"What do you want with Ethen Volkov?"
"I told you, I want to catch him," I breathed, trembling in fear. It wasn't long until I found myself tied to a scrawny tree with the rope tearing at my skin. My shoulders were aching from the awkward angle of my arms, uncomfortably tied behind me, and I was standing, my knees threatening to unbuckle beneath me. The burly man, whose name was Pete, punched me in the cheekbone once again, causing black spots to appear in my vision. By now, my head was feeling heavy and my entire face was bruised, probably broken. Kolton, with a smirk on his face, lingered a few feet away, watching the interrogation. Releasing a moan, I blinked away the spots in my vision and spat blood onto the dirt beneath me. "Just s-stop."
Pete popped his knuckles. "What do you want with Ethen Volkov?"
"I want to catch him," I answered, once again. I expected it - his fist connected with my jaw and for a second, I thought I had went unconscious. Tears were streaming down my throbbing cheeks and keeping a straight face, I spit out more blood. I didn't know where Temp was; they had separated us instantly. What if he was dead? Unconscious? It would've been all my fault; how was I supposed to handle knowing that he was dead because of me? Or, possibly close to dead? This was truly all my fault - I should've let him handle all the talking.
"What do you want with Ethen Volkov?" he repeated, calmly.
"I want to kill him!" I shouted, exasperated. My bottom lip was quivering and I looked towards Kolton who seemed pleased. "I-I want him dead."
"Why?"
"He's a monster," I said, relaxing against the tree. "It's a-all my fault." Kolton stared at me for a long moment, confusion and curiosity swarming in his evil eyes. Kolton beckoned Pete to move and I watched as he backed away, allowing the one in charge to step forward. I pinched my bloody lips together, staring into Kolton's eyes in anger. I had already basically explained to him my intentions with Ethen, yet he felt the need to torture me. A part of me knew that he had me tortured just because he enjoyed it - he was the type of werewolf we should've been studying at the facility. The monstrous kind.
"Okay, Thea," he started, waving his hand around. "This is what's going to happen. You have the chance to walk away alive - all you have to do is defeat one of our best fighters in a match." Suddenly, he reached behind his back and snatched a blade from the waistband of his pants. The blade gleamed and I noticed the specks of dry blood. Tauntingly, he waved the blade around, dragging it down my shoulder, between my breasts, and in a circle on my stomach. When he chuckled, clearly amused, he started speaking again. "Don't worry, you'll have this blade to defend yourself since you know, we have teeth - sharp teeth."
"And, what about Temp?" I asked, concerned.
"He'd leave with you too," he said, nodding once. "Now, you can participate in the match or I'll kill you right here, right now - oh, and I'll go ahead and kill your boyfriend."
"He's not my b-boyfriend," I told him, scowling. "I'll participate."
"Good, I've been needing a thrill."
"But, if I win the match, I don't just want Temp," I negotiated, raising my chin. "If I win, the entire pack follows me, including you." Pete frowned, looking at Kolton in disbelief. Kolton's eyebrows shot upwards in surprise and he released a harsh laugh, shaking his head. "You'll announce it to the entire p-pack, right before the match and when I win, all of you will answer to m-me and help me find Ethen Volkov."
Kolton shrugged. "I'm not negotiating."
"What? You afraid?"
"I think you're overestimating yourself," he responded, eyes narrowed. "You won't be able to defeat a werewolf; we're stronger, faster, and smarter." He moved closer to me and I noticed his eyes flicker up and down my body, a growl coming from the back of his throat. "You're already dead."
