Page 25 of Surviving Hallow Hill
Eight
“The needles gothrough important nerves in your spine. Some of them are near your spinal column. Now, the needles are alive, in a manner of speaking, and will latch on if they feel the slightest bit of tugging.”
I swallow and curl my hands into fists so no one can see how badly I’m shaking. “Right... So how does that make me feel better about this whole thing?”
Styx’s big hands rub down my bare sides. I got naked so he could take one last look at my back while I’m lying on my stomach.
It’s completely platonic. His touch is just for science and shit.
No delicious tingling is happening over here.
None.
“Don’t worry, alpha. I know what I’m doing.”
His reassurance brings my lusty thoughts back to the real issue at hand.
“No, yeah, yeah, I know, it’s just... I mean... Yeah...” Shit. I hate to show any weakness, but if he pulls, the metal will rip my spine out. Not a fun way to go. I’ve done it to enough assholes to know the pain involved in such an ending.
“For argument’s sake,” Rue purrs, “how are you going to get it off without the needles hurting her?”
“This spinal column is nothing more than simple mechanics. It works like a well-oiled machine, and I have to treat it as such. All I have to do is break it.”
“Riiiight.” Sia growls. I can’t see his face, but I can imagine the scowl he’s wearing, and I wonder what else Styx has to say before Sia decides he’s not going to let him surgically rip me apart. “How the fuck do you plan on doing that?”
“I noticed it operates on a frequency, likely to send her vitals and other information to whoever holds the control. The needles are what take her vitals and send out said frequency. I’m going to numb the needles and temporarily stop them from working. That way, they’ll be numb and won’t respond to me pulling them out of her body.”
“How do you plan on numbing them, exactly?” Sia asks.
“Think of it like this: you leave your phone charging, and there’s a lightning storm outside that sends a strong current of energy into your sockets. It destroys the phone. That’s what I’m going to do.”
Oh, fuck no.
My nails scramble against the ground for purchase as I try to crawl away, but Styx’s fingers dig firmly into my hips, keeping me tightly in place.
“You aren’t shocking me! What the fuck!”
“It will stun the needles and halt all activity and frequencies, and it will get it off you, finally. Trust me, alpha. I know what I’m doing.”
I want to trust him. Fuck, Idotrust him, but can he blame me if I’m a little afraid at what the consequences of electric shock might bring? Fuck, I just know it’s going to fuckinghurt.
“Please...”
It’s that single word that breaks me, because I can read so much more behind it. No one has ever trusted him before. His whole life, he’s been discarded, kicked to the side, and mistreated. He never felt necessary, treated more like a burden than the miracle he truly is.
He wants me to trust him, to believe in him.
I do. He’s smart. I see it, and he’s proven time and time again just how valuable he is to our little group. But nerves and fear don’t make any sense. They’re irrational, and no matter how much I tell myself I trust him, my mind won’t listen.
I pause and take in deep breaths, focusing on my surroundings, trying to gauge my Lady’s presence. Her sharp scent would tell me if my death is imminent or not, but there’s nothing but the sharp coppery scent of metal and sweat.
That’s what gives me confidence.
Styx’s thumbs make steady swiping motions against my hips; the effect is calming. I dig my nails into the floor, ignoring the pain when they crack.
“Okay. Just do it. Stop talking and just do it.”
His fingers dig in. “I’ll be quick. I promise, alpha.”
