I was a single breath away from the road, from safety.
I screamed when a hand reached out from nowhere and abruptly grabbed my arm. I almost tripped and I stumbled in mid-air before powerful arms encircled my waist and pulled me roughly to the ground. I struggled like a wild beast, kicking and clawing while I heard cars passing only a few metres away.
"No, let me go!" I screamed, coming face to face with Cillian. "I want to go home!"
He pinned my arms to the ground and straddled my waist. His ash-blonde hair fell across his brow, tousled in a way that looked unintentional yet somehow perfect. His eyes met mine. They werecaramelat firstglance, warmand familiar until thegreensurfaced.
He watched me with a stillness that made my breath catch, but he showed no other signs of exertion.
Exhausted, panting, and fully aware of the sensation of his body on top of mine, I finally relented. Cillian relaxed his grip only slightly. His face softened as he looked at me, his lips turning up in the faintest, pleasant smile.
"You're human. You'll never be quick enough to escape us. How many times do we need to remind you thatyou belong to theElysiumOrderr now.”
First the Gate Orderr, now the Elysium Orderr, what even is this?
“I don’t belong to anyone,” I choked out, my voice shaking.
FOUR
SCARS
Trapped beneath Cillian and the cool forest floor, I panted for air. Panic fluttered in my chest, not just from the physical restraint but from the realisation of my dire situation.
What choice did I have here? I was no match for three men, especially after what I'd witnessed. Was I going to die, or worse, become a sexual plaything for them? I was far from ready to accept those options as my only two choices. Despite the fear, a defiant part of me whispered,There's always a way out.I was only nineteen, but I wasn't naive. I'd figure out an escape.
I just had to bide my time, play the part they expected of a scared girl, and wait it out. Let the brothers think I was weak and compliant. They were sure to drop their guard at some point, and when they did, I would be ready to run.
Cillian's voice, unexpectedly gentle, cut through the tension.
"Are you going to get up, or will we spend the day gazing into each other's eyes?"
His words threw me a little.Ihadn’teven realised I was staring. His eyes werehauntingand unlike
anything I’d ever seen. That rich caramel was still there, but the green speckles didn't look like moss anymore, they glimmered like shards of glass.
In another circumstance, one where he wasn't keeping me a prisoner, I could have liked those eyes very much.
The forest's damp earth pressed cold against my back, grounding me to the moment. Sounds of the wilderness, the distant rustling of leaves, filled the eerie silence between us.
Drawing a deep breath, I prepared myself for what was to come, the forest around us watching as a silent witness to my resolve. The scent of pine and earth mingled in the air, a constant reminder of the wild, untamed world just beyond the boundaries of our encounter—a world I was determined to reach again. I couldn’t let myself crumble, not now.
"Perhaps you should get off me, and we can look at something else," I said.
Was that amusement that flickered in his eyes at my comment? The thought unsettled me further. Maybe getting him to drop his guard would be easier than I had thought.
He rose and easily pulled me to my feet, his eyes appraising me with frank interest. I felt the strength of his grip, his skin rough against mine. He smiled as if reading my thoughts. Despite myself, a blush coloured my face. Dammit. That really wasn't the look I was going for, I inwardly cringed.
"I can walk on my own," I snapped, embarrassed that I'd acted like a besotted schoolgirl.
I willed myself to make my thoughts neutral and focus on what might happen to me now, alone and surrounded by strangers who were clearly not ordinary men.
Cillian ignored me. Keeping his grip on my arm, he guided me back the way I came. I thought about breaking free and makinga run for it, but the slight tightening of his grip persuaded me otherwise. His guard was still up, and trying to escape right now wouldn't do me any favours
I glanced back longingly, catching one last glimpse of the retreating road before the foliage swallowed my view of freedom. Cillian's relentless pace through the forest caused me to stumble, and the pressure of his fingers on my arm became painful.
"You're hurting me," I said, trying to pry his fingers from my flesh.
Cillian’s amused glance told me he didn’t care.
