Chapter 1

Scarlett's POV

'Please. ' I hoarsely whispered, attempting to raise my shaky hands to block the first splatter of rain. It started like a whisper, but soon it was falling down on me intensely. A sheet of heavy dark clouds had since occluded the moon and the stars. As the drops increased, I pushed myself faster, my body sliding on the wet grass. I whimpered yet again, the large bite on my heel stinging as the cold water poured down on me.

'Please.' I was all alone, but I still had a shimmer of ephemeral hope inside of me. My enfeebled hands clutched on the slippery grass, while I used the only strength I had left to push my entire body forward. I struggled to stretch my numb fingers, but they put up a little resistance. I couldn't see clearly, not because of the down pour, or the darkness but because my eye lids struggled to stay open in the dark. My head pounded with every little movement, the extreme ache dizzying me.

I tried harder, to pull myself from the grass covered road side, to find shelter under the woods on either side of the gravel road. Despite the murk of the rainy evening, I was able to make blurry figures of the trees as they swayed in the unforgiving wind. Small pebbles scraped across my exposing skin, making me hiss as some cut on the existing wounds.

'H-e-l-p. ' The word stuck on my throat, forcing me to cough the words up with extra force. I couldn't even recognize my own voice under the sound of the pelting drops. It was indistinct, tremulous and croaky. My hair was sticking all over my face, soaked and dripping. My teeth rattled against each other, while every part of my body burned with cold.

I could see myself getting closer and closer to the first line of trees. The rain blew into the eyes, nose and mouth, but in the forest I knew its fall was broken by the trees. Then I heard it, a rumbling engine over the sound of the curtain of the water drops. The flicker of optimism grew in a second, shining a little bit brighter.

'But what if it's them? ' I mumbled to myself, a gulp of saliva going down past my throat. I couldn't let them see me, I had come too far to lose my freedom yet again. There was no way I could make it to the line of trees before the vehicle came into view, I was finished.

My head turned, looking at either direction of the road. I lost temporarily my view on where I was headed, including the slope that could have been very easily avoided. The last thing I saw before my body was pulled downwards was the flash of headlights and the shiny rain drops under the yellow light.

I knew I was screaming when my throat burned as my body was thrashed against hard objects. My eyes were tightly closed, but my hands tried clutching on anything to slow down the rolling. I thought I was going to die and so I braced myself for the worse. Then I felt it, electricity coursing all over my head as if it had been wired.

My eyes didn't open again. Just like that, my hope had been shattered. I could feel it, the heaviness inside my head and entire body. I could feel myself being lulled into sleep, but before I slipped into it totally, I felt a feather light touch over my eyes, trying to pry them open. I could have sworn I heard a man's voice before everything went black.

********

Pounding pain ground in my temples and across my forehead.

I could make out voices around me even though my eyes remained closed. I tried moving my hands but they wouldn't budge. My legs felt like they had been glued on the hard surface that my body lay on.

'She looks harmless. ' The statement was hushed but it left my ears ringing. I attempted to lift up my hands yet again, to cover them, to massage my temples that were making it hard for my eyes to open.

'Rogues are never harmless. ' The other voice was firm, with a hint of disgust in it.

'Look at her Jasper! she can barely move. She might be an outcast but those bite marks show exactly how vulnerable she is. ' My fingers twitched as the speed of my blood running in my vessels increased.

'The marks don't mean a thing Thierry!' I swallowed saliva yet again, the liquid going over my dry throat. Where the hell was I? Why couldn't I move my body? Who were those...

'Sshh, calm down beautiful. ' A voice soothed somewhere around where I was, followed by a gentle touch over my head. It cut off my thoughts, my body enjoying the movements of the fingers over my head.

'Get away from that piece of trash Thierry! ' Just like that my eyes flew open, only for them to shut reflexively in fear of the light.

'Open them beautiful. ' This voice coerced me, I didn't know why but it's tone made me feel safe. So I opened them again, this time round slowly, adjusting to the light. The first thing I noticed was the face hovering over my own. I would have let out a loud scream, had I not heard people conversing before.

'There you go. ' The man's mouth curved as his lips stretched, revealing straight teeth with dimples on either side of his cheeks. There was something about him that calmed my racing heart beat. An indescribable warmth that enveloped me when I noticed the twinkle in his hazel almond shaped eyes.

'Who the fuck are you? ' I flinched at the voice, the ringing in my ears coming back full force.

'Jasper! ' The man beside me warned, his eyes widening and face contorting into a scowl.

'Shut up Thierry! ' I recoiled yet again, the authority in his voice washing over me. When he came into view, I swear my numb legs came to life. There was nothing in his deep-set brown eyes except disgust. His thin lips were set in a firm line, curling upwards when he finally took in my form.

'No you shut up Jasper! You're scaring the poor beauty, just go. ' My lips twitched briefly into a smile at the thought of him finding me beautiful. I hadn't expected Jasper to leave but soon his feet thudded on the floor, but not before looking straight at me with an obvious squint.

'Ignore him, he's just an angry man. ' Thierry, who I had learnt his name through their confirmation flashed me yet another warm smile.

I nodded, not trusting my voice box at the moment. I attempted to raise my hands again, this time round looking over at them. How hadn't noticed the strappings around them and over my stomach and legs? They had purposely restrained my movements.

'This is Jasper being a paranoid little shit. ' Thierry had noticed my train of sight and immediately began to unfasten them.

'I told him you are harmless, I kept on telling him but the big headed man didn't listen. ' He was a talker, that was for sure. Even when I remained quiet, he still continued talking as if we weren't strangers. He didn't seem to mind my silence though and he would nod at me while speaking.

'Do you remember what happened? ' He asked after he was done, his playful tone changing completely.

'No. ' I managed to whisper, a series of dry coughs following soon after. The throbbing in my frontal head picked up, forcing my eyes to glue shut. I raked my brain for anything, a clue as to how I had ended up in Thierry’s presence.

'You hit your head pretty bad, the doctor said you'd be fine though. ' I heard his voice from a far, my jumbled thoughts cycling around.

'The bites you sustained were too deep too. ' The word bite seemed to awaken every single nerve inside my body. Just like that, I could feel canines sinking into me as if I was living the scene all over again.

I whimpered, images of what had transpired flashing inside my mind in bits. I could feel the contents in my stomach roiling, looking for a way out.

'No, please no. ' I croaked out the words in a hushed tone, lifting my hands up. Before Thierry could utter a word, the door was pushed open forcefully.

'Jasper you c.. '

'He's back Thierry, do the right thing before he finds out. You know what will happen if word gets out. ' I didn't know who they were talking about, but judging by the way Thierry’s back straightened, it was someone important, dangerous.

'But...' The man beside me ran his hands over his face, heaving a loud sigh.

'No buts, if you want the girl to stay alive then you know what to do. ' Jasper was firm, looking at me straight in my eyes.

'Alive. ' I repeated the words in a whisper, a shudder raking through me.

'What is it that you are supposed to do? ' I knew deep down the answer wasn't going to be pleasant at all. And when Thierry’s face dropped, my eyes shut yet again, my ears taking in every single utterance that followed.

'I'm sorry beautiful, but since we found you in our territory, you have to be locked up in the dungeons, and on the third day your punishment will be decided. ' I shook my head, picturing myself doing all sorts of hard work.

Then Jasper's cold voice filled my ears ,the man dragging each word between his teeth.

' You will either be sold or killed, if I were you, I would be preparing for death.'