Chapter 3

The commotion in the living room was loud, and still, I was unable to listen to a single word anyone was saying, my mind blank after they tore Maxwell off me and rushed me back into the house.

My throat was sore, and I knew a ring of bruise was forming around my neck right where he had chocked me.

Maxwell tried to kill me.

I closed my eyes and the only thing I could see was the hate in his eyes as he chocked me. I felt that hate deep in my bones, and no matter how hard I tried to think about it, I couldn't come up with an answer as to why he would be that mad.

If anything, I should have been the one who was angry. I was the one who was abandoned, not the other way around.

I felt a hand on my shoulder and I nearly jumped out of my skin.

"Rose?"

I glanced at Mina, a friend of Maxwell's I'd met once before.

"Where is he?" I asked, not knowing what else to say to her.

She looked at me with pity.

"His brother took him to the woods to cool off. But in the mean time I need to ask you a few questions." She replied.

I absently nodded my head, one had on my swollen belly, while the other reached up for my neck, remembering the feeling if his fingers wrapping around it as he tried to squeeze the life out of me.

"A couple of months ago, Maxwell changed. He stopped leaving our territory and has been very reserved, often snapping at the least expected moment. But nothing had triggered him as much as your presence did earlier. So I need to know. What happened between you two?" She asked.

What happened? I had no idea. One moment, I was the love of his life, and the next, I was nothing but a body he wanted to use and discard.

"I don't know." I whispered, and from the look Mina gave me, I could tell that she did not believe me.

Her husband stood behind her, his hands on her shoulders, he too looking at me like I was telling a lie.

"What did you think happened? What could I have possibly done to deserve his hate?" I asked, but they didn't have an answer for me.

"Okay. Let's leave that aside. What happened to you last night?" Mina asked, doing her best to soften her tone.

"My family..." I whispered, but the rest died in my throat.

There was no use in explaining how my family tried to cut my baby out of my stomach. What I needed to do was get myself to safety, and as much as it pained me to admit it, this place was not it either.

"I need to leave." I whispered as I pushed myself to my feet.

My vision blurred, and my body forced me back to the couch.

"Easy..." Mina whispered, coming to my side. "You need to take it easy."

I shook my head before I attempted to stand again.

"No, wait. No more questions. I won't ask anything else. Just... take some time for yourself and rest. We'll talk about this some other time." She commented.

"NO. I have to leave..." I replied, tears filling my eyes. Frustration burned my chest.

I hated being so helpless, and clearly, there was nothing I could do for myself or the child in my womb.

"Is there anyone we can call for you?" Her husband asked, but I shook my head.

"No one." I replied.

I saw them share a look, and while I didn't know exactly what they were thinking about, I knew they weren't going to let me leave in the state I was in.

"How about this? I'll call one of our doctors here and they can take a look at you. Once we're sure you're okay, then you're free to do whatever you want." Mina said, and I didn't have the energy to fight her on it.

I nodded my head and leaned back against my seat.

A couple of minutes later, I heard the front door open and I assumed it was one of the doctors, but it was Maxwell's twin brother.

He stepped into the living room and moved his gaze at the three of us. His eyes lingered on me for a second longer, and the tension of it made my heart drop into my stomach.

"I need to talk to you two." Silver said as he gestured for Mina and Raphael to follow him outside.

"Can it wait?" Mina asked, but he shook his head, glancing my way one more time.

I didn't have to be a genius to knew that he wanted to talk to them about me. They silently followed him outside, and my chest tightened as I tried to figure out what they were talking about.

I didn't have the right to eavesdrop on their conversation, but curisotiy got the better of me.

I slowly pushed myself to my feet and walked over to the window to peek at them.

The three stood in a tight circle, whispering amongst themselves. I might not be able to hear them, but I could tell the matter was serious, and unfortunatly for me, with each glance they took to the door, I realized that I was not safe here either.

I took a step away from the window. I had to get out of there, or it would be dealing with my family all over again.

I didn't have time to think about a game plan, a way to escape before they return and run as fast as I can. The front door opened just as I entered the hall, and their eyes burned me in my spot.

"Rose..." Mina slowly whispered, stepping closer to me.

"Stay back." I called out, but my pleas fall useless.

"I just want to talk to you, Rose. Calm down..." Mina reassured, but the sight of two men walking around her and towards me did not help.

I turn around to run, or at least get myself out of danger, but I was slow, and they were quick to catch me by the arms.

"Take her to the dungeon." Raphael ordered, and my heart dropped deeper into my stomach.

"Please... NO. Just let me go, please." I pleaded, tears rolling down my cheeks. Not a single one of them felt empathy for me at the two men dragged me out of the house.

There was no fighting them off. Their strength gave no opportunity for me to slip away.

The people of the little town stood around and watch me getting dragged to the dungeons, kicking and screaming, begging for them to let me go.

At the corner of my eyes, I could see Maxwell and his twin brother Silver standing by the woods, watching me with anger in their eyes.

The hate in Maxwell's eyes made me look away, and it stole all the fight out of my body, allowing the men to easily drag me to the dungeon and into a cold sell with a small bed pushed to the side.

I went from sleeping in my warm bed, to being dragged out to the woods by my family to be sacrificed, to escaping, only to end up in a cell. My misfortune made me curl up in a ball and cry at the corner, my sob echoing through the dungeon.