Chapter Fifteen

(Jessica’s P.O.V)

The next challenge was figuring out how to open this door without alerting the men.

Desperately searching for something to pry the door open, I found the area to be meticulously clean, with nothing useful on the ground. The dust irritated my nostrils, causing me to sneeze. I attempted to stifle another sneeze when I saw the little boy approach the door and open it with ease.

Ah!

He gestured towards the open door, signaling for me to escape. I nodded in gratitude.

My feet began pounding against the cement floor before my brain even gave the signal., Slowing a bit, I glanced back at the boy, to see if i could convince him with a pleading look. But to my surprise, he was following me. I grinned at him and gestured for him to quicken his steps. He did.

Seeing as I was so close to the big gates possibly heading out of the hellhole, my grinned widened and tears of joy stung my eyes. Finally, I would go to Keagan and tell him everything that had happened.

However, the smile on my face froze, and my blood ran cold as I stopped face-to-face with one of my abductors, the man who had injured my lip by slamming his fist into it when i wouldn’t stop screaming for help.

Like a malfunctioning vehicle, I froze in place, unable to move forward or backward. Oh goddess. Nausea flooded me and I wanted to faint.

"There you are..." His voice, akin to a knife scraping against a steel plate, sliced through every fiber of my being. "Sweet thing, you didn’t tell me you needed the fresh air." the man clicked his tongue. “I would have taken you for a walk.”

 With burning eyes, I glanced at the little boy, noticing his fear-stricken face. His face was so white, he looked like he’d seen a ghost. Out here in the open, I could see the terrible scars that painted his skin. My heart sank and I almost dropped to the floor right then. Goddess, I failed him.

"You found them," the ringleader's voice boomed, causing my head to snap in his direction. He walked towards us, eventually standing behind the boy. My heart leaped into my throat.

"You're always trying to escape, you little wench, and now you're trying to take my son?" the ringleader spat, his eyes blazing with anger. I gasped in shock as the man pressed a gun to the boy’s head

"Don't hurt him, please," I pleaded, my shaking hand outstretched in horror at the unfolding scene. The boy was trembling badly but his eyes held mine unflinchingly like I would definitely save him. I hadn’t even saved myself yet. Tears burned a hot path down my cheek and I sobbed harder than I ever had.

“Please, I’d do anything. It’s my fault. I threatened him with the knives.” I waved my weapon in the air and the thug next to me knocked it out of my grip, picking it up. Their faces blurred as more tears sprang to my eyes. I would never forgive myself if the boy got hurt.

Suddenly, the ringleader began to chuckle, his dark laughter echoing around us. His lips curled into a sinister smile, and I knew something terrible was about to happen. Subconsciously, I fell back a step, my heart hammering against my ribcage.

"And who said I'm going to kill him? Not me, my dear, but you! My son should have died long ago because he's weak, just like his mother," he sneered.

My heart squeezed, and my gaze fell upon the little boy's innocent face, now drained of color. I should have listened when he tried to warn me that his father would kill him. My breathing became labored as panic set in.

Before his words could fully sink in, the ringleader jabbed an injection into the little boy's shoulder. The boy cried out in pain, clutching his shoulder as he tried to escape his father, but the other men closed in on him, restraining him as he thrashed about and cried. I felt frozen, unable to do anything but gape at the horror unfolding before me. What was in that injection he’d stabbed into the boy?

"Don't cry, my dear. The real show is about to begin," the ringleader said heartlessly, as though he wasn't speaking about his own son.

A menacing growl filled the air, drawing everyone's attention to the little boy. He dropped to the ground, writhing in pain. 

More growls escaped his throat, sending a chill down my spine.

"There it is – the bloodthirst. Now the fun begins," the ringleader exclaimed, his eyes glinting wickedly. "Here's the deal: you either kill him, as he's been injected with a poisonous substance that will make him kill the last thing he remembers – which is you. Or….” He trailed off, the unspoken words hanging in the air.

My jaw dropped in disbelief, my throat went dry with fear. They wanted me to kill a child! My body shook with a mix of grief and terror as I stared at the little boy, who was now on all fours.

"No! Baby boy, please don't," I whispered, hoping he could somehow understand, but his eyes gleamed blood red, devoid of anything but pure savage hunger.  His skin sprouted fur, and his fingernails were replaced by sharp claws.

A gun was tossed in my direction, and before I could process what was happening, the men had left my side, leaving me to face my fate alone. I broke down, sobbing uncontrollably.

In the blink of an eye, the child charged at me with an inhuman speed. Adrenaline kicked in, and I found myself running, the gun I had picked up from the ground clutched tightly in my hand.

I kept screaming, my body aching and my breaths escaping in harsh pants as I ran in circles, desperately trying to evade him. However, his frustration only seemed to fuel his energy and determination to attack me.

He lunged at me, digging his claws into my shoulder. I kicked him off, crying out as I watched his body hit the ground with a sickening thud.

He attacked again with even more fury. I screamed as he bit my leg, and I punched him, wincing from the pain as my knuckle collided with his face. “Please stop! Please, you can fight this!” I begged but a loud, sickening roar ripped through his huge jaws and he leaped towards me.

Just as he was about to sink his teeth into my neck, I shoved at his shoulders, but his claws were already digging into my chest. I screamed from the searing pain as he sliced my flesh. 

“Stop!” I thrashed, but he wouldn't let go of my hand or my chest. He pressed deeper, the gun slipping from my hand and landing beside me.

My head spun with darkness, and I felt the wetness of my blood soaking my dress. My hands trembled as I reached for the gun, slowly pointing it at him in an attempt to scare him. It seemed to work as he released me. Later, I would remember how foolish I was. Gasping, I lowered my gun hand but he lunged at me and I screamed, eyes squeezing shut as I squeezed my fingers around the trigger.

 Bang! For a long moment, there was a loud ringing in my ears and I couldn’t hear anything.

I blinked my eyes open and let out a gasp, the gun slipping out of my hand. The boy…

My entire being shut down as I witnessed the life drain from his eyes. He staggered back, his mouth filled with blood. I gasped as I watched the little boy transform back into his human form, his doe eyes locked on mine.

"No! No!" My body shook uncontrollably and I crawled towards him, placing my hand over the gaping hole in his chest. “No, please…Don’t do this! Shift! Please shift to your wolf and heal!” My eyes soaked with tears and his bloody body blurred. Hands wet with his blood, I watched helplessly as he struggled to draw in a breath. I couldn't believe it. I had shot a child. An innocent baby!

“Help me miss, I don't want to die." Were his last words before his eyes rolled back to his skull. 

My head spun and I collapsed beside him.