Chapter 83: 82 - I Can''t
After we found Rose and trainer Marco, he and I drove to a hill near the west edge of the territory
where it was deserted and quiet, while everyone else took their own ces.
I spoke into the ear piece that lets memunicate with the others, "Check, check. Can everyone hear
me? Over."
I got all affirmative responses.
On the hill we''ll have the high ground and a visual on anything that''s approaching before it has a visual
on us.
Not that visual means much to hybrids with their keen sense of hearing and smell, but it''s something.
"Alright guys, now that thes are back online, you know the n" I grunted into the earpiece. "Draw
the hybrid army to the hills on the west corner. We''ll use weapon number 5543 and this war will be
finished in one battle. Over."
If only there were actually a weapon that could do such a thing.
"What about The King? Over." Rose questioned like we nned.
"Does anybody have eyes on him? Over." I yed along.
Everyone said no, as expected.
"If anyone gets a visual on him call it in immediately. If he shows up here without his army the weapon
is useless and we''re all screwed. Over." I tried my best to act panicked.
There''s no way this is gonna work.
"Are you sure it doesn''t work on him? Over," Happy interjected.
"Yes. 5543 targets their hive mind. If the kinges and disconnects the sonic holocron arc reactor,"
hopefully no hybrids are fans of space adventures from a gxy far far away or super hero hi-jinx, "the
jig is up. Over."
"Got it. Drawing front lines towards West Hills now, over." Wolfie responded with one of the first true
statements this entire conversation.
. . . Hopefully this was enough to convince the Hybrid King not to take the risk of leading his troops
here.
Silence followed over the earpieces but I could still hear the battle going on in the distance.
I guess this is as good a time as any to see if they really do have hive mind.
"Our forces are drawing back there but they''re not following, Maria. Over," Wolfie told the group.
Marco and I looked at each other.
Oh my goddess.
For once the hybrids'' ability to listen in to radio conversations is going to be to their detriment.
"What?" I couldn''t keep the excitement out of my voice, though I''m sure it could easily be confused with
panic.
I can''t believe this is actually about to work.
I''m gonna kill this b*tch for everything he''s done.
I''m not excited about it.
I don''t get excited about killing things.
But after all the death he''s caused, after my parents, after Desi. . . I''m certainly not going to feel bad
about it.
"They''re not following to the hills. Over," Wolfie repeated.
Good.
"Try harder. Over," I demanded, which actually meant get back here for backup, but only we know that.
Suddenly the world got a little quieter.
The birds in the forest stopped flying, the crickets weren''t chirping, and the rodents had taken shelter
underground.
Even the wind blowing through the trees seems to have been scared off.
I slowly turned to the forest behind the hill. Marco, one of the best warriors I''ve met, the one who taught
me and my friends everything, followed.
We were scared.
We knew this would happen. This is what we wanted.
But I could still feel my own fear crawling up my spine and into my throat to suffocate me.
The numbness that had taken hold of me after watching Desi die was gone in an instant, like it was
never there. It gave me the strength to climb up this hill, and the rage I felt towards him for killing my
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parents and cousin gave me the courage to wait for him. But now that he is here, all that is left is the
utter terror from my nightmares. I don''t have to worry about finding the courage to stay here because
I''m hopelessly paralyzed in my ce.
I don''t know how good I am at hiding the dread, but Marco is doing fine. The only thing tipping me off to
his fear being the uncertainty behind his usually confident gaze.
Then his figure emerged from the tree line miles away.
And suddenly I have tunnel vision.
All I see is him.
Marco is gone. . . I''m alone. . . With him.
I don''t even feel the pain from holding my breath too long.
All I feel is fear.
I can''t even think about running, or fighting, or breathing.
I''ve just never wanted the world the open up and swallow me whole more than I do in this moment.
Within a second he was on the hill with us.
And I realized this moment already topped thest one.
"Hello."
Kill me.
Just end it. I can''t do this. I can''t.
His voice is a disturbing mix of animal and human.
Almost like Wolfie''s gets when his wolf speaks through him only if he was possessed by evil incarnate.
I almost jumped out of my skin when I felt someone with sharp ws put their hands on me.
But it was only Marco in attack mode grasping my hand.
I hadn''t even noticed, how could I when my brain is consumed by terror, that my own ws were out
and they were digging into my own arms making long, ugly scratches.
I heard Marco talking, but I couldn''t tell you what he said if you paid me.
"You look familiar. And you obviously know me."
Why must you y with your food? Just get it over with, please.
After I didn''t respond, he tilted his head in a way that reminded me of Desi.
If Desi came back from the dead as a zombie possessed by a demon who was tilting their head
curiously at their next meal.
"I humored your little trick. I''m here. What now little girl? I don''t have time for many more games."
I didn''t feel myself wing at my skin, but I did feel the tears fall.
I can''t I can''t I can''t I can''t I can''t I can''t I can''t I can''t I can''t I can''t I can''t I can''t I can''t I can''t I can''t I
can''t I can''t I can''t I can''t.
The sun started to set behind the king of monsters.
With my heightened senses, it made it look like there was an all consuming red fire balling to take
us all to h3ll, surrounding his dark figure.
You''d think with the scars, white sinister eyes, and murderous fangs hidden by the shadow he''d look
less monstrous.
On the contrary. His hulking figure and unnatural muscture framed by the fireball opening up behind
him, just makes him look like a demon emerging from a portal to h3lle to punish me for getting so
many good people killed.
"Y''know what. . . I do remember you."
My lungs are starting to burn, but maybe if I hold my breath long enough I''ll drop dead.
"You''re the little pure blood girl we kidnapped from House Crimson."
Every time he speaks my world shatters just a little bit more.
"I have to thank you. You really helped my n refine our torture and poison techniques."
I can feel the burn coursing through my veins at the mention of such things.
It makes me start scratching again. I need to rip any needles out.
"Unfortunately I can''t give you a quick and painless death, despite how much you helped us. You and
your mate are mixed species after all. That''s too convenient not to take advantage of."
No thoughts fill my brain, just screaming. The screaming that I would be doing if my throat wasn''t dry
as a desert.
But the mention of my mate kept me from going off the edge.
If I''m not already there yet.
"No," I croaked in a whisper.
This surprised even myself, I thought I was paralyzed.
He quirked an amused eyebrow and smiled one of the most terrifying smiles I''ve everid eyes on in
my terrifying life. His fangs bared and ready to rip out my throat.
"No?" He repeated, amused.
I shook my head rapidly to repeat my point because my vocal cords are locked up again.
A throaty disgusting noise came out of his toothy mouth that I can only assume was a chuckle.
"And what are you going to do about it, child?"
"I-I''ll stop you," I stuttered, not even believing myself for a second.
And neither did he.
He let out another throatyugh.
"And how are you going to do that?"
My eyes burned, wanting so badly to release more tears. I don''t know how.
"That''s what I thought," he grinned maliciously. "Juste nicely and help me get your little boyfriend
out from hiding and I''ll kill your friend quickly."
Even when my brain is out ofmission I know none of that is an option.
I scraped up every ounce of strength that the fear hadn''t paralyzed and forced it behind my eyes. For a
split second I looked at him with something other than fear.
Alongside the fear was refusal to submit to such a fate.
I would have liked if he got angry. If he screamed and yelled and threatened me like other alphas and
masters do when people refuse to submit to them. I wanted him to seem normal.
More like a man instead of an immortal demon.
But that didn''t happen.
He just sighed and reached for the whip attached to his hip. His weapon of choice for as as long as I
can remember.
The sight of it made me revert back to the scared little girl I used to be.
I haven''t felt this vulnerable outside of a nightmare since thest time I saw it.
He unraveled it with a jerk of his arm and it came cracking onto the ground next to him.
The sound and sight made me jump sky high made me wanna vomit.
I can''t do this.
I just want this to end.
"I suppose I''ll start with your friend."
Wait what?
He threw the whip forward, and like it had a mind of its own, it curled upward then slung down and
wrapped around Marco''s ankle.
Instead of being dragged down into The Hybrid King''s murderous clutches, he spun himself around in
the air like the ninja he is and released himself from the monster''s hold. Marconded on his back but
hiked himself straight back up to his feet.
He sprung back up ready to fight.
I''m still too busy holding back the vomit from the nausea twisting my stomach into knots.
"Maria, you need to snap out of it now!" Marco snapped at me. "He''ll make quick work of me if I have to
fight him alone."
The whip came down again, but Marco evaded it expertly.
. . . Mostly.
I can tell by his sneer when the probably poison tainted whip grazes him.
Please don''t die.
Not you too.
His pain filled yell shot a lightning bolt through me.
That one got him good.
Why can''t anyone elsee to the rescue?
His evasions got slower and The King got his ws into the mix.
The others are waiting in the forest for us to weaken him. Why did we have to go first? Why can''t they
save the day?
The n was if things started going too south not to get involved.
Why did we do this to ourselves?
Why did I do this to us?
In the blink of an eye, Marco was suddenly a foot off the ground being suspended by his neck in The
King''s wed hand.
The sight shot a second bolt of lightning through me, thawing the ice that had me frozen to my spot.
I yelled and prepared to lunge forward.
Lunge forward to do what? I have no idea. I figured I''d figure it out on the way.
A knife came hurtling out of the woods towards the Hybrid King''s head, pausing my actions.
Of course, he caught it.
He turned his menacing stare towards the source.
"Looks like I weeded out your little boyfriend."
"Think again you f*cking @sshole."
Even in my terrified, zombie like state, I know how to use a distraction to my advantage.
And I will.