The Karma Project

Chapter 30 - Law of Thermodynamics

Teddy

I don't like this. I don't like how empty my little devil is right now. I enjoy how brutal it is, and how her dark and twisty brain works. I hate to see when she goes all numb and becomes a robot. It's like she is hiding from her reality when the numb takes over. I'd rather her be just as volatile when she is in the present. I saw the way her walls went up, and I know it's because of something Max did.

"Max." I growl from behind him, when he faces me I can see his own walls have gone up.

"Not now Teddy." He sighs as he pours himself a glass of whiskey.

"Yes now. What did you do to my little devil?" My voice raises and I can feel every hair on my body stand on end. I don't want to hurt my brother, I love him, and I have always protected him... But I swear if he did something to hurt her... I try to pause my mind from following that path because I don't exactly know what I'll do.

"Teddy," Brandon whispers, "Try to breathe. She's okay, but the note is bothering her, we just need to give her some space to process."

I spin to turn my attention to him, "No! You saw the switch too. The numb took over after Max spoke to her." I jab my thumb over my shoulder to point at him. "He did this!" Approaching Max, I stand in his face to go toe to toe with him, "You did something to make her shut down like this!"

Max rakes his fingers through his hair and pulls on the strands at the nape of his neck, "I ordered her to go to bed last night, that's it." He mumbles. "I think she wanted me to fuck her, but she was exhausted."

I snort, "You fucking idiot."

"Excuse me?" Max gawks with his eyebrows pinched together.

"She didn't need rest. She needed you, and you failed her." I bite out, and I see him flinch. The movement is the first sign of emotion I've seen out of him today, and I'm fed up. If I don't start my breathing exercise soon I might crack, and I don't want to hurt him.

"She did need to rest! I wasn't going to drain more out of her like you and B did the night before. She didn't even remember asking to sleep in Dean's bed, she sub-dropped and you were the cause." Max barks back, and I like the anger that is finally pooling in his eyes.

He never lets his emotions get the best of him, but right now it's just feeding my own fire.

"That's rich. I remember you getting off on it just like the rest of us, and you heard her, she loved it." I jab my finger into his chest, pushing him into the counter behind him.

"If you don't calm down," Dean warns, "We are going to have to restrain you Teddy."

A growl rumbles from my chest, and I can feel my muscles go rigid. Before I can stop, my hands fly out and wrap around Max's throat.

He did this, he shut down my little devil, he hurt her, he failed her, Max is the root of the problem, so Max needs to be eliminated.

"Teddy." Hearing her sweet silky voice makes me pause. My hands stay wrapped around Max's throat but I loosen my grip. "Can you take me somewhere?" She asks.

I let my eyes sizzle as I stare into Max's; a warning. I drop my hands and I turn to Zoe, "Anything for you, little devil." I say sickly sweet, willing to do all things to get her back to her normal self. I can still see the numb clouding over her eyes, but there is something else there. Worry maybe? Is she worried that I was going to hurt Max, or was she worried that he was going to neglect her needs again. It's hard to shake the anger radiating throughout my body, but I roll back my shoulders as I walk in her direction. "Where would you like to go?"