CHAPTER THIRTEEN - Assassination

Peter's POV 

“Step away from her!” I growled at the stranger who turned his face sideways before smirking. Then he scoffed, making my blood boil with anger.

“Why?” He spoke, his voice firm and carrying a sense of darkness, “So I don't get to do my job?”

“Nah, I think I’ll pass.” He spoke quickly, turning and throwing his knife towards my skull.

My eyes went wide and my heart raced as I spotted the knife hurtling toward me. In an instant, I dove to the side, the blade piercing the door with a sickening thud, narrowly missing me.

“So close!” The stranger pouted, taunting me to hit him.

I glanced at the door before gritting my teeth at the strange man in front of me; he covered his face with a black surgical mask and his eye pupils were like every other, brown.

Forming my palms into fists, I launched against him; then I threw a punch across his face.

He quickly ducked under my arm and struck my right knee. I grunted as pain shot through my leg.

“Too slow.” He taunted me again, rising to meet my gaze before landing another hit on my face.

I took a step back as his fist clashed with my face, and then I realized he was using my height against me. 

While he sees me bigger, he also sees me slower, so in this case he has to be faster in his attack, while I need to be smarter.

But I couldn't help but wonder who could've sent him to kill Anna, was it my parents or that bitch?

I feinted a punch, drawing him off guard. In that split-second, I slammed a blow into his stomach, doubling him over.

He grunted in pain as he stumbled backward, crashing into the heart rate monitor while clutching his stomach. 

I didn't give him a chance to regain his footing. With a swift motion, I launched at him, grasping his neck and slamming him across the room. 

The room echoed with the crash of his body against the wall. Beneath the hum of the heart monitor, I could hear his labored breathing as he struggled to stand. 

My heart pounded with more than the adrenaline of the fight. Anna lay inches away, vulnerable, and this bastard dared to bring a blade into her wardroom.

“Not so fast now, huh?” I mocked, stalking him in an intimidating manner.

Before I could get very close to him, he stood up, staggering to reach for his knife buried in the door, and then he began swinging it against my face, threatening to blind me.

I shifted back to every one of his attacks, and then, to my surprise, he threw the knife past me.

“No!” I roared as my heart leaped up into my throat, the knife was heading for Anna.

Immediately, I moved my hand swiftly against the knife, hitting it before it could do any more damage to Anna.

I grunted as it sliced my finger, but I didn't let the pain give the assassin any chance against me.

‘My turn.’ Mike growled, turning my fingers into claws.

“There's the big bad wolf.” The assassin spoke, but I could see his eyes widen in fear; he knew he was so done for right about now.

I rushed towards him, flailing my claws, but he swiftly dodged out of the way. In a split second, I gritted my teeth and swung my claws at his stomach, tearing through his skin.

“Ahhh!” The assassin shouted in pain as blood gushed out of his belly. He fell to the ground, groaning.

Quickly, I knelt on one knee, snarling at him, and then I took off his mark, holding my claws in the air.

One side of his face was red and looked burned, stretching from his forehead down to his neck, like a pizza. His nose had a small, old scar on it.

I wanted to end his life right here, but I needed to know who was responsible for hiring him.

“Tell me, who sent you?” I yelled at him, my voice echoing through the walls of the wardroom.

The assassin kept groaning in pain, unable to answer me.

“I said… tell me, WHO SENT YOU?!” I roared at him, starting to lose my patience.

The assassin chuckled a little as he continued to groan.

“Uh-Uh.” He spoke, coughing out blood from his mouth, before speaking, “I don’t betray my clients,” he rasped, blood dripping from his mouth. “Unless you can pay more.”

I gritted my teeth as he said that, finally losing my patience, and then I dug my claws into his stomach.

“DO YOU THINK I’M JOKING WITH YOU, MOTHERFUCKER?!” I roared at him hearing his screams of pain, feeling my claws deeper into his skin.

“Guards!” I yelled at the top of my voice.

After some time of waiting for the guards, none came, so I yelled again.

“Guards!” 

Immediately, some security came into Anna's wardroom, stunned by what they saw.

“Take this bastard to the torture room,” I ordered them, taking away my claws from his stomach while he grunted in pain.

“I need to know who hired him to kill Anna.” 

“Yes, Your Highness.” They replied, dragging the assassin up and taking him out of the room.

I looked at my palms filled with blood and then I moved my gaze towards Anna, who was deeply asleep.

My face, etched with sadness and anger, rose inside of me as I stared at her; even though the mansion wasn't safe for her, the hospital wasn't.

I need to know who sent that assassin against Anna so that I can unleash the raw anger I’m feeling right now.

I couldn't help but wonder if someone told either my parents or Charlotte that Anna was alive and recovering in the hospital.

But who could that be? Could it be one of the nurses? 

Thoughts ran through my mind as I came towards Anna,

sitting on my chair and watching her chest moving slowly, afraid it could stop if I wasn't watching.