Hey, wonderful people!
I'm super excited for the next few chapters - I've had them written and hiding in here for a few weeks now. I didn't want to forget the scenes and it really helped me delve into the relationship between my Sams.
Speaking of which...let's give a shoutout to KaosRidden for coming up with the official title of our wonderful characters! #SamSquared #TeamSamSquared
Secondly, this is a freaking long chapter. So long I had to split it into two parts. (The chapters together were 7000+ words...) Soooo there may or may not be a pretty bad cliffhanger at the end...but you just have to read to find out! 😂
Happy reading!
***
My suspicions were correct. The group of men and women led Samuel and me further into the forest, the trees around us growing thicker with every step. The sun was completely gone now, and Margaret had pulled out a flashlight to lead the way. The artificial light sent eerie shadows across our group as the last rays of sun faded away.
As we walked, I couldn't help the glares I sent in Margaret's direction, as well as the feelings of hatred for her and those behind me. Almost all of the people I'd met and trusted were somehow here, dragging me through the forest. Margaret, Zane, Tahlia, Enzo, these people were supposed to help, not tie me up and hold a gun to my head. My glares did nothing to stop them though, and we trudged on deeper and deeper into the neverending maze of trees.
Before long, I started to notice something flickering ahead. We walked directly towards the motion, almost letting it guide us. Accompanying the sparking shadows was a faint orange glow that seemed to mock the appearance of a sunset. As we advanced, my eyes fell upon a raging fire in the middle of a large clearing. Margaret turned off her flashlight as we approached, the fire giving us all the light we needed.
I was continually shoved forward by Tahlia as we entered the clearing. I quickly noticed a stone building to the right of us, nearly identical to the one I'd stayed in earlier that day. The only difference being it was larger, much larger. People were pouring out of it, walking towards the fire in small groups. I lost count of them as my head was shoved to the ground, preventing me from examining anything further.
Our group made our way to the fire where I was pushed to the ground, falling on my knees. The barrel of the gun finally left my head and I quickly turned to find Samuel. The men were dragging him behind us, moving until they came next to me. They threw him on the ground where he landed in a heap. He tried to lift himself up but only fell further into the dirt. I scanned him once over, gasping when I saw the blood staining almost every inch of the rope that held him bound. The skin was hardly there anymore, and the men hadn't bothered to take out the knives lodged into his arm. When my eyes fell upon his extended legs, I realized the cause for him not walking. Two large holes rested in each leg, something large and silver glinting from within the skin. Apparently, silver bullets were a thing, now.
His wretched and unmoving figure drew me towards him, my instincts screaming at me to somehow help him. Before I could move though, two arms quickly wrapped around my elbows. I looked behind me only to see an expressionless Zane holding me captive. I fought against his grip, but he only tightened it. My ears registered people murmuring and I quickly glanced around us. A large crowd was now gathered around the fire, each and every person looking straight at Samuel and I. The crowd consisted of men, women, and even children. They all had a knowing look in their eyes, though some seemed to hold a glint of fear as well. Their fear, aimed towards Samuel and me, only fueled my own.
"What's going on?" I screamed desperately, my voice coming out much stronger than I felt.
Margaret appeared in front of me, suddenly slapping me hard. My face fell to the side with the movement, her hand leaving a burning sensation in place. Samuel snarled loudly, causing a few people to suddenly move away from us. Margaret didn't move, however, keeping her place directly in front of me. She appeared as if she was going to scream in my face before a woman suddenly appeared next to her, placing a long hand on Margaret's shoulder. Margaret relaxed slightly, looking up at the new woman's tall frame. She had short white hair that fell to her shoulders in a plain and straight line. It seemed to ripple with every move she made. Slight wrinkles lined her eyes, a particularly deep one embedding itself in between her brows. As she emerged, people unknowingly seemed to look to her for answers.
"What do you want?" Samuel suddenly growled next to me. I looked at him, noticing he was staring at the white-haired woman with recognition.
She smiled, cooing, "What we will soon get."
"Like hell."
At his words, the woman quickly raised her hand and made a brushing motion towards Samuel. Men immediately grabbed him, holding tightly onto the knives embedded in his flesh. Something flashed in his eyes and I suddenly realized Samuel wasn't as hurt as he'd made it seem. He instantly began to fight the men off, sending a few flying dangerously close to the fire. At his actions, I was quickly snatched to my feet and brought in between Margaret and the older woman. Once again, I felt something hard press against my flesh, though this time it was held to my side.
"Stop fighting, wolf," The woman called.
Samuel ignored her and started to rip through the rope that held him bound. I watched a few of the strands fall to his sides as he raised his fists high. Men slowly started backing away as Samuel's back arched, sending a sickening cracking noise through the air. A woman screamed somewhere and I noticed several people rushing away from the scene, back into the large house.
"If you don't stop, we will have to shoot her," the woman spoke again.
Panic coursed through me at her words, the gun suddenly feeling as if it was already cutting through my flesh. However, once the men started rushing Samuel once again, he crouched low to the ground. A newfound strength came into his being as he fought them off, lashing out wildly and finally breaking the last of the rope that held him bound.
When no more men came forward, he sneered at the older woman. "I know about you and your little cause. You wouldn't kill one of your own."
The woman sighed, motioning something to Margaret. "Sadly, she is not one of us."
The next few moments happened slowly, then all at once. Margaret stiffened beside me. Something clicked into place. A booming noise deafened my ears. Then, pain.
More screaming rang through my ears, but this time I realized they were my own. I fell forward and gripped my ribs, my side suddenly feeling as if a hundred burning coals were poured over my skin. No one caught me as my body fell limply to the ground, my limbs folding in and around myself. I heard someone screaming my name, but I couldn't register who it was. All I could think was that I was going to die.
This was it, and I was never going to make it out.
I closed my eyes as black spots danced before my vision. Before I could welcome the darkness, someone was pulling at my face, lightly smacking my cheeks. My eyes shot open at the new sensation as it distracted me from my side for just a moment. I searched my surroundings until my gaze fell on Samuel, who was now directly in front of me. His lips were moving, his face contorted in complete agony. It slowly dawned that he was the one calling my name again and again.
He was suddenly ripped from my vision as I felt myself being lifted into the air. I was placed on my feet, though the person holding me supported most of my weight. I slowly lifted my head up, expecting to see Samuel, but it was Margaret that had lifted me off the floor. Confusion poured into me until I saw Samuel placed in front of me, four men holding him down on his knees. Slowly, I noticed my senses were coming back to me, along with the pain growing in my side.
Samuel was screaming at the white-haired woman as she adjusted her gray shirt and walked towards him. "Let her go! This doesn't concern her!"
"Unless you want the next bullet lodged in her chest, I'd suggest you stay quiet," she spoke monotonously, leaning down to stare in his face.
Samuel's chest was quickly rising and falling, puffing out slightly. He shot daggers into the woman's eyes. I tried to watch their encounter without interruption, but all too soon the burning sensation had grown too much to bear. Even with Margaret's strong arms holding me in place, I could hardly stand. My hands were plastered to my side attempting to ease the pain, but they did nothing to help. They only grew wet with what I assumed to be blood running down my body.
"What do you want?" Samuel growled.
I could hear the smile in the woman's voice as she responded. "Compliance."
I felt Samuel's gaze on me once more. I tried to appear strong, tried not to show how much the wound was affecting me. The last thing I wanted was another one of his erupting fits of rage.
"Stop her bleeding and I will do what you say," Samuel spoke lowly. "Just don't hurt her."
"That sounds like a reasonable request. But first, we need you out of the way."
Before I knew it, Samuel was being lifted off the ground and pushed forward. The group of men led him around the fire, walking directly by where I half stood. I lifted my gaze to meet Samuel's eyes, but quickly wished I hadn't. They were a flaming red, staring directly into my soul. His face was contorted into worry, his eyes darting constantly to my side. When he was finally out of my sight, I let my gaze down to where he'd been staring. I gasped as I saw the red liquid quickly flowing between my fingers.
My breathing quickened and my body tensed. Though I knew it was no time for them, flashbacks of my time with James flew across my mind. This was the same kind of pain. I'd thought if I escaped him I wouldn't have to experience it again. I wouldn't gain any more scars. Clearly, I was wrong. There was no escape.
My gaze followed Samuel and the men holding him. They were heading for a spot on the ground that stood out from the rest of the camp, though only a little ways away from the fire and where I now stood. The ground seemed to glisten as the men moved tarps aside, revealing several long silver bars. At this sight, Samuel froze.
Margaret tightened her grip on me as the others struggled to push Samuel forward. As they fought, Margaret pushed me forward. I stumbled with the sudden movement, my feet flying out from underneath me. No hands caught me as I fell forward, my shoulder landing painfully on the ground, followed by the rest of my body. I cried out as the burning intensified and now seemed to cover my entire torso. At my cry, Samuel whirled around and began to tear away from his guards. He broke free for a fraction of a second and dove towards my limp body, but before he could help me he was ripped backward by another three men. He fought against them desperately, constantly looking back to me.
The woman from before came and pulled me to my knees. My legs struggled to hold my weight and I felt as if I'd be content to die right then and there. The woman called out a few words, but my ears once again didn't comprehend what she was saying. However, I did notice Samuel go rigidly still, allowing the men to shove him closer to the silver bars.
I watched them stalk towards the metal, malice lacing their stances. Just as I thought the men would tie Samuel up to burn alive, the bars suddenly opened. They popped upwards like a door, revealing a dark hole underneath. Samuel barely had time to register what was happening before he shot me one last horrified glance and was pushed into the hole.
My gaze followed his body as it fell from view. I was still being held up by the woman and Margaret's strong grips. Without them, I knew I would collapse instantly. They seemed to know this as well but made no move to pull away. Instead, they moved me back until I stood in front of the fire, the crowd of people staring at me once more. I stared back, though not out of hostility this time. They were human, and they knew I was human, too. Surely that had to count for something. Surely they had to realize that I'd just been shot, and I needed help. Surely they wouldn't let me die. Surely now that they had Samuel they would let me go.
However, my silent pleas were ignored. The eyes just stared back at me as if I was some foreign object they suddenly had the chance to explore. I was suddenly just some strange and new thing that they didn't know what to do with.
Margaret's voice suddenly called out to someone and I looked around to see movement in the crowd while people parted to let someone through. My eyes slowly scanned the faces, trying to find who it was they were parting for. When a familiar face came into view though, a new hatred filled my being.
As the shape of a man appeared, I used the last of my strength to glare directly into his eyes. This was the person I trusted. This was the person I thought would help me. This was the man who broke down my guard, allowing me to reveal information I wanted to stay hidden. This was the man I could thank for my betrayal.
Kade.
He met my gaze, looking down at me as he made his way to the front. Our eyes never left each other as he moved forward, coming slowly to stand in front of me. The hatred in my eyes didn't cease.
Finally, he broke our eye contact and looked down at the ground. He hesitated slightly before he knelt down and brought something forward, placing it next to him. The grips on my elbows suddenly left, and I faltered in place. My feet wanted to give out, but I wouldn't let them. I wouldn't show weakness. Kade, however, saw past my facade. He motioned to someone and Margaret suddenly appeared in my vision once more as she swiftly pushed me to my knees. I expected her to leave, but she kept a firm hand on my shoulder as Kade fiddled with what was next to him.
"Just stop the bleeding, Kade," Margaret voiced.
He sighed. "I need to see if the bullet is still in there. If it is, I have to pull it out."
I flinched as he brought his hands forward, slowly removing mine from my side. My hands didn't want to comply, as I knew that as soon as they left their position an entirely new wave of pain would hit. Kade, however, was relentless. He pulled my arms away, ignoring my slew of curses directed at him. He ignored me as he peeled away the layers of clothing now matted to my skin with blood. I closed my eyes as the night's breeze hit my bare skin, sending it aflame once more.
"The bullet just grazed her. I'll wrap it and hopefully, the bleeding will stop," Kade sighed.
Before I could register his words, a new figure was appearing in my vision. I recognized the white-haired woman immediately.
"Thank you, Kade. I don't know what we'd do without your help."
Kade grumbled something in response, my ears not quite catching what he said. My eyes followed his movements as he brought forth gauze and large bandages. Before I could register what he was doing, he began dabbing at my skin with something, sending entirely new waves of agony over me. I let out an involuntary gasp as he plastered countless things over my wound, expertly wrapping the gauze to allow it to stay in place. When he was finally finished, my breathing was ragged and harsh.
"Has it stopped?" The woman's voice sounded.
Kade sighed, looking to her and Margaret. "For now."
Margaret suddenly released her hold on me and walked away, forcing me to stand. I stumbled with the sudden action, but Kade quickly jumped up to steady me. Once I had my footing, I looked for the woman. She was standing right next to Margaret, the pair looking quite triumphant.
"Is someone going to tell me what the hell is going on?" My voice suddenly sounded. It was full of venom and unheard screams.
Margaret scrunched her face in disgust while the woman simply smiled. "Kade, why don't you inform Samantha, as she put it, what the hell is going on."
Kade groaned, almost too quiet for me to hear.
"Samantha," he started, turning towards me, his voice completely different from before. There was no humor, no childlike laughter. "We've got to put you down there with the wolf. Either you go willingly or forced."
I let his words sink in for a moment before I completely lost it.
"Are you kidding me?" I practically screamed in his face. I went to continue, but he quickly cut me off.
"Listen, Samantha,"
"No, you listen, Kade" I quickly retorted. "I don't know what's going on here, but I'm sure as hell not going to be put in a hole and left to die. I was just shot for fuck's sake! You people were supposed to help me get out of here, not literally throw me to the wolves."
I breathed heavily in between rants, realizing I now had the attention of every person in the clearing. Normally I would shy away from something like this, but tonight it only fueled my desperate fire.
"I'm a human, remember? What threat could I possibly pose? Just let me go and I swear I won't look back. This will be over," I cried out.
I was calling out to the sympathies of the onlookers, hoping to gain some sort of compassion. While shouting, I let my eyes rest on Margaret and the woman standing next to her. My eyes narrowed slightly when I saw their smug grins, immediately realizing this was doing me no good.
I turned my attention back to Kade, knowing I'd clearly lost the fight. "I fucking trusted you."
He sighed. "I thought that if you got out of town it'd be ok. I never imagined your mate would be the Beta," he paused, finally looking me in the eye. " You're with the wolves, now."
Silence ensued as I let his statement sink in
"I'm not his fucking mate," I eventually responded. "I'm a human, no matter what you people keep telling yourselves. I am no different from you."
"I wish that were true," he told me softly.
Kade broke his resolve. He looked down to the ground, hair falling over his features. I saw his shoulders rising and falling quickly, and I prayed he'd take pity on me. He was the one who got me into this, and he might be my last hope in getting out.
"All I wanted was to get away so I could help my family," My voice broke, betrayal tears forming in my eyes. "Please, just let me go."
He hesitated before responding. "Samantha, we-"
The woman from before suddenly cleared her throat. I whipped my gaze towards her, not bothering to wipe the tears that were now cascading now my cheeks. She ignored me and walked forward to stand next to Kade, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"Kade," she spoke kindly. "That's enough."
At her words, Kade stiffened and stood up. Without another glance my way, he turned and walked back into the crowd.
"Coward!" I screamed as I watched him leave, sending daggers into his back. I hoped he felt every one.
"Samantha, that's enough," she started.
I whipped my head to face this new woman. "Who the hell are you?"
"Damaria Bourne," she smiled proudly, though I noticed it didn't go past her lips.
"Is that supposed to mean something?"
Her smile disappeared. "I was originally the one who deemed you acceptable to help our cause. It seems I've misjudged."
She waved a hand to some men and they emerged, started to force me forward once again. I struggled within their iron grasps, crying out in pain.
"What is that supposed to mean? What do you want with me?" I cried desperately. My resolve was weakening and I realized I would do anything to not be thrown into that hole. "Please, I just want to leave! Let me go!"
She smiled. My pleading cries only got louder as the men picked me up by my elbows and began leading me to the hole. ignoring the pain coursing through my entire body, I dug my heels into the ground and fought desperately. It did no good. With each second, we got closer to the darkness.
"There's no point in struggling, Samantha. We've won." The woman's voice rang out once more.
I stopped my struggles for just a second as I looked her square in the eyes. "Burn in Hell."
Her face darkened and the men pulled me harder. I was brought to the edge of the hole in the ground, where the men paused momentarily. My limbs thrashed wildly, trying to catch onto something that would pull me away from my assailants.
The woman's voice pierced the night for the last time. "Throw her in."
***
Ok, so that chapter did not go as I'd originally planned! Stupid characters getting away from me...😂 Actually, I'll let you guys in on a secret. Samantha was definitely not supposed to get shot in the in the original draft. Then I went through to edit it and it just kind of happened...so ya... These darn characters will be the death of me!
What do you all think of Kade now? And how about Damaria? What could she be up to??
Poor Samuel...do you think he'll escape?
Thanks for the AMAZING comments and votes and follows! You guys are the best!!
Mquistey