JP - Coral is here

Bronte was having a nightmare about Coral. She was pressing him down with icy water, he could not move. Bronte thrashed in his sleep and tears rolled down his face.

The moment he began to thrash, it awoke Bella. Yelping, she flopped out of the bed and hit the floor. Sitting up she barked at him, pouting both with annoyance and worry.

“Please don’t, please stop…” Bronte begged, whimpering.

Bella got back on the bed and pushed at Bronte like a puppy, whining. She barked again, pushing at his arm.

“No!” Bronte sat up quickly as he woke up.

Bella jerked back and stared at Bronte. Tilting her head she let out a soft whimper.

Bronte realized where he was. He buried his face in his hands and wept.

Bella moved closer to Bronte and nuzzled against him, wishing she knew what to do for him.

Bronte hugged Bella. “Why do rapists do it?”

Bella whined, unsure, and hesitantly hugged him back. She understood the question - even knew what they’d done to her was rape - but what could she do? What could she say when she had no way of actually speaking? All she could do was offer Bronte her support.

“I’m tired of people like us being used.” Bronte said.

Bella licked the side of his face and barked in agreement.

Bronte sighed, wishing she could speak. He released her from the hug and leaned back on his pillow, staring at the ceiling. “What now?”

Bella shrugged, her ears twitching as she heard yelling down the hall with her heightened senses.

Bronte got out of bed and went to the hallway.

Nero was just standing there, staring down at a door where Coral could be heard yelling at him. The giant of a teen turned to look at Bronte. “Do you know how to shut her up?” He asked.

Bronte recognized Coral’s voice and his blood ran cold. He froze.

Nero noticed Bronte’s strange reaction and walked toward him. “Are you okay?” He asked.

“She… that woman…” Tears were running down Bronte’s face.

“What about her? She just yells a lot…and is pregnant.” Nero said, having noticed her stomach. Being an experiment, her period of pregnancy was obviously odd.

Bella stepped out and barked at Nero.

“She- oh god…” Bronte ran and barely made it to a toilet before vomiting.

Bella followed Bronte and whimpered, nuzzling his side in an attempt to find out what he needed.

“Did I say something wrong?” Nero asked, staying where he stood.

Bronte threw up for what felt like a long time. Finally he flushed the toilet and sat on the floor, feeling hollowed out.

Nero, confused, went and got Delilah, who would soon walk in with a bottle of water and rubbed Bronte’s back. She understood his fear and the panic that came with it. “I’m so sorry, Bronte. River told them to put her in the lower levels. They must not have listened. I’ll have her moved…” She explained.

Bella just whined with worry.

“Why is she here?” Bronte asked, tears still running down his face.

“You remember Riley?” Delilah asked. “She’s pregnant with his child…what she did to you, she also did it to Riley during his confinement at a facility. River got her.” Handing him the water bottle, she collected some paper towels and wiped his face for him. “They’re going to let her have the child and deal with her afterwards.”

By deal with her, they meant handing her over to Esther and her shadowy brood.

“It’s Riley’s?” Bronte felt bad for Riley, he was a good guy and nobody deserved to have this done to them. But Bronte did not want to have any children through that rapist.

Delilah nodded slowly. “Do you need anything? Nero sounded…concerned. He’s a giant, but he has his soft and kind moments.” She still remembered the old Nero and this one seemed to be just like him. The only difference was that this one actually had scars all over him.

“I-I don’t know.” Bronte’s voice still shook and he still felt close to tears.

“Well, try drinking some water. You need to keep hydrated after vomiting like that.” Delilah instructed. “I promise she can’t get near you. Okay?”

Bronte sniffled and finished drinking the bottle Delilah had given him. He wished they had killed Coral even if she was pregnant. He did not like being within a mile of her. The things she did to him… He shuddered.

“I understand your trepidation, but that is Riley’s child she’s carrying. They want it.” Delilah explained. “I’m going to respect that, but I will have her moved and taken far away from you.”

What they didn’t know about was that Coral was having ‘twins’ with two fathers. Poor Bronte and Riley were in for quite a surprise later.

Meanwhile, Bella was laying on the floor, trying to get Bronte’s attention so she could hopefully distract him in that innocent puppy way.

Bronte nodded and watched Bella with a deep sigh. She had been raped too, and was possibly pregnant. She refused the morning after pill- apparently wanted to keep the baby if she was pregnant. Bronte could tell that she was trying to make him happy. “Do you want to go for a walk?”