Hunting Human - Amanda E. Alvarez [108]
No. Not like Europe. This time I know what I’m facing.
A part of her, the part she kept deeply confined, snapped and snarled, leaving her emotions warring between mind-numbing worry and soul-wrenching fury. For the first time, Beth was grateful for the wolf. Every time another picture came, every time worry and agony surged through her, another part of her raged. Beyond the stress, and under the sickening despair, a storm was brewing and each passing hour, each horrifying image pushed it further toward a tempest of violence, intent only on decimating Markko.
Reining in the agitation and anger the wolf brought to the forefront, Beth listened carefully to Chase. Right now, she needed to maintain a more focused, rational thought process.
“And once we’re confident we’ve picked up the trail?” Chase prompted.
“I’ll wait, if I can, giving you time to circle around, then I proceed on my own.”
“You should be prepared—Markko will insist you speak with him. He’ll force you to shift back to human.”
“He’ll want me to feel as vulnerable as possible, I know.” The thought of shifting back to human, of standing unarmed and unclothed, sickened as much as it frightened her. But she would do it. She had to do it.
“Stall as long as you can. I’ll get there as soon as possible.” They followed the GPS prompt and pulled off the road. Chase grabbed her shoulder as she reached for the door. “One more thing.”
“What?”
“If he engages you in a fight, you have to give into your wolf. Completely.” Chase gripped her shoulder tighter, fingers indenting her skin through the cotton of her T-shirt. “Markko has been shifting since he was thirteen years old. It’s second nature to him. If you try to maintain your human mind, if you try to override the wolf’s instincts with your reason, you’re dead before you’ve begun.”
Beth swallowed hard against the doubt that beat against her mind.
“If you fight it, you’re dead.” Chase shook her until she raised her eyes. “He’s absolutely lethal. He’ll wield his wolf with all the skill he’s acquired over the years. Don’t kid yourself—he’s been killing for as long as he’s been shifting.”
“What chance do I have against that?” She snapped her eyes to his face, impotent rage burning away the despair.
“Close your eyes.” When she didn’t immediately comply, Chase shook her again and growled, “Now.”
Beth let her eyelids slide close, her breath seizing in her chest.
“Remember how your friend died?” Chase’s voice dropped an octave and slid over her like freezing water. “Remember how she bled to death in your arms, her throat torn out? Jaws slid through the sensitive flesh of her neck like a knife through butter, tearing her life away.”
Agony, hot and suffocating, ripped through her, piercing her heart.
“That’ll be a kindness compared to what will happen to Braden.”
Beth choked, bile rising against the back of her throat. Chase’s grip tightened on her shoulder.
“They’ve bound him. Beaten him. Even now, every heartbeat, every breath, is agonizing. And they’re laughing. Every wheezing breath is an amusement. Every grunt that brings up blood is entertaining. They’re having fun.”
Agony gave way to disgust and anger burned away the nausea.
“And if you don’t allow yourself to react instead of think? If you don’t allow instinct, rather than reason, to dictate your actions? Markko will keep you alive, just long enough to watch Braden pull himself apart. As the sun sets, he’ll fight the shift, but the moment the moon rises, he’ll lose control. His shoulders and hips will go first, popping as his limbs disjoint as the shift pulls against the bonds. I’ve seen this…if he’s lucky a rib will snap and puncture his lungs, maybe his heart. Either way, he’ll die a long, agonizing death and the last thing you’ll hear is his screaming. You’ll wish they’d been kind enough to rip his throat out.”
Beth shoved Chase away