Chapter Two

CHAPTER 2

TAYLOR'S POV

Although I said yes, my heart was plagued with second-guesses all day long. And even when I had finally made it there, I still thought of turning around but Delaney’s perfect timing saved the day.

“For a second, I actually thought you wouldn't make it.” She said, enveloping me into a warm hug.

“I had to or you would have killed me.”

She patted my back gently. “You better not forget that.”

I chuckled, finding it funny although there was something about her tone that made me feel like it wasn't supposed to be a joke.

Delaney led me to a nice spot beside the big fire made of tons of giant logs. We sat alone. I glanced around. There was no one close to us. Everyone was standing in one corner or the other chewing at their partner's lips.

She was right about the privacy and the icky romance too.

“Here.” Delaney held a cup of beer to me, smiling childishly.

“No. I pass.”

She frowned. “Do you think I didn't notice? You walk with a limp. Zephyr bullied you again, didn't he?”

I avoided her upset gaze.

“Taylor. You are in pain. You need relief. The drugs won't help. They are bad for you. But this will.” She came closer. Holding my gaze. There was care in her eyes. Genuine worry about me.

“Trust me.”

I looked down at the cup. Delaney is never wrong. I took it from her and gulped down everything. I felt my throat burn. My injuries twitched. I gasped in pain.

She kept smiling the entire time. Not saying a word. I tried to hand the cup back to her but my hands felt really weak all of a sudden. I looked down.

Everything split into two. The ground beneath us blurred in my eyes and my mind felt so hazy. Suddenly I couldn't keep my eyes open anymore.

‘What's going on?’

It was as though the world started spinning. I lifted my gaze to meet Delaney’s face. She grinned.

‘Wait… no. It can't be. Delaney… what did you do?’

*********

“Here is fine. Leave her here.”

“Come on, hurry with those sticks.”

The whispers continued. My eyes flickered, I tried to keep it open but I was so woozy and so weak. I couldn't even lift an eyelid. My body felt like it weighed a ton and the pain in my legs was throbbing again.

“Should I tie her down before she wakes up?”

Someone asked, their voice was so familiar. I tried again to look. This time it worked. My gaze fell on him. A puny wolf boy with pale skin and roughed up clothes.

‘Jeffery. What the hell is he doing?’

He was shuddering, his face as white as a ghost. He hugged onto a big stick. Terrified was an understatement of how he felt.

He began to scare me too. I rolled my eyes around, There were others with him holding sticks too. But unlike him, they all wore nasty grins on their faces. They seemed to be enjoying this. Whatever it is.

“Who is gonna swing first?” One of them questioned. He was fiddling with his stick, eager to be the one.

“No way. Delaney goes first.”

I turned sharply. My neck snapped because of it. But I didn't notice. I was shocked. Delaney was standing a little away from me, swinging a batton.

‘No… no. This isn't… possible.’

Our eyes met and she held up her head, a devious look on her face.

“Yeah you are right. It's about time. I was really getting tired of this bitch parading herself like she has it all. This ought to teach her that filthy omegas keep their ugly heads down”

“Delaney-” tears pooled in my eyes. It all began to make sense to me. What this was and what she did.

There was this sick tradition to beat up a student every bonfire night. The school bullies made it up and they took turns picking a weak wolf who would be their dummy. I can't believe Delaney brought me here so I could be the dummy.

“What are you guys waiting for, let's do this already.” Someone yelled from their midst. Delaney’s hands gripped her batton and began to come towards me. I felt my gut sink and every bit of my body began to shiver.

I dug through the dirt with my claws, trying to crawl away. I could feel fear weigh down on me and my limbs refused to crawl with me. Tears blurred my vision.

I felt shivers crawl up my spin. This was real. They were really planning to hit me with that.

I whimpered in pain as my old wounds ripped open and my elbows scabbed by the pebbles on the sand.

Delaney swung the bat. It hit me right in the head. The world went dark instantly, it felt like my head burst open.

Screeching sounds filled my ears, everything else was quiet except for that. Another stick hit me on the side. Other blows followed. I covered my head and curled up like a ball. Their loud cheers filled the air.

Beating me was like comic relief to them. It got their adrenaline pumping and it made them more eager to do new damage.

Consciousness began to leave me. My mind went hazy and my body felt numb. My eyes wouldn't open anymore even though the power of the full moon made me heal fast.

My clenched fits unclenched. The tension in me seemed to slip away. I wasn't holding on anymore. I was tired of trying to survive.

The second before my eyes closed. I heard a mighty howl. I think It shook the entire place. The wolves froze on the spot. They all must have looked towards the sound.

I couldn't. I was phasing out. The last thing I could remember was the thudding of footsteps scampering off and firm big hairy hands lifting me into their arms. In the fading silence, I heard someone call out.

“Mate.”