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Chapter 20
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Sacrificed Warrior Chapter 21
Devin drives me home, filling the silence with easy conversation, but it does nothing to appease my nerves. Still, I'm grateful for the distraction. I hold a list of recommendations in my hand on how to treat my stitches, left by Bethany on the kitchen counter. I start to regret the way I snapped at her. My mother eyes me eerily when I get home, her glance lingering on my sweater. I thought about returning it to Devin, but the fabric is way too comfortable and warm to commit such a crime. When she charges at me with a whole set of questions, I dodge her moves, promising that I'll clarify everything to both of them tonight. I pass my day in a state of pure anxiety, distracted by my thoughts, so much so that Mrs. Hill sends me a sharp look every time I space out. I count the hours until they get back, getting more impatient by the minute. I attempt to make myself look presentable and fail miserably. My hands shake as the doom gets closer, impossible to ignore. I grab the necklace,
Sacrificed Warrior Chapter 22
The days go by torturously slowly, each one longer than the previous. A lump formed and lodged itself in my throat, relentless in suffocating me. The tension between my parents and me is unbreakable, a barrier that I can't climb across. Ryan called soon enough, and as predicted, the alphas commanded the Elite to partake in the security of the system whenever there was a pack meeting. Still, considering how much they could have ordered, this seems reasonable, though risky. Since more people will know about the date, it increases the chances of one of them being caught or worse: someone could betray our kind and lend the information to the hybrids.That very same day, I requested a meeting with Nathan, and though Ryan tells me that Nathan will probably not comply, I owe my parents to at least try. I could sense Ryan's unease and the sudden doubt that crept into his voice.I'm scared of the outcome. I don't know what to do if he rejects me. All I know is that I can't live with the guilt
Sacrificed Warrior Chapter 23
Since my episode, my parents have taken special care of me and let go of the hurt that my decision to join the Elite caused them. The bittersweet sensation of it isn't lost on me. I'd hoped for this change, starved for it as I needed air, but the caution of their actions stings. Every movement on their part is calculated, and carefully thought to prevent my discomfort. I wonder not for the first time if they feel how close I am to shattering; if they know how the pieces of my soul drift further apart by the day and how I'm running out of ways to keep them together. Still, I make an effort to pretend. I plaster on a smile and attend Devin's trials the next day, going as far as talking to a few members of the pack. If I can convince myself that I'm fine, maybe someday I will be. The next time I see Mrs. Hill, she smiles proudly at me when she declares that I'm ready to learn fifth-grade math and science, though my English is clearly far behind. She tells me that this is good news and
Sacrificed Warrior Chapter 24
Silence settles in the small room, carving an abyss between the occupants. In these infinite seconds, my heart is the only thing that dares to make a sound. My palms are slippery with gathered sweat from the anticipation. Nathan grits his teeth but doesn't make any move as he observes me for long seconds. I resist the urge to bow my head beneath his lingering gaze. The power radiates off him in waves, forcefully crashing into me. "You want to stay with my men, to play a part in my missions, to take revenge with my help, but you can't pledge yourself to the Elite? I thought Ryan had explained to you how we operate, but apparently, he failed. We're not a charity case, Audrey. We're a tactical team, and if you want benefits, you have to give something first."I try not to let the despair show on my features, but the flat-out rejection knocks my confidence down a notch."Then, you'll never find out what the alphas are so ready to camouflage," I answer, invoking courage that I do not h
Sacrificed Warrior Chapter 25
The screech of tires echoes in the now vacant underground parking lot. The scenery is creepy at best. Only pillars stand holding the place up. There's nothing and no one in sight. But it's only a matter of time until my victim shows up.I lean against a dusty wall, my palms sweaty as I revisit the details of my fragile strategy. The Elite's mission was clear: find a hybrid and make him join the ranks. They made it sound almost simple.Ryan had the courtesy of showing me the best candidate, the rest was up to me. I don't want to do this, I don't want to touch one of them, I don't want him near me, and all that I wish doesn't even count.My demotivation and disbelief are strong enough that Ryan is restless beside me. I don't blame him. I'm a time bomb waiting to implode."What's the plan?" Ryan whispers as we huddle close, waiting for the hybrid to spring up."To not kill him," I reply in a clipped tone. The hybrid is the enemy; he represents a threat; to let him live is going against e
Sacrificed Warrior Chapter 26
"This is your plan? To torture him?" The question barrels through me, erasing everything else. I close my eyes while I attempt to gain a sense of my surroundings. Ryan doesn't understand, of course, he doesn't, how could he? I've practiced these techniques years ago; became used to the hybrids crying out in pain. The screams pleaded with me, forcing me to hurt them, to prepare them for the shift, lest it killed them."Hey! I'm talking to you. I deserve an answer!" Ryan continues, escalating his tone. My eyes open on their own accord to shoot daggers at him. "How many times have you shifted?" I ask, accusingly. Ryan falters but doesn't relent in his anger and so, I fuel mine to match his. "Once, right? You never tried it again after your body forced you to. Tell me I'm wrong."Ryan grits his teeth, and his tense form towers over me, demanding respect. My questions throw him off guard, and as soon as his voice drowns in the silence, I know that my assumptions are correct. I gesture
Sacrificed Warrior Chapter 27
I take advantage of Eric's state of unconsciousness to move him from the floor to our car, parked just a few steps away. Ryan helps me without as much as a complaint, and I can see that there's something he's dying to tell me, but his pride refrains him from it. We deposit the limp body on the back seat, and Eric doesn't jolt awake, too drained from the shift. I say nothing as Ryan starts the car and drives us to the nearest safe house. And I don't have to. Ryan clears his throat. "That was... brutal," he comments lowly, almost testing my reaction to his words. I stare out of my window as sadness fills me to the brim. "You were right. About mates," I reply in the same tone. Ryan's eyes snap in my direction, but I refuse to look back. Instead, I focus on my intertwined fingers, and for a split second, I imagine another hand holding mine."I would never torture anybody. Not now, not back then. I would never put somebody through the hell I lived. And for you to even accuse me of it..
Sacrificed Warrior Chapter 28
I'm numb. I'm in another dimension as Eric turns on the TV, and my name appears on each channel. A picture pops up next to it- how they got it is beyond me. But there's no mistaking my identity. My breathing becomes shallow, and I become hyperaware of it. Ryan and Eric speak, but the sound is lost on me. Ryan finishes the arrangements with Eric, and all I can do is focus on the air quickly leaving my lungs. I'm done. I'm utterly and irrevocably done. I can't do this anymore. This was the last straw. The thin grip I had on reality just escaped my weak hands. They are coming for me. The words keep replaying in my mind as I try, in vain, to stay tethered to this moment. I'm slipping away. My back burns, reminding me of what they will do when they find me. I can smell the scent of burnt flesh and feel my skin reaping apart beneath the sharpness of the whip. They're coming. I can't breathe. Ryan must have noticed because he quickly leads me away from the building. Still, when he tr
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