Hey!

I started a new story, Pinky Promise! Check it out! :D

~Lissa

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"Emma, he's down the corridor," Ethen said, gesturing with his arm. Another man came hustling around the corner, his gun aimed. As Ethen protected me with his body, Noah lunged forward, twisting the gun from the guard's hands with a groan. I watched in admiration as Noah smacked the gun into the guard's nose, sending blood flying across his determined face. The guard, wheezing, dropped to the ground, barely conscious. In anger, Noah kicked his leg and spit blood onto the stained floor, twirling the gun in his hands, cockily. Ethen nodded at him, before looking towards me, his emerald eyes swarming with emotions. "Last door on the right - go to him."

"What a-about you two?" I stuttered, breathing heavily.

Ethen pinched his lips together. "My brother's emotions are everywhere, Emma." Noah raised his gun and aimed it towards the corner, prepared for more guards. "The drugs have him a mess - you need to speak with him." I assumed Ethen was feeling Ryker's emotions through their bond; panic overwhelmed me at the worry evident on his face. Understanding, I nodded and grabbed his hand, giving it a small squeeze. His eyebrows knitted together and he looked down at our hands, tilting his head to one side. "You're perfect for my brother."

I raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

"Yes, you are," he answered, pulling away from me. He watched my expression, almost as if he was studying a rare creature. "You're everything he's not." I forced a grin, replaying his words over and over again in my head. "Save him, Emma." I didn't understand what he meant; after all, Ryker was the one who had always been saving me. Refusing to waste any more time, I turned away from him and began running down the corridor, listening to my echoing footsteps. Behind me, I heard the gunfire from Noah and the threats from Ethen. The adrenaline pumping through me was insane; I was almost positive that my heart was going to explode. Last door on the right.

I jerked to a stop, nearly toppling over. I faced the last door on the right, not surprised that it was closed. He was inside - my stomach twisted as nerves overwhelmed me. A sudden crash came from inside the room, startling me. Worried, I hurried into the room with a shout, frantically searching around for Ryker. There, stumbling in the middle of the room, was the person that I had been desperate to see. Ryker was wobbling back and forth on his feet, gripping handfuls of his black hair. My eyes flickered towards the scraped floor where a battered tray was with the food scattered around by his feet.

"Ryker?"

He froze, his shoulders stiffening. Slowly, he faced me, releasing his hair. My jaw-dropped at his appearance; I swear, my heart cracked. Dark circles rested underneath his red-rimmed eyes and his skin was pale, his veins popping out. He appeared skinnier, if that was even possible, since his muscles weren't bulging. The tips of his fingers were purple and blood splattered his shirt, making me question when it happened. His posture no longer showed power and dominance - his shoulders were hunched forward, his spine was popping out through his shirt, and his legs seemed weak beneath him.

I stepped forward. "What did they do to you?"

I took another step closer to him and he leaped backwards, shaking his head. "Stay away from me, Emma."

"I'm here to help you, Ryker," I told him, extending my hand. "Come on, we're finally getting out of here - we can leave." He stared at my hand, almost as if he was disgusted by it. What did they do to him? Why was he acting this way? He grabbed another handful of his hair, his emerald eyes staring through me. He started pulling at his hair, pulling out some dark pieces, and I rushed towards him, panicking. "Ryker! Don't!"

"Stay away!" he roared, releasing a deep growl. Chills shot up my spine and I froze, suddenly fearful. The pieces of hair swayed to the floor and my eyes watered as I watched him struggle with himself. Seeing the expression on my face, he turned away from me with another growl, breathing heavily. I opened my mouth to speak, but I was stopped by him punching the nearest wall with his fist, creating a large hole. In disbelief, I stared as he pulled his hand out of the wall, his whole body trembling. Two of his knuckles were bleeding and it took a few moments for the scraps to heal completely. "You n-need to leave, Emma. Now."

"I'll leave with you," I responded, quietly. "I'm not leaving you here."

"You don't have a choice."

"Ryker," I said, my throat tightening. "You're coming with me." He whirled around, his green eyes wild.

"Go!"

"No, I'm not going anywhere," I responded, stubbornly. His eyes darkened and I fought back the warning voice in my head. "Why don't you want to leave? This place is torture - I mean, look at you. You look like death, Ryker! They've been hurting you." My voice cracked and for a moment, I could've sworn his expression softened. Though, it was quickly replaced with his terrifying scowl, one that caused my blood to curl inside of me. "Please, lets get out of here - your brothers are waiting for you! Everyone is escaping! What's keeping you here?"

"I belong here," he answered, quietly. "Just leave me."

"No, you don't," I argued, frustrated. "You belong with me, somewhere." I moved closer to him and he took a step backwards, his jaw clenching. "No one deserves to be here and - "

"I do!" he shouted, waving his arms. "I deserve all of this - I deserve the tests, I deserve the starvation, I deserve all of this torture!" He kicked the metal desk near the broken bed, sending it ramming into the wall. He scratched the back of his head, before a quiet weep escaped his lips, surprising me. "I'm a f*cking monster. I'm the worst kind of monster, Emma. I'm a living, walking Grim Reaper - I've killed so many people. Those who have wronged me, those that I once considered my friends. . . my father." His emerald eyes shifted my direction, seeming darker than before. "I killed my own blood, Emma. I slaughtered him! But, you want to know the worst part? I don't regret it; I don't regret half the things I do!"

"But, you - you make me want to regret them," he said, his bottom lip quivering. "You make me feel guilty and like a terrible person because I'm not good." A tear slipped from my eye as I listened to his confession. He tossed his hands into the air, exasperated. "And, I tried to be good for you; I fought against all my u-urges and it still doesn't seem like enough. I have this gnawing, growing hunger inside of me - t-this urge to spill blood because it's who I am, Emma. It's who I am and I can't change that." His eyes started watering as he pinched his lips together, shaking his head. "I can't be who you want me to be and it kills me."

"Ryker. . ."

Tears were streaming down my cheeks and I sniffled, seeing the hurt on his face. He shrugged his shoulders, carelessly. "I've tried so hard - I claimed you because I didn't want to lose the little hope that I had felt in a long time. I didn't want to lose you, my only chance to actually be happy." A tear slipped from his eye and he cleared his throat, wiping it away. "But, I know how my story ends, Cherry. And, I don't get a happy ending - it doesn't end with you o-or my brothers. . . my ending is here."

"Please, Ryker," I pleaded, desperately. "I like you the way you are! I don't need you to change! You're - "

"That's not true," he interrupted, bluntly. "You judge me for my mistakes, my murders." He pointed a finger at me, accusingly. "I'm not innocent - why can't you accept that?" His voice quieted near the end as he looked away, silently.

"I've accepted you for who you are," I told him, taking a step towards him. "Ryker, if I didn't feel something for you, I wouldn't still be with you. I wouldn't be here begging for you to come with me. If I really thought you were a monster, I would leave you here."

"But, I am a monster!" he bellowed, before grabbing the metal chair at the desk. I leaped a step backwards when he lifted the chair with one hand, easily. My eyes widened in shock when he threw the chair at the wall, two of the legs snapping off. The metal clashed against the floor and he whipped around, facing me. This time, his eyes were burning a murderous red, causing goose bumps to rise on the back of my neck. "Look at me, Emma! My eyes are red - a bloody, monstrous red!"

"They weren't always that color," I responded, holding back a sob. "You saved Nora - you did something good. You've made sacrifices and I see your efforts, Ryker." Shakily, he watched as I moved towards him again, careful. "You're capable of good - I mean, I'm your good influence and you're my bad. We need each other, so I'm n-not going to leave you here." His hands curled into fists when I took another step towards him. "We're a team, okay? We're mates, remember? So, if you stay here and die, it'll hurt me too. Do you really want me to feel that pain?"

Hesitantly, he shook his head, but didn't respond.

"Since the day we met, you've been focused on protecting me," I told him, wiping away a tear. "I need you Ryker - I don't want to lose you." I extended my hand, gesturing for him to take it. When he only stared at it in curiosity, I began to hear my heart breaking inside my chest. "Please, don't leave me."

"I can't change."

"I'm not asking you to."

His red eyes lingered on me for a long moment, before he dragged himself over to the broken bed. I watched as he flopped down and placed his elbows on his knees, digging his fingers into his scalp, debating. I didn't know whether or not to approach him; what if he accidentally hurt me? I gulped loudly and slowly, made my way towards him. "I murdered my father, Emma. Who spills their own blood, huh? But, I-I had a reason, believe me. He was a terrible person and he didn't deserve to live because. . ."

I licked my lips. "What did he do?"

"He was cruel," he responded, quietly. "God, I hated him so much. I was tired of him hurting her - hurting my mother. I was sick of just sitting there a-and watching it happen." Cautiously, I took a seat next to him on the bed, keeping my distance. "When the witch cursed me, it was one of the best days of my life. I was stronger, faster, powerful. Now, I was able to defend her, to stand up to the man that I secretly feared." He froze when the bed squeaked from me positioning myself in a more comforting position. "And, when I saw him s-striking her, I lost it. It was kind of like the moment when Caine lost it and killed the witch's son."

"So, you killed him to protect your mother," I whispered, nodding. "You were being a good son, Ryker."

"That was the moment that changed me," he said, glancing at me. "After I killed my father, I craved that powerful feeling again. I craved to feel the blood on my hands again." He took a deep breath, flashing back to the time. "I slaughtered my village; I killed innocent people, Emma." His red eyes watched my expression as he braced himself for the worst reaction. "How can you accept that? Why doesn't it bother you that I've killed innocents?"

"Honestly, I don't know," I mumbled, carefully. "For a while, I blamed it on the mate-pull, but that's no excuse - I just see beyond your cruelty, I guess." Silence stretched between us and I pinched my lips together, debating what to say next. "I see a part of you that no one else sees because I have faith in you, Ryker. I know that you're hurt and you're broken inside, but it isn't your fault. Your past changed you, made you this way, and only you can fix that. You choose your path, you choose who you want to be, not anyone else."

"You don't understand."

"I do," I told him, shaking my head. "My parents died and every day, I blame myself for their deaths. Do you know why? Because, if I-I hadn't been at that police station for underage drinking, they wouldn't have came to get me. They would've never been in that car that night - they would still be here if hadn't been so stupid." I sniffled and looked towards the ceiling, blinking back the tears. "But, instead of letting their deaths destroy me, I told myself that I was going to be a better person. I chose who I want to be and so can you."

"It's hard."

"Yeah, it is," I agreed, before placing my hand on his shoulder. Sparks shot throughout my body and I gulped loudly, feeling him shift, uneasily. "But, I'm here to help you - please, come with me. Don't stay here." I held my breath as he turned his head, looking at me through his thick lashes. I watched in relief when his fiery, red eyes slowly faded and returned to his beautiful, emerald eyes that I had always been thankful for. He looked towards my hand on his shoulder and shakily, grabbed it. I braced myself for him shoving me away, but instead, he gripped my hand and gave it a small squeeze. I forced a grin and leaped to my feet, keeping my hand locked with his. "Come on, Ethen is down the hallway."

Doubtful, he rose to his feet and allowed me to pull him out of the room. I glanced around frantically, spotting Ethen and Noah still at the end of the corridor, fighting off guards. With another squeeze of my hand, Ryker started running down the hallway with me, still weak. I wondered what they had done to him, like how many tests they performed on him? Were the drugs what made him break down? A bullet zoomed through the air, striking the last guard turning around the corner. Noah exhaled loudly in relief and tossed the gun to the floor. "Out of bullets."

Seeing us, Ethen grinned. "You got him." I nodded, noticing the surprise on his face. Did he doubt me? Ethen looked towards his brother and took a step forward, cautiously. I released Ryker's hand and moved towards Noah who was wiping blood from his eyes. Ethen whispered something to his brother, before wrapping his arms around him. A warm feeling overwhelmed me as Ethen patted Ryker's back, thankful. I wasn't surprised when Ryker didn't hug him back; it was a slow process. When Ethen pulled away, he turned towards me. "Now, about your brother. . ."

Ryker looked towards me. "Your brother?"

"He's here," I informed him, hastily. "I have to find him."

"We need to find everyone," Noah blurted, moving forward. "Like my sister."

"I think we should all focus on escaping the building," Ethen said, glancing around in caution. "And, we could meet up with everyone outside."

"But, what if - "

"We don't have enough time to search the entire building for your brother," Ethen interrupted me, determination on his face. "I imagine more guards have been dispatched here - they should be arriving any minute. We need to leave now; this is our chance." While he had a point, I wasn't happy with the plan. What if my brother didn't escape? What if he was already captured? What if he didn't bump into us outside? Ryker grabbed my hand, his fingers trembling. The sparks calmed me a little bit, but the nerves were still eating me away. "Come on, lets get moving."

We sprinted through the corridors, stumbled down flights of stairs, and burst through heavy doors. Ethen was taking the lead, followed by a brave Noah, then Ryker and me. I kept my hand locked with his, afraid that if I released him for even a second, he was gone. During our search for an escape, we bumped into more guards, all who were demolished by Ethen. I was hoping that we could've bumped into Amanda - she was the one person that I honestly wanted dead. The gunfire was causing my ears to ring, giving me a small headache. And, the shouts of pain were disturbing, so I tried blocking them out.

We whirled around another corner and I was surprised when we found ourselves facing a familiar face. There, lingering in the hallway with blood coating his body, was Tyler. He released a snarl and dropped the detached arm in his hands, hearing our footsteps. He wiped at his mouth, smearing the blood on his face, and looked our direction. A dark chuckle escaped his lips and he kicked the motionless body at his feet. "Ah, look who it is - guess you four aren't dead." His blue eyes flickered towards me and he smirked. "Hey, Babydoll."

Ryker snarled and I gripped his hand, harder.

"What the f*ck?!" Noah shouted, marching towards him. "Is this all your plan? You stupid, son of a -"

Tyler growled at him. "Don't test me." Noah stopped a few feet away from him, his hands clenched into fists. Then, Tyler looked towards Ethen and Ryker, nonchalantly. "No one else had a better plan, so I stepped forward with mine - I'm saving our a*sses! You should be thanking me!"

"There are so many holes in your plan," Ethen countered, shaking his head. "Your plan wasn't very thought through."

"I'm aware," Tyler responded, before glancing down at his bloody shirt. He grabbed the fabric with two fingers and scrunched his nose up in disgust. "Does blood stain?" Noah swore under his breath and tossed his hands into the air, marching back towards me. Tyler took a deep breath and slowly, approached us. "But, I know the way out of here - I helped my brother out. I could very well help you, before more guards arrive."

"Why didn't you leave with him?" I blurted, curiously.

"I have my reasons."

"So, are you going to help us out of here?" Noah asked, harshly. "Or, you just going to stand there like a p*ssy?"

"He wants something," I spoke, quietly.

Tyler clapped his hands together. "Ah, you're smarter than you look, Babydoll." Ethen glanced towards his brother, mischief in his eyes. "All I want is a favor - when I need something in the future, I expect one of the Volkov brothers to help me with it."

"No," Ryker growled, ignoring his brother's look. "We can find our way out without you."

"Deal," Ethen said, confidently. Ryker shouted at him in rage and I held him back, gulping loudly. Ethen narrowed his emerald eyes at Tyler, his shoulders squared. "If you get us out of here, I'll owe you a favor, whatever you want." Suspicion and fear crawled underneath my skin; the idea of Ethen owing someone as evil as Tyler wasn't very comforting. Tyler's smirk stretched and his blue eyes looked towards me, happily. I moved closer to Ryker who was crushing my hand with his, probably cracking my bones.

Tyler nodded. "Follow me."

Here we go.