Page 94 of Aine
I freeze when my hands come in contact with a rigid torso instead of plaster.
“Damien? Alex?” I ask, already knowing it’s neither. They wouldn’t find enjoyment in scaring me like this.
The person doesn’t respond, choosing instead to grab my elbow and yank me toward the back door. Given the size and strength, I know it’s a beast, but I can’t tell who as I’m forced outside.
I stumble over my feet as I’m dragged, my clothing doing little to protect my skin from the cold air. A hand clamps over my mouth as I try to scream, and the person pulls back and smacks me when I try to bite their fingers.
“Shut the fuck up,” the man orders, his voice hushed.
I’ll be damned if I go out without a fight, and I open my mouth to scream into the forest as loud as possible. My body’s bent forward and my head slammed into a knee before I can get anything out, the sudden impact bringing on an immediate headache.
The shock of it has me going quiet as I try to think past the pain. Rough hands wrap around my biceps and push. I fall onto my knees, but the person picks me up and forces me to continue walking.
Tears stream down my face as I struggle to remain conscious, the effects of my intoxication and head injury making it hard for me to focus and stay alert.
Where’s Damien?
I struggle to remember where he’s gone as the man pulls me into the woods and throws me over the back of a large animal. A horse? I attempt to slide off, kicking out my feet, but the man pins me down and ties me to it, tying my wrists and ankles together. It feels too tall to be a beast, but I can’t seem to think of what else it could be as my bloody face smashes into the side of the animal’s ribcage.
“What’re you doing?” I mumble, my words incoherent.
The man doesn’t answer as he shifts into his beast. I can barely make out the silhouette of him hunching over and transforming, and I curse myself for having so much to drink tonight as his image blurs.
The animal I lie on lets out a loud whine and begins to sprint through the woods alongside the beast. They remain close, and I frantically try to loosen the ties on my wrist as the man watches.
The jerky movements have my stomach twisting, and with a loud groan, I crane my neck away from the body of the animal and heave. Loud gasps fall from my lips as I take a moment to catch my breath, panicked as I continue trying and failing to untie myself.
I don’t understand why this beast is taking me or what I’ve done to make him so angry, but I hope Alex or Damien notice I’m gone sooner rather than later. Preferably before I’m dead.
The skin on my wrists and ankles splits open as it rubs along the rope, the blood pooling and falling from the tips of my fingers and toes. It continues to pour from my nose as well, a sign that the bone is probably broken from when the man shoved my face into his knee. I let out a pained yelp every time my face is smashed into the animal’s side, my blood coating its skin and spreading all along my face and neck.
The beast and animal continue running long after I sag and give up trying to escape, my brain too fuzzy to get anything productive done.
My consciousness fades in and out as we travel. Each time I wake and realize what’s happening, I panic and plead into the darkness for the man to bring me home, but my requests are always ignored. At some point, I give up, and during my brief moments of awareness, I remain still and stiff until I pass out again.
When the sun begins to rise over the trees, I take the opportunity to look around in search of any clues as to where I am. I know we’re heading east, given the direction of the sunrise, but beyond that, I know nothing.
My breath hitches when I look at the beast following behind the horse I’m on, but he doesn’t return my gaze. If anything, he seems to be actively avoiding it. I silently cry until my consciousness fades and I slump against the animal again.
I’m jerked awake at the sound of a loud howl, the noise followed by the horse coming to an abrupt stop. Cracking open my eyes, I turn and watch the beast shift into his human form. My eyes spring open as I realize he’s the Alpha we met in the human village.
“Owen?”
He smiles, his teeth on full display as he stalks forward and begins to untie my limbs. His fingers turn red as they rub against my torn skin, and I can’t refrain from hissing as the rope is pulled out of my deep wounds.
I fall to the ground as I come loose, my legs unable to support any my weight. Owen looks down at me and sighs, his head shaking as he bends and pulls me to my feet. The sudden movement makes me dizzy, and I stumble as my vision tunnels and knees buckle beneath me. What’s he doing?
“Where’s Damien?” I ask.
Owen only laughs and drags me through his village. There aren’t many beasts around, but the present ones look at me with disgust as I stumble behind their leader.
“Damien?” I call out as I trip over a rock and fall to my knees.
They’re already wounded from when Owen forced me from my house, and the additional scrape has the barely formed scabs ripping back open.
Owen grabs my neck and forces me to my feet. I wobble, and he spits on the ground before raising his arm and backhanding me. My head snaps to the side. Fuck, that hurt.
“Do not speak his name. You’re mine now.” The words are spoken quietly, but the threat is loud.