Total pages in book: 113
Estimated words: 107209 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 536(@200wpm)___ 429(@250wpm)___ 357(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 107209 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 536(@200wpm)___ 429(@250wpm)___ 357(@300wpm)
He grunted as he started the engine, his knuckles white on the wheel. “I did get kicked in the head,” he muttered, leaning heavily against the seat. He pressed the gas pedal, and soon they zipped through the main hub and into the forest. “Just hold still.”
“Let me loose.” She fought against the restraints, terror filling her.
A flash of movement caught her eye just before a snowmobile zipped out from the forest, cutting directly in front of them. Jonathan cursed and yanked the wheel hard. The UTV spun out, the back end crashing into a tree. Her head whipped back, the impact jarring her spine as stars exploded behind her eyelids.
Darkness threatened to pull her under, but the sound of a door being ripped open brought her back. Bitter cold flooded the cabin, and she blinked several times, trying to clear her dazed mind. Lukas stood there, his expression grim.
“I told you, Jonathan. You can’t take her,” Lukas said, his voice low but fierce.
Jonathan groaned as Lukas yanked him out of the driver’s seat and slammed a fist into his jaw. The force sent Jonathan stumbling, but he swung back, landing a weak punch against Lukas’s shoulder. Lukas growled and struck again, this time knocking Jonathan to the ground.
“Lukas,” Lyrica shouted, struggling against the seat belt. “Help me!”
“Just a second,” he said through gritted teeth, crouching to deliver another blow to Jonathan’s already bloodied face.
Jonathan slumped into the snow, unmoving.
Lukas wiped his knuckles on his pants before climbing into the UTV and reaching for the controls. “Are you okay?” he asked, his gaze briefly meeting hers.
“No,” she snapped. “I can’t believe this was Jonathan.”
Lukas’s face tightened as he reversed the vehicle, maneuvering it back onto the icy trail. “I know,” he said grimly. “But we have to move.”
Her pulse raced as she studied him. Something felt off. “Lukas, you need to turn the vehicle around,” she said, her voice rising.
He didn’t respond, his eyes fixed on the path ahead.
“Lukas,” she repeated, sharper this time.
When he glanced her way, the chill in his expression made her stomach drop. “Wait a minute,” she murmured, her gaze narrowing. “You’re not sick. You knocked Jonathan out without any trouble. You look…healthy.”
“Of course I’m healthy,” he said, a mocking edge in his tone. “Do you honestly think I’d let them inject me with the contaminated virus?”
Silence crashed between them. She stared, disbelief warring with horror. “Lukas,” she whispered. “No. It can’t be you.”
His lips twisted into a smirk. “Why not? Because I’m seventeen? Because I have a thing for Genevieve? Please.”
Her chest heaved as she tried to process his words. “This has to be some kind of sick joke.”
“Genevieve’s a stupid girl,” he said, the disdain in his voice cutting like a blade. “But she made for a good cover.”
Her mind reeled. “Oh my God. You’re one of the Defenders.”
He chuckled, the sound dark and twisted. “Stupid fucking name, isn’t it? I don’t know who came up with that, but yeah. I proudly wear the symbol on my chest. The circle symbolizes the organized powers in our world, and the three slashes are us…tearing it all down with blades.”
Her breath came in shallow gasps. “Lukas, this isn’t you. It can’t be.”
He glanced at her, his grin widening to reveal his fangs. “Oh, it’s me,” he said, the glint in his eyes pure malice. “I faked being sick.”
It was too much to take in. “So Jonathan was trying to save me,” Lyrica said, her voice trembling.
“Yeah,” Lukas replied, his tone indifferent. “He figured out who I was. We fought. He got to you before I could.” Shaking his head, he added, “The guy has a fever of about 125, though. Wasn’t thinking clearly. Obviously. Should’ve gone to find Vero.”
Lyrica’s breaths came quick and shallow as she struggled against the restraints. Her gaze darted to the knife stuck in the seat belt connection.
Lukas noticed and glanced down at it, his mouth curving into a cold smirk. “Huh. He did a good job with that.”
“You have to let me go,” she demanded, trying to keep the fear from her voice. “You can’t do this.”
“Of course I can,” he said, his tone mockingly cheerful. “In fact, I’ll rather enjoy doing this.” His eyes gleamed with something dark and twisted.
She shrank away from him, leaning as far as the seat belt allowed. “Wait a minute. You’re the one who’s been attacking human females.” Her voice faltered as the horrifying realization took shape.
“Oh yeah. I took that task on myself.” He shifted his grip on the wheel. “We were just supposed to kill a couple to make Paxton look weak, like he couldn’t protect his territory, while we waited for the virus to take effect.”
Her stomach churned. “The sexual assaults?” she whispered, bile rising in her throat.
“That was for fun,” he said casually, as if discussing the weather.