Kill her!

Maddie pov's

“No, I’m begging you to let me go.” I struggle harder, fighting against the two of them, desperately trying to break free.

Panic rises in me as all I can see around is the dark, damp forest. If I die here at their hands, there’s no way anyone will ever notice. This place feels like the perfect spot to commit a crime, an unmarked grave to bury my body without leaving a single trace.

I don’t even know where I am right now.

My chest tightens as I picture my future ending in their hands. Just moments ago, I was suffering from heartbreak, something I still haven’t fully processed—and now, they want to end me completely.

So this is how they plan to end my pain? By replacing heartbreak with another pain? By killing me? Seriously?! I glare at Emma.

A storm of emotions crashes inside me, a burning anger at being falsely accused, at her lies that I simply cannot accept. “Why are you doing this to me?” I snap at her.

My body trembles as my voice rises. For the first time in my life, I’m shouting at someone in such a fierce tone. My parents never once allowed me to lose control like this. They always told me to behave, to be composed, to stay elegant and graceful, because someday, I might need that to find the right person to marry.

I was never violent. But with her… she’s the exception. “Wasn’t it enough for you to steal my mate from me?”

She giggles while I struggle, my hands restrained tightly by her companions. Her eyes shift before me, no longer the soft, innocent ones I once knew.

“Stop twisting the truth, Maddie! Aaron is mine.”

Her eyes burn with rage as she glares at me, as if her gaze alone could crush me to pieces. For a second, I truly believe she might strike me down right here.

“From the first, he is mine, and you snatched him from me!” He grabbed my hair and pulled it hard.

I grimace in pain, as I feel my scalp being yanked. I feel a burning sensation and stings in my head, and it hurts a lot.

I look into her eyes, straight and sharp. “I don’t.” In fact, I never did that. “You might be his lover, but I’m the one recognized as his mate by the elders. Aaron is my destined one, chosen for me by the Moon Goddess—”

“Shut up, you liar!” she screamed in my face, while her hand yanked my head even harder, forcing it to tilt downward.

At that moment, I knew that woman was crazy. She carried a great duality within her that nobody knew about. But who would believe me if I revealed her true nature like this? None of them would.

“You think that I would trust you?!” She pulled my hair closer to her face, inflicting another surge of pain in my head. “You’re such a liar, a manipulative and vicious woman.”

No, I swear! I never did that. I just accepted my fate as his mate, that’s all. I wasn’t happy when they became a couple. But I never did anything like that to gain something.

She’s speaking nonsense.

The way her eyes burned with anger, the way her hand kept yanking my hair, it told me she wasn’t sane.

I had to make her let me go. Maybe I could make her change her mind.

I tried to look at her calmly. “Emma, you know you can’t do this to me.” I tried to make her come to her senses.

Hoping that attempt would make her release me.

“You will regret what you do to me right now, so let me go.” I emphasized that to her.

I wished she would change her mind, but her fierce eyes told me something else.

She instantly calmed and brought her face closer to mine. “I’m not joking when I say I’m gonna make you disappear. But, I’ll give you a chance.”

Something told me it was going to get worse. She was calm in this situation. I gulped as my heartbeat quickened. I could hardly breathe, watching them give signals to each other, it gave me so much tension.

I looked at Emma as she averted her eyes to the man guarding me. “I wish for both of your help, my dear brother.”

“Sure, my dear sister, anything you say and we’ll do it right away.” They smiled at her.

Brother? I was stunned.

So they are her brothers?

Emma smiled at me with her innocent face. “Now, I will give you a chance, Maddie.”

I fixed my eyes on her, waiting for what she was going to say. “What is it?” I asked.

She smiled even wider, glancing at her brothers as if to show them that they heard what I said. “Look at you getting so motivated,” she mocked me. “I’m being generous to you. You can run from this place. I’ll give you 30 seconds to run.”

I got my hopes up, but not for long until I heard her speak again.

“But after that, they will run after you. If you succeed, you’ll be safe. But if you get caught, today will be the last day you can breathe, Maddie. How about that?”

I stare at her. That's not an option at all.

They seem much stronger than me, and I can sense it. I can’t see myself slipping away from their grip, but maybe, by some miracle, it might happen.

Rather than giving my life to them just like that without even trying to fight back, I should take this as my last hope.

I give no answer, but of course, I will do anything for my life. For my safety.

She gave me a bitter smile. “Just so you know, you will never escape, Maddie.” She started to count.

I panicked and ran as fast as I could. But my legs were far slower than theirs. Thirty seconds was just wasted as I saw them chasing after me at high speed.

They moved frighteningly fast, getting closer and closer to me.

“Don’t waste your energy, there’s no use!” they shouted from behind, laughing like maniacs.

“When I catch you, I’ll twist both your legs first so you can’t move.” His warning crept into me like a nightmare.

A shiver ran through me, I bit my lip and tried to push myself to move faster than before.

One of them was suddenly right beside me, his face grinning like something out of a horror movie. “I’ll take my turn to rip your arm off, my dear.”

Fear consumed me, and I stumbled over something. My body crashed against the trees. Pain shot through my shoulder and ribs, but I forced myself to get up and run again.

But my hand got pulled, they were really about to break it. I screamed like crazy and struggled desperately to get away. My sleeve was torn apart by them, and just seeing it made me even more terrified.

The fact that I might be killed right there, at that very instant, felt so real.

Several times I was caught again by them. My ribs, my stomach, and even my face were struck whenever they got close enough. Still, I managed to escape again.

I saw a cliff with a fountain nearby. I looked back and saw them closing in. I clenched my teeth, the cliff looked terrifying, but it was still better than being ripped apart by them. So, I jumped.

I was certain I had thrown myself off the cliff, but I didn’t feel my body falling. I turned my head and found a man holding me tightly.

One thing I was sure of: this man was not one of them.

Relief washed over me, knowing I wouldn’t die today at their hands. A strong scent filled my nose as my body leaned against him. I could tell right away that this person was not like them, and that I would be safe now.

As he set me down on the other side of the cliff, he stood facing the direction I had leapt from, where Emma and her brother were still chasing me.

My eyes stayed fixed on his broad shoulders, his figure radiating the sense of safety I had longed for. At that moment, I was certain this day would not be the end of me.

Maddie died the instant she realized she had been betrayed by her mate.

And now, she had another chance to start all over again.