Claimed by my Unexpected Protector

Chapter Thirteen

Eralia’s POV

I can’t feel my fingers; my clothes and body are so wet and cold, and I’m struggling to keep moving. I can barely see through the rain, and more than one vehicle has whizzed past me, horns blaring as they see me at the last-minute walking along the edge of the road.

I’m terrified that I’ll be hit by one of the cars when they don’t see me in time, but I’m stuck playing Russian roulette with my life. I did try to walk on the muddy verge, but my shoes kept sliding out from underneath me on the glass like surface.

Another car screams past me, the horn blaring as they swerve at the last minute, the bumper barely missing me as I jump in fear. I land in the thick mud beside me, my feet sinking immediately, as, what I now realise is an SUV, disappears into the darkness ahead. I’m left, the rain beating down on me, gasping for breath from the crippling fear that has wrapped around me. I try to remove my right foot from the mud, but it won’t budge, I start to wiggle it, hoping to create some space around it to no avail.

‘Come on!’ I growl, reaching down to grab my leg with my hands, and hauling upward with everything I have.

I realise what is happening seconds too late as my foot starts to lift, but as I’m crouched over, my centre of gravity is off. My body falls forward as I release my sweatpants, hands moving out in front of me instinctively as they connect with the cold, wet mud, sinking from view, followed by my knees as my feet finally get some room from my own momentum.

Tears spring to my eyes as I hold in the sob that tries to force it’s way up my throat. I will not cry! I will not cry!

Sucking in a shuddering breath, I slowly start to work on freeing myself, first, the foot that is already loose enough to lift, raising it as high as I can and over toward the road before setting it down. Next comes my right hand, then my left, both are caked in mud which falls from between my fingers as the rain lashes down on them. Finally, it’s my left foot, and I rock my leg back and forth, increasing the hole that has started to form from my fall, wriggling and lifting over and over until with a disgusting squelch I’m finally free.

I sink down onto my knees at the side of the road, exhausted, my hands pressed into the tarmac as the mud slowly washes from my skin and the sleeves of my coat.

I stay there for a few minutes, silently thankful that no other cars come past before I push myself to my feet once more and staggering slightly against the wind, start to walk once more.

‘Just a little further Eralia’ I mutter to myself encouragingly as I pull my coat tighter around my body, not that it does much good, ‘a few more miles and you’ll be at the school, then heading home where you can have a shower.’

Thoughts of Mackenzie’s shower swim in the corners of my mind, it seems a lifetime ago that I was standing under the hottest stream of water I’ve ever felt. Right now, thoughts of our bathtub with it’s overhead shower attachment and p.iss poor pressure sounds amazing to me.

The loud sound of another horn has me cringing away, though I don’t jump out of the way this time, they are just going to have to go around me.

The vehicle swerves, his tail lights coming into view, but this time, instead of speeding away, it slows, coming to a stop in front of me. It’s a truck though I can’t make out the plates as mud is splattered all over them. I halt my feet, staring at the vehicle that doesn’t move.

The driver’s side door slowly opens, and I squint through the rain to make out any features, but I can’t.

The hulking figure stares at me as I shiver, the hood of his coat is pulled up over his head, covering his face as I glance around me at the deserted road.

‘You lost?’ comes a rough drawl, the man leaning an arm on the roof of his truck as my discomfort rises.

‘No, I’m OK’ I reply quickly, praying he gets back into his truck and leaves. Please God just leave!

I can feel his gaze run over me and I try not to cower into myself, not wanting to show how scared I am.

‘You need a ride sugar?’ he asks slowly, ‘I can give you a ride.’

I instinctively take a step back as I shake my head, ‘No! I’m OK’ I repeat, ‘I uh . . I live right over there’ I add, pointing roughly to my left at a forty five degree angle from the road, hoping he doesn’t know the area or that there is actually housing there.

‘Then I’ll drive you there, sugar’ he rumbles, ‘why don’t you hop on in.

I’m shaking my head faster now, taking another step backward, ‘no, honestly, you don’t need to do that, I wouldn’t want to put you out . . .’

The stranger pushes off the side of the truck and taking a step toward me, ‘It’s no bother, Its right on my route’ he murmurs, moving closer to me as I back up again.

‘Honestly, It’s only a short walk, hardly five hundred yards, don’t worry about me, I’ll be fine by myself.’

The stranger chuckles, closing the gap between us as I glance around us again wondering if I could make a run for it, back the way I came.

‘Now sugar, I just can’t do that,’ he replies softly though his words still carry over the howling wind. ‘Leave a young girl like yourself out here alone? In this weather? Naw, I just can’t do that, I have to insist you let me give you a ride home.’

‘I don’t need a ride . . . please’ I whimper, holding my hands up defensively as he rounds the back of the truck, blocking out one of the tail lights with his frame.

‘You don’t want to get in my truck?’ the man asks, his tone turning from coaxing to angry. ‘Why? You don’t trust me? You think I’m dangerous?’

I shake my head again desperately, ‘no!’ I reply, ‘I’m sure you are a very nice man . . .’

‘Then get in the f.ucking truck’ he snarls, his body moving at a pace I don’t expect, his long strides having him in front of me in just a few steps as his hand curls around my upper arm.

‘I don’t want to go with you! Please let me go!’ I cry out, trying to tug my arm out of his grip but the stranger’s fingers are vice like, refusing to release me.

‘Little b.itch’ he growls, ‘you too good for a ride with me? That it? You think you are better than me?’

‘No!’ I try to argue, my voice shaking uncontrollably.

‘Yeah, you do, you think you are something special, too good for a guy like me’ he rants, his fingers tightening painfully.

‘I don’t I swear I don’t’ I protest in fear, ‘I’m not better than you, I’m not better than anyone.’

‘Damn right you’re not, you are just a low life little w.hore! A pig in a silk dress, thinking you fancy but you still like in the s.hit with the rest of us, ain’t that right.’

I stare up at him, his dark eyes pinned to my face from under the hood. I don’t know what to say, how to get out of this. I need to get away, I need to get to my siblings! Oh God! If something happens to me, who will get them? Who will look after them?

Fear for my brothers and sister washes over me, outweighing my terror for myself, they need me! Lifting my knee, I slam it as hard as I can into the man’s crotch, his fingers releasing me as he roars in pain, grabbing himself.

I stagger back a step before righting myself and taking off, running toward the truck and around it, heading toward the distant lights of residential area about a mile ahead.

I barely make it a dozen steps before an arm wraps around my waist, hauling me backward as I scream. I reach over my shoulder, clawing at the man’s face as he curses me out, fighting to grab my hands as his feet drag me back toward his truck.

Liberty, Austin and Tanner, their three faces are all I see as I kick and scratch, fighting with everything I have against the man who has hold of me.

‘You f.ucking b.itch’ he roars as I drag my nails across his neck, ‘I’m going to make you pay for that.’

The lights of the truck behind us brighten as he forces me closer, they are so bright, I can make out the road ahead more than before. Then I hear the sound of a door opening, No! I can’t let him get me in the truck!

I fight even harder, pulling on reserves I didn’t even know when an unexpected second voice roars out over the sound of the storm.

‘What the f***k are you doing with her? Let her the f***k go, right now!’

The man behind me stops as do I, as I recognise that voice, it’s distorted by the rain, but I know it . . . Benny.