020 ~ A mate's instinct (II)

"Bring her, alive."

Selene's heartbeat raced nonstop, increasing with every second.

"So kidnapping has become fashionable," her voice rang through the trees.

"It pays well."

"Fuck!" A whisper escaped her lips. "Bloody mercenaries."

Her gaze swept over the four men with broad shoulders and balanced stances. They stood with the effortless coordination of wolves who had trained side by side for years.

Now she had more reasons to suspect Victor. Except he, the maids, and the guards who saw her leave the estate tonight, no one else did.

The realization settled coldly in her stomach as her eyes moved briskly in the darkness that blended with her vision.

"You won't leave this forest," the leader said.

Selene slowly drew her dagger. "You don't know me."

"Oh, I do," a curved smile crossed his face and he lifted one hand.

At once the wolf to her left leaped first, expecting her to run or scream. Instead, Selene stepped toward him.

Her blade glanced off his wrist, forcing his weapon wide, and she drove her elbow into his throat before he could recover. He staggered backward, clutching his neck.

The second attacker came from behind.

She spun low, sweeping his legs from beneath him. Before he hit the ground, she kicked his fallen blade deep into the undergrowth.

"You've been trained," one of them muttered.

"I've survived," Selene replied, rolling her eyes at the obvious difference. Not like they understood anyway.

The tallest wolf smiled beneath his mask. "I can see that."

He rushed towards her himself.

Their blades met with a sharp metallic crack. The impact numbed her fingers, but she shifted her weight instead of resisting his strength, allowing the force he came with to carry him forward.

As he stumbled, she drove her knee into his ribs and his low grunt forced its way out of his throat

But it wasn't enough. He recovered far too quickly followed by the others who all closed in again.

This time they moved together.

She blocked one strike, ducked another, and narrowly avoided a third that sliced through the edge of her cloak. A heavy kick caught her hip before she could regain her footing, sending her crashing against the trunk of a tree.

Pain burned through her side but she ignored it.

One attacker reached for her arm, missing her by barely an inch. She took the chance and slammed the hilt of her dagger across his temple, shoving him into another.

For a heartbeat, she thought that was her chance, that she had created an opening to escape.

Then something struck the back of her knee making her drop to one leg... Hard!

Her eyes followed the dagger as it slipped from her hand and landed several feet away.

"Don't let her reach the knife," the leader pointed toward it and two wolves moved immediately.

The remaining pair marched towards her as she backed away until she felt rough bark press against her shoulders.

Now she was truly stuck with no way of escape or weapon.

The leader approached slowly, enjoying the realization in her eyes. "You've caused us more trouble than expected."

"I'm disappointed."

He frowned.

"I thought professionals would do better," she stared deep without flinching into his now glowing dark green eyes with a splinter of blood in one.

"Green with blood," she repeated the words in her head.

One of the masked wolves laughed but the leader didn't.

"This ends now," he drew a second blade from beneath his cloak. "I'm sure he wouldn't mind if a little accident happened because you gave us trouble... Even if it killed you."

As he stepped forward Selene closed her eyes. A part of her really wanted to believe Victor wouldn't mind if she was dead. She was no use to him anyway.

"Do it already," her voice left her throat in the wrongest of ways.

When suddenly, a low growl rolled through the forest and it was Close. Close enough to shake the air itself.

The leader's head snapped toward the darkness.

"What was that?"

The growl came again before anyone could answer him, closer this time.

One of the younger wolves took a step backward, with his legs visibly trembling. "We're not alone."

The leader clenched his jaw. "Of course I can see that. Forget whoever it is."

He raised his blade toward Selene. "Take—" The command never left his mouth.

Something burst through the trees with a force so strong that an ancient oak shuddered from the impact. One masked wolf was hurled sideways before he even realized he'd been struck, crashing through a thicket with a cry of pain.

The remaining attackers formed a defensive circle without warning.

Selene pushed herself upright as she struggled to breathe with her eyes fixed on the darkness from which the stranger had emerged.

She couldn't see his face. All her eyes were permitted to see was the unmistakable outline of a tall figure standing between her and the wolves.

Even the air shifted from cold to something icy. The attackers felt it too.

One whispered, "Who is he?"

No one answered, even the stranger didn't speak.

He simply took one deliberate step forward and every masked wolf stepped back.