| Chapter 31 Jered and Ephah were sitting in Nick's room, waiting for him to wake up. He was laying on his stomach, his arms spread out to each side. Ephah reached over and poked at the whelps on Nick's back, "Those have to still hurt." "Yeah," Jered said, "I think we can use that." "Until he wakes up and heals them completely," Ephah said. Jered thought for a few minutes, "Bring one of the girls in, that'll keep him distracted enough not to." Ephah nodded, then left the room to find one of the girls. Jered stared at Nick, studying him. "You're not that different from me you know," he said, "In fact we could be brothers, we look so much alike." Nick moved his head to look at Jered, "I'd disown you if you were my brother." "Aww, look who's up," Jered said, ignoring his remark. Nick groaned and tried to move, "Shit, that hurts!" Jered laughed, "Yeah, imagine that." Ephah walked into the room with Evi. She walked over to the bed and sat down on the side, "Nicky, can I get you anything?" Nick didn't look at her, "No, go away." "Aww Nicky, let me take care of you," she said, gently touching his back. "No!" Nick yelled, trying to move away from her. Evi looked up at the two men and smiled, then looked back down to Nick, "Please, I can make it feel better." Nick laughed, "I'm sure you could." he said sarcastically. Evi reached out and turned Nick's head to where he was looking at her, "Don't bite the hand that feeds you," she warned. Nick stared at her, feeling the emotions run through him at her touch. He wanted to hate her, but he couldn't. "Fine," he said, giving in, "Do what you want, I don't care." Jered smiled at her. "OK, let me get something to put on those, I'll be right back," she said, getting up and leaving the room for a moment. Jered leaned down, "You know, you could stop all this pain." Nick rolled his eyes, "And I'm sure you're gonna tell me how." "Nick, all you have to do is accept us," Ephah said. "Yeah, just say the word and all the pain and torture will stop," Jered said. Nick shook his head, "No." "You could have her," Jered taunted. "Who Evi?" Nick asked, looking at him. "Yes and Serenity if you wanted. They aren't like us, but we don't have to hold our feelings back with them either," Jered said. Nick sighed and closed his eyes, "Not my type." Ephah laughed, "So what is? That scrawny mortal that you can't share your feelings with?" Nick glared at him. "Or is teacher more your type?" Jered asked. "Shut up," Nick said through clenched teeth. Jered smiled at him, "I think there's more to teacher than we know. Tell us Nick, why do you care for her so much?" Nick looked away from him, staring out the window. Ephah leaned down, "You've had her haven't you?" "I said shut the hell up!" Nick screamed at them. They both laughed. Just then Evi returned with Serenity. They both went to the bed and sat on either side. Nick looked from to the other, "What are you gonna do?" "Relax, we're not gonna hurt you," Serenity said. Nick stared at her, "Yeah right." She reached over and pushed his head back down on the bed, "Just relax." Nick turned his head so he was looking at Evi. He didn't want to see Serenity after what she'd done to him earlier. Evi smiled at him, then went about applying some kind of ointment on Nick's back. "That stings," Nick said, flinching with each touch. "It'll feel better in a little while," Evi said. When the girls were finished applying the ointment, Serenity went into the bathroom and returned with a towel she had soaked in cold water. Evi helped her spread the towel out and lay it over Nick's back. He jumped, "Damn it! That's freaken cold!" They all laughed at him. Nick sighed and lay his head back down, closing his eyes. He could feel the girls touching his arms, the rush of emotions flooding through him. Now he knew exactly why Jered had gotten them to help him. He couldn't think, couldn't focus with them in the room. When they touched him, it was all he could do to try and ignore it. The longer they touched him, the more he wanted them. He knew they were making him feel that way, but what his mind knew and his body knew were two different things. Evi was massaging his wrist, looking at the bruise that was left by the cuffs. "Does this hurt Nicky?" she asked. "No, and don't call me Nicky," Nick said, his eyes still closed. Serenity leaned down close to Nick's ear, "What do you want us to call you? Nickolas?" Nick got chill bumps, feeling her breath on his skin. Serenity smiled seeing his reaction, and leaned closer, gently kissing his ear lobe, then taking it in her mouth and sucking on it. Nick's eyes flew open, and he pushed himself up to where he was sitting on his knees, "Don't!" "Nicky, we're just trying to make you feel better," Evi said, reaching out and taking his hand. Nick pulled it away, "Stop it. I don't want you to make me feel anything." "Nick, we could make all the pain go away," Serenity said, edging closer to him. Nick backed up towards the end of the bed, reaching behind him and picking up the wet towel that had fallen off his back, and throwing it at her, "Get the hell away from me you bitch!" "Now that's not very nice," Jered scorned. Nick looked up at him, disgust in his face. "Nick, just let us help you," Evi said, walking closer and putting her hand on his cheek. Nick stared at her, his blue eyes matching hers. She smiled at him, "See Nicky, it's not that bad." Nick reached up and took her hand from his face, holding it. He stepped to the floor, realizing for the first time that his legs weren't cuffed. Nick took a step closer to Evi, his eyes never leaving hers. Jered and Ephah glanced at each other. Nick pulled Evi close to him and leaned in as if to kiss her, but instead he turned her around and pushed her into Jered, then he ran out of the room. Serenity and Ephah took off after him while Jered and Evi untangled themselves. Nick ran through the house, trying to remember where the door was. He finally found it, opening it and running out into the night. He looked around him, trying to find a road, building, something to run to. There was nothing. No buildings, no street lights, nothing. "Shit!" Nick said, looking around. He finally spotted what he thought was a dirt road, and started running down it. He didn't care where he ended up, just as long as he got away. He could feel them behind him, getting closer with each step. Suddenly Jered was standing in front of him, and Nick ran right into him. "This wasn't a smart move," Jered said, throwing him to the ground. Nick landed on his back, screaming in pain as the sand dug into the raw whelps. Jered reached down and yanked him up by his hair, turning and heading back toward the house. Nick had managed to grab a handful of sand on the way up, and threw it in Jered's face. Jered let go of him, and he bolted. Ephah ran past Jered, catching up with Nick, and tackled him to the ground. They struggled with each other, rolling on the ground. Both trying to get the upper hand. Ephah ended up on top, mercilessly beating Nick's face with his fist. Jered joined in, and the two proceeded to beat Nick until he no longer tried to fight them. Then they drug him back into the house, throwing him on the bed. Evi grabbed the cuffs and locked his feet together and chained him once again to the bed. Serenity cuffed his hands together, looking over at Jered, "Maybe next time you'll listen to me about keeping him chained up." Jered glared at her. Nick moaned, looking up at them. "Don't try that again," Jered told him, "Or I just might have to pay your friends a little visit." Nick sat up, ignoring the pain, "You leave them out of this!" Jered put his hands up in defense, "Hey, I'm not the one making trouble for himself here." Nick glared at him, then reached up and gently felt of his face. His cheeks hurt, and he could taste blood. He ran his fingers over his lip, seeing the blood left on them. Evi went to the bathroom and came back with a wet clothe. "Here Nicky," she said, handing it to him. Nick looked up at her, then took the clothe and wiped his lip and face with it. Evi watched him for a minute, then took the clothe from him, "Here let me do it." Nick was to tired and in to much pain to argue with her. He sat there while she gently cleaned his face, then proceeded to clean the sand from his back and chest. Jered walked around, facing Nick, "All this could stop Nick, all you have to do is say so." Nick sighed and looked at the floor, ignoring him. Jered leaned in close, "Don't make us give you to them. You won't like it." Nick looked up at him, wondering just what he meant by that. Serenity smiled at him, "I'd like it." That made Nick's skin crawl, and he got nauseous. "God, I'm gonna be sick," he said, bracing himself with his hands and leaning over the side of the bed. Evi managed to step out of the way before Nick vomited in the floor. "Oh sick!" Serenity said. Jered and Ephah laughed at the girls reaction. When Nick finished, he grabbed the clothe Evi had dropped on the bed and wiped his mouth and nose with it, then leaned back on the bed and closed his eyes. He smiled as he drifted to sleep, knowing someone was gonna have to clean it up, and it wasn't going to be him. Chapter 32 |