POV ESMERAY
The interior of the trailer smelled of dry rot, old motor oil, and a history I wasn't a part of. I sat on the edge of a moth-eaten sofa, listening to the muffled voices outside. I couldn't hear the words, but the cadence was enough to make my stomach twist into knots. Ruan's low rumble and Jade's melodic, sharp tones were a symphony of shared secrets. Every second I spent in that dusty cage was a second I spent realizing that despite the road, despite the motel, and despite the "Claimed" labels, I didn't know the man I had entrusted my life to at all.
I stood up, my boots scuffing against the grime-covered linoleum. I wasn't going to sit here like a discarded toy while the ghost of Ruan's past marked her territory. I pushed open the creaky door of the trailer and steppe
