Refusing to show an ounce of fear, I glowered at the man. “Yes, finally,” I returned. “Now we can end this once and for all. I kill you, or you kill me. I’m so tired of seeing your face.”
He chuckled. “God, I like you. Have I told you that already? You’ve got more balls than any of my fellow soldiers.”
“You’re not soldiers. You’re all cowards, going after shifters for no reason.”
He moved fast, grabbing me by the neck before I could block him. Of course, I knew I was no match for him, but I still had to put up a badass front. I struggled until I was in the position to jam my heel into his foot. He grunted, and his hold on me loosened. I shoved him, and his arms flailed before toppling down the stairs. Unfortunately, he’d grabbed a handful of my shirt and carried me with him.
At the bottom of the steps, in pain and winded, I tried crawling away from the man. But he snagged my foot and pulled me closer. With my back to his chest, he wrapped an arm around my neck and squeezed. The more I struggled, the tighter he held on.
Burning pain pierced my right side. Something warm bloomed in the area. Alarmed, I realized I’d been stabbed. I immediately stopped moving, hoping that would lessen the blood loss.
“That’s right, little half-breed, stay still.”
He rolled me off him and shuffled to his knees. The hunter loomed over me, smirking. I hated that his face might be the last thing I saw before my death. “You’ve surprised me, Sydney Elliot. For a half-breed, you turned out to be my hardest target yet.” He trailed a finger over my cheek. “You’re impressive, and although I have to kill you, I sincerely mean that.”