Aurora's POV:
I was hauled into a shadowy corner of the garden.
The hand clamped over my mouth was calloused, and I caught the pungent scent of damp earth and crushed leaves on it.
It had to be a man. His grip was ironclad, impossible to break.
I strained with every ounce of strength, but his hold was unyielding. My mouth was sealed shut, stifling any cry for help. Fear coiled in my chest as my mind raced to figure out who could be orchestrating this nightmare.
Finally, the shadowy figure yanked me into the thicket and let go.
I tumbled onto the muddy ground, scrambling to look up.
The dim light cast by the garden lamps revealed his face. He was a grizzled, middle-aged man with a scraggly beard and leathery skin, clad in grimy overalls and mud-splattered rain boots—no doubt Blaze's
