Oh, dear. I'm sorry the moment came off that way when you read it. Casey was frightened, yes, but Zeke never had any violence in mind. He was reacting to the pain he was feeling, and trying like hell to control himself and not fall apart. He's flat-out determined not to break down, but it's really fucking hard, poor boy.

It took me a while to realize the timeline jumps are really a part of the story and not just an inability on my part to stick to an outline. One of the things I'm enjoying about writing it is the way the chapters echo one another, the way bits get layered in and then recur. It's interesting, the more so because it honestly doesn't feel like I'm creating this, rather that I'm seeing the shape it already has. I know the general plotting to the end, but the bits fills themselves in and it's so much fun!