Heath (discontinued)

✿ epiphany ✿

My lips set into a thin line. There wasn't going to be any more bloodshed tonight. I had more than three hundred lives resting in the palm of my hands, and I wasn't planning on letting a single of them slip through my fingers. Not anymore.

"We have to stop this," I said hoarsely, mind whirling from the onslaught of thoughts overcrowding my brain.

"There's nothing I can do to stop this mess you've created," Heath said coldly, voice hard and void of emotion, and it felt like he had just sliced my heart open.

I flinched at the venom is his tone, his words cutting deep. This Heath was a thousand times worse. He had been cold, hostile and snarky before, yes, but now it went past from being plain cold to pure, burning hatred.

He hated me.

And I can't say I don't deserve it, because I do.

I deserved every hateful word he threw my way. The pain those words brought to my heart. And a part of me wanted to cry and scream all at once, but the other part was too stubborn to let me.

"You can't," I said slowly, and took a deep breath. "But I can."

"I can fix this," I said determinedly, setting my unwavering gaze on him. "I will fix this."

And I ripped my wrist from his grasp, my eyes locking on the window, the iridescent moonlight beckoning me towards it.

And without a single moment of hesitation, and not giving myself time to gauge his reaction, I bolted towards the window and jumped straight through the window, glass and all, and let instincts take over as I hurtled towards the ground.

I tucked and rolled to absorb the impact, shards of glass raining down on me, scratching my exposed arms and legs but not deep enough for me to take notice.

My knees scraped on the rough cement ground, drawing a stinging pain and the damp feeling of blood, and I regretted my choice of wardrobe for the day. I really couldn't have chosen a worse time to wear shorts.

I pushed myself to my feet, not giving myself time to shake off the impact, and bolted straight towards the thicket of trees ahead, the pale moonlight lighting my way.

I burst into the woods, wayward branches snagging my shirt and scratching my arms and legs, but I kept going, only one goal in mind.

Find the hunters.

If I could catch the hunters just before they reach the pack house, I might be able to convince them to turn back, or fabricate some impromptu lie to lead them away.

It wasn't the best idea, but it was my only idea.

I hurtled through the forest, no direction in mind, yelling their names till my throat ached and protested.

"Riley!" I shouted to empty air as I swiped at low hanging branches in my way.

"It's me! Alex!" My throat ached but I kept shouting.

"I'm here-"

The shout lodged in my throat as I swerved my head to the side, narrowly missing the dagger that whistled past my neck. It hit the tree behind me with a dull thump, wedging hilt deep into the bark.

"What the fu-"

I spun my head back around just in time to see a large figure lunge at me.