Pieces Of Me

Chapter 20 Garret

It takes my brother three days to crack the Doc. He has to chain me up on day two, so desperate am I to break him myself.

I see my Angel frequently now, both in my sleep and in the waking world. She's in rough shape. She doesn’t ask me to save her anymore. She begs me to end her, put her out of her misery. I beg her to stay, coaxing her to remain just a little longer. She calls me Casper. Something about being an annoying ghost?

My brother watches me more closely now. I can tell how uneasy he is when I space out at random to visit the woman of my dreams.

I am convinced the girl the wolves are looking for and my Angel, are one and the same. Which means I’m fucked, because she’s already spoken for. She won’t be mine and she's a wolf, not a dragon, therefore we are not even supposed to be mates.

Hundreds of years ago we were able to cross-breed but not anymore. The lines are pure now, the crossbreeds gone in the great war, overwhelmed by sheer numbers and the races now keep the species separate. Following guidelines of outdated idealist leaders, claiming it is taboo and an abomination. I don’t even know if cross-breeding could happen nowadays, or if our bodies would reject it.

But I still cannot shake the urge to find her, save her, hold her. Maybe my mind is creating shit that’s not there so I can hurry to finish my mission and leave this world.

When my brother unchains me and tells me they have a location, I am relieved. It will be over soon, all of it. This is just my mind's twisted way of punishing me for not finding the wolves.

Our warriors and the wolves that had come (nearly fifty of the damn things) head to the location. It is a cave system that starts in Kansas and reaches through to our territory. That’s how we hadn't seen any movement, sneaky fucks.

We use an old human map, from an exploration done nearly thirty years ago and get the good Doctor to give us detailed instructions on the base. It appears they have been busy, quietly digging it out and adding rooms to accommodate the wolves and vamps with them.

When we arrive on the hillside surrounding the cave entrance on our territory, Alpha Darius jumps on his phone to talk to the wolves watching the Kansas entrance. The plan is to watch for confirmation that we are in the right place and that the Doctor hasn’t sent us on a merry chase.

I observe her mates, constantly glancing at them. Strong both of them. They aren't taking any shit from my brother.
W

ould they share her with me? Would they accept me even if I wasn’t breeding compatible? Is she even mine? I smash my head with my fists.

I pace restlessly. Growling lowly. Not caring that I am distracting and annoying the others here. It is taking everything I have to stop myself from stomping down there myself. I could confirm if they were in there by myself. This waiting is beyond a joke. Whether it is the eagerness to bathe in the blood of the trespassers, save her or claim her before her mates can stop me, I don’t know, but I can’t sit still.

I am twitchy, my skin crawling, scales erupting and dissipating on my forearms. I know I am irritating the ones watching and planning, but I can’t help it. It is like I am plugged into a socket. I tug at my hair and punch at my head, trying to focus.

“Garret!" My brother hisses close to my ear. Spinning on my heel and grabbing his throat, I snarl into his face.
“

You can’t go, not yet. Just a little longer.” He chokes out. I shove him away, ignoring his double meaning. I know this is a delaying tactic. But it is inevitable. He can delay all he wants; the result will be the same.

I will slaughter the enemy, letting my beast run unrestrained. Then my brother can do what is necessary, as my beast will not be restrained again after this. Not if she is dead, or if she isn’t mine. My humanity will be gone. I have to laugh at his words. ‘Just a little longer.’ How many times have I begged that of my Angel?
"

Go and calm down you feral fuck!" My brother growls. Totally out of patience with me. I snarl back at him.

I stomp down the hill from our lookout and after ensuring the wind isn’t blowing in the direction of the cave, I light a cigarette, sucking on it as if my life depends on it. I choke suddenly on the smoke as my vision wavers, and I see my Angel strung up in her cage.

There are poles with fluid bags near her, trying to restore her husk of a body. Not an inch of her is not some varied shade of bruising. Her breathing is ragged. She has resigned herself to her fate. She is waiting to die.

“Angel!”

“Fuck off Casper.” She rasps.

“Just a little longer Angel, we are nearly there. We know where you are.” I beg.
S

he snorts
"Oh, I've heard that before." She says bitterly.
"Please!" I beg her.

“I can’t.” She croaks. ”I thought they would just break me and end it, but there's more past the breaking. I didn’t catch what it was, but I can’t let them win. If I break, they win. If I die, I win. I can’t wait any longer, I'm sorry.” She bows her head in defeat. For the first time ever, I step forward and the distance doesn’t expand on me.

I take another hesitant step before I rush to her. I gather her broken body carefully in my arms and lift her chin to look into her eyes.

“Please Angel. We are right here, just outside the cave. I swear to you, I’m right here.” I plead. She pulls her chin out of my grip and averts her eyes.

“You're not real. Just another figment of my imagination, my mind's way to try and keep myself alive. I can’t tell what's real and what's not anymore.” She whispers. I act on instinct. I lift her chin again and press my lips to hers, swallowing her gasp of surprise.

"I’m real, I promise," I say, pouring as much honesty and conviction into my words as I can. She blinks warily at me. Part of her wants to believe me but her mind is so broken.

I see her attention divert from me, her head cocking to the side. I touch her cheek bringing her eyes back to me. A lone tear leaves the confines of her eye.

“Their back,” she whispers. Terror fills her eyes before she throws her head back and screams. I'm shoved back to the hillside with my cigarette burned down to the filter. I throw it on the ground and hit the crap out of my head in frustration.

“Fuck!” Times up.

EEK! Shift your butt Garret! Eve's not going to last much longer.
If your still reading, show me some love and flick this chapter a vote :)