The creek tore at her legs like claws, but Amelia kept moving.
Her breath came in ragged gasps, her throat raw from cold and exhaustion, but she didn’t stop.
Couldn’t stop.
Not now.
The sound of Lucian’s voice still echoed through the trees, distant but getting closer.
Every word was a hook sinking into her skin.
“You can’t hide, baby. I’ll find you. I always do.”
Her stomach twisted, bile rising in her throat.
But she bit it back and stumbled on, deeper into the woods.
⸻
Her mind raced.
She had to be smart.
Faster wasn’t enough—Lucian was always faster.
She had to be smarter.
Up ahead, the creek split, one path curling left, the other right into thicker brush.
She didn’t hesitate—
She splashed to the right, dragging a heavy branch behind her, sweeping away her footprints.
