10. 9

9

Serina

M y wounds were festering with pain. The swelling had gotten worse no matter how many times I tried to clean it myself.

It had been two days since the night at the warehouse, and when I woke up this morning, the nausea and chills started, and I didn’t have a thermometer, but I was certain I had a fever.

Infection was settling in my wounds, but I refused to go to the doctor. I didn’t need to attract more attention to myself, and the persona my ID was under had already been to the hospital more than a normal person. I didn’t want to take the risk any more than I already had.

I reached for my phone with a trembling hand on the nightstand, wincing from the pain radiating through my entire body. I had to hold back from throwing up all over the floor from the small motion.

I quickly facetimed Sam, and she picked up on the second ring.

“Damn, you look like shit, Serina. What happened to you?” she said, worry lacing her tone.

“Went on hunt, hunt went bad,” I coughed, sounding like a groaning caveman. I moved the phone to show her my wounds. “I need your help.” My words were weak and breathy but to the point.

She looked to be in her dad’s truck.

“I’m not close enough, Serina. Go to a hospital, call 911—you’ll die.” Her words grew more panicked by the second.

“Where are you?” I questioned, but she swiftly changed the subject back to me.

“Get to the hospital now. I’ll be there in a few days.”

So, she was a few days away. Yeah, I’d definitely be dead by then.

“What about Bri? How far out is she?

“She’s taking care of another hunt, and I haven’t heard from her the last few days. I don’t know where she is right now; she could be even further away than me. Forget someone coming to save you, Serina, get your ass to the hospital. Now.”

“I’ve used this name for too many hospital visits, Sam, I can’t. Besides, I think they’re catching on…”

I had to stop and take a few breaths before continuing.

“The last hunt I went on, I overheard them talking about intercepting our information to be lying in wait for us to show up. I’m assuming that would also mean they could get access to our fake IDs, passports, etc. What hunts we’re going on. Sounds like the hunted want to become the hunters.”

Sam huffed, “Thanks for the heads up, cousin, but I’m sure we’ll be fine. I’m good at what I do.”

“I know…” I said, closing my eyes a moment.

“Serina! Get to the fucking hospital… please.” I heard the plea, the pain in her voice. The sound of it jolted me back to myself.

She was right; I’d have to save myself. Unfortunately, I knew exactly where I could get help even though I desperately didn’t want to go there, but it was my best bet if I wanted to remain under the radar.

I swallowed. “I know where I can go.”

“Where? Please say the hospital.”

“It’s a long story. Stay safe. I love you,” I said, and she gawked at me like, Me stay safe? How about take your own advice and I faintly smiled at her.

“Stay alive, Serina.” She gave me a warning look. “Or I will drag you out of hell myself if I have to.”

“Yeah, yeah,” I grunted, “done that before.” I sat up. I needed to get to their house somehow without falling off my bike.

The night it happened, I had no idea how I managed to get back to my motel. But now? In the shape I was in, I wasn’t liking the odds. Did the Davorin brothers have some sort of bat symbol?

Maybe I could blast my gun off a few times and they would come running. I chuckled to myself. I was definitely losing it.

“I gotta go. Love you.”

“Love you, too. I’ll message you when I’m in town.”

“Got it. See you soon, cousin,” I said, hanging up the phone and tossing it on the nightstand.

It took me what seemed like an hour to get out of bed, I was sure it was just minutes, but with the sweat beading off my forehead and the dizziness only getting worse as I stood, it felt like an eternity.

I didn’t have the energy to change, so I wobbled over to my dresser and held myself up against it, then slid my feet into my combat boots. I grabbed my keys sitting on top of the dresser and then slowly made my way back over to the nightstand to grab my phone before heading for the door.

I was nothing but a sweaty, feverish, swollen lump of pain as I pulled the door open and somehow mustered the ability to go down the stairs to reach my motorcycle in the parking lot.

Swinging my leg over was a challenge. I whimpered as I did and then I had to steady myself by taking deep breaths, one after the other. The cool autumn air chilled my skin, making it sticky against my clothes, or hell, was that even sweat or more blood? I couldn’t be sure anymore.

I started the engine and let myself sit there a moment getting used to its weight and rumble under me.

If I pushed the stand up and started moving quickly, I’d just need to keep my balance rather than trying to hold the bike up on my own because at this point, I was too weak to.

I kicked the stand up quickly and started to roll while pushing the gas; it took everything in me to take off. I leaned all the way down, my chest practically flush with my gas tank as I made it onto the main road.

Their home wasn’t far from here, or at least that’s what I told myself as the minutes ticked by.

Eternity.

Eternity.

Eternity.

The infection made time seem to slow. I felt like it was taking me forever to accomplish anything. When I finally saw their long driveway, I turned down it and kicked up the gas a little out of sheer willpower to get to them.

I stopped my motorcycle, and it tipped over as I was climbing off, which caused me to stumble to the ground. I crawled up the few steps on their porch before I got to my knees to try and reach for the door. It opened before I could get to it.

My breathing labored, covered in dirt, blood, sweat, and probably unwanted tears Bastian stared down at me with an animalistic cock to his head. The predator slightly showing himself through his skin.

“Help… me…” My words were drawn out, and darkness made my vision tunnel.

“Do you accept our deal?” he asked, coolly placing his hands in his trouser pockets as he leaned against the door frame looking down at me.

I didn’t have time to think about it anymore. I would die if they wouldn’t help me.

“I’ll work… with you… now… help… me,” I demanded, feeling darkness take over more and more of my sight.

He looked me over before a lopsided grin curved his lips.

“You lasted longer than I thought you would.”

“Fuck you,” I gurgled out the words laced with venom before I lost consciousness. I swear I heard him chuckle in my dreams.