“Guess so,” the man scowled. “I’m not too mad, though. We’ll have plenty of time to acquaint ourselves later.”
Before she could try and figure out what he meant, a boot was flying towards her face. A small sound tore past her lips as it collided with her temple. Specks of white danced in her eyes for a single second and then there was nothing except a fading voice in her mind.
“June?”
/CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR/
Silver burns like hell.
This was June’s first thought as she woke up to see her wrists bound in thick, shiny shackles. The hunters had gotten creative with her restraints. Her cuffs were connected by a chain which was looped through an iron ring attached to the wall. She was almost grateful they had let her sit rather than making her stand because her entire body ached, especially her head.
With great effort, June stretched her right hand, trying to reach her temple. She gritted her teeth when the silver rubbed against her skin. The smell of burning flesh was really starting to get on her nerves.
“Your head stopped bleeding an hour ago. There’s no reason to exert yourself.”
June froze, her brain in overdrive as she tried to figure out where she had heard that voice from before. When it clicked, she croaked, “Clark?”
Across the basement, something moved. With a pace that could rival a snail, a hunched over figure moved into the light of the window. Without Genesis, it was twice as hard to make out their features. The man from Marigold’s memory looked nothing like the one sitting two feet away from June.
His skin was so pale it was nearly translucent. It made his white, shoulder length hair glow. Set in the center of a hollow face, prominent cheek bones and sagging skin, were two dark eyes. They assessed her with sharp awareness. “How do you know my name?”
The hope in his voice was palpable in the air. June didn’t have it in herself to lie. “Marigold’s brother has been looking for you.”
The light in Clark’s eyes died. He clamped a hand over his mouth and swallowed. It was a while before he could ask, “Is she…please tell me that Maggie’s not….”
“No, no, no.” June shook her head, mentally scolding herself. “She’s in a coma. Donovan has been trying to figure out a way to wake her up.”
“I’m not a doctor,” Clark quipped.
From her little knowledge of humans outside of the complex, June knew that they refused to believe in the existence of other creatures. Well, most did. She knew there were a few who were apt about the existence of aliens.
June was thinking of a way to ease Clark into the truth when she decided it was just easier to push him off the metaphorical cliff. Holding his gaze, she cleared her throat, “There’s nothing physically wrong with Marigold. It’s her mind. Lena is a dream walker, and she used her connection to the otherworld to imprison your friend.”
Clark’s face flashed with acceptance. “Okay.”
“Okay?” June parroted. She was starting to wonder how there the human was. He seemed stable but there was no telling what a year in the dark had done to him. “You believe me?”
“Should I not?” he asked rhetorically. “I hung out with Maggie every day for a year. She wasn’t exactly discreet about herself. I mean, no one else seemed to notice, but I did. Sometimes her eyes looked like they were glowing and then there was that time she broke her hand by accidently slamming it in a car door. It was bent and turning purple but by the next morning it was like nothing had happened. Then Lena took me…and the dreams started.”
That caught June’s attention for sure. “What dreams?”
Clark rubbed his head, a line forming between his sweaty brows. “I see myself doing bad things to people, sometimes killing them. When I wake up, Lena is always standing above me. She asks me questions about what I remember and mentions details that only I should know.”
“Is Lena the only person visits you?” June asked. She wasn’t sure how to respond to Clark’s confession.
He looked grateful for the topic change, his shoulders dropping. “Sometimes, but not often. A few different men and a boy have brought me food. I’ve only ever seen one at a time until they dragged you down here. They were talking about how they were searching for a guy that was with you. From what I’ve picked up on, he’s a master of evasion.”
That was good. Even though she was here, June was glad Creed was safe. Thinking of him made her mind go to Donovan. “Am I still wearing my necklace?”
“That’s where your priorities are at?”
“I’m not worried about the hunters if that’s what you’re implying. I know how they work,” she said. “Is it still there or not?”
Clark nodded.
“It has a tracker,” she whispered, her eyes flicking to the door at the top of the stairs. “Donovan is on the way.”
He didn’t seem excited, and June learned why a second later. With shaking hands, he lifted the bottom of his dirty shirt. A colorful patch of blue and purple bruises ran up his side like a painting. “They won’t be here in time. I’m pretty certain that my appendix ruptured last night.”
June looked away.
Failure, it seemed, was unavoidable. She wasn’t sure if she was more upset about Clark dying or letting down Marigold. The only thing she could be proud about was that the hunters had taken her to Lena. Still, her dread had reached an all-time high. She wished Genesis was awake to help her process the situation.
At the thought, her attention snapped back to Clark. “I can save you.”
“How?” His eyes flickered to her bound hands.
“I’m like Maggie,” June aired. “I’m a shifter. If I…if I bite you, you’ll become like me. More importantly, you won’t die. It’s your decision, Clark.”
“I can see her again,” Clark mumbled to himself. His eyes flashed with a multitude of emotions. Slowly, he started towards June, crawling on his hands and knees across the dirt floor.
Supernatural senses be damned, June gagged at the smell rolling off him. She felt bad when Clark’s face flushed dark red. Pushing down her disgust, she gently warned him, “I can’t be completely sure this will work. The silver is keeping me from shifting but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try.”
Clark nodded and asked, “W-what do you want me to do?”
“Bring your wrist up to my mouth,” June directed. He did and she reached back into the recess of her mind. Her temples throbbed as she tried to find her way to Genesis. Very slightly, something stirred. She could feel the wolf but couldn’t hear her. Taking that as a good sign, June opened her mouth and bit Clark, praying to Nyx for aid. She waited a good ten seconds before releasing her hold.
He was calm as he took his hand back, clutching it to his chest. “If I don’t make it out of here, will you tell Maggie I love her and that none of this is her fault? Being her friend was the best part of my life.”
“Of course,” June promised, noting the grim tone in her voice. She was about to tell Clark that he would be okay when she heard heavy footsteps. Fear crawled up her spine, but she didn’t let it show. Quickly, to Clark, she said, “Go lay down. Pretend you’re sleeping and hide your wrist. If they see that I bit you, we’re both dead.”
Clark jumped into action, crawling back over to his ratty mattress in the corner. Just as the human laid down, the door to the cellar opened, hitting the brick wall with a bang.
June kept her head down as the man approached.
It was null act, however, when thick fingers tangled themselves in her hair, forcing her to look up. The man’s mouth was set in a leer and his eyes, the same shade of murky gray water, were filled with vengeance, hunger, and everything else evil in the world. His voice overflowed with spite as he jeered, “I’m glad you’re awake, darlin’. I hate not being able to fulfill a promise.”
June kept her lips pressed together. He let out a low grunt at her silence and dropped his grip. Her relief was extinguished when a cloth bag was pulled over head. She choked when he pulled the drawstrings t
ight, a noose around her neck. After a long minute, he eased up the vice and spoke vehemently beside her head, “Now, let’s not start cryin’. That’s just a taste of what I’ll give you if you try anything funny. Nod if you understand.”
She did and felt his hand pat the top of her head. A moment later, her right hand was released from its cuff. June stayed still as he lowered her arms. Once she was free from the iron ring on the wall, the shackle was put back on.
The hunter hauled June up from the ground by her arm and dragged her forward. With each step, she couldn’t get over the feeling that he was guiding her towards a future which promised bloodshed and certain death.
/CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE/
The smell of rot filled June’s nose as she was shoved down into a chair. Two sets of hands unlocked the shackles. Her arms were held down as her wrists were placed in a new set of cuffs and locked, pinning her to the chair. The bag was pulled off her head, taking some of her hair with it. Her face was void of expression as she assessed the hunters crowding the small room.
She recognized two of the five from the hotel parking lot. The first was the one who had confronted her in the bathroom and dragged her into their cliché torture room. The second sported a fake tan, too white teeth, and slicked back blond hair. Next to him was an older man who had to be at least in his seventies. His eyes were murky with cataracts and the bones of his face protruded drastically.
The last hunter stood in the corner. June recalled what Clark had said about a kid but hadn’t expected it to be a teenager. The boy, maybe fourteen years old, faced the floor and was folded in on himself. He clothes were almost as dirty as Clark’s, stained with dirt and turning yellow.
June took her eyes off him when he down at the floor. She focused her attention on the men and quipped, “Shall we do the awkward introductions now or later? I’ll start us off. My name is—”
The sound of skin on skin bounced off the wet walls. June’s neck popped and she ran her tongue over her split lip, tasting copper. Now that Clark wasn’t in danger of being harmed by the hunters, her patience was gone, replaced with pure, undiluted anger.
June glared at the old man, narrowing her eyes. “That wasn’t very nice. When I get out of this chair, you’ll be first to die.”
The reaction she received was not warranted. Instead of fear, his eyes flashed with excitement. He grinned and turned to the group. “Did you hear that boys? It’s been a while since we’ve been in the company of a hybrid with spunk. Riley! Get my tools. I want to see what this bitch is made of.”
The kid, Riley, stepped forward, his hand twisted together. His voice shook as he stammered, “I…I don’t think that’s a good idea, Hal. Lena said—”
“I don’t give a fuck what Lena said! I am in charge!” Hal shouted. He stalked over to the kid and grabbed the collar of his shirt, spit flying as he seethed, “Go before I decide to put you in that chair next.”
Riley was shoved into the wall, hitting his head against the stone. He recovered quickly and raced out of the room. Hal turned back to her, taking in her wide eyes, and smirked. “What? Nothing to add?”
June stayed silent.
“That’s what I thought,” the hunter said and came back over to her. His wrinkled fingers pulled down the shoulder of her shirt. Her stomach revolted as he tapped her mark. “I’ve always wondered if it was true that when the bitch feels pain, so will their mate. I can’t wait to make you hurt. It’s the little things that make me feel young again, knowing that somewhere out there, another hybrid will feel the slow pull of death.”
The anger grabbed her in its hold without warning. She couldn’t bite down her tongue quick enough. “Eat shit.”
Hal lifted his hand to slap her again but dropped it when the door opened. Riley’s back faced the room as he walked backward, pulling a metal cart inside. Laid out on top was an array of torture tools ready to be used. June looked away when she saw a pair of rusty pliers.
“Elliot, grab the scalpel,” Hal commanded.
June’s eyes moved to the man who had taken her from the basement. He stayed where he was, staring at her with no reprieve. It was the one who looked like he belonged in the suburbs that approached the cart. The metal drawer grated as he opened it, taking out the blade. He gripped it tight and looked at Hal for further direction.
The older man whispered something in his ear. June held her breath as Elliot moved behind her chair. One of his hands grabbed her hair, forcing her head back. She closed her eyes as the blade kissed her jugular. He pressed it down, drawing blood as he asked, “What did you tell Hal to eat again?”
June didn’t make a sound, not even when Elliot’s teeth bite down on her earlobe. At the same time, the blade pressed down again, breaking skin. For a second, she saw her life play out in her head like a movie, the focus being Donovan.
He’s almost here, she thought, knowing she was only giving herself false hope.
“Good bitches listen to their masters,” Elliot drawled and let her go.
June opened her eyes. Her stomach flipped at sight of her blood staining the hunter’s lips. From the way it throbbed, it felt like he had almost bitten through her earlobe. Warm blood trickled down her neck, staining her shirt.
She wasn’t the only one to notice.
The last nameless hunter let out an exaggerated sigh, “Now she’s dirty. Elliot? Do you mind?”
Elliot shared a grin with the Hal. “Not at all.”
June held her breath as the hunter came to her front. A rip filled the air as he tore her shirt down the middle. She bit the inside of her cheek. Her eyes burned as the men stared her down, eyeing her lace bra. Elliot’s fingers dipped in the middle where the cups attached. She was prepared herself for the worst when he reached for the thin string with his scalpel.
“Enough,” Hal snapped and dragged Elliot away by the back of his shirt. “We’re not here so you two to have a reason to get off later. For God’s sake, she’s not even human.”
The nameless hunter licked his lips, his eyes clouded with lust. “She looks human enough for me.”
“Not happening Lyle,” Hal berated.
Lyle held up his hands in surrender. “Fine, but at least do something worthwhile. I’m tired of standing here for nothing.”
Hal shuffled over to the cart and grabbed something long and black off the top. He tested the weight, hitting it against his hands as he approached June. Pressing a button, she watched the end of it light up with blue sparks. He pointed the cattle prod at her chest, goading, “You’re going to answer my questions or else…”
June’s head went back, and an ungodly scream ripped through her throat, seizing. Black stars danced in her vision as the electricity tore through her all the way down to the bone. She didn’t realize that Hal had moved until he gripped her chin, squeezing hard, forcing her to meet his gaze.
“What pack are you from?” he demanded.
Lethargic, she gave him a half half-tipped smile and slurred, “Nonyabusiness.”
The cattle prod reacquainted itself with her again. This time it wasn’t so bad. While June could feel and smell her skin burning, there wasn’t much pain. She idly wondered if this was a bad sign.
Hal tried again. “Where are you from? Who else knows we’re here?”
June blinked. Two Hal’s moved in and out of focus and she laughed, “Everyone.”
From behind him, Lyle chimed in, “I think you have it too high, man. You won’t get anything out of her if you fry her brain.”
Hal’s nostrils flared. “Who sent you?”
“Your mom,” June snipped, leaning towards the hunter.
“Fucking—” Hal cursed and pressed the cattle prod into her chest for the third time.
At the surge of power, June felt a familiar stirring in the back of her mind. She breathed out slowly and let herself sink into the back of her mind. There was a moment of black, and when she looked up, it was through the eyes of Genesis.
Hal stepped back in horror at
the emergence of her silver hues. The room was still for a single second and then the wolf twisted June’s wrist. Both cuffs snapped in half, clattering to the floor.
The pale faces fed Genesis as she stood up. “My turn.”
She grabbed Hal first. The man begged for mercy as her claws ripped into his neck, until she took his head clean off his shoulders. Hot blood splattered her face and chest. The wolf dropped his body as he gurgled, choking on his blood. His limbs twitched as Genesis stepped over him, starting towards Elliot.
In the time that she been busy with Hal, he had grabbed the cattle rod. He held it out in front of himself in an attempt to ward her off. “Stop!”
Genesis grabbed the lit end with one hand, the sparks felt like ants crawling up her arm, unpleasant but bearable. She yanked it out of his grip, pulling him towards her. The man quaked and the smell of urine filled the air as she shoved him against the wall. Smiling, the wolf thrusted her hand into his chest as if it were made of butter, pulling his heart out.
Elliot wheezed and fell to the ground, dead.
The wolf took her time with Lyle. His disgusting words fueled for her rage as she shoved him to the ground. Climbing on top of the hunter, her claws sank into his abdomen. She ripped through his stomach, pulling out his insides until he stopped screaming.
Rising, Genesis started for the door when she remembered that there was one more hunter to take care of. Her eyes snapped to the corner of the room where Riley sat, sobbing. His chin trembled as she approached, begging, “Please. I’m sorry. Please.”
She crouched down in front of the boy. Unlike the others, his fear was sour to the wolf. One of her claws brushed against his cheek, leaving a streak of Lyle’s blood on his face. Genesis pulled her lips back to reveal her canines, growling, “You are not innocent.”
“Please.” His eyes went past her to the bodies. He started to hyperventilate. “I didn’t want to be like them, I swear. I swear.”
Genesis: (Book One of the True Luna Series) Page 26