Torn (Dark Desires Duet, #1)

Chapter Twenty Five

I hope my friends heard my call, because I sure as hell won't be able to defend myself against six whole ass trained men. Taking a deep breath, I stand properly, dominant right leg ahead. The man I hurt lunges towards me and I shout curses at him and then headbutt him with my sword. I don't think I wanna kill anyone.

He moves to the side just as another man trips me. He has red hair and a very blank face. My hand is trapped beneath my back and I scream as it twists at an unnatural angle. Julian appears in front of me, werewolf form, and slashes his claws into the face of the red head. Vile insults spill out of him as he tries to push Julian out of the way. Finding a good grip, I get up and shake my hand out. It might be broken but my mind has blocked all the pain temporarily. Holding the sword in front of me, I slam the blade into another man's side quickly, drawing blood. He groans and backhands me, causing my jaw to snap. Spitting blood on the side, I assault someone else, not bothering to see who it is.

Blood coats my shirt front and the blade. At that moment, a stream of people burst into the kitchen- Tara with her hair tied up, ears pointed and the leaf tattoo back on her face. Kieran is in half werewolf form, sharp claws and ears covered in dark fur. Seeing his boyfriend in a risky situation, he transforms immediately, waves rippling throughout his body as he falls on all fours, glossy brown fur coat making him completely foreign to me. Leo holds out his katana blade, his grin actually twinkling.

My breath catches in my throat as I notice Brandon, who looks unusually gaunt and scared. His thin, sharp canines are out and the dark aura I had first noticed about him is stronger than ever.

Distracted by my friends, I don't notice as the redhead comes back to hurt me. He holds my broken wrist and I wail in agony. Using my other hand, I throw a punch at his face. He merely growls and grips my jaw. Tears stream down my face as I struggle to break free. Brandon comes to my rescue and hits the redhead twice and I can hear the man's bone crack.

I slip free of his hold and run back to help Tara, who is fighting the only woman in the group.

The woman is feisty and scary, with a gaunt face and silver hair. She snarls and laughs when Tara punches her face. Sneering, Tara winks at her before breaking the woman's arm. She shrieks and slaps Tara. I wince and tackle the woman from behind. I pull her hair hard enough to snap her head backwards.

Tara grins at me, giving me the sign that she can handle it from here.

I nod and wipe my tear stained face. Brandon is beating the shit out of the redhead. I pull him back, calling out his name. "Brandon, stop, baby. He's dead."

Shock and pain at the sight of the bloodied mess of the man. The first dead man I had seen, resulted in me being almost kidnapped by dangerous men. The second one had killed himself right in front of me. Memories flash in my head so fast, it makes me feel dizzy.

At that, he stills and turns towards me and looks into my eyes. Time seems to stand still, everything around us moving around like a whirlpool, leaving us unscathed. I touch his cheek gingerly, which is bruised and bleeding, but some of the skin has already stitched itself back.

Brandon's blue eyes glint and sparkle, the dark green ring looking so fucking ethereal, pulling me in.

"You're hurt." He whispers.

"I'm okay." I manage and pat his dark, soft curls. "Are you fine?"

He nods sternly and takes my left hand and I whimper. Yup, definitely broken. Brandon's jaw tightens as he takes in my disheveled state and wounds. "Fuck." He whispers. "Fuck. Kathryn, I-"

He isn't able to complete his sentence as someone stabs him in the back. I scream out loud as he falls down. Without a second of hesitation, I plunge my sword into the attacker's thigh. His high pitched screams don't even register as I go on my knees and exhale in relief. The small dagger only hurt his side. Thankfully, it isn't fatal but quite painful. Brandon is always getting hurt and taking blows because of me. Rush of affection spins through me and I help him take the support of the wall. I think I might love him.