Page 33 of Fated
“You can call for help but I’ll end your life before anyone can get here,” he said with sureness that made my blood run cold. It was one-on-one, but he could shift into his wolf and I couldn’t. That was my death sentence.
There would be no winning this fight, but it wasn’t in me to give up without one. I was no coward even if death were inevitable. I’d made a big mistake but I didn’t allow him to see the fear that I felt inside.
Where are you?Curtis asked frantically through the mind-link.
In the forest, I answered.
Goddammit! You stay alive until I get to you, he shouted at me.
I tensed my jaw to stop the emotion from filtering through onto my features. I wouldn’t give Richard the satisfaction. Victor had always drilled into me that emotions caused mistakes, and he was right. My emotions and lack of thought had put me into this deadly situation.
Look after my mom. I sent the last thought through to Curtis before I blocked further communication. There was no point. He wouldn’t be able get to me in time. I’d expected Richard to shift into his wolf and tear me to pieces but instead he remained in human form, watching me with a villainous smile.
“I don’t need to shift into my wolf to kill you,” he said smugly as a cold smile spread across his face. “I’m strong enough to pull you to pieces with my bare hands.”
Not only was I going to die, he would make sure it was painful. I didn’t want to feel the fear that crept through me but there was no stopping it.
“This might just be a fair fight, then,” I couldn’t help throwing back at him. Just because I was about to die a very painful death didn’t mean I was going to let him see how scared I was, and it wasn’t in me to back down or beg for my life.
If I was going out, it would be fighting.
With a determined push of my chin, I held his stare as he stepped forward. All the werewolves in my pack had been trained to fight. Woman alongside men; there was no discrimination.
Richard might be the stronger one but I still hung on to the fraction of hope that my speed might hold him off for the time needed for Curtis to get to me. He leaped forward and his fist flew toward my face but was slightly fast so I managed to pull my head out of its way.
He laughed as I took a step backward. I’d escaped the first punch but I was far from safe. He had me exactly where he wanted me. Most people would try and run but I knew there was no point. If I ran he would shift and then I would be an easy kill.
I was going to fight him but I had to be clever about it. If by some miracle I could hold him off, I thought I just might be able to survive this. He sized me up for a moment as I took a fighting stance and raised my fists. All my training ran subconsciously through my mind as I took in the way he stood and where his hands were.
He balled them against his sides while he continued to smile, like he’d won this battle already.
This time when he stepped forward he was much quicker and I didn’t make it out of his way. His fist connected with my face and I felt the momentum of the hit lift me off the ground and I flew backward. I hit the ground hard, temporarily winding me as I rolled onto my side, holding my aching face.
There was something wet on my face where my cheek throbbed. I looked down at my hands to see it smeared with my own blood. My cheek had split open from the force of the hit.
Richard stalked forward and I pushed myself back up on my feet, wiping the blood with my hand. The evil in his eyes grew at the evidence of what he’d done to me. He was reveling in my pain.
“You had enough yet?” he mocked as he stepped forward menacingly.
“As if,” I spat at him. “It’ll take more than that to kill me.”
I saw the rise in anger at my dig at his ego. The next hit was definitely going to be harder. I watched his eyes carefully, trying to predict his next move. The slightest flicker to the left gave me enough time to avoid the next hit.
His victorious smile waned slightly as his eyes glinted with determination. I could only hold him off for so long, and I was quickly running out of time.
Without revealing his next move, he yelled as he ran for me and tackled me to the ground. I landed hard, expelling the breath out of my lungs, and the pain shot through me. The impact bruised my side as he rolled off me and got back to his feet.
It hurt to breathe and I rolled onto my stomach, trying to get back up again.
“I’m going to enjoy this,” he said with determination. The small hope that I’d held on to began to evaporate.
“Fuck you,” I spat at him as I managed to get back up to my feet. My face and body throbbed with pain. My legs were unsteady beneath me but they held me up.
“I’m going to watch the life leave your body and I’m going to enjoy every moment of it,” he promised in a deadly tone as his hand wrapped around my neck.
Oh. My. God.He was going to strangle me.
He pushed me up against a nearby tree and I tried to loosen his hold with my hands. I scratched and fought but he was too strong. No matter how hard I hit him or struggled against his hold, his gripped never weakened.
