Warning - The chapter does have mention of rape and sexual assault with a few explicit details that may be triggering. There are however no details on forced penetration.

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William's P.O.V

Sharing wasn't easy. Opening yourself up for someone to look at, to judge and pick apart, could never be easy.

It didn't matter that it'd been Damon I was bearing myself to, it was still just as painful as it'd always been.

I tried not to think about it. I didn't want to think about what he must've read from that book. There was so much in there, too much, and I didn't want to think about any of it. 

Liam. That night. The hospital. 

There was so much pain from this wound of mine I feared would never heal, not completely. It hurt just to remember, to contemplate and wonder, it just hurt.

It all hurt.

Opening my eyes, I look up at Damon who was still holding onto me even as he slept. His arms were locked around me and there was no escaping him. I sigh in relief as I sink into it, sink into him and all the safety that came with him.

I thought I would never be able to have this. A few months ago, I thought that I would never be able to touch another person again, least of all another man. 

After what had happened, it'd been a physical change rather than a conscious one and I accepted it for what it was.

All the doctors and specialists mother had taken me to called it Haphephobia, the ill reactions I had to contact with another person. The first time they'd described it, mother had been quick to declare that that was exactly what was impaling me, but the moment the doctor had stated that it was common amongst sexual assault victims, she immediately erased the word from her vocabulary. 

Mother chose to ignore the diagnosis and I did as well in my own way, not because I didn't accept it but because I didn't care to. There were many suggestions on ways to overcome it but I didn't care to hear any of them because, in truth, I didn't want to fix it.

It wasn't an ailment to me when I never wanted to touch another person again. I accepted it and learned to live with it rather than around it. It was a part of me and one that I didn't resent in the slightest.

But now there was Damon, and I loved Damon.

Loved him in ways I didn't think was possible to care for another person. Loved him in ways I'd promised myself I would never allow myself to again - I loved him with every part of me.

I run a gentle finger along the line that shaped his jaw, being sure to keep the touch light so that I didn't wake him. When he doesn't steer, I let myself silently enjoy the sparks that rippled between us from the contact, the ones that gave me that heady feeling of comfort and love that was only present with him.

Only with him. With Damon. My boyfriend, my mate, my lover, my protector... my Damon.

I didn't care if this was all because of a bond. I didn't care if this was all just an effect of it. I didn't care what it was, I was just grateful that I had it... that I had someone.

I'd needed someone for so long. Someone who would care enough to fight for me, to cry for me and hurt for me. I'd needed him and now that I finally had him, I could only be grateful that he was with me.

Damon leans into my touch, nosing his way against my finger until he's coaxed my hand to palm his cheek. Only then does he relax again, his breathing evening out as he swiftly falls back to sleep. 

I stroke the skin there with wet eyes and a soft smile, forever grateful for this gift I'd been granted.

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"I can tie my own tie," I grumble as I try to take the fabric from Damon's fingers. He slaps my hands away making me pout as I drop them to my sides. "You don't have to do this."

"I know," Damon replies calmly, his eyes focused on his moving hands.

I look up at Damon, at his combed-back hair and clean-shaven face and I kind of just stare at him for a moment. He looked more striking than usual, like everything about him was painted on carefully rather than made, and the fitted suit hugging his muscled frame only added to the picture. 

If it was any other day or night where he was dressed up like this, I would've found a way to lure him into bed with me, and I would've made sure that we both got our fill of on another, literally in my case.

But it wasn't a lazy night in the pack or in one of our old apartments. It was the night of my birthday celebration and mother had already sent word to the house - three times- demanding more than requesting our presence with guests who were already arriving.

My mind felt like a horrible jumple of thoughts in the form of mismatched lines I had no hope of connecting so I didn't bother trying.

It seemed unreal that the time had finally come, that these two painful days in the place I once called home had already come and gone, leaving only tonight and all we had in store for it. I'd hardly registered that today was my birthday and thankfully Damon had left it alone, but the day itself had still gone by too quickly and now it was time for the dreaded party.

Thoughts of all that would go wrong outweighed and overpowered all thoughts on what could go right. I thought of mother taking me alone with the Haynes, of father whispering spiteful words when no one could hear or of Liam getting me alone where Damon couldn't find me.

I thought of all the worst scenarios and prayed to God that none would come true.

"You aren't alone anymore William." 

My eyes dart up at the sound of the voice I knew to be Theo's. When I meet kind blue eyes focused on me I feel my heart calm just a little. 

I wasn't sure how he and Damon knew that I needed to see him now, talk to him and feel his presence, but they had and he was here now, and just having him close almost brought tears to my eyes as I hugged him tightly.

Theo lets out a soft breath as he carefully wraps his arms around me and lets me hide for a moment in his strong, protective hold. 

"I know you're scared," Theo states gently, his deep tone like a soothing melody, "there is a lot to be afraid of." Theo acknowledges without naming the possibilities that ran rampant in my mind. "But it's important to remember that you are not alone."

Pressing a finger under my chin, Theo tilts my head up so that my eyes met his radiant ones, "it won't be like any of the times before because we're here with you this time." Running a gentle hand over my hair, Theo smiles down at me, "You've got me, and you've got Damon and we will never part from you. Not even for a moment, no matter the reason, we won't leave your side."

"Promise?" I hated how weak I sounded, how weak I felt. But Theo made me feel like it was okay to be weak with him.

"You have my word William," Theo confirms before he presses a soft kiss to my forehead, "no harm will come to you tonight. Only to those who've wronged you."

"No-" I start but Theo silences me with a finger to my lips.

"This is not up for discussion William," Theo states clearly, his words growing sharper as his eyebrows pull together, "perhaps before, there was a minuscule chance that we'd leave them be. But not now, not after..." Theo lets his words drift off as he looks down with eyes glazing with rage. He takes a moment to gather himself before he looks at me again, but the rage hadn't dissipated if anything it'd grown.

What I saw before me was the person Damon had warned me of, the person he said he was when the rage had become too much and the need to hurt became too great. Jaws clenched together, Theo's lips part enough to let his canines descend as our bond is quickly flooded by a feeling I could only describe as death. 

"They will suffer," Theo bites out on the edges of a growl, "each and every one of them will suffer and he," goosebumps run up my skin as I look into his blue eyes grow so dark they almost looked black in colour. "he will die." Theo grinds out. "That I promise you, William. I will ensure it."

With his promise made, Theo fades away from my view, bring Damon back to the forefront he takes the anger and rage with him as if it didn't exist at all. I feel myself breathe again as I take in a fill my lungs with air I hadn't realised I'd been denying myself in Theo's overwhelming presence.

I'd seen Damon angry over the months, seen him so angry he couldn't control a shift and would run from me in fear of hurting me, but I'd never seen or felt that amount of pure hatred from him before. It'd been a real thing that sucked the life from the room, making it hard to think around it at all. I couldn't even imagine how the little I did helped them cage it all inside.

"We mean it," Damon says after a moment as he continues fixing my tie as if he'd never stopped, "I know you don't want it, for me, for my wellbeing. But an exception will be - has to be- made for him. He dies tonight."

I feel myself nodding in understanding even while I still tried to gather my thoughts around the thought of consciously letting another end a life. I didn't want to condone this or agree to it, but I knew inside that nothing I said or did would deter them now. Even if it made me upset with them, Theo and Damon wouldn't change their minds on this.

"There," Damon says once he's done. He steps away to admire his work before he turns me to face the full body mirror.

With Damon standing behind me I looked almost as small as I felt, but I looked good, presentable. There was nothing that mother would complain about and that was what mattered, I just had to keep and father placated until it came time to make the special announcement. After that, Mekhi would take us all home and this would finally all be over.

Before, I wanted to talk to my parents afterwards, to tell them all I ever held myself back from saying before I disowned them publicly on a stage of all their fake friends. But the last two days had taken its toll on me, mentally and physically, and now all I wanted was to go back home.

"You almost look as good at me," Damon whispers as he leans down to kiss my cheek.

A weak smile pulls at my lips as I turn my head to catch his lips in a real kiss that makes my heart ache, "you wish you were as sexy as I am." I whisper against his lips causing him to chuckle as he hugs me tightly.

"It'll all be over soon," He promises with another kiss to my shoulder, "just a little longer."

I nod against him and shut my eyes tightly, praying to all hell that he was right.

--

"Mekhi," Damon calls while banging against his door, "come on, let's go!"

It'd surprised both Damon and me that Mekhi wasn't dressed and waiting downstairs, ready to head out as he always was. Every time I'd ever seen Mekhi, he was always prepared, ready for whatever came at him as if he had a third eye, but not tonight by the look of things.

Worry spikes in me that something had happened to him as I stand beside Damon. Mekhi had mentioned that he had a hateful sister, perhaps she'd come to torture him in person. If that was the case, the party would be forgotten until we ensured that he was safe.

"Mekhi!" Damon shouts as he bangs harder on the door.

Four more times and the door opens to reveal Mekhi dressed in a neatly fitting, navy blue suit that was pressed to perfection, not featuring a single wrinkle. He looks between us calmly, not a hint of regret or panic as he leisurely fixes his cufflinks.

"What the fuck were you doing?" Damon growls angrily. "You know how important tonight is."

Mekhi's eyebrows narrow just a little as he focuses his gaze on Damon who refused to back down under his friends scrutinity. Neither of them say a thing, letting the suffocating tension build as they wait for the other to break.

It was Mekhi.

Stepping aside, he kicks the door open with his left foot, giving us a full viewing of his bedroom. Thankfully, the place was well lit and bright enough for me to make out the naked figure splayed across his bed. Figure quickly turned plural in my mind as I watched it shift and quickly realised there actually may have been two... yeah, that was definitely two people in that bed.

"I was stocking up on energy," Mekhi explains to a speechless Damon, "I don't like to do it this way but because I knew how important tonight was," Mekhi pauses to let the words settle, "I made an unwanted exception."

As Damon shuts his mouth and looks between the figures in the bed and his friend, he struggles to access the right words to express the guilt slipping into our bond. It was the first time I saw Mekhi look annoyed and it may have the first time for Damon as well who was clearly struggling to find the words to an apology or excuse of some kind.

But he got there.

"I'm sorry," He manages as he scratches his head, "I'm sorry for yelling at you. I'm all wound up about tonight but I shouldn't be taking that out on you. We didn't even really set a time to leave, so I'm sorry."

"It's alright," Mekhi says with a sigh, "we're all on edge and tonight's not going to be easy, so let's get this over with."

Just as Damon and I step back to give Mekhi room, the previously closed bathroom door opens to reveal another naked figure who dragged his way to the bed as if drained of all life. Mekhi promptly shuts the door, closing off any questions as he walked down the hall.

And I had so many questions. So many.

"You plan to kill anyone tonight?" Mekhi asks Damon as we make our way to the main house that was lit up a little more than usual both on the inside and outside.

"Yeah, but not at the party," Damon replies nonchalantly. "Still. You know sometimes..."

"... plans change." Mekhi finishes for him as he cracks his neck to the side, their conversation flowing so easily as if they weren't discussing killing another person.

I'd become acutely aware that life held a lot less meaning and value amongst the supernatural in my time in the pack. It was hard wrapping my head around how barbaric some of their practices were, and I doubted that I would ever be able to accept it completely, but it was clear to see that if someone wanted to punish another in the supernatural world, they dubbed themselves judge, juror and executioner.

"Not at the party," I say in a plea, "I don't want anyone tracing anything back to us or the pack, I don't want to put anyone in danger. So please, not at the party."

Damon grunts but nods begrudgingly, "it'll be a late-night Mekhi, is that okay?"

"We've done it before," Mekhi replies with a smirk, his expression looking genuinely excited and as I looked to Damon, I found his expression much the same.

What a thing...

We enter through the back door, wanting to slip into the party as quietly as possible without inviting too much attention on ourselves. The hallways leading to the large dining room were swamped with hired staff that went to and from with trays of finger foods and glasses of wine, all glancing at us suspiciously but not commenting on our presence.

When the open doors of the dining room come into sight and all the people inside, my heart immediately lurches inside my chest, my anxiety building as I take in all the moving figures, blurred and anonymous right now.

"I'm right here," Damon whispers in my ear as he gives my hand a brief squeeze before letting it go. 

I jerk my head in a nod, plastering his words against my skull so that I'd be forced to face them every time I almost fell victim to my fears. 

"Try to let me do most of the talking unless they refer to you guys directly," I say as I take in a deep breath, using the fragile calm that came with it to slowly piece my mask back together. 

"Okay," Damon agrees readily.

"As you wish, alpha," Mekhi mumbles which makes me bite back a smile as Damon makes a little gasp behind me.

Stepping through the open doors and into the beautifully decorated space felt like passing through an invisible portal that washed over us all, leaving its distinct touch on every inch of me. It was like moving out of the real world and into this carefully constructed reality which only let you out when you played the game right.

Like always, I slide back into my role without a thought, my posture rightens itself and I put myself back inside of the mindset of William Evans, beloved son of the fictitious titans that were my parents. 

I'd play the role and do right by them as I always did, right up until it came time to reveal who I really was, who'd I'd become without their hands around my neck.

It doesn't take long for eyes to drift towards us, recognition pulling everyone's attention our way until it was impossible to ignore that I was in the room. Thankfully, someone begins to cheer and soon all join in with raised glasses to toast, 'Happy Birthday!' to me with excitement that couldn't possibly be real.

As the noise simmered down and people returned to the previous conversations, those closest to me immediately approached as best as they could with Damon and Mekhi hovering close by.

"William!" They'd start as if we were long lost friends who'd been parted under the most unfortunate circumstances. 

I'd only managed to speak to three people before mother found her way over to me, wearing a smile carefully constructed with love that didn't exist, she beams at me, "oh William, you're here! Everyone's been wondering where you've been hiding." She chuckles as she tries to hug me.

Before my panic can fully root itself, Damon swiftly cuts in and takes the hug for himself. Mother lets out a surprised laugh but doesn't pull away immediately. When they part she offers Damon a tight smile before she looks back to me, "we should make the rounds darling, so many people are here to celebrate your birthday."

The rounds. Making our way around the room in a calculated routine that started by greeting the most important guests first, before we moved our way down the ladder of wealth. 

Without fail, we did it at every gathering held under this roof and mother clearly expected this time to be no different. Except it very much was. 

"If you don't mind mother, I'll do it on my own this year," I say with a kind smile that I made sure was true.

Mother doesn't falter, "Don't be silly sweetheart, I've barely gotten any time with you today. Come now, your father is waiting for us."

I'd rather die.

"I'm twenty now, I don't think it's necessary." I reply, not backing down for a moment, "and as for the surprise, I'd rather enjoy it when it's just the three of us."

Mother's jaw ticks with annoyance but it slips away almost as quickly as it came when a few watchful eyes linger on us for a moment too long. "Aw alright," mother agrees as she glances to Mekhi and Damon, "you have fun and I'll come find you again soon."

As mother walks away, I don't let myself falter for a moment as I turn and smile at the next person to approach me. The conversation was much like the first few and just like the ones to come. They'd greet me joyously, wish me a very happy birthday before they'd ask about where I'd been, what I'd been doing. Then they'd bring their voice down an octave or two to ask if my sight had improved or if I was 'still disabled'. 

I answered them all respectively, keeping my tone open and honest, friendly too so that they didn't ever feel as if in the wrong for asking such a personal, insensitive question. I carefully danced around any topic of Liam or rumours of what had really happened to me, and then quieted enough for Damon and Mekhi to introduce themselves and charm the guests.

Damon hated humans, I knew that for a fact and Mekhi seemed to have the same aversion to all species, but tonight the pair worked together with ready smiles and witty remarks to make any who spoke to them instantly fall head over heels for them.

At first, I thought it was Mekhi's magic, but it wasn't long before I realised it was just them. 

Of course, I knew Damon was funny, kind and amazing, but that was usually reserved for his family and me, not other humans. But he was putting it all aside now, his hatred and unwavering thoughts on this whole world and the wicked that came with it, doing it to balance out this act we were all performing together.

I just hoped it was a believable one.

"Son," I stiffen at the sound of father's voice which sends goosebumps rising up my neck. I turn swiftly to face him, ready to plaster on a smile for the onlookers but it cracks on my lips when my eyes land on who stood beside him.

Liam.

Standing beside father with his hands held behind his back, he had a smile on his face that made my stomach turn over itself with horror. 

He was here. Standing right in front of me, so close that if he reached for me quick enough, I wouldn't be able to escape it. 

I couldn't move. Couldn't think, couldn't breathe, couldn't do anything at all despite the loud alarms flaring up in my mind. My body urging me to protect myself, to run and escape... I couldn't move. 

It was seeing him again for the first time in months, standing proud and tall as if there wasn't a fault to be found in his world while mine was tarnished because of his presence in it. 

And it was definitely smelling his cologne again, the scent like a trigger to all the memories I had where he was in it. His stain on my life something I couldn't erase no matter how hard I tried when he had so quickly imprented himself onto me.

Looking at him, I found myself there again. Lying in the dirty alley way that smelt like piss, alcohol and that fucking cologne. 

I remembered the strangled breathes my body made as it tried its best to get air in through my bruised and battered ribs. I remembered having to blink the blood from my eyes as I tried to see who'd attacked me and if they were still there, tried to find a way out when I knew there was none.

And I remembered the moment Liam walked up to me, filling my vision with his sick twisted grin that completely opposed his darkened eyes that held nothing but hatred and loathing.

Then the clasps of his belt had knocked together like a warning chime, the sound suddenly so loud in the quiet night. My breaths had stopping come then, my body seizing up as I realised that it wasn't over. 

The beating wasn't enough for him. Seeing me in pain, bleeding beneath wasn't enough for him. He wanted me to hurt more, he wanted to hurt me as much as he.

When he'd kicked my legs apart, I tried to escape, to crawl away, to get away from him and what I knew was to come. But I stood no chance, even as I buried my nails into the gravel and dragged my body back, it didn't do much when he kneeled down and grabbed my hips, pulling me against him.

No amount of begging could get him to stop. No amount of tears. Nothing I said or tried to say.

None of it would stop him.

And though I'd screamed, used all I had to try and get someone to hear me... nobody had come...

....and now he was here. Standing in front of me with that familiar smile as if he wasn't the one who'd made me scream.

"I was starting to think I wasn't going to see you this weekend, Will." He starts jokingly, his voice easy and light, "I came over with mother and father yesterday but they said you'd fallen ill. I waited around for you but I guess you really weren't feeling up to it."

I take a step back. I didn't think about it. I just did it. 

Liam immediately caught it and so did father but they didn't comment. It hardly mattered at all. Hearing his voice so close made panic flare inside of me in a way I'd never expected it to, in a way I hadn't prepared myself for. It was like just hearing him speak sent my adrenaline skyward with the need to survive so that he couldn't try to hurt me again.

"It seems William has lost his tongue," Father says sharply, not bothering to hide his distaste for my actions as he narrows his eyes on me, "I suppose its surprise or joy, you boys haven't seen each other for quite some time right?"

"No," Liam replies, his tongue caressing the word like if it were a sad thing, "I know I reacted badly to the news at first..." Liam cuts off with a sigh, "but I'd hoped that by now he'd forgiven me for it... seems that he hasn't."

The news... the news he called it.

When I'd been found after he'd... done his damage and ended up at the hospital, there was no lying about what I'd been doing near a gay bar. I'd told the truth, that I was gay and that Liam had been there with me, that he'd been the one to do this to me.

Liam denied it all. Then he went a step further than just denying it when I'd returned home after months in the hospital. 

"You're a lying faggot!" Liam had boomed as he'd tried to invade my space, "I can't believe I let a piece of shit like you into my house."

Of course when I refused to back down and pressed charges, the Haynes and Liam had become maryters in my parents eyes for putting the 'allegations' away quietly and forgiving me for my 'hysteria'. 

Whether or not father and mother saw that the Haynes only wanted to keep them quiet, they didn't bother looking into it now that they were so settled in their good graces. They were finally unbreakably tied to the elite family they'd chased for years, and if the link was my suffering, then all the better.

Bile rose in my throat and it took effort to force it back down as I tried to push the thoughts away. Usually, I reminded myself of where I was in the present, that I was safe and that he wasn't here but this time he was, and there was no hiding from what was right in front of me.

"You okay Will?" Liam asks carefully as he frowns at me, "you're not looking too well." He raises a hand towards me and tears building in my eyes as I take another step back, seconds away from just running away.

But I met a hard chest in my attempt to retreat and the warmth that came from it sent relief pouring into me as Damon reaches an arm out over my shoulder, catching Liam's wrist before he could touch me.

For a moment things were so quiet that all I could only hear was the strong thumping of Damon's heart and the low growl that came from him as he squeezed the wrist in his grasp, making Liam wince as he tried to tug away. 

But Damon wouldn't let him go. 

He only dug his nails deeper into his skin as he leans over me and slowly ground out the only warning he'd give Liam for the night.

"Do not...touch him." 

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CLIFFHANGER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! MWAHAHAHAHAHA!

sorry....

Thoughts????????????

Intro chapter to this crazy night, what did we think of it? Are we scared, excited, frightened? 

This is a slight spoiler, but the next chapter will have the interaction between Will, Damon and Liam without the prying eyes and I can not wait to write it!!!!!!!!

I know we don't call him this, but I can't wait for Damon to let out his demon. The scene is in my mind and it is GLORIOUS!!!!!

Just an FYI, things are pretty fucked in my life atm but I'm hoping it doesn't affect my writing too much. So far, writing as proved to be a great remedy to the stress so I'm hoping it stays that way. If not, then I'll let you guys know.

But other than that, I really hoped you guys enjoyed this chapter, I'm so excited to write the next few. So vote up and comment if you enjoyed it, let me know all your thoughts.

Until next time,
Byeeeeeeeee Humanssssssssssssss