________________________________________
~Tamara Rose
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Josh, Jordan, Eric and I all hit on our heads on the kitchen table for the fifth time.
"This will never end!" Eric moaned loudly.
"I think they're doing it on purpose," Josh muttered
I glanced up briefly to see if this was in fact true. Sur enough, Mark and Lizzie were smiling now as they locked lips. I groaned and quickly hid my head again, sheltering my eyes.
"You guys have been making out for ten freaking minutes now! Don't you need to breathe?" Jordan griped. I nodded in agreement.
Crash.
All six of us jumped up at the sound of a window breaking. Mark and Lizzie jolted apart as Mark looked suspiciously around for where the sudden noise had come from. Jordan and Eric, who were sitting next to me, instinctively pulled me closer to them, so that I was sandwiched protectively between the two.
Dylan suddenly raced into the room, his expression tight with concern as he went around closing and locking all the windows. Mark and Josh began placing items in front of them without a word.
"It's a rogue attack, isn't it?" I whispered, feeling fear spike my veins.
Jordan glanced down at me as Eric gently squeezed my hand. "Don't worry, Rosie," he whispered. "We're not gonna let anyone hurt you."
"And neither am I," Dylan said, appearing before me abruptly. His expression was so strong, so determined. I knew he wasn't going to let anyone lay a hand on me.
A small smile crooked the side of my mouth and I leaned forward, throwing my arms around him. He hugged me quickly before kissing the top of my head and pulling away. He looked me in the eye and said, "I'm sorry for this."
I narrowed my eyes. "What are you--"
"Jordan and Eric, take her into the library and lock all the doors."
I gaped at him. "What? Are you insane?"
"Take Lizzie, too," Mark jumped in.
My best friend's eyes widened as she turned to her mate, furious. "What the fuck, Mark! There's no way in hell that I'm leaving you!"
"Me, either!" I yelled, shaking Eric's grip off of me and turning to face Dylan. "What if something happens to you?"
He placed his hands on my arms, rubbing them soothingly. "Nothing will happen to me, okay? Don't worry. I just wouldn't be able to live with myself if you got hurt, Tamara Rose." He looked me in the eye. "If you care about me, please, just stay in the library?"
I swallowed, clenching my jaw. "...Fine."
He kissed my nose and let go of me. Meanwhile, Lizzie had already been dragged out of the room by Jordan. Eric now carefully took my hand and smiled down at me. I allowed him to lead me to the library.
On the way there, I heard another crash. My gut clenched as I realized it had come from the kitchen this time. Turning, I tried yanking my hand out of Eric's, who had automatically tightened his grip upon hearing the noise, too.
"We have to go back!" I yelled.
He had a grim expression on his face as he continued tugging me in the direction of the library. "We're going where the rest of Dylan's pack is right now. The library."
"Eric!" I screamed. Adrenaline was pumping through my veins now as I heard fighting from the kitchen. 'No! We have to--"
A hand clamped over my mouth as Eric suddenly shifted me into his arms, bridal style. Rage made me bite him, but still he refused to budge his hand as we continued running towards the library. I could hear the sounds of a fight, still, meaning there were a hell of a lot of rogues.
Tears started pricking my eyes as I thought of Dylan, Mark, and Josh down there fighting them all off. They were strong, but for how long could they manage?
A muffled sob came out of me past Eric's hand. He glanced down at me briefly, his eyes apologizing. I only looked away.
Suddenly, a sharp pain rocketed up my back. Eric's hand fell away from my mouth, as his arms fell away from me. I'd fallen onto the ground. Looking up in surprise, my eyes widened at the sight of him being violently beat up by a rogue.
"Eric!" I screamed, my voice hoarse from crying.
He ignored me, taking a kick to the head. I jumped forward, unable to sit by and watch any longer. Throwing a strong punch to rogue's face, I took satisfaction in the sound of his nose breaking. Grabbing a now limping Eric, I helped him get up.
Once the two of us were standing, we started heading to the library once more, this time at a much slower pace due to his injured body.
A hand suddenly grabbed me by the waist and jerked me back. I gasped, my arms being ripped away from Eric as someone threw me to floor. The sudden lack of support caused him to fall, but he still managed to turn and look at me.
His eyes were huge with worry. "Tamara!" he yelled. "The vase!"
Confusion swept throughout as I turned to look at what he was talking about. Too late, my eyes caught hold of the purple vase swinging towards me.
Sharp pain rocketed up the side of my head. I swayed slightly, feeling dizzy, before falling into someone's arms.
***
________________________________________
~Jason
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"Boss, she's coming to."
I nodded and got up, signaling for the man who'd approached me to leave. I wanted to be alone with her once she awoke.
A smirk made its way onto my lips as I stared down at the girl. She was still sleeping, but her eyelids were beginning to flutter and her fingers were twitching. Satisfaction swept throughout me. Even the hit to her head hadn't flawed her perfection.
With full lips, a soft blush sweeping her cheekbones, and long eyelashes, she looked like an angel asleep. Locks of dark hair framed her face, tumbling past her shoulders as she leaned against the tree I'd propped her up against.
"She'll make a great mate, Sir," my friend, Conrad said from behind me.
I grinned. "Why do you think I took her?"
***
________________________________________
~Tamara Rose
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When I woke up, my first thought was the aching in my head. It was a deep, dull throbbing that remained in one spot--the spot I identified as the area I'd been smacked on with a vase.
"Uggh," I groaned, carefully reaching up to touch my head. The area was ginger, and even tentatively touching it hurt.
"How are you feeling?"
The voice caused me to jump, startled. Looking up, the sight that met my eyes drew me to open my mouth in surprise.
The man standing before was--to put lightly--breathtaking. With dark hair that framed his sharp features, piercing blue eyes, and a build that towered over me, I found him nearly as attractive as Dylan.
As if he knew what I was thinking, he smirked. "Go ahead, look all you want. This," he gestured to himself. "Will soon be all yours."
"I wasn't looking," I snapped instinctively, furrowing my eyebrows angrily. "And what the hell are you talking about? I don't want any of that to be, 'All mine.' "
He shrugged. "Go ahead and lie to yourself if you want, but we both know it's not true. The fact of the matter is that soon, you'll be my wife."
With those four words, the world came crashing down.
'W-w-wife?" I sputtered. "You must be insane! Scratch that, insane people probably look at you and go, 'Wow, what a insane person!' I would never, ever, for as long as I live, be your wife! Not only are you my kidnapper, but you're a rogue! And you're not even my freaking mate! Honestly, are you mentally retarded? I think you are. In fact, I know of a person who can help you. I think after this little kidnapping thing plays out and I'm saved, you should check in at the Waterbury Mental Institution."
He let me rant on, amusement glinting in his blue eyes. Finally, he sighed dramatically and glanced away. "Well, I'm sorry you feel that way, Tamara Rose."
I bit my tongue. How the hell did he know my name?
Looking back at me, his fake sad expression gave way to an evil smile. "I guess your friend will just have to suffer, since you refuse to do what I want."
"What fri--" I was cut off as Eric was suddenly dragged out of the woods by two men. They dropped him to the ground roughly. My lips parted in astonishment, tears pricking my eyes. Eric's normally silly expression was twisted with pain. He was on his knees, doubled over and clutching his stomach. Blood dripped from him in several different places. One of his legs was twisted at an odd angle.
My kidnapper caught me looking at it and confirmed my suspicions. "Broken," he said briskly.
My chest was wavering with sobs I was trying to keep in. A few tears leaked out of my eyes and slipped down my cheeks. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't pry my eyes away from Eric's suffering.
"I-I don't understand...why would you..."
"Because I knew you would need a little convincing," was the rogue's response. He smiled as he looked at Eric. "Every time you refuse to marry me, I'll just break another one of his bones." He paused pretending to think. "Hm, what is that? 206 times?"
"No!" I cried out. "Please don't hurt him! Please."
He smirked. "Do I have your word that you'll marry me?"
I was torn. "M-my mate...I can't...." I trailed off as a man suddenly grabbed hold of Eric's right arm. He winced. "No!" I yelled, but it was too late.
"Agggh!" His scream was one of raw pain. It echoed in my eardrums even after ripping through the air, and it was all I could do not to break out crying again.
"Stop!" I sobbed. "I'll marry you, I will! just please, please don't hurt Eric anymore!"
"I'll need a blood promise, my dear," the kidnapper chuckled. "I'm not an idiot."
I hung my head in defeat. If we took a blood oath, I would be bound to my promise no matter what. Glancing up, I saw Eric still sitting there, his arm now hanging limp by his side. Tears wracked my body, silent and brutal.
Silently, I nodded.
The kidnapper smiled. "Perfect."
He knelt down before me and withdrew a knife from his back pocket. Slowly and carefully, he slit his wrist. I swallowed as his cold fingers then proceeded to grip my own hand. The blade of the knife felt foreign on the fragile skin of my wrist.
I inhaled sharply through my teeth as the knife cut down, stinging me. A thin line of blood appeared.
"I, Jason Darko, do swear to no longer harm this woman's friend," he glanced up at me and winked. I looked away, sickened. "So long as she agrees to wed me."
I swallowed. "A-and I..." I swallowed again. The pain of what I was about to say was nearly as strong as the pain of being rejected, because, in a way, it was as if I was rejecting Dylan. "I, Tamara Rose Catherine...do swear to...to wed...this man, s-so longer he no longer hurts my friend."
Jason pressed his wrist to mine. I felt a tingling sensation spark through me as our blood mingled. My jaw was aching, that's how tightly it was clenched.
Jason got up, grinning. I kept my chin pressed my chest, refusing to meet his eyes. My entire body was shaking, disbelief at what I had just done causing my blood to pump faster through me.
I finally looked up, only to see Jason was now standing next to Eric. My expression fell. "What are you doing?" I cried, my voice shrill. "You can't hurt him! You swore--"
"I swore not to hurt your friend, my darling," he chuckled. "That could be anyone. It doesn't necessarily have to be him."
And with that, he snapped Eric's neck.
***
A/N:
Don't kill me! Sorry, I know you guys all probably hate me right now, but don't worry, it isn't over for Eric yet.
Keep hope! (And, like I said, don't kill me...)