Chapter 42 - Both-Save Little Bunny
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Trinity
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My head was pounding, and I felt disoriented. I didn't know why at first. But then I realized that I was hanging over something, like how Reece had thrown me over his shoulder. But this time the person was not taking as much care. They were being rough, and it showed.
My stomach was laying across someone's shoulder just like it had Reece's, but it was pressing against it in a way that made their shoulder dig in uncomfortably. I could barely breathe. And whoever this person was they were running fast. The constant movement up and down was like a stabbing pain to my gut with every step they took.
I came to my senses, shaking the last of the fog from my head. I remembered what had happened. The attack, the struggle, the searing pain in my head, then everything going black. They had been trying to tie me up, but I was fighting them too much. Apparently, they had given up the idea on tying me when they knocked me unconscious. They clearly didn't expect me to wake up so soon.
I would need to get away, and quick. If I could just get to my feet, I could run away. I was part wolf, so I was bound to be faster than them. I noticed they were going up a hill and had noticeably slowed. This was my chance.
I grabbed a fist full of the man's hair, yanking it back and giving myself leverage, all the while lifting myself (with the use of my grip on his hair) and bringing my knee crashing up into his throat. His grip on me loosened, I dropped and rolled to the side, he fell to his knees gasping and choking for air. I got to my feet and made a run back toward the Alpha house, but the man's scream had alerted the others too quickly.
I felt a hand grab me by my hair and pull hard. I cried out, involuntarily, as I was yanked off my feet. I fell backwards and landed with a crashing thud on the forest floor. The breath rushed out of me as I was momentarily dazed. I lost the precious time I needed to escape.
"You should have just kept still." One of the men said through clenched teeth. I saw two of them approaching me. The other was just struggling to his feet. I scrambled backwards, trying to put some distance between us.
"Stay away from me." I demanded.
"Or what?" The man who had spoken earlier asked. He was right. I couldn't do much. I could fight, and I would. But it would most likely end the same as before. But I still had to try.
I couldn't take my eyes off of them to form a plan. I could only feel around in my surroundings for anything that could help me. My hand bumped into a large stick hidden under the leaf strewn ground. I closed my hand around it, halting my retreat and putting a pathetic look on my face, like I was frightened.
"That's right, just give up." The man spoke again, and he lunged at me. I swung out with the large branch as hard and fast as I could. It caught him hard across the face. He yelled in pain and frustration.
"Why won't you just stop you little bitch?" He screamed at me. The other two were lunging at me now. I swung again and hit one across the back of the head, and the other across the face on my back swing, breaking his nose. I could smell that all three of them were bleeding now. And all three were noticeably angry.
The three of them leapt at me at the same time. I tried to swing at them as quickly as I could, but I wasn't fast enough. They all lunged simultaneously. Two of them landed on my arms and pinned me down. The other landed on my legs, he leaned forward and he placed his hands on either side of my head.
"We're supposed to take you back with us, but you're being a bit of a handful. Perhaps we need to make you more compliant." He whispered in my ear.
"Get off of me." I yelled at him. "Don't touch me." I spat the words in his face.
I heard the sound of a wolf snarling in the distance, and I instantly knew who it was. I was happy to hear it, but I didn't think he would come for me. But it was probably only because he had to pretend that we were a proper couple while we were here.
"Reece." I breathed his name in a sigh of relief.
"God damn it, we're out of time." One of them snapped, releasing me. I felt a rush of relief as they let go of me.
"But we will be back for you." Another laughed as he stood.
"Here's a parting gift." The one whose nose I broke said as he kicked me hard in the side of the head, right where they had hit me earlier. I cried out in pain and saw bright stars flash before my eyes, but I managed to stay conscious as I watched them run off.
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Reece
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I was following the trail. I knew I was getting closer to them as Little Bunny's scent was getting a little stronger. I heard a yell still a little off in the distance. A man's cry of pain. Little Bunny must be awake and on the offense again. Then I heard the sound of her cry out in pain. I snarled. My wolf didn't like them hurting our mate.
I couldn't hear anything the voices were saying yet, but I could hear the angry tones from the men and my Little Bunny. There was the sound of another scuffle, the men crying out in pain and the fresh scent of blood, none of it hers. Way to go Devil Bunny.
Then I heard her scream something that made my blood boil.
"Get off me! Don't touch me!" Hands off! My wolf screamed. No one touches what's mine, even if I don't use it, it's mine. Leave her alone. I snarled out loud at the sound of her screaming those words, knowing all too well what would make her say them.
I heard them now, their voices were close enough to be clear.
"Reece." She sighed my name in relief.
"God damn it, we're out of time."
"But we will be back for you."
"Here's a parting gift." When the last one said this, I was close enough to see through the trees now. He had been laying somewhat on top of her, which infuriated me. When he stood up, he kicked her hard in the side of the head with his boot. She cried out in pain.
I put on a burst of speed and tried to catch up to them. I noticed she had risen to her knees and was watching them leave. She didn't seem to have the energy to get to her feet. I was torn between going after them and stopping to help her. I had never been torn like that before. But my duty was to my pack and she was part of my pack. I would send Riley's men after the Warlocks.
It took me another minute to get to her, running all out and weaving around the obstacles in my way. She didn't even look at me, she just continued to watch the direction they had left in. I was worried she was in shock.
I shifted, back to my human self, while crouching right next to her. She still didn't look at me.
"Are you alright Little Bunny?" I asked her. I knew that blow to the head had been a bad one, and she was more susceptible to injury than I was. She didn't answer. She continued to act like I wasn't even there. "Little Bunny, are you OK?" I asked her, trying to get her attention. She still ignored me. Fearing that she might have a head injury I knelt lower and moved to look her in the face.
I could see her eyes now. For the first time since I found her in the woods tonight. I had looked at her from the side when I spoke the first two times, so I hadn't seen her eyes. But now I was looking. And what I saw almost made me gasp. I was glad I was the first one to find her.
Trinity's eyes were glowing. The bright sky blue was glowing almost white now, the inner blue ring was shining like a sapphire and the gold ring looked metallic and reflective. The inner two circles were turning to the left and right, alternatingly. Half or full turns one way then they would switch back. It was almost like a camera lens permanently trying to autofocus and zoom at the same time. I had never seen anything like it before.
"Trinity? What's going on?" I asked her, shocked.
"They're going to get away if we don't hurry." She yelled.
"They've already gotten away." I told her, they were long gone, and we couldn't track their scent.
"No, they haven't, they're right there." She said pointing somewhere in the trees. "They're about eighteen-hundred meters that way." She added.
"You can still see them?" I asked her.
"You can't?" She sounded confused.
"No."
"Then follow their scent, it's a little weird, and it makes me sneeze, but I'm sure you guys can get it better than me." She sighed, further confusing me.
"Trinity, we can't smell them at all." I told her. She finally blinked and broke eye contact with whatever she was focusing on. She looked so confused, but she also looked tired and hurt.
"What do you mean you can't smell them?" She asked me.
"None of us here can smell them, only you. It's like they were hiding their scent and it was hiding yours too."
"What?" She looked shocked. "So, I'm the only one? Further proof I don't belong". For some reason that made her look depressed.
"At least you can smell them when they're trying to hide, be on your guard next time." She nodded. "More importantly," I started, letting anger fill my voice, "why the hell did you leave that spot. I told you to stay put." I growled at her. I could see the defiance fill her eyes. She was preparing to argue.
"Look, Mighty Dog," she was gearing up for an argument as she was slowly getting to her feet. "I don't ne--." She slumped toward the ground and I caught her as she fell.