Chapter 6 #2
And why couldn’t I seem to resist it?
The questions floated through my head…but not for long.
I made it a dozen or so more breaths before the calming blanket of sleep settled itself back over me.
The next time I roused, I managed to open my eyes. After so many failed attempts, success felt like a miracle.
A bright, painful miracle.
Sunbeams shot straight through my constricting pupils, spearing my brain with their shattering brilliance. Without thinking, I tried to raise my hand to block the light and—surprise, surprise—this time I actually had the strength to move it.
Oh, thank God.
I didn’t know how long I’d been out, but clearly the rest had done me good. I wouldn’t call it sleep—that came with dreams, and I definitely hadn’t had any of those. But whatever realm of unconsciousness I’d been hanging out in had helped me heal.
Just to be sure, I curled and flexed my fingers and toes, then rolled my ankles and wrists.
I couldn’t say they felt great, but at least I could move them without wincing in pain.
The same went for my knees and elbows. Even though they were sore and creaky, they still bent the right way, so I counted it as a win.
The problem was my hips and shoulders. I didn’t need to move them an inch to feel the ache gnawing at the muscles and tendons holding those joints together. Even lying completely still, they continued to throb…though not as bad as before.
The real test would come when I tried to put weight on my legs. Would I stand on my feet or crumple to the ground?
There was only one way to know for sure.
Once my eyes were accustomed to the light, I lifted my head to check out my surroundings. I was surprised to find myself in the middle of a massive bed in the center of a small but well-constructed room.
Was this the alpha’s house?
No. It couldn’t be.
Everyone knew the ferus were wild animals.
I could only guess that meant they lived in caves or burrows like other forest creatures.
But there was no way they had the kind of sophisticated tools needed to build a place like this, with straight walls, a level floor, and a roof that kept out the rain.
And they certainly didn’t have the skills or artistry to carve a bed like the one I was lying in.
This thing had clearly been carved by a master.
Four twisting redwood posts reached all the way up to the ceiling, supporting a thick, sturdy base.
The mattress was so overstuffed and high off the ground that I would need a step ladder to get down.
Even the coverings were magnificent—a patchwork of leather, fur, and vibrantly dyed fabrics.
These were quality items. Real works of art.
Which meant I still had to be on the civilized side of the wall.
Maybe the creature who’d killed Franklin had escaped from the Wilds a while ago and been hiding out in this tiny hunting cabin out in the middle of nowhere ever since. If that was the case, then there was still a chance I could escape.
This bed frame and mattress were far too big for anyone to have hauled in on their own. Which meant a truck must have delivered them. And if that was true, then the cabin had to be close to a road.
A road with cars and cargo trucks and military vehicles. All of them filled with people. Real humans who could give me a ride back to Goldwood. Who could help me call in the cavalry to take down the violent monster who escaped its prison walls.
For a moment, hope, burning brighter than the sunlight pouring in through the window, filled my chest.
I held my breath and listened—really listened—to the sounds just beyond the walls.
There wasn’t much to hear. Just wind and bird calls, along with the occasional chittering of a nearby squirrel. But nothing else.
No low and rumbly voices. No heavy footsteps. No creaking wooden boards.
No sign of the ferus.
It was now or never.
With a sigh, I threw back the covers and swung my legs over the side of the bed.
Damn, it was a long way down. So I rolled over on my belly and held tight to the linens as I slowly shimmied myself over the edge.
My bruised and broken ribs screamed in protest at the pressure I was putting on them, but it was either that or risk my knees buckling underneath me if I tried to jump.
I didn’t realize I was holding my breath until my bare toes connected with the smooth wood floor, and I let it out. Slowly, I straightened up, terrified that at any second I would crash to the ground and be forced to crawl my way to freedom.
But my ankles held strong. So did my knees.
Then came the moment of truth.
Letting go of the bed completely, my hips wobbled at first, but then locked into place, supporting the full weight of my body.
Oh, thank God. I thought I might weep with relief.
Especially after I was able to take a tiny step. And then a bigger one. One more and I was already at the door.
But before I could run like hell out of here, I needed my shoes.
The ferus and whatever backwoods doctor he’d bribed to help him last night had mercifully let me keep my clothes while I slept, but had tucked my shoes somewhere.
Not that there were many places he could have hidden them.
This was not a large cabin. Besides the bed, the only other furnishings were a small table and a few shelves built into the corner.
I was surprised to see the bundle of clothes that I’d hidden my camera in sitting on one of the shelves.
I went over and tore through the pile of T-shirts and camouflage fatigues… but it wasn’t there.
“Crap.” I hissed in a whisper.
That camera had always been my good luck charm. I hated to lose it.
But I’d hate to lose my life even more.
I couldn’t waste time looking for a piece of equipment that could be replaced.
My shoes had to be the priority.
I found them a few seconds later, tucked neatly under the end of the bed. I pulled them as fast as I could, not even bothering to stop and tie them before shooting up again. I had no idea how much daylight was left, and I might need every minute of it.
After a quick prayer for luck, I threw open the door and burst through the opening...straight into a towering wall of solid muscle.
Holy shit.
I hit the immovable barrier so hard that I ricocheted off and stumbled nearly all the way back to the bed. Blinking hard, I looked up to see what in the world had stopped me. The second I saw, my mouth fell open.
It was him—the ferus. The alpha. The one who had torn Franklin apart like a rag doll last night.
I…I’d never seen anyone so big in my life.
At least, not in my waking life.
He had to be seven feet tall—maybe more—and as wide as the door frame in front of me. Every part of him looked hard and unforgiving, from his square, bearded jaw to his tree trunk legs. The only place I’d ever witnessed a person like him was in my dreams.
My nightmares, to be specific.
My knees began to wobble. My hand flew up to cover my gaping mouth.
Oh God, no!
“Hannah,” a now familiar voice rumbled through the opening.
My lips started to tremble, but fear made my tongue heavy. Too heavy to move.
“I…I…”
My heart hammering, I stumbled back a step, bashing into the bed frame. My battered knees hit hard, and a spike of white hot pain shot up from my ankles all the way to my hip. Suddenly, I found myself headed toward the ground.
But somehow the alpha was faster than gravity. Pushing away from the door, he reached my side before I could even try to catch myself.
I gasped as he hooked his arms under my back and legs and effortlessly lifted me up. And just like last night, I felt the rush of warmth as he pulled me close.
Actually, no. This wasn’t just like last night. Because now the sun was out and my eyes were open, and, with the ferus’ face just inches away, there was nothing keeping me from staring straight into the eyes of my killer.