Broken (The Captive #5.5)(47)
Terror slithered down his spine. Jerking his arms from her, he didn't look back as he fled through the woods as fast as he could go. Searching within himself, he followed the irresistible pull of his blood within Genny. He leapt over rocks and downed trees with easy grace before dashing up the embankment that led to the road of the vampire village in one bound. His body thrummed with the urge to kill. He was about to find a release for all of the pent up frustration that had been building within him for weeks, of that much he was certain.
The thought that he would be too late to save Genny drove him forward at a more rapid pace.
***
Genny thrust the chair at Felix, trying to hold him back as she clutched it before her with her one good arm. Her other hand was wrapped around the base of the chair but she could barely feel the wood beneath her fingers and she was certain that one strong swipe from him would be enough to knock her nearly numb hand off of the leg.
A sadistic smile curved Felix's mouth. He approached her at a leisurely pace that frightened her far more than if he had just rushed at her. He was enjoying this little game of cat and mouse, savoring in the fact that he was going to kill her. "Stay back!" she yelled and thrust the chair at him again.
"Or you'll what? Poke me with the chair?" he taunted.
Beneath the fright clamoring through her body and the lasting astonishment over the events of this night, rage began to boil forth. She was tired of being stuck with him, tired of everything that was her life. There was so much that she had been denied and would forever be denied because of this man. The unfairness of it all infuriated her. She'd been dejected these past three weeks but she was far from ready to die.
Screaming with fury, she swung the chair back and slashed it at him with as much force as she could muster. Felix flung up his arm to block the blow. The chair splintered apart, pieces of wood scattered through the air. She was rewarded with the satisfying crack of bone as an astonished look descended over his face. Then, his upper lip curled into a sneer that revealed his fully elongated fangs before he lowered his shoulder and charged at her.
What remained of the chair had been jarred from her bad hand but she'd managed to keep hold of a piece of the back of it with her good hand. Her own fangs extended, a hiss escaped her and she braced her feet apart in preparation of his attack. There was no chance for her to get out of the way as he came at her with the speed and strength of a runaway horse. Lifting what remained of the chair above her head, she smashed it down on his back when his arms wrapped around her waist and he propelled her three feet back into the wall.
Her ribs gave way with a loud crack that wrenched a cry of agony from her. She could feel one of the jagged pieces of her rib bone digging into her flesh. Until she smelled her own blood upon the air, she didn't even realize that it was trickling out of her mouth and down her chin. There wasn't much strength left within her as she lifted what remained of the broken chair in her grasp and swung it at him.
Felix drew back and thrust her hand aside. His hand squeezed around her wrist crushing the fine bones within and forcing her to release her makeshift weapon. A rasping gurgle escaped her lips; she could now taste the blood in her throat as whatever internal damage had been done drove the blood up through her sternum.
Her one good hand clawed at his larger one wrapped around her throat. Her feet kicked in the air as he lifted her and threw her to the side as if she were nothing more than a piece of garbage. Genny winced as her brutalized ribs were jarred from the impact with the ground. She tried to get her hand underneath her but her strength was rapidly draining away and her wounded wrist wouldn't support her. Her arm shook briefly before giving out completely.
Felix bent and grabbed a rail of the broken chair from the ground; he began to hum a little tune as he flipped it casually within his hand and steadily approached her. Renewed strength flowed through her when she realized that this was the end. Rolling over, she fumbled to try and grab another piece of the chair but it was just beyond her grasp.
Frustration filled her; she lurched forward and wrapped her fingers around a piece of wood. She pressed her palm into the floor and forced herself over as Felix loomed above her. Driven by survival instinct alone, she somehow found the strength to sit up. Pain exploded through her body, dizziness swept through her but she swung out and drove the wood into Felix's thigh with enough force that she felt it scrape against the bone. Her jaw clenched, satisfaction filled her as she viciously twisted the wood deeper into his flesh.
He bellowed as he swung back with his hand. Throwing herself to the side, she managed to avoid the blow that would have shattered her jaw. She strained to scramble backwards but her ribs and beaten body protested the movement. Felix's eyes burned like the sun as he lifted his gaze from his leg to focus on her. She'd never seen anyone so incensed in her life; a ferocious snarl escaped him. Even with the piece of wood sticking out of his leg he came at her with far more speed than she had expected.
The wooden front door exploded into the room, the splintering crash reverberated through the hut as Felix lunged at her. Felix's blood red eyes and gleaming canines filled her vision before he was abruptly lifted away from her. She realized she'd been wrong, she'd never seen anyone look as enraged as Atticus did right now. He heaved Felix over his shoulder and across the room with enough force to rock the hut. Atticus took up a defensive position in front of her with his hands fisted, and his lips pulled back to reveal his lethal canines. His eyes blazed the color of glittering rubies as he focused on Felix.