Chapter 3

I squinted my eyes halfway closed and tried to make out the figure right in front of me. It was all blurry, but I pushed myself to sharpen my focus on the guy with that soft touch.

My heart jumped, and my expression scrunched up.

The second I looked at him, I felt disgusted. He placed his hand on my shoulder and squeezed it firm, his concerned eyes gazing up at me.

"Are you alright? Should I get someone to look at that for you?" Kaelen glanced down at the injuries they'd given me. His voice... it just fueled my rage, and I clenched my jaw in fury.

What was he up to? Why was he eyeing me that way? I could tell he had some motive for showing up here.

His attitude now clashed with the angry glare I'd seen on his face when I rejected him that day.

"Fucking take your hands off me, you asshole!" I snarled at him and coughed, my throat feeling rough and raw.

"Shh, I don't mean to hurt you, Lyra. I rushed over as soon as I found out what happened to you. I get how much you despise me after all that went down that day, and I want you to know I don't hate you. I've forgiven you, and I promise to get you out of here too," he said in a calming way.

It was like the devil himself whispering in my ear as he talked.

But his words just made me angrier. "What did you just say?" I asked, my voice raspy and my body aching with hurt.

"I said I'd free you from my parents' hold, and you don't need to apologize to me. I know you only did that out of anger, and about the rejection, I've forgiven you already and I hold nothing against you," he said again.

I chuckled at him, clenching my fists through the 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 told him.

"What, you think I give a shit about your forgiveness?" I snapped 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 grip on my shoulder tightened.

He was going to get me out of this dungeon?

I reminded myself it was a bad idea to even consider anything he was offering, but I couldn't push the idea away.

I asked with hesitation, and he nodded.

"Yes, I will but that's under one condition though," he tacked on right before I could relax.

"You'll have to be mine again, Lyra. Be my little plaything, and I'll set you free," he tried to sound appealing as he gradually untied the ropes around me, but my anger surged hot.

Be his plaything? He even had the nerve to say it straight to me.

I felt pain, shame, and anger. I wanted to smash my fist into his face and make him hurt worse than what I went through.

Rage I couldn't hold back, I shook off his grip, and before I knew it, I slugged him square in the face.

I pulled hard with everything I had to break free from the post.

Kaelen lunged for my arm all of a sudden, but I nailed him in the crotch with a kick, wrenched his arm, and hurled him across the room. I heard a crash as he slammed into a table.

The door stood partly open, and no guards were around.

It was my chance, so without hesitating another scary second, I bolted for the door, shoved it wide, and the chilly air hit my skin from everywhere as I raced down the hallway toward my escape.

My legs trembled as pain shot through my body while I pushed past my limits. My arms throbbed, and my back hurt from the brutality I'd endured earlier.

A dizzy spell started coming on, but I couldn't quit yet.

"Catch her! She's over there. Make sure you get her, you hear me?" I heard the guards' voices chasing after me from behind.

I sprinted as hard as I could, but they were closing in, and the more I urged my body on, the less it listened.

I felt the wind whip my hair back from my face, and I dashed quicker through the woods, pulling away from them.

The footsteps faded behind me, and way ahead, I spotted the edge of the border.

I picked up speed, now set on crossing that boundary.

They wouldn't cross outside the pack's border, and I ran even harder until I finally made it past the pack's border.

My strength faded bit by bit, my speed dropped, and I fought for air. My body grew feebler, and I nearly tripped.

I stopped near a big tree, trying to steady my breathing, but everything swirled around me. I dropped down behind the big tree, gulping deep breaths, but my heartbeat pounded in my ears.

The spinning got worse as darkness pulled me under, and soon I couldn't keep my eyes open anymore. I finally gave in to the darkness.