Somewhere

Chapter Twenty Two

Two gruesome things contested for my attention, but I couldn't bear to watch Lucinda fade away, so my eyes locked on the hanging television screens. The last battle, before the fight with Cooper begun, the two wolves involved fought with wounded bodies, bodies that already fought dozens of times that day. It didn't seem to matter. They fought like they had nothing, like they had everything to win.

David Hawkins, the current champion latched his sharp mouth around the other wolf and the crowd collectively gasped and lost their minds. We time traveled back to the Roman Coliseum as the crowd demanded blood and glory. They had no idea what was coming, but I did. I had to get out of here. I had to find Cooper and warn him and...

I had to tell him I was his mate.

The heartache rolled back in to me with a vengeance, crushing my chest. I made the biggest mistake of my life, breaking up with Cooper. Just because I was afraid, I lost everything. No, I told myself, there was still time. Come on brain. If there was a time to be clever, it'd be now.

My eyes flickered down at Patrick, sipping his beer and watching the tournament like it was any football game. Marybeth was distracted by her phone. I pressed my cheek against my shoulder, dragging the edge of the duct-tape across the cotton. Nothing. I pressed harder, focusing on the corner of the tape until just a little peeled up. The glue clung to my skin, but slowly and surely, it lifted and I exercised my mouth open until the tape hung off my cheek.

This plan required me to shimmy across the couch in total silence. Slowly, I shifted, glancing at Patrick and Marybeth. They were still looking away. I checked on Lucinda, even in her state, her brown eyes sharpened. Her brow narrowed at me and she shook her head, disapprovingly. Not the boost of confidence I wanted, but oh well.

Carefully, I used the end armrest to lift myself up. I teetered, using the armrest for balance more than I would have liked. I know my strengths. Paired against a pack of wolves, I was not the brawns and with my average grades, I'd dare say I wasn't the brains either. From why I've learned my whole life, I was a pretty good nuisance.

Closing my eyes, I prayed to whoever was listening for a little mercy. I twisted the knob, but felt no resistance. Taking one deep breath for strength, in one quick move, I threw the door open and unleashed a yell I've never produced before, throwing everything I had into it until I thought my throat was going to bleed. "HELP!" I screamed, "HELP! HELP! HEL-"

Just as I predicted, Patrick yanked me back by the collar and in the same moment, he slammed the door shut with my back, which knocked the air from my lungs right out of the park. Before I could think, Patrick slugged me across the face. Pain exploded the front of my skull and blood gushed out of my nose and down my lips. My heartbeat pounded my face.

"Do you want me to kill you?" Patrick growled and tossed me on the floor. Still tied, I couldn't stop from falling flat and hard. My groan caught in my throat as Patrick took his shoe and tried to make a whole in my stomach. He kicked me again and my whole body jumped, before trying to crawl into the smallest ball.

"Stay there!" Patrick snapped and I thought this would be enough to satisfy him, but his foot reared back. Shutting my eyes, I tightened up and readied for another hit.

Instead, Patrick cried out. My eyes popped opened as billows of steam wafted from Patrick's back. His curled hands were out, reaching for something behind him as he turned the brightest shade of red. His eyes rolled into the back of his head and he dropped harder than I did.

Towering over him was Marybeth.

Inside his back was a dagger, still steaming.

Marybeth spat on him.