I don't own True Blood.
REVIEWS
2StepsFromH3LL: That is a good game. C:
CaptainPorkChop: He'll be helped, don't worry. :D
Nurisiliel: Yes, they will interact a lot. Eugene is a psychopath but he is obsessed with acting professionally. You're right. xD
A00000000000000023: Britney and Gracie will be explained later, why she couldn't just take her daughter and run. The mating bond isn't weakened but Godric couldn't feel Callum's emotions. He had no idea what he was going through. Godric was just waiting for Callum to meet him by the ocean. What Eric is will be explained in this chapter. :)
NotFamous: I wasn't sure I wanted to add Eric into the romance but ideas are happening. :D
A/N: Would you like Eric to enter into a romantic relationship with Godric and Callum?
Sorry for any typos, this chapter is a lot and I'm sleep deprived.
Warnings: Whipping/beating, mention of nonconsensual electroconvulsive therapy.
"You are enough to drive a saint to madness or a king to his knees."
Grace Willows
~Eugene~
When he was allowed to storm toward the holding cell that Callum was retained in, vengeance was eating every passing thought. Eugene waited for the employee that guarded the door, to open it, enabling him entrance into the murky room. "Leave us." He snarled and the door closed, black eyes fell on the curled, naked form of Callum that lay against the concrete floor, his arms were bound at his back uncomfortably. The boy fidgeted under his gaze with apprehension, wide eyes peering up at him. Eugene scowled down, "You want to act like an animal then I'll treat you like one."
He reached down to unbuckle his belt before sliding the leather out from the hoops of his pants, "What are you doing?" The terrified shout of Callum reached him and he sneered down, holding the belt by the buckle.
"Don't flatter yourself!" Eugene snarled, raising the belt and bringing it down on Callum's arm and upper back with a resounding crack.
An outstanding keening cry exited full lips, hazel eyes squeezed shut and he delighted when the red welt formed on pale olive skin.
And he struck him again, again, and again. He painted the body underneath him with red marks. Breaking skin in locations with his violent rage. The doctor drowned in delicious tears and cries that escaped the boy, the body twisting and endeavoring to avoid the leather belt. When the crack of his leather belt made contact with a thigh and flaccid cock, Callum's body shuddered and he vomited stomach bile with a high-pitched whine. Eugene reached down and grabbed bound arms, dragging him across the hard floor and away from the puke before laying his belt into bruising flesh again.
By the time he was finished, Callum was submissive against the ground, fatigued sobs flowed from his mouth, and his bruised body trembled. Eugene stepped back, dropping his weak arm by his side while wincing at the pain making itself known in his shoulder. "Abilene was right. Maybe I should use you as she wanted. You're not good for anything else."
Dark eyes trailed over darkening bruises and red welts. "What do you think about ECT, Callum?"
He waited for the answer but only received muffled sobs. Irritated, he reached down and turned the boy's face up to his with a brutal hand gripping a jaw, "Answer me!"
Tears streaked Callum's face and he recoiled violently under Eugene when the man smiled down at him. "Electroshock therapy, Callum, and doing it the old fashion way, it's very painful."
He delighted at how Callum's eyes widened and he started to hyperventilate between the shuddering sobs straining his battered frame.
"How about right now?"
"No," The broken voice wheezed out, "Please, please."
Eugene released a sadistic chuckle.
~Callum~
Blurry vision eyed the unglazed red and brown quarry tile while the showerhead above him, turned on, blasting icy water down on his limp form, stinging and frigid against his shivering skin. His suffering back rested against the shower wall with legs curled painfully underneath him, shaking uncontrollably, he curled further into himself and fastened unbound arms around his midsection.
The dark figure of his tormenter stood outside of the shower cubical, peering down at him and Callum could do nothing but cower while expelling a choking sob.
"We'll start the next treatment in two hours." The cheerful voice of the psychopath spoke down to him and Callum squirmed with a hysterical whine. "Now, now. None of your sass, pet. Unless you'd like another dose of electricity?"
Callum tensed and shook his head, without confronting the wicked gaze, causing himself to become dizzy and nauseated, his jaw ached, and confusion lingered over him.
"That's what I thought."
Footsteps strolled away but the voice of the man still echoed through the large shower room. "In twenty minutes, dress him, and take him to his room but don't sedate him. He receives no relief from pain tonight."
"Yes, doctor."
Callum sobbed in anguish under the freezing spray of water until his teeth were chattering, and when he could no longer cry, he whimpered, pressing the side of his features into the cold tile wall, buried in the corner, entangled in pain.
In his misery, a muffled shout could be heard from under the freezing spray of torture and something heavy was collapsing to the hard floor in the distance. Dazed, hazel eyes veered to the opening of the cubical when the sound of bare footsteps against the tile, approached him. Callum shivered violently and curled painfully against the wall, covering his bruised form and turning his features to press his forehead against the hard tile.
Not again. Please.
A horrified masculine curse was heard above him, and hazel eyes squeezed shut, he tried to quell his whimpers but couldn't seem to do so. His entire body was vibrating with aching pain and a headache pounded against his skull with the inner noise of white-hot static.
A large hand was grabbing at his upper arm, warm fingers curling around his sore flesh, and Callum choked on a terrified cry when he was pulled from his corner and into a warm embrace. Hazel eyes, chaotic and raw were peering up into alarmed icy glaciers.
"Where is your mate, bonded?" The worried voice was speaking down to him and he curled in on himself, in the giant's hold. What did the not-human want? Callum quivered with wheezing fear and Eric released a strangled noise. The man shifted, attempting to crawl out of the giant's grip but a warm arm curled around his lower back before the hand lifted and latched on to his flank. "Shhh, be still. Let me help."
"That's it." The soothing purr rumbled above his head, turning into a deep, melodious hum as Callum allowed his aching body to relax gradually against the taller form. Blinking away frigid water from his eyes, he lifted his blurry gaze to see Eric bite into the pad of his own thumb and crimson blood was dripping down pale skin. Callum released a questioning sound when Eric brought his bleeding thumb down and traced over a bruised abdomen. Suspicious, hazel eyes lowered to scrutinize Eric trailing blood over the thin broken cuts that littered his body, acquired from the cruel lashing of the psychopathic doctor's belt.
The thin lacerations closed from under Eric's healing blood and Callum's head fell to rest against a strong shoulder with a hopeful murmur, relaxing under the traveling hand of the giant.
"It's enough to heal some of your cuts but the rest will stay for now. Sorry, little one, but I'm already breaking an enormous rule just by touching you."
Callum shifted in the hold of Eric, the frigid water had soaked the giant's clothes but he didn't appear to mind. "What rule?... You're undine?"
"Half. I'm not part of your clan and your mate will likely take insult to me being near you, especially while you're injured." The hybrid replied, fastening his other arm around Callum's bruised stomach. Hazel eyes swiveled back down and he grimaced at the appearance of his naked body under Eric's pale arms. Bruises the colors of red and purple covered him. "The doctor's going to kill me," Callum stated with a pained groan and the frustrated growl that replied confirmed his statement. The man would kill him if he got his hands on Callum again, intentional or not.
"Where is your mate?"
"Godric. Godric is—he's in the sea."
"...Why hasn't he come for you?" Eric was growling.
"He doesn't know."
And Eric was stilling with a surprised stare, "Don't you send your emotions back and forth to each other?"
Callum shook his head with a thoughtful frown, looking away, "Is that a thing?"
"Herregud!" The unknown word, came across as a swear, was escaping the hybrid's lips before a large, warm hand was cupping his face, turning his gaze to meet icy glaciers.
"Close your eyes and do exactly what I say if you want to feel your mate."
The man immediately followed the order, desiring to better sense Godric after so long apart. "Take a deep breath and concentrate on your mate's location."
Behind his closed eyelids, he felt for the string attached to his little love with enthusiasm. "Now...I need you to travel down the thread, can you do that, Callum?"
His eyebrows furrowed and he struggled to do what Eric asked of him, unsteady and confused. But after a short skirmish, Callum could feel himself moving, and he was sinking into the depths of the salty ocean.
"Pretend you're unlocking a door and push it open, Callum."
His arm was being lifted, he could feel his wrist pressing against moving lips, the rumbling voice of Eric reached him from behind a thick veil.
"You can do this."
And Callum was pushing with all his willpower against an invisible barrier. When it fell away, emotions not his own were pouring over him. They overwhelmed him and he gasped. Surprise then excitement, worry, anger, love. Heartbreaking love, it hurt to breathe. Tears were spilling from his closed eyes and he shuddered, "Godric." He was exhaling a breath with reverence, sending his devotion back to his aquatic lover.
Fingers fastened and tightened around his throat, squeezed and he was gasping, suffocating. Godric's emotions transformed into a frenzied storm, panic, anxiety, rage. Furious homicidal rage.
Callum! Cal—
The bond snapped closed and Callum cringed, eyelids snapping open, his blurry vision found the shape of Eric above him, strangling him and he struggled weakly under the torrent of icy water, lips turning blue. Eric was suddenly pulling away and Callum sucked in oxygen greedily, releasing the coughs that forced themselves up the chamber of his throat. Arms were encircling around him with apologetic mutterings falling from frowning lips, "I'm sorry, little one but he will certainly come for you now."
Callum trembled in the hybrid's embrace while holding the front of his throat. Unnerved and throbbing in the shell of his bruised body.
Eric was leaning forward, his hand turning the knob of the water, and after a lengthy period, the frigid spray turned into lukewarm water and Callum softened in the purring hold of the hybrid.
"What do you want from me?" He was whispering into the wet fabric of the giant's chest.
"...It's your mate that I want to meet."
"Why?"
"Curiosity."
Weary hazel eyes were scanning the features of Eric. "Don't hurt him."
Icy glaciers were thawing and warm knuckles were trailing gentle strokes over his cheekbone. "I've never met another undine that's male."
Eric admitted with a rumbling voice before humming down at Callum soothingly with a flowing tune and heavy eyelids were falling. He was drifting to the remarkable melody of the hybrid and the comfortable sensation of warm water on his skin.
Callum studied the lifeless orderly laying in the archway that led to the shower room, dead eyes were facing the back wall of the dressing room and he shivered, turning to peer at the blond hybrid who was changing his wet clothes, replacing them with identical clean ones, that he found in one of the large laundry baskets that rested next to a row of steel lockers. Hazel green eyes lowered to face the floor when pale skin was revealed to him.
"You killed him." He was rasping, shivering in his bruised skin with a towel draped over his thighs.
"To get to you, yes," Eric replied, his voice muffled as he pulled a clean shirt over his head.
"Did you strangle him?"
"No, I broke his neck."
And the sound of the hybrid's footsteps approached.
"Lift your arms."
Sitting bare and clean on the bench of the dressing room, Callum followed the order with a hiss of pain. The thin cloth of the white long-sleeved shirt was being pulled down his arms and torso, "Are you cold."
"It's always cold here." He replied with a grunt while lowering his arms back to rest by his sides, palms pressing into the old wood of the bench. The blond hybrid was holding gray sweatpants, bending down. "Use my shoulders, Callum."
The human reached and gripped the taller's shoulders, pulling himself up on unstable legs, allowing the towel to fall to the floor, he wobbled for a moment but quickly gained control of himself and stepped one foot into a leg before following with the other, and Eric was taking control, sliding fabric up, over stinging marks and throbbing bruises. Callum held onto the hybrid's shoulders until he finished dressing him, "Can you walk?"
"Yes." Callum gritted out, removing his grip from the shoulders of Eric, allowing the hybrid to stand at his full height.
One of Eric's eyebrows was raising with doubt, "You're trembling."
"Can we just go before he comes back?" Callum hissed, struggling to get his legs to move.
"Where?"
"Britney told me that the third floor doesn't have security, it's where some of the staff sleep and eat, it's where the offices are too," Callum spoke frantically, "Could we hide there until we come up with a plan?"
"I don't see why not," Eric responded, "We just need to make it to the stairwell, stay close."
He nodded before Eric immediately grinned down at him with dull fangs. "Let me know if you feel the sudden urge to swoon. I'll catch you."
Callum scowled before following the smug hybrid to the doors that led to the hallway.
It was too easy to sneak to the stairwell, perhaps, because it was right beside the showers. Callum followed the taller male at a slower pace. Confusion and fatigue prevented him from taking swift steps, the pain from the beating, and electricity that nearly fried his brain made his body throb continuously.
Evidently, Eric had enough of watching him struggle to climb the flight of stairs because the blond hybrid was abruptly turning and stepping down to him. A startled noise was escaping him when Eric bent and lifted him with arms fastened around the back of his thighs.
"Wrap your legs and arms around me, Callum."
And he did so without argument, too exhausted to protest. A warm palm was rubbing the spine of his lower back, the other hand resting on his rear, holding him against the hybrid.
Callum buried his features into Eric's shoulder, hiding the blushing grimace, his bruised body wouldn't allow him to roam too far without alerting him of pain, apparently.
"Thanks." His voice was muffled into the shirt of the male, grateful that Eric took pity and picked him up off of his shaky feet. The purr of the hybrid vibrated against him and Callum closed his eyes, nose pressed against the warm skin of a gill-less neck while Eric turned and ascended the flight of stairs.
He lifted his head to a crash of multiple items against the floor and Eric was immediately lowering him until his rear end rested on top of a dark, steel desk. The items that covered it, laptop, printer, stapler, pens, tape, files, an empty, shattered coffee cup decorated the floor on the left side of the desk. Tired, hazel eyes watched Eric swerve on his heel, walk across the room and lock the office door before pulling the dark roman shade over the glass, hiding them from any unwanted eyes in the hallway.
"Where are we?"
"In the bastard's office. I thought we'd tear it up as a little payback before hiding somewhere else." Eric was stating while eyeing various rum bottles, that rested on a dark table in the corner of the room.
"What if he comes back before we can leave?"
"We'll kill him," Eric replied simply before grabbing an unopened bottle and strolling toward a malicious grinning Callum.
He accepted the gift with the grin aimed at Eric's impish expression. Holding the neck of the unopened bottle in his hand, he scanned the brand with a raised eyebrow. Ron Zacapa XO. "It's been a while since I had rum. Godric would occasionally find aged bottles of champagne and wine in sunken ships. He took a liking to wine once I gave him a taste but didn't care much for the champagne."
Opening the bottle, Callum brought it to his lips and let the aged, sweet wine pour into his mouth with a delighted moan. Swallowing the alcohol, he lowered the glass bottle from his lips and turned his cheerful eyes to his mate who sat beside him in their loft.
"Here, little love." He cooed, leaning and bringing the bottle up to Godric lips. The hybrid was scooting away with a cautious expression, "What is it?"
"Wine." Callum grinned at him mischievously and Godric hesitated.
"Do I have your trust?"
Silver eyes reflected in the dim candlelight, glowing in the shaded loft, observing him. "Yes." The accented voice responded, hoarse and distinguished.
"It tastes like honey and spun sugar, sweet berries, and orange peels," Callum explained as Godric covered his hand with his own before hazel eyes watched his lover take a small sip of the aged wine. The hybrid tensed for a moment, tasting with wide eyes before a pink tongue slipped out of his mouth and dragged across his full bottom lip. And Godric was lifting the bottle and Callum's hand again, bringing it right back to full lips. The human laughed, amused at his husband's reaction. "It's good, isn't it?"
Godric didn't reply, only lifted the bottle and chugged, "Wait, slow down!" Callum's voice raised a pitch higher and he yanked the bottle away from the hybrid who grumbled with annoyance while some wine escaped his mouth and dripped down his pale chin. "Do you want to make yourself sick?" Callum inquired before bringing the bottle to his own lips, "Plus, I'm not letting you hog it all."
"Callum?" The uneasy voice of his mate reached him and he veered to glance at Godric.
"Callum, what is—Callum, I'm burning!"
Fear crawled up the back of his throat and he set the bottle of wine down beside the burning candle, on the wood of the loft before climbing further onto the soft bedding and reaching for his hybrid lover.
"What do you mean?"
His hands grabbed at the bare shoulders of Godric while his voice inquired with increasing panic. Godric was shifting closer, pressing himself against Callum's chest. "Burning from the inside..." Godric mumbled, pressing his features into Callum's throat. "Fuzzy."
"Oh...oh!" And Callum was chuckling with relief, fastening his arms around his husband. "Alcohol does that."
His lips curled upward at the cherished memory while the pad of his thumb dragged up the smooth glass of the bottle.
"How old is Godric?"
"Hmm, I'm not sure. He's old though...doesn't age."
"And he's never had alcohol before?" Icy glaciers were confronting him when he lifted his eyes to watch the blond dig through a filing cabinet, before he opened the bottle of the rum while shaking his head, "No."
"He hasn't lived with humans?" Eric was peering at Callum with furrowed brows from across the room.
"I assume you did?" Callum inquired before taking a burning sip of the rum.
"Of course. My father was human."
"Godric's father is siren."
Icy glaciers were widening and the blond hybrid expelled a surprised gasp. "Siren. He shouldn't even be able to—are you sure he cares for you as you do him?"
"Of course he does!" Callum growled before taking another swig of burning rum with seething irritation while concentrating on the bond he shared with his husband. "He's closer now. Godric's on land."
"He's coming for you," Eric proclaimed while dropping files of paper on the floor of the office.
"Yes," Callum agreed.
"You gave him your soul."
"How do you know about that?"
"My mother was undine and my father gifted her, his. When he passed into the next life, she followed...becoming seafoam."
Callum lowered the rum and lifted his horrified stare to observe the blond hybrid while he strolled across the room before lowering into a crouch to open and dig through the bottom drawer of a dark polished cabinet. Frantic eyes peered at the blond's shoulders and upper back. "Seafoam?"
A blond head was whirling to the side, icy blue eyes gazed at Callum through his peripheral vision for a moment before turning back to search the insides of a drawer. "When a bonded dies, the undine will grieve until they follow into death."
"Godric's strong, he won't." Callum was rasping with strangled anxiety.
"Are you trying to convince me or yourself?" The blond countered before shifting his body partway around, holding old polaroid images in his hand. "The doctor has pictures of dead animals. Serial killers do that at a young age, don't they?"
Callum shivered and brought the bottle of rum back to his lips. Striving not to think of seafoam or his husband's affection for him. Instead, he focused his thoughts on the sick bastard that beat him. Callum schemed revenge against the psychopath with cold eyes following Eric's movements.
"Callum, you're drunk."
"No, I'm not." He slurred his denial, fingers remaining fastened around the neck of the empty glass bottle that rested between his curled legs. Warm fingers trailed across the side of his face, a warm palm following to cup his cheek, lifting his eyes to the swaying form of the blond hybrid.
The attractive hybrid laughed with skin crinkling at the corners of his icy, icy eyes.
"The pain's gone," Callum announced, attempting to focus his vision while scanning the messy room. Eric certainly did what he set out to do, the office was demolished. "It's snowing outside and we'll freeze if we can't find warmer clothes." Eric was explaining before the empty bottle was pulled from his limp grasp.
The shattering of glass against the hard floor confronted his ears before he was lifted into strong arms and Callum grumbled when his head spun. "We have to get out of here."
The rumble of Eric's voice breathed against him and Callum shut his eyes when the hybrid moved to exit the office. He proceeded to drift down into sleep but was roused when Eric lowered him into a bed.
"Where are we." Blinking, he scanned the small room while Eric turned to shut and lock the wooden door. "Down the hall from the office. I'll search for warmer clothes."
And the blond was walking past him, toward a dark dresser that must have belonged to a staff member. "Is he here?"
"Who?"
"Godric."
Concentrating on the bond with struggling effort, Callum searched for his husband. Enthusiasm had him opening his eyes and shifting to climb out of the small bed. "Almost." He stated excitedly, "We need to go now!"
"Wait...is he strong?" Eric was asking, wrapping arms around Callum and keeping him confined to the bed.
"The strongest person I've ever known." He responded, trying to escape the warm grip.
"Then, we'll let him come to us," Eric spoke and Callum shook his head, making himself dizzy again, "What if he needs help?"
"He's half-siren, he won't need assistance. Besides, they don't have guns, so they're probably fucked if they try to go up against him."
Eric was explaining while fingers scraped across Callum's scalp with soothing motions.
"How do you know?"
"I've met a siren before, they're on another level when it comes to power," Eric clarified. "And he's undine, his blood heals. If he cares for you as you say, he won't stop until he reaches you. You nearly died."
"And who's fault is that? You almost strangled me."
"It got his attention, didn't it?"
Callum was peering up into the icy gaze of Eric with fearless, sleepy contentment. "Yea, it did."
Distant, everything is scattered
When your mind is shattered and torn apart
In an instant, I can be indifferent
The blame is always shifted from the start
Leafless treetops in the snow
Views of death and bitter cold
But the darker the weather, the better the man
You can take all you want, but not who I am
But the darker the weather, the better the man
You can take all you want, but not who I am
You can't have my-
Sun shines through an open window
Close the curtains real slow to hide the light
But in time, maybe I can change it
We'll find someone who feels the same as me
The Darker The Weather / The Better The Man, Missio
A/N: It's snowing...and I hate everything about it. Godric will be in the next chapter! Yay!
Important: Eric is not on the level of Godric's strength. If Godric wanted, he could overpower Eric easily.
