No Mercy

Chapter 17

My eyes dart nervously around the forest as I force myself to stay conscious. I press my back tightly against the trunk of the tree as my eyes to adjust to the shifting darkness that surrounds me. The palms of my hands dig into my eyes and rub frantically before I take another look around. I try to stay balanced on the tree branch I'm sitting on as I scan the ground below me. I adjust one of the backpacks that is cradled in my lap as I wait for Alpha Mercy to find me.

It's almost midnight. She should have been here already. Maybe she's having trouble finding me. Although I'm sitting in the tree where she placed the backpacks. But maybe she's having trouble sneaking out.

Maybe she's leaving you for dead. You aren't worth coming back for anyways.

I quickly silence the voice as I keep scanning the ground. The next thing I know she is standing at the base of the tree, her face turned up to gaze into the heights of the branches. I freeze, wondering how she was able to appear without me noticing.

"You can come down now Mediana," my name floats off of her tongue like a lullaby.

I shake the fog out of my mind as I slowly start to make my way to the ground. I try to suppress all of the emotions ping-ponging between my heart and my brain as I try to be more like her.

Strong. Brave. Worthy of having people love her.

Everything you're not. She snickers, feeding off of my insecurities.

Just shut up! I screech. I'm so distracted that my foot misses the next branching, allowing all of my weight to fall rest on the open air. My heart flips as I tumble to the ground. Before the back of my skull can smash onto with the leaf littered dirt a pair of lithe arms catch me. I cling desperately to her body, tucking my face into her neck as sob after sob rack my petite frame. She doesn't drop me to the ground like I expect. I thought she would chuck me to the dirt as she looked down at me with disgust clear in her eyes like I deserve.

Instead she holds me tighter to her chest. She sinks slowly to the ground with me still cradled in her arms and then places me gently onto her lap once she's seated. She rocks me back and forth, one of her hands drifting over my hair while the other traces circles in the middle of my back. Her soft, raspy voice whispers sweet nothings in my ear, the tickles of her breath helping my sobs dilute into hiccuped trembling.

30 minutes later we're still there, our breathing now in sync as we listen to the sounds of the forest surrounding us. An hour later she finally speaks. "If you are having doubts I can cancel this whole thing. I'll do whatever you want to make you feel the most comfortable."

I don't say anything, letting the gentle pounding of her heart signify the passing of time. "I don't want to disappoint you," I finally whisper.

She clicks her tongue, showing how wrong I am with that minor noise. "You could never disappoint me Medie. I'm so proud of the fact that you even agreed to do this. Just by that act alone you are more worthy of my admiration than anyone I've ever come into contact with."

I try to stop the shaky sob that forces its way from the depths of my throat to no avail. "Yo-you don't mean th-"

"I do," she interrupts, her hands never faltering in their soothing motions. "I absolutely mean that."

I steady myself with a few deep breaths before I move out of her lap, sitting on the cold dirt in front of her as I turn to face her. The corners of her eyes crinkle with concern as she gazes at me. I try to summon up the near permanent scowl that normally masks my features, but Alpha Mercy reaches out to gently touch my left cheek.

"It's okay," she states, a small smile transforming her face. I study her face closely and see that her features seem softer than normal. Almost as if she is being equally as vulnerable with me. I nod my head as I wipe the last of the tears from my face.