Mated to One, Wanted by Two

CHAPTER 2

As the two men started to approach me, I knew that I had to do something to get away from them. They were bigger than me, but they didn’t know what I was capable of. And I definitely wasn’t one to give up without a fight. My mind raced as I recalled the countless times my mom had taught me how to defend myself, instilling in me a sense of resilience that I now desperately needed.

I grabbed the frypan off the stove and smashed it over the first one’s head. The clang echoed in the kitchen, so the second one charged at me, trying to get his hands around me, but I managed to tuck out of his grasp and back up to the other side of the room.

He charged again, and even though they were werewolf warriors, I knew that I could take them. “You have to do something, now,” my wolf, Eden, said in my head, her voice a comforting presence amidst the chaos. “No s**t,” I replied, adrenaline pulsing through my veins.

Suddenly, I felt her surge forward to give me a hand. As the second man came towards me, I closed the gap between us, channeling the strength from Eden. With a sharp kick to his stomach, I followed up with a punch across his face. As he crouched over, I kneed him in the face and slammed his head through a large glass and wood cabinet that had been a centerpiece in our kitchen.

The first man finally got up again and turned to look at me with a glint of malice in his eyes as he charged at me. I quickly stepped aside, and he collided with the wall behind me. Seizing the moment, I kicked him directly in the spine, causing him to scream and fall to his knees. I followed up with another kick, this time to the back of his head, his skull crashing through the drywall of the kitchen.

As soon as I saw that they were down, I turned to run from the kitchen and out the front door, my heart pounding in my chest. I ran over to my car, desperation fueling my speed. As I grabbed the door handle, I heard someone call my name.

I turned around, and there was a man walking down the road. His face was covered in tattoos, a sight that struck me as both intimidating and intriguing, though his tattoos were mostly concealed beneath his clothing.

“Bryan,” I said, recognition dawning on me.

“We need to talk,” he insisted, urgency in his voice.

“Not now,” I snapped, my focus solely on getting to safety. I got in the car, dropping the sun visor and grabbing my second set of keys. I noticed Bryan trying to catch up to me, but I started the car and peeled out of the driveway, speeding down the road, leaving him standing on the footpath, clearly confused by my sudden departure.

I drove to the hospital, my mind racing with worry as I parked in the carpark out front and dashed into the building. Everyone who worked there knew who I was, and they looked confused by the way I burst through the doors.

“Ivy. Is everything alright?” A nurse asked me.

“Where’s mom?”

“I think she’s up in the surgical ward,” the nurse replied, pointing down the hall.

I started running, my heart pounding as I made my way to the surgical ward, navigating through the familiar corridors until I finally spotted my mother.

“What the hell?” she exclaimed, walking over to me, a mix of surprise and concern on her face.

“They found us. They’re at the house. I only saw two of them, but I don’t know how many more there are,” I said, my breath coming in quick bursts.

“Let’s go.” She said, grabbing my wrist firmly.

We hurried down the back stairs of the hospital, slipping out through a side door.

We left both of our cars in the carpark, deliberately placing them in a way that would suggest we were hiding out in the hospital. But in reality, we dashed down the block to a nearby parking garage.

As soon as we arrived at the garage, we quickly ripped the tarp off of another vehicle that had been parked there for a while. Mom opened the boot with swift determination; we had prepared for this moment. We had made a point to check on the car regularly, at least once a week, to ensure the battery remained charged and ready for action.

Inside the boot, our go-bags were neatly tucked away. Mom wasted no time changing out of her scrubs. Once she was changed, we climbed into the car, and with a swift motion, Mom took the wheel.

It took about half an hour to leave Shreveport behind us and hit the open highway. The landscape began to change, but I was still preoccupied with my thoughts. “Where are we going?” I asked, my curiosity getting the better of me.

“I know a place. Don’t worry about it.”

“I was just talking to Lily on the phone. She’s going to know something is wrong when I don’t come to school tomorrow. And Bryan was headed to the house when I was fleeing,” I explained, the concern for my friends mingling with the adrenaline of our escape.

“I thought you dumped that d**k,” Mom said, her tone sharp as she focused on the road ahead.

“I did. I just didn’t tell you that he hasn’t accepted the breakup with much grace.”

“Don’t worry about them. We’ll be safe where we’re going,” she reassured me.

“Are you going to tell me?”

“Not yet. You’re going to be pissed.”

I looked at her, my mind racing with a multitude of possibilities. But the truth was, I had no idea what to expect.

“Mom. I didn’t think we kept secrets from each other,” I said, a hint of disappointment creeping into my voice.

“Normally, we don’t. But I had to keep this from you. I’m sorry,” she said, her expression showing a mixture of regret and determination.