June started forward, intent on getting to him, when her path was blocked. Dani had moved without her noticing. Her cousin’s arms snaked around June’s midsection, drawing her close. She was about to push Dani away but stilled when the barrel of the pistol was pressed against her temple.
Of all ways today would go, this hadn’t crossed June’s mind. The universe was laughing, she was sure of it. Death by a gun wielding hybrid was too ironic.
“Are you going to kill me?” June asked, her voice an echo in her mind as she locked eyes with Jace. He was watching their exchange. When he took a step in the direction of the platform, she had to fight the urge to scream at him to run. He didn’t make it far, however. He was shoved to the ground by a herd of running teens that disregard him as they trampled over his body. When his form went still, and his eyes shut, June stomach flipped.
“I’m considering it,” Dani quipped and shoved June towards the steps. “I think I’ll just use you as a shield for now.”
“You had this planned,” she stated, knowing the words were true the second she aired it. “There’s no way the hybrids could’ve made it past the gate unless someone on our side helped. Who was it? Your parents?”
Dani scoffed, tightening her grip as they awkwardly descended the steps together. “As if they care. They aren’t even here.”
“So, who was it?” June repeated. Honestly, she knew it didn’t matter but she had to draw Dani’s elsewhere.
“No one important,” she answered dryly. “Stop talking and walk. We only have a few minutes to get out of here.”
Warning bells went off in June’s head. “What do you mean by we? I’m not leaving. This is my home.”
“Goddess, June, when will you give that up? The council doesn’t give two shits about you or anyone else. All they care about is your kill count. The second you stop being useful, which newsflash, is right now, they’ll end you themselves.”
“You don’t know that,” June retorted but the words tasted sour as she continued, “and stop acting as if the hybrids are your family when you just met them. Who is to say they won’t kill you for being a hunter?”
Dani didn’t miss a beat, saying, “Because we aren’t the monsters the hunters make us out to be. The bite isn’t a curse, it’s a gift that binds you to a life greater than anyone can dare imagine. Like it or not, I’m one of them now, June, and we protect our own.”
“By killing and maiming?”
“No,” she answered, “by taking. How do you think we’re getting out of here? You aren’t the only person coming along for the ride.”
June froze until Dani’s shoved her forward again. The black vans were a mere fifty feet away. Her mouth was dry as she asked, “What happens when we reach your…pack?”
“We’ll do whatever the alpha decides,” Dani taunted. “He might let you stay. Then we can be together forever, cousin.”
That was what motivated June to finally act. Unlike Dani, she had a life here, one she couldn’t leave. Without her, Dale would fall apart. He would revert into himself again. June wouldn’t let that happen. He was the only parent she had.
Thinking fast, June dug her heels into the ground, taking her captor by surprise. She used that to her advantage by going limp and slipping out of Dani’s arms, landing hard on her knees. Form the ground, she kicked Dani’s ankles out from under her, bringing the other woman down to her level.
She rolled to the left as Dani reared back her fist, grunting when June dodged, “That wasn’t very nice.”
Biting back a retort, June push herself off the ground and started racing across the field. She locked eyes with Dale who was on the other side, still by the parking lot. He was sprinting towards her but before they could meet in the middle, an earth-shattering bang resonated through the air.
June was thrown forward with force as white-hot pain ripped through the muscle of her upper right shoulder. Warmth coated her back as blood flowed free from the wound, soaking the grass. Before she could shake off the agony and get up, a weight was pushing down on her back, pinning her in place.
Her cousin sighed, “You know, even though it was made to kill my kind, a gun is still a gun.”
“Dani, listen,” she pleaded. “You don’t have to do this. Just leave without me. Please.”
“Oh, June,” Dani tutted, “begging is not your forte. Besides, you’re the one who decided we couldn’t live without each other. You should be thanking me for granting your wish.”
June didn’t get a chance to respond or even attempt to free herself as something heavy slammed against her head. She briefly realized it was the handle of the pistol before oblivion swallowed her whole.
/CHAPTER TEN/
A hand caressing the side of her face dragged June out of the black void. Her mind was sluggish as it pieced itself back together. Right away, she knew that she wasn’t at home. It was too cold for August and the scent of rot pervaded the air.
Hesitantly, June opened her eyes. The muted grey light washed made her head spin. When the room righted, she realized that she wasn’t in a room, but a small cell and wasn’t alone.
Leaning into Rosie’s hand that cupped her cheek, June coughed. Her throat was dry making her words hoarse as she asked, “Where are we?”
“Ashby, I think,” Rosie replied tightly. “The complex was attacked by a group of hybrids. The only way to move so many people is if they were already close by.”
June had grown up hearing horror stories about the shifter pack that was only two hours away from the complex. The hybrids lived on the mountain which made wiping them out near impossible. Hunters weren’t trained to fight on rugged terrain, nor did they have the numbers to take out hundreds of hybrids in one fail swoop. It was easier to focus on taking down rogues and pack strays.
“Why are we still alive?” she swallowed. If the hybrids went through this much trouble of taking prisoners, they had to want something. Information, probably. Visions of torture went through June’s mind and she nearly fainted.
Dani, wherever she was, had left her here to suffer. For a minute, she regretted not pulling the trigger and then shuddered. No matter what happened, Dani didn’t deserve to die. Her cousin may be part of this…pack but they were still family, right?
The invisible flames eating away at June’s shoulder said otherwise. In the few minutes that she had been awake, the bullet wound had gone from lightly throbbing to an excruciating burn.
“I don’t know,” Rosie answered, her voice quaking. “Every few hours a guard comes and takes people from their cell. No one has come back.”
“Maybe…maybe they’re fine,” June hoped out loud. She didn’t have to look at Rosie to know that it was a false sentiment. Hunters didn’t try to get their people back when they were captured. Given the thousands that went missing every year, it was redundant. Everyone, even those who weren’t in the field like Rosie, was aware of the protocol.
“Or they’re executing us in groups.”
A coopery taste violated June’s tongue. She leaned over the edge of the cot, spitting out a mouthful of blood on the concrete floor with a low moan.
“Let’s sit you up,” Rosie said, not waiting for a response. She hooked her arms under June’s armpits and heaved until they were both out of breath but now upright.
The cold stone wall on June’s back felt like heaven. Leaning her head back, she shut her eyes as fatigue washed over her. In the back of her mind, she knew this wasn’t a good sign considering that she had just woken up. Swallowing, she forced herself to ask, “How bad is it?”
Rosie hesitated to answer. It was a full minute before she spoke, “You’ve been under for almost a day. I’ve been cleaning it the best I can with the water we have but the bullet is lodged. As far as I can tell, you’re the only one here in a bad shape. I did ask for help, but the guards ignored me and without medical attention—”
“I’ll get an infection and die,” June finished, opening her eyes to examine the cell. It was far cry fro
m being sanitary. The toilet in the corner looked like it hadn’t been scrubbed in decades and in the corner of the ceiling were patches of black mold.
The older woman’s hand reached out, patting June’s uninjured shoulder. “I’m sorry.”
She shrugged and put on what she hoped was a brave face. “To be honest, I’m more upset that my dress is ruined. It belonged to my mother.”
The cot dipped as Rosie sat down. Quietly, she said, “I remember Claire. She was best friends with my little sister, Ana. You mom spent most of her time at my house when we were kids. She and Ana used to walk through the front door giggling about boys but that stopped when entered high school. I was there the day they decided to become hunters together. My sister trained harder than anyone for months, but it wasn’t enough. She never came back from her first mission. A beast got the jump on the girls and ripped out Ana’s throat. Claire witnessed it all. She brought Ana’s body back home. Even months after Ana was buried, Claire would come by my house at least twice a week to talk and reminisce. She helped me keep Ana’s memory alive but then, one week, she didn’t come by and I knew she was gone. No one ever talks about the hardship of this life until it’s time for a funeral.”
The story settled like a heavy weight on June’s shoulders. “Is that why you work at Asylum instead of hunting?”
“I wasn’t brave like my sister or cunning like my cousins,” Rosie disclosed. “I knew what I wanted out of life. Safety, security, kids, and someone to grow old with. My choices may have made me weak but at least I wasn’t going to be joining Ana anytime soon. I guess that plan is out the window, huh?”
“Yeah, I guess so.”
June always knew that there was a big chance she would die young. Part of her training had been to accept that. Yet now that she was at the end of her life, something wasn’t right. She had always assumed that she had a greater purpose in the universe but if this was it…then so be it. She would face it like a hunter with courage and no regrets.
Craning her neck to face Rosie, June asked, “How did you end up here? I didn’t see you at city hall when the attack started.”
Truthfully, she hadn’t saw much of anything once Dani had pulled her off the stage. She recalled the screaming, spotting her dad, and then running towards him, but after that, everything was a haze of fire and agony.
“Oh, no. My family and I don’t go to those barbaric showcases,” Rosie retorted with a scoff. “I was taking a walk. My husband usually comes with me, but his hip was hurting so he stayed home. A van pulled up beside me. I was dragged inside and blindfolded.”
“Did you see anyone else get grabbed?” June asked desperately. The hybrids could have grabbed her dad or Jace. The thought made her dizzy.
“Not. I was in the van before I knew what was happening. I was blindfolded when the gunshots started to go off.”
Gunshots.
June turned away as she started to shake. It was pointless because a minute later her silent cries turned to choked sobs. Minutes and then an hour passed before she felt Rosie guiding her back onto the cot. Her back burned but on the inside, June was numb.
“I need to clean your shoulder,” Rosie said.
Closing her eyes, June buried her head in the pillow, her nose wrinkling at the stench of sweat rolling off the polyester. It was a welcome distraction though when her ears picked up on the sound of fabric ripping and splashing water.
“Hold your breath,” Rosie commanded. She placed a hand in the space between June’s shoulders, pining her down.
That was all the warning she received. When the rag touched the bullet wound, June screamed. The sound echoed off the walls and seemed to suck all the life out of her. She didn’t dare move as Rosie’s fingers forced the fabric deep inside the hole to clean it.
She didn’t realize it was over until the old woman’s hand started to pet her head. Softly, Rosie shushed her sobs, “You’re okay. It’s all going to be okay. We’re going to be fine.”
June didn’t have the anymore strength to fight and let the dark reclaim her.
***
In the dream, June sat beside Dani under the shade of a large oak tree. The nice weather and when Dale and Jace showed up, she smiled. Their laughter and the sunshine was the epitome of paradise.
But then, without warning, the sky went dark as thick clouds blocked out the sun. Dani groaning had her looking over just in time to see her cousin’s face contort. Canines, larger than June had ever seen, protrude past Dani’s chin. Her eyes were bright gold, and her finger were tipped with deadly claws that dripped fresh blood.
June was frozen as Dani stood up. She walked a few feet away, stopping beside the limp figures on the ground. With her back facing June, she growled, “Do you see what I am capable of now, cousin?”
A scream left June as she finally noticed who the bloody corpses were. Sticking out of the pile of body parts were the faces of her father, Jace, Lenore, and Alister. Their empty eyes locked on her.
Dani growled and just as she started edging back to the tree, June was roused from sleep by a fit of wracking coughs. Her upper half hung over the edge of the bed as Rosie kept her steady. Once the fit passed, June fell back against the bed, limp and exhausted. She shivered when an ice-cold hand touched her forehead.
Pulling away, Rosie’s face fell. “You have a fever.”
“How long do you think I have?” June asked as her eyes closed. Behind her lids, stars danced like a static storm on a television screen. She could feel her body breaking down with every shuddered breath.
“I don’t know,” Rosie replied way too fast.
June forced her eyes to stare at her cellmate, pleading, “Don’t lie to me. Please.”
Rosie turned away as she sighed, “I’ll be surprised if you make it through the night.”
Reaching out blind, June searched for Rosie’s hand. When she found it, she squeezed it the best she could. Closing her eyes again, she exhaled, “’s’okay, Mom.”
Distantly, she heard a muffled sob but couldn’t bring herself to open her eyes again. Seconds or hours could’ve passed when there was a loud bang. June’s awareness snapped back in place. She looked at Rosie whose face had turned paper white.
“They’re here for more people,” the older woman whispered, her body shaking as she stood up. Moving in front of the cot, she tried, and failed, to shield June from the man that came to a stop in front of the bars.
“You two, get up,” he dictated.
June managed to push herself half off the cot but only for a few seconds. She crash landed back down with a grunt. She squeezed her eyes shut as the room spun.
“Goddess, did you not hear me?” the guard shouted. “Stand up!”
June knew he was yelling but his voice sounded like it was coming from underwater. Darkness, this time cold and unwelcoming, pulled at her conscious. Instinct told June that she wouldn’t be waking up if she let it take her again.
“S-she’s hurt,” Rosie stammered, “just leave us alone, please. She doesn’t have much longer left.”
The hybrid let out a curse and then there was a low creek as the cell door were opened. Rosie sucked in a breath and June tensed when he stepped into the cell. She opened her eyes and watched as he approached her like one would an injured animal. Surprisingly, he was gentle as he guided June into a sitting position and then off the cot. Her legs gave out instantly but instead of letting her fall, a solid arm was wrapped around her waist, supporting her weight.
With his free hand, he pointed to the doorway, commanding Rosie, “Go.”
The older woman looked to June for guidance, and she nodded. “Do what he says.”
At a slow shuffle, they exited the small cell. Rosie spent a good chunk of their walk down the aisle glancing over her shoulder. June did her best to ignore the looks of pity as the nerves in her shoulder flared. She couldn’t feel her back anymore. By the time they made it to the end of the corridor she almost missed the pain. It was better than being numb all over.
Posted in front of the exit, a metal door, was an additional guard with a shaved head and a baby face. He raised a brow to the man holding June and let out a low whistle. “You should have left that one in her cell, Kade. She’ll be dead before you reach the alpha.”
“Who do you think asked for her?” Kade asked. “He wants this one dealt with before she can start causing trouble. Open the door.”
June tried to block out his words, but they circled in her mind like a bad song. She watched the floor as the guard did as he was told. A second later, June’s eyes were watering as sunlight filled the hall. She reveled in the warmth caressing her skin.
Kade nudged Rosie outside and into the light. In the distance, straight across a long clearing, was an oversized, four-story farmhouse. June knew she was as good as gone as they headed towards it. Each step was harder than the last and before they were even halfway there, June felt herself falling forward.
When she opened her eyes again, she was staring at the underside Kade’s chin. They were walking up the porch of the house. She didn’t have the energy to tell him to put her down for dignity’s sake before she was out again.
Low chatter filled her ears but none of it made any sense. By sheer luck, June found herself clinging to a sliver of awareness as Kade came to a stop. He said something to Rosie and then a door was opened. June blinked away the spots in her eyes as Kade placed her on soft leather couch.
Kade had brought them to an office. It was plain other than the large oak desk in the center of the room and wall to wall bookshelves. Other than Kade and Rosie, the room was empty. While most would have taken that as a good sign, June felt more unnerved than ever.
She always hated the anticipation and dread that came with waiting.
June’s head lolled to the side when Rosie broke the silence, “Can someone please help us? Her eyes are glazed which means her fever is getting worse.”
Kade’s lips formed a thin line but he couldn’t hide the pity in his eyes as his gaze roamed over June. He shook his head and grimaced. “My alpha has ordered that no hunter shall be given any type of aid. I’m sorry.”
Genesis: (Book One of the True Luna Series) Page 8
