Page 116 of Unforgivable

"Don't say that, Lyri." His left eye twitches. "Don't pretend that you don't love me. Not anymore. Now... now that we've been together."

Beentogether? I choke back bile. He's insane. A crazy light gleams in his eyes, glinting in the dim light. His pupils are blown out. Is he on drugs or just crazy?

"You and I were always meant to be together, Ri. Don't you understand? I would have rescued you. We could have left the pack together. But you had to come here and turn into their whore, didn't you?"

He's lost his mind. I shake my head, blearily, at the vitriol Liam is spewing.

Bile tries to force its way up my throat again, but I push it back. I can't stop to vomit. Not yet, not now. "Stay away from me, Liam. My males will kill you if you touch me."

Rage flits across his face. His familiar face that just months ago brought me comfort has now been stripped of anything good. Liam is evil.

He lunges at me, and I scream, jumping back reflexively. Claws erupt from the ends of his fingertips, and I follow suit.

He laughs, "now, Lyri, we both know that no matter how good you were at fighting, you're just a broken whore, now."

My she-wolf snarls at him in rage. Betrayer. Filth. Too bad for her and me that Liam's correct in one regard - I am broken. My hip is aching, and fear for Ezra is attacking my nerves, making my anxiety peak.

He lunges at me again. This time, I manage to evade him and run towards the barn door. I feel a burn, a swipe of claws against my back. I trip over something and fall back on my belly into an empty horse stall. Trapped. I feel claws grapple with my ankle. I kick out reflexively, feeling relieved when my foot connects with something.

His snarl lets me know that I hit a part of him hard enough for him to recognize the blow. I need to do it again. I'm trapped in the barn. He's between me and both exits. I can't even get to a window. He's bigger and stronger and faster and just as well trained as I am.

I could shift, but some part of me, maybe my wolf herself, tells me that I shouldn't shift yet.

Liam may kill me, but first, he wants to rape me. If I shift, then he shifts, and we'll be fighting to the death. Right now, all I'm fighting for is my lost virtue. I need to keep it together and stay on feet so that I can escape, can live.

His hands dig into my calve and pull me closer. I let out a soft scream at the agony in my leg, but I don't stop twisting my body, flailing my arms. I won't make this easy for him.

"Bitch!" he spits out, as once again, I manage to kick him. He spits on me, rising to his knees and digging his claws into my other leg.

This time my shrill scream is echoed by the high-pitched whinny of Demon. He is kicking his stall, pounding his hooves against the door in sheer panic. I spare a moment of concern for him. He can hurt himself in that stall.

My fingers scrabble on the ground, scattering hay everywhere. It's a barn. If I can reach the tools, then I'll have a weapon. My legs are burning, bleeding heavily. My wolf urges me onward, helping me go with instinct instead of giving in to the pain.

He flips me over. His hands are at my pants, trying to rip them open with his claws. The skin on my thighs rips along with the cloth. My fingernails are bleeding, the claws erupting from my own hands, and I scrabble at the floor for purchase.

He leans over me, and I swipe, connecting with his forehead. Blood erupts, his howl of pain-filled rage making my heart skip a beat. He slaps me, hard enough to make stars dance in my eyes. My head bounces off of the floor, but the hay cushions the blow.

In the seconds it takes me to recover, my pants and panties are gone. Half-nude and vulnerable, my fear ratchets upwards.

He takes more time to unbutton his jeans, not tearing into them. It gives me an opportunity. Bucking my hips, I slide backward on the floor. My fingers finally connect, just as he frees himself and his hands spread my legs.

I have no idea what I am grabbing, just that it's metal and heavy. I swing it with all my might. It's not a good blow, I'm not in a good position for that, but it hits his head with a thunk.

Liam moans, falling sideways. I crawl out from under him while he chokes and clutches his head. I hit him again, but he avoids that blow, taking it on his shoulder.

I keep the metal object, Ezra's lucky horseshoe, of all things, with me as I crawl away from him. I have to get out of the stall. I need room to fight and run.

I try to shift, but the instinct is gone. I've only shifted five times since that night, and it's not an automatic response anymore. My she-wolf is healing me. My legs are bleeding profusely. I know I'm bleeding too much. I'm already feeling lightheaded. So I crawl toward the stall door, using my claws to pull me along.

Demon is going berserk, the scent of blood and the screams of the other panicking animals making his own rise.

Demon. I can get him out and ride him away from here. Find Ezra and escape, mountain lion be damned. I crawl and crawl, not giving up on the horseshoe, to Demon's stall door. My fingers are slick with blood, and the claws make me clumsy, but I manage to grip the wood door and haul myself upright. Bent over, my legs screaming in agony, I undo the latch of his stall door.

I hope I can mount him. If he's not utterly crazed with panic, he should lower himself. That trick that Thjis taught him may just save my life.

"You fucking whore!" slurred, angry shouts make me scream reflexively. I cling to the stall door as it bursts open.

Demon shoots out, shrilly neighing, straight into Liam. The wolf lets out a cry, but the one-thousand-pound animal races right into him, trampling him into the floor.

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