CHAPTER TWO

JESSICA’S POV

I burst through those massive double doors and the night air hit me like ice water thrown in my face.

Lungs seized for a second, then I sucked in air and ran hard with out thinking. Just legs moving, heart slamming, everything screaming run run run.

Running barefoot on gravel was as worse than running on broken glass. Each stride drives pebbles sharper into soles.

The blood was fast--warm and sticky between the toes and the ground went greasy. I bit down my pain which went up my legs like the fire trails.

No stopping. Stopping means they will get a hold of me. It meant Thorne would attains his desires. That ritual, that bed, that nightmare will all come to reality.

Chaos exploded behind me. And chairs scraping, and people screaming with shock, my father talking like always; The voice of a razor: “Jessica! Run back here, you ungrateful little whore--"

Thorne bellowed so loudly that he could not be heard. He was still hoarse and pissed where I had kneed him square. "GET HER! BRING HER BACK--NOW!"

I took a risky glance back--great error. Thorne stood bent and doubled up in the great doorway, his hand that clamped painfully between the legs, his knuckles turning white. Get in a middle--pain, anger, and something deeper. These gold eyes snapped to me, as laser-beams. Locked. Promised every kind of hell. My stomach flipped hard. He meant it.

Guards poured out. jerking bodies, convulsing mid-run. Suits ripped wide open by wet rips, and bones broken like gun-shot in the dark. Fur threw itself through skin--black, gray, huge wolves striking on all sides dirt. Noses were thrust down, out of nose, sniffing, hunt.

They would not get my scent, either. I had none. Blank. Invisible. That is why he chose me virgin prize, no mark, no trouble.

I turned about and threw my legs into all I could. My lungs hurted me to bad like I swallowed fire.

His heart beat was so great that I could feel it in my throat, and it was metallic. Manicured lawn ended fast. then wild grass--stabbing blades carving off calves, and leaving them thinly bleeding. Hot lines torn across cheeks, thorns caught at arms, face, ripped. Gown ripped on--lace floating in pathetic pieces, heavy silk train trailing like chains, trip-a-main. I rolled it into fists, and continued on.

Moon was huge and high, silver light icy and cruel upon my flesh.

It pulled inside breast, bones, blood. The one I had buried since mom had died was clawed up by my hard wolf. Whining, furious, begging.

I tried to run faster and deeper into the woods. “Do not allow him to take you back to that altar.” I panted, half breathing as I still continued my race.

My ankles was already fucked at the escape buckled on a root. I fell smack-first down in wet soil and withering leaves.

The agony jumped up my leg like electricity. I quickly bit my lip till I felt blood gush out as I made attempt to kill the scream. Streaked on his side in despair, crawled because of a heavy fallen log.

Cold and grimy moss on my back. Wrapped round me like a curse, pulled off scraps of silk and pulled them over my head, as though they were going to conceal me. Breaths were short panicked gasps which fogged the air immediately in front of my face.

They can't find me. No scent. That's my only card.

Paws thundered closer. Ground shook under me. Snarls were heard everywhere--wolves snorting, and sweeping over the ground with their noses in the dirt, and a growl of frustration at not finding anything. One pushed right past the log--so near hot breath waved the silk over my face. Heart stopped dead. I stamped flatter on ground, and all the tears streaming down.

“Please Moon Goddess. Please. Make me disappear. Swallow me in shadows. I have prayed to have this moment my entire life, do not abandon me.” I managed a whisper, gasping between breath

Wolf inside pushed harder. There was coziness in my chest--glow beneath flesh. Something waking. Power? Curse breaking? Didn't matter. Survive first.

Another wolf circled back. Sniffed the log edge. There was low rumble that vibrated in the wood directly into my bones. Yellow eyes a-glow shook through a hole in the bushes--locked full upon my hiding-place.

Panic hit like a bomb. I bolted upright--cover blown. Ran blind into thicker trees. Branches flogged face, thorns tore gown a-wider, bare skin poked in icy air. Pain in the ankle drowned out most of the screaming, but the adrenaline.

Wolves howled--victory, coming near. One of them leapt forward on the left--jaws clashed a few inches of my arm. I bent, and flung myself against tree trunk, collarbone throbbing. Kept running.

Narrow stream, before--rocky, shallow bottom. Through and through, to my frozen knees, gown silted now. Foot slipped on mossy rock. Land on hip, knocked out. Stumbled on high bank, mud smearing legs and arms.

They were right behind. Snarls nearer, louder, splashing water by the paws.

Stumbled on a root--planted your face in dirt. Kicked out, rolled over (grey wolf leaped). Bunked left round massy trunks. Another wolf thwarted me--turned to right. Thorns stabbed deeper in arms. Blood ran down wrists. Uncooked lungs, eyes black on the fringes.

The smell of Thorne, dark pine, woodsmoke, fury, copper tang of his own blood, was a wall that fell down on me. I had walked round somehow, round to the edge of the lawn. Panic made me stupid.

His body lay in the middle of the grass--half-turned, with nails outside long and his eyes amber fire. Several tatters of shirt, chest heaving to breath. Suffering still cranked his position yet anger possessed him absolutely.

He straightened slow. The lips pulled in a sneer revealing an excess of teeth.

"Bring her here." He ordered.

Guards pulled closer to me and caught me roughly. I kicked and kicked, kicked shins, bit one shin on the wrist. Tasted salt and blood. They cursed, shoved harder. Knees slammed grass. I collapsed forward, gasping.

Thorne loomed over me. Too hot of breath on my face, smell stinking.

“You will pay for this game, wife,” he made low gravel and pure venom. “I will make sure you do not forget who owns–“

The growl of deafening noise emerged into the shadows out of the lawn.

It wasn’t his pack.

There came three huge wolves into the silver moonlight--rogues. No collars, no pack smell. Nothing but pure wild, deadly force oozing off them.

The biggest--black fur scarred over the muzzle--shivered in a convulsed involuntary movement. Up startled Tall and broad man, And cold in eyes absolute Menace.

Estrangement was flashing steel-like in the atmosphere.

Thornes guards stood still in their tracks. Even he took his breath, his body huddling.

It was the voice of the rogue alpha--low, deadly, not to be argued with.

"Let. The girl. Go."