Love in A Warzone

23: Failure

She remained silent as her anger began to build up within her. "How did you even take control?" she spat bitterly. He gave a devilish grin before replying, "Oh, don't worry about a thing, my little twerp." He chuckled as he got closer to her. "I also love that you try to act like you are brave. But your weaknesses are showing."
The moment those words left his mouth, she launched a punch straight for his cheek, but instead of moving out of the way as she expected, his paw shot forward and blocked the attack easily. "Think before you act..." he said menacingly as he approached her. Without warning, he grabbed Y/N around her waist and lifted her off the ground, squeezing her until she felt the tears start forming in her eyes. "Let me go!" she screamed desperately, kicking and punching him in the stomach but he was unfazed and kept on tightening his grip on her waist. A tear escaped her eye before she felt herself being slammed against the brick wall of the house, causing her to release a grunt of pain as he pinned her against the wall forcefully. "You want punishment or a death wish," he growled in her ear as he gripped her neck tightly enough to cause her breathing to become strained. Tears spilled over the edge of her eyes as she struggled for air. "Mercy demonstrates a way to give up; think about what you're doing or you'll be dead by the second," he threatened before releasing her and tossing her roughly onto the ground. Y/N coughed as he stood above her, glaring down at her. She could barely keep herself steady, so she tried to stand up using the tree as support, but she was too weak to hold herself up. When she collapsed, she landed hard on her knees, causing her hands to scrape harshly against the concrete ground.  She gasped for air as she attempted once more to get up, but failed miserably as she fell face-first onto the ground. He let out a chuckle before bending down to look down at her, saying, "You're not ready to be on my level of interest... you failed" and then leaving the scene, leaving Y/N alone in the darkness. Y/N lay sprawled out on the ground, catching her breath. Her fingers traced her neck, where his hand had previously touched. His touch sent shivers down her spine as her heart began pounding rapidly in her chest. Cold sweat dripped down her forehead, which caused her bangs to stick to her damp skin. Y/N sat herself up and pulled her knees close to her chest as she rested her chin atop them while wiping the beads of sweat trickling down her cheeks. "What did he mean by failing to show interest?" she whispered to herself.