Pain skewered through my chest.
Even if it meant taking out my own brother.
* * *
Damien ushered me through the dark forest for about fifteen minutes until we came upon the back yard of a small cabin hidden in the trees. When I’d asked him what he wanted and why he was doing this, he told me to shut the fuck up and soon I would see.
And now, I was about to see.
This was where he’d taken Annika?
My senses alert, I scanned around the area.
Where was she? Inside the cabin? Locked in a room?
Please let her be okay.
I hurried my pace, the pain in my calf momentarily forgotten in my eagerness to get to her. Tossing the crutch aside, I sprinted across the yard toward the back door.
“Whoa, there, Beast! Settle down! She’s not in the house.”
I halted, whirling around. “Where is she?”
Damien chortled. He pointed toward a small garden shed. “She’s waiting for you inside there. Don’t know if she’s still alive or not, but the only way you’ll find out is if you open the door and see for yourself.”
I stumbled past him, the pain in my leg barely registering, and yanked open the door to the shed.
Annika hung from the ceiling by her arms, her feet barely touching the floor. She was unconscious, her head lolling forward, blood dripping down one of her legs and onto the dirt floor.
My heart squeezed.Annika.
I took a step toward her, but Damien hopped into my path. “Not so fast, brother. This will be a fight to the death. Winner gets to feast on the little piggy. Loser kisses the world goodbye.”
I whirled on him with a snarl, tackling him to the ground. His gun sailed away, thumping somewhere off into the darkness.
“Why would you hurt Annika, you bastard?Why?”
My fist connected with his jaw. And again. And once more.
Crack!
“You’re not my fucking brother! He wouldneverdo this!”
Cackling with glee—or was it insanity?—Damien spit out a mouthful of blood. “Finally! I awoke the Beast! Now we’re having fun! Let’s brawl! Ahhhooo!”
He yanked a knife from somewhere on his body, thrusting it toward me. I lifted my arm to block him, grimacing in pain when the blade slid right into my flesh.
Damien’s gaze flew to mine. “Oopsie.” He cackled.
He was deranged. Truly.
He’s not my brother. That boy is long dead.
Before I could move, he yanked the blade free.
“Ahh!” Blood immediately oozed out of the wound.
Damien rolled away from me, regaining his feet. Waving me forward, he smirked. “Come on, let’s play. The game is on, brother! May the best wolf win! Ahhhooo-ooooo!”