Chapter 4 - Sara
There’s a lump in my throat and a searing pain in my chest as I walk around the hall towards Talon’s house, my husband-to-be following behind me.
I have to hold my breath to stop the sobs from rising, as if the years of abuse are finally reaching a boiling point and a primal scream has been simmering all this time, waiting for release.
This situation is bad enough—I didn’t have to see this jerk’s reaction to me! Father had to pay him to make him take me!
Even though I don’t want this marriage, being rejected by this stranger has added a level of humiliation to this situation that I simply can’t bear. My dreams of running away from Clover dance through my mind, and I consider them far more seriously than I ever have before.
I’ll have to plan carefully and move quickly. Can I pull it off before the wedding?
We come around the back of the hall, and Talon’s old farmhouse comes into view. A rambling one-story building made of whitewashed wood, faded to gray over the years. The sight of it lifts my spirits, even under these circumstances.
The long wooden porch covered in vines where I’d sit with Jess and drink homemade lemonade on long, hot afternoons. The covered greenhouse out back with her special herbs and exotic flowers. Talon’s library…I suppose all of this belongs to me now.
I stop at the low stairs, looking up at the house. I haven’t been inside for a long time. As I got older, Father made sure I was busy at home and didn’t have time to visit Talon.
He liked me being close to the alpha, but he was always aware of the danger if Talon guessed what was going on…If he saw the bruises on me…
“Excuse me?” Shawn says, clearing his throat a little as he stops beside me. “I don’t think we’ve been formally introduced?”
Why bother?
“No, I don’t think so,” I reply, turning to look at him. In the dark, I can only see faint details of his face. He has strong, sharp features, deep-set green eyes, and a long tangle of jet-black hair.
“I’m Shawn,” he says. “Shawn Lent.”
“Sara Slade,” I reply, shaking his hand briefly. “I’m sorry about this situation. I can see it isn’t easy for you.”
Why the fuck am I apologizing?
“I was about to say the same thing to you,” he answers, and his tone sounds sympathetic. Almost painfully genuine.
No. Don’t get sucked in. He’s a power-hungry freak like Father, and he’ll say anything to seal the deal! For all I know, those other packs are waiting to slaughter us!
“Really?” I mutter.
“Yes, really. I wasn’t actually aware of this whole marriage thing. I agreed to take the alpha position, and I didn’t know it was tradition to take a bride from the new pack.”
“Uh-huh. So, you’re not from around here?”
“No,” he says. He’s about to elaborate when I start walking up the stairs, leaving him behind me.
I don’t want to know where he’s from. It can’t possibly make any difference.
As I open up the door to Talon’s house, I think even more about my plan to escape. Even though it would probably be a bad idea to try for it tonight, I’m panicked about the wedding, and I’m more motivated to run now than I ever have been before.
Father might have his thugs patrolling the area. When he said he’d let them have me, it wasn’t an empty threat.
As I turn on some lights and head to the kitchen, I weigh my fear of the wedding against being taken by Father’s dogs, and the wedding measures up as slightly less frightening.
So far, Shawn’s been pretty nice. I don’t buy it, but it might be worth finding out a bit more about him.
As he follows me inside, I struggle not to look back over my shoulder at him. I can feel my cheeks flushing with heat as I try to suppress the urge to check him out.
Okay, I admit it, the guy is cute. Any girl with eyes would notice that. I can finally understand how girls risk their sanity for a man—but that doesn’t mean I will! It’s only a matter of time until he shows his true colors. And he’s going to be just like Father, or worse.
I sit down at the kitchen table and watch Shawn enter the room. He’s tall and muscular, with a faint tan as if he works a lot outdoors. He moves with light, easy grace and doesn’t make any sound, even as his feet touch the floor.
Kind of like Father. He has to sneak up on everyone just for kicks.
When he turns to look at me, my heart flutters in my chest. His sharp, high cheekbones define his face, sweeping down to the hard line of his jaw, sprinkled with dark stubble.
When he comes closer, I can see that his eyes are an incredible dark green, like the moss that grows around rocks at the banks of a stream.
Silence stretches out between us as we look at each other, and it doesn’t feel awkward. I’m grateful to have a few moments of quiet to appraise him, and it’s like he’s studying me, trying to work me out. I’m actually surprised he’s going to this much trouble.
Surely, all he wants is a house slave and a baby-making machine. The old laws dictate getting me pregnant as soon as possible.
“Should we have something to eat?” he asks, sitting down across from me.
Here it comes.
“I’m not sure what supplies will be here,” I answer. “I don’t think anyone’s been through the place since Talon and Jess died.”
“What can you tell me about Talon?” he asks.
As my memories rise, a little smile curves my lips, and I have to look away from Shawn to compose myself.
“He was very kind and fair. I often came here after school. He and his wife were very nice to me.”
“I haven’t been told much about him,” Shawn says. “But it sounds like he kept the pack isolated, and poor. Do you know why he’d do something like that?”
I look up at Shawn, ready to make a cutting remark to defend Talon and his actions, but before the words can leave my lips, an old memory cuts through my thoughts.
Why don’t I want to lie to Shawn? Surely, my loyalty to Talon is greater than a sense of duty to a man I’ve known for a grand total of five minutes?
“It’s true that he kept us isolated,” I say, “but there was a reason. The Clover pack has been isolated up here for generations. Our ancestors ran from a great, destructive force. We don’t really know much about it.
When I was very little, Jess used to take us to preschool.
There was this old rhyme she used to sing. Something about a snake made of fire.”
“What?” Shawn looks sharply at me. “Really?”
“Yes,” I say, a bit shocked by his reaction. “It’s just a fairytale.”
“It might not be,” he says, his eyes unfocused as if he’s thinking about something. “As a matter of fact, I think Clover is just outside the blast radius.”
“What?” I ask, fear rising in my stomach. “What the hell are you talking about?”
“Look, I can explain, but I’m just not sure how much detail I can share at this point. Can you tell me anything else?”
“Like what?” I reply, indignant now.
“The words of the rhyme, maybe.”
“I don’t know…something about how the peak keeps us safe from the angry fire, and we only survive by living in secret.”
“That’s it?”
“My memory isn’t great. It was a long time ago.”
“Does anyone else know the rhyme?”
“I don’t think so. But Talon was pretty serious about no one leaving the peak or having contact with the outside world.”
One of the reasons I never tried to leave. He warned me so many times about how dangerous it was outside Clover.
“But he did leave,” Shawn says. “What changed?”
“My father…I think he convinced Talon that we needed resources. I’m not exactly sure.
It’s not like I was included in the plan, and the attack happened very suddenly.
I’d been isolated at home for days, so I was completely surprised to hear Talon and the warriors had left. Especially to attack Eccles.”
It was the shock of my life, actually. If you told me the sun had turned green, it would have been less of a surprise.
“Hmm,” he mutters. “Interesting. I’ll have to follow this up with Rex and Brad. Your father will explain all of this if I ask him?”
“Yes,” I say. “I’m sure he will. He’ll be more than happy to talk with you.”
“Good,” Shawn says thoughtfully. He raps his knuckles lightly on the table while rubbing his chin, and I find the gesture just a little endearing.
“You’re going to chat with the other alphas about a kid’s story rhyme?” I ask, challenge in my voice.
“Yes,” he answers. “I will. If you think of anyone who might know more about it, let me know.”
“Okay,” I whisper, shaking my head.
This guy is full of surprises. Why would he be so interested in a kid’s story?
“I’m sorry,” Shawn says suddenly. “Here I am talking about official business when you’re sitting there hungry and tired. You look like you’ve had a rough day. Would you like me to make something to eat?”
His words are so foreign to me that for a few seconds, I just stare at him in shock, my mouth hanging open.
“What?” I ask, my voice a harsh whisper.
“I’m pretty good in the kitchen, and you look like you could use a rest. I know you said there might not be much here, but I’ll go through the cupboards and sort something out. Would you like to wash up while I cook?”
My body feels frozen, as if I’ve been dropped into an icy lake, and if I move even slightly, I’m going to shatter my own bones.
I wait for a full minute before I answer, expecting him to take the words back or make a cruel joke. He just keeps watching me with his big, green eyes, a small smile on his lips.
“Okay,” I say, hesitantly. “I’ll go and wash up. You…check out the kitchen. I guess.”
“Sure thing,” he grins, and it makes his eyes light up. It’s such a genuine expression, I can’t help but smile back. For a moment, there is a feeling of warmth between us, but as soon as my heart starts to leap, I yank it back down again.
Don’t! This is a trick, you know it is! The abuse is coming any second. Don’t fall for his nice-guy act.