No Mercy

Chapter 24

I stumble back as well, genuine tears springing to my eyes as I shake my head frantically. "No," I breathe heavily, backing up even farther. "Y-you can't be r-real. This—this isn't happening. No, this isn't happening."

"Who are you?" He demands, just as incredulous.

"This isn't supposed to be happening," I gasp, my eyes flitting around the open space. "She didn't say this was going to happen."

"How did you get here?" He asks, taking a step toward me.

I trip over a ground tiller lazily slopped onto the floor behind me, almost falling to the ground in my refusal to look away from him. How can this be happening? This shouldn't be happening. No one prepared me for this.

He can't be real.

Why? Because there's no way that you could have a perfect match? Because we both know that you're so worthless there's no way that a person could honestly love you?

I fight back her thoughts as I try to figure out what's going on.

This shouldn't be happening.

"Where did you come from?" He asks, frustration causing his voice to rise in pitch. "How did you get here?"

I can't answer him, my mind warring with a plethora of thoughts as I try to figure out what is going on. But one reoccurring thought pulses in the back of my mind, making my fingers twitch and my legs shake with the need to flee.

They're still after me.

Both of our heads jerk to the side at the sound of crunching leaves, signifying that multiple people are surrounding the building. I force myself to push all thoughts of this man away, bringing defending myself to the forefront of my mind. My heart races even faster as I frantically look around for a weapon. A flash of silver catches my attention as I spot a rusted sickle by the leg of the dirty couch, buried under a couple of broken rakes. I scoop it up, spinning it in my hands once to steady myself, and then I do it again as I feel a calm settle over me. The man's eyes narrow as he spots the curved blade that I spin around and around so comfortably in my hands.

"Who are you?" he demands once more, taking another step toward me.

Before I can answer the front doors shatter, the result of two bodies ramming into it causing the already splintered wood to completely break apart. I close the distance between the man and me in the fraction of a second, scooting around his back and jabbing the sickle against his neck as I force him in front of me as a human shield. I yank so that he bows over backwards, compensating for the slight height difference between us while also forcing him to comply. I'm just barely able to see over his shoulders as we slowly back up so that I am pressed against one of the few walls with no windows on it, ensuring that no one can sneak up on me.

Dozens of people pour into the room at once, fanning out in a semi-circle as they all pin their gazes on me. We all freeze, the opposing sides gauging the other to spot weaknesses. I'm hopelessly outnumbered. I'm not going to be able to escape. Which would be a good thing. But the looks on their faces make me think that I'm not going to be leaving this room alive.

I scan all of the faces again, hoping to see someone familiar that I can plead with.

The circle parts slightly as the Top Three enter the room, Alpha Torrence grinning sinisterly as he pauses in front of the door.

"I have to say," Alpha Torrence drawls, "I didn't expect you to get this far."

I don't respond, trying to figure out how to get out of this situation. Taking a hostage made everything worse. Now I'm a danger to his pack. He can't afford to keep me around. Maybe if I just let this guy go they'll let me live. But if I let him go right now they'll undoubtedly kill me before I can get a word out.