Run, Fox. Run
1361 Words
[Isolde]
That was enough motivation.
So I ran. Far from the stable door and across the dry field that stretches endlessly. My heart was hammering. Not because I was afraid of the sport, but because I was furious.
Furious at myself for expecting better. Furious that I'd hoped he'd speak up for me instead of ridiculing me.
I wasn't even near the tree line when hooves thundered behind me. Why was that i***t starting when it had barely been five counts?
The next thing I felt, was a hard whip on my back.
The sting was instant. I gasped, stumbling.
"You're not supposed to enter the woods," he barked.
I spun, eyes burning. I wanted to kill him. I wanted to rip that ugly haircut right off his balding scalp.
My glare seemed to get on his nerves, so Anderson swung his whip and I raised both hands to block my face. The impact collided with my arms, leaving its mark.
"Run." He ordered. "But this time, you'll have to do it without clothes."
My shoulders shook, not from fear, but from absolute rage. And yet I forced my mouth into a quivering smile, stepping back slowly. "Okay..." I replied. "Okay, I'll do it..."
The whip stilled in his hand and a lewd expression spread across his face, anticipating what was about to happen. Now I understood why he and Nikolai were friends—they had quite a lot in common.
I inched toward him, bare palms slightly raised in feigned surrender. "Just don't hit me again," I whispered.
He lowered the whip a little.
That was all I needed.
In one quick motion, I spun, then sprinted for the trees with every intention of losing him.
"You little b***h!" Anderson shouted.
I heard the whip hit air behind me, then the thunder of hooves kicking off the ground.
And then—gunfire.
The blast ripped past my ears as I slipped between trees. I ducked low, heart slamming against my ribs.
Another shot followed. Then another.
He wasn't warning me anymore. He was aiming to kill.
But I didn't stop.
My feet crunched on dry leaves and the occasional stick. Yet, I didn't dare take my eyes off the ground. Not in a forest littered with concealed traps and slippery slopes.
I veered left, then right, looping around trees, vaulting over roots. My breathing came in shallow, sharp bursts, unsure where I was going. I just knew I had to survive this, somehow.
God! These people were all mad!
Just then, a bullet tore through the bark beside my head, spraying splinters across my face.
"Keep running!" Anderson's amused voice echoed through the trees. "I'll have some fun with your corpse then mount your head on a stake when I catch you!"
I didn't respond and it was too bright to hide—especially because of how dispersed the trees were. All I could do was keep moving, dodging between branches. That was when it happened.
My foot landed wrong. The earth beneath me gave way with a crack. I screamed as my arm shot out, grabbing the edge of the hole. One which was slowly crumbling. Beneath me were spikes carved out of wood.
I was bleeding—badly. I didn't know I'd hurt my leg at some point.
I heard a horse neigh painfully—likely caught in one of the traps. Anderson cursed out and a second later, a hand grabbed my hair and yanked me back up, his arm tightened around my neck.
I lashed out, but the grip only tightened. Cold metal pressed under my jaw. "This is what happens when you don't know your place."
The muzzle of the pistol was shoved against my cheek, right below the eye. I braced, shutting both eyes.
And then—
A gunshot rang out.
But it wasn't from Anderson's hand.
He stumbled back, the gun flying from his grip. He let out a howl of pain, clutching his ear.
"f**k! What the f**k did you do?!"
I collapsed to the dirt, but lifted my head to watch the scene
Another shot rang out—this time, above us.
Anderson was stunned, his left ear gone. "You shot me—!"
"I warned you once," Nikolai's horse strode towards us. The wind had forced the buttons on his white shirt halfway down, revealing just enough skin to avoid going unnoticed. His dark hair was tousled over his shoulders, gun lowered but still warm in his grip. His eyes weren't cocky this time. They were livid. Quietly and murderously livid.
"She f*****g ran!"
"She ran because you were threatening to kill her, you idiot."
"What?!" Anderson was awestruck. "Why are you defending a damn maid?"
Nikolai let out a low, humourless scoff. "A maid, sure. But she belongs to the Quinns." His voice dropped as he raised the gun. "Her life especially."
Anderson jumped back with a yelp when the next shot landed a few inches from his foot and his face turned as pale as a ghost's.
"And let me correct you." Nikolai advanced on him slowly, gun still loose in his hand. "You're the only animal amongst us, so never in your life, should you place me and the likes of you under the same category." He slowly lowered the gun. "Now get off my property."
Anderson backed away, then turned and bolted, muttering curses as his ears bled out.
Nikolai didn't shoot again. And once his companion vanished into the trees, he turned to me.
Torn dress. Bleeding leg. Hair tangled and wild. Sand fell down my body as I rose, dusting my palm and dress.
Then, without a word, he tugged the reins and brought the horse closer to where I stood—barely upright and trying not to wince.
“Get on,” he said flatly.
I stared at him, chest heaving. Then a sharp but bitter laugh escaped my lips. Was he truly being serious?
His brows drew together. “What?”
“No.” I turned, limping toward the field. Every step sent pain shooting up my leg, but I didn’t stop.
“You’re bleeding.”
“I’m aware.”
“Cou—” he trailed off mid-word as I pranced past his steed. He frowned momentarily, watching me like he’d expected a much different reaction. “Stop being stubborn.”
I whirled on him, and whatever he saw in my face made him stop speaking.
“Stubborn?” My voice shook, still from rage. “You stood there. You let him whip me. You called me horse piss in front of him, and now you want to play the hero?”
His jaw tightened. “I stopped him.”
“After he shot at me multiple times!” I stepped closer, ignoring the pain. “After he dragged me by my hair. After I nearly fell into a spike pit.” My voice dropped. “So forgive me if I’m not grateful, Master Nikolai.”
The title sounded sarcastic. I wasn’t some sort of slave, I was a goddamn employee!
For a moment, he said nothing. Just stared at me with those unreadable blue eyes.
“I’m going back to work,” I said coldly. “I still have stalls to clean.”
I turned and limped away, leaving him with his horse and whatever guilt he was capable of feeling.
I didn’t care how fat his ego was or how sadistic he was because it normally shouldn’t have anything to do with me. The only reason I hadn’t called off the mate bond yet was because I didn’t want him to jeopardise my mission.
The last few days had made one thing painfully clear: Nikolai Quinn wasn’t my friend. He knew exactly why I was here, and nothing would stop him from turning his back on me when it suited him. And when the time came, I might have to end his life too.
I would do whatever it took to save my child. Anything at all…
Behind me, I heard one last word from him. It was quiet and almost swallowed by the wind:
“Fuck.” He cursed.
- Writer
