For the next three days, they traveled almost without stopping. The only time they stopped was when they needed gas and to buy food, which they did not even bother to eat in the place where they bought it, but ate in the car while driving. Michael did most of the driving, while Sophia sat at the back for most of the ride with Duncan. She barely spoke a word, more content to sit in silence and stare out the window. If not for the fact that she was grieving, she would have been beside herself with excitement. This was the first time in all her eighteen-plus years that she was leaving the pack territory. Of course, she had heard about the outside world and had imagined and fantasized about what it would be like, but the reality was even more intriguing. Although for most of the time, they passed through desert and forests, the houses that they had come upon filled her with awe. “Is this your first time coming out of your pack’s territory?” Duncan asked her, watching her closely as he ha

To say Michael was surprised by this move was an understatement. In fact, he was so surprised that he remained frozen in place as Audrey kissed him, and it was only when she moaned and shifted position to better enjoy the kiss that he gasped. Audrey used this welcome opportunity to slip her moist tongue into his mouth and moaned sensually, holding his head in place with her hands. Michael became aware of a low growl coming from somewhere within the room, and only then did he break off from Audrey, wiping at his mouth. What was wrong with this girl, and why could she not just take no for an answer for chrissakes? The growling continued and was getting louder by the second, causing Michael to turn to face the direction from which it was coming. It was Sophia who was growling, and to his horror, he could see that her eyes had turned from their normal brown color to an alluring amber color … except that they would be anything but alluring to Audrey, who even now, was trying to look around

“I don’t understand why you’re trying to dissuade her from going with us,” Duncan told Michael angrily. “Oh, come on. She’s a fragile girl who just escaped from a hellhole and is quite vulnerable at this time. She doesn’t need to be charging off fighting unknown creatures just yet. You keep on claiming she has powers, but I saw the girl, and she was beside herself with happiness just because her eyes changed color and she grew claws. That’s the person whom you claim has the powers to face monsters and free your fiancée. Forgive me if I don’t believe that for a minute, but that is how it is. I’m not letting her walk straight to her death.” “What do you care about her, anyway? I’m her uncle, while you’re just some guy she happened to meet because he wants to avenge his family’s death. Do you think you have her interest at heart more than I do?” “Actually, I do. At least, I’m not the one rushing her off to do dangerous things not long after her mother died, when she clearly isn’t recov

Sophia was awoken from her deep sleep by Michael around seven that night. She opened her eyes groggily to see that it was quite dark in her room now, whereas it had still been daylight when she went to sleep. It meant that she had slept for hours. There was no sign of Toby, who had slept with her, in the room. Her things, of which she did not have much, were already packed and were at the foot of the bed. Yawning widely, she sat up on the bed and saw the amusement in Michael’s eyes as he looked at her and spoke. “Come on, it’s high time we get going. You enjoy sleeping too much.” “Where’s Toby?” “He’s downstairs with Duncan. They’re already set, and so am I. It’s you whom we’re waiting for.” He told her before picking up her already packed bag and taking it out of the room with him. Sophia had already placed the cloth that she was going to wear on a chair by the bed, so she just had to get into it, and then she was ready to go too. She met the men waiting for her downstairs, but the

Every day was the same, or if one was being totally truthful, each day was much worse than the previous one. There was no end to any of it, that is the whippings, stench, and hopelessness, but worst of all was the heartbreaking cries of despair that came from the mouths of the young children. Girls who were as young as thirteen, or even younger, by the looks of some of them, were packed in the same stuffy, dingy cell as older, worn, and tired women. In the cramped, filthy cell, giant rats roamed about freely, clearly not afraid of the humans who abode there, and for good reason too. After all, the women were totally helpless and were tied up so securely that they could only dream of escape, and not even fantasize about it. Therefore, the rats, and whatever other vermin, of which there were quite a few, moved about as they wished, feeding on whatever scraps of leftover food they could find, and when scraps of leftover foods were scarce, which was more often than not, these vermin bit