A Squad Of Wolves

Chapter 2

2

The first trail of blood trickled out of the cut on Chesca's neck as I pressed the blade firmer into her skin.

Chesca squealed in pleasure as she pressed herself harder into the knife. "Yes, hurt me! Come on, kill me. Kill me again! Let me die like last time, Danny! Chase me into my grave once more!"

Her words triggered a new set of memories, freezing me in my step. The scent of iron and fresh blood flooded my senses, fire burned the back of my neck, and cries of agony filled my ears. The scene that haunted my sleep unfolded in front of my eyes as I relived Chesca's death all over again. The helplessness, the panic, the desperation slapping me in the face once more.

I felt my knees tremble as my body was ready to give out. I didn't want to kill Chesca. I couldn't. I tried to release the blade, but Chesca had palmed her hand over mine.

"What's wrong, Danny? Was that all you got? Can't kill your best friend again? Come on, it's the second time, shouldn't it be easier by now?" Chesca taunted, pressing the knife in my hands harder into her skin. A cry echoed through my mind as I recalled the day I let Chesca down. The day she died in my arms.

I tried to let go of the knife, not wanting a repeat of that day. I didn't want my friend to die. Not really. Even if she was crazy and had fueled an age-old conflict into a war, she was still my Chesca.

"Please..." I begged, trying to stop the blade from digging deeper into her neck.

"Oh, Danny, don't be such a crybaby," she sang. "Do it, do it again. Kill me again, but this time, do it with your own hands. Take my life once more," she sneered, drawing blood from her own skin. "It'll be easy. Come on, just one little cut and I'll bleed out in front of your eyes again. Don't you want to see it happen once more?" she asked, licking her lips as she played out my worst nightmare. Only, this time it was real.

Tears sprung to my eyes. Was this really happening? Was I going to kill Chesca?

With a loud cackle, the woman in my arms released her grip on my wrist and shoved me away. I staggered backwards, trying to regain my footing, but was quickly knocked off my feet. With the agility you'd expect from a Puma, she jumped on top of me as she pinned me down. Her hand coiled around my neck, her fingers digging hard into my windpipe. Her bright eyes flickering menacingly as she mockingly laughed at my helplessness.

She was too much. I couldn't keep up with her. Her games were too much. One moment, she was replaying my worst nightmares, the next she was threatening to take my life. I was exhausted. I was done playing her games. She had me. She knew she had me. Maybe this time around, it was my turn to die.

More out of defeat then anything else, my fingers unclenched and the blade slipped out of my grip. The dull thumb of the metal hitting the gravel sent all different kind of memories through my mind and I closed my eyes. Chesca died because I made a mistake, it was only fair she was the one who killed me in the end. This was only fitting. Yes, this is how it should end. The fight, my fight, finally over.

A sudden rush of air fills my lungs as Chesca releases me. Coughing and spluttering, I shot up and clutched my neck.

"Oh, silly Danny, did you really think I'd kill you? Where would be the fun in that? No, your story doesn't end here. That's not how this little game works. You're going to live for a long time and I'll make you watch how I die over and over again."

Not more games. No, I couldn't take it anymore. She was torturing me, toying with me like a predator plays with it's prey. She was enjoying this and I was just along for the ride. I couldn't keep up. I pressed my hands against my ears, trying to block out her taunting words, but it was no use. She curled up behind me and with her chin digging into my shoulder, she continues her verbal torture. "How many times do you think I'll come back? Maybe the next time I die, it'll be my last life. Imagine being around for that. Imagine letting me down again, won't that be fun? Answer me, Danny, don't you want to see me die for real?"

"That's enough, demon!"

A loud voice overruled Chesca's evil whispers as her body is yanked away from mine. An immediate relief washed over me. Regan. He was here.

"Are you o-okay?" Another voice replaced Chesca's at my ear and I felt myself relax as warm hands caressed my skin. With a sigh, I fell into JP's arms. They were here. My men were here.

"W-What did she d-do to you?" JP asked, his hands expertly examining the bruises on my neck.

"Nothing worse than my nightmares," I mumbled, finally daring to look up. Chesca was struggling against Regan's grip, but without use. He was far too strong for her.

"Is this how you're going to let it end, Danny? By letting your men rescue you?" she yelled, trying to win my attention back.

"D-Don't let her get to you," JP whispered, helping me get back up.

"All the thing she said..."

"T-They're probably not worse t-than the things you say to y-yourself," he reasoned, pushing my chin up so I was facing him. "This w-war needs to stop. W-We need to s-stop her."

"I don't know how," I admitted, hiding my face against his jacket. His familiar scent of honey flooding my senses as he soothingly rubbed my back.

"She l-loves tormenting you. Y-You need to get o-over your guilt. Yes, s-she died, but she's alive a-again, isn't s-she?"

I swallowed a lump in my throat. "Yes..."

"Everyone m-makes mistakes. F-Forgive yourself so she can n-no longer haunt you. F-Face her."

I pressed myself into JP, seeking out his warmth for comfort. He was right. Chesca was playing with me and she could because of how I felt. If I moved on, if I stopped feeling guilty, she might lose interest.

"I can do this," I muttered, drawing from my lover's strength. I needed to face Chesca and stop running from her. It was time. My guilt about her death almost got me killed today. What if next time, it wasn't my life on the line but one of my lovers? I couldn't let that happen. I needed to face her. I needed to give my mind some sort of peace, even if I didn't deserve it.

"Chesca... I'm sorry for what happened," I said in a shaky voice, every word I drew hurting my bruised windpipe. Served me right. "I didn't mean for you to die, I really didn't. I tried to protect you, tried to shield you and I failed. If you want me to suffer, you got it. I do. Every night. You haunt me and there's nothing you can do, that'll make it worse..."

The girl I once considered family laughed out loud at my words. "You sure, sis? Maybe I should just kill one of your boyfriends right now. Wouldn't that be fun?"

A warm hand found my waist and JP leant into me for support. "W-We won't let that -hhappen."

"Who should I kill first? Your precious boytoy? Or your mate? What will pain you the most, Danielle?"

Hesitantly, my eyes shifted from JP to Regan, the thought of losing one of them clouding my mind.

"Hey, Danny, d-don't go t-there." JP snapped my attention back to him as he placed his hands on my cheek. "You're n-not going to l-lose us."

Chesca gargled loudly. "Is that why you have two boyfriends? So you have a spare lying around for when I kill the next? Silly Danielle, one day you'll run out of men who want you. I promise."

"Shut up, you witch," Regan hissed, tightening his grip on her until she flinched in his arms.

"Ouch, this one is strong. But not strong enough. One little nick could have him bleeding out in your arms, just like I did. Remember, nobody is immortal!" she taunted, her words slashing into me like a whip.

"She's s-still playing g-games, don't listen to h-her," JP warned in my ear, trying to reassure me. I swallowed the lump in my throat and forced myself to face Chesca once more.

"I'm sorry for what happened, but you need to stop chasing us. You're still alive, Chesca. Do something with it instead of wasting it on a chase."

The girl in front of me threw her head back and her deranged laugh filled the empty forest. "As long as I live, I'll come for you, Danny. One day, one day you'll be alone. Unprotected. Scared. And we'll continue our game from today without your nasty men interrupting us. And I will kill you. Or even better, you'll kill me all over again."

With eyes big as saucers, she flashed me and JP a smile. "Goodbye, suckers," she grinned and with the snap of a finger, she vanished in thin air.

"Damn it!" Regan growled in frustration, slamming his fist into a nearby tree. No match for his power, the poor tree crumbled under his assault and crashed on the dry ground. The eerie wind blew through the open spot, playing with the leaves and twigs as it twirled around us.

For a moment, we waited. For the tree to fall, for the wind to blow, and for Chesca who might return. It wouldn't be the first time we fell for that trick.

But nothing. Her menacing aura seemed to have cleared up for real and once again, we were alone.