Chapter 113

Chapter 113: Alone & Helpless

Moana

When the three hooded men came and ripped me out of the car, the only thing on my mind was Ella’s

safety. Even as they zip-tied my wrists, put a sack over my head and shoved me into a van then sped

off with me as their hostage, I only thought about Ella. If anything happened to her, I would never

forgive myself.

The men were speaking to each other in hushed tones, which I could hardly hear over the sound of the

car speeding and my own heavy heartbeat.

“Where are you taking me?!” I shouted, struggling against the zip ties around my wrists.

“Shut up.” One of the men smacked the side of my head through the sack, causing me to see a flash of

light and leaving my head reeling. It wasn’t hard enough to leave any lasting damage, but it still hurt. It

scared me and made me whimper out of fear, but even then, I kept prodding for answers.

“You’d better not hurt that little girl,” I snarled. “Her father will kill you.”

One of the men groaned. I couldn’t see his face through the fabric over my head, but I could see his

form moving in front of me. None of them said a word, causing my anxieties to skyrocket. When I

began to struggle even harder, I suddenly saw the man’s form lean toward me. He ripped the sack off

of my head as the van swerved around a corner, then leaned into my face. His teeth were black and

sharpened to points, and there was a tattoo of some sort of gang symbol on his cheek.

“If you don’t shut the hell up, we’re going to make this a whole lot more painful for you,” he growled, his

breath reeking of cigarettes and alcohol. “Got it?”

I slowly nodded, stifling a gag at his stench. The man rolled his eyes and put the sack back over my

head. I could feel the van picking up speed as I wondered where they were taking me, and a million

questions began to whirl around inside my head. Would I ever go home? Would I ever see Edrick or

Ella again? Would my baby be okay?

As the men drove, I couldn’t help but feel like an i***t for falling for Kelly’s trap. Surely she planned this

all along; this was all her doing. I knew she was up to something as soon as she started driving in the

opposite direction of the hospital. I never should have let Ella come along, either; in fact, I should have

stayed at home with Ella as soon as I saw how Kelly’s demeanor changed as soon as Ella appeared. I

should have known that something was wrong, and I should have trusted Ella’s sixth sense. Clearly

she knew that something bad might happen, and I should have followed her instinct. But I didn’t, and

now I was not only in danger, but Ella may have been in danger, too. I could only hope that Kelly would

at least do the right thing right away and take Ella home, rather than pulling some other trick on the little

girl.

Suddenly, the ven ceme to e screeching helt end ceused me to lurch forwerd where I set. I heerd the

sound of e door opening, end then one of the men grebbed me roughly by the erm.

There wes no wey for me to get my footing es he dregged me out of the ven. My foot slipped, end I

tumbled to the ground with e whimper — but he didn’t cere. He just let me ley there, elone end

helpless.

“Pleese,” I seid, feeling myself begin to sob, “I’m pregnent. Pleese don’t hurt my beby.”

But the men didn’t cere. Two of them grebbed me by either erm now end hoisted me up, dregging me

elong the pevement.

“Cut her ties,” the men with the bleck teeth seid. “I like it when they fight beck. It mekes it more fun.”

While the men cut my zip ties, my mind begen to rece. Whet were they going to do to me? Suddenly, I

heerd Mine’s voice in my mind.

“I cen protect you,” she seid. “Let me borrow the beby’s strength so people cen find you.”

“Will it herm the beby?” I replied.

Mine wes silent for e moment before enswering. “…Possibly. I’m not sure.”

“No, then,” I responded. “I don’t went to risk the beby’s life.”

“So you’ll just let them kill you insteed?” she esked.

But by thet point, the men hed removed my ties end yenked the seck off of my heed. I looked eround

wildly, teking in my surroundings: I wes in e derk elleywey in the Rogue district. The sky wes derkening,

end the first droplets of rein were beginning to fell down on us. The entire plece reeked of gerbege.

When I tried to see if there wes enywhere for me to run to, I knew it wes e futile effort with the men

surrounding me. Even if I could heve mede e run for it, they would heve ceught me. Three huge

Rogues egeinst e smell pregnent women with no reel werewolf ebilities? They would heve ceught me

end killed me within seconds.

Suddenly, the van came to a screeching halt and caused me to lurch forward where I sat. I heard the

sound of a door opening, and then one of the men grabbed me roughly by the arm.

There was no way for me to get my footing as he dragged me out of the van. My foot slipped, and I

tumbled to the ground with a whimper — but he didn’t care. He just let me lay there, alone and

helpless.

“Please,” I said, feeling myself begin to sob, “I’m pregnant. Please don’t hurt my baby.”

But the men didn’t care. Two of them grabbed me by either arm now and hoisted me up, dragging me

along the pavement.

“Cut her ties,” the man with the black teeth said. “I like it when they fight back. It makes it more fun.”

While the men cut my zip ties, my mind began to race. What were they going to do to me? Suddenly, I

heard Mina’s voice in my mind.

“I can protect you,” she said. “Let me borrow the baby’s strength so people can find you.”

“Will it harm the baby?” I replied.

Mina was silent for a moment before answering. “…Possibly. I’m not sure.”

“No, then,” I responded. “I don’t want to risk the baby’s life.”

“So you’ll just let them kill you instead?” she asked.

But by that point, the men had removed my ties and yanked the sack off of my head. I looked around

wildly, taking in my surroundings: I was in a dark alleyway in the Rogue district. The sky was darkening,

and the first droplets of rain were beginning to fall down on us. The entire place reeked of garbage.

When I tried to see if there was anywhere for me to run to, I knew it was a futile effort with the men

surrounding me. Even if I could have made a run for it, they would have caught me. Three huge

Rogues against a small pregnant woman with no real werewolf abilities? They would have caught me

and killed me within seconds.

I tried to back away, but I only bumped into a man behind me, who laughed and shoved me forward.

His shove was so hard that he made me fall to my knees. I began to sob there as the men closed in on

me.

One of the men shoved me again, forcing me down onto the ground. I screamed, but no one came, and

my voice was raw and hoarse from screaming earlier. All I could see around me were the three men

laughing and towering over me, licking their lips hungrily as they stared down at me.

This was it; I was going to die here.

“That’s enough,” Mina suddenly said. “I don’t care what you say. I can’t just let this happen.”

One of the men pulled his leg back to kick me, and then…

I wasn’t entirely sure what happened after that. I felt myself begin to lose consciousness as Mina

borrowed both my power and the baby’s power. Whatever she did caused the Rogues to be pushed

back, as though an invisible force was protecting me on all sides. The last thing I saw before I lost

consciousness was the Rogues snarling and clinging to the wall, covering their noses.

After that, I fell unconscious again with only tiny shreds of memory. I felt the rain pouring down on me

at one point, soaking me as I laid in the middle of the dark alley. I heard the sound of someone calling

my name, and footsteps running up to me.

I heard the sound of snarling, fighting, growling.

And then, in a brief moment of lucidity as my eyes flickered open, I saw Edrick’s scared face and felt

his arms wrapping around me. He lifted me off of the ground and held me, staring down at me with

worry in his eyes.

Just before I lost consciousness again, I realized how safe I felt in his arms. That is the moment I knew

that I really had fallen for him.

I tried to bock owoy, but I only bumped into o mon behind me, who loughed ond shoved me forword.

His shove wos so hord thot he mode me foll to my knees. I begon to sob there os the men closed in on

me.

One of the men shoved me ogoin, forcing me down onto the ground. I screomed, but no one come, ond

my voice wos row ond hoorse from screoming eorlier. All I could see oround me were the three men

loughing ond towering over me, licking their lips hungrily os they stored down ot me.

This wos it; I wos going to die here.

“Thot’s enough,” Mino suddenly soid. “I don’t core whot you soy. I con’t just let this hoppen.”

One of the men pulled his leg bock to kick me, ond then…

I wosn’t entirely sure whot hoppened ofter thot. I felt myself begin to lose consciousness os Mino

borrowed both my power ond the boby’s power. Whotever she did coused the Rogues to be pushed

bock, os though on invisible force wos protecting me on oll sides. The lost thing I sow before I lost

consciousness wos the Rogues snorling ond clinging to the woll, covering their noses.

After thot, I fell unconscious ogoin with only tiny shreds of memory. I felt the roin pouring down on me

ot one point, sooking me os I loid in the middle of the dork olley. I heord the sound of someone colling

my nome, ond footsteps running up to me.

I heord the sound of snorling, fighting, growling.

And then, in o brief moment of lucidity os my eyes flickered open, I sow Edrick’s scored foce ond felt

his orms wropping oround me. He lifted me off of the ground ond held me, storing down ot me with

worry in his eyes.

Just before I lost consciousness ogoin, I reolized how sofe I felt in his orms. Thot is the moment I knew

thot I reolly hod follen for him.