Hey sorry I've taken a while to post this, but I decided to spend a bit longer on this chapter also my internet was down for a little while. But I hope you enjoy this chapter and again thank you for all the lovely lovely comments! Also Jennifer Armentrout has given an official release date for Origin! I admit I wanted to curl up in a sad little ball at first when I heard how far away it was, but good things come to those who wait so bring on August 27th! Fingers crossed I don't explode before then. Enjoy!
Daemon's POV
The night after our confrontation with Kat and the DOD officers, everything seemed to be back to normal. Dee would no longer skirt around the room I was in, walking on eggshells and hoping I wouldn't explode and make a break to find wherever they had hidden Kat. Dawson no longer had to keep a watchful eye over Beth as well as me incase I went on said mission to hunt for Kat. The roles had reversed in our house, I was now the broken brother who needed to be looked after, and I was no longer the strong protector of my family. I hadn't noticed my lack of caring towards my family over the weeks, I had been in full on zombie mode, just like in one of Kittens films. Just going through the motions not caring about anyone and being completely obsessed by my cause, in other words the ultimate douche canoe.
I told no one about what Beth had told me she thought the DOD had done to Katy, we didn't need everyone blowing up and worrying about what this possible combination could mean for our kind. I spoke to Dawson briefly about the whole mind puzzle thing Beth had told me about, but everyone had already assumed something similar may have happened after all of Kat's crazy ramblings about all of us trying to kill her, which was as far from the truth as you could possibly get. Well actually maybe with the exception of Ash, but even then who knew if she ever really would have done anything to her. Ash was all mouth sometimes.
None of us had come up with any ingenious plan to rectify the situation we were in, apart from Andrew who suggested we try using some sort of hard object and connect it forcefully to her head, producing a none to pleased reaction from myself and resulted in Andrew landing flat on his ass on the other side of the living room with an impressive dent in the wall. Truthfully I didn't know what to do either, but I would try everything and anything until she remembered where she belonged.
Monday rolled around quickly with no sign of Katy that whole weekend, apart from the one time I had seen her at her window. I had seen her mum moving in and out of the house, going to the store and going about her day normally. Just like she would have before Kat had gone missing, at least everything was back to normal for her. I wondered what story she had been fed to convince her that Kat's reappearance was totally normal in this town of missing kids.
Dee, Dawson and I piled in to Dolly making our way towards school. Dawson planned to stay at school until the end of the year and at least graduate so when he and Beth left town it would cause less suspicion towards the rest of us, we didn't need anyone else disappearing around us just yet. Beth however was not ready to be integrated in to a proper human situation just yet, considering anything that touched her without her noticing or made a sudden noise usually ended up a smoking pile on the floor. Dawson was always on edge at school though, his hand firmly in his pocket clenched around his cell with Beth's number on speed dial. They would talk in between classes, at lunch and if Dawson felt particularly nervous he would usually skip out early and go home to see Beth. I guess it was understandable with the situation they had been in for months and I hoped that maybe, if things improved then they would want to stay with us, but I knew that hope for that situation should be kept to a minimum as Dawson was intent on getting Beth as far away from the DOD as possible and hiding her away so she was safe. Heck, if I could do that with Kat right now, I would do the exact same thing and make sure no one would ever hurt her again.
Pulling up to the parking lot I felt a knot in my stomach appear and it didn't improve throughout first period. The anticipation of whether or not Kat would come back to school was killing me, I didn't know whether she would even be able to cope with being back. Or if I could cope with her being back, only a breath in front of me with the uncontrollable need to touch her. But I didn't know how she would react, she'd probably blast my ass before I could even blink, well she could try anyway I missed her getting her little claws out so I guess it would be kind of fun to watch. A familiar smile crept over my lips just as the bell rang to signal the end of first period. Dawson strode up to me as all the students were filing out of the classroom and placed his hand on my forehead. "Woah man, are you okay? Do you need to sit down? I mean a smile on your face, surely it's something you ate." I smacked Dawson's hand away and returned my face to its familiar frown, but inside I couldn't help but feel hopeful and even happy. Kat was here but not only that the old Dawson was slowly creeping back. Kat had done wonders for Dawson, getting him to open up and even consider returning to his old life but not as much as the return of Beth had done to him. He was practically back to the old him, apart from the fierce need to protect Beth and the all-consuming suspicions he had of almost everyone around him. Not the same Dawson but it was close.
Approaching the door to my math class I didn't know if I really wanted to go in, my hand hovered over the handle. What if she wasn't here could I handle the disappointment? Or even worse could I deal with the fact that it wasn't the same Kat sitting right in front of me. With a deep, unnecessary breath I entered the classroom, my gaze trained on the floor. I was already late for class, if I was on time I think the whole room would have a heart attack, got to keep up the standards I had maintained over the years. I lifted my gaze only as I approached my seat and Katy's desk. Exhaling the breath I had taken outside the door disappointment flooded me, no Kat. Only an empty seat and the sad forlorn face of Lesa, she had lost two of her friends within weeks of each other. Both had mysteriously disappeared with no reason as to why and from what I could see now by truly looking at her, she was not coping well. In my numb state I hadn't even realized over the past 2 weeks how she had been coping but thinking back I hadn't heard the usual bubbly chatter coming from in front of me, or heard the incessant giggling or even the constant chat about boys. Just like Kat, Lesa had been dragged in to a situation she could not control and hardly deserved and it was affecting her more than we had even noticed. A wave of guilt washed over the disappointment inside of me, another life we had messed up.
I ripped my eyes away from the broken girl sat in front of me and took my seat, ignoring the usual stares from the rest of the students in the class. Ever since Kat disappeared there was even more speculation surrounding us, so no longer was it "there's Daemon, he's so hot" it was "there's Daemon, do you think his family are serial killers?" To be honest I preferred the later, it meant I didn't have to hear the constant giggling from girls as I walked past or star struck stares as I walked in to the canteen. Now people almost recoiled from us when they saw us, people had a slight fear of us before, but that was only a fear of the unknown. Now they feared what we could be and they speculated and gossiped. But it was nothing to be afraid of, it would just become a rumor in months to come that would only be uttered behind our backs by those who remembered. My train of thought was interrupted when the classroom door swung open and the faint tapping of a heel permeated the silence of the room, the entire class had fallen in to total silence.
Through the door came Kat, her long light brown hair trailing behind her and her beautiful long legs striding towards her desk. She didn't breath a word of apology as to why she was late but just went straight towards her seat next to Lesa and in front of me. Lesa was staring at Kat with her mouth wide-open, eyes peeled back in complete disbelief. Most of the faces in the classroom mirrored Lesa's but none were as severe as hers. I tried to hold the surprise back from my own expressions, keeping my face passive, as if this was normal. Keep it cool, Daemon. The last thing we needed was for me to cause a scene in front of about 30 witnesses.
Kitten's hair brushed the back of the seat as she turned to look at Lesa, a warm and completely sincere grin spread across her face as tears escaped Lesa's eyes. Kat comforted her silently placing a hand on her shoulders, hush whispers were exchanged that everyone, including myself strained to hear. Lesa cracked a brittle smile of her own, she was obviously not used to smiling lately, as it seemed strained but not forced in any way. Kat and Lesa exchanged silent notes as the class was called to attention and we all had to continue on with our own work.
My hand hovered over my own pen, twitching and willing me to pick it up and lean forward just that slight distance over my desk and press it in to the familiar back that was in front of me. To see those beautiful grey eyes and those full lips part with a smile or maybe annoyance at being disturbed, just my little Kitten's face would be enough to settle the knot in my stomach. Before I even knew what I was doing the pen was in my hand and I was leaning forward, oh god Daemon what the heck are you doing. Then it happened a light prodding invading the back of her black t-shirt.
As soon as I made contact Lesa's head snapped towards me first, with a beaming smile, happy to see a regular occurrence continue I supposed. But Katy remained frozen, not as if she was ignoring me, but as if she was physically paralyzed. After a couple of seconds of no response Lesa looked at Kat with questioning eyes and a nervous laugh escaped her lips wondering why she hadn't whipped around to scold me or smile at me.
"Kitten?" My voice was unsure and I thought it would break on the last note, but it held. This seemed to snap Kat out of her paralysis and she turned to meet me. Her grey eyes locked with mine and I was captured. My own green eyes burning in to hers, I think they may have even started to glow. I tried to portray a thousand things in just one glance. I've missed you, I am sorry, I need you and I love you Katy Ann Swartz.
Recognition flashed across her face and her brows instantly knitted together as if straining and grasping for something deep in her mind. I reached out my hand to touch her own that rested on the back of her chair and made contact with her smooth skin. Electricity started to hum over my skin and hers, the familiar tingling feeling at the back of my neck occurred and Kat's hand reached to the back of her own neck, feeling the same sensation I felt. This moment was short lived as she blinked rapidly and ripped her hand away from mine and turned abruptly back to the front of the class, her form visibly shaking. Lesa was looking between the two of us, Kat's frosty reception and my still outstretched hand. Her head was moving like a cartoon characters.
The lesson dragged on and I could hardly pay any attention to what was being written on the board in front of me. Instead my eyes burned in to the back of Katy's back, hoping maybe willing her to snap out of whatever this was. I still couldn't shake the almost instinctual urge to touch her. I needed her.
When the bell rang to signal the end of the lesson Kat shot up out of her chair like a bullet and made a beeline for the door before anyone else had even contemplated moving. I let the rush of air that I hadn't even realized I had been holding in this entire time free from my lungs. This whole situation had me coiled so tightly, I felt like exploding every 5 seconds. It was mind-blowing to just see my Kitten again, but being close to her and her treating me like some sort of black sheep did affect me, even if I hated to admit. I guess our roles had switched.
Lunch rolled around quickly and as I was walking in to the canteen I heard Dee call my name and turned to see her making her way towards me.
"You seen Katy today?" Dee asked.
"Yeah she was in math this morning." I didn't really want to elaborate on the less than welcoming reception I got from her, although I couldn't help but cling on to the recognition I saw in her eyes. But maybe I was that desperate I was imagining things that weren't there and what I so desperately wanted to happen.
"Yeah she was in English but its weird Daemon," A sullen look plagued her face, with her bright green eyes glazing over, tears waiting to spill over. "I know I was an awful friend to her for the months leading up to this, but she looks at me and I can see she truly hates me." Her voice braking on the last few words I immediately pulled her in to a tight hug trying to sooth her worries, I knew Dee had formed some resentment towards Kat for all the lies that had gone on between the three of us, but she still loved her and understood the reasons why. They had been on the road to recovery before all this bullshit.
"Hey you know this isn't really her. Whatever those freaks did to her, it is not the real Kat okay." Dee pulled away and looked up at me wiping under her eyes. I hated to see my sister cry and in these past few months I had seen her cry more times than I ever would have wished. "Yeah I know. It's just hard it seems like we can't keep a hold of anyone anymore." She sniffed once more and turned on her heel heading in to the lunchroom as I followed her lead.
Ash, Andrew and Dawson had already sat down at our usual table with multiple trays of food piled high. Ash and Andrew seemed deep in conversation whilst Dawson was hunched over on the phone to Beth, eyes alight with a beaming smile on plastered on his face. I couldn't help feeling happy for my brother, seeing him happy again, to finally have the other part of him back in his life, to be complete again. Before Kat I really wouldn't have understood why he was so devastated or how one person could affect his mood and life so drastically, but now I was exactly the same as him if not worse. Kat could brighten my day with just a slight smile or a sarcastic comment when her little claws came out. I took my seat next to Dawson and Dee took her own next to Ash, everything seemed a lot tense now than it had over the past few weeks. I guess it reflected on my own mood, I was no longer sat here like a shell or producing constant static around all of us from the anger I couldn't contain. It wasn't perfect but it was better, don't get me wrong I was still a moody asshole but I wouldn't be blowing any of there heads of anytime soon.
I suddenly felt the air around me change, it was filled with static and a tension that I am sure even a human could sense. Looking up from my food I saw Ash and Dee's attention had snapped towards something that had just entered the canteen behind me. Dee's eyes had transformed in to narrow slits and were glowing, if she wasn't careful they would become full balls of light soon. Ash placed a firm hand on Dee's shoulder, I assumed trying to keep her in her seat but her eyes held the same piercing anger as Dee's. I turned my head to see what had produced such a response from my usually peaceful little sister and what I saw made my own heart falter and an intense rage all of my own build. Through the doors of the canteen walked the large muscular hybrid Marcus and the small blonde hybrid Lilith, both of them wearing smug looks on their faces as they glided effortlessly in to the room. So I guess the DOD weren't going to give us a brake anywhere. All the eyes in the room were trained on them as they entered, of course the new kids were an exciting new spectacle for the first few weeks. But it was also this air of aggression that seemed to surround them that instantly drew nervous gazes to them, their bodies looked tensed as if ready for any form of confrontation. It was like they knew nothing else apart from how to kick someone's ass.
But nothing could prepare me for what image assaulted my eyes next. A rush of air left me as if I had been winded. Kat had entered the room just after Marcus and Lilith but she wasn't on her own. Striding beside her confidently with his head high in the air and a death wish clearly present in his future was Blake. I couldn't hold back the intense anger that washed through me like a building wave. The one person responsible for all of this had the guts to show up around any of us again. Static radiated over every pore in my body and I felt my eyes starting to glow lightly. I felt Dee's own rage building beside me, mirroring mine and I didn't even care, I wanted to hurt him. I wanted all of us to get the revenge we so rightfully deserved and for this asshole to finally bite it. Dawson had dropped his cell and grabbed my shoulders immediately holding me in my seat. "Let me go Dawson, because I really don't want to hurt you." My voice came out in a growl and I knew that threatening my brother was wrong but the rage that filled me was so intense. I would never hurt my own brother, it was simply an empty threat and Dawson knew this. But his one single hybrid had single handedly killed one of our own, betrayed all of us, hurt Kat and was the reason this whole fucked up situation was happening and I wasn't just going to sit her as he strolled around freely, expecting no consequence for the unspeakable things he had done. "Don't do this Bro, not here you can't." Dawson's voice was low, but he was speaking sense and I knew it. But I needed this, I needed to make him pay.
Dee had already risen out of her seat, apparently ready to rush at Blake but Lilith and Marcus had halted in her line of sight before she had a chance to make her move. A sly and sickly smile spread over her face. "Now now little Luxen, calm down now. You might blow a fuse or something." Dee visibly shook with anger as the little blonde antagonized her and the entire rooms eyes were fixed on the confrontation that was unfolding. Lilith reached out her hand as if to give Dee a friendly brush on the arm but all of us could feel the charge emanating from her hand. But her hand never made contact with Dee, as quick as a flash Kat had appeared and her hand was now in a vice like grip around Lilith's and her eyes were intent on Lilith's own. Visibly in pain Lilith struggled against Kat's hold. "What the heck are you doing let me go!" This seemed to produce a reaction from Kat but not one we were expecting. "You don't ever touch her." Kat's voice was a low whisper, with a promising threat behind it. Kat released her hold on Lilith. Marcus circled his arms around her shoulders and led themselves to their own table. Throwing a question look back towards Kat, obviously shocked and confused by her reaction.
The room had fallen silent throughout that entire scene but as soon as our attention was no longer centered on one another, the room had forced itself in to a forced conversation but eyes and ears remained alert, trying to catch as much gossip as possible.
Kat still stood in front of our table eyes now focused intently on me, not saying anything but there was a fire in them that had been absent before. I didn't know how or why but the more she seemed to see of us the more she seemed to gravitate towards what she knew deep in her heart was right. It was like her subconscious wouldn't let her act against something so unnatural to her. Our connection was soon broken by Blake who sauntered over to us, cockiness clear in the set of his shoulders and the smirk on his mouth. "Bernard so nice of you to come back and play. Although I can't promise that I will be so nice this time." The venom in my voice was unmistakable and the threat in my tone made Blake's own smug mask falter. Ignoring my remark he placed a hand on Kat's shoulder and a new rage blossomed in the pit of my stomach. "Bad idea Boris." I couldn't keep the growl out of my voice and my teeth were clenched so tightly together I was surprised the words even made it out of my mouth. Dawson's hold on my shoulder increased ten fold, making sure I didn't cause a scene in front of everyone, I was surprised the chair underneath me held under the pressure.
To my delight Kitten shrugged his hand of immediately and glared in his direction, her little claws poised and ready. At least she still hated this joke of a hybrid. "That was not a good idea Kat, now we are going to have to talk to Samuel." Blake's words were only a whisper but loud enough for all of us to hear. If it weren't for the fear in my Kitten's eyes I would have thought Blake was talking a load of bullshit. But as her eyes glazed over and she froze I couldn't and I wouldn't take this anymore. "Fuck this." Breaking free of Dawson I launched myself at Blake, not bothering to focus on the source deep inside me, but instead settling for pummeling Blake's face in the old fashioned way.
The entire room reacted to the commotion with loud gasps, cheers or screams. I couldn't tear myself away, I knew I needed to stop before I murdered the kid in front of an entire school but I just couldn't. I was engulfed, with all the visions of what he had done, the pain and the suffering he had caused. For Dee, Ash, Andrew, Me and especially my Kitten. I wanted him gone. I needed him gone. I felt his feeble blows make contact with my sides but they didn't register, my rage was so focused on him entirely that nothing would break my concentration. I could taste blood in my mouth, I didn't know how it had appeared or why. But as I was delivering yet another blow a soft warm hand stopped my fist right in its tracks and another grasped on to my shoulder pulling me up. This touch that was so familiar to me was a saving grace, I couldn't refuse this after this was what I had craved for in my dreams ever since she had gone. I stood to meet her and our eyes locked. Recognition flashed in her eyes once more and her lips parted as she scanned my face. I too was taking in everything about her, like someone who had never truly seen before, I drunk in every feature. I had missed the curve of her full lips, the slight hood to her beautiful eyes, the arch of her jaw and the way her hair fell around her face. Small wisps of it scattering across her forehead which I so desperately wanted to brush away. "I-I…" Kat's face had fallen in to a frown and her grip begun to loosen on me but I didn't want to let her go, I gripped on to her hand willing her to stay and hold on to me. "This isn't right. Why did I do that?" Barely a whisper, confusion had entered her eyes and she seemed to be having an internal war with herself. With that she pushed away from my grasp and fled the lunchroom. I ignored the stares that were intent on Blake and me. Blake was still sprawled out on the floor, blood pouring from his nose and mouth, I couldn't help the slight satisfaction I felt, if he wasn't dead at least he'd feel like it in the morning. I kept my gaze on the hand that my Kitten's had just been encased in and the feeling that was deep in the pit of my stomach. It wasn't the familiar rage or the anxious knot that had been present for weeks, but it was a warmth and need for Kat. What I hadn't felt in the weeks that had passed and even though she wasn't herself I knew that she felt it to because we were one and the same.
