Chapter Twenty-eight #2
Even with my shifter strength, he barely grunts under the blow.
He grabs my hips before I can escape, then slams me into the cupboard so hard that it caves inward, and I find myself in the confined space with no way to escape.
I draw up my knees to my chest and kick out with my legs.
My feet land with a thump against his torso, but he barely rocks back.
A sinister smile twists the scar that runs along his jaw at my predicament, and I grit my teeth at the promise of pain that lights up his dull green eyes. As he reaches for my neck, I grab a shard of broken wood and shove it into his armpit, hoping to hit the main artery.
Splinters shred my hand, but I barely feel the damage when the fucker snarls in my face.
It’s like the asshole is immune to pain!
The next instant, he grabs my shirt and drags me out of the cupboard, my feet dangling off the ground. I draw up my legs and plant my boots into his gut, kicking off as hard as possible.
My shirt tears, and I wiggle free from the remnants, leaving me standing in a tank top and jeans.
Running is not an option. The instant I turn my back on him, I’m dead.
So instead, I bounce on my feet and wait for his next move.
I search for alternate escape routes, but the coffin-like room doesn’t even have a window.
While the small space limits my movements, it also prevents the big guy from using his full strength. I smile at the blood soaking the front of his shirt, quickly deciding to change tactics. While I’m trained, he is as well.
I need an edge.
Spells, I can handle, but I’m just as susceptible to a fist to the face as anyone else.
Shifters can take a lot of abuse, but when faced against a stronger opponent, the fight is just as uneven. My wolf snarls in my head, demanding I release her, but I don’t have time to shift before he will be on me.
I sniff the air, wondering how he can be so fucking strong, and a tiny whiff of magic curls off his chest. An amulet dangles from a chain around his neck, and I curse myself for not realizing it sooner.
I reach for the magic with my abilities, but everything inside me recoils and throbs when I touch it, every inch of me curling in on itself to escape the pain.
Okay, then, we’ll do this old-school.
I march forward and kick him in the balls as hard as possible. He leans forward, twisting to the side to block the blow, and his amulet swings into view. Even as I reach for it, he lashes out with his fist, and the side of my face explodes with pain.
It knocks me for a loop, and I stumble away, my back throwing open the bathroom door. I stagger into the bedroom, almost expecting the guys to be waiting for me, but the house is silent as a tomb. Worry tightens my chest, fear for them distracting me, and I can’t stop wondering what he did to them.
If he fucking touched them, I’ll kill him.
A faint trace of magic dances on the edge of my senses, and I realize that he has spelled the room to silence any noise. He’s smarter than I gave him credit for, and I’m annoyed at myself for underestimating him.
The asshole charges out of the bathroom like a rampaging rhino, the remains of the door virtually disintegrating under the force. Pleased that I got under his skin, I hold up the amulet and smirk at the asshole, ignoring the blood that trickles from my split lip.
“Why don’t we make this a fair fight?” I taunt, then drop the amulet to the floor and stomp on it hard enough that the crystal cracks. The magic turns to black ash, and the crystal dulls as the spell dies. “You should have taken my advice and left when you had the chance.”
A smile slowly lifts the corner of his lips, and he releases a full belly laugh. “Oh, but I did take your advice. I contacted the people holding your bounty. They’re willing to double the price if I deliver you tonight.”
My whole body chills at the thought of the Orion being so close. Even if I managed to escape, the chances of eluding them are nearly nonexistent.
This is the closest they’ve been since I left Kyperian.
Instead of staying to shower, I should’ve left immediately.
I have no one to blame but myself.
I shake off my fear, my resolve to kill this fucker solidifying.
I’m not chained yet.
I refuse to admit defeat so easily.
Dropping into a fighting stance, I use the back of my hand to swipe away the blood dripping into my eye.
I’m so focused on the threat in front of me, I don’t notice the floor creaking behind me until it’s too late.
As I turn, the crack of a whip snaps in the room, and I feel the leather coil around my neck.
My hands instinctively reach for my throat, and I claw at the leather looped around my neck.
A glance reveals Bellamy entering the room, and I relax slightly at knowing rescue is within reach.
The mistake costs me, and I’m jerked off my feet by a hard yank of the whip.
I land flat on my back, the air knocked from my lungs, and my throat feels crushed.
My vision darkens, and I reach toward Bellamy.
But instead of coming to my rescue, he crosses his arms and casually leans against the wall by the door. “If you kill her, you won’t get anything.”
I blink slowly, trying to process his words, and horror bleeds into my soul, his betrayal cutting deep.
“You’re not going to fight for your girl?” scar asks dubiously, neither of them seeming to care that I’m slowly suffocating.
“I’m Orion,” Bellamy states without inflection. “I came to collect her and return her to where she belongs.”
My heart shatters, and the world around me darkens as I flirt with unconsciousness. I’m no longer aware of my body, unable to feel anything but a wave of helplessness. Their voices are low and rough, warped by the ringing in my ears, and I struggle to make sense of what they are saying.
The tight coils wrapped around my neck loosen, but my body is so far gone that I don’t even gasp for breath, the sound more of a wheeze as only a tiny trickle of air works its way past my damaged throat.
I’m lifted into strong arms, cradled against a broad chest, and the scent of frost crackles in my lungs—Bellamy.
His touch is gentle, and I shake off that betraying thought.
It’s probably just another figment of my imagination, like when I thought we were allies.
Something inside me dies as I’m carried from the room, and I surrender to the blessed oblivion of darkness. My chest feels like it’s collapsing in on itself, like I lost something precious.
The last sound I hear is my wolf howling mournfully, and the rest of the world vanishes.