Hooked

Chapter Thirty-Two: Sweet Sacrifice

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, N.L.PETIT 2015.

Chapter Thirty-Two: Sweet Sacrifice

I lay on the table, my eyes glued to Adrian as he stalked forward, daring any of the zamphyr to try to contain him. I thought I would never see him again, yet there he was, as real as anything, here to bring me home. 

Suddenly I couldn't breathe. There was no way in hell that I was going to let anything ruin what we had. He'd come this far for me, after all this time, and Will's attempts to tear us apart sent my anger to an all-time high. 

By now, my right hand was already free. I struggled with my left, yanking it as gently as possible to avoid catching Will's attention. He stepped closer to me with his eyes still on Adrian, and he placed his cold hands on my right thigh, moving the fabric of my over-stretched shirt out of his way.  

"Since you aren't able to speak," Will said, trying to repress his grin yet again, "I'll decide for you. Hold still, princess."

As Will bent his head down, one of the zamphyr darted forward and slashed the rope at my left wrist. I pulled myself up and slammed my fist into Will's cheek, knocking him off balance. Taking the chance, I ripped the restraints off my stomach and ankles and rolled myself off the table. I landed ungracefully and felt pain shoot through my right ankle just as Will straightened.

"Kill the wolf!" he shouted, and the zamphyr had no choice. Will rushed forward to catch my wrist, and he yanked me up. His eyes were so red with bloodlust that they overcame his pupils, turning the entire eye red. "You should have stayed where you were, bitch. An unwilling transition can be as painful as I choose."

When he realized I didn't care about what he did to me, he decided to hit me where he knew I couldn't recover. "You've just killed your mate, Sophie. How does that make you feel? To know that he'll die because of you and your selfishness. You'll end up the same either way, and yet he's still fighting for you. Such a sweet sacrifice, don't you think?"

I gritted my teeth and stared directly into his eyes. "That's because he loves me more than you ever could. We're fighting because we love each other, and I will never give up on him."

A silver glint caught my eye. When the zamphyr had cut my wrist free, he'd strategically dropped the knife below the table. All I had to do was find an opportunity, and it was mine. 

"You think this is an expression of love, Sophie?" Will scoffed. "He's doing this because he thinks you're his possession. Don't tell me you believe in soulmates." 

He said the word like it was a joke. To me, it wasn't. 

"Kyle, Mark, restrain her." He looked at me. "Now watch what I do to your fated mate, Sophie. Once he's dead, you won't want your memories anyway."

The zamphyr had pressed me against the wall before I could move. The knife was closer now, but it wasn't where my attention was focused. Adrian had been subdued by the immense number of zamphyr around him. Five men held his now-human body prisoner as Will walked towards him.

Adrian wasn't looking at any of them. His eyes held mine, and I struggled to free myself. "Let me go, you bastard!" I screamed. It was high pitched and hysterical, and my throat protested with rawness. "You coward! Having people hold him down while you attack him! Fight like a god damned man, William," I seethed, trying anything to stop him.

Will turned around and glared at me. "I'm not a man, princess. I'm a vampire. I created them. They are simply extensions of me."

The men around him seethed at him, unable to disobey his commands.

"You created them when they were weaker than you," I retorted. "You're too afraid to die to fight like a man."

He was in my face less instantly. "You know what, Sophie? I've just realized something. You're not afraid of death. Threatening you is useless. Release her." 

He turned around and crossed the room, and while his back was turned, I grabbed the knife, twisting it in my hand.

He faced me again and gripped Adrian's jaw. 

"No, you're not just afraid of death. You're afraid of his death."

He yanked a gun out of David's hand and immediately fired a shot into Adrian's chest.

"No!"

With one final burst of adrenaline, I moved faster than I ever had, until I was behind him, the knife poised in my grip. Without hesitation, I ripped the blade roughly across his throat. He tripped away, spluttering, gagging, and tried to form words with his hand pressed to his bleeding neck. Catching himself on the table, he turned red eyes onto me and launched himself at me with his teeth bared. 

My adrenaline began to falter, and my eyesight blurred. I nearly stumbled as I attempted to escape his hands, yet before he could grab me, another shot rang out, and William's weight knocked me to the ground. The bullet hole in his forehead began to steadily drain cold blood onto my body, but I didn't have the strength to push him away. Black spots danced in my vision.

As I lay beneath his bleeding form, Adrian dropped the gun and pressed his hand to his chest. He gasped for breath and winced, and immediately the freed men knelt at his side and began to apply pressure to his chest. All I could do was stare at Adrian's body as I felt Will's body lifted off mine.

"Sophie, are you all right? Sophie?"

It was Kor. I felt extreme relief at seeing him, but I didn't want him to help me. Most of my damage wasn't visible. I'd been starving for weeks, dying slowly from the inside out. My flesh wounds were inconsequential, but beneath the skin, I'd been close to dying before this started.

"Help him," I told Kor. "He needs it more."

He shook his head. "Your survival is as important as his--."

I shook my head. "You don't understand. You can't help me here. It's been too long."

I lifted the hem of my shirt, revealing the flesh wound that had been consistently reopened for weeks without end. My body had no energy to heal and had been stuck in perpetual injury since then. 

"Help me later," I pleaded. "He needs it now."

Torn, Kor looked up and found someone amidst the chaos and shouted, "Vienna! Take Sophie and the car back to Adrian's house. Drive as fast as you can. Call Rosie on the way and fill her in as much as you can."

When the woman, Vienna, knelt to lift me, I begged her to wait until I saw Adrian. His condition was deplorable: So much blood covered his body, and his eyes were closed in complete agony. One of the doctors in the pack knelt beside him, performing an emergency surgery that I prayed would come through. With one last look, Vienna carried me out of the building and into the car. I wanted nothing more than to take his pain upon myself, to transfer everything he felt to me. I never wanted him to feel pain that I had caused. 

Vienna slammed the door behind her and shoved the key into the ignition, simultaneously dialing Rosie's number. Before the engine started, I felt intense pain in my chest, as if fire were consuming me, and I stopped breathing.