Chapter 15 Worsening everything
A test.
I swallowed hard. What test? This couldn't be real. My eyes remained wide as I looked down on the dug-up ground which went inches deep with nothing but dirt and soil surrounding around it. When I looked behind at the Alpha, his eyes promised death.
He pulled out a gun-a literal gun. My breath hitched. I tried to step away, run or flee, whatever was possible, but I couldn't. There was no way out. If I stepped forward, I going to stumble straight into the dug-up ground and I couldn't move back, not with his steel body trapping me.
What test could possibly determine if I was going to die tonight or not?
His fingers tightened over my wrist as he pulled onto my hand. I noticed the darkness in his eyes as they lowered to the loaded gun.
"Let's make one thing clear," He stepped to the side and wrapped my fingers around the gun forcibly. "You're my mate but, you completely useless to me. Even keeping you as a prisoner or a ransom would be useless as I believe no one in your pack will even bother looking for ...."
"I already know that." I cut him off, for a moment forgetting who I was speaking to.
He jerked on my wrist, forcing me closer to the burial ground while his hand remained clasped around mine and mine around the gun. I never intended on killing myself nor was I ever going to.
"Yeah, I know everything about you, everyone hates you so I cannot risk too having you here as my luna unless you can deem yourself even a little worthy of living. Otherwise, I'll have no option but to kill you," He paused, shifting his hand away from mine while moving aside from me. "Even if I let you leave alive, you're worthless remember that. You'll be ripped by my pack members in matter of minutes",
"So you'll kill me yourself?" I stiffened at his cruel words. While they were true, it was not the way I thought of myself.
"No, I'll give you an opportunity." He stepped further away and behind him, I saw hundreds of more graves spread around the graveyard which extended for miles and miles.
I couldn't hear anyone except for my own ragged breathing and the sound of the wind drifting above.
The coldness of the metal gun brushed against my quivering fingers as I glanced down at my hand. When I looked back up, my brows were furrowed. My heart pounded even more.
Why did he give me a gun?
"There are wooden bullets inside the gun. Completely harmless to an Alpha like me, but at the same time, it can be lethal for you." He said, eyes straight on me.
The hair on the back of my neck rose. Everything inside me became tight with fear while my breaths became slow. I bit the inside of my cheek, wondering if I could possibly run from this. But where could I even go? Not far.
"There are three bullets inside, and if you manage to get one into me, I'll let you live. If you don't, I'll kill you and you'll be dead and rest well with your mother." His back faced me as he began to walk away from me, only a few steps before he stopped and turned.
"No," I shook my head while stepping back. A branch snapped beneath and my heart nearly exploded at the sudden voice. "I don't want to do this. I will not do this!" I exclaimed, knowing myself more than enough.
He inhaled and moved his hands behind his back while standing still and watching me panic with fear. Fog formed from his left, spreading slowly around the graveyard and through the few long trees around all of the headstones. I thought of tossing the gun aside and running away, but it was impossible.
My breaths came out short and quick. I knew myself.
"I don't want to do this!" I moved back from the freshly dug and awaiting burial till there was a larger distance between us.
"Do you want to me kill you, or not?" He asked, his rough voice ringing in my ears like a dangerous threat. He sighed and came forward, "I'll not hesitate to kill you."
I killed the sob in my throat, "I don't want to die like my father, and I don't want to do this." I had never harmed anyone my whole life and I still didn't want to do it. I couldn't even think about it. Just holding the gun in my hands made my body clench and my fingers to quiver.
"I'm giving you a chance to live. Take it," He suggested, his gaze only darkening like a cat who was playing with a mouse. "What I'm asking you to do is merely nothing in comparison to what happens in our worlds. You'll not survive if you leave my town with your freedom and if you stay, I'll kill you. You've only one other option, do as I say and I'll let you stay, under me, under my protection. I'm giving you a choice."
The bile in my throat grew before I raised my hand.
Every nerve in my body trembled as my index finger went around the trigger. I didn't want to do this. Quick breaths left my nose. I pressed my eyes tight shut while counting the seconds in my head.
The sound of the bullet leaving the gun sent me reeling.
I felt my heart pounding in my throat while my finger pushed back on the trigger. The metallic scent reached up to my nose and I turned away from it. A moment passed. I opened my eyes and looked ahead, finding the Alpha still standing where he was.
Nothing happened.
"I can't do this," I said, panic seeping in me as I realized the bullet hadn't even hit him. "Please." It went straight through the fog that had now begun to engulf the graveyard. There was only so little I could see.
"Try again."
"No," I gave my head a shake while sweat formed at the nape of my neck, "I don't know how to. I'll do anything else. Anything." I pleaded with my life.
It was common to be taught how to kill and injure others, but I had never been taught by my family. I wasn't allowed in any of the trainings my pack held. Nothing at all. So when there was a gun in my hand, I didn't know what I had to do.
When I looked at the Alpha, he appeared enraged at my defiance. I couldn't help it. I didn't want to hurt him or anyone.
"Since you have disobeyed me even this time, you seriously deserve a slow painful death. “You’ve left me no other choice.”
"What do you mean?", My face straightened and my hand dropped straight down to my side as I took in his words.
"You going to be my breeder, I’m going to fuck you like a whore every night and when you done giving birth, I will kill you immediately".
For a moment I couldn’t breathe. The air itself seemed to vanish. “You can’t mean that,” I said. “You can’t—”
“I can, and I do.” His expression didn’t flicker. “You’ll be treated well enough to survive until that duty is fulfilled. Then you’ll be released from it permanently.”
Shock flattened my voice to a whisper. “Released? You mean killed.”
His silence was the answer.
"Please ....."
He lifted a hand, stopping me cold. “You have no say. You failed your test, and mercy isn’t part of our nature. Take her,” he ordered over his shoulder.
Two wolves emerged from the fog and gripped my hands.
“Drive her to my headquarters,” the Alpha continued, turning away as if I were already gone.