me afraid, getting my hopes up, and abusing me.
No, Sebastian has never been like that. From day one he has loved me unconditionally. He tried to have me break up with Kendrick, many times, but I was always too afraid. Sebastian warned me. He told me Kendrick was a bad man.
Sebastian loved me. I had to believe he had nothing to do with this. My paranoia can’t get the best of me.
The darkness keeps getting darker the further I run into the dense trees. I am lost. The guys at home must be getting worried about us. If I can get to them, I’ll be safe, and we can find Sebastian.
“You won’t be able to run from me forever. You belong to me. To them. You were made for us, my sweet. You are meant to ascend!” Kendrick roars as if insanity has broken his mind.
Ascend? Sounds crazy to me.
I’m not ascending. Whatever the fuck that means. I am staying right here with my two feet on the ground.
A fallen tree comes to view, and the base of it is huge. I debate for a minute if I want to stop. I am getting exhausted. I’ve been running for a while and exercise is the one thing I’m not used to doing. I peer into the tree, and it looks like a huge mouth at the bottom, roots spread out like veins, and I decide to risk it.
Cobwebs stick to my face and hair, and the thought of spiders crawling all over me has me running my hands all over my body and face. I crawl into the tight tunnel of what remains of the tree and curl into a tight ball.
It is dark.
Damp.
Insects crawl all over me, and I cover my mouth to stifle a whimper. The moss inside is slick, and my hair sticks to it as I lean against the bones of the old tree. I can hear footsteps getting closer.
Snap.
Snap.
Snap.
With every step, twigs break in half.
“I know you’re here, pet,” Kendrick taunts. “I don’t hear you running away from me. Did you finally come to your senses?”
I scoot against the tree, wishing I could melted into the bark so Kendrick won’t have a chance to find me.
“You want to know how I always knew where you were?” His voice is too close for comfort. The slimy timbre makes its way through the hollow body of the tree, and I tremble. “Everyone microchips their pets. It was the first thing I did with you. I had to make sure my little bitch could be returned if found.”
He is a sick bastard.
My eyes widen, and I glance up and down my body, my ankles, wrists, and arms, but it is too dark to fully see. Where is it? I am going to take it out. I’ll gnaw my fucking arm until I am able to spit the tracking device out.
“Like right now…”
His voice trails off and vanishes into the thin air as he leaves me pondering his words. Running won’t matter. He’ll find me. He knows where I am.
“Hello, my sweet.”
A blood curdling scream rips through my throat when a pair of hands grip my shoulders.
I’ll never be free.
Chapter Twenty-Five
SEBASTIAN
A hammer hits the inside of my skull in sync with my heart rate. I moan and hold my head the spot where it hurts and wince when I feel a giant knot the size of two eggs. I inhale a deep breath. I am no longer in the woods. I can’t see the rich earth or the dampness clinging to the air.
Wherever I am, it smells like piss.
It fucking reeks.
“Hey, Knight!” someone shouts and bangs against metal. The sound reverberates and I hold my head with both hands and double over in pain.
“Keep it down,” I slur, still half out of it. I’m not too sure if this is dream. Maybe I haven’t been in the woods at all? Another reality, dream mix up? I need to get my head examined if shit like this keeps happening.
“Your lawyer is here.”
“My lawyer? What?” I shake my head to get the fuzziness out, but it is still there. My eyes blur and when I sit up, I notice the concrete bench all too well.
Fuck. I know exactly where I am.
I jump up and spin around, looking up and down, noticing the metal floors and ceiling. The bars are round and thick, caging me in just like they did in prison. It smells like piss because the person next to me