Page 4 of Hunted By the Cartel

Rowan

After my encounter with the alpha from the Nightshade Wolves, I felt a sense of dread settle over me like a heavy blanket. I didn't think it was going to be any different. I knew that I was going to keep thinking about how shitty my life was. I was supposed to be happy, but I wasn't. How could I be, anyway?

One month. That was all the time I had been given to come up with the money I owed, and it wasn't nearly enough. That was crazy. How could he think that it was enough time? I supposed that I should be happy that at least I got some time to try, but at the end of the day, I couldn't make miracles.

As I sat in my car, my mind raced, frantically searching for a solution. And yet, I couldn't find any. There just wasn't.

My thoughts turned to my sister, Lily. She was the only family I had left, and we had always looked out for each other. But Lily had her own demons, and I feared that her addiction to drugs had consumed her entirely.

I didn't know if maybe I was making a mistake, but at this point, I couldn't change my mind about it. I had to do what I was going to do or else I would feel much worse.

I needed to find her, to tell her about the danger I was in, and perhaps, just perhaps, she could help me. Did I think she really could? No, but I was desperate. I could try almost anything.

With a heavy sigh, I started my car and made my way to the last place I knew she had been staying. The information wasn't very recent, but it was all I had. Otherwise, where would I look? Nowhere.

From what I knew, she was in a dilapidated house on the outskirts of town, a place where addicts and outcasts gathered to try not to think about their shitty lives. It probably didn't work, but it didn't mean they were going to give up.

The house was run-down, the windows boarded up, and the front yard was nothing but dead grass and discarded needles. Jeez. I didn't even like to think about what she was probably injecting into her veins. It had to be something that made her feel worse and not better. But, that was being addicted to drugs.

As I stepped out of my car, the stench of rotting garbage and urine assaulted my nostrils. I covered my mouth and nose with my sleeve, trying to block out the putrid smell as I made my way up the cracked walkway. Did it work? Not really, but it was better than nothing. I wished I couldn't smell anything.

The front door hung loosely on its hinges, creaking eerily as I pushed it open. It was almost as though it could fall to the floor if it were used a couple more times. I was hoping that wasn't going to happen while I was here.

"Lily?" I called out, my voice echoing in the dimly lit hallway. "Are you here? It's me, Rowan, your brother and friend. I hope everything is okay with you."

The house was eerily quiet, the only sound the soft creak of floorboards under my feet. I made my way through the cluttered rooms, my heart sinking with each step.

There was no one. I couldn't see anyone. What the fuck? I thought I was going to see someone at least, but the place was empty.

The house was a mess, with dirty needles and empty bottles littering every surface. How could anyone live in a place like this? Maybe I was just too accustomed to living in better places, but I really couldn't imagine myself spending more than an hour here.

I feared the worst as I called out for my sister, my voice cracking with desperation. I was a very logical guy. Could anything good have happened to her? I didn't think so.

As I turned a corner, my heart froze at the sight before me. A figure, hooded and cloaked in shadows, stood in the doorway, blocking my path. It was like he had been waiting for me.

In his hand was a knife, glinting menacingly in the faint light. His intention was clear. He wanted to kill me.

"Who are you?" I stammered, my heart pounding in my chest. I thought I couldn't feel so much fear again. "What do you want? Don't come any closer or else—"

The figure took a step forward, his hood falling slightly, revealing a pair of cold, dead eyes. No matter what I said, he wasn't interested in hearing it.

"You don't belong here, pretty omega," the figure hissed, his voice like ice. "You must have a death wish, coming here."

I backed away, my heart hammering in my chest. No matter how far away I moved, I knew it wasn't going to be enough.

"I'm just looking for my sister," I said, my voice shaking. I didn't know if explaining why I was here was good enough. He didn't look like the kind of person who cared. "Please, I mean you no harm. I didn't come here because of you."

The figure advanced, his knife raised, the metal reflecting the faint light, sending shards of light in every direction. I backed away, but again, there wasn't much space behind me.

"I have no idea who you are talking about," he snarled. "Regardless, I didn't come here for her. I came here for you."

My breath quickened as I realized I had nowhere to run. The figure was between me and the exit, and I was trapped in this house of horrors. I searched frantically for a weapon, my eyes falling on a broken piece of wood nearby. This was my chance. It had to be it.

I lunged for it, my heart pounding, and brandished it like a sword, trying to keep the figure at bay. Maybe it was a mistake, but it was too late to think about that right now anyway.

"Stay back!" I shouted, my voice cracking. "I don't want to hurt you, but I will if I have to! I don't run away from what I have to do."

The figure lunged, his knife slicing through the air, and I swung the wooden plank with all my might. There was a sickening thud as the wood connected with the figure's arm, causing him to drop the knife with a cry of pain.

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