A Killing Order

I was running toward a being who lay beaten and mangled, but when I got there the mangled form turned out to be a mirror only reflecting what sat in front of it. I look at myself, and I have a split lip and a black eye with a handprint on my shoulders where it looks as if someone pushed down too hard. When I look up, the woods around me are on fire, embers raining down around me, burning not only the barren ground but me as well. I look over my shoulder, and a blurry shadow is running toward me. I take off running again, and I meet the girl from my dream last night motions for me to follow her. I do. For some reason, I trust her. By the time we meet, two shadows are stalking close behind us, but one thing is clear: those shadows are not our own.

As the heat and shadows get closer, I wake up screaming. Unlike last night, I'm not woken by my brother. This fact saddens me once again. According to my clock, it is three in the morning, and I am too awake to go back to sleep. I write a note to my father, the alpha, and Kamrin explaining that I was restless and went on a run around the borders and did not run away. I put on my outfit and walked out the front door. I ran next to the raging river. The other side looked like a haunted wasteland in the foggy dead of the night. I ran past the holding area to see if my brother was where I could talk to him, but all I could hear was the muffled silent screams of the poor rogues in Valley Bay.

As I finish my run and reach my front door, I am drenched in sweat. When I walk in, I see Kamrin and the alpha sitting with my father at the table. I walked in, and their eyes turned at me. The alpha talks first like always. The alpha is first for everything, annoying prick. "Good, you came back. We were thinking you lied on your letter, but judging by your appearance," he said as he motioned his hands up and down my exhausted body. "You weren't lying. Glad we're off to a decent start, and here I thought you would be more of a challenge," he said in a mocking tone.

'You have no clue how much of a challenge I will be,' I thought in my head, disgusted I had to act obedient.

"You and Kamrin will load the bus with the other 20 in an hour and a half. You better be ready or will load you like you are," commanded the alpha.

I walked up the stairs and sighed loudly. After that little unpleasant scene, I showered, did my hair and makeup, and went downstairs to get food, but with each step I took, my yellow flowy tee-shirt moved and revealed my stomach partially. When I noticed this, I tried my best to keep it covered. I grabbed breakfast, which was two pieces of toast and a peach, and then tossed a banana into my backpack, so I could eat it later if I got hungry.

In my backpack, I had a pocket knife, pepper spray in the fashion of a keychain, two books, and a water bottle. I walked out of the house where Kamrin was waiting for me. I instantly looked away from him. I kept my head high, however, unwilling to give him any satisfaction.

"Hannah, I'm sorry all this is happening," he commented as he took my backpack, opened it, and looked at the contents. He then took the pocket knife out and handed me the bag back. "We cannot have you carrying weapons in your situation, dad's orders," he said apologetically as he slid my silver-coated knife into his back jeans pocket.

"Dad's orders? Dad's orders? Don't give me that load of crap. First off, you said if you claimed me, you would reject me, so I could be free, looks like you had other intentions. Secondly, and most importantly, you beat and threaten my brother. My best friend would not do that. To top it off, you never objected to your father! You know he listens to you!" I screamed at him as we started walking to the bus loading area.

"Hannah, I'm sorry. Orders are orders. As to firstly, plans change you will be mine if Luka does not claim you. Secondly, you don't know me as much as best friends would. I have to follow my father's orders. Thirdly, you should not have opposed my father either. He is your alpha, as is he mine. He would not have listened to me. You will listen to him even if it costs you your life," he screamed back, his teeth gritted.

"This just might," I growled loudly, but weakly. With that, our conversation ended, and we remained in silence as we paced toward the others.

The bus was there waiting, but it was not a bus I wanted to take a five-hour trip in. It was a normal school bus, not a charter. Normally, I would not complain, but because I was being forced to do this, I was going to demoralize this trip as much as possible. Kamrin and I started walking over to the bus. Despite his long legs, he was behind me as we walked, probably nervous I would run last minute. When I got to the stairs, he gave me a gentle push up them. I walked up the stairs and saw some girls laughing, some crying, and a few boys thrown into the mix. When I got to the top stair, I noticed that there were names on the seats. Guess whose names are on the very first seat: mine and Kamrin's. I did not have the luxury of the aisle seat; I got the window seat. No one is in the seat behind us, so I am starting to think I am more or less a prisoner on this trip.

As I took my seat, Kamrin slid in next to me. "Looks like you'll have to talk to me or ride in silence, my dear," he said with a smirk as if he had won.

"First off, I'm not your dear, and I never will be, jackass. Secondly, I am an independent woman I can ride in silence," I retorted in the same confident manner he had used.

"Ha, that's cute. You think you aren't 'my dear', but you will be after this week. It's either me or a monster. I respect you're independent, but five hours in silence? That's something you can not do. You can not even go five minutes," he said back mockingly, releasing a chuckle.

After his last statement, I was left speechless for probably the first time. With my silence, the bus roared to life and started moving. These five hours are going to be hell. I looked at him with a face contorted with resentment. He simply smiled at me, as if I was a child throwing a tantrum.

I pulled out a book and started reading. It was really good. It was about a girl who would never see her family, and her friend turned out to be a lying bastard, but it is ok. How fitting for the situation, don't you think? My brother might die, my friend lied to me, and I might be mated and probably killed by Luka, just great.

I get to chapter seven of my book, and I've only killed about forty five minutes. When I flip the page to start chapter seven, the book is ripped out of my hand. I look to see who the culprit is, but I already know it's Kamrin. He marks my page thankfully, as he closed my book. "Hannah, we need to talk," he said quietly.

"I have nothing to say," I replied coldly.

He looked a little hurt, but more angry than hurt by my words. "You don't have much of a choice," he said.

"I do. I always will have a choice," I said sarcastically.

"Hannah, I will physically force you to talk to me if you don't. You know everyone will turn a blind eye because I'm the alpha's son," he whispered into my ear.

"You're a dumb ass. I will not talk to you," as those words left my mouth, he picked me up and placed me in his lap. I instantly go red. I am now squirming to get out of his hold.

"Talk and I'll let you go. Are you mad at me?," he inquires.

"Fine," I huffed. "Yes, I am mad at you. I'm infuriated with you. You beat the crap out of my brother, you tell me you're going to mate me, I'm basically being held prisoner on this trip, and if I try anything, my brother is going to be tortured to death," I basically scream but only loud enough so he can hear.

"I understand that, but, Hannah, this did not have to happen. If you just went along with this like a loyal, responsible she-wolf, your brother would not be involved, and you would have more freedom," he calmly said back.