"Up! Get up, Amirykal!" my mother's voice roused me from my blissful sleep, and I was instantly wide awake. I opened my eyes to find my mother standing over me, a look of panic on her face. Her faded red hair was tousled from sleep, and she was still in her robe. I could already tell something was up. She only ever used my full name when I was in trouble or in emergencies. Normally, I was Ammi, or even A. Whatever was happening, it was serious.

"Mom, what's wrong? Are you alright?" I asked as I sat up in bed, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. She looked frantic, and I realized it was worse than I thought. She didn't give any explanation, just rushing into my closet and emerging with my backpack. She dumped its contents onto the floor unceremoniously, and they hit with a bang. "Hey!" I protested, but she didn't acknowledge me.

"Get dressed, we have to go. We have to go now." She flew around my room, throwing my clothes and toiletries in my bag.

I didn't question her, there would be time for that later. I quickly stripped and threw on a random pair of skinny jeans, a long-sleeved black sweater, and my black combat boots. I pulled my own curly red hair up in a ponytail and brushed my teeth. Once I emerged from the bathroom, my mother had my bag packed and was waiting for me.

"Come here, Ammi. You need to go. There's no time to waste!" She hissed, grabbing my wrist and towing me towards the basement. I realized she planned to make it to the door there. It was more discreet and traveled underground for a few meters before ending near the forest edge. We weren't just leaving; we were running from someone. Then I noticed my mother hadn't packed, or even dressed. She wasn't planning on coming with me.

"Mom, what the hell is going on? Calm down and tell me!" I stopped in my tracks, demanding an answer. She looked frantic at my refusal to continue.

"Ammi, there is no time! I can't-"

I interrupted her. "Mom, answer me! Who am I running from?"

As if in answer, the door banged open with such force, it shattered.

My mother screamed, but I just stared in shock.

The man in front of us was gloriously handsome, with neat-combed blond hair and pale skin that shone in the moonlight. His jaw was chiseled, and he was muscular, yet slim. He was gorgeous, for certain, but his eyes put me on edge. They were a lovely gray, but flinty and harsh, like he would kill a puppy and bring it back to life just to do it again. He felt...just wrong.

"You there! Why are you not in line?" His voice was clear and cold as he spoke, the weight of his glare stunning my mom into silence. Even though he was glaring at me.

My shock turned quickly to anger, my short fuse sparking. Squaring my shoulders and glaring up at him, I spat, "listen up, jackass. I don't know why the hell you thought it was okay to just barge in the house and order me around, but if you think your 'tough guy' act is going to get you anywhere with me, you've got another thing coming!" I didn't like this guy, not at all. Scaring my mom, telling me what to do, breaking our door? He had a lot of nerve.

Just as he was about to say something, I heard a scream from outside, and caught a glimpse of a girl, around my age, struggling against another burly man. He was pulling her away from her desperate family, pleading and crying at him to stop.

Memories resurfaced. My blood boiled.

I dodged around the asshat in our doorway and sprinted towards them. I launched towards the man, clawing at his face and locking an arm around his throat. He released the girl to grab me, flipping me over and slamming me onto the ground with brutal force. I groaned, but swung my leg and hit the back of his knees, sending him tumbling to the earth.

I looked up, and saw the girl I had saved, watching us in frozen terror.

"Run!" I screamed, and she snapped out of it, shooting off in another direction.

That, unfortunately, was what lost me the fight.

The man had gotten up, and gripped me tightly around the throat with one hand, raising me in the air so my feet dangled uselessly. His strength caught me off guard as I struggled to breathe. I landed kick after kick against his torso, but he seemed unaffected and continued to wring every bit of air out of my lungs.

Just as I was about to pass out, the blond man from before grabbed the man's shoulder, whispering something in his ear. I was a bit distracted with trying to breathe, and was unable to make it out, but he released me. I fell to the floor in a heap, wheezing out laborious breaths.

The blond man crouched beside me, glaring with those dead eyes of his as he growled, "cross me again, and you won't be so lucky, Bitch." He gave me a look, then added, "you are eighteen, correct?"

I was, but if I had been physically able to, I would have cussed him out thoroughly. As it was, I was only able to give him a death glare. Not liking that, he gripped my upper arm roughly and yanked me to my feet. We walked, well, he walked, and I was dragged, to the town hall.

The hall was usually used for meetings and such, but now, the three men had all sorts of girls, around my age, lined up in silence. Most had dried tear tracks on their cheeks, and looked like they were dragged from bed, which they probably had. But some, to my disgust, were eyeing up the men with lust on their faces.

I was soon thrown into line, just catching myself before I fell. I soon realized I had regained my breath, and growled profanities at him. He ignored me, which just pissed me off even more, if that was possible.

"Boys, we can begin now." He said, and I began to shake with anger. Whatever they were planning, I was going to die before I let them do it.

One of his grunts, the one who had attacked me, cleared his throat nervously, "hey, Zeke. I don't know about this...what if he shows up?" The statement had Zeke looking close to blowing a fuse.

"Him? Bah, he was nothing! We are better, newer! The Bright One's power was greatly exaggerated. Nothing to be feared. Besides," he scoffed, "I doubt he would care about us. This is the sort of thing he approved of, yeah?"

This time the other one spoke up, with more strength, "Khamael is right. Do not be so foolish Ezekiel. I am beginning to regret ever agreeing to this."

This time, Ezekiel went into motion, rounding on his companions. "Fools! You gave your word. Think of the profits! They are only human, only scum! Look!" he stabbed a finger in the air towards me. Uh, oh. "That insolent bitch dared to attack you, Khamael! And yet you defend her? Look!" he stepped forward, towards me with lethal intent, eyes burning holes in my skull. "Look at how she stands, unafraid! And yet you would allow this lowlife to do so in our presence?"

Before I could react, he shot forward, hand clamping around my neck, not enough to cut off my air, but enough that my already sore neck was screaming in pain. I thrashed, throwing whatever I could at his body, but I think I ended up hurting myself more than I did him. These men were unlike any I'd ever faced before. They were unnaturally strong, and unbending. I wasn't overestimating my abilities; I knew how to hit, and they should have at least shown signs of pain or impact. There were none. Something was very off here, and it didn't bode well for me.

Ignoring my futile struggles, he dragged me and threw me in front of the other two men. My heartbeat quickened as adrenaline pumped through my system. This just could not be good.

"Her arrogance must be punished." Ezekiel commanded, and I really began to fear for my life.

But I was going to go down in a shitstorm, thank you very much.

When they started forward, I leaped at Ezekiel, my battle cries hoarse and weak from my damaged windpipe. I managed to claw at his face, drawing blood, before I was lifted off and held aloft in the air, being strangled without mercy. I could actually feel my throat collapsing under the hold, and I knew I would not last long.

Then the unexpected, although very welcomed, happened.

Just before I passed out, there was a blinding flash. I was released, tossed to the ground like a rag doll, and heard the other girls begin to cry out around me. Strange men, flashes of light, being nearly killed, multiple times? I had about had enough of this shit.

When my vision finally cleared up, I had to bite my lip to hold in the gasp that threatened. Even in my damaged state, I was able to appreciate the turn of events. Hell, I'd have to be dead not to. A man had appeared from the bright light, but that wasn't the astonishing part. If I had thought that the men before were handsome...they didn't hold a candle to this new...being.

He was tall, at least six foot four, but the muscles that bulged from beneath his clothing and his wide shoulders balanced him out, and kept him from being lanky or skinny. His features were striking and chiseled, all the way from his plump lower lip to his deep-set, piercing blue eyes. His hair was black and shoulder length, framing his face with the silky waves that I was just dying to run my fingers through. My panties dampened instantly, and I found that I couldn't take my eyes off this handsome stranger.

God damn.

The Adonis growled as he glared at the brutes who had attacked us, his eyes igniting in a passionate fury. His muscles twitched, drawing my attention and so not helping my situation. And then, he spoke.

"Ezekiel! Adriel! Khamael! What is the meaning of this?" The newcomer roared. And fuck if it wasn't hot.

Their reactions were instantaneous. They cowered in fear, stumbling back as if they faced death himself.

"Please, please, no! Bright One, we did nothing wrong-" Zeke whimpered, and I didn't bother to hide my eye roll. Nearly dead or not, the sass lives on.

"Nothing wrong? Brother, you plead for my mercy, yet you treat me like some half-baked FOOL!" the temperature in the room was getting uncomfortably hot. No it wasn't just my scattered hormones, the hall was heating up, and I'd bet my butt that it was because of the sex god who was about to kick some major ass. I couldn't help but root for him; Zeke was an asswad.

"We beg your forgiveness!" Zeke was almost weeping now. Fucking pathetic, and the other two seemed to still be in a shocked silence.

The mystery man remained impassive, obviously unmoved by Ezekiel's ridiculous display. Desperate, Zeke launched at the other man, and then shit really hit the fan.

The two grunts followed his example, a little uncertainly, and the new man was swarmed by deadly inhuman warriors. I had no delusions. No matter how scary the sexy dude was, he wouldn't stand a chance against all three, so like the fucking unbelievably stupid person I am, I joined in.

I was wounded, I was tired, and I possessed none of the strength or speed that these four obviously did. What was I thinking? To be completely honest, I really just wasn't. I tend to do that a lot, and it always got me into tricky situations.

I must say though, this was idiotic, even for me.

I grabbed the closest one to me, Khamael, I believe, the one I had previously fought, and did what any cornered girl would do. I hit the self-destruct button. More plainly, I kicked him in the balls. Really fucking hard. Like, let's just say he wasn't ever having kids, and I was doing the world a huge favor, in my own opinion.

He doubled over with a shrill yelp that sounded like a squashed cat, and I took the opportunity to knee him right in the face. He fell to the ground, clutching both his nose, which was gushing blood, and his junk. I don't know where I got the strength, but I followed him to the ground, straddling his torso and clamping my hands around this throat mercilessly.

Leaning real close, and knowing my advantage wouldn't last long, I whispered in his ear as I continued to apply pressure, "it doesn't feel too good, doesn't? Being a little bitch."

I focused all my energy and focus into strangling the life out of this monster. A maniac surge of blood lust consumed me, and I wanted nothing but to kill. Just as his eyes closed, I was ripped off his body and sent flying through the air. I curled up and cradled my head just before I crashed against the floor, saving myself from everything but severe bruising. And, perhaps a few broken ribs. Looking up, I hissed in anger.

It. Was. Fucking. Asswad. Ezekiel.

He was furious. Blood dripped in a steady stream from his mouth and onto his chin, and his eyes glinted with an insane light. His hair was matted, and his fingers of his right hand were bent at awkward angles. I couldn't see the man that had flashed in here, but I realized with a sinking feeling that if Zeke was alive, he had won.

I was going to die.

But before I could be brutally and most likely agonizingly slaughtered, two large, tanned hands same around the sides of Ezekiel's face, and twisted sharply. I couldn't even scream at the sickening crack. I could only watch as Zeke crumpled against the floor, revealing the handsome man who had just saved my life.

"I had that under control." I wheezed, struggling to maintain my grip on consciousness.

The man just stared at me, dumbfounded, blue eyes shining with disbelief and...adoration? His lovely, pink lips parted slowly, shaping a single word.

"Mate."

Then, I lost the battle with the darkness, and I slumped to the floor.

I could only hope I would wake up again.