chapter 21: The Hunt Begins
524 Words
Alina’s lungs burned as she ran, the cold night air searing her throat with every breath. The estate was behind her, but the danger wasn’t over—not even close.
The road stretched ahead, dark and desolate, surrounded by nothing but endless forest. Her bare feet pounded against the asphalt, each step sending jolts of pain up her legs, but she couldn’t stop.
Not when she could hear the distant roar of an engine.
Viktor was coming.
She glanced over her shoulder, fear gripping her as she spotted the headlights piercing through the darkness.
A black SUV.
Fast. Ruthless. Unstoppable.
Just like him.
Alina veered off the road, crashing into the dense underbrush. Branches scratched her arms and tangled in her hair, but she kept going, pushing deeper into the trees.
She had no plan, no direction—only the desperate need to get away.
Behind her, the vehicle skidded to a stop.
Doors slammed.
Men shouting.
Then—footsteps.
They were coming after her.
Alina forced herself to move faster, dodging trees and leaping over roots. The darkness was thick, suffocating, but she couldn’t afford to slow down.
A branch snapped behind her.
Too close.
Panic clawed at her throat.
Then—a hand grabbed her wrist.
She screamed, thrashing wildly, but the grip was ironclad.
"Let me go!" she gasped, kicking and twisting.
But it wasn’t Viktor.
The man holding her was one of his guards—a brute with a scar slashing down his cheek.
"You're not going anywhere, printsessa," he sneered, yanking her closer.
No.
Alina refused to let it end like this.
She drove her knee up, slamming it into his stomach. He grunted, loosening his grip just enough for her to rip free.
Without thinking, she grabbed a nearby rock and swung it as hard as she could.
Crack.
The man staggered back, cursing as blood dripped from his forehead.
Alina didn't wait to see if he recovered. She ran.
Her legs ached, her body screaming for rest, but she didn’t stop.
She couldn't.
The trees blurred past her, her only focus on putting as much distance between her and Viktor’s men as possible.
Then—
She burst out onto another road.
And headlights blinded her.
Alina skidded to a halt, her heart hammering.
A car.
Not one of Viktor’s.
A stranger.
Hope surged through her.
She stumbled toward the vehicle, waving her arms frantically.
"Please! Help me!"
The driver hesitated, but the sight of her—disheveled, bleeding, desperate—made him open the door.
"Get in!" he said.
Alina didn’t hesitate.
She threw herself inside, slamming the door shut just as the roar of another engine tore through the night.
The SUV.
Viktor.
"Go!" she shouted.
The driver didn't ask questions. He slammed his foot on the gas, the tires screeching as they sped off.
Alina twisted in her seat, watching as Viktor’s vehicle grew smaller in the distance.
She had done it.
She had escaped.
For now.
Because she knew one thing for certain—
Viktor would never stop hunting her.
And when he found her, there would be no mercy.
To be continued...
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- Writer
