Heartless

❆ Three ❆

THREE

Every step I ran toward the gate was a knife twisting itself deeper into my chest. My body tightened with every second that passed in anticipation of his screams, waiting to hear the loud snarls as teeth sank into flesh, the howls. But nothing came. I grew hopeful that I could do this— I could save him. The pressure of my gun still tapped my hip as I ran, a cold metal that burned my skin.

   A howl screeched through my ears, its echo growing closer and closer. My heart leapt. I ran faster.

   A hand wrenched me backward just as I reached our hut. I let out a startled yelp, my body careening back into the arms of Gabriel. I shot him a panicked look. His grip on me tightened, sensing what I was about to do. He frowned down at me, his brow creased in worry. "Adaira, you can't go out there," he panted. It hadn't occurred to me that he hadn't been in the hall until now. His cheeks were a bright red against the pale complexion of his face, dark eyes tinted with worry.

   I squirmed to pull myself out of his grasp. He clamped down tighter. "Gabriel, please," I begged, my voice cracking. "I can't let them kill him."

   He tugged on my arm. "He's going to die anyway," he snapped. I narrowed my eyes at him. I put more force into my yanking, but nothing helped. He was much stronger and taller than me. He had been the size of our hut since he was twelve. Thick-muscled and firm in every place, he was a brick wall that wouldn't budge and we both knew it. "His life is over. You have to start living your own."

   I gritted my teeth at him. "Let go of me."

   His face drew back in shock. "Adaira—"

   It happened before I could stop myself. My fingers wrapped around the handle of my pistol in one swift movement and pressed the barrel into his chest. "Let. Go."

   His lips settled into a thin, hard line. His face was no longer worried, but angry. "You won't kill me."

   I cocked the hammer back and looked up at him. "Please don't make me choose. You and I both know who will win." My hand began to tremble. I swallowed around the fear building in my throat, hoping my voice didn't sound as frightened as I felt. "You're a good friend, Gabriel, better than I deserve, but I can't stay here. Not with you or anyone else, and certainly not without him. Please. Let go."

   A moment of tense silence passed. I jerked on my arm again, and this time his hand relaxed and fell to his side. I jumped back and tucked the gun into my waistband again. His glare hardened. "You're making a mistake."

   I flinched. "It wouldn't be the first time." Then I spun and launched myself at the gates. More howls pierced the air. My panic rose with every echo. I dug my shoulder into the wooden gate and pushed with every ounce of adrenaline pumping through me. It cracked slightly, enough to let me squeeze through.

   Hendric sat with his chin resting on his chest. He didn't move at the sound of my footsteps crunching in the snow. My blood ran like ice through my veins. I dropped into the snow beside him. His eyes were shut, his skin pale. His chest didn't move. He wasn't breathing. "H-Hendric?" I brushed my numb fingers against his cold cheek. He didn't move. A sob tore from my throat.

   His mouth twitched suddenly, his brow furrowing. He peeled his eyelids back with a painful amount of effort. His milky eyes stared blankly over my shoulder. I could see the confusion swirling in them. "Ada?"

   Cold tears streamed down my cheeks. "It's me." I rested my hand against his cheek, smiling. I moved behind him and began to untangle the knots. My fingers fumbled sloppily over the expertly tied rope. I muttered thick curses at Moma. My heart beat louder in my ears as the seconds passed.

   "Need some help?"

   I snapped my head up to find Kenji running toward us. He dropped a large sack into the snow and slid beside me. He pointed the hilt of a knife at me. I snatched it from his fingers and began sawing the frozen rope.

   "You shouldn't be out here," I said frantically. Howls blared around us, making my hands cut faster. Pain sliced into my palm, but I worked around it. The snow turned a bright red.

   "Neither should you," he countered.

   Snapping the rope from around his wrists, we moved around the pole. I threw Hendric's arm over my shoulder and staggered to my feet. I barely moved a foot before he began to sag the other direction, a groan escaping his lips. I wrapped an arm around his waist, but we were still teetering. Kenji leapt to catch us, draping the other arm over his shoulder. "You need to go back, Kenji. Now."

   He shook his head. "You aren't leaving without me. I'm coming with you, Ada." We walked hurriedly away from the pole.

   I wanted to protest, but I couldn't voice the words. He was right. If we left Kinnot and he stayed behind, there would always be the chance that he could be chosen next year for the offering. Who would save him then? Frowning, I nodded. "Okay. Go get your bag. Hurry!" He carefully dropped out from under Hendric's arm and darted back in the direction of the poll. I gripped Hendric around the waist, my hand burning from the cuts. His head lolled on his shoulders. I brought his other arm to lock around my neck and kept walking, struggling with every step. "Kenji, hurry!"

   A scream crashed through the air. I whirled back around. "Kenji!" But it was too late. The glare of large blue eyes pierced through me. A monstrous white wolf stood on top of him, a large paw planted squarely in the center of my brother's chest. I took a step toward him.

   "Ada," Hendric gasped through heavy breaths. His fingers fisted around the fur of my coat, trembling weakly. "Run."

   A shadow lunged at us before I could move. Hendric's arms tore from my neck with a horrified scream. Snow cushioned my fall and whipped against my face. Cold ice surrounded my body. My shoulder and back throbbed. Blood streamed from the cuts on my hand, more spilling from the gaping slashes in my forearm. I attempted to rise to my feet. My ankle gave out beneath me with a cry. I collapsed on all fours, watching the snow turn a darker shade of crimson with every drop. I searched frantically through the dark trees. More wolves descended into the clearing. One of them stood over Hendric's body, the other pinning Kenji into the ground.

   A loud snarl roared in the shadows before me. My hand trembled as I reached my fingers into my waistband for the gun, but I knew it was futile. No one ever survived the beasts. Death was inescapable. The wolves growled, eyes shimmering in the dark. I swiveled the pistol toward them, arms shaking violently. Ice clawed tighter around my heart. I let out a sob at the sight of my brothers. One had been ready to die, and the other had been fighting to live. Now it didn't matter. I failed them both.

   The pine trees in front of me parted.

   My eyes widened. Silver orbs narrowed into terrifying slits of moonlight. A golden paw stepped into the light and pressed into the snow. My heart stopped. The large, scrunched muzzle poked out, blood red lips drawn back into a snarl, teeth bared. I tightened my finger down on the trigger and squeezed.

   It clicked.

   Empty.

   Searing pain engulfed my leg. An agonized scream tore through the air— my scream. My body crashed forward into the snow. Cold seeped through my clothes. Ice shot into my blood. I lifted my arm and blindly bashed the gun against its nose. The beast yelped and clamped down tighter on my leg, jerking me further into the shadows. Another scream burned inside of me. Black stars filled my vision. My back slammed into the red snow. I looked out toward my brothers. My eyelids grew heavy.

   The pain abruptly ceased. The jaw full of teeth released its grip on my leg.

   Silver eyes stared down at me. Gold fur wrapped around my head as it lowered its face down to mine. The beast's wet nose pushed into my cheek, it's lips drawn back into a snarl. My blood dropped from its teeth. A growl rolled through the air. My vision danceds. I lifted the gun. Its paw crushed my wrist into the ground with a warning sneer. It bowed its head toward me again. Hot air blew against my skin. A growl rumbled in my ear. I closed my eyes and let the warm-cold tendrils of death consume me.