Chapter 7 Between two thungs
MIREILLE’S POV
“What the hell are you talking about?” I asked sharply, my voice rising in pitch.
My loud tone drew the attention of a nearby waitress and two customers at a corner table. They glanced over for a brief, hopeful second, but the moment they saw the massive, scarred brute looming over me, they promptly looked away, suddenly very interested in their food. I bit my lower lip, terror seizing my throat.
Suddenly, something solid and freezing cold pressed hard against the side of my stomach through my crop top. I froze, a strangled, morbid gasp catching in my throat. The scarred man leaned down further, his twisted face inches from mine.
“Archer,” one of the thugs behind him warned in a low, anxious whisper. “Watch the crowd.”
“Now, little angel...” Archer growled into my ear. “You are going to stand up, put a massive smile on your beautiful face, and walk out to the car with us. If you make a single sudden movement, I won't hesitate to end your pathetic life right here.”
I nodded frantically, forcing a stiff, terrifying smile onto my face as I stood up. He kept the knife hidden but pressed firmly against my ribs as they escorted me out of the restaurant and shoved me into the backseat of a black SUV.
“Help!” I screamed at the top of my lungs the second the door opened.
Archer appeared instantly, slamming the heavy metal hilt of the knife violently against the side of my head. A sharp, blinding pain exploded behind my eyes. I slumped against the seat, a warm, sticky liquid immediately trickling down the side of my face. I touched it with trembling fingers. Blood.
“Archer!” the other thug hissed, climbing into the front seat. “Don't damage the cargo unless you want Slaine to literally skin us alive!” His voice was visibly shaking with pure terror.
Who the hell was Slaine?
Kian seemed utterly terrified of him—terrified enough to play some weird, affectionate lover game with me just to keep me away from his older brother. These rugged, terrifying criminals were visibly trembling just at the mention of his name. Heck, even his own father had gone completely stiff when Slaine walked into the mansion.
Was he actually that dangerous?
That would certainly explain why he could casually threaten to murder people without blinking an eye.
“Get in the damn car and drive!” Archer snapped at his partner, completely ignoring the warning. He seemed to be the only one who didn't shake at the mention of Slaine’s name. Either he was completely immune to fear, or he was entirely consumed by a need for vengeance.
The drive to wherever they were taking me didn't take long. I forced myself to stay conscious, mapping out the turns and noting landmarks along the highway. The second I got an opening, I was going to make a run for it. Or so I thought.
The SUV suddenly screeched to a halt at the edge of a dense, overgrown wood line. Archer threw the back door open, aggressively grabbing me by the hair and dragging me out onto the dirt. I clenched my jaw tight, refusing to give him the satisfaction of hearing me scream.
“I can see exactly why he marked a human like you,” Archer sneered, shoving me forward.
A human like me? What the hell did that mean? What else would I be?
“But being tough isn't going to save your life.” He yanked my hair harder, forcing me into the dense treeline.
As we marched deeper into the brush, the woods rapidly grew thicker, transforming into a massive, suffocating forest. The ancient trees clustered tightly together, their heavy branches slapping violently against my face as Archer carelessly shoved them aside, only caring about protecting his own eyes.
“Where are you taking me?!” I demanded, my eyes darting frantically between the two thugs lagging behind and Archer’s iron grip on my arm. I suddenly threw my entire weight backward, planting my feet into the dirt and refusing to move.
Archer just let out an amused chuckle and abruptly released his grip.
Realizing I was free, I didn't hesitate. I spun around and sprinted in the exact direction we had just come from, my feet flying over the dirt. I peeked over my shoulder periodically, but to my absolute bewilderment, none of the men were chasing me. They were just standing there, watching me run.
I screeched to a violent halt, an eerie, suffocating silence settling over the woods.
Suddenly, the thick brush ahead of me rustled violently. A massive, deafening howl shattered the silence, vibrating right through my bones. I gasped, stumbling backward as a huge, monstrous grey wolf emerged from the shadows, its amber eyes locked entirely on me.
I spun on my heel to run, but two more massive wolves emerged from the brush on my flanks, effectively trapping me in a deadly triangle. The grey wolf charged. I screamed, dropping to the forest floor and curling into a ball. Its massive jaws snapped forward, catching the fabric of my shirt and tearing it open. The other two wolves closed in, their sharp claws ripping at my clothes.
Another deafening howl pierced the air, forcing my eyes open. Before I could move, the grey wolf’s massive teeth clamped down hard on my forearm.
A piercing, heart-wrenching shriek tore from my lungs. Beads of cold sweat erupted on my forehead as I frantically struggled to dislodge my arm from its jaws, the agony blinding.
“How dare you, Archer?!” a deep, booming voice growled from the depths of the forest.
The crushing grip on my arm vanished instantly. Slaine stepped out from behind a massive oak tree, his eyes entirely, pitch-black.
“You know exactly what happens to anyone who touches what belongs to me!” Slaine roared, his dark gaze snapping down to my bleeding form.
The intense pain was making my vision blur, my body collapsing under the agony. Suddenly, the massive grey wolf shook its head—and right before my disbelieving eyes, its fur receded, its bones cracking and shifting until it was instantly replaced by the human form of Archer. I blinked rapidly, positive the blood loss was making me lose my mind.
“Took you long enough to realize your precious mate was in mortal danger!” Archer mocked with a dark chuckle. “Or were you just waiting around to see if I’d actually slit her throat?”
“The sheer audacity,” Slaine said, his voice dropping into that terrifying, serene calmness that I was quickly learning to fear above all else.
In a flash, Archer’s bones cracked again, transforming back into the monstrous grey wolf as he launched himself directly at Slaine. With the very last ounce of strength left in my body, I threw myself forward, planting my injured body directly between the lunging wolf and Slaine.
The wolf’s massive fangs sank deep into my thigh. A breathless, agonizing scream tore from my throat as my legs gave out.
“Storm!”
A pair of strong arms caught me just before I hit the dirt. Slaine laid me down gently on the moss.
“Archer!” he screamed, the sound echoing through the forest as a heavy fog began to settle over my brain.
I forced my eyelids open, desperately wanting to tell him I was okay. One second I was watching Slaine charge after the grey wolf in his human form, and the next second, his body violently expanded, dark fur exploding from his skin as he transformed into a massive, terrifying black wolf.
“Sl... Slaine?” I choked out, completely terrified, right before the darkness finally pulled me under.
