CHAPTER1
Mercy
I waited patiently,pretending to be asleep in the guest room, though I was pretty sure I wouldn’t be able to sleep if I tried, given my anxious state.
One by one, the wolves left the premises, but Randy remained, sulking, pacing outside beneath my window.
Waiting for me to attempt to escape.
The guy might be an asshole, but at least he was smart, I’d give him that.
A part of me thought he’d never actually leave, and I’d have to formulate a new plan.And then I heard it.
Thehowlechoed in the distance outside the window, causing my skin to crawl and my gut to twist.
Somewhere inside me, I knew.This was it, this was the moment, my moment.I pushed myself up on the bed as the sounds of wolves echoed in the distance, answering the first howl, and I heard movement down the hall, likely Sarah waking up.
I wanted to check on her, my captor.My heart twinged with concern, knowing somewhere deep down that the cry I heard outside was one forhelp.
What sort of fucked up person did something like that?
Though I couldn’t entirelyhatethe girl; after all, she wasn’t that much older than me, and even though I didn’t know everything, what I did know of her...she seemed like a good person.
Good people don’t keep lost souls hostage in their cabins.
Good people don’t want your fucking soul for their own gain.
“Come on, Mercy.”I tried to convince myself to move and focus on the one thing I needed to do.
Escape and find Endor and Valory.
Find my body, and...
I’d just have to figure the rest out later.
I carefully crept down the hall, toward the bathroom.The window was small and I knew it’d be a tight fit, but I knew I’d make it.
Something deep in my bones told me this wasn’t my first rodeo, even if I couldn’t remember how I knew, or why I knew this.
Guess I’m just going to have to trust my instincts.
I stood on the back of the toilet, carefully propping the window open.Howls sounded outside among growls and what sounded like fireworks.
Or gunshots.
When I was on the ground, I had all of three seconds to get my bearings, because a large wolf came barreling at me, knocking me to the ground.
I don’t know how to explain it, except that Ishouldhave been scared, I should have been frozen with fear at the sight of its gigantic maw, its glowing eyes.
I should have been shitting myself right about then, but instead, I was furious.
I kicked out, throwing a punch to the wolf’s jaw, causing it to whimper only slightly.
It was enough of a momentary distraction that I could scramble to my feet, grab my satchel, and run.
Run, run, run!
The wolf growled as it picked up its pace, chasing me through the dark field toward the woods.
