On the Run

Chapter Four

I kept my eye on the area where I had seen the movement in the tree line, but nothing more suspicious happened, so it didn’t seem worth noting to the new guard. “Considering you are my new assignment I should introduce myself,” the man said while extending his hand. “I’m the Leader’s new head of security, Mason Peron.”

I gripped his hand firmly, trying not to show weakness. “I’m Bethenny Conrad and that’s my daughter Amelia,” I said, pointing to my daughter.

Upon hearing her name, Amelia waved at Mason, excitedly shouting, “Hi neighbor!”

He chuckled, “Well, I’m not quite your neighbor yet, darlin’. I will be here to protect you and your mama though.”

As quickly as Mason had gotten her attention, it was gone just as quickly when she discovered her box of chalk on the porch. Her brow furrowed in concentration as she scribbled and drew various shapes on the cement.

Now that I was getting a better look at him, he was surprisingly handsome. His eyes were a deep, smoky gray with flecks of amber like the embers left from a large fire. It was hard to tear my eyes away once I noticed them. They were unusual but so beautiful. My gaze drifted from his stubble covered jawline down to his muscular arms. The urge to be naked, wrapped in his arms suddenly emerged. What is wrong with me? Colby hasn’t even been executed yet and I’m drooling over the guard who’s here to make sure I become the pack’s c*m dump.

“Are you going to be out here all night?” I asked, my tone icy.

His brow furrowed in confusion by my sudden change in demeanor. “Look, I don’t agree with this crazy breeding crap either,” he whispered. “But I’m all my son has, my true mate died when she gave birth. I haven’t been with anyone since and I don’t want to be with anyone else.”

I scoffed, “If you think it’s so wrong then why do the job?”

Anger flashed in his eyes for a brief moment, only to be quickly replaced with regret. “I volunteered because...what the others were planning to do—” he stopped himself from speaking.

I took a step closer, placing my hand on his arm gently hoping that feeling my presence would calm him. He looked down at me, his concern evident in his expression. Could he be the one willing to save me from this impending nightmare? What sick things were the other guards planning to do to me?

It wasn’t a perfect situation but at least there was one person so far who seemed to believe that what the Leader was planning was wrong. Either way, I was going to be forced to breed with the men in our pack. The thought of the Leader himself violating me, made the bile rise up in my throat. I gripped tightly into Mason’s arm. With tears in my eyes threatening to spill over, I looked into his smoky orbs. “Then please help us. We can all leave here,” I begged. “Please, you can’t want his future for your son. Expected to violate a woman who is being forced to breed?”

Mason raked his free hand through his hair and exhaled loudly. He looked off into the tree line for a moment. Maybe he saw something out there too. “It’s going to take some time. I don’t know if I’ll be able to get you out before…but there’s a chance,” he explained. “Do you have family somewhere?”

“My parents, they’re in the Cascades Territory,” I said.

“Well, that complicates things,” Mason said while rubbing the back of his head. “The Leader has increased security along that border, which makes sense now if that was your former pack.”

My sense of hope deflated a little at this news. It was a good thing we hadn’t left on our own already. The trail I was going to take crossed the Marsh/Cascades border, which no doubt would be flooded with guards. I would have to figure out another way, but due to my new position in the pack, being able to explore the surrounding forest would likely be out of the question. “Maybe it’s hopeless,” I mumbled. “I have to get her inside, it’s getting late. I guess I’ll see you around.”

“Goodnight Mrs. Conrad,” Mason said, retreating from the porch to stand nearer the unpaved street.

I helped Amelia put the chalk back into its container before ushering her inside the house. I expected to feel relief to be safely inside my home, but at that moment it never felt more like a prison. A prison cell I was fooled into thinking was a true home. I looked at the walls with their faded wallpaper that was peeling in some spots. I was finally seeing this place for the hellish dump that it was. The sooner we get back to Cascades, the better, I thought.

Amelia pulling on my pant leg brought my attention back to her. “Yes, baby?” I asked as I reached down to pick her up.

“Popcorn, Mama,” she told me.

I tickled her tummy, wiggling my fingers up to collarbone, finally stopping to give her a little boop on the nose with my index finger. “Does popcorn and a movie sound like fun?” I suggested.

“Yeah!” Amelia yelled in excitement.

Amelia trailed behind me as I made my way into the small kitchen area to begin making her the treat she wanted with her movie for the evening. I rummaged around the cabinet looking for the popcorn I hid in the back from Colby. He always ate the few snacks we could afford to get for Amelia, so I had to resort to hiding them. He ate like a ravenous pig when he drank and every night he came home he would scavenge for anything he could in the house.

Once the popcorn had finished popping, I poured it into a bowl of Amelia’s choosing while she picked the movie we would be watching. I carried the big bowl into the small living room, placing it on the coffee table in front of me. “Did you pick one yet, Amelia?” I asked, checking her progress.

“This one! This one!” she cheered.

I looked down at the movie about an ogre and a princess, her favorite. “Oh man, this is a good movie,” I said, trying to be as cheerful as she was.

I spent more of the time watching Amelia watch the movie than anything. Enjoying the beauty of her smile when something made her happy, her infectious laugh when she thought a scene was funny gave me conflicting feelings. Maybe risking death for us both is worth it to save her.