The Hybrid’s Second Chance
Chapter 16

Julianna's

POV

We stayed planted in the elevator for a moment. I was taking in all the faces around me, which looked far too happy to be about to 'dispose' of someone. "He knows, Gregory knows." Marvin said in my head.

"Does he mean he knows that Marvin is trying to help us?" Sofia asked.

"I think so. He must know Marvin wouldn't be able to hurt us, so he sent these guys to make sure he did." Marvin grabbed me under the arm again before he spoke.

"I appreciate the Alpha sending all of you, but he entrusted this task to me, and I am more than capable of completing it."

"We know you are Beta, but the Alpha was worried this might be difficult for you given the circumstances at hand. We are simply here to make sure everything goes off smoothly." The two of them stared each other down for a second. I didn't know any of the warriors' names, but they were all very large and looked like they could crush my head with one good squeeze.

"Very well, but I will be the one to carry out the act."

"Of course, Beta. We are merely here for support." Marvin pulled my arm as we walked forward through the crowd of people. I could hear their heavy footsteps behind us as we walked out of the pack house and into the afternoon sun. "Marvin, what are we going to do?" I asked him.

"I'm working on it." He steered me in the direction he originally said, towards where we would train. My heart was racing, and my stomach was one giant knot. There was no way he was going to let these men kill me, but I didn't see how we were both going to get out of this alive. We walked further and further into the woods, the men breathing heavily behind us, like they were excited with anticipation. Sofia was pacing anxiously in my head, which did nothing to calm my nerves. I could feel Marvin was starting to slow down, which meant we were getting close.

"Okay, here's the plan. I'll make it look like I'm about to kill you. But I'll turn and attack the men instead. That'll give you a few minutes to run like your life depends on it, because it does. Shift if you have to, but you run and don't look back. I'll hold them off as long as I can."

"But they'll kill you! Even if they don't, the Alpha will for allowing me to escape."

"I know, but that doesn't matter to me. All that matters is getting you away from here. I'm old, I've lived a good life. Saving you is worth my life."

"Marvin, I can't let you do this...." I was pleading with him now. I couldn't let him give up his life for me. Going against the Alpha's orders meant death.

"You will, and you're going to. Do you hear me? That's an order!" He shouted the last words in my head, and I bowed my head in submission. I couldn't refuse a direct order from the Beta.

"Julianna!" I was surprised to hear my mother's voice in my head now.

"Mom?! Where are you?"

"Just beyond where you can see or smell me. Marvin told me what was going on. I couldn't let you leave without saying goodbye and seeing you one last time."

"I love you mom. I'll see you again one day. I promise."

"No, you won't. If you know what's good for you, you'll stay far away from this pack for the rest of your life. I love you more than life itself." I felt tears in my eyes at her words. How was I never going to see her again? Marvin came to a halt, and I knew our training area was just a few feet ahead.

"Remember to grab that bag I told you about quickly. When you get there, reject Logan as fast as you can and cut your ties with the pack." Marvin said in my mind. He turned me around to face him. The look on his face ripped my heart in two. There was so much pain in his eyes, but I didn't see any fear. Only determination for what he was about to do. "I love you like you're my own." The men were standing a few paces behind him all smiling ear to ear, it made me sick looking at them. I saw Marvin pull out a silver knife from the back of his waistband. I never even realized he had it. He looked down at the knife and then back at me.

"Run," he mouthed. Then he turned around and threw the knife towards the group of men. I saw it hit one of them on the arm and he howled in pain. Marvin had already shifted to his brown wolf, Ray, and went charging after the rest of the men. Something large and tan flew over my head. To my horror, I realized it was my mom in Terri's form. I didn't have time to think about it though. I turned and darted into the woods in the direction of our training area. I skidded to a stop and saw a light brown bag sitting against a tree. I snatched it up and threw it over my head with my other purse strap. I could hear the snarling and thumping coming from the ongoing battle.

"Julianna, reject him!" Sofia screamed at me.

"Oh right." I cleared my throat and said loudly. "I, Julianna Parker of the October Moon Pack, reject you Logan Russell as my mate and Alpha." An intense pain started spreading through my chest, and I fell to my hands and knees gasping for air. The pain was so intense I thought I was going to faint, it was burning me from the inside out. I had to get up, I had to keep running. I pushed myself up onto my knees and gasped out, "I, Julianna Parker of the October Moon Pack, reject and cut all ties with my this pack." I felt the bonds break, felt the release of the binds holding me to my pack and people. My head felt empty as I could no longer mind link anyone.

I pushed myself up to a standing position, staggering slightly because of the pain. 'We have to keep moving,' I told myself. I tried to run the best I could towards the border. Suddenly, I heard footsteps behind me. I turned and saw one of the warriors running at me with the knife in hand. Forgetting the pain, I sprinted further into the woods as fast as my legs would carry me. There was a sharp pain in my lower back, and I fell face down on the ground. I fell around my back and could feel the cold and searing of the silver knife sticking out of my back.

I grabbed the knife with my hand, causing it to burn me, but I pulled hard, and the knife came out. I threw it to the side and turned over onto my back. The warrior had stopped running, looking at me as if he thought I might be dead. The feeling of hot blood was spreading over my back from the wound. It being a silver knife meant I was going to heal very slowly from it, making bleeding out a real possibility. I pushed myself up, as the warrior advanced towards me. From behind him came the snarling of a wolf, and I saw Terri run up behind him and sink her teeth into his arm. He yelled out and started shifting to his own wolf. This gave me the opportunity to keep running.

I ran and ran for what felt like hours, leaving a trail of blood behind me miles long. I no longer heard anyone chasing me, so I stopped and leaned against a tree. I tore off a piece from the bottom of my shirt, before taking my shirt off, folding it to make a pad and pressing it to stop the bleeding. I tied it to me with the piece of shirt I had torn off. Once I was satisfied with the placement, I was off again. The pace was severely slowed, and I was beginning to feel dizzy. Stumbling for another mile or two, I finally collapsed at the base of a large pine tree. I curled up in a tight ball, thinking about my mom and Marvin. My mom had been alive a little while ago, though I didn't know how much time had passed since then. Maybe she and Marvin would be able to get away and escape. I had to keep hope alive that Gregory wouldn't kill them after all their loyal years of service.

"Sofia, are you okay?" I asked her.

"Yes." Her voice faint in my mind. My eyelids were getting heavy, and I was trying my hardest not to pass out in the middle of the woods under a tree. I rolled over on my hands and knees and began to crawl. The direction I was moving was a mystery, but if it was away from Gregory and Logan, I knew it was the right one.