Jethro stayed steadfast, his hand expertly holding the reins so tight the poor beast had no choice but to tread on the spot. His long legs wrapped hard around the animal, sticking glinting silver spurs into its sides. “Wait,” he growled.
The horse huffed, tossing its head, fighting the tight possession of its mouth. It cantered in place, puffing hard through velvet nostrils.
The dogs disobeyed.
Their patience was done and with a loud howl, they took off in a cloud of tan, white, and black.
“Christ’s sake,” Jethro muttered. “Fine.” Digging his heels hard, the horse broke into a gallop, disappearing in a whirl of black through the undergrowth.
Shakes. They attacked me hard and fast the second he’d disappeared.
Hope attacked me second.
Unbelievable hope hijacked my limbs turning me into shivering jelly until I was sure the entire tree vibrated. Did I actually stand a chance at making it to freedom? Could I make it to the boundary and escape their clutches?
I could save all of us—my father, brother, future daughters.
“Life is complicated, Threads. You don’t know the half of it.”My father’s voice popped into my head. Anger filled me. Dreadful, terrible anger toward the man who was supposed to keep me safe. If he knew this would happen, why hadn’t he protected me? I’d always trusted him. Always followed his rule explicitly. To see him as human who made a mistake—manymistakes—hurt.
A lot.
A wave of sickness had me clutching the tree; I swallowed back the misfortune of having vertigo along with the emotional upheaval of what I’d lived through.
The foreignness of dried saliva on my body made my skin crawl. The memory of shattering beneath Jethro’s tongue totally blasphemous.
The sun glinted through the canopy—highlighting trails of where men had licked me.
My stomach threatened to evict the emptiness inside. I was hungry, dehydrated, and cracked out on adrenaline. But beneath it all, my soul ached with growing pains. My claws were forming, my tail twitching with annoyance.
It didn’t escape my knowledge that, as a kitten, I’d stayed on the ground. But now I was in a tree—did that make me a panther? A feline predator that hunted from above, unseen?
I liked that idea.
Forcing myself to concentrate on the trees surrounding me, I strained my ears to hear.
Only insects and birds. No Jethro.
How far was it to the boundary? What direction should I go?
Time seemed to slow, braiding with the fluffy white clouds above as if there were no cares in the world.
It was hypnotic.
The lack of sustenance in my stomach made me tired; I needed a rest.
Just a little one.
The screech of a crow snapped me awake.
Shit!
How could I have faded out like that?
How long had passed? It could’ve been hours or just minutes.
I have no idea.
My heart rabbited, energy heating my limbs.Move. Run again.
