Chapter 23

Everlee

Ijerk awake when an unholy roar fills the night air. My eyes snap open and dart around looking for the source, but instinctively, I already know.

Wild Man. And he sounds like he's in pain.

With the new moon, it's too dark to see anything. A shuffling sound comes from outside the sleeping area and another roar nearly pierces my ears.

I scramble up from the bed, feeling around the floor for the spear Wild Man always keeps near while we sleep. I don't feel it, so I try to find something else to use, but come up empty.

"Wild Man!" I scream, fear knotting itself in my stomach.

His answering bellow has those knots doubling in size.

Uncaring that I don't have a weapon, my only thought is to get to him. What in the hell is happening? Has an animal made its way into the tree hut? My thoughts are frantic as I run to the opening.

I still can't see shit, but I can barely make out shadows across from the fire pit. There are several of them. Not animals, but people, and they're wrestling another shadow to the ground.

Before I can even think about finding something to hit the people with, arms wrap tight around my waist from behind and lift me up from the ground.

"Let me go!" I scream, thrashing against the hold.

Wild Man roars again. "Momor!"

"Ever, it's me. We've come to rescue you."

My struggles stop at the familiar voice and my breath gets stuck in my throat. "Joe?" I croak.

"Yeah, baby sis. We're so fucking sorry it's taken us so long," he says against my ear. "Come, I'm taking you out of here while they finish with him."

"No!" I renew my struggles, scratching at his arms, desperately trying to break his hold. "They've got to stop! They're hurting him!"

"Damn right they are," he growls.

Fear tightens the band around my chest at the sinister note in his voice.

Grunts and groans coming from my dad and brothers mix in with the deranged roars coming from Wild Man.

"You've got to stop them! Dad! Don't hurt him!"

"Joe, get her the fuck out of here!" Dad barks, sounding out of breath.

I still can't fucking see in the dark, so I can't tell what's happening. I can't tell how badly Wild Man is hurt. Or if one of my brothers or Dad is. I can't stand the thought of Wild Man in pain, but I don't want my dad or brothers hurt either.

I buck and kick back against my brother's hold. "Joe, please! You've got to let me go so I can save him!" Wild Man and my family are more alike than either knows. Both will fight until one isn't breathing. Wild Man is fierce and the strongest man I know, but it's four against one, odds I doubt he can defeat. My dad and brothers won't stop until he's dead, and if by some chance Wild Man manages to get the upper hand, he won't stop until they are. "They're going to kill each other!" I yell.

"No, they are going to kill him," Joe says, skyrocketing my fear.

He starts dragging me backward. I screech at the top of my lungs and fight harder than I have in my entire life. I try to kick back, but I only meet air. But Joe is just too strong and overpowers me. He pulls me through the leafy opening, and I desperately grab onto branches. My fingers slide down the stiff stalks, cutting into my skin. I ignore the pain.

"Let me go! Let me go!" I scream over and over again.

Wild Man isn't yelling anymore. All I hear are Joe's heavy breathing in my ear, grunts coming from the tree hut, and the heavy sound of flesh hitting flesh.

Joe keeps dragging me backward, further and further away.

My heart feels like it's being sliced from my chest with a dull blade. I can't get enough air to breathe and my head feels dizzy with dark spots dancing in my vision. My struggles taper off when my arms feel too heavy, even as my mind screams to fight! To get to my dad and brothers before they kill the man that I love.

I let my body go completely limp in Joe's arms. He sets me to my feet and my legs nearly buckle, but I force the muscles to work. As soon as his grip on me loosens, a rush of adrenaline fills me, and I take off blindly for the tree hut.

"Everlee!" Joe calls behind me, and I hear his thundering footsteps as he chases after me.

I brush the hair out of my face, hardly registering the blood I'm smearing on my cheeks from the gouges on my palms. I can barely make out the tree hut entrance just up ahead.

I'm only a few feet away when my foot hits something hard. I don't have time to register the pain before I'm flying forward. A sharp pain shoots through the side of my head when I collide with something solid.

The blackness comes fast, but before it fully takes me under, I hear another roar of rage.

And this one, I know, is the sound of death.