16. Mine
Since we came out here every day that it wasn’t storming, the path was clear of branches, fallen logs, and large stones. I didn’t trip or fall or even hesitate as I ran with a wolf at my back. I shoved through the Jell-O feeling, hell-bent on making it out of here.
Too bad none of it helped.
Oliver tackled me to the ground, pounding my face into the dirt and sending stars around my head. I groaned and tried to push myself up, no matter how useless that action might be. His paw landed in the middle of my back, sending me down again and knocking the air out of my lungs. I huffed in the dirt and anything else that was littering the forest floor.
I coughed as I felt his claws dig in, and he pressed his weight on top of me. I slowly lost the ability to breathe, then he was gone, shredding the back of my shirt in the process. He yelped as he hit the tree, and I heaved in the precious oxygen.
“Run, Mine!” Cy yelled, and for a split second, I wondered where Odie was, but I didn’t have time for that. She was a big girl that could handle herself.
I wobbled to my feet, my head still reeling from the takedown. Cy battling and holding back Oliver distracted me as I took a few steps, then a few more. I picked up speed into a jog that rattled my brain with every step. Still, I didn’t stop.
Then Cy screamed in agony, and my body stopped and turned of its own accord. She lay on the ground with Oliver looming over her. At first, I thought he was going to finish the job, but he walked past her, ignoring her curses.
His golden eyes landed on me, and I was stuck. Cy called out to me again, pleading for me to run. I wish I knew where they kept weapons or if they had any in the first place. One shotgun blow to the head would do it. Maybe that’s where Odie was.
We kept each other’s gaze as he stepped forward and I stepped back, but with our size differences, my steps were useless. He would be on me again in no time, so I did what any sane person would do. I flipped him off and bolted. I knew some trees were climbable, and if I got high enough, maybe he’d have to change back to get me. I could take on Oliver the man. A heel to the nose would knock some fucking sense into him.
All plans were futile and only existed to keep me from panicking. I knew I was doomed. Without Odie and Cy helping me, I was done for. They couldn’t take him down, so what was I supposed to do?
I’d hoped Ellie could control him, but I knew she couldn’t, and that would put her in danger.
Instead of tackling me again, he ran beside me with a wolfish smirk on his jowls as if he was mocking me. I rolled my eyes, and that seemed to piss him off.
Oliver nudged me, tripping me and sending me back to the ground. It was basically home at this point. He gripped my right arm in his jaw and dragged me toward the cabin. His teeth dug into my soft skin, trailing blood down my arm and soaking my shirt in the red liquid mixed with his disgusting slobber. Of course he had to pick the arm that just healed too.
I wanted so badly to yell at him, to cuss him out so hard that he let me go out of being appalled. Instead, I punched his snout and jabbed him in the eyes, hoping to take one as a souvenir. He snorted and growled but released me for a second only to take on a tighter grip near my shoulder. I could feel the skin shredding, and the amount of blood running down my arm increased. Again, I hit him but only made it worse. He clenched his jaw, and I felt my bones groan under the pressure, threatening to snap at any moment. I wiggled and tossed and turned, trying to make this more difficult for him, but all it did was make my predicament worse.
Odie was still nowhere in sight, and Cy was trying to stand against the tree with blood covering one of her legs and seeping from a large wound on her forehead.
“Oliver, you fuck, you’re going to pay for this.” He snorted, the hot air blasting in my face. “No matter what Gerard said, this is against the council’s rules. They will hear about this. Gerard might be able to save himself, but you’re nothing but a pet to him.”
Oliver stopped, and for a moment, I thought he might let me go thanks to Cy’s words. However, I was never that lucky. He bit harder, and my silent scream filled my lungs.
“Stop, please!” Why did she care so much? How much trouble would they be in if they let me go.
Oliver let up and continued dragging me up the stairs and into the house, aiming for the front door. A streak of blood coated the hardwood floor, and I wondered how much longer I could hold on before blood loss fucked me over. I’d take blacking out. It was better than feeling all of this pain.
A shot rang out, and sweet relief hit as my arm was released. Another shot blasted through the space, and my ears rang. Arms wrapped around me, and I recognized the feel of Odie as she held me close.
She set me on the couch, and I knew getting the blood stains out would be a bitch. I bled every month and couldn’t manage to salvage my many pairs of bloodied underwear. They might as well use the couch for a bonfire after this.
I was numb thanks to shock and adrenaline. Odie’s face came in and out of view, and I couldn’t make out what she was saying even though she seemed to be yelling it. I thought I saw a glimpse of Cy collapsing onto the other couch, but I wasn’t sure.
A soft hand caressed my face, then gripped the back of my head, winding my hair into their fingers. The taste of blood filled my mouth as something soft shoved my jaw open. Panic consumed me as I fought them away, but they held strong, forcing me to swallow the metallic liquid. It almost burned as it went down, warming up my entire body from the inside.
The hand gripping my hair let go and started soothingly stroking my head. The bloodied object pulled away, and I was left alone, but that’s when the screaming match started.
Gerard’s voice was in the mix, battling with Odie and Cy who were close by, guarding me as they had been.
“What have you done, Odella?”
“What have I done? You commanded Oliver to rip her away, knowing that’s not how things are done! You can’t make up your own rules even though you’re the council”s favorite toy.” Odie stood, blocking me from his view, but all I wanted to do was sleep and make sure Oliver was dead. He deserved it, and I wasn’t ashamed to admit it.
“The council permitted this. Did you really think I would show up without it? I am handling this, not you.” Odie scoffed, but he continued as if she cared. “Give me the girl, and you will be left alone without punishment. She’s as good as dead anyway. No one will believe her over Lucinda.”
He was extremely nonchalant about my life. I mean, I was like that sometimes, but it was my life to not care about.
“What is wrong with you? You can’t treat her like garbage simply because she’s Human. We might have the power, but they have freedom.”
“Fuck off, Gerry. You’re the one causing all the problems. First, you dump Ellie at Lucinda’s instead of with us, then you drop them both here, and now look at the mess you’ve made. Leave us be, let us get Vaila to deal with the damage, and you can come back next week with the stick out of your ass.” Cy’s voice was low and menacing, but it was tinged with exhaustion and pain. I knew the feeling.
“That’s not how this works. I’m in charge, Cy, whether you like it or not.” Gerard’s voice lowered. “This isn’t how I wanted things to go either. I’ve practically lost both daughters now, and everyone is choosing some Human over the person who raised them. I know I’ve made mistakes and wasn’t around as much as I should have been, but that’s the life I have. It’s not fair to any of us, but that doesn’t matter now. Carmine is to come with us, the trial will be had, and she will be locked away. That’s what’s in store, nothing else.”
“She’s going to rot in a prison when she’s innocent? Mine won’t survive, not with the damage your boy toy did.” Cy was throwing all the punches today. I was proud of her.
“He is not—you know what, think whatever you want. He has been by my side and does as I say, unlike the lot of you. You’re lucky you didn’t kill him, Odie.” Damn. There goes my hopes and dreams.
My eyes were shut, and I was focusing on their conversation to avoid thinking about the impending pain. I felt fuzzy, but if I had to guess, it was all thanks to the blood loss. I could feel it leaking out of me still, and I didn’t see a point in them fighting. No one had tried to stop the bleeding, so I wouldn’t be their problem anymore.
The room fell silent, and I felt all eyes land on me. I didn’t care, so I ignored them, hoping sleep and lack of blood took me out before I had to be involved further.
“I can’t believe you gave her your blood.” That got my interest. “Humans aren’t supposed to know about that, Odie. Hope she doesn’t speak a word of this while they are interrogating her.”
“I cannot tell you how much I don’t care. This shouldn’t have happened, and I did what I had to to make sure she survived. She’d be dead already if I hadn’t.” I didn’t know their blood healed, but that’s what I get for invoking the near silent treatment and not asking anything about their world.
“If Odie hadn’t, I would have. If Oliver had kept his cool, we wouldn’t be having this discussion.
We all make decisions, and they all come back to you being a cunt.”
I snickered, and if I had control of both arms, I would have applauded her.
They all ignored me anyway, so who knew if they would have seen it.
“Either way, she’s coming with us. There’s nothing you can do to stop me. I should have handled it myself and forced you to give her up. I thought you’d be more forthcoming with Oliver. That was my mistake.” Omega power shot through the room, and Odie and Cy groaned as it seeped into their every pore. “You will move out of the way and let me have her. You will not interfere again.”
They said nothing as they shuffled away, and a new set of arms slid under my weak form. For a small man, Gerard didn’t have any issues picking me up. My arm hung limp as he stepped past Odie and carried me outside.
Cy and Odie stood in the doorway, watching us go without interfering as Gerard had commanded, but I wasn’t having that. My left arm pulled forward, and my elbow swung back into Gerard’s nose. If he wanted me, fine, but I wasn’t going that easily.
He dropped me, and I landed on my bad arm, filling the cuts with dirt and gravel.
“What is wrong with you? Can none of you listen?” Blood dripped from his nose and on to the ground next to me.
With the little strength I had, I kicked at his knee, bringing him down to my level where I spit blood on him.
“You little—” He stopped himself as he looked down at me.
A thump in my chest and a fire in my stomach caused me to gasp and writhe in front of him.
He reached out for me but quickly pulled away without touching me.
“What’s going on?” Odie called out as I heard their footsteps coming from behind Gerard. Whatever he had done to them, it was broken. “What more could you do to her?” Odie all but shoved him out of the way.
“Did you know?” Gerard moved with ease, letting Cy and Odie get into my space and check on me as I silently screamed in agony on the ground. Whatever was happening, it wasn’t good, and death was looking more appealing by the second.
The fire grew, filling every inch of my body. Tears streamed down my face, cleaning it of blood and dirt. I panted as the wave eased, but another one came full force, wreaking havoc on my body. I curled in on myself, ignoring the pain of my arm and head as the hot, white poker pain that coursed through me was so much worse.
“This isn’t right,” Gerard mumbled. “She can’t be. Did you know?” he repeated loudly, garnering their attention.
“Know what? She’s in pain. Leave us the fuck alone, Gerard!” Odie tried picking me up, but it was futile with the spasms I was having on repeat.
“I didn’t believe the rumors, the whispers. We have to get her inside. I’ll explain, but I doubt you’ll believe me.” Gerard backed away toward the house.
I’d say the suspense was killing me, but that would be a lie. I didn’t care what was happening. I just wanted it to stop.
Between Cy and Odie grappling me, they managed to get me back inside, and all hell broke loose.