The Monster Within - Book 1

Chapter 46

The darkness from the night sky envelops us as we run from the building and into the woods. The moon lights our way as we sprint with Archer ahead of us as he pulls me by the hand.

We don't get too far when the old man speaks.

'I'm sorry.' Is all he says before he runs in another direction, leaving me to watch as he leaves me again.

'Cassandra, come on. This way.' Archer calls, pulling me along.

Only a second passes before I turn back to him, following him again. If the old man wants to leave again then good riddance, because as soon as Archer finds out who he is, he's a dead man anyway.

'Where are we going?' I shout to him.

'Away from here.' Is all he says and that's good enough for me, as I follow him.

After a while my legs start to refuse to carry me any further and slow down beneath me as we come to a clearing.

'Come on, we need to keep going.' Archer calls back to me.

'I can't... I can't run anymore.' I pant, unable to hold myself upright as I place my hands on my thighs just to keep myself from falling to the floor.

'Okay, Just for a moment.' Archer says as he looks around, surveying our surroundings.

We aren't there for long when we hear a twig snap in the distance, as if someone had just stood on it.

My heart beats in my chest as I turn to look for Apollo, hoping he'll emerge from the shadows and take me away from this nightmare.

'Now... Where do you think you're going, little lady?' A sinister voice calls out in the dark.

Rigel slowly walks out of the woods into view, holding a Rifle towards where Archer and I stand.

'Looks like I'm going to have to just put you down. Such a shame. I had some things in mind that I wanted to do to that little body of yours.' He purrs.

'Please.' I call to him, ignoring his vulgar comment. 'Just let us go.'

'Ha. I wouldn't be a very good hunter if I just let you go now, would I?'

'You'll regret this.' Archer shouts to him.

'I don't think you get it. I'm a hunter. It's what I do.' Rigel shouts annoyed as he raises his gun and aims it at me.

'Please.' I beg as Tears run down my face.

It can't end like this. My life just being taken from me so suddenly.

As I watch him pull the trigger of the gun all I can see is Apollos face in my mind.

My life doesn't flash before my eyes like all the movies tell you will happen. It's just him. I close my eyes as I picture him. The black tousled hair that meets the stubble that runs along his jaw. His green eyes glistening and the way he looks at me like he wants to devour me. In that moment I realise I wasn't living until I met him. I didn't realise I wasn't whole until I found him, the missing piece of my soul.

I stand there with my eyes pressed shut, just picturing him as I wrap my arms around my stomach. Then the loud Bang echoes around the woods, followed by a deathly silence. I wait for the pain to spread through my body. For my brain to register that I should be in pain. But nothing comes. I open my eyes to see the back of a body. The body drops to its knees in front of me, revealing the hunter reloading his weapon. My eyes drop down to the person laying on the floor in front of me.

'Archer!' I call out

I drop to the floor and pull his body over so I can see his face. His eyes are still open and his breathing is heavy as his limp body just lays there.

'Archer?' I sob through tears.

His hand lifts from the ground and cups my cheek.

'Run.' He utters through the pain.

But it's too late. As I look back up to see the hunter striding over to me, the rifle aimed at my chest. I hold onto Archer as I wait for the inevitable to happen.

'What's wrong girly? No more fight left?'

I look down to Archer and watch as his blinks become slower and slower. His breathing becoming lighter and lighter.

'I'm sorry.' I whisper to him.

He coughs as he tries to force his last words out to me.

'Don't be sorry... Live' He chokes out as he coughs again, bringing clumps of blood up.

'No, please.' I beg Archer, not wanting him to leave me.

My arms lock tight around his shoulders as I hold him. The coughing slows as his eyes start to glaze over. His focus shifts from me to the sky above us as he breathes his last breathe. A single tear slips down my cheek as I wait for him to move, or breathe, or anything to let me know this isn't real. But there's nothing.

'Archer?' I ask with a shake of his body. 'Archer?' I shout

No reply comes from him. He doesn't move as he lays in my arms.

He sacrificed himself for me. After everything we've been through. All the hate he had for me. He protected me.

'Archer... Please' I whisper between sobs as I continue to shake his shoulder.

'I think he's dead, hun.' The hunter laughs.

I don't look up to him. I don't even acknowledge he's spoken as the tears dry up and anger builds under my skin.

'Any lasts words?' He says as he presses the gun right against my chest at the top of my breast.

I don't move. I don't say anything. I start to accept my fate until I feel that familiar pull.

My eyes shoot up to Rigel, looking into his face through my dried tears.

'You should have let us go.'

'What?' He chuckles before a large black wolf pounces at him from the dark, ripping Rigel from his feet. The gun falls to the floor as the wolf bares his sharp white teeth at him, while the hunter is pinned to the floor.