wave of sea water down from the sky, soaking him and Jos both.

Shelly stood frozen on the steps of the Embassy only able to stare at the sight before her. It took her brain several seconds to process it as Ry and Russ rushed out past her.

Thunder rumbled all around as Arei held her tightly. When hazy aqua eyes fluttered open and met his, he released a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. His hand flew to her face, wiping at the soaked hair that clung to her face. ”Kitten?” He searched her face before moving his gaze to the wrist resting against his bare chest. When the deep wound was no longer there, he let out another heavy breath. ”Thank the Gods!” He squeezed her tightly against his body as he dropped to the stoned road. ”You're alright...” He whispered hoarsely against her damp hair as he clasped her head tightly into the bend of his neck. ”Thank the Gods, you're alright...” His words broke with emotion as tears streamed down his already wet face onto her. He pressed several kisses to the top of her head. ”What were you thinking?” His gravelly voice, low and even more emotional.

”Jos! Jos!” Russ Yelled as he dashed toward the two people crumpled in middle of the road.

Arei's eyes shot up to Russ and Ry as they neared. ”Keep him the f.u.c.k away!” Arei yelled toward Ry.

Ry stopped cold in his tracks as his brother's blazing jade eyes met his. ”Russ, stop! Leave them.” Ry ordered, but the boy ignored him.