*Content warnings: violence, verbal threats of sexual assault/rape*
Lan came to as rough hands dragged him out of the wreckage of a burning car. Everything was hazy and he felt like puking. His body was healing rapidly but the damage was worse than he’d expected. Hadn’t everything been fine? What even hit them?
Claws dug into his scalp and he surged up, a screaming tearing from his burned throat.
“Look who’s finally up.”
He stiffened, breaking out in a cold sweat. Nyx. No words would come to him, but he looked back at the crackling flames and reached for them. Liza. Liza is in there. Is she in there? Tears burned in Lan’s eyes, teeth grinding harshly together.
His backside scraped along the ground as Nyx dragged him toward a pick-up trick. The front was dented but mostly intact. Lan stared at it blankly, vision slowly sharpening.
“I’ve never had such a fun hunt,” Nyx called down to him. “In the beginning, I thought it’d be great to just tear you limb from limb for all this trouble, but maybe I should thank you.” He laughed and the sound made Lan snarl.
With one massive swing, Nyx threw him into the bed of the truck. Lan choked on blood and spit, the wind knocked straight out of his lungs. Nyx hopped up and slapped the top of the vehicle. A second later, the engine revved and they were off.
The familiar rattle of chains echoed in Lan’s ears, but he had no strength to get away. He weakly gasped in air, desperately trying to inflate his lungs.
“To think I’d end up claiming such an entertaining little mutt.” Nyx coiled a rope of chain around his fists and shoved it between Lan’s teeth. The thick taste of iron was bitter on his tongue and each link bit into his skin. “To think we’d finally catch your scent muddled with a bunch of the Ringleader’s freaks.”
Lan gagged, spit wetting his mouth and dripping down as more chains wound about his throat and around his arms and chest. He weakly tugged away and earned thick fangs tearing into the claim mark for the trouble.
He went limp.
Nyx settled on his lower back, hot breath rushing over Lan’s bleeding neck. “What cruel god gave you such a low station in life?” He laughed hoarsely, tongue dragging over the ragged wound. “If you’d been purebred, how far would you have gone? With that weak body of yours, you managed to kill two of my vanguard and evade capture for weeks and months. What would you have been like if you were legitimate?”
Lan growled around the makeshift gag. It was instinct to fight back even when his body didn’t want to cooperate. Biding his time was just one strategy, but when that failed, he had nothing else but fierce defiance on his side.
“Bet you would’ve been an alpha.”
He ground the metal between his teeth, feeling it begin to give way. Lan didn’t care for these taunts. Had never cared for them. Whatever Lycan law wanted to spew about the merits of hierarchy and bloodlines had nothing to do with him. He was born outside of that system and no amount of humiliation and degradation would convince him his station in life was to be fucked and used.
“Isn’t it so sad? If you were just born better, you would’ve been praised for these abilities. This tactical brilliance.” Nyx rolled Lan over just as he bit through the chains.
City blocks and streetlights faded into forestry around them, temperature dropping a few degrees. Lan’s lips curled back, blood screaming despite the claim draining the strength from his muscles.
“I should’ve fucked you back when I got you.” Nyx reached down, thumb smearing the blood leaking from Lan’s eyes. “I should’ve tamed you. Turned you into a slut hungry for my cock.”
He tried to turn his head away, but thick fingers snatched his jaw and forced him back.
“Maybe that would’ve broken you better than anything else I’ve done,” he sneered. “I’m all about trying new things now. I wasn’t sure if killing those people would lure you out, but it seems like your disgusting soft spot for Humans is just as strong as ever.”
Long, dark hair whipped around Nyx’s face, tangling in the wind. “So now I’m wondering what else I should change up? How long ‘til riding my dick makes you a babbling idiot?” He squeezed Lan’s jaw and the bones creaked.
And then like déjà vu, the car tires popped and squealed.
Lan jolted as the truck swung and they veered off into the dirt. He took his chance to scramble away when Nyx was thrown off of him. The chains loosened without his steadfast grip and Lan wriggled free quickly.
A glint of silver whizzed past his cheek, burning where it grazed skin.
The bullet shattered the truck’s rear window and he heard Dru’s sharp shout. Lan could barely get his head on straight, let alone assess the situation. He stared at two figures approaching them from down the road. Morning mist swirled around the thick wool of their peacoats and glossy handguns.
They were young. Very young. And Human.
Lan tried to yell at them to get away, but only a broken whimper came out. He struggled forward but froze in his tracks when Nyx threw him a vicious glare. It was then Lan noticed the smoking wound in Nyx’s arm. The blood wasn’t coagulating, and his flesh was rotting before Lan’s eyes.
Silver. He was hit with a silver bullet.
It should’ve elated him, but only fear settled in his gut.
The strangers came close enough to touch the truck and finally they could make out the pin on their lapels. A snake eating its own tail proudly shined in the early daylight. Ouroboros.
These were the other people that Lycans gossiped about. There were only two groups that struck fear in the hearts of wolves. The Ringleader’s entourage and them. The Hunters. Lan tensed, wondering if he could reasonably make a break for it.
“We’re from the Ouroboros Association. Come with us peacefully.” The threat of force was more than implied as both Hunters cocked their weapons.
Lan watched Nyx’s backside tremble, the wolf struggling not to take over.
“We’ve been following your activities for the past two weeks. We have evidence you’re involved with the recent Human disappearances and killings,” one of them stated curtly. “We are within our right to interrogate any fiends involved in crimes against Humans.”
His partner glanced at Lan, a strange expression crossing his face. It lasted only a brief second before he jerked his gun, waving it toward their waiting vehicle. “Enough talking, Lev. Get moving, wolves.”
Lev, an auburn-haired young Hunter, grimaced.
After a long, stifling moment, Nyx slowly stepped down from the bed of the truck, hands up. The wildness in his gaze was barely contained and his muscles rippled with every step. Somehow though, he didn’t pick a fight. In a flash, Lev snapped silver cuffs around his wrists.
Immediately, Nyx’s skin began to sizzle.
No. Nononono—
Lan bolted.
He heard voices shouting after him and the sharp whistle of bullets flying but adrenaline coursed through his veins and nothing could stop him now. This was the true answer to all his indecision.
Not again. Never again.
The part of his brain wired to obey the claim had whispered and coaxed—blamed him for running away. Told him again and again that fate would lead him back to Nyx. Sometimes, he believed it but at times like these, he understood that was all nonsense.
Being held down and humiliated was the last thing he desired. His body understood that, and it had darted away.
Lan panted heavily as trees blurred around him. The injuries from the car wreck ached, but they were nothing in the grand scheme of things. He ran and ran and ran, only slowing down when all the voices and forestry faded. City streets and sleepy office workers filled his periphery as floodlamps flickered off with the rising sun.
He peered around, finding himself at the gates of Delirium.
They rose up dark and delightful.
“Hey! Are you alright?”
Lan blinked slowly. A groundskeeper rushed toward him, fumbling with the locks on the gate. Looking down at himself, he registered the blood and burns. Oh. It really did look worse than it felt. He was about to say as much when pain shot through his arm and fire raked up his ribs.
Staggering and crashing to the ground, he gripping his rotting arm, feeling where the silver was still eating away at him. Without the adrenaline to distract him, he could actually focus on his pain receptors. Not good.
Gingerly, Lan touched his ribs and heaved a sigh of relief. Their second shot had only grazed him. His arm was no laughing matter though.
The Human groundskeeper was already dialing for an ambulance. His voice faded in and out as Lan’s eyes welled up with tears. Humans really were incredible. Their penchant for kindness was unbelievable in a life ruled by Lycan law. If he had quietly followed Nyx into the custody of Ouroboros, would he be able to experience the warmth of Humans again?
“Just stay with me, kid! Kid? Hell, how old are you?” The groundskeeper kept shouting, a small hand shaking Lan desperately to keep him lucid. “I’m gonna call the owners. Shit. You look like you’ve been in a wreck. Do you know someone at Delirium?”
Lan nodded a bit, more tears spilling over. “Ask for Adrian. Please.”
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