Chapter3
1287 Words
Sage’s POV
“Please don’t drop me…” I repeated, my voice trembling as Ivan dashed down the empty hall.
He didn't answer me. Instead, he tightened his grip under my knees and his other hand at my back.
My heart thudded loudly. I was sure he could hear it too.
My gaze shifted to him for a second to his face. His skin was slightly pale and his eyes were…darker.
I blinked and tightened my arms around his neck.
I heard footsteps coming behind us.
Ivan stopped and looked back.
“Is it… them?” I whispered, my voice breaking.
Their shadows grew across the hall.
My breath hitched and I almost panicked before Ivan said, “We need to get to a faster exit before they catch up.”
He was right. I looked around, there was no exit. Except…the eerie looking stairwell. The lights flickered and I slowly looked at Ivan. His gaze was already fixed on me like he was studying me.
“We have to,” he said, with a hardened expression.
My head felt lighter. I was already trembling.
“Oh…” I whispered.
His face softened, then it turned numb again.
He turned the other way, where the footsteps were coming from.
“What are you doing?” I asked, with a shallow breath.
“Hold on tight to me,” he clenched his jaw.
I knew how overboard my mind was going when I saw a glint of red in his eyes… at least what I thought I saw.
“O-okay,” I shuddered and held on tighter.
He walked confidently and the two guards walking in our direction slowed down as they saw us.
For a second, everything felt like it had stopped. My breathing, my thoughts… everything.
One of the guards suspected something was off. He frowned.
“Hey-”
Ivan didn’t slow down. I mumbled, signaling to him that we should slow down or else they’ll arrest us. But he ignored and his grip tightened once more.
My heart slammed harder against my ribs.
“Sir, everywhere is on lockdown, you can’t-” The other guard started.
Ivan stopped a few steps away from them. I could feel my bones wiggling.
Were we seriously doing this?
For a moment, none of them spoke.
Then Ivan said quietly, “You didn’t see us.”
It didn’t sound like a threat, it was like a command.
For a second, something flashed in Ivan’s eyes.
The guards looked at each other, then back at him.
I closed my eyes.
This was finally it.
I was waiting for them to grab us.
“Right…” one of them muttered, causing me to open my eyes slowly.
The other one nodded slowly, “Right.”
And just like that, they stepped aside.
My mind spun as we passed the emergency exit and reached the alley. The moment the door shut behind us, my head snapped towards him.
“What was that?” I screeched.
He ignored the question and carried me out of the alleyway to the open road. He scanned both sides before moving towards a black car.
I didn’t know it was his until he brought out the key remote and opened it. He dropped me carefully before going to the other side.
He started the car and acted like nothing happened back there.
“You’re not saying anything,” I finally said.
“What do you want to hear?” He replied.
“Everything!” I shrieked.
I wanted to know why he was helping me, why we walked past the guards unharmed and w-why…he didn’t let us go through the stairwell.
Ivan kept his eyes on the road regardless.
“The stairwell wasn’t the fastest way out, if that’s what you’re wondering.”
“No, that’s completely diff-” I paused. “Well, maybe it was. It was the closest exit out and for some reason you picked the harder option.”
“It was the closest, not the fastest,” he corrected.
“That doesn’t make sense still,”
“It does if you’re thinking clearly,” he said. “Right now you’re hurt and panicking, you can't calculate moves well.”
My fingers dug into my palm.
“Then explain it to me, since you’re the one thinking clearly.”
He exhaled slowly, like I was testing his patience.
“The lights were flickering,” he said.
“So?”
“You were already shaking.”
My brows furrowed. I knew what he was hinting at but I didn't want to believe it, because there was no way he could have understood that.
“W-what does that have to do with anything?” I asked.
He finally glanced at me.
“Your breathing changed as we approached the stairwell, you tightened your grip on me, I could feel your heart pounding harder and faster.”
My cheeks burned.
“I still don’t understand what that had to do.”
“You’re afraid of the dark, Sage.”
My stomach twisted like he had deciphered a confidential code.
My lips parted.
“H-how do you know that?” I blinked.
“Anyone with common sense would notice.”
My gaze stayed on him.
Maybe he was right.
I was spooked back there, I only didn’t expect him to notice and conclude.
“What about the guards?” I asked. “You walked back to them like you knew they were going to let us go.”
“I didn’t,” he said, taking a turn to another road. “I only played a trick on their minds, there’s this thing called reverse psychology.”
I almost rolled my eyes.
“You told them we weren’t there,”
“And?”
“And they acted like we weren’t there!”
“And?”
“That’s not normal!” I blurted.
“Was anything about tonight normal?”
Well, now that I think of it…no.
I pinched my temple.
I was in a car with a very strange man. I had a mild concussion. My ankle was throbbing. I had no idea where we were going. I had lost my phone. I was wanted by a whole pack.
Regardless of what was going on, it was better than getting engaged to my death.
“We’re here,” Ivan said as we came to a halt.
I unbuckled my seatbelt and looked around through the glass.
I gulped as a large house stood in front of us.
“This is where… you live?” I asked slowly.
“For now, it’s somewhere safe.”
He lifted me again before I could argue.
“You know I can walk right?” I muttered.
He just ignored me and opened the door with a key card.
The inside was nothing like the outside. The outside looked like an old crusty mansion but the inside looked… modern and cozy.
He dropped me on the couch.
“It’s a perfect illusion for intruders,” he said in a low tone.
“Oh… did you-did I say that out loud?” I said, wondering if I had asked out loud.
He looked at me and I shook off the thought.
“You should get some rest,” he said.
“I’m fine,” I protested.
A yawn escaped.
“Right,” I finally said.
He lifted me again and took me to a big room.
“This should be enough for you.” He said. “Then in the morning, I’ll check your ankle and we can formulate a plan.”
“Thank you,” I whispered.
He finally shut the door.
The adrenaline finally wore off and I was alone with my thoughts.
- Writer
