A Touch Of Hate

Chapter 27

Verity

"Recruits, keep moving with the horses," squad leader Dirk yelled, flying above the soldiers who were pulling the horses closer to the Wall.

I trailed behind him, keeping a safe enough distance from Levi, whose annoyance with me was palpable.

"Two more small ones coming from the east!" the lookout yelled.

I jerked myself to a stop, clinging to a half-collapsed roof while I surveyed the scene. Two titans rounded the corner, sprinting with all their might to the soldiers, retreating with the horses. Their hands flailed in the air as they ran, mouths hanging agape and eyes rolling madly. As disgusting as they came.

I launched myself off the roof and headed in their direction. Levi was ahead of me, already nearing the first titan when I'd just taken off. Unwilling to solidify his belief of my uselessness, I sped up, going for a low swing of the closest building and around the titan's legs. When I flew past him, I shot my hooks into its nape and pulled myself up. The titan was dealt with in one clean swing, and I rushed away from the blinding steam of a decaying carcass. I landed on the nearest roof, wiping the blood off my face. Captain soon joined me and gave me a short once-over that would've irritated me had I not known that his scowling face was just a mask of worry.

Turning away, he shouted, addressing the rest of the soldiers. "Finish killing the small ones already! Get it done before the Beast Titan moves! And don't you dare get eaten!" He half-turned to me, sending a glare my way. "You too."

I huffed, replacing my dull blades with a new set from my ODM. "Wasn't planning on it. Unless you decide that we need to check out the insides of a titan's stomach."

"Then I would just cut the fucker open from the outside," the Captain replied, facing me, one brow raised. My cheeks heated, and I looked away. There was no point in trying to win a bickering match against him. I didn't know what I was expecting. "I mean it, Verity. Don't you fucking dare get hurt, you hear me?"

His rough and deep voice, full of quiet suggestions and sinful ideas, made my skin prickle. I bit my lip, forcing down completely untimely visuals that sprung into my mind as if they were just waiting for a reason to plague me again. Returning Captain's intense gaze, I said with as much conviction and certainty as possible. "Yes, Captain."

Levi's eyes narrowed, and his jaw worked. I couldn't resist a small smile at his reaction, but before he could criticize me, a soldier landed on the roof near us, cutting our glaring contest short.

"This area is all mopped up," the soldier reported, wiping blood off his face with a sleeve. "The only ones left to eliminate are way up at the front."

I followed the soldier's gaze to the line of titans, frowning. "It doesn't look like the Beast Titan's got any intention of budging from that spot."

"That's true," Levi said. "Looks like the big guy's a coward. Not that he ever had any balls to begin with."

"Captain, we can finish off the rest of the runts ourselves. Save the energy for that bastard," he sent another look toward the Beast Titan and jumped off, calling other soldiers to follow him. I watched him go, touched by this small act of kindness and foresight.

"I really hope he makes it," I found myself saying. Captain glanced at me in question and followed my gaze to the fighting soldiers.

"I hope we all do."

The ground suddenly shook, and the overwhelmingly loud explosion went off inside the walls. I flung my arms, catching my balance, as the house underneath our feet wobbled. Levi and I stared at the Wall.