Boulder Junction was a bleak place to live right now. A black veil had fallen over the town and refused to lift, a month having passed in seemingly no time at all since Skylar Conway-Moore's death. The everyday resident felt her absence, many them having been eagerly looking forward to her business opening up, a much-needed spark in the town economy. But those hopes had been killed just as she had, forcing everyone to address the sudden feeling of emptiness that the days possessed. No one had anything bad to say about her, from the housewives that roamed the streets on their Saturday morning walks, to the habitual drunks that crowded the local bars every night. Skylar was a woman who was loved by many, and respected by all.

So, if she effected complete strangers in this way, one could feel their heart breaking for how those that truly knew her were taking their loss.

As a group they were still together, their support of one another in this trying time was absolute and nothing was ever going to change that. As individuals however, that was a completely different story. If there was something pressing, if Leah was on the edge of breaking down, if Liam woke up in the middle of the night screaming again then they were there for them. Any other time... It was just too painful to be near each other with such a yawning chasm in their group, they were trying, and maybe they were getting better, but that pain was undeniable.

Liam was taking it the worst out of all of them, each moment that he spent in his house surrounded by memories of her, pictures that stared down with such happiness that it hurt, their bed still carrying her scent even after a month. Everywhere he looked he couldn't help but be overwhelmed by that incredible, crushing guilt, guilt that he should have been able to do something to help his wife in her time of need. But instead he had been forced to lay there on the ground in pain, as helpful in her fight as their new born child, watching helplessly as the love of his life fought and died to protect him and those that they loved.

The only thing keeping him relatively sane was the responsibility that he knew he had to live up to, it being his duty to raise their child to become strong, to shower her with all the love and care that he was denied, to be the father that Abigail deserved. He would not become like his own father, twisted by evil beyond all recognition, or like Skylar's, dying in front of his family wracked with a lifetime of guilt. He was a Conway, an Alpha, and even if he could hardly get out of bed in the morning without wishing his eyes had never opened, he would be damned if he even entertained the thought of abandoning his responsibilities. To do so would be to shame his wife's memory, and that was something he could not abide. So he would force himself out of bed every morning, sometimes needing to slam his head into the wall just to stop the doubt creeping in, and he would go care for his daughter. Abigail was only a month old, and yet she grew more and more beautiful every day, dark hair already starting to cover the top of her head and tickling her ears. She had her father's hair, and his eyes, but every other feature of her face belonged to her mother. That perfect nose, that insatiable curiosity that was impossible not to see with every movement of her head, a month old and already she was so much like Skylar.

Liam adored her, loved every moment that he spent with her, yet it was for this very reason that he was in pain. She was so much like her mother, and while he loved that he could not help but be reminded of what he had lost when he looked into the eyes of what he had gained, Skylar's loss still a wound that still felt as though it was bleeding him dry. Which was why, after a day of playing and feeding, laughing and smiling with his daughter, when she was put to bed he would drink. Never to black out, even with a number of drinks in him he was still lucid enough to be able to protect her if he needed to, but he needed to take the edge off. Every night went like this, and every morning he inevitably woke up with a throbbing headache and a tear stained pillow. And the rate that tonight was going, he was going to wake up the exact same way tomorrow.

Abigail had been put to bed hours ago, and as soon as her eyes had closed and her breathing slowed into gentle snores, the whiskey bottle had been opened. Liam sat against the living room wall, a half empty glass in one hand and a photo of his wife in the other. They hadn't yet learned that she was pregnant, just enjoying life as two carefree young people with the future ahead of them and opportunity in their hands. They had no idea of what was waiting for them mere months down the line, the elation they would feel when they joined in marriage, when they finally welcomed another member into their family. The tragedy they would experience, from Skylar discovering the true state of her parentage... The events of one month ago...

In one-night Abigail had become the last of the Moore line. The thought was a very sobering one to Liam, considering he himself knew just how easily family could be lost. He just hoped that Abigail would never have to experience something like either of her parents had, he would sooner lose everything than allow her to feel such a pointless pain, such hopeless despair...

"No..." He said, bringing the glass to his lips again. "No, she'll never feel anything like that. Not so long as I'm still breathing."

"Well in that case..." The voice jolted him out of his thoughts, almost dropping the glass before recovering. "You should probably be sober enough to do something about it, yeah?"

Liam looked up, scowling instinctively before his face softened, holding the bottle up to his guest. "Hello Cayden," He sighed, "What are you doing here?"

"Everyone's worried about you Liam." Cayden chuckled, grabbing the bottle and taking a quick swig. "I'm just one of the only ones who doesn't care about pissing you off about it."

In spite of himself, Liam laughed. Maybe it was the alcohol, maybe it was just that he was still reeling from loss, but he couldn't bring himself to genuinely fight with Cayden, or even get that angry with him anymore. He hoped to whatever god there was that it didn't mean they were becoming friends.

"Anyway, I figured I should come over, make sure the place hasn't burnt down or that you haven't drowned in puke in your sleep." He took a seat next to Liam, head tapping against the wall behind him. "Not gonna let you die like that, that's too embarrassing."

"How charitable. Don't you have your own bed to go back to? Or is Farah not letting you leave her house without permission?"

The topic of "permission" left a blush on Cayden's cheeks, and a satisfied smirk on Liam's face. "I knew it, she has you wrapped around her little finger, doesn't she?" He took another gulp of his drink, feeling bold. "I'm guessing sometimes literally?"

"If I pour you another drink will you shut up?" Cayden was scowling, but judging by the twitching of his lips he was clearly fighting to not smile. Liam rolled his eyes and nodded, holding out his glass for another.

The two of them were silent for a good while after that, the only sounds from a gulp or the swishing of liquid in a bottle, conversation not high on the agenda for either of them. Eventually however, it must have been how much he had drunk, Liam couldn't help himself anymore.

"I miss her Cayden. I miss her so much."

Cayden wasn't sure what to say at first, but slowly, cautiously, he placed a hand on Liam's shoulder. "We all do Liam, but... I know what you mean."

"Have you ever lost someone like this?"

"Like a wife or a girlfriend?" He shook his head. "Nah, closest thing would be when I lost my dad, that was pretty rough."

Inwardly, Liam winced at the information. "How did you deal with it?"

Cayden barked out a laugh, "How did I deal with it? I got shitfaced just like you are now, and I went to work for a genocidal madman. I'm pretty sure I handled things a lot worse than you are."

Liam looked away, it was definitely the amount he'd drunk. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be, it wasn't your fault." Cayden tilted his head back, taking a deep gulp of the amber liquid. It burned on the way down, his face twisting in a grimace before he continued, "And even if it was, it doesn't really matter. You're far from the only person here with some shit on your soul, we've just got to deal with that."

That put a fond smile on Liam's face, despite the tragedy of such a statement. "We're a group of fuck ups, aren't we? Just floating by and pretending like we know what we're doing."

"Damn right we are, and that means that we have to stick together." Awkwardly, Cayden squeezed Liam's forearm, his eyes softer when he looked up at him. "You can come to anyone of us you know? You don't have to suffer like this alone, trust me, it won't get any better this way."

Liam sighed, putting his glass down and closing his eyes. He tapped his foot against the ground, trying to find the right words for what he wanted to say. His head rested against the wall, his breathing slow and his expression so still Cayden thought he had fallen asleep. Then he spoke.

"I think I'm punishing myself. For not being able to do anything to help her, I was useless."

"Yeah, no kidding that's what you're doing. That's why we're worried about you." He shook his head, anger suddenly flaring up. "The last few times there's been trouble I've done nothing but get hurt at least you managed to get those fucks out of town last time, I got stabbed and almost bled to death on the sidewalk, some hero I was."

"You saved my mother, and my daughter. Don't think that you didn't do anything for us. Jesus, if it wasn't for Skylar every single one of us would have been killed that night, and I would have just had to sit there and watch it happen."

Cayden sighed, taking another deep drink. "We're just going around in circles, aren't we? I blame myself, you blame yourself, and we both end up absolutely miserable until we pass out. That's how it's been the last few times."

"How many times have we had this conversation now?"

"Probably more than you can remember, it's been rough a couple times." Cayden looked up at the clock, seeing the hands ticking just past the two mark. "Looks like it's getting late, you should probably get to bed Liam."

"And waste my drinking time? Now I know you're just trying to make me miserable."

"Ha ha ass, just get your ass to bed, I'll be here in case anything goes down with either of you." He didn't wait for an answer before he got to his feet, hand grabbing Liam's collar and hauling him up. "I'll take the couch."

"The couch?" Liam raised an eyebrow. "Don't you need to get back to Farah?"

He chuckled, "Whose idea do you think this was?"

Liam rolled his eyes, turning towards the bedroom. "Right, of course it was her idea. No way would you 'disobey your mistress'."

"She doesn't say that!" Cayden looked away, stammering, "Not in... Those exact words..."

"Alright, I don't want to know." Liam paused at the door, looking over at Cayden. "I... Thank you, Cayden. For doing this. I know that we haven't exactly... Gotten along over our time together but..."

"Don't worry about it, seriously." Cayden walked over, extending his hand. "Water under the bridge man, we just need to move forward now. Can't do that if we're stuck in the past."

Liam regarded the hand cautiously, now more than ever uncertain of where the future was going to take him. One month ago it felt like his future had been ripped away from him, a hollow void opening in his chest that everything else was being sucked into. But he knew that wasn't a sustainable way to live, perhaps even an utterly selfish one considering who he had depending on him, there would come a time that he would have to move forward.

It wasn't going to be tonight, but it didn't mean he couldn't take that first step.

"Sure, water under the bridge." He took Cayden's hand, shaking it twice before retreating into his room. "Good night Cayden."

"Wait!" When Liam paused, he continued quietly, "Do you mind if I see her? I won't wake her up or anything I just..."

"Yeah go ahead." Liam waved him in, voice low when he pointed over at Abigail's crib. "You've been a huge help to the both of us these last few weeks, of course you can see her. But I'm gonna go pass out, I trust you can make your own way to the couch."

True to his word, Liam collapsed face down onto his bed, lightly snoring within seconds of his eyes closing. Cayden watched over him for a few seconds, judging whether or not he would need to be moved before nodding to himself, satisfied. He was silent as he moved over to the crib, every step he took feeling much too loud for him, but Abigail remained undisturbed.

He resisted the urge to stretch his hand out and run a finger down her face, so peaceful in her sleep that he forgot everything else around him. She looked so much like Skylar that it almost brought him to tears, her gentle cooing and the soft rise and fall of her chest filling him with warmth and utter sorrow. He shook his head, knowing he couldn't stay in here any longer, though whether that was because they were sleeping or because he couldn't take the sight of Abigail anymore he wasn't sure.

Cayden looked over his shoulder before he closed the door, seeing Liam tossing in his sleep, eyes pinched in pain that he couldn't keep away in his dreaming state.

He closed the door behind him, shaking his head to himself, his voice soft, "Goddamn you Christian."

---

Miles, hours, days away, the man himself stirred. Hot rage bubbling behind his eyes when he remembered who wasn't waking up beside him, who wasn't waking up ever again, a bruised fist shooting into the wall when it finally got to be too much.

The men outside the door shifted uneasily, growing accustomed to these displays of violence as they went on but still worrying what they actually meant, they had a mission after all and this couldn't get in the way of that.

None of them were going to say that to Christian of course, they cared about the mission but not nearly enough to sacrifice their lives over a time penalty. So they sat in their seats and listened to the muffled sounds of him destroying the room, like every morning. And soon enough they heard the sound of heels clicking against the concrete floor, again, like every morning.

"Is it happening again?" Claire looked at them with worry, but it was plain that irritation was starting to seep into her everyday expression. The innocent, carefree girl that they all knew before was rapidly falling away. She sighed when the two men nodded in response to her question, "Great. Why don't you two take off, I'll see if I can calm him down. You look like you could use some coffee anyway."

The two of them stood and walked away, neither of them envying the position that Claire was in, especially since she was going through some very fresh pain of her own. Christian may have lost his wife, but Claire had lost her sister, and hadn't even been there in her last moments. Yet she was being forced to borderline babysit their leader, and while no one would ever say that, a number of them were thinking it, and that number was growing.

Claire groaned when they were out of sight, breathing harshly for a few seconds before she pushed the door open, not flinching when the sound of a glass shattering against a wall pierced her hearing. Instead, she set her teeth on edge, restraining herself from screaming at him to pull himself together, that all he was doing was making himself weaker. That urge got even stronger when she got a full look at him, scruffy facial hair already making its mark on him, fists pounding against the wall and grunts spitting from between his teeth.

Claire looked up to the Christian who was strong, who was always in control even during the worst of times, who they could count on to bring them out of the darkness. Now, when she was waist deep in the worst time she had ever been through in her life, when she roamed the hallways and was consciously aware of who would never be walking down them again, she needed that man more than ever. And seeing what had taken his place made her blood boil and almost brought tears to her eyes.

She couldn't take seeing him like this much longer, something would have to give. All she could do was hope that he would accept her help.

"Christian." She injected as much power as she could into her voice, trying to come off as more than just his dead wife's little sister. She needed to be seen as an equal for this to work, for him to even consider heeding her advice. "Christian this is getting ridiculous, you can't do this every morning."

He whirled around at her, anger in his eyes and a snarl across his face. "And why not? Were you there? Do you know what I saw happen to her?"

With a sentence like that, she gave up on trying to control her anger towards him, marching forward and slapping him viciously across his cheek. "You stupid, selfish little prick! No I don't know what you saw, you two kept me from going! The both of you took that opportunity away from me, and now I will never see my sister again!" She shoved him backwards, Christian too stunned by the sudden movement to do anything except grunt when he hit the wall. "You're not the only one who lost someone dear to you, stop acting like such a whiny child!"

She turned around, intent on storming out and leaving him to whatever pointless destruction he was so intent on dishing out when she felt his hand on her arm. She wheeled around, intent on driving her fist into his nose when she noticed his expression. That anger that had burned so hot before had vanished, leaving behind only embarrassment and a deeply, painfully obvious sadness.

"I'm... I'm sorry Claire that was... That was very stupid of me."

"Yes, it was." She could feel the tears starting to break through, her walls finally breaking down after a month of having to hold herself together. "I couldn't even be there when she needed me Christian, how do you think I feel about that? She was my sister, we've been together through everything, and you come home one day and tell me she's been killed, and you refuse to tell me how. It's not fair Christian, and you should know that."

"I know. Hey... I know." He swept her into his arms, her face burying itself into his collarbone. Muffled sobs pushed their way out, his shirt staining itself with tears as she finally let herself break down, almost wailing at the pain she felt having had the dearest part of her ripped away so cruelly.

"It doesn't feel real, nothing feels real anymore."

He nodded. "It's like we're just walking around, we don't even know if we're still alive. Like we're just... Empty." Christian cradled her head in his hands, rocking her from side to side. "I'm going to kill that monster that took her away from us, I want you to know that. And I want you to be by my side when it happens, I'm not going to keep you away from something so important, not this time."

She dug her fingers into his shoulders, nodding her head. "Thank you... Thank you..." She pulled her head back up, eyes lidded and rapidly approaching his. "Thank you..."

Christian stopped her with a hand on her chest, her lips almost a breath from his, both their eyes widening in surprise at the sudden shift in mood. "Woah now, what are you doing Claire?"

"I don't... I..." She looked away, cheeks burning. "I'm sorry, I just needed... I need to just feel something good after... After all this shit that the last month has been, it's just been so lonely."

"Claire... You're a beautiful young woman, don't get me wrong, but I'm not sure that this is the best idea, not when we're both like this."

"That's precisely why, because... Because we both know just how screwed up the other one is, and I know that this is screwed up, you were married to my sister for god sake, but I think we both need this." She grasped his hand, running a finger along knuckles that were rapidly starting to shake in her grip. "We don't have to talk about it afterwards, it'd probably be best if we didn't but... I think we really should do this."

He could feel his resistance waning more and more, and deep down he was already certain that he'd wanted something like this for a while, though he would never admit that. He had been perfectly happy in his marriage, and while he was not fooling himself about being many a bad thing, unfaithful to his wife was definitely not one of those things. From time to time he could feel his eyes travelling, but one look at his wife was all he needed to be brought back down to earth, her sister was simply one of those things that could be relegated to the realm of dreams that he would never remember except in fleeting glimpses that were quickly forgotten.

Except the way this was going neither of them were going to be able to forget tonight, even if they tried.

Slowly, he turned his hand over, holding onto her fingers so lightly that it was like they were made of the finest of glass, bringing them to his lips and pressing his lips delicately to each digit. "Are you sure about this? I need you to be certain."

She nodded without hesitation. "I am. Please Christian, I need to do this. I won't mention it afterwards, we'll just... Pretend this never happened."

Somewhat reluctantly, he nodded, still not able to shake off that niggling feeling of guilt that he was betraying his wife, even if Claire was willing it still felt somewhat taboo. But regardless, he would be lying if he said that he wasn't yearning for something as well, maybe this was it, maybe he could find a connection in the midst of all this chaos and horror, someone to come back to when he was finished destroying the creatures that had wronged them. "Ok." He said, "I'll be gentle."

She shook her head. "No, don't be. I need to feel this Christian, I need to know this is real. So please... Don't hold back."

Without another word, he pulled her into him, their lips crashing together in a furious passion that both of them knew had been there for quite some time, arousal and shame in equal measure flaring up in the both of them. Claire groaned, threading her hands through his hair and pulling him in deeper, gladder than ever that she had called his normal guards away, it wouldn't do for anyone to hear what they were going to do.

Christian dragged his hands lower, cupping her backside and lifting her roughly into him, her legs wrapping around his waist at the same time as her lips left his. She sunk her teeth into his shoulder, the older man grunting before tossing her down onto the bed, Claire yelping momentarily in response. "This is your last chance Claire, after this I'm really not holding back."

She smirked up at him, desire overriding all her other senses. "Go ahead, I'm sure I can take you."

He descended on her, hands gripping her cheeks roughly, his legs kicking hers open and inserting himself between them. He ground his thigh between her legs, harsh whimpers pushing through her lips even as he moved down to swallow them, teeth and tongue working together to drive her mad with want. She pushed herself against his leg, rubbing herself frantically back and forth, her hand slipping down to slip underneath her waistband.

Christian caught her hand, pinning it above her head and looking into her eyes. "Not so fast," He growled, "You don't get to feel that before I do, that's not how this works."

She nodded, pupils blown and chest heaving, her breathing only growing harder when his grip on her wrist tightened, his own fingers replacing hers where they had been moments before. When his fingers entered her she gasped, her back arching over the bed, only his grip on her hands stopping her from completely leaving the surface. "Oh my god!" She almost shrieked, legs tightening around his waist. "Please, please don't stop!"

He pushed in another finger, shaking his head to get rid of the image of another woman writhing underneath him, a woman that belonged to another version of him not too long ago. He leaned down, snarling, "What do you want Claire?" He repeated her name, if for no other reason than to remind himself that it was her. "Claire, what do you want me to do to you?"

"Please..." She panted, "Please I... I want you... I want you inside of me!"

Grunting, he smirked, licking his lips in anticipation. "As you wish." His fingers pulled out of her, neither of them in the state of mind to notice the wetness staining her pants, pulling down her waistband with an experienced, scarred hand. She was laid bare before him, her eyes scrunching up in embarrassment before shooting open, his tongue dragging across her folds and flicking against the sensitive bundle of nerves just above, shocking her to her very core. She grabbed the back of his head, her arms free now that he was spreading her legs for her, frantically grinding herself against his mouth while she chased what release she could get out of him.

He was not that yielding however, pulling away after pressing one final kiss to her mound, leaning back and unsheathing himself with one swift movement. She ran a finger along his length, across a bead of already formed precum, slicking up her hand and working back and forth, squeezing gently around his shaft. Christian groaned, thrusting shallowly in her palm while she moaned with want, pushing him lower until he was aligned with her entrance.

Her lips parted as he dragged himself against her, the teasing driving her half insane before he started to press in, her walls squeezing tightly around him, inch by torturous inch stretching her wide. Her eyes grew wide and her mouth fell open, her fingers tightening in his shirt while he gripped her hips hard enough to bruise. In no time at all she was accustomed to his size, shallow, exploratory thrusts surrounding him with liquid heat and making his eyes roll back in his head, lips clenched between his teeth while he grunted and groaned savagely.

"Oh god Claire... You feel amazing..." Skin slapped against skin, the staccato sound reverberating off the walls, only partially drowned out by the harsh gasps slipping out from the both of them. She threw her hips back against his, doing her best to match him thrust for thrust, stars popping in her vision and her core feeling as though it were on fire. She was about to say something to him when she was suddenly flipped over, sheets pressing into her face and muffling her startled giggles, still laughing even as he resumed his frantic thrusting, fucking himself deep into her, the new angle pushing him even further into her than she could ever have imagined before. She grabbed hold of the bed, knuckles white while she tried to keep herself from being manhandled off the bed, powerful strokes rocking her back and forth with enough force that she was beginning to get dizzy.

Claire yelped when his palm slapped down against her cheek, the sudden spike of heat not exactly unwelcome, but a surprise nonetheless. Christian soothed it with a rubbing hand, the next blow not carrying nearly as much surprise as the first. When his hand slid between her cheeks however, she knew exactly what he was going to do, tensing when she felt the pad of his thumb prodding idly at her other entrance, the tight ring of muscle pushing back until he slipped in suddenly, her cheeks blooming a furious red and her voice squeaking with the stimulation. She pushed herself back against him, her vision whiting out when she was filled in two places at once, feeling him getting closer to the edge even as she tumbled over.

Christian almost screamed out when she tightened around him, his cock and his thumb held in place by a vice grip, only decades of trained willpower stopping him from spilling deep within her right at that moment. He wanted her to know exactly when he did it, it wouldn't do for it to be lost in the throes of her own pleasure. Claire shuddered around him, almost in tears from the length of time her orgasm had stretched on for, Christian's hand that wasn't help prisoner by her body slinking under and toying cruelly with her clit, flicking and tugging harshly and pushing her into a second climax all over again.

This was Christian's favorite part of sex, the feeling that he had utterly dominated the woman, that she had submitted fully to his will. Before he had met his wife he had certainly gotten around, his followers more than willing to place themselves under his care and enjoy the fruits of his love. There had been many women that had joined him in his chambers, and all of them had submitted in the end, he had only agreed to marry Laura after she had submitted as well. Claire, as it turned out, was no different from them.

Finally, mercifully, she could feel her climax fading, her body still shaking with aftershocks, every minuscule touch feeling like an electric shock straight to her spine. Just when she thought it was finally over she realized that he wasn't moving, he hadn't been through the entirety of her orgasm. She looked up at him over her shoulder, shuddering at the almost cruel smirk he wore before he thrust into her suddenly, hips pistoning himself in and out of her with a fury that many would only reserve for fighting. She bit down on the covers, muffled shrieks forcing their way out as overstimulation pushed every thought out of her mind, the only thing she was aware of was the grunting above her and the drops of sweat falling against her back.

Christian clenched his teeth, his own end approaching faster and faster, her walls seeking to milk him and leave him completely drained. He slammed his palm down against her shapely cheek one last time, fingers digging in as he thrust himself in to the hilt, finally erupting within her.

Claire gasped at the feeling of him spilling in her, a seemingly endless torrent of his seed coating her insides, too stunned to even react when he pulled out of her and she felt him running down her legs onto the bed sheets. He kept himself up, not wanting to collapse onto her, every feeling that he had been ignoring suddenly hitting him full force. This was the sister of his wife, the woman that he had sworn vows with, what he had just done... That was a profound betrayal the likes of which he had never committed before.

Judging by the look on Claire's face, the way she winced when she became aware of what was at that very moment spilling out of her, she felt much the same way.

She didn't look at him when she got up, pulling her pants up and attempting to regain some sense of modesty, but she knew that with the way her makeup was running and her lips were bruised and swollen from kissing that it was very unconvincing. Christian watched her move around the room, shame still burning deep in his chest, but in spite of that he still found her incredibly desirable, the swing of her hips as she walked, the generous heaving of her chest, her shapely legs that had been wrapped around him in ecstasy only moments ago... He was filled with shame and loathing, yet when he thought about doing those things to her once more he could not find it in himself to care about any of that.

"Claire..." He spoke softly, not wanting to scare her or make her think that he was going to demand something of her. While she was certainly not inexperienced in terms of sex this was still not a situation that one found themselves in very often, she likely needed a moment or two to herself to process things. She still jumped when she heard his voice, but hearing the tone he used and seeing the genuine concern on his face did wonders for her frayed nerves. "Claire, is everything alright?"

"Is everything alright?" She laughed mirthlessly, shaking her head to herself even as she tried to ignore the fact that she could still feel him within her. "No Christian, everything is not alright... You... You're my Brother-In-Law for god sake, what on earth were we thinking?"

He winced, when she used words like that... It definitely sounded bad. Then why didn't it feel like that? Every moment that went by was another moment that he felt himself desiring her more, surely that had to mean something, didn't it?

"I'm sorry Claire I... Can't we just talk about this?"

She shook her head, picking up the jacket that she hadn't even been aware she had removed off the floor, pulling it around her shoulders and heading towards the door. "No, we don't need to talk about this. This... This was a mistake Christian, we should never have done this. I'm sorry that I pushed you into this."

He stood, walking over to her slowly and taking one hand in his. "You didn't push me into anything Claire, I... I liked this. You were... My god, you were incredible, I can feel myself wanting more even now."

At that statement her eyes widened, her fingers squeezing down around his, her features lighting up for a split second before reason won out. "I'm sorry I... I need to think. Alone."

Claire pulled out of his grasp, wordlessly walking out the door and leaving it to drift closed behind her. Christian stared after her, feeling a new feeling that he had never experienced before in his life.

Rejection.

He squeezed his hand closed, nails digging into his palms. He wasn't sure he liked this feeling much at all.