Alex never saw the attack coming. Even knowing something was different today, he never expected it. Tristan had been more intense for a few weeks, pushing Alex harder, but today the Samalian had fought as if it was real. 

Alex had gotten hurt, like he always did, but he’d fought back, hard and he’d enjoyed himself, almost letting himself go completely. Too into the fight to realize the state it left him until afterward, and then too exhausted to do more than laugh at himself for getting an erection while fighting.

It wasn’t the first time, but it was the first time someone else could see it. He’d felt embarrassed, but by the time he’d looked up, Tristan had left. But the Samalian had seen. Alex could tell by the way Tristan would glance at him when he thought he wasn’t paying attention. He didn’t mind, it served the Samalian right for all the dreams he’d given Alex.

He’d been coming back from the shower, still damp and entering his room. He’d heard Tristan move about the kitchen, but Alex hadn’t paid it any mind.

Then he was face first on the mattress, a weight on his back. Then he screamed in pain as he was penetrated.

Alex tried to fight back, but he couldn’t get his arms under him. He yelled for him to stop. He begged, but the Samalian didn’t. He moved and with each thrust more pain came. He growled incomprehensible things in Alex’s ear as he caused him more and more pain.

Alex’s voice was raw from his screaming and he couldn’t even muster the energy to fight anymore. He noted that the pain seemed to come from further away. The Samalian on his back moved with more urgency, his growling feral, and then a scream buried his, then the weight on top of him became still. He thought there might be more pain inside, but there was so much already he couldn’t tell.

The alien panted, nuzzled the back of his neck, kissed it before pulling out. Alex might have screamed, he wasn’t sure he’d even stopped.

He was whimpering now, and over that he heard the shower going. Alex curled into a ball and tried to understand why? Why this way. Had he done something to make Tristan do this? He couldn’t think what it might have been. He’d only done what the Samalian had told him to.

And the kiss, where had that come from after this violence? Alex didn’t think Tristan had it in him to be able to kiss like that, tenderly, it had almost been like—

Could it have been him? Trying to come out and somehow Tristan had twisted it into that? It was the only thing that made sense. It had to be.

He forced himself to ignore the pain, or the blood on the sheets, and stood. On unsteady legs he made it to the door when he realized the shower wasn’t running anymore. It hadn’t for a few minutes.

Water was running in the kitchen.

He headed there, the pain becoming easier to ignore, his legs steadier.

The Samalian was at the counter, hands holding his weight, a glass nearly empty of water. He looked over his shoulder and Alex saw the same cold and calculating gaze looking at him that had been there every day, but he didn’t care. For the first time since arriving here, he didn’t see Tristan.

Alex rushed across the room and hugged the Samalian.

He tensed in the embrace. “Don’t touch me,” he growled.

“I knew you were in there,” Alex said, the words coming out painfully, “don’t worry Jack, I’m going to find a way to bring you back.”

Alex flew back, hitting the far wall and barely managing to remain standing.

The Samalian was glaring at him, panting. “Do. Not. Ever. Touch. Me. Again.” He was before Alex and punched him in the face hard enough Alex felt bones break. “You mean nothing to me!” A punch in the stomach that almost made Alex throw up. “You are a thing!” Tristan grabbed Alex’s left arm and snapped it. “I’m going to do anything I want to you!” Tristan broke Alex right leg with a kick and Alex crumbled to the ground.

When he looked up through the tears the Samalian was standing over him, fist in the air, shaking. With a scream he turned and stalked out of the room.

How had this happened? Why hadn’t his Jack stopped it. He’d been able to make his presence felt in the bed, so why had he allowed Tristan to hurt him like this?

It had been Jack, hadn’t it? If it hadn’t been him then who?

Fortunately for Alex, the darkness claimed him before despair did.