Chapter 3

Lyra's POV  

I squeezed my eyes half shut and tried to look at the person in front of me. Everything was hazy, but I made another attempt at focusing my gaze on the man with the sorted touch.

My heart skipped and my face twisted. 

As soon as I glanced at him I was repulsed. He brought his hand down on my shoulder and gripped me tightly, those worried eyes looked up at me. 

"Are you okay? Should I call someone to check that for you?" Kaelen looked down on the wounds inflicted on me. His tone… they made me furious and I gritted my teeth in anger.  

What was he doing ? Why was he staring at me like that? I could sense that he had a reason for being here. 

His current behavior was somewhat at odds with the seething expression I saw on his face when I turned him down that day. 

 “Fucking take your hands off me, you asshole!” I growled at him and coughed as my throat was dry and scratchy. 

“Shh, I don’t mean to hurt you, Lyra. I came straight here as soon as I heard about what was done to you. I know how much you hate me after everything that day, and I want you to know that I don’t hate you. I’ve forgiven you, and I promise to get you out of here too,” he said soothingly.

The devil himself was mumbling in my ear when he spoke.

 But his words pissed me off. “What did you just say?” I asked, my voice hoarse and my body stung with pain.  

"I said I'd free you from my parent's grip, and there's no need to apologize to me. I know you only did that because you were angry and about the rejection, I have forgiven you already and I hold nothing against you," he repeated.  

I laughed at him, curling my hands in pain. "You must be pretty stupid to just imagine that. I heard you the first time, but I just wanted to say that so much bullshit in one sentence needs to be heard twice," I said. 

"What, you think I give a shit about your forgiveness?" I barked in disbelief.

Sure, I just know that you’re still really mad at me right now, but I want to let us move past that.

 “I want to take you out of this place because I know you wouldn’t choose to be here,” he said as his hand on my shoulder grew tighter.

He was going to take me out of this dungeon? 

I told myself it was wrong to even entertain any of what he was saying, but I couldn’t resist the thought. 

 I asked with uncertainty and he nodded his head.  

"Yes, I will but that's under one condition though," he added just before I could sigh in relief.

"You'll have to be mine again, Lyra. Be my little plaything, and I'll set you free," he tried to make it enticing as he slowly loosened the surrounding rope, but my blood boiled in anger.  

Be his plaything? He even dared to say it to my face.

I experienced pain, shame and anger. I wanted to throw a punch at that face of his and make him suffer more than what I went though.

Fury I couldn’t contain, I broke his hold and before I realized what I was doing, I punched him right in the face.

I yanked with all my might to free myself from the post.

Kaelen suddenly reached for my arm, but I kicked him on his crotch, twisted his arm and threw him across the room. I heard the sound of something falling as he ran into a table.

The door was ajar and there was no sign of any guards.

That had been an opening, so without waiting for another fearful instant, I made a dash to the door and flung it open and the cold air struck my skin in all directions as I sped along the passage that was to lead me to my freedom.

My legs were shaking as the pain reared through my pain as I kept forcing myself beyond the breaking point. My arms ached, and my back was sore from the savagery I’d suffered before. 

I felt a wave of dizziness coming, but I couldn't stop now. 

"Catch her! She's over there. Make sure you get her, you hear me?" I could hear the voices of the guards behind me as they were in pursuit. 

I ran with all my might but they were already on my heels and the more I tried to get my body moving the less it obeyed my orders. 

I felt the wind take my hair off my face and I ran faster in the woods and farther from them. 

The treading sound no longer echoing from behind and far across me I could see the boundary of the border.

 My pace quickened and my new aim was to get beyond the boundary. 

They won't infiltrate outside the Pack's border and I kept running faster until I finally went beyond Pack's border.  

The energy slowly dropped and my pace slowed down while I struggled to breathe. My body became weaker and I almost stumbled. 

Stopping close to a large tree, I tried to catch my breath but the world spun around me. I quickly sat behind the large tree as I took in deep breaths but the sound of my heart beat flooded my ears.

 The dizziness increased as darkness drew me in and soon I was unable to keep my eyes open. I finally give in to the darkness