THE WILD CAT

Chapter 7

Riley’s POV

I stood still, staring at her as she stared back at me.

“What is your name?” Serial asked. I could see amusement on her face, though I didn’t understand what she found funny. She should be in jail—she just killed someone.

“Riley,” I said quietly, not wanting to end up like the dead girl. She smirked a little before speaking again.

“Can you fight, Riley?” Serial asked, making me swallow hard.

I didn’t want to fight anyone, let alone kill someone. I just wanted to get away from her as soon as I could.

“I don’t think she can fight, Serial,” a girl said, walking toward us with two others behind her. All three wore dangerously revealing clothes, but their cold, sharp eyes told me they were not to be messed with.

Serial turned to her. “And what makes you think that, Ava?” she said, using the girl’s name.

Ava, the one who spoke, was slim, muscular, and had red hair. The two with her were both blonde and slender.

“Well, we all saw how she almost passed out when she had a one-on-one with Kaki,” Ava said, making the girl who tried to attack me step forward. If I didn’t see her breathing, I would’ve thought she was a robot with white hair.

These women were all dangerous.

“I don’t want to fight anyone,” I said quietly. Ava smirked and let out a small laugh.

“Look at the best wild cat not wanting to fight,” Ava mocked, and the two girls beside her laughed.

“Best wild cat?” Serial repeated, giving Ava a deadly glare.

“Well, isn’t it obvious? She was picked by the triplets, which means she’s the best,” Ava said.

Serial scoffed. “You all know she was abducted by the triplets, right? For eavesdropping on them when they were out on a mission.”

Mission? She calls that a mission? So now it’s called a mission when you go out killing people?

“What a random street girl!” Ava shouted as the other girls in the room started whispering among themselves. What is all this?

I just want to go home, eat chips, and watch a movie with Susan. Oh, how I miss those days—when I was still with Susan, when my parents were still alive.

“How can a random street girl join the Wild Cats and be the best?” one of the girls beside Ava said.

“This must be a joke,” the other girl muttered.

Serial turned to face them. “Are you saying I’m lying?” she asked coldly, pulling out a blade from the strap on her shorts.

“Hey, calm down, Serial. Lila and Lola were just talking. Besides, it does sound like a joke,” Ava said quickly, stepping in before Serial could reach them. Lila and Lola were already shaking with fear.

“Control your minions, Ava. I wouldn’t hesitate to slit their throats,” Serial said calmly.

What kind of insane women are these? Everyone here seems ready to kill without even thinking twice.

“She’s right,” I said, breaking the silence. Everyone turned to look at me.

“What?” Ava snapped.

“Well, I am just a random street girl who was eavesdropping,” I said. Many of them gasped, except for Serial, who gave me a look that said See? I’m never wrong.

“So what now, Serial?” Ava asked. “This girl shouldn’t be breathing anymore,” she added, and the other girls started cheering and agreeing with her.

My goodness. I never thought I’d be in a room full of dangerous women who actually want me dead.

“Should I do the honors?” the white-haired girl, Kika, asked as she raised her two pixel blades.

“No. No one is doing anything. Not a single hair on her head should be harmed,” Serial said, making me turn to look at her. Could she be my saving grace?

“What does this mean, Serial?” Ava growled.

“Yes, what does this mean, Serial?” the other girls echoed.

“Why shouldn’t she be harmed?”

“What’s so special about her?”

“I want to kill her.”

“She can’t be a Wild Cat!”

Too many voices. Too much noise. It was all so overwhelming and terrifying. I didn’t want to die. Why couldn’t they just let me go?

“Silence, everyone!” Serial shouted, and the room instantly went quiet. She began pacing, her eyes scanning each girl in the room.

“You all really want to know why I said that?” Serial asked. The girls started chanting, “Yes!”

Serial, who was standing far from me, suddenly looked straight at me. I swallowed hard.

Then, without warning, she picked up a blade and threw it at me.

It came flying fast—too fast for me to react.

But just before it could hit my face, someone snatched it out of the air.

“That’s why,” Serial murmured as the girls gasped, fear flashing in their eyes.

“What are you doing?” A voice asked, turning around, confused about why they all suddenly looked so scared—until I saw Lucas standing there, holding the blade.

“Uhm, I…” Serial started, but Lucas didn’t even let her finish. He threw the blade back at her with force. It stabbed into her arm. She hissed softly but didn’t move, even as blood began dripping from her hand.

“Are you okay?” Lucas asked, holding my arms gently. I looked around and saw the other girls staring at me with cold, dead eyes.

I nodded slowly.

“Good,” Lucas said, then turned to Serial.

“Get the girls ready for tonight. There’s a mission,” he told her. She nodded without saying a word.

“Let’s go,” Lucas said to me. We were just about to leave when Theo and Armani suddenly appeared, blocking our path.

“And what about her?” Theo asked coldly.

“What do you mean?” Lucas raised an eyebrow at him.

“You’re treating a random street girl like she’s special—why?” Theo asked Lucas, making him scoff.

“How exactly am I treating her special?” Lucas replied, raising a brow. Theo turned to look at me with cold, deadly eyes.

At this point, I was sure I was only alive because of Lucas.

“I suggested we kill her,” Theo said loudly, “but you wanted her to be spared so she could join the Wild Cats.”

He paused, then added, “Or she’ll be executed.”

“Well, she is a Wild Cat,” Lucas told him calmly.

Theo sneered. “Last time, we didn’t finish the final stage of becoming a Wild Cat. She still has to win a fight to the death.”

People in the room started cheering, excited by the idea.

I swallowed hard. Come on, Lucas… say something. Save me.

“It was interrupted. She was already announced as one,” Lucas said.

“She still has to fight someone to prove she’s worthy,” Theo replied, his eyes locked on mine like he was trying to kill me just by staring.

Lucas scoffed. “Alright then, I’ll fight her,” he said, making me look at him in shock. He gave me a small wink.

“No. I want a clean fight,” Theo said firmly. I couldn’t understand what I had done to make him hate me this much.

Theo looked at Serial and gave her a signal. She nodded in response.

“Kika,” Serial called out, and the white-haired girl stepped forward.

“We’ll continue the match between Kika and Riley,” Serial announced, holding her wounded arm.

Everyone moved to the sides of the room, forming a straight line against the walls. Now, it was just me, Lucas, Theo, and Kika standing in the middle.

“Let’s leave them, brother,” Theo said, pulling Lucas away.

I turned to face Kika. She looked like she was ready to kill.

I guess I have no other choice but to fight.