Red and her Wolf Ch. 11

He's stunned for a moment, but it seems to not have hurt him whatsoever. I swing again but he catches my fist without effort. "That's fucking precious. You really think you'll be able to get out of this car without me letting you? I don't think you understand how deep inside you I already am...or will be." He leans in too close yet again, the smell of cherry punch still on his breath. "Let's play a game."

"No." I shake my head, squirming towards the door. "Let me go."

"Silly, you don't have a choice." He bites my bare shoulder. Hard enough to draw blood. I cry out, twisting away but my seatbelt won't let me go far. "The game is..." He stops to snicker. "Okay, I'll admit. It's not really anything you can win. It's more of a game for my own amusement. The game is: How Long Can Emily Stay Alive? Twenty minutes? An hour? Who knows? Well, actually, I know. I'll give you a hint." He presses his mouth right against my earlobe: "No one's ever made it to an hour."

Battery acid pools in my stomach. "You've seen way too many thriller movies."

"Oh, so she's funny too," he coos. "Though, I'd say this is more of a horror flick. Especially for you." One hand quickly shifts to wrap long fingers around both of my wrists, the other hand moving to cover my mouth. "Be quiet now, Emily."

The most excruciating pain I've ever felt in my life centers in my forehead, winds down the bones in my skull to wrap around my lips. I groan but no sound comes out.

"That's better." Blake smears his thumb across my mouth. Then he shoves two fingers in until I choke. I bite down with all my strength in return. Taste salty blood. He pulls his hand back with a sneer. "I do love me a feisty redhead. Scream for me. Go ahead. Try it."

I open my mouth and yell as loud as I can but again, there's only silence and the mockery of Blake's laugh. He smushes his palm across my face and my hands lose all feeling. I can't move them. Can't move my feet either. Heavy lead weights that no signal from my brain can direct. The only thing I can do is thrash my head side to side.

"You see, honey, I have more tricks up my sleeve than the average Joe. You might have noticed that already if you were paying attention." He ruffles his hair as he preens in the car mirror. Turns to face me with an exaggerated pout. "Is your pretty little head sore yet? I've been inside it so many times, you'd think you'd realize by now that it's not a migraine, stupid bitch." His entire demeanour shifts to acidic hostility. "I made you go into the forest. I made the forest let you go. I turned you into a little cam-slut just for me. I made it hurt. And it was easy as fucking pie."

As pieces rapidly click together, Blake continues, voice cloying again."Honestly, I think I really held back. There was so much more I could have done, but our shared friend might have caught on if things got too obvious." A long sigh. "Did you like the Alice in Wonderland effect tonight? That's one of my favorites. Watching you try to figure out why reality is falling apart. It's far more entertaining to have a bit of a struggle instead of making you do everything I want. That's too easy. For example, I didn't have to wrestle you into that seat. No, your tongue was in my mouth all the way to the door. You waved goodbye to lil' ol Myra and said you couldn't wait to get fucked." He lets that disturbing info sink in. "Isn't it wonderful how breakable people are? Once they let me in, it's just like giving me the keys to the car."

Lost memories smash back into my brain at lightning speed. Every demeaning, horrible thing I put up with, participated in. My body bared to him. The manipulated lust as we slipped out the Town Hall exit, Kade's guitar wailing in the background. Pure repulsion spreads out to every corner of my consciousness.

"Did baby-boy fuck you yet or is he playing the martyr as usual?" Blake's touch slithers up my shoulder before he slips my dress strap down."Wait, don't tell me. He's just been fondling and running, hasn't he? You poor, poor thing." My breast falls out and Blake makes a lewd hiss between his teeth. "Now, that is worth the wait. Were you an early bloomer? Did all the boys stop and stare?"

He smacks my exposed breast hard. So hard, I know for sure he left a bruise. A painful pinch and twist of my nipple follows. I make another soundless scream, convulsing in my seat, face wet from silent tears.

This is it. I'm going to die. I'm going to get raped and murdered by a fucking wizard, and in a week I'll be the next missing girl on Myra's cork board. All because I wanted to teach Kade a lesson.

"Does that hurt?" Blake pulls my dress down further so that both my breasts spill out. "Oops. Sorry, honey, it's just that something tells me you've been treated far too kindly your whole prissy life. Spoiled, stupid bitch." He slaps my other breast with equal brutality. "I'll show you exactly how I treat spoiled cunts like you."

The driver's door bursts open. Blake is torn from his seat and thrown to the pavement.

Kade. I'm screaming his name but only a hiss of air comes out. Vocal chords completely useless, along with my body.

"What took you so long, bro?" Blake sneers, making a quick recovery, scrambling to his feet before Kade seizes him by his collar. "By the way, is this how you greet all your family? Where are your manners?"

Wait. What?

Then it all starts to make sense. The longer I look at them, the more I wonder how I didn't see it before. The tall, athletic build. The sharp profile. The almond shape of their eyes. All speak to being related. The main difference is that Blake is slightly smaller, paler, finer-boned. Sterilized cool in comparison to Kade's more rustic earthiness.

Kade glances at me as his hold tightens on Blake's collar. One look at my breasts out and he punches Blake hard in the face, the impact much more damaging than mine. "What sick shit were you about to pull before I got here, asshole?"

"I was actually thinking we could share her," Blake taunts. "More than enough holes to go around, right?"

Another crippling punch.

Blake just laughs. Nose and teeth red with a shock of blood. Then in an unexpected move he grabs Kade's throat. One lightning-quick motion and he has Kade flat on the pavement, straddling his stomach. A tight two-handed grip around his neck.

"Let's not act like I'm the only one crossing the line, Rowen." He bares his teeth, fluorescent light staining them yellow. "You abandoned me. You abandoned us. You changed your address, your name, your life. Well, I can change just as much. It's not that hard. Did you really think that changing your name and moving across the country could stop me from finding you? No. That's how committed to Brethren I am."

"Sweet that you care so much, Ash. I'm flattered, really." Kade decks Blake in the face once more. Twists until their roles are switched, Blake the one now plastered on the pavement. "But how the hell did you finally do it?"

"It was quite simple, Rowen. All I had to do was wait until someone actually gave a shit about you. You know how some minds light up the ether like a beacon? Well, hers did tenfold. Her mind and body was lit up with you from three states away. So I found her. Wasn't that hard considering I have eyes and ears in every town already. And boy, was I pleasantly surprised when I saw she'd be a perfect fuck-toy too. "

Kade's so full of rage, he's actually shaking. "You really haven't changed one bit, have you? It's like you're an actual clone of Papa. Fucking pathetic."

"At least I'm not alone. I have thousands backing me. What do you have? Your guitar? Some red-headed whore that you won't even fuck? Who's really the pathetic one?"

Kade lifts Blake up by his shoulders and slams him back into the pavement, winding him. "I'd rather be alone forever than join your shitty cult. Last question: how did you get rid of your scent?"

"Why don't you ask Mama?" Blake wheezes. "By the way-" His crimson smile widens. "Did you know that the forest isn't truly satisfied with your meagre little offerings? It told me it wanted blood, so I gave it to them. Guess who the forest likes more? You or the one who gave it a whole human?And what the hell, might as well give the red-head to the forest next since she's so close by. After I fuck her, of course."

I can't look. I hear flesh meeting flesh.Then a sickening crunch of bone. A minute later, my door flies open and Kade crouches down to look at me, worry painting his face. "We don't have much time." He yanks my dress back up over my chest, unbuckling my seatbelt."Come with me."

I shake my head, forming soundless words, trying to show that my body is paralyzed.

"Shit," Kade swears as he realizes. Then he reaches in and hauls me out of the Lamborghini, his muscle firm and reassuring under me as he carries my limp body over his shoulder. We pass by Blake's splayed form and bracing shock whips through me.

Blake's head is horribly misshapen, swollen with bruises, deformed. Eyes shut and bloody. Face nearly unrecognizable.

Holy mother of God. Did Kade just kill Blake?

"It's not as bad as it looks." Kade practically tosses me into the passenger's seat of his truck.

My brain short-circuits as it tries to comprehend everything that I've just witnessed. It's incredibly frustrating to not be able to ask questions. I feel so helpless. I am so helpless. Can't move. Can't talk even though I'm screaming inside. Fear tunnels through my body.

Kade circles the vehicle and gets in the drivers seat, his face stoic. "I'll help you out in a second." He looks in his rearview mirror, puts the truck in reverse and promptly runs Blake over.

What. The. Fuck.

Yeah, I definitely would be saying something right now if I could. I'm turning myself inside out with the effort.

"Again, not as bad as it looks," Kade repeats as he shifts gears, then reverses and does it again, the entire truck bouncing.

I feel no relief. We exit the lot and I watch as Blake's mangled body gets smaller and smaller in the mirror. Absolutely petrified.

*

Kade is the one speeding now, charging away from the scene of the crime. His mouth in the grimmest line as I hyperventilate next to him.

"Emily." His hand moves to rest on my shoulder. Just hearing him say my name submerges me in pink-tinted pleasure. "I need you to breathe slowly, okay? Nice and slow." He takes a long breath out. Then in. Out. I try to follow along. "We're gonna have you moving again in ten minutes. I promise."

He's so grounded. So steady. Despite him murdering someone right in front of me, I've never felt more attracted.

What the fuck is wrong with me?

"I can help you," he continues, "but you've gotta do this yourself, okay? You're the one that can best undo what he's done." He glances over to find me nodding desperately. He caresses my arm with strong yet sensitive fingers that flow down to capture my hand. His thumb slowly swirling over my knuckles. "You're gonna be fine, sweetheart."

At this point it's hard to imagine. I've never felt so completely out of control in my life.

"First off, I want you to clear your mind," he says. "Just get it as clear as you possibly can. Focus on your breath until your mind empties."

I try my best to focus on emptying my mind. My breathing slows, deepens just from Kade's comforting hand holding mine. But when I close my eyes all I see is sticky black tar. A grotesque sludge encasing everything.

"What's probably gonna happen is you're going to see an obstruction of some sort. Now what I want you to do, is create a field of light. As big and wide as you can get it. Doesn't matter what color. Whatever comes up first is probably the right one. I want you to dissolve the obstruction. Flood whatever's blocking you with that light."

I try, but my light can't seem to rise above a flicker. The black tar is so strong, oozing into every corner of my brain. The closer I look, the thicker it gets. I even see tiny pointed barbs sticking out towards me. I open my eyes and shake my head, pulling at Kade's hand.

His solidity doesn't falter."If that doesn't work, create a weapon. Attack it. Remember that you're more powerful than whatever is blocking you. It's your mind. Not his. You always have the upper hand, alright? Just keep dissolving and cutting until you've hacked it to bits. Light it on fire and burn it if you have to. Do whatever it takes, as long as it takes."

I try again. And this time, something clicks. When I imagine a sharp sword, it's vividly real. Glistening silver. I can easily imagine picking it up, feeling it's weight. I grip the handle between my hands, raise it high, and slice through the tar.

It barely does anything, tangling in sticky black goo. So, I fill the sword with the same light Kade initially mentioned. Imagine the sword bursting with energy. An energy so strong that it blinds my own inner vision with purple light.

"Damn," Kade mutters. "I can feel that."

I can feel it too. This sparkling energy pulsating around me, streaming through my blood, surrounding and engulfing me as I raise my sword and strike home.

The tar evaporates. A shooting pain ripples through my bones before it completely disappears. The clamp around my mouth goes with it, as do the invisible shackles around my extremities. I let out a scream that I'd been holding. My breath shudders, panting with the severe mental effort that just took.

"Kade." I grip his hand tighter, and he immediately twines his fingers through mine.

"You're alright, baby." Kade kisses a knuckle. Then another. "See? You did great." He keeps my hand close to his chest.

Even though I can speak now, I don't know what to say. Completely shell-shocked.

"Is he...?" The only words that tumble out.

"Dead?" Kade finishes. "Not a chance. I'd say we have about an hour before he recovers. That's why we're bookin' it the fuck out of Dream Hill."