Page 78 of Kat Bethel

He must not be able to communicate with them.

My breathing hitched. No. I couldn’t go back.

I fought harder, even though it accomplished nothing.

“Let me go!” I demanded, but it was useless. They only answered to him.

Exhaustion hit me, and I sagged in defeat. I guess I couldn’t outrun my consequences this time.

What would he do to me?

My chest locked, making it impossible to breathe. All while my heart threatened to break through my breastbone. I reached into my pocket and came out with my bottle of anti-anxiety pills. It barely rattled, because it was still mostly full.

I paused as I stared at it. A bright orange bottle with a red label ‘in case of suspected poisoning or medication overdose call poison control’.

I tried to swallow, but my throat was too tight as if my body knew I was about to betray it again.

There was one way.

I probably wouldn’t die before I got to him, but I would before I had to live in the mess I’d made.

Fucking hell.

How many self-destruct buttons did I have to push before I realized it wouldn’t work?

One more?

No. Don’t do that to him.

As soon as I unclicked the cap, the wolves yelped in panic. One wolf grabbed that arm in its teeth. This wasn’t the warning of before. Teeth sunk painfully into skin and muscle, pulling the hand with the pills away from me.

The sudden pain startled me into crying out.

It understood what I intended to do.

I clenched my fingers around the bottle, refusing to release it, even when the wolf shook my arm violently. Skin and muscle tore until I screamed in agony.

They hadn’t harmed me before.

What changed?

It took two seconds too long to get my head out of my ass; What were their orders?

One guess.

Bring me back to him: alive and unharmed.

Probably so he could kill me himself. But he’d made the stupid mistake of giving me leverage.

I could do this.

I fought the pain to bring my arm back to me. Every inch closer to my body, the teeth sank deeper and harder.

Countless hot, sharp blades pierced me one layer at a time. Blood spattered all over me. Tears streamed down my cheeks asI finally got the bottle open and put it in my lips. I tilted my head back, letting the pills fill my mouth uncomfortably.

The wolves whimpered like they'd been whipped. They crouched ready to leap, their eyes locked on me. Just waiting for a chance.

“Back off.” My command was muffled and almost impossible to understand. I wasn’t even sure they would listen, but I had to try. “Back!”