I Am No Prey

10-Not In Denial

I clumsily wrapped my arms around his throat. It was a sloppy attempt and something I only saw before in movies which I never attempted myself, but I had the element of surprise. He shouted in surprise and gripped my arms, trying to pry my arms off. I grabbed on tighter until I was choking him.

But at the same time, a few questions were bothering me. Was blocking his windpipe going to knock him unconscious, or was it going to kill him? Should I press harder, or was I already squeezing too hard? I didn't want to kill him. I was too worried and trying not to fall off that, I didn't notice when someone came and ripped me off him.

"What the hell are you doing?"

I turned around and found Everard glaring at me, his hand fisted in the back of my shirt. I met his blue-green gaze and glared right back.

"I will not be a lab rat!" I seethed.

His expression changed from one of anger to confusion. "Is that what you thought?"

I heard a chuckle and a cough and turned to find the person I was choking earlier rubbing his neck.

"I'll knock next time."

His yellow-green wings and black hair seemed familiar. I wondered where I saw him before. When he met my gaze and smirked, I remembered that he was one of the soldiers present when I first met the Commander. I directed my glower at him too, my anger a live thing pulsing under my veins that I wouldn't be surprised if the fire decided to show now, bursting from my skin like a living thing.

"The idea of me as an experiment strikes you as funny?"

"Turning you into an experiment would be a waste," he answered.

Did he dare? The shadows in the room started to pulse and writhe. Everard noticed and told me to calm down.

At my heightened anger, his smirk faded. "I didn't mean a waste in that sense," he sputtered, "I meant that it would be a waste of other things. Seeing as you seem very capable of other things."

His answer seemed genuine, but I still smiled when one of the shadows wrapped around his ankle. He visibly paled before they disappeared once again. Ignoring my grin of amusement, he moved to the cart and pulled the cloth away. Instead of finding syringes and needles as I expected, there was coffee with a few dishes filled with food. I wouldn't let them know that I was extremely grateful, even if that took away my excuse for looking around under the pretense of looking for food. My stomach growled, and I refrained from glaring down.

I glared at the newcomer. "What's to prevent him from telling the Commander about me?"

He pouted and placed a hand on his heart as if my words wounded him. I ignored him and looked at Everard expectantly.

"I trust him," he answered. "Unlike everyone else, he doesn't look for ways to replace me."

I wasn't convinced, but I kept my mouth shut.

"Go to the room three doors left of here when you get done," Everard said before leaving.

"What for?"

He just grinned in response. A beat later, and the other one followed.

I all but wolfed the food down and drowned the taste with the coffee. It tasted better than my home-brewed coffee. When I had finished eating the food, I followed Everard's instructions and went to the room. It was a mini gym, and I groaned. If he was trying to turn me into a soldier, then the process was going to take a long time. I would do everything possible to make it take even longer.

I squinted at Everard leaning against the wall. I was still sore from the morning run – which I hoped he never made me do again – and just looking at the weights and mats made my body scream in agony.