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Chapter 22
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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
Sacrificed Warrior Chapter 29
Devin tenses, reluctant for once, but he doesn't deny me the truth. "It started four days ago. Your parents asked me to not say anything. They wanted to talk to you first, to deliver the news."I stare ahead once again, pondering over this new piece of information."Don't be too harsh on them, Audrey. They want to protect you. They just don't know how."I bow my head to hide the disappointment and the fear. The overwhelming and all-consuming fear that threatens to untether me from this earth. Against my will, my hands start to shake uncontrollably, and I can feel myself slipping away to another reality, to another time. Slowly, I begin to fall into another flashback. Devin's hand suddenly covers my own, and I flinch out of instinct at the unexpected connection. Still, he shows no indication of moving them soon. This, too, is a change, the ease with which he touches me. "Hey," he says softly. "We won't let them hurt you. You have my word," Devin vows passionately, squeezing my hands
Sacrificed Warrior Chapter 30
Even though the tension in the room was suffocating, my parents and I managed to come up with a plausible story for my disappearance. We predicted all of the questions and created the answers. Bethany informed the police that I was discharged and was finally ready to be interrogated. How she got a doctor to play along with the act is beyond me. They came to the house, a man and a woman, and spoke as if not to scare me away. They revised the pictures of my wounds and inquired about every single detail: who they were, their appearance, and what they wanted. I answered as truthfully as I could, except for the purpose of my abduction. I played the role of the devastated victim: fragile, defeated, and heartbroken, to prevent them from confronting me. My parents stood beside me, one on each side, encouraging and aiding the scenario of the destroyed family coming together. It takes us about 2 hours before they're satisfied, though I doubt this will be the last time I hear from them. Onc
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