As much as I'd love writing an author's note, I really don't have time. Enjoy!
23. All paid
My heavy eyes open in the dark, my head dizzy.
“What the…” I try to lift my hands but feel them bound together in front of me.
“Ah, you’re awake,” a newly familiar voice says
My head snaps towards the source and I see a tall figure with sandy blond hair and dark brown eyes.
“Adrian?” my eyes widen, the words from before rush to my head “What the hell are you doing?”
With a small chuckle, he crouches down so we’re on eye level. My eyes adjust to the dark and I can just make out his smirk.
“Nothing personal, Elise,” he says, bemused “But your partner is a pain in the ass. Taking him down is necessary.”
I narrow my eyes at him “And how do you plan on doing that?”
“By kidnapping you, of course,” he says waving a hand at me “He’ll come for you— hell, any man would, and when he does, he wont be going back.”
I school my features in perfect calm, holding my breath so it wouldn’t come out as shallow intakes. No, no, don’t panic. Do not panic! Panic makes you stupid, stupid gets you killed!
“What about me?” I ask
“We’d leave you alone,” a new voice says, my eyes snap up to see Ryan against a tree “You can wait in one place until the Hunt is over, then you can go back.”
I stare at him for a moment, indignity sparks a fire in me, fueled by two days of pent up words.
“Excuse me?” I glare at them “You think I’m not a threat? That you can leave me here?”
“What?” Adrian raises his brows
“Don’t ‘what?’ me!” I snap “I’m perfectly capable of coming back for revenge! I might not look much, but I’m pretty damn dangerous!”
“I don’t follow,” Adrian looks at Ryan for help
“Do you want us to kill you?” Ryan asks me, his brows knotted
Those words snap me out of my angry haze. Right…
“Well,” I clear my throat “you don’t have to think about that. Luke wont come for me.”
Adrian shakes his head with a smile “That’s the oldest trick in the book, love.”
“Fine, don’t believe me,” I lean back against the tree I’m sitting by “But he hates my guts, he cant stand the sight of me. He’ll probably thank the stars that I’m gone and be on his merry way.”
For a moment, they both go quiet and I realize, its not just me amazing acting skills that they are considering my words. It’s the conviction, the truth in them.
Adrian and Ryan exchange a look, then Ryan says “Werther he likes you or not, it’s on his pride now. He will come.”
“Hmm,” I put on a thinking expression, ignoring the bitter taste in my mouth “Now that you put it like that… maybe he will come after all.”
“That’s what we thought,” Adrian says before he stands up “Now you sit tight while we plan on how to take the moron down.”
“Moron… that’s one thing I agree with you on,” I nod “Luke really is an ass.”
“Always was,” Adrian says “When he came to our pack to train for two months, he wouldn’t even talk to be like I’m his age. He was always talking to my father and can you imagine, my father never told me what the hell they talked about!”
“I can understand,” I nod solemnly “If you need any help planning this trap for him, feel free to ask me.”
“Why would you help us?” Ryan asks suspiciously
“Well, you two said that I can go free,” I say calmly “And besides, Luke is insufferable. You two will do me a favor by taking him down.”
Adrian grins “I knew there was a reason I like you so much.”
I smile back “Don’t mention it. So, what are you guys planning?”
Adrian takes out his map but before he could come towards me, Ryan stops him and they start talking in quick, quiet words. Damn you, you moderately smart person! Just let your stupid, impulsive Alpha do all the deciding!
“But she’s tied up,” Adrian’s voice reaches me in a bare whisper “She can’t possibly be harmful. Look at her, so small and helpless.”
For probably the first time in my life, being short, female and an omega is helping me out. Nevertheless, I feel my jaw clench when he says that.
Just wait, I’ll show you how helpless I am.
After a few more minutes, Adrian walks towards me, map in hand. He sits down and lays it open, for a moment I have to blink at the spotless paper. Luke’s map is full of lines and crosses and little notes.
“We are here,” Adrian says, pointing at a spot about two miles from where Luke and I had camped “we told your partner to meet us here,” he moves his finger towards the waterfall about a kilometer away.
“We are planning on shooting just as he arrives, he won’t be expecting it.” Ryan adds in grudgingly
I purse my lips “That’s a great plan but… I don’t think it’ll work.”
Adrian raises an eyebrow “So much faith in that asshole?”
“No,” I shake my head “It’s too obvious. Luke probably wont even come from a place open to the eye. If he got anywhere close to you two…”
I shudder. Adrian and Ryan exchange a glance.
“But you know what will take him by surprise?” I say “An underground trap.”
“A what?” Ryan says
I roll my eyes “Dig a hole, cover it with leaves and stuff.”
“And what about the fact that he can come out?” Adrian crosses his arms
“He won’t.” I click my tongue “He’s claustrophobic.”
This secures their interest, Ryan comes and sits by my side as well. I suppress a grin. Perfect.
With my bound hands, I slid the map towards me and point as a spot near the waterfall “You can dig the trap here, if you guys put me just in his line of sight, I’ll tell him I ran away. When he comes for me, bam! He’ll be done for! Too afraid to do anything.”
“You, love,” Adrian puts his arm around me and presses a kiss to my cheek “Are amazing. I can’t believe Luke can’t appreciate such a treasure.”
“Well,” I bat my lashes at him “You’re getting rid of him for me, aren’t you?”
“Promise.” He smiles at me, then leans forward so his lips brush against my ear “Maybe you should come with us, love, you might find me more agreeable then your current partner.”
I move away from him and give him a little smile. I’d have to wash my ear with acid now.
“We should get going,” Ryan says “The sooner we start, the better.”
So we start forward, me walking between Adrian and Ryan. I test my binds a bit, I can’t possibly break them. They took my gun as well, so I have nothing but a brain to work with.
Once we reach the decided spot, Adrian and Ryan start digging. For hunting purposes, Adrian and Ryan had a net with them, made of barb covered wires. They’re planning on putting that on Luke when he falls in the pit.
Since they don’t have proper digging gear, the poor souls were working with daggers. I wondered if I should tell them they should break a thick branch, sharped it’s edge like a spear and use that.
I decide against it.
Alright time to get rid of these binds.
…
“You think a girl can be the Alpha Supreme? If I decide to finish the Hunt and win, can I be the Alpha Supreme? It would be so much fun! Hurry up guys, the sun might be rising any moment now! Don’t you want to catch Luke? If you guys win, what’s the first thing you’d do? If it were me, I’d make it a rule to respect omegas. But since I have no intention of continuing this Hunt, maybe you could do that for me?”
Ryan grips his head in his hands, Adrian drags a hand down his face.
“I have three year old triplets,” Ryan grumbles “and the three of them aren’t half as annoying as you.”
“Aww,” I say “That’s so cute. What are their names? Are they boys or girls? What’s their mummy’s name? Seriously Ryan, I never knew you would be such a family guy—
“Is there any way to shut her up?” Adrian looks at the sky
“I’m hungry,” I pout “and I’m talking to distract myself.”
“Fine!” Adrian says as he reaches for one of their bags “You can eat! Just for the love of all that is holy, shut up!”
“But how will I eat?” I ask innocently, holding up my hands
He slashes through the ropes with the knife he was digging with. I flex my wrists, both red but it’ll be gone in a while.
“Thank you,” I shove a cracker in my mouth “Go on, help your beta. Luke might be up by now.”
Adrian and Ryan continue to labour away, disappearing inside the hole. I slowly stand to my feet and peak around, gauging the best route when I see the net.
A smile curves at my lips as I walk towards it and carefully pick it up, the noise of the waterfall giving me cover as I reach the hole.
“Hey guys?” I look down
They look up and Ryan says “What are you—
I drop the net, the heavy stones at the sides weight it down and the barbs will be making sure they don’t get out anytime soon.
“You,” Adrian glares at me, struggling with the net “You bitch! You’ll pay for this!”
“Here,” I blow him an air kiss and wink “All paid.”
Chuckling to myself, shoving my hands in the pockets of my shorts, whistling, I walk away.
Who says you need a man to save you?
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