Page 93 of Five to Love Him
The hive dashed about, one kneeling by our side, checking us over while we still dry heaved.
“Always drama with you, but I’m going to cure you of that once we get home,” the human said. “There’s going to be no more of this nonsense.”
He lunged forward, and we let him taser us, hoping it would stall him. The hive tossed himself a duffel bag.
“Follow us through the back door,” we said, still shaking on the floor while our stomach revolted.
“We aren’t a hunter ourself, but we have seen the skill it takes,” they told us on a whisper. “We once helped the Black Shuck bring down a witch, so why would that human scare us?”
We heard the zipper of the duffel bag.
“I’m going to give it to you good when we get home, boy. You’ll regret that little stunt you pulled, that’s for damn sure. Gonna chain you up.”
Despite the electricity surging through us we didn’t pass out.
“Hive! What the hell!” Leo was looking at us as we ran, him over our shoulder, following with one to ensure his escape if necessary.
“We’re taking you to the underground,” we said, never stopping. All we had to do was get on the subway and from there to the school, and he’d be safe.
Back in the kitchen, with the one who wasn’t retching, the one who hadn’t been tasered, we turned to meet the human and stop him before he could even realize that we had fled and wonder why.
We saw the hive, two on the right side of the kitchen entrance, two on the left, using the walls as cover. Each one closest to the entryway held a syringe.
“Mr. Conrad and the others are on the way, but right now, it’s just us here. You may be small, but you are strong,” the hive told the one who was still retching, pale yellow bile puddling on the kitchen tiles.
There were many things we felt, but strong wasn’t one of them.
“Hive, fucking stop!” Leo yelled.
We slowed. We let him down. What were we even doing, dragging him from his home and using our strength that was so much greater than his own against him?
We were shaking with the charge of the taser going into us with one, and with the other, we met that human’s eyes as he approached the kitchen.
“You’ve come for us,” we said with the one standing, the first thing we could think of.
The human leered. He stopped. The one that had been tasered was a twitching, uncoordinated mess, but with more willpower than strength, we managed to clutch the human around the middle.
He turned his head.
“Do it now,” we said from the mouth that still had the taste of bile, that remembered, as phantom pain, so many other vile things that had been forced into it.
The hive didn’t waste a second. The two with the syringes leaped forward and pushed the needles into either side of the human’s neck, then pushed down the plungers.
“What the—”
He stumbled, not passing out immediately, but during his surprised and uncoordinated movements, the other hive caught the wrist of the hand that clutched the taser. They held on tight, their face hard.
“We wonder if we’ll have to clean up what’s going to be left of you,” they said to the human with a voice as emotionless as a cleaver in a downward arc.
The hive circled the human with his four, though when he got close to where we shook with the shock of the taser, they pulled us to our feet.
“Hive, let me help!” Leo was grabbing us by the lapel of our shirt. It was day outside, but to us, he looked brighter than ever.
“We—they—it’s okay, Leo. But it might still be dangerous, so—”
We attempted to put a hand on his arm, but he wouldn’t have that.
“Let me fucking help! I am your fucking glowworm mate, and I’ll protect you!”
