Kill or Be Killed (#1 Eastern Werewolves Pack Series)

Mate, that was what he called her. Zia blinked blankly at him after the words had left his lips. The after-effect wasn’t there yet because she hadn’t reciprocate his rejection. Her mind was still trying to register the things Riley had told her. Now, she was trying to sink in the information that Jaxon told her. She didn’t know how much information her brain could take at this rate. It seemed like she could barely get a grasp of any of her thoughts. She didn’t know how a mating bond worked between two people but for sure, the rejection would be painful if she recited her part.

Zia took a step towards him, “Jaxon, why are you doing this?” her voice was trembling. “What about those things you spoke a few nights ago when you brought me home? Did you say those for nothing?”

He chuckled humorlessly. “You think you’re the only one who knows how to deceive others? I’m an Alpha, Zia. I met your kind thousand of times before.”

Your kind, ouch, how hurt that was. A pang of pain crept into her heart. He had categorised her as a different kind than a human. Her kind was a huntress kind. She wasn’t a human but a huntress. That was how he looked at her right now.

“Once all of this is over, your family will face trial in front of the Council. Then, we’ll decide what to do with you.”

Just like before, he didn’t look back when he walked away. Zia collapsed to the floor, body shaking and tears falling. There was no way back now. It was too late. Jaxon was no longer in her reach. He was long gone—and forever, he could never be hers. Mate—how beautiful that word was. But, he called it as a curse because he was fated to be with a huntress who had killed his uncle.

How many tears did she have to shed today alone? Her eyes felt as dry as the desert. Her energy was draining out. Zia didn’t care anymore what happened to her. If trial by the Council was what Jaxon wanted from her, then she’d gladly go there. If he wanted to kill her by his own hands, she’d let him do it. She rather died in his hands than the hands of others.

“Prisoner 1332, time to go,” the guard unlocked the cell.

That was her name now. Prisoner 1332. Letting out a heavy sigh, Zia got up from the floor and extended her hands before he cuffed them. She wasn’t going to fight them. No, she had done fighting. It was time to face her ending.

“Is there any backstory behind 1332?” she asked the guard.

“Alpha Jaxon had hunted 1331 hunters since his reign. Almost 70% of that number was killed by him. The remaining is in lifetime imprisonment. You’re the next one on the list. But, he’s not going to do that.”

“Killing me or imprison me?”

“Both.” he grabbed her by the arm, not as rudely as she anticipated. “Consider yourself as lucky.”

Lucky? If only they knew that Joshua wasn’t planning on letting her alive. She had witnessed him killing many other hunters because they betrayed or surrendered themselves. Joshua was the one who would be there, ready with his sniper and camped out where he could see the aforementioned hunter left the dungeon of a pack. Was he going to do that to her too? Snipe her as soon as she stepped out of the dungeon?

Zia was surprised when she saw the people guarded outside the dungeon, equipped with a shield each as if they knew that someone was going to snipe her. They regrouped and formed one way towards a black van while they were shielding around her.

“Precaution.” the guard told her, escorting her to the van.

Zia hopped into the black van and was greeted by Jaxon who nodded to the guard.

“Two ways,” he instructed the men.

They nodded and went to two different groups, handing their Shields to a third group. Jaxon shut the door and instructed the driver to drive. Zia had to sit on the opposite of him, facing him once again. The way his scorching gaze was fixed on her was making her felt uncomfortable and small.

“Your hands,” his raspy voice was sending shivers down her spine.

Zia extended her hands without a word. Jaxon unlocked the cuff and let it fell to the floor as the van started moving. He leaned back to his seat and their eyes met once again. Zia took the time to memorize the features on his face. There were back circles underneath his eyes as if he hadn’t had enough sleep lately. She could understand why. It was because of what happened lately. Jaxon looked exhausted and mentally drained out. His eyes were as lifeless as they could be. His black shirt was crumbled.

“Where are we going?” She asked him after nearly forty-minutes of silence between them.

It wasn’t choking her but it wasn’t very comfortable either.

His lips pressed into a thin line as if he wanted to stop himself from speaking. Jaxon ignored her question and looked out. They were still surrounded by trees on both sides of the road.

“Jaxon, I’m sorry,” Zia made another attempt to make him speak.

“I hope you really are,” His voice was cold and harsh.

The sun was setting on the horizon and it looked so beautiful to see the rays penetrated in between the trees. It made her wondered; was this going to be the last sunset she could see? If it was, then she wanted to savor it. She wanted to feel the sunlight touched her skin, seeping the warmness into her cold body.

The car was steered into a clearing. Zia came out of the vehicle after him. Far ahead of them was Joshua and his men with Jain. They were heavily equipped and Jaxon just came here with his driver.

“Jaxon, don’t let him get me, please,” she pleaded.

Only one fate was certain if someone who surrended to the werewolves was returned to the former employer. Zia knew her life would end in Joshua’s hands.

Jaxon’s jaw clenched but he said nothing except steered her towards the hunters.

“Your daughter is here,” he said to Joshua. “Now, return my sister to me.”

“Believe me, no harm came to your sister when she was under my care.” he signaled to the man who had Jaxon’s sister.

“Jaxon, no, please!” Zia tucked his hand, begging endlessly.

Jaxon yanked his hand away, “I don’t know you.”

He took his sister with him and left the place. Zia choked as she watched the van slowly retreated down the road.

“Take her to the facility,” Joshua ordered.

Her heart stopped beating for a second. The facility. Her father had condemned her to the facility.

“I don’t show mercy to betrayers even if they are my own family,” he murmured to her. “You should have killed yourself instead of surrendering to the mutt.”

“JAXON!” Zia yelled, hoping he was still nearby to come to aid her.

She kept on yelling for his name until someone hit the back of her neck and the last face she saw was Joshua’s angered face.

“I’d shoot you just like how I did to Samuel.” he revealed.