Chapter Seventeen
ABBY
I CURL MY fists around my backpack straps, still prepared to fight.
Maybe running away is the better option, though. The odds of getting away are slim, but the odds of winning in a hand-to-hand fight against these two is even slimmer. I have a knife, but I don’t realistically think that will be much help against two large men.
I don’t even know how to use it.
I’m going to run. Yeah. That’s the better option.
I’m preferably going to do it before these men settle on a decision on whether or not to gift me to Zaha. I have no idea what gods are like, but by the sounds of it, I don’t think I’ll enjoy what I find.
Mason eyes me, his lips pursed as he debates Kie’s suggestion. I thought Kie was the nice one of the two—that was my first impression—but now I’m not so sure. Nice people don’t suggest gifting others. In fact, I’d say they’re more likely to do the opposite.
I wish Samuel had been my mate. It would’ve made everything so much easier, and I doubt I’d be in this situation right now. He would’ve helped me with Lill, probably with no questions asked.
“I’d rather kill her,” Mason says.
I take back what I said. Kie is the nicer of the two. That isn’t saying much.
Kie hums and leans against the tree Mason was just choking me against.
My throat still burns, each breath like fire, but I push the pain aside. I need to keep a clear head, and panicking won’t get me anywhere. It doesn’t help.
Mason clears his throat. “You know what the gods do with humans.”
No, I most definitely do not know what the gods do with humans. As far as I’m aware, we don’t have any portals in the human realm, nor do we have any knowledge of the gods. The most popular religions on our planet tell us there’s one god, and He hasn’t made an appearance in a long while.
Maybe the human government has some super-secret information they’re keeping from the general public. It’s possible, but I honestly doubt it. We have giant music boxes in space, for fuck’s sake. We’ve practically turned our planet into a beacon for stronger species to come and kill us. That doesn’t give me a lot of confidence in the intelligence of humans.
“Zaha doesn’t treat humans that way,” Kie says. “And she’s always in need of new slaves.”
Mason shakes his head, quickly turning down the idea. “And what happens when Zaha rejects our offer and one of her brothers steps in to claim the human?”
Kie and Mason stare one another down. They’re occupied, and neither pays me any mind as I begin sliding away. I’m unfortunately at arm’s length from the pair, but I’d love to get several steps away before making a run for it.
They’re debating whether to kill me now or offer me up to Zaha, and I’m not going to stick around to see what solution they come to.
Coming here was a mistake. I should’ve waited until the rumors about the princes died down. I rushed into the forest, fully aware of the risk of running into them. I just didn’t think it was a real possibility. What are the odds we crossed paths? Next to impossible.
Everything I’ve done is for Lill, but it won’t mean anything if I’m killed before getting her the damn delysum. Her sickness will worsen until she eventually dies, and this entire thing will have been pointless.
“We obviously wouldn’t give her to one of Zaha’s brothers,” Kie says.
Mason cocks his head to the side. “Are you going to be the one to tell the gods they can’t have her ? Because I sure will not be.”
I take another step away. Leaves crunch under my feet, the sound making my heart pound, but neither Mason nor Kie seems to clock the noise. That’s good, and I fist the straps of my backpack before taking another cautious step back.
I’m three steps away from the pair now.
“We’ll tell them she has a blood disease,” Kie says. “The brothers won’t want her if they think her blood is poisoned.”
A blood disease? What the fuck are these gods doing that they’d be interested in my blood? I’m pretty sure I read a book once where blood was harvested to keep people looking young. Although I don’t see why poisoned blood would keep Zaha’s brothers away.
My hands shake, and I take another step back. I’ve never felt terror like this before, raw fear bubbling up my gut until I can practically feel it in my burning throat. I can’t breathe . I don’t want to die.
“I suppose,” Mason says. “We can tie her up outside the portal and fetch her after we’ve discussed it with Zaha. I’d rather kill her than give her to Zaha’s brothers. It’s the humane thing to do.”
Humane .
I take that as my cue to leave.
Blood rushes through my ears, the noise deafening as I turn to the left and make a run for it. I have no idea what direction I’m facing or where I’m going, but I’ll worry about that later. My hands are so sweaty, even my gloves have trouble wicking the moisture away, the sheer amount of which must be a new record.
My arms pump as I sprint between the trees, weaving through them with speed and agility even I’m impressed by.
I don’t hear anything behind me, not the stomping of feet nor heavy breathing I’d anticipate hearing if I were being chased. I know better than to trust that, though. Kie was silent when he snuck up on me.
I need to get out of here. It’s the only thought running through my mind, the only thing I can focus on. I knew this was dangerous and maybe a bit foolish, but I never truly considered the possibility of failing.
Something hits me from behind, and my knife flies from my hand as I’m flung forward. My poor knees take the brunt of my fall, and I can tell the skin is all but gone at this point. If I make it out of this alive, I’ll be needing that first-aid kit.
A heavy weight is pressed into my back, flattening me to the ground.
It prevents me from getting up, and I writhe as I fight to break free. Leaves and twigs bury into my face, and grainy dirt enters my mouth with each movement I make, but I don’t care.
“Please!” I try to speak, but the pressure on my lungs and the dirt in my mouth makes it hard to get the words out.
Dirt and rock scrape against my cheek as I turn my head and try to see what’s happening behind me. I expect to find Mason or Kie pinning me to the ground, but to my complete horror, I’m met with the snarling face of an animal.
It’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen, and it’s fucking horrific.
The face is similar to that of a wolf, at least in shape, but this animal is significantly larger. I can only see his head and shoulders from this angle, but if the rest of him is proportional, he’s the size of a brown bear.
Large, sharp teeth that look like they could easily rip into my flesh and tear me apart are only inches from my face, and saliva drips down the animal’s jaw as it snarls in my direction.
Is this Mason? It has the same green eyes, and the dark-brown hair is similar.
I heard shifter and thought cute, little wolf , not whatever the fuck this thing is.
My muscles burn as I continue trying to break free, but the paw buried in my back is too heavy. The animal hardly looks like it’s struggling to keep me pinned, and I wonder if it’s actually applying pressure to my back or simply resting its paw on me.
How much does this thing weigh? Easily a good five or six hundred pounds.
“That’s enough,” Kie says from somewhere behind me.
The animal releases another low growl, and my entire body breaks out in goosebumps. That’s not a noise I’d ever care to hear again, and I squeeze my eyes shut as I wait for the animal to kill me. I should’ve never snuck into this stupid, fucking forest. I should’ve never come to this world.
“Get off her,” Kie orders.
The weight is lifted off my back, and I instinctively suck in a deep breath. Even the feeling of my lungs filling doesn’t bring me relief, and I wrap my arms around my head as I lose my last bit of composure. The tears come fast, and hard. Everything hurts, and I just want to go home.
“I’m sorry,” I sob.
My words come out in a jumbled mess, and I cringe and scramble away when a hand is laid on my shoulder.
“You shouldn’t run from a shifter,” Kie says. He’s right behind me, and I continue scrambling away when he touches my shoulder again. “They have a strong predator instinct, and when you run, they chase.”
My entire body is wracked with uncontrollable shivers, and I’m pretty sure I’m about to vomit. I try to get on my hands and knees, but my elbows give out and I fall pathetically onto my face.
“She’s bleeding.”
It’s Mason who speaks, and I swallow back the urge to scream as I turn to see if the animal is still there. It’s gone, now replaced with a very naked man.
Mason hardly seems to notice his current state of undress as he stands to the side, openly peering down at me. I don’t like it, but I’m scared if I stand up or move too quickly, he’ll turn back into the animal. I’ll do anything never to see that thing again.
Kie huffs. “I know she’s bleeding. I can smell it.”
He moves, and I turn to keep an eye on him. I’m not letting him, or Mason, out of my sight.
The pair close in on me, and Kie glances at Mason before shoving the clothes I didn’t realize he was holding into Mason’s arms. Mason continues to stare at me as he accepts the clothing, his gaze beyond haunting. I want it gone.
He bends and slides a pair of black underwear up his hips, the material tight on his skin. Every inch of his body is covered in thick muscle, and even through my tears, I can see them flexing as he moves. How did I ever think I’d be able to outrun him?
Long, thick legs lead to a tapered waist and a muscular abdomen. I avoid looking between his thighs, not wanting to send the wrong impression. I know I can’t realistically do much if they try to rape me, but I’m not going to put the idea in their heads if it’s not already there.
If they make any moves to touch me, I’m going to fight back. I have to.
“They’re going to smell her,” Mason says. “We need to get moving.”
Who’s they ? The other shifters? I’m not so sure I don’t want them to smell and find me. My odds might be better with them. Unless they look and act like Mason. I draw in a shaky breath, horrified by the thought of facing more of those horrid animals.
“Let me see your knees,” Kie says.
He reaches for my legs, and I kick his hands away. My leggings are torn to shreds, and I can feel the fabric growing wet with blood. I’ll be damned if I let this man put his hands on me, though.
Kie sighs and glances at Mason. The two stare at one another, having a silent conversation, before Kie purses his lips and nods. I have no idea what he just agreed to, but it turns out it doesn’t matter, as something hard hits the back of my head a second later.
My vision tunnels, and I get less than a second to try to understand what’s happening before I slump to the side and pass out.