***I swear, I was not planning on making this many updates for one night but these boys keep surprising me and I want to do them all justice so it's just turned into a ridiculous amount of updates. Hopefully, you guys aren't hating me for it and are still hanging in there with me. I give you: Game Night Part 4!***
I ran for what felt like years, my mind racing as my body started to wane from exhaustion, and I pushed myself harder, knowing I needed to keep alert for the other three boys I still had to face. I was terrified of running into any of them since I was sure all three would undoubtedly kill me without blinking an eye but I was even more worried about my current state of being. I was exhausted and my body ached from the numerous bumps and bruises I'd accumulated, my cheekbone already swelling from the hit I'd taken from Gabriel, and I feared I wouldn't be able to put up much a fight when the time came. I'd come too far to die now, but both Owen and Kota were smarter than me and North was stronger. I didn't stand a chance!
My monster growled in frustration at my dour thoughts and I allowed her confidence to boost my own, hoping she could keep us alive when we faced down the last of our adversaries. Pushing my legs faster, I sprinted through the planted corridors until I turned a final corner and found a wall of shrubbery rising before me. I'd finally come to the T in the road and I almost collapsed before the hedge in relief.
'Climb.' He'd said.
I glanced up, groaning as I took in the tall barrier, at least fifteen feet high, and I cursed Luke for his instruction. It was, of course, prudent for me to adhere to his directions since he was trying to help me before he'd lost his mind, but my arms felt like noodles and my legs were shaking with fatigue. I was a good climber, having had lots experience in the woods, but it was a long climb. At least, it felt that way in this moment.
Ugh, suck it up! I had to stop wasting time and with the new vantage point, I'd be able to locate and get to the exit faster. I assumed that was what Luke had meant and it was my turn to curse at myself for not thinking of it sooner. The hedge was too thick to crawl through but the perfect sturdiness to climb up. I was an idiot!
Growling, I thrust my hands into the foliage, gritting my teeth against the painful thorns that bit into my palms, and started my ascent. It was difficult to find hand or footholds since the bush was too thick to really see through so I had to go by feel but I persevered, finally making it halfway up. Hope bloomed in my chest as I hit my second wind and I grinned in triumph at the thought that I was finally getting somewhere! If I could reach the top, I didn't have to face off with the others, I just had to beat them to the end. Yeah, that sounded good.
My hope was short lived.
A hand grasped my calf and I shrieked from the startling and unexpected touch, almost losing my hold and falling, but I tightened my fists around the branches to keep myself on the wall. Dropping my head, I expected to find crazy Luke ready to jerk me down to the ground to do ungodly things to me but I wasn't that fortunate. Owen stood below me with his millimeter smile firmly in place as his strong fingers dug into the muscle of my leg and my blood ran cold at the evil promises lurking behind his black rimmed glasses.
"Hello, Pet." He crooned before tightening his painful grip and yanking me downwards.
"No!" I cried, kicking out at him as best I could, but my movement only weakened my grasp on the hedge, and I felt gravity aid Owen's endeavor as my fingers slipped and I fell.
Moving out from beneath me, Owen watched as I crashed onto the cobblestone, my ankle protesting the fall, and I bit my tongue to keep from whimpering in pain as I quickly scrambled away from him like a crab. I'd take North over Owen at this point since North would most likely just snap my neck and call it good. Owen wouldn't kill me right away, he'd want to break me first. He advanced on me, his longer legs easily eating up the distance until he reached down and grasped my twisted ankle, making me shriek in pain at the firm hold.
In response to my cry, he tightened his grip and wrenched my foot to the side causing my whole body to spasm from the pain and I screamed, the sound ringing through the air like a pathetic siren call. If Owen didn't kill me and I somehow managed to survive our battle, my scream had just broadcasted my whereabouts to anyone remaining in play, and I wouldn't last long. I needed to destroy Owen and then I needed to run!
"That's right, Pet." Owen cooed, using his firm clasp on my ankle to drag me towards his crouching body. "Scream for me."
My monster roared to life, reanimating my exhausted body and I kicked out at him with my second foot, snarling in triumph as it hit him square in the chest, the force and momentum ruining his balance. He fell backwards, his grip on my ankle loosening and I gritted my teeth against the pain and jerked out of his hold. Staggering to my feet, I listed to the side as my vision spotted and I fought to remain conscious as all the blood fled my brain leaving me light headed.
No, no, no, don't pass out!
"You're looking a little pale, my Dear." Owen drawled, rising to his feet as he rubbed his hand over his chest. "Feeling alright?"
I took deep breaths, finding it more difficult to do so thanks to my near drowning, and my vision cleared enough to see Owen sauntering towards me, his steel eyes swirling to melted silver as he took in my less than clothed appearance. He wouldn't be distracted like Silas had been but it was a bit of an ego boost to see that he was not unaffected by my almost bareness. He'd never admit it, of course, but there was a part of him that wanted me and, unfortunately, there was a piece of me that wanted him as well, though I'd take that secret to my grave.
"What did you expect?" I seethed, giving my creature free reign over us since I was quickly succumbing to exhaustion. "Gabriel tried to drown me and Victor almost strangled me! Don't get me started on Nathan's failed zombie attempt." I spat and was incensed as he merely cocked his head in response and smirked. The bastard smirked!
I was going to kill him.
"You assumed we'd go easy on you?" Owen left several feet between us as he studied me and my fingers itched to collect the straight razor hidden in my bra but I didn't want to give away my weapon too soon. As far as I knew, he was still unaware that I was armed and I wanted to keep it that way.
"I expected you boys to play rough." I replied nonchalantly, watching every twitch of his muscles for signs that he was going to attack me. "Why do you think I'm still alive?"
"Stubbornness." He supplied in answer to my rhetorical question. "Your strong will is the only reason you're still standing, Pet, but trust me when I say, I'll take a great deal of pleasure in breaking you." His threatening words were a seductive purr as his eyes flashed with madness and I coiled my body in preparation for his swift attack.
"You want me?" I growled low in my throat. "Come and get me."
He did.
Owen charged me fast as lightening and I barely scampered out of the way, dodging his arm that moved to snag my hair that was mostly falling out of the bun that Gabriel had secured it in earlier this evening. He didn't retrieve a weapon and neither did I as we sparred and the dark, evil part of me that overtook my body reveled in the fight. He landed a hit to my kidney and elbowed him in the jaw-making him lose his glasses-and then the ribs, though neither hits broke skin so we continued to circle each other, twisting and twirling in a hypnotic, violent waltz. It was a frenzied dance, more graceful than that of Gabriel and I, but more intense in its viciousness. Owen was perfection in every sense of the word, and his fighting technique showed it, too. He was quick, smart, and read me well, anticipating my moves seemingly before I decided on them myself, and I knew I was quickly losing. I hated that I couldn't beat him fair and square but my survival required me to use any advantage I could, so I changed my tactic. It was time to fight dirty.
I feigned a shot to his face which he moved to block and I used his distraction as an opening to punch him in the groin. He inhaled sharply, dropping to one knee with a groan and I pulled my straight razor out and used his position on the ground to spin around to his back and press my blade to his throat. We were both breathing hard though mine was much more labored since I'd been both strangled and drowned within the last few hours and I made a mental note to start doing more cardio.
My body felt like jello but I refused to let my limbs shake as I attached myself to Owen's back like a monkey, upsetting his precarious balance and forcing him to fall forwards. He caught himself with his hands, causing him to be on all four as I practically sat on his back and I chuckled at our position and nuzzled the shell of his ear with the tip of my nose.
"Now who's the pet?" I whispered, nipping at his earlobe and chuckling again as he stiffened beneath me with an inhuman growl. "Down boy."
My pride was my undoing. I should have cut him immediately but I wanted to bask in my victory, humiliate him a little, and my hesitation was all it took-that and my demeaning comment. His hand shot out to grasp my wrist just enough to keep me from slicing open his jugular as the other came around to tangle in my hair, and I screeched in pain as he hoisted me over his body like a rag doll, tearing out numerous strands from my scalp in the process. I landed on my back, the air whooshing from my lungs and I was frozen for several seconds as I fought for oxygen.
Owen crawled around me, using his grip on my hair to center his weight while the other hand twisted my wrist until my fingers spasmed and I dropped my razor to the cobblestone with a dooming clatter. He swung a leg over my body until he was straddling my hips and glared down at me, twisting his fingers into my hair impossibly tighter. I gasped for air like a fish out of water and I could do nothing but lie there as Owen leaned down until our noses were practically touching and without his glasses shielding his eyes, I could see every speck and facet of his silver irises as the rain turned to mist around us.
"Yield." He commanded, staring me down like a dog who needed to be taught a lesson in authority, and though I could barely breath, let alone fight, I refused. I glared back resolutely and something dark colored his face and his lips thinned into a dangerous line as he tugged on my hair painfully. "Yield."
"Over my dead body." I choked out the words, gritting my teeth against the cramp that spread through my neck from the torturous angle my head was held in.
"That can be arranged, Pet." Owen hissed. "Now, yield!"
Our faces were close, our breath mingling in the space between as we panted from exertion and his proximity sparked one last idea, my Hail Mary. I went limp beneath him, dropping my eyes to his chin in submission and he inhaled sharply as his whole body went taut at my unforeseen surrender. We stayed like this for a suspended moment before Owen loosened his hold in my hair and backed his face up by an inch, as if to analyze the reliability of my concession and it was all I needed. I used the extra space to give my head a good thrust forward, ripping my hair out of his fist as I did so, and I smashed my forehead against his nose with enough force that stars momentarily filled my vision.
Owen recoiled from me with a shout, his rich smooth voice thickening from pain as he uttered a few choice swear words that made me gasp out a hysterical giggle, and I lifted my head to see him cupping his face, blood flowing freely from his nostrils. I felt something warm and sticky slicking over my chest and a quick glance down confirmed that he hadn't crawled away from me quick enough to keep me from getting splattered with his blood. My neck and breasts were painted in red and I slowly dragged my fingertip through the puddle on my sternum, coloring a pretty crimson design on the skin below the front of my bra.
The air shifted and I started at the sudden closeness of Owen's body. I had been too distracted by the blood coating my skin that I hadn't noticed his approach until he was crouched before me, holding a handkerchief to his nose to staunch the river, and I gasped as he cupped my chin harshly to force my face up to his. He stared me down a moment, his fury flaring in his eyes along with something that looked a lot like desire, and my creature purred at the sight. We were covered in his blood and now that we'd beaten him, we wanted to be covered by his body as well. His spring soap was intoxicating and I leaned towards him instinctively to nuzzle his jaw.
The pulse at his throat throbbed erratically against his skin and I smiled, slicking my tongue along the spot before pulling away enough to look up at him from under my lashes. His pupils were blown wide as he stared down at me in irate wonder and, were his lips not currently covered in blood, I would have kissed him. As it was, we stared at each for another never ending moment before he blinked, breaking the spell that hung over us and drawing away from me.
"First blood." He mumbled, pulling his handkerchief away to only to cringe and return it as his blood continued to stream from his nose. "You win."
I lurched to my feet, cringing as I put weight on my injured ankle, and looked down at Owen's flustered and cracked perfection. His brown hair was wet and mussed, his face pale against the bright red of his blood that stained his chin, and his clothes were smeared with dirt. It was the most human he'd ever looked and I found I quite liked it. He was still utter perfection but this proved that he was, in fact, mortal.
"Sorry about your junk." I found myself muttering. "It was a cheap shot but I wouldn't have beaten you otherwise."
I was surprised by my candor and my shock was mirrored in Owen's eyes as he sat back on his heels and blinked up at me. He opened his mouth to speak but his eyes flitted to something behind me and alarm flashed over his face. "Batter up." He whispered softly and though my mind was a bit slow on the uptake, I understood him at the last possible second and dropped to the ground.
The wooden baseball bat whizzed over my head with an audible whoosh and the air blew across my face as I ducked the blow like I was doing the limbo. North snarled, an animalistic sound, and I rolled away as he brought the bat down again, the end cracking onto the cobblestone with so much force, I was shocked the wooden didn't split.
Well, shit on a stick!
"Fuck you, Owen!" North roared in frustration at Owen's warning, which had definitely been the only reason my head hadn't been bashed in, and rounded on me as I scurried across the ground to retrieve my straight razor from where Owen had forced me to drop it. "Where the fuck do you think you're going?"
My hand closed around the wooden handle of my razor at the exact moment that North swung the bat again, only this time I wasn't fast enough. The bat crashed into my upper thigh, the same leg Gabriel and Owen had both already injured, and I shrieked as hot pain pulsed through my side. I didn't think my leg was broken, but I wouldn't be running a marathon anytime soon, that was for certain.
I rolled again, dodging another descending blow from the Wooden Stick of Death and used my good leg to kicked North on the inside of his knee, compromising his balance. He bellowed in fury as he staggered to the side, gritting his teeth, and I was slightly mollified from own indignation at the fact that he was now in pain as well. Served the asshole right!
Taking a quick inventory, I realized that I could stand but I couldn't run, and any attempt at fighting North with hand-to-hand would most likely end in getting bludgeoned to death before I even landed a hit. I needed to take the bat out of the equation but I had to no idea how to accomplish that. To be honest, my best chance at making it through this was to stay on the ground, dodging his swings, and wait until I had a clear shot at his legs. If I could hit him in the knee again, it would send him toppling over and I could get him bleeding with my razor once he was on the ground, same as me. Or I could just stab him in the scrotum.
Ooh, yeah, let's do that!
By the time I'd gone through all this in my mind, North had recovered from my kick and was settling his dark, irate glare on me, and the edges of my vision tinted red with my own rage. He had smashed my head against a wall, constantly belittled and disrespected me, mocked the death of the only person in my life who had ever shown me kindness, and he'd made fun of the way I'd opened my banana. North and I had a score to settle and it was time to get this done. It was so on!
As if North could read my thoughts, he smirked at me as the mist that had continued to thicken swirled around him. "Let's finish this." He growled.
"Give me your best shot." I sneered, bringing myself to a crouch and ignoring the agony pulsing through my leg with every heart beat.
His face contorted into an expression of deranged wrath and he charged me like a bull intent on impaling me with his horns. I flicked my razor open and time seemed to slow, North's huge body looming before me as he brought the bat whizzing through the air towards my head. I lunged to the side, falling on my injured leg with a cry of pain as I once again kicked out, cracking my heel against North's knee and, thankfully, he fell this time.
He was ready for my attack when I jumped at him, bringing the bat around but I ducked in time to save my head, taking the hit with my shoulder. It hurt like a bitch, but it was nowhere near as bad as the hit to my leg since he was on the ground and couldn't put enough strength into the throw. I was shifted off course, but I still smashed into him, our bodies colliding and tangling as I scratched and kicked like a wild animal. He grunted with every hit I landed but he seemed more taken off guard by the feral and savage flails of my limbs than hurt by my blows. Of course, I didn't have as much muscle as he did, so I couldn't pack as hard of a punch but damn it, I wanted to hurt him!
The force of my body hitting his had knocked the bat from his hand and he quickly smacked my blade from mine, so we rolled around like two mangy beasts, clawing and biting at each other. Maybe we drew blood, maybe we didn't, there was no way to tell, and at this point, I didn't think either of us cared. We were angry and we just wanted to take out that frustration with pounds of flesh and bone.
North roared in pain as I sank my teeth into his forearm in an attempt to get out from under his huge body and he punched his fist into my injured thigh, bringing a high blood curdling scream from my throat. I had no idea I was even capable of making such a pathetic sound but apparently I was as tears leaked out of the corners of my eyes. I used my good leg and my hands to drag myself away from the evil, enticing man behind me and the sound of metal scraping against stone followed me.
I glanced over my shoulder, crying out in terror at the sight of North walking towards me, dragging Owen's blood stained hedge shears along the ground and I army crawled as fast as I could with my gaze zeroed in on my abandoned razor. Owen was still in the forested corridor, watching our battle and though I knew he'd helped me when North had snuck up behind me, I was positive he wouldn't aid me now. If North killed me, he would allow it...he'd most likely watch.
The screeching of stone and metal got ever closer and my vision blurred with tears at the understanding that I was about to die. I didn't want to die, not like this. North would cut me up in little pieces and Owen would feed me to the rose bushes like fertilizer. They'd dismember me slowly, keeping me alive for as long as possible, and I'd be begging for death before it was granted.
My hand closed around the handle of my trusted blade and I flipped onto my back to find North standing over me, shears raised to plunge into my stomach, and I stilled, my body going limp. There was nothing I could do, no last minute attempt or sneaky underhanded move to gain the higher ground. My body was done, physically unable to fight anymore and even my monster accepted our fate. It was over; North had won. I was as good as dead and I closed my eyes, not wanting to watch it happen.
Except he didn't do it.
Seconds passed, then minutes. I blinked my lids open and raised my gaze tentatively, my soft green eyes meeting his dark ones and I read his indecision, his hesitance. He despised me, wanted to kill me, and yet he couldn't seem to do it. I had no idea why he wasn't running me through with the blood crusted shears but I kept my mouth shut and my eyes glued to his, all the same. He was deciding my fate in this moment and his hesitation made me pause in my own determination of slicing off his testicles.
Was he really not going to kill me? Why?
North lowered the shears and glared down at me as his chest chugged with effort, his face and neck marred with scratches from my nails. I'd drawn blood at some point but he'd split my lip, the sticky red warmth coating the corner of my mouth, and there was no way to know who'd bled first. Was this a draw? Was it even possible to call a tie for something like this?
"Give me a reason." North husked, his deep voice thick with gravel. "Give me one good reason."
I was speechless. He wanted me to plead my case? Seriously?
"I saved your brother." I blurted, staring up at him in terrified hope. "I could have ran but I didn't. I chose to stay, to help Luke."
"We would've gotten to him in time." North countered and I pursed my lips, the cut stinging at the action.
"Maybe, maybe not." I lifted my hand from the ground and wiped my mouth, my fingers coming away red like I expected. "But I still saved him. You owe me."
North scowled, obviously irritated at my words but still the shears didn't descend. "You're going to ruin everything. You'll destroy us."
"I might." I conceded, glaring up at him as he towered over me. "I tend to break things but there's only one of me and nine of you. Odds are you'll all wreck me before I have the chance."
Movement beside us had both North and I shifting our focus to Owen who had retrieved his glasses and stopped the bleeding of his nose, though there were still a few streaks of dried blood smeared across his face. "Choose, North, one way or the other." He instructed, his steel eyes leveled on North. "We have a bigger problem at the moment. Lex is out."
North's body stiffened and the shears clattered to the cobblestone beside me, forgotten. "Shit. Where is he?"
"Gabriel lost him." Owen's face was pinched with genuine worry and I climbed to my feet, gingerly favoring my leg that was almost numb from the injuries it had sustained.
Black filled my vision as a wet shirt was held out to me and I gaped at the now shirtless North, taking a moment to admire his delectable physique before accepting the t shirt. "Don't make me regret this." North warned me, his dark eyes rolling with an insane anger, and I nodded mutely before shedding the remaining scraps of my own shirt and slipping North's over my head. I was swimming in the material and it was soaking wet from rain, sweat, and blood, but it smelled like his musk and at least my breasts weren't on display now.
"You won't." I vowed. "Though I still owe you for smashing my head against a wall."
He contemplated a moment, bending at the waist to bring his face level with mine, and an arrogant smirk spread over his face. "Not that I think you'll ever catch me unawares, but I'll give you one free sh-"
He'd hadn't even finished when I sucker punched him in the throat, forcing him to stumble back as he gagged and choked from the hit. "Now we're even." I quipped with a smug grin, enjoying the sight of North gasping for oxygen as he clasped his neck in his hands and growled at me like an angry bear.
"Bitch."
"Asshole." I hissed back.
"Children," Owen sniffed impatiently, "Play nice."
I snorted, limping my way to the wall and thrusting my hands into the hedge to find a hold before I hoisted myself up-the game wasn't over, after all. My arms felt like limp pasta but I forced them to pull me up, using my good leg to assist in the climb and by the time I'd made it to the top of the wall, my vision was starting to spot again. A quick glance down told me that Owen and North had disappeared, leaving me to my climb and I felt both relieved and frightened by their abandonment. I was glad that they weren't here anymore since they could easily attack me when I wasn't expecting it but finding myself alone, surrounded by mist and foliage, had me swallowing bitter fear.
Shoving the emotion down, I finally managed to get my bruised, broken body up on top of the hedge wall and I was relieved to see that the the hedge was thick enough that it would support my body weight if I wanted to walk here. It must have been how Luke had been following earlier but without asking, I wouldn't know for sure. Granted, if I made it through this and Luke didn't kill anyone while he was not himself, asking him about the maze wouldn't be high on my priority list.
Wobbling to keep my balance as I stood on two less than stable legs, I looked around. The fog was heavy now that the rain had stopped but I could thankfully still see the maze that spread out before me and I searched for the break in the hedge that would signify the exit. I assumed that this vantage point would reveal it since Luke had directed me to this spot but as my eyes scanned the misty grounds, I couldn't find it. My heart sank and my stomach filled with lead but I craned my neck this way and that, searching in vain for an exit that didn't exist. What the hell?
It took me longer than it should have to understand and I blamed my slow mental functions on my near strangulation, drowning, and bludgeoning, but no matter what caused the sluggish turning of gears in my brain, I finally grasped the reality of my situation. There wasn't an exit to this maze, it hadn't been built with one. The only opening that lead into and out of the maze was the entrance where it had all began. The entrance was the exit, and frustration boiled through my blood like lava at the realization.
Those brilliant, psychotic, cheating bastards!
Of course, they'd devise the perfect maze, a maze that one physically couldn't escape without returning to the beginning. I would have never thought to go back the way I came, to turn around and retrace my steps, which was why no one ever won this game except the boys. Their victims would scurry through the labyrinth like lab rats, taking every possible path which either led to dead ends or brought you back to the center. The path that Luke had sent me down was the only one that had the potential to take you back to the entrance the quickest, but even then it was only if you knew the correct sequence of turns.
It was genius. It was annoying. It was downright cheating!
But now I knew the secret and knowledge was power. From my bird's eye view, I could simply circle back to the entrance and make my escape. Of course, I couldn't walk very well and I had a feeling I'd be passing out sooner rather than later, but I had to try. I'd made it through eight out of the nine and with the end in sight, I bolstered the pathetic amount of strength I had left and teetered across the top of the hedge.
With only one last adversary to face, the understanding that I could actually win this thing was overwhelming and I couldn't wait to see the look on Kota's face when I crossed the finish line. This maze had to be the brain child of Owen and Kota and the thought of beating it had me purring in happiness. I would win if it killed me and then I'd spend my last breath rubbing their beautiful, cheating faces in it!
Game night was drawing to a close but it wasn't over yet.
Game on!