CH. 1: Who attacks someone while they sleep?

"Thump." A loud crash sounds off from somewhere close. Someone, no, two someone’s arguing.

I'm awake but still, keeping my breathing even. Looking over at Freya, my best friend and a big fluffy mutt, to see her teeth silently bared and her eyes hyper focused on the door. Well, what you would call a door on a makeshift shed that I built out of found things like cardboard boxes, left over pieces of wood, broken furniture small enough I could cart back here.

"Shut up. She might wake up." One of them demanded in a harsh whisper. "They said she was a fighter. I can’t believe someone named Emmersyn can do anything but read us to death."

"Her trash pit of a house is fucking tiny. There is no way she could take one of us on." The other mocked.

Rage rising I wanted to jump out and kick their asses for being so judgmental on my home and my size but I knew better. If there was two there was probably more. Freya's leg was still healing from a stab wound from a few days ago at the underground market. Stupid petty gremlins. I hoped they knew to hide because after dealing with these two rent-a-thugs I was heading their way. Nobody hurts my baby.

Shadows fell on the house painting the outline of the two not so stealthy asshats. They were the size of giants compared to my little house but that wasn't going to help them. The bigger they are the harder they would fall and the harder they would cry after I was done with them.

The air shifted almost blocked as Freya stood up planting her front paws in front of me letting off a warning growl. The shadow’s jumped back in shock.

"What the fu.."

"They didn't say she was a shifter. I didn't sign up for that."

"She is human. I can feel the heat coming off two beings, but one has the heat signature of a..."

Freya growled again louder sending out a warning to any of the other of our homeless friends to either stay put or get the hell out from under our bridge. Shit was about to hit the fan. Knowing it was too late to pretend this wasn't happening I quickly grabbed my belt with my fighting goodies and crouched beside my protector.

'Easy lady. You are still injured.' I kept my breathing even. It helped keep me from freaking the hell out. I didn't owe anyone anything.

"We know you are in there." The stupider one shouted. "Get your pixie sized ass out here, Emmersyn."

"No one here by that name." I shouted pulling my bigger blade from my belt. "Try out by Windmill Bridge. That's where most of the ones dealing in trouble live."

They laughed. "Nice try. We know it’s you. Now come out before we come in."

Yea right like they would fit in here. We barely do. I looked at Freya worrying about how he would fair in all this.

'Give in?' I asked Freya through our bond. She snarled. 'Fight it is. Don't take any extra chances. Just fast and tight, got it?' She stood and stretched.

I shoved the door open letting my big, scary protector go first with me right after. There was just enough light to make out two large men with arms and legs the size of small tree trunks. They were smirking like the cat that caught the bird. Too cocky.

"What a good girl." The stupider of the two laughed. "Now tell your doggy to get lost and come with us."

"Yea..." I laughed dropping my blade into sight. "I don't think so. I was taught not to go anywhere with strangers especially big ass loser strangers."

They growled and stepped closer. Big mistake. Freya lunged latching onto the leg of the one in front of her. While the second started shouting about getting that damn dog off his brother I ran at the other full force leaping onto his back stabbing my blade into his spine severing it. I tucked and rolled as he fell.

I looked up in time to see Freya flying through the air before crashing into our house. I didn’t even hear the last one standing make it close enough to pick me up by throat.

"You killed my brother, you bitch." His spittle landed on my face distracting me from my loss of air.

"Sorry not sorry." I gasped.

"I should kill you. You aren't worth the shit on my shoe." His fist tightened. Black dots swam into my sight.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." A voice spoke behind me. Thrashing my head side to side to see who it was only made the spots worse. "Relax, Emmersyn, no one else will hurt you again."

His voice poured over my soul like an ointment to a hug from a loved one, healing & rejuvenating. This was something I had never felt before but now I never wanted it to stop. Focusing on it and his voice telling the big ugly troll to leave with his dead brother before he made them a matching set made my muscles relax.

"She comes with me. I have an order from my leader." The guy growled. "And she will pay for killing my brother. Maybe a round or two with me in my room will take some of my pain away."

I gagged doing my best to fight off vomiting rolled to my side. "I wouldn't touch you even if you were the last male on this planet."

Hearing a stomp I did my best to twist around and get ready for an attack that never came. Sitting up slowly a severed head sat in front of my feet with a huge body laying sprawled out behind it. I never even heard a fight or anything.

"I tend not to do anything extra when I know my prey is too be killed." The voice spoke again from beside me. “Now onto the real reason I am here.”