Page 147 of UNAwere

I close my eyes, breathing deep. And then I smell it.

Damp moss. The woods.

There’s a howl, and it takes me a moment to remember that I have to run. I spin on my heel and take off down the track, woven through the trees from years of use. Dead leaves and sticks prick my feet, but I keep going.

Everything within me wants to Turn. My primal side is roaring, bursting at the seams, but I keep her settled, breathing deep, trying to stay calm.

The trees seem endless as the track weaves through long limbs and thick underbrush. It’s only midday, but the sky is opaque, and it doesn’t offer me much light in the shade of the canopy. I force myself onwards, wincing when I feel a branch slice my ankle.

The sound of a growling breath close by tells me Warner has already found me. I grit my teeth and keep running. My lungs burn, but I don’t think I want to give him the satisfaction of catching me so soon.

Run, his voice grates across my mind. I can’t wait to catch you.

I leap off the track without thinking, jumping over a fallen log and landing in a pile of dead leaves. They’re loud, and I know I’ve made the wrong choice, as I stamp through them, signalling every move to Warner. When I glance over my shoulder, he’s pouncing over the fallen log right behind me, his sandy tail flailing like a banner behind him.

I turn back and suck in a breath, willing the muscles in my legs to charge forward. I can see a gap in the trees, leading to a green pasture. Another grove.

Right where I want you to be.

Igrunt, heart racing. I’m almost about to turn around and fight Warner off when I remember I need to do this. I have no choice. This is for everyone’s sake.

So I allow him to chase me into the grove. The grass is a surprisingly spongy juxtaposition from the woods, and I sink into it, falling.

When I thrust myself onto my haunches, Warner is standing at the edge of the grove, naked. He stalks towards me, top lip curling.

I try not to cry out when he grasps my leg and pulls me along the grass towards him. I try not to kick and scream when he bends his head to my ankle and opens his mouth over the cut there, tasting me.

My heart feels like it’s going to burst from my chest.

A rush of dizziness makes my head spin.

I close my eyes as Warner trails his tongue up my leg.

I want you to think of that memory. Any time you need to. Any time he’s touching you.

Jude’s voice slams into my brain, reminding me of an option I could take. But I can’t. This is too real. Too much.

Warner cages me with his body, his thumb stroking my nipple over the material of the flimsy dress I wear.

‘You look good enough to eat,’ he says, pressing his hard cock between my legs. He grins, his gaze lifting to the other side of the grove. ‘Do you think we should give him a show?’

I hold my breath.

Warner seizes my jaw between his fingers. ‘What? You don’t wanna play?’

I try to turn my face from him, but he only tightens his grip. And then he’s lifting me, forcing me onto all fours and pressing against me from behind. My face slams into the grass suddenly, his fist in my hair.

‘I told you to present yourself to me,’ he says, voice dark. ‘Very easy steps to follow, Sybil.’

I clench my teeth.

He rips my head up by the hair, and my spine arches. I wince, but I don’t make a noise. I don’t want to give him the pleasure.

‘Can’t you see him? Don’t you want him to watch your face while I fuck you?’

My brain scrambles, trying to understand what he’s saying.

I see a figure on the other side of the grove. Their fists are clenched, hanging by their sides, and then I see them. Chains. Jude’s wrists are bound, chained to a tree.