Chapter 22

Octane

What the hell was that?

Adrenaline hits my system. I have to force myself to take deep breaths and to slow down. The scream was made by a male. I fear for Trinity, regardless. How can I not? I jump the wall on the side of the house that only has one downstairs window. It's boarded up, so there's less risk of being seen. I sneak around, staying off the porch. Those floorboards look like they might creak if I step on them. The door to the kitchen is right there, but it's got a glass panel in the top part. I get down low, putting my back to the wall to the side of the door. If someone comes outside, I'm going to be busted in an instant. I don't care. I need to find out what is going on.

I hear loud footfalls as someone comes down the stairs.

"They're fucking." It's Titan. "Can you believe it?" he shouts.

The males in the living room laugh, and my heart sinks. Am I too late?

"Come and get some food," Titan yells from the kitchen. "The food is ready."

Trinity doesn't like that male at all. I could see it. She said those things to save me. If he's hurting her, I will kill him with my bare hands. I itch to get inside. To go to her, but I force myself to be patient.

"That's what the racket was all about," one of the others says as he gets to the kitchen as well; I'm not sure if it's Ranger or Rocky.

The third male laughs. "Go, Igor!" He chuckles some more. "Lucky prick!" he mutters more to himself.

"I wouldn't lay so much as a finger on that skanky whore," Titan grumbles. I hear plates clanging as they dish up.

"She sure can cook," Rocky says. "This chicken is delicious."

"I'm starving. I missed having her here," Ranger adds. "If I had a female, I'd be fucking her right now too."

"I have higher standards than that," Titan says. "I won't share. I fucking refuse!"

"Will you take one of the human Tributes, then?" Ranger asks.

"Beggars can't be choosers," Rocky says. "I'll take a Tribute. I hear that humans are easily trained to do your bidding."

"Fuck that!" Titan snorts. "I don't want a filthy human. When we raid Draig, I think we should keep some of the females. We'll put red markings on them and fill their bellies with our seed. We'll turn them into Reds. I'll keep one of them rather than a human. Something young, untouched, and trainable."

My blood runs cold at the callous way they talk about ending people's lives. About raping and pillaging and controlling. I was under the impression that their whole campaign was to get away from the oppression and control. They hate that it's happening to them, but are more than willing to inflict it on others. I don't get it. There is zero logic to what they are saying. My blood fucking boils.

"Yes, I'm with you," Rocky says. "I'd love a shifter female. Maybe I'll take two." He laughs.

"I look forward to it. I hope it happens soon." Ranger chuckles.

"It will," Titan says. "It won't be long before Arctic is forced from power. We'll string him up for even suggesting peace with the Draigers."

"Fuck that."

The three males mutter more bullshit to one another.

I am reeling. I have to remind myself that not all Reds are like these males. That many of them are like Trinity. Good and kind. If Igor harms her because of me, I will kill him. I'll take my time, too.

I vibrate with the need to go to her right now. I have to bide my time, or I will be killed outright or badly injured. I won't be able to help her then.

Titan and another male leave the kitchen. Their conversation has turned to human sports. Something about ball throwing and which human is better at it. I don't pay them much heed.

I risk a quick glance in the back door window. It's Rocky. He has his back to me while he dishes more meat onto his plate, which is sitting on the counter. Then he goes over to the fridge, opening it. "Who wants a beer?" His back is fully turned away, with his attention elsewhere.

The television is blaring loudly.

"Yes. Sounds good," Titan shouts over the racket.

"For me, too," Ranger yells. I carefully open the back door as he does, wincing because I half-expect it to make a noise or for Rocky to hear me, but the rickety door is surprisingly quiet, and he is none the wiser. He's singing along to the music playing on the television. He isn't paying attention to his surroundings at all. I suspect that he may have had a beer or two already since coming home earlier.

I walk up to him, and, using a swift movement, I snap his neck. I carefully lower the male to the floor. His eyes are fixed and staring by the time his back touches the ground. I'm not normally in the business of killing people when their backs are turned, but I am outnumbered. I need to even the playing field if I have any hope of rescuing Trinity.

One down.

Three to go.

There are two more males in the living room. I am going to kill them both. I have no other choice. I run, partially shifting as I do, my clothing stretching on my form. The already too-tight sweatpants break apart, falling in tatters behind me.

I need to surprise them. I have a small window of opportunity. If I can take one down quickly, I'll kill the other one soon after. I'm pretty sure that these males don't have formal training like me. They rely on strength in numbers and their ability to hide.

Ranger turns my way, his mouth gaping and his plate falling to the floor, where it smashes. He doesn't even have time to stand before I am upon him. I slam my partially shifted fist down on his chest, feeling his ribs break beneath my claws as I rake downward. He crumples to the floor in a heap, gasping and wheezing for air. Blood pools beneath him.

Titan is already partially shifted as he leaps to his feet, stepping on his fallen friend to get to me.

Nice guy. Not!

I lunge forward, hoping to end this quickly. I use my claws to slash at Titan"s throat, hoping to sever his windpipe before he can strike me. He defends himself, and our claws meet in a clash that sends a jarring sensation down my arm.

Titan gives a battle cry as he comes at me again. I dodge to the side, my claws missing his chest by inches. I can see the rage in his eyes, and I know it's now or never. With a surge of adrenaline, I launch myself at him, pretending to aim for his belly when I am actually aiming for his heart.

He goes for the bait, protecting his middle. I feel my claws sink deep into his chest, and he stumbles back, gasping for air. Blood pumps from the hole in his chest in time with the beats of his heart. He falls flat on his back, his eyes going wide and his face turning pale.

I lean down. "You will never get to rape the Draig women. Your reign of terror is finished before you even got started," I murmur before reaching into his chest and pulling out his heart, which I drop on the floor. His legs continue to kick for a beat or two, and then he is still.

The world is instantly a slightly better place. I have no time to revel. I need to finish Ranger, and then I need to get up those stairs. It's too quiet up there. I don't like it.

Ranger makes a whining noise as he continues to suck in air in quick, short gasps. His chest is a crumpled-in mess that he most likely won't recover from. The male is still trying to stand, but his legs won't work. I consider leaving him. He isn't the brains behind any of this. Unfortunately, I can't risk him making a recovery. I know that the male would have partaken quite happily in the debauchery these males had planned for my people. I don't want any witnesses.

Within seconds, I have his heart in my hand. I crush it like an overripe fruit and drop it on the floor with a plop.

Then I run up the stairs, taking them three at a time. I'm shocked that I haven't seen Igor. Why not? I expect to find him hiding behind Trinity when I burst into the only bedroom with a closed door. I would expect nothing less from a coward like him.

I was not sure what I was going to find. A silent bedroom is not it. There is someone under the covers. What the fuck is going on? My nose twitches as I catch the coppery tang of blood. I pray I'm not too late as I pull the blanket open, preparing to fight.

It's Igor.

He is dead.

From the amount of blood pooled below him, I would say that he bled out. Those look like stab wounds to me. I look around the bedroom. My first instinct is to tear open every closet to find her. To find Trinity.

"It's me, Little Red," I say. "It's Octane."

The door to one of the closets opens, and Trinity steps out. She is clutching a knife in her hands, holding it out in front of her. Her hair is a little wet. It's also congealed with blood on one side. There are spatters of blood on one of her arms. Her face is filled with determination. As soon as she sees me, she makes a small, choked noise, looking stricken.

"You're safe now," I tell her as she falls into my arms. Tears stream down her face. "I've got you." I hold her close.