CHAPTER 5%
Darkness swallowed me whole. My breath came in sharp, jagged gasps as my bare feet pounded against the forest floor. The air was thick with the scent of damp earth and pine, but I barely registered it. My mind screamed one word, over and overX
My vision blurred with exhaustion, my limbs screaming for rest, but I couldn’t stop. Not now. Not ever. I had to put as much distance between myself and that hellhole before they found me. Before he found me. Apha Ivani
The name alone sent a violent shiver down my spine. The man I had once trusted, the mate I had foolishly given my heart to–he had never been mine. I was nothing more than a tool, a plaything, a pawn in his twisted game of vengeance. And now, he wanted to take everything from me. My freedom. My life. My child
I pressed a hand to my stomach, bile rising in my throat. Helena had known. She had taunted me, ready to rip the last piece of my soul away, If Damon hadn’t come-
A sob tore from my lips. Damon. I had left him behind.
The gunshots still echoed in my ears. I squeezed my eyes shut, forcing the image of his dark, determined gaze from my mind. He had made his choice. He had stayed behind so I could escape. I had to honor that.
I had to survive.
A sharp snap of a branch behind me sent my heart hammering against my ribs. I whirled around, my breath hitching. The wind howled through the trees, whispering secrets I couldn’t understand. Every shadow looked like a figure, every rustle of leaves a hunter closing in.
I wasn’t alone.
Terror clamped around my throat. I turned and ran, pushing my body past its limits. The cold gnawed at my skin, my flimsy hospital gown doing little to shield me from the night’s cruel embrace. My vision swam, my legs buckling beneath me, but I forced myself to keep going. One step. Then another. Then-
Pain exploded through my body as my foot caught on a gnarled root. 1 crashed to the ground, the impact jarring my bones. Dirt filled my mouth, the taste of iron sharp on my tongue. I tried to rise, but my limbs refused to cooperate.
No. No, no!
I clawed at the earth, desperation giving me strength, but a heavy boot slammed down onto my back, pinning me in place. A strangled cry escaped my lips as strong fingers tangled in my hair, yanking my head back.
“Thought you could run, little Luna?“%
The voice sentice straight through my veins.
Marcus. Ivan’s enforcer. His right hand. The one who took pleasure in breaking people until they begged for mercy.
I bucked beneath him, but he only pressed harder, a cruel chuckle vibrating through his chest. I was hoping you’d put up a fight” “Let me go,” I gasped, nails digging into the ground.
He ignored me, his grip tightening. “You think Ivan will just let you disappear? You belong to him, Cynthia. There’s nowhere you can go where he won’t find you”
I thrashed, adrenaline surging through my veins, but I was too weak. Too drained.
His lips brushed against my ear. “And now, you’re coming home.
Panic exploded inside me. No. I couldn’t go back. I wouldn’t
A surge of raw, animalistic rage overtook me, and I did the only thing I could. I twisted, baring my teeth, and sank them into his wrisLE Marcus roared in pain, his grip loosening just enough. I ripped free, ignoring the sharp sting in my scalp as strands of hair tore from my head. My body screamed in protest, but I forced myself upright, scrambling away.
Marcus recovered too fast. A fist caught my ribs, sending me flying backward. Agony lanced through me as my back hit a tree, knocking the breath from my lungs.!
I collapsed to my knees, gasping. Marcus stalked toward me, wiping blood from his wrist, his eyes burning with fury. “Bad move, bitch
I braced myself for the worst
Then–a low growl rumbled through the trees?
Marcus stiffened. His head snapped to the side just as a massive, dark figure lunged from the shadows. The beast crashed into him with bone crushing force, sending them both to the ground in a flurry of snails and snapping jaws.
I barely had time to process what was happening before strong hands grabbed me, pulling me to my feet. I flinched, twisting to fight, but the scent that hit me stopped me cold.
Damon |
His face was streaked with dirt and blood, his dark eyes burning with something fierce. “Cynthia, we have to go. Now,”
Tears blurred my vision. “You’re alive.”
“No time,” he snapped, his grip tightening around my wrist, “Movel
My legs were numb, my body screaming in protest, but I let him pull me forward. The sounds of battle raged behind us, but I didn’t dare look back. We tore through the forest, the wind whipping against my row skin.!!
Then, through the darkness, I saw it.
Then, through the darkness. I saw it.
0
A vehicle. Parked at the tree line. A way out!!
Damon shoved me toward it. “Get in!”
I fumbled with the door, barely managing to haul myself inside. Damon slid into the driver’s seat, his hands steady despite the chaos raging behind us. The engine roared to life. Tires spun against the dirt. And then–we were moving.X
Faster Faster Trees blurred past. The night swallowed the road ahead.X
My chest heaved, my hands trembling in my lap. I turned to Damon, words failing me.
He
was alive. He had come for me.
His knuckles were white against the steering wheel, his jaw clenched tight. “We’re not safe yet.”
I swallowed hard. “Where are we going?
He glanced at me, his gaze softening just a fraction. “Somewhere Ivan will never find you”
I pressed a hand to my stomach, my pulse still frantic. I didn’t know what the future held. I didn’t know if we would survive this war. But for the first time in a long time, I had something Ivan could never take away.
Hope.
