Page 11 of Huntress and the Thorn Court
Having spent enough time feeling like a zoo animal, I deposited my food in the trash and exited the hall. Glancing around, I tried to remember the route Eleanor had taken to bring me to the cafeteria.
“So,” a raspy voice crackled as a man moved to stand in front of me, flanked by two of his friends. All three were male, and judging by the energy flowing off them, all were werewolves. “You’re the one that killed Malcolm.”
“You figure that all out by yourself.” I needled him, unable to resist.
“Can’t even pretend to sound remorseful, can you?”
Out of my peripheral, I caught his friends moving to surround me. “I’m not that good of an actress. Malcolm was a hot head and it got his nephew killed, so no, I don’t feel remorse for him.”
“Malcolm didn’t kill Cyrus.” His brown eyes flashed amber. A standoff had been bound to happen at some point, I just hadn’t expected it so soon. I’d been out of my room for ten minutes. There was a hierarchy in a pack and the wolves needed to be sure I knew my place. It would be three against one. If I had my weapons, I’d have liked my odds, but as it was, I’d have to rely on just my hand-to-hand skills, which while good, were nothing compared to three supernatural beings.
“No, he didn’t pull the trigger, but if he’d done what I’d asked and stopped shifting then both would be alive right now. Malcolm knew he was to blame and he couldn’t handle it so he committed suicide by hunter.” I shrugged. “I just happened to be the hunter.”
“You bitch!” He took a threatening step forward.
“Is that the best you’ve got?” I didn’t take my eyes off the man before me. I didn’t need to. Part of my training with the Order taught me how to rely on more than just my sight in a fight. His friends had taken their positions to flank me. The three had created a triangle and I was the center point.
“Why don’t you come over here and see what I’ve got?”
Smiling devilishly, I reared back and slammed my fist against his jaw before quickly kicking out backwards, connecting with the wolf on my right. The third rushed me, slamming me against the wall, but I used his own body as leverage. I climbed up him, pushed off the wall while wrapping my arms around his neck before landing behind him wrapping him in a chokehold. I didn’t have time to bring him to unconsciousness as the other two recovered and crashed into us.
We became a tangle of kicks and punches. I wasn’t even sure if all their strikes were hitting only me as we were in too close quarters.
A hand grabbed my upper arm, ripping me from the chaos and tossing me against the wall where I hit with a huff. A loud roar emanated throughout the house leaving me no choice but to cover my ears.
“What’s this?” Gideon yelled. The three wolves had dropped to their knees before him, all stared intently at the ground. When no one spoke, Gideon growled louder. “Speak!”
“She attacked Rick,” coughed the one I’d held briefly in a chokehold.
“And it took three of you to defend his honor?” Gideon asked skeptically.
“She’s a hunter. We didn’t know how skilled she might be,” the one I assumed to be Rick, as I punched him first, spoke.
“Skilled enough to handle herself against the three of you.” He eyed them with contempt. “Be gone before I decide to punish you for this lapse.”
The three scurried back down the hall from whence they came. The other wolves that had gathered in the hall to observe the spectacle all departed as Gideon turned his glare on them.
Struggling to push off the wall, I felt the ache in my muscles as the adrenaline from the fight faded. Gideon gripped my arm hauling me to my feet. He dragged me through the halls, up the flights of stairs, all the while ignoring my protests, which were extensive for him to release me.
Opening a door, he tossed me into a room. It took me a second to realize it was mine.
“How dare you manhandle me like that!” I spat, coming to my feet. My temper flared making me forget my aches.
“There is to be no fighting with the wolves while you are here. Is that understood?” he snarled domineeringly. He didn’t wait for a response before turning to leave.
“Hey!” I called out. “I wasn’t the one who started that down there. They came at me. I was defending myself. I won’t apologize for that.”
He spun back around glaring at me as if I was misguided. “Who threw the first punch, Isabel?” He spoke unnaturally calmly. With a furrowed brow, I considered what he asked. They’d been badgering me. Their posture threatening, but no one had even touched me before I struck the wolf. Seeing the enlightenment flash across my face, he nodded curtly. “They baited you and you fell for it.”
I swallowed hard realizing that I’d been in such a hurry to prove that I wasn’t a victim that I had completely misread the situation.
“You like to fight? Good. Then I have the perfect solution. Starting tomorrow as part of your punishment, you’ll begin training my Omegas.”
“Omegas?” He couldn’t be serious. Omegas were passive and had a sensitive disposition. They were meant to be protected. I’d never heard of one that could fight.
“It will give you an opportunity to get to know part of the pack.”
“I seriously doubt the Omegas are responsible for the unrest in your pack.”
