by Reed, Zoe
I pushed away from him, wrenching out of his hold, but the large man stepped up behind me, pulling both of my arms and holding them in place behind my back. I struggled against him, ignoring the pain in my wrist and trying to break free of his grasp. Eventually I resorted to kicking my legs wildly, trying desperately to get Jonathan and causing him to step back and smile at my futile attempts. All too soon I tired out, the mixture of despair and panic was exhausting, and I stopped struggling.
“Now that’s better. Are you ready to do this the easy way?” he asked, getting so close to me that I was now sandwiched between the two of them.
‘Do what?’ was going to be my next question. I’d already broken Camille’s heart just like he wanted. As I saw the gleam of pleasure in his eyes as he glanced down at the proximity of our bodies, I knew what he wanted. “Please, no,” I begged.
He smirked, checking the time on his watch with a slight nod. “Hold her still for me, will you friend?”
“Don’t touch me!” I yelled and began to struggle again, this time frantically.
Panic started to rise in my chest and my breathing and heartbeat quickened. It gave me the energy to kick and struggle, to buck back in hopes I’d get out of the larger man’s grasp. It was no use. I was just a human. Just a small, weak human against this sick, psychotic werewolf. It wasn’t long until the panic turned to pure terror and I couldn’t breathe at all. Darkness started closing in on me. My lungs burned and felt like they were being crushed.
At least I’d welcome the darkness over this. Anything but this. My eyesight started to go, tunnel vision making it slimmer and slimmer until finally everything was black.
“Kyla.” The sound came only as a distance mumbling, like in a dream. “Kyla.” A little louder now. “Kyla, wake up.” When I recognized the voice as Luna’s I mustered all the energy I could to open my eyes.
However, the second I did, I wished I hadn’t. I was sitting in a chair, my arms tied behind the back of it, causing excruciating pain to constantly shoot up my broken arm. Biting my lip to distract from the stabbing agony I looked around. We were in a large barn, about thirty-five feet up in a loft, and Luna was tied up next to me near the edge of the platform. It had been my hope that I’d wake up, finding this whole thing was just a terrible nightmare. Only, it wasn’t a nightmare. The pain in my wrist reminded me of that.
That realization caused my heartbeat to pick up again. It was real, and it wasn’t over. Be strong Kyla. I took deep breaths to calm myself. This is bad, but you can get out of here alive. Then I remembered why I’d passed out in the first place, and eagerly tried to push the thoughts away. Forget it. Deal with it later. It took a minute and every bit of repression for me to forget everything and focus on the immediate situation.
After briefly taking in my surroundings I fixed my eyes on Luna, looking her up and down and sighing with relief that, aside from obviously being hit in the face a few times, she was healthy. “You’re okay.”
Luna gave a tiny nod. “For now. Are you hurt?”
I looked down, a sudden and overwhelming feeling washed over me again. Guilt? Embarrassment. Forget it Kyla! “They broke my arm, but other than that I’m fine.” I shook my head in disbelief. Every overwhelming emotion bubbled over, filling me until I couldn’t take it any more, and before I knew it a sudden hysteria overtook me. I laughed uncontrollably until the shaking caused more pain in my wrist, forcing me to stop. “Is this normal for you guys?”
“Broken bones?” Luna asked confused, looking around as she struggled against the ropes that held her.
I started laughing again, as it was the only way I could release every one of the all-consuming emotions that poured out of me. “No. Getting kidnapped.”
Luna started to share the panicked hysteria as a smile spread across her face. “This is a first for me.”
Jonathan poked his head up from the ladder and smiled when he saw that I was awake. He climbed all the way up, carrying a few clothes articles with him. Just the sight of him made me sick. “When Camille finally gets here, which do you think she would like best?” He set a pair of jeans on the ground and held up a dark blue and a red t-shirt. “I’m going to leave them outside for her to get dressed.” Each of us just stared, so he shrugged and took the clothes back down the ladder.
“He’s being nice?” I asked, so confused it made my brain hurt.
“No,” Luna scoffed angrily. “He’s insulting her. You might not be able to smell that asshole very well, but we can. Those were his clothes, and they reeked of him. If Camille runs here, then she has to chose between coming in here naked or wearing his stuff. It’s disgusting.”
As I understood what Jonathan was doing I myself grew offended, but I was too tired and in too much pain to call him names or complain. Everything hurt, my brain, my wrist, my soul, and every other bit of me.
“I hope Camille comes soon,” Luna sighed as she resumed pulling at the thick ropes that bound her hands.
“I hope she doesn’t come.” I looked up to see Luna raising an eyebrow at me. “God only knows why he’s waiting for her to get here. He’ll probably kill her too. She doesn’t deserve this.” I studied the rope binding Luna’s hands. “How come you can’t Change and get us out of here?”
“My arms are pulled too far behind my back. It’s not a normal position for a wolf. If I Phased I’d still be tied up and probably break something,” Luna said disappointedly.
I nodded and craned my neck to see behind us to the bottom of the barn. From what little I could see by way of a single floodlight, it looked as though it had been abandoned for a while before Jonathan had moved in, and was completely empty except for an old tractor in one corner. Jonathan was shuffling around at the bottom, and I followed a path to the door. The big, bald man that had held me earlier stood guarding it with another man not quite as big, but just as scary. Both of their faces were completely hidden by the dark of the outside.
Eventually the stretching I had to do to look behind me put too much strain on my arm, and I had to turn around. I couldn’t see it, but I could only imagine how swollen it was. Jonathan came climbing up the ladder again and walked to the far end of the loft to sit in front of us. Reaching behind him, he pulled something dark and shiny out of his belt. A gun. He took out the clip to make sure it was loaded, put it back in and then set it beside him. Returning his gaze to Luna and me he leaned back on his hands casually, and sat there watching us closely.
“What are you staring at creep?” Luna growled, angrily pulling at her ropes.
“It’s just such a shame. You’re both such pretty girls, but one of you won’t be going home today.” An evil smile spread across his face.
Both Luna and I looked at each other, frightened and confused. “Which one of us?” I asked him.
He shrugged nonchalantly. “That’s not up to me.”
“Camille,” I whispered, scowling at Jonathan, who nodded with pleasure.
“Offer still stands Kyla,” he smirked his usual, evil, psychopathic smile. “I’ll let both of them go.”
I turned my face away. I couldn’t even look at him with the reminder. He wouldn’t really let Camille and Luna go. He was only harassing me, adding insult to deep, deep injury. Luckily for me Luna responded before Jonathan could talk to me again.
“Are you going to shoot one of us?” she snickered at him. “You’re a pathetic coward.”
Jonathan’s face flared with anger and he stood, rushing to Luna and getting inches away from her face. He pointed the gun at her angrily. “You’re in no position to be insulting me right now!”
I watched Luna wipe the wince off her face as she continued laughing. “You don’t like being called names very much do you? Fucking mutt. I heard your dad cried like a girl before they killed him. He begged for mercy. An even bigger coward than you are.”
In that moment, the way Jonathan’s features twisted with anger, I feared for Luna’s life. He wrapped a hand around the tiny blonde’s throat and shoo
k angrily. It was clear he wanted to kill her, but his plan seemed to be the only thing that stopped him.
After staring at her for a moment he started laughing, and after letting go of her throat made his way to sit back down in front of us. “You’re good. You almost had me little one. But if I kill you now, it makes Camille’s life easier. You see?”
We sat there for a minute in silence, both Luna and me glaring at him, until both Luna’s and Jonathan’s heads cocked toward the door. I strained to hear what they did, but couldn’t pick up any sound. A minute later I heard the faintest sound of footsteps coming up the ladder. Jonathan grabbed his gun and stood up a second before Camille’s head poked over the top of the loft. Her eyes scanned the area, looking relieved when she saw Luna was okay, and then flaring with confusion when she saw me there.
She looked into my eyes for a split second before turning her gaze on Jonathan. She didn’t look at me again after that, and her refusal to do so was like a stab in the heart. I knew I’d hurt her, but surely she would forgive what I had to do. Studying her face I saw an enormous mix of emotions. Her mouth was set in an angry scowl, eyebrows raised in what I assumed to be panic, but her eyes. Her eyes were exhausted and sad. She looked done, like she could give up and collapse at any second.
“Nice clothes, I see you went with the blue,” Jonathan sneered.
“You know,” Camille picked at the clothing, “You really should invest in some deodorant.” The corner of my mouth turned up in a smile. That was just like her to turn an insult around and make a smartass comment when our lives were in danger.
Receiving no reply, Camille made a move to step closer, but stopped when Jonathan cocked the gun and pointed it at her. “It’s not loaded,” she tested him. He lowered the gun, causing her to jump when a loud bang put a hole through the floor at her feet. “What do you want?”
“I want you to suffer, Camille,” Jonathan hissed, and I could see her flinch. “I want you to pick between Luna and Kyla and live with that decision for the rest of your life. Like I’ll have to live without my father.”
Camille’s gaze dropped to the floor. Her chest rose and fell in a staccato of fast breaths. “Why me?”
“I don’t know which one of you bitches killed my father, but you want to know whose scent was all over that house? Whose scent pissed me off the most?” He paused while Camille met his glare. “Yours Camille! So now I’m getting my revenge. Who will it be?”
Camille clenched her fists angrily as she took a moment to think. “Me. You can kill me.” That very statement made me wish she would spare Luna. I didn’t want her to suffer any more than she already was, any more than I had already caused.
“Funny, I don’t remember that being an option.” I could hear Jonathan’s voice growing impatient. “Kyla or Luna?”
“You know the others are on their way. You’re a dead man, asshole,” Camille threatened him, trying to buy time until the rest of her family could get there.
Jonathan’s eyes narrowed and he growled. “We better make this fast then.”
“I already told you. You can have me.” Camille’s body tensed, like she was waiting for the right moment to spring at him.
“And I told you that’s not an option. Choose now or I’ll pick for you.” Jonathan looked at Camille, and they stared each other down for a good thirty seconds before he shrugged. “Okay.”
Camille sprang into action the second she heard the click of Jonathan cocking the gun. But she was too late. By the time she was done Phasing Jonathan had already pulled the trigger. Her wolf eyes scanned Luna and me, and when she saw the blood she snarled so loud it was near a roar.
I looked down at my torso in shock, gasping for air. Through the harrowing pain and the inability to breathe I could feel the bullet had collapsed a lung, and now between gasps and coughs I struggled for air. Camille started charging toward us. Jonathan had a split second to realize his aim hadn’t achieved the one shot kill he’d hoped for, and in the same second it took Camille to sink her teeth into the rope that held Luna’s hands, Jonathan kicked my chair over the edge of the loft.
I could feel myself falling, but through the pain in my chest it didn’t even register from what until I hit the ground. Luckily the chair hit first, saving me from hitting my head too hard. But as the chair shattered beneath me one of the legs splintered between the ground and my own leg, causing it to pierce through my thigh. If I had the strength and the breath, I would have let out an agonizing scream, but instead I laid my head back, praying I’d pass out from the pain or die quickly.
Then two dark wolves fell over the side of the loft, hitting the ground with a loud thud and coming back up snarling. The two men that had stood guard near the door already Changed, and were watching the two wolves tangle, prepared to step in if things looked too dire for Jonathan. A white wolf jumped over the side of the barn and came to stand over me, eyes scanning me, unsure of what to do. Luna knew what she had to do though, the only way to save me.
I could feel myself losing consciousness. Stay awake. I was getting cold. Through blurred eyes I continued to watch the two dark wolves fight. The lighter one knocked the dark one hard into the wall and then came over to me. It nudged me gently with its nose, and I know those eyes. Those warm, golden brown eyes that make all pain and worry melt away. Camille.
I lifted my arm to run my fingers through her fur, but dropped it as searing pain shot through my torso, causing me to cough and increasing the pain. The wolf whined worriedly and nudged my face with the side of its muzzle, as if to say goodbye. Then turned and continued to fight with the black wolf that had just gotten up. Once Camille was gone I noticed the white wolf sitting beside me. It took my hand into its mouth and I could feel it applying pressure. Biting me? But it stopped before it broke skin and instead lay beside me. A smile crossed my lips as the wolf made me feel warm again.
Another cough and I noticed the coppery taste of blood in my mouth. My lips weren’t cut, the blood was coming from inside. I could feel my heartbeat slowing, and for the first time since Jonathan shot me, I was truly afraid. It wasn’t time. I couldn’t leave Camille like this. My pulse continued to weaken as I frantically looked beside me. The wolf was still there, but where did the heat go? My breaths were shallow, hardly breaths at all.
I closed my eyes, as keeping them open was using too much energy, and motionlessly listened to my heartbeat. Bump……. Bump. I could hear more commotion in the world around me. More snarling, more yelling, and more chaos. I found the strength to open my eyes to a slit, and if I could have felt anything it would have been joy. Joy that the others had arrived. Joy that they were ripping into the mutts, that they were tearing those revolting creatures to shreds. But all too soon that small bit of strength faded, leaving me in a calm, painless world of my own. This was it. I was falling away. Bump……………..Bump. I pulled a picture of Camille out of my memory and stared at it. My very last memory, last love, and I was as ready as I’d ever be. Bump.
Then my eyes snapped open as I gasped so deep I nearly passed out again from the excruciating pain. My heart was pounding so fast I thought it was going to explode out of my chest. I closed my eyes again as I heard a deep, friendly voice. Adrian. He was saying something about epinephrine that I couldn’t make out. Everything still seemed so distant. Then the next wave of pain reached me. In my leg, the wound I’d already forgotten about I was instantly reminded of as I felt the splintered wood torn out of me.
After that I felt my arm get picked up off the ground, and then a snap. More agonizing pain as my broken bone was set back in place. Finally my other arm was picked up, and though I assumed the motion didn’t reach my physical body, I cringed, waiting for more torture. I’d already endured so much, what was a little more?
And then it came. Like fire. It started with a prick in my flesh, and then permeated my entire body. In my skin, in my veins. In my blood. Once again my eyes snapped open, and this time I had the strength to let out the scream that mirrored
the burning I felt. It grew and spread, and burned hotter and hotter until it was so excruciating that my body couldn’t handle it any more. Finally, darkness.
I thought that was it. Thought I was finally finished. Until God knows how much longer I woke up, springing forward to sit, gasping for air. I groaned in frustrated fury when I realized I was still in pain, and it didn’t seem like it was going to be subsiding anytime soon. Looking around I could see Adrian, Camille, and Luna in the room, but I didn’t care.
I screamed at them to put me out of my misery. Out of my misery? Who says stuff like that? Not the Kyla I knew. But everything, every thought, every feeling, every emotion was so intense I’d lost myself in the anger, in the pain. I still felt like I was burning. Every inch of my flesh, every inch of muscle straight through to the marrow of my bones was on fire.
“Painkillers won’t help. You know that Camille,” Adrian whispered, so low I found myself wondering how I’d heard it.
I continued to yell at them, profane words I’d never even heard, but that didn’t even come close to matching what I felt. I yelled at Adrian. At Luna. The things I yelled at Camille. The pain made me hate everything and everyone, and I verbalized it. Time and time again I told Camille I hated her even though I knew I couldn’t take it back.
Eventually through the fog in my eyes I saw Camille leave. The only thing I could do now was begin to hate myself. In utter despair I lay back down, taking in quick, shallow breaths and gripping the bed sheets. Trying anything I could think of besides screaming to distract me from the agony. The fabric I was gripping in my hands tore with a loud rip, and I threw the shreds to the ground. Finally I was getting lightheaded, and welcomed the darkness that closed in on me, alleviating me from the distress.
I woke up like that countless times over the course of a time period that I couldn’t pin point. It could have been hours. It could have been weeks. All I knew was that finally, after I’d lost count of how many times I’d woken up screaming, finally the pain was gone. My eyelids were heavy, and I was able to sit up and lean against the headboard before I could even open them. I put my fingers to my eyes and tried to force them open, making them water until tears ran down my cheeks.
