Chapter 3: Attacking

-Serena-

We couldn’t just jump through the windows and attack them all in the house. My group consisted of six people, including me, and one of the first things we were taught in training was that engaging in close combat with a fully grown male werewolf was a sure path to death. So we needed to be smarter.

My team was spread out around the house, each of us keeping an eye on our target. With the earpieces we wore, we could maintain constant communication.

“Shall we take the shot?”

Vince was on the other side of the house, having a better view of Rogan than I did. I was perched in a tree just outside the wall surrounding the mansion, while the rest of the team was either on the ground or up in trees like me, optimizing our vantage points.

“No,” I replied.

“We can kill him!”

“Wait,” I said, continuing to observe the people inside.

Someone poured a drink for Rogan, and the conversation continued. Soon, his future wife—or mate, as they called it—stood up. She seemed to dismiss everyone and walked away. I kept my eyes on Rogan, who continued talking to Eric, looking annoyingly relaxed.

“Now?”

“No, 121. Wait.”

“Why?” he asked, a hint of impatience in his voice.

“Because I don’t want to risk you hitting the wrong one,” I growled back.

“I’m the best shot.”

“Wait until there’s a clear view of him.”

I knew Vince was our best marksman, but he also had the patience of a child. I shook my head as I continued to watch Rogan. Soon, he and Eric stood up and shook hands before Rogan walked deeper into the house.

“Be ready, 121. He’s coming out.”

“Finally!”

I watched as Vince jumped down from his tree and ran to a better location for a clearer view. I removed my goggles and climbed down the tree, grabbing one of my guns as I circled the house until I reached the gate. I glanced around it. Vince was now on the other side of the wall, having used the tree to jump over. He was hiding behind a statue on the front lawn.

I caught movement out of the corner of my eye and turned to see Elisa working on the gate’s code system. She winked at me, and soon the gate opened just as our target stepped outside. Vince aimed, and I could see he had Rogan right where he wanted him, but just as he fired, one of Rogan’s men pushed him, sending them both crashing into our wrong target.

“Fuck!” I shouted. “121!”

Vince needed to get out of there. Even if he had hit one of them, the other two, including Rogan, were already getting back on their feet, their eyes glowing that dangerous yellow color that meant they were out for blood. Rogan’s gaze quickly found Vince in the dark, and he pulled out his own gun. Despite being animals, they loved weapons and were all too eager to use them against us.

I fired before Rogan could shoot, hitting him in the arm just as he sought cover, opening the door to the house and dragging his wounded man inside. Meanwhile, his other companion opened fire on us.

“121!” I yelled.

“Commander, what now?” Elisa shouted.

I glanced at her as bullets whizzed around us. “Car! Go! I’ll get 121,” I ordered.

Elisa nodded and sprinted toward the other car. I used my watch to send the same message to the rest of the team: we needed to get out of here. I waited for the bullets to cease before I began firing back, giving myself a chance to reach where I had last seen Vince. I found him lying face down in the grass, shrouded in darkness. Rolling him over, I saw blood streaming from a wound in his chest.

“121?”

I pressed two fingers to his neck, but there was no pulse. “Fuck!” I yelled.

Just then, more bullets flew past me, chipping away at the statue beside us. I curled into a tight ball, waiting for the firing to stop. When it finally did, I returned fire, but I realized that reinforcements had arrived to aid Rogan. I was now vastly outnumbered. I ceased firing and returned to hiding. I had another gun and two knives, but they wouldn’t do much good against so many. With their numbers, I felt like I was as good as dead.

“Come out, little hunter. You can’t hide.”

It was Rogan taunting me, and I bit the inside of my cheek hard. I would never surrender.

“You won’t make it out alive either way,” he added.

He wasn’t wrong. I pressed three fingers into a small pocket on my chest and pulled out a tiny pill. It was poison that would end me in seconds, better than the fate of being captured. But if I was going down, then so were they. I placed the pill in my mouth but didn’t bite down to release the poison. Instead, I kept it safely tucked under my tongue, then grabbed my other gun, one for each hand.

“I wish I could say it had been fun, world,” I whispered, “but it hasn’t.”

I moved away from the statue, firing toward them. They all sought cover as I continued to shoot. The gate wasn’t too far, and I started moving toward it, knowing I might run out of bullets before I reached safety. Still, I pressed on, quickly emptying the first gun while keeping my eyes fixed on the enemies in front of me. Then I emptied the other, and as soon as they heard the click of my empty chamber, they readied themselves. I turned just as the firing resumed, throwing myself toward the gate but taking a hit in my side. I landed hard on the ground, army-crawling behind the wall before finally pushing myself to my feet.

I limped forward, pressing a hand against my wound as I tried to reach the car we had parked further away. They wouldn’t wait long for me. I had only a few minutes before there would be no help to be found. I continued to limp, but just as bullets started flying around me again, I felt a sharp pain in my shoulder before I could seek cover behind a car. I stumbled and landed on my stomach again. The pain was blinding, and I struggled to focus. I lay there on the ground, gasping for air.

I had to bite down on the pill. It was the only clear thought in my mind. I slowly moved the pill into position, ready to bite down, when suddenly I was grabbed by the neck and pulled backward. Fingers pried into my mouth, causing sharp pain, and I caught a glimpse of the pill falling away from me.

No…

I was pushed down onto the ground, groaning loudly, and then I saw a pair of black boots in front of me. I let my gaze travel up the boots to a pair of legs, finally landing on dark green eyes watching me. A dark smile spread across Rogan’s lips, but then, just as suddenly, the smile faded, leaving me confused. He crouched down in front of me, studying me in a way I couldn’t quite grasp. Then, without warning, he grabbed my hair and pulled my head back.

He brought his face closer, locking his eyes with mine. I could barely feel the pain in my scalp, overshadowed by the burning sensation in my right side and shoulder. It felt like pure fire coursing through my veins, making me dizzy and unable to focus on Rogan. He was blurry, and I knew I was about to lose consciousness.

“You aren’t dying,” I heard him say, though his voice sounded almost like an echo.

“Alpha, what do you want to do with her?” another voice inquired.

Rogan released me and stood up while I lay there, slowly drifting away, listening to their voices.

“Let’s get her to Martin. He’ll patch her up.”

No, I will be dead before they get me to anyone. The thought brought a strange sense of comfort just before I was lifted.