In Love With A Lycan: The Missing Piece

four

Abigail stumbled over another tree root, barely managing to keep her balance. The rope binding her wrists burned against her skin as the man leading them gave another hard tug. she cursed under her breath and glared at the man.

"Hurry up." He yelled, his voicerough and impatient.

She clenched her jaw. They had been walking for what felt like hours. Her feet ached, h er throat was dry and not once had any of them been given food or water. It was as though they weren't people, just cargo.

She glanced over her shoulder. The three girls tied behind her trudged forward silently, their heads lowered. None of them spoke or cried anymore.

The hopelessness in their eyes frightened Abigail more than the ropes around her wrists, she refused to become like that. No, she couldn't, not after everything she'd survived.

She'd spent her childhood bouncing between orphanages, unwanted wherever she went.

Children whispered that she was cursed and caretakers looked at her with pity or fear. Whenever something impossible happened around her, everyone had blamed her, 'The cursed girl'

She'd learned early that being different meant being alone. At eighteen she'd left the orphanage with little more than a backpack and the determination to build a life for herself.

She worked endless shifts, saved every penny and finally made it into college. For the first time...life had begun to feel normal, until Brian. The deep Frown on her face deepened just by think about his name.

Her chest tightened. She still couldn't understand it why he had done this. What had she ever done to deserve any of it?

She looked down at the rope around her wrists. No, there was no way she was dying herre like this.

The procession continued through the forest, sharp branches scraped against Abigail's arms and the men chatted among themselves, paying less attention than before.

She noticed something, the knot binding her wrists had loosened slightly, probably from all the walking.

Her heartbeat quickened as she glanced at the men before slowly and carefully, she twisted her wrists.

The coarse rope scraped painfully against her skin, but she didn't stop she just had to endure a little more...

She ignored the sting and continued twisting her wrist as slowly as possible so the men wouldn't notice her.

The knot shifted and her eyes immediately widened with relief, it was working. She forced herself to keep walking normally, hiding every movement behind her back. One final pul and the rope finally slipped free.

She nearly gasped. Her hands were free. She kept them behind her, pretending she was still tied. She couldn't act just yet, she needed the right moment.

Ahead, the trail narrowed between two massive boulders and the men had to spread out slightly to get through.

This was it, Abigail took one steadying breath ....then she ran.

"She's escaping!"

Shouts exploded behind her but she didn't look back. Branches whipped against her face as she sprinted through the dense forest, the roots under her feet threatened to trip her with every step and she heard pouding footstels coming from behind her. They were getting closer. .

"Stop her!"

Someone crashed through the bushes to her left and Abigail changed direction without thinking.

She darted between two enormous trees, squeezing through a gap too narrow for the larger men. A curse rang out behind her but she kept running.

Her lungs were burning and her vision blurred with tears. She had no idea where she was going, only that she couldn't stop now, there was no way she was going to let them take her again.

The shouting grew fainter and then all she heard was Silence.

Abigail slowed to a halt and listened but heard nothing. There were no footstep or voices only the wind moving through the trees.

A shaky laugh escaped her lips.

"I...I did it."

She'd escaped, her knees buckled with relief and she leaned against a tree, trying to catch her breath.

For the first time since Brian's betrayal...hope flickered inside her but it didn't last long.

A deep growl echoed through the forest and Abigail completely froze.

The sound hadn't come from behind her, it had come from somewhere ahead.

The leaves around her started to rustle then another growl answered from her right, followed by another.

Her smile disappered and very slowly...she turned.

Pairs of glowing eyes stared back at her from between the trees. At first there was one pair, then three and then five, Large shadows moved silently through the trees and Abigail's breath caught and she had never felt her heart sink lower.

"...What now?"

The creatures stepped closer and she couldn't make out their full forms, only enormous silhouettes moving between the trees.

Behind her, distant voices echoed through the forest.

"There she is!"

The men, they had found her. Abigail looked from the glowing eyes ahead...to the men closing in behind.

She'd escaped one nightmare...only to run straight into another.