Love Struck Delusion

Chapter 227 - Sideways.

Raptor's POV, Later that night.

It was so dark in my house. What was the point in having the lights on? I sat at the kitchen table swirling a glass of whiskey. Looking at the few ice cubes that remained, I listened as Hecan asked.

"What are you drinking?"

"Tennessee fire." I replied as I glanced down at my phone which was on speaker for the last few minutes.

Keeping his voice down he then said.

"Hmmm. Never tried that one."

"I'll pour you a glass once all this is settled."

"I'll keep you to that, but Raptor?"

"Yeah?" I replied back as I took another sip.

"You did good today. Despite what happened. Drake hasn't been this cooperative since he first got the position."

"He lost eight guys though Hecan. I know that doesn't look good for me. My security sucked and that's on me that they paid the price."

"The report hasn't been made yet. I told Drake not to release the information to the public about the stunt Archer tried to pull over on you. As far as the public needs to know those men died from a helicopter crash." Hecan stated as I took a moment to think about that. Those men died because of me and their families would never know because we had to keep the tenison hush hush. It was hard to think about and I knew very well Hecan himself had to understand, but what choice does he have here?

"Drake told me what had happened. How you saved his life and how he saved yours. It's kinda weird to think you two got together that well."

"It was the pressure." I told him back as he questioned.

"I'm a firm believer that Drake wouldn't order your family to get killed. He's a rough man but he isn't that bad. So I believe him Raptor when he tells me that Gorgon was the one who made that a reality for you. He had the motive and I know Drake still created the situation but it wasn't his fault they died. I'm sorry."

I wasn't mad. I knew he was right and I was just not ready to admit it. I hated Drake this whole time because his orders led to my family dying. Yet his orders weren't to have them die. My arrogance cost me their lives and I'm the only one alongside Gorgon to blame for that. Drake talked to me for a while after we finished the conversation as to what I really am. A lot of what he said was good and unlike what I thought he'd be capable of as my enemy; he turned out to be nothing but a comrade in a situation like that. I'm not ready to say he's earned my forgiveness and I don't know if that will ever be a thing, but at least I'm learning that not everyone I think can turn out to be a bad guy. He's still what he is, but he's at least relatable now.

"I need to let you go."

"Okay." I replied as he then urged me.

"Get some rest and when I have something more for you I'll be in contact."

As the line cut off I left my phone where it was and refocused on what was left of my drink. I took the last few gulps and sat back to sigh in a lost mixture of what to do and how to do it. Pepper had no clue about Raze and Zeta was not going to be up for god knows how long. I don't know how close Pepper was to her, but Zeta and her were like sisters. Telling her is going to be the main problem I face. Apart from Archer, but he was the least of my concerns for tonight. Right now I just wanted to relax and take my mind off of the bad.

As I ran out of whiskey, I felt my senses go off to the front door. Looking back over my shoulder I watched as it opened and in came Molly. She came right on into the living room and jumped right up onto the couch. Behind her however was Pepper who by all accounts looked beaten down from today's events. She had her head pointed at the ground as she came in to shut and lock the door and I saw her tail not moving. It just bobbed between her legs on it's own like dead weight, and as she put down the keys to my car I asked from the darkness of the kitchen.

"How was the ride back?"

The second my voice echoed through the walls both the dogs flung their heads in my directions. Molly took a second to see me in the dark but as she noticed my smile she came right back off the couch and over to my legs. Pepper on the other hand replied.

"Jesus I can barely see you there. It was fine."

"Good." I mumbled as she walked over. My attention however was on my real dog and like the pup she was she rolled right on her side to let me pet her belly.

"Thank god I found you when I did. I need this kind of attention."

I heard a faint chuckle from Pepper upon entering the kitchen. She sat down on the floor and began to join me on petting Molly. Giving her backside a few rubs she asked me.

"You just want someone who will roll over and let you pet their belly? I can do that."

That got me laughing and keeping my smile on I sat back up and replied.

"It's not the same if you do it. If you do it I'd have to worry about you talking back. With her she just doesn't care. She's just happy I'm giving her attention."

"I guess you're right." She whispered as her response as I let out another sigh to then ask.

"How's Zeta doing? Did Marx say anything to you after everything died down in there?"

Pepper was still in most of her gear. Apart from her mask which I saw tied to her belt. However her hair was still just as gorgeous as her sisters. Keeping her focus on Molly she replied.

"He wanted to talk to you about what happened. He was very…..pushy about it."

"What did you tell him?" I then asked as I had my arms folded. Looking back up to me she replied.

"Nothing. Figured if you didn't say anything then I shouldn't."

I nodded as her answer was just the one I wanted to hear. Last thing I need is Marx thinking he heard the truth about something only I know how to really describe. Keeping my tone low because I was honestly tired, I replied while standing up from my chair.

"Good."

Pepper widened her eyes as I got up all the sudden. Remaining on the floor however she muttered through a concerned tone.

"Raptor?"

Cracking my neck I replied.

"Hmm?"

The wolf stumbled back up to her feet to meet herself with my height. Her face gave me all the knowledge of how she was feeling right now. I didn't require my senses to read her mind as she tried to say it.

"Zeta and…..? I never….? I'm not…?"

"Stop." I urged her as she just growled from her own inability to finish the sentence. I just smiled as she looked to the ground. Tapping her chin I whispered.

"I know what you're trying to say. Don't."

Her eyes looked back to me and despite all the armor she bursted forward and pressed her body into mine. I somehow stayed on my feet as Molly looked up in confusion. Pepper's lips were aggressive at first. She wanted to get the point across and slowly it went soft after it had. Her hands came up to hold my head still and once she was satisfied she pulled her lips back to whisper.

"Shut up."

I took a moment to question my last statement. It seems she was still not able to listen well to what I told her. I couldn't decide if that was an issue if this was the outcome once in a while. Licking my lips in a bit of shock I replied.

"Okay."

The wolf broke her serious face to smile and start laughing. Her hands still held my head and after a few good ones she took them off my head and brought herself in to hug me tighter than ever before. I hugged back as she mumbled into my neck.

"I don't know what I'd be doing if you weren't the way you were. If you couldn't do what you do. You saved more than just her life."

This time as she pulled back to stare into my eyes I saw she was crying. I wasn't ever good watching girls break down like this. Midnight knew this fact as well and would always try to cry when she felt she was being undermined by me. I'm a bitch when exposed to emotion like this. However all I could do was keep listening as she told me with a much sadder looking excuse for a smile.

"You saved me from myself. If I lost her today I don't…..I just don't know Raptor."

I took the chance to hug her back now to reply.

"You don't have to know. It didn't happen and it won't so long as I'm around to say otherwise. Zeta is strong. She'll be back on her feet in due time. Trust me Pep."

She cried into my side and I knew from there she was going to be okay, but then came the time to decide if I should ruin such a good moment. I would feel horrible if I didn't just come out and say it. If I waited it would just hurt more. Keeping her in my arms I whispered over her shoulder.

"I need to tell you something though."

I forced our bodies apart for this and she suddenly knew something was wrong because my tone had gone back to being serious. With wide eyes and an open heart she asked.

"What?"

Gently I tried to rotate her around to where my seat was. I urged her to take a seat and she did but not after trying not to. Once she was placed however, I knelt down to just start the bad news.

"I lost a lot of people today. Lots of my soldiers who I considered friends. Some family. You know that. You saw the outcome after it was done."

The wolf was nothing more than a silent pooch as it was clear I was getting a little choked up. However I kept it together long enough to say it.

"But among them we lost more than just that. I didn't find out till after I got done with your sister in the ER. Cody was the one to find out first and…...and I'm really sorry Pep but Raze didn't make it."

Right when the name left my mouth I felt and saw her whole outlook on the current situation change. The tears came back at first with nothing to convince me she had even moved a muscle more in those eyes. However as they fell, she questioned in an almost unreadable yet equally choked up voice.

"What? She…..she….?"

I nodded which got her to ask.

"How?"

Shaking my head because I was unsure, I just tried to piece together what I knew.

"I don't know the whole story. I didn't see it happen. Cody said she left for medical right before the first shootout happened between you and them in the lobby. All I know for sure was she didn't make it. She probably didn't even know we had hostiles in the building till it was too late."

Pepper lost her ability to keep calm any longer and I suffered as she bent right over to start crying loud enough to convince me Raze meant just as much to her as I knew she meant to her sister. Yet I had to finish.

"They killed her like an animal. Cody found her in a closet once all the fighting was over. I'm sorry Pep. I don't know what else I can say. I didn't even know till it was too late. If I knew I would have done everything I could to have helped her. I just didn't know."

The poor girl just kept crying. I was getting more and more hurt by this the longer she went without what seemed like breath. I had no words. What else could I do? I asked myself as I looked to my right hand which at this point was on her shoulder trying to comfort her through this. I had the energy and I had no other way of helping other than this.

Lifting up the hand, I gently moved it till my palm wrapped around the back of her head. She didn't bother to think anything different by the sudden change in position. Giving my energy time to catch up with my powers, I soon felt my palm get warm. Then she began to slow down all the tears as the feeling of warmth entered through the back of her skull. In seconds she had just switched all her focus into her breathing. I knew I was doing something so I just kept it going till she had stopped completely. In time her head lifted back up and her two wet orbs looked into my eyes. Giving her a very tiny smile I begged her.

"Please stop crying. She wouldn't want you to cry."

Pepper for once was silent to my words and very slowly she began to nod her head. I kept the heat rolling and gently she reached back to grab my wrist and question.

"What are you doing?"

Keeping it on her head I replied.

"I don't really know. I just know it feels good. Do you want me to stop?"

She took a moment to think but it turned out to be pointless. She began to shake her head and decided to fall into my arms. I held her there as the chair now barely kept her afloat. With her tone still whisper tight, she asked me.

"Can I…...can I stay with you tonight? I…...I…..I don't want to be alone through this. Not again."

I sensed that meant much more than just a way to get me to say yes. She had to be thinking of her parents and how she never had the chance to say goodbye. Living with that had to be driving her to say this more than anything else. Keeping that in mind I continued to hold her and replied.

"Yeah."

"Thank you." She now mumbled as I had her almost asleep. Letting my powers die down I inched her head back up from my side and asked.

"You ready to lay down proper?"

Wiping her eyes and managing to stand back up on her own Pepper replied.

"Yeah…...please."

I smiled and as I stood back up I looked down to Molly to command her.

"Let's go upstairs Molly. It's bedtime."

"Braf!" She replied which got Pepper to laugh. Even if it was just a chuckle.

Molly took the lead and went right back into the living room and found her way to and up the stairs. I kept close to Pep as we followed behind. Halfway there she took my arm and together we went up to my room where Molly had already made her spot on the left side of the bed. I shut the door and looked back in time to see Pepper begin shedding armor. I did the same and got off my vest and once that was done she was down to nothing but her shirt and the rest of the plating on her legs. She didn't care to make it look nice once she had it all off. So it was just this pile on the ground and once left with nothing but her jeans and a black tank top; I asked her.

"What side do you want?"

Looking at Molly she replied.

"I guess the middle."

I took off my shirt and made my way around to get the covers up. Pepper however didn't want to move my dog and I could understand why. So she came around to where I was and I moved aside so she could get in first. I waited till she was fully encased by the sheets and then got myself in to join her. She was facing away from me and I was okay with that. I still wasn't used to the idea of having another wolf in my bed. Well at least not this one. Molly moved in to lay with her and as I decided to keep my back to her I felt her body flip over. Then I felt her hand reach over to grab my arm. I didn't move or say anything. I just shut my eyes as she took the chance to pull her body in closer. As I felt her chest rest on my back and her legs lock with mine, I felt her breath pass under my chin. We were basically hugging now and her arms came to wrap me up. I was unsure of what to say, if I should say anything. But then all the sudden she said it all for me.

"Thank you…...for just being here for me."

I kept my voice down and just reached up with my right hand to grab the back of hers as it rested on my chest. Gently she flipped it topside up and we soon held each other as one. Then everything went silent. We just went to sleep shortly after.

Ying's POV, The next morning.

I was stuck in this alone much like my advisor warned me. China wanted nothing to do with me after all this backlash coming from Voltz making G.U.N take his side in the spilt war we now had going on. What was holding me here with Archer? Nothing. That's what my advisor told me and he was right. I had to make a choice because I was going to start risking the company at this rate and the pressure mounted each time someone new called my phone to complain. Archer had no power to keep me here despite our deal and the more I thought about it the more it was starting to make sense to turn tail and head back home. Or….?

I broke my train of thought as I heard a knock on the door. Looking back I watched with concern as in walked Archer. He got the bad news from the pilot this morning. No one made it to the exit in time and that meant only one thing. His little special forces team failed their mission. I was not close to answers and I think I was out of options at this point. Finding me at the front of his desk, I listened closely as he asked.

"What are you doing?"

"Debating on what to do."

Archer came around his desk and sat down. Once there he questioned.

"To do about what?"

I kept myself focused and replied.

"About this. This miserable excuse for a war you're waging. I've offered you everything I could to help you control the situation and all I asked in return was for you to get me Voltz. Your men have failed and it's been more than a few weeks since you promised me results. I have China on my ass for not telling them beforehand about my intentions and now I'm getting into trouble with G.U.N, the network, and my own men who are beginning to question our motives and reasons for being here in the first place. Which is another concern for them, but they aren't getting paid for this."

Archer had this very concerning look about him. One that had me a tad worried he would try something after this next statement I was forced to say.

"I can't keep helping you. You haven't done a thing to help me get my answers and now my company is at risk. I'm pulling out of this deal and returning home. You can't pay? I won't play."

mT Shadow.