Page 45
His shadow stretches across the floor, long and dark, creeping toward the armchair where I’m hiding. I hold my breath, clenching my fists, every muscle taut with terror as his footsteps slow. He’s right there, barely inches away, and I can hear his heavy breathing.
He pauses, and I brace myself, heart pounding so hard I’m sure he’ll hear it. Desperate, I search for anything I can use to defend myself. My claws have barely grown back, weakened by the wolfsbane still lingering in my system, but if it comes to it, I’ll fight with everything I have.
They move through the room. I can’t stay here; they’ll spot me, so keeping low, I move through the room using the furniture and pallets to hide behind as I try to find a door or something.
Just as I duck behind some old crates, I hear Rhett’s voice ringing through the basement. “She’s close! Don’t let her escape!”
His statement sends a jolt of terror through me. I press my back against the rough wood, splinters digging into my skin through my thin shirt. The musty scent of decay fills my nostrils as I struggle to control my ragged breathing.
Footsteps echo off the concrete floor, growing closer. My heart hammers a thunderous roar in my ears.
“Come out, come out, wherever you are,” Bianca’s singsong voice drifts through the air.. “You’re only making this harder on yourself.”
The sound of boxes being overturned makes me flinch. They’re getting nearer with each passing second.
“Check the exits! She has to be around here somewhere!” Bianca shouts, her tone sharp and commanding. The urgency in her voice sends a fresh wave of panic through me.
Sweat trickles down my spine as I force myself to open my eyes, scanning the dimly lit basement. My gaze darts from corner to corner, desperate for a way out of this place.
A flicker of movement catches my eye – a torn piece of paper fluttering in a faint breeze. My heart leaps. Where there’s air, there’s a way out.
“I swear, when I get my hands on her…” Rhett’s threat trails off, punctuated by the crash of something heavy hitting the floor, the sound reverberating through the room like a warning.
I flinch but keep my focus on the small scrap of paper fluttering near the floor, marking the direction of a faint breeze. Slowly, carefully, I edge toward it, every muscle taut with tension, every breath measured. I need to stay calm, to stay silent.
As I near the source of the breeze, I spot it—a small, grimy window set high in the wall. It’s barely big enough for a person, but right now, it’s my only shot at freedom. My pulse quickens as I stare up at that tiny window, hope surging with the realization. I might just get out of here.
I clench my fists, nails digging into my palms as I inch closer. Gripping the edge of the windowsill, I haul myself up and peer out. The faint, salty scent of the ocean hits me, and beyond the grime-streaked glass, I catch sight of hulking shadows—ships, masts swaying gently in the harbor lights. I’m at the docks. I must be in one of the warehouses.
Dropping back down, I reach for the nearest crate, dragging it beneath the window. The rough scraping sound seems deafening in the tense silence, and I freeze as I listen for any reaction.
“Did you hear that?” Rhett’s voice booms, dangerously close.
I scramble onto the crate, fingers scrabbling at the rusted window latch. It’s stuck, refusing to budge, the metal crusted over with age and neglect.
Come on, come on, I plead internally, panic rising like a tidal wave in my throat.
“She’s over here!” Bianca’s triumphant shout pierces the silence, and dread washes over me.
With a final wrench, the latch gives way, screeching as it grudgingly opens. I push the window outward, cool night air rushing in to caress my face, carrying with it the scent of salt and freedom. I grip the window frame and haul myself up, one leg out, body twisting as I try to wriggle through.
“Oh no, you don’t!” Rhett snarls.
A vice-like grip clamps down around my ankle, yanking me back so hard I nearly slip from the frame. His hands are like iron, digging into my skin, dragging me away from the brink of escape. Desperation claws at me, and I thrash, kicking out blindly with my free leg.
“Let go of me!” I scream, my voice ragged with fear and fury.
My foot connects with something solid—his chest or his jaw, I don’t know—and Rhett grunts in pain, his grip loosening but not letting go. Then I feel another set of nails rake against my skin, sharp and vicious, digging into my ankle. Bianca. She claws at me with frantic, wild movements, her nails tearing into flesh, a sharp, searing pain that makes me gasp. With a brutal tug, they pull me back through the window.
I scream, the sound raw and desperate, filling the warehouse with a piercing wail of terror. I don’t know if anyone can hear me, but it’s all I have left as they wrestle me to the ground. I hit the floor hard, the impact jarring my bones, and for a split second, stars dance before my eyes. Rhett looms over me, his face twisted with rage, eyes wild as he reaches for me.
“No!” I lash out, kicking and clawing, every movement fueled by desperation. My foot slams into his knee, and he stumbles back for a moment, but he’s back on me in an instant, his hand wrapping around my throat, pinning me down. His other hand grabs my hair, yanking my head back so sharply pain shoots through my scalp.
“Big mistake,” he snarls. Then, before I can react, his mouth is on my neck, teeth sinking deep into my flesh, tearing through skin and muscle. The pain is blinding, sharp and searing, like fire spreading from his bite. I feel it immediately—the invasive snap of a bond, brutal and violating, forcing its way into my mind, searing through my soul.
I scream, the sound mingling with his roar as the bond snaps into place, a vicious, possessive force that binds me to him against my will. I thrash, my hands flailing, claws raking across his face, catching flesh. Rhett jerks back, his teeth ripping out of my neck, leaving a trail of blood and searing agony that threatens to consume me but I fight against the blackness coming for me knowing if I pass out I will be done for.
He staggers, one hand flying to his face, where blood streams down from a deep gouge. His eyes flash with rage as he stumbles back, cursing, his face twisted in pain. Bianca’s scream pierces the air, high-pitched and panicked as she sees the damage I’ve done, the mess of blood running down Rhett’s cheek, his eye swollen and bleeding.
