19. Montana

Four biters held me down and I thrashed wildly, desperate not to give up. My strength surprised me and I managed to loosen an arm, jamming my elbow into one of their faces. A shriek sounded as I broke the female’s nose and blood dripped over my shoulder in a steady flow.

Three more were still holding me in place and with their combined strength, I didn’t know if I could win. Wolfe watched my struggle with delight, his mouth curved up in a twisted smile. But I was thankful, because if he assisted them, I was dead. But while he continued to hold back and enjoy my plight, I had one single thing left: a chance.

The group rolled me onto my back and I bucked and kicked, jamming a foot into one of their chests. The male hit the wall, his head cracking against it, and he slumped to the ground with a grunt as he waited to heal.

“Kill her, Wolfe,” purred the female who held my left arm.

I tried to bring Nightmare up in my other hand, but the male restraining that arm pressed down with all his weight.

“Not yet,” Wolfe whispered and fear tossed and turned inside me like a roiling sea. “She hath to thuffer firtht.”

Wolfe took a knife from his hip, grinning as he stalked closer then slashed it across my stomach with a vicious swipe.

Pain burrowed through to my core and I bit down on a scream, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of it.

I dug deep for every ounce of strength I had and yanked my arm free from the female. She gasped just as I caught hold of her hair and smashed her face into the ground. The male holding my other arm lunged forward to try and help her. His mistake offered me Nightmare and delight spilled through me as I tore my arm out of his grip. The other males fell onto me at once and I angled my blade toward the closest one with a yell of determination.

Drive me deep, drive me true, Nightmare urged.

The knife guided my movements and sank into his back, somehow skewering his heart as Nightmare burrowed through his ribs. He roared as he died, bursting to dust around me.

Energy coursed through me and I found an ounce of hope to cling onto.

The other males tried to get a grip on me, but I brought up my blade as one of them threw a punch at my jaw. I cried out with effort as I plunged Nightmare into his heart. The final one leapt onto me, gripping me with his thighs and taking hold of my head. I gasped just before he cracked it against the ground. My vision swam, but Nightmare was my eyes, moving my hand and crying out for death. With a growl of effort, I forced the knife into his chest.

The female shrieked, scrambling upright and making a bid for freedom as she saw the tables turning.

“Come back!” Wolfe roared, but she darted out into the battle without looking back.

I was in a cloud of ash but my relief was short lived as Wolfe gazed down at me with absolute hate. I moved to get up, but he slammed his boot onto my knee and a crack ripped the air apart as it broke. I screamed as agony swelled through the bone and he smashed his foot down on my other leg, once, twice, three times, breaking it in several places.

He grinned as I writhed on the ground, needing my body to heal and not knowing how long it would take. The process started, but Wolfe knelt down before me with a wild look in his gaze. I whipped a hand toward his face, but he caught my wrist, snapping that too and making me whimper in agony.

“Perhapth I’ll break all of your boneth over and over again.”

I slashed Nightmare toward him, needing to see this monster die, but he jerked backwards to try and evade it. He wasn’t quite quick enough and the tip caught his right eye, the wound sending blood pouring down his cheek. He threw his fist out, knocking me flat on my back and my head cracked against the stone, causing an injury that left me dazed. I vaguely saw Wolfe slapping a hand over his eye with a groan, slumping back to the ground and cradling his bleeding face. I started crawling backwards, dragging my injured legs along, knowing it was a race for who was going to heal first, trying to reorient myself as blood pooled on the back of my head.

My bones finally started to re-fuse and my thoughts realigned as my head injury followed, but Wolfe was on his feet again and as I tried to get up, he slammed his foot into my side. I hit the opposite wall, my head impacting with the stone and stars burst across my vision before I lost consciousness.

I spiralled into a black pit I feared I’d never wake from, whispering a silent apology to my family.

I’ve let you down. I’m so sorry.