96
LIZA
Asharp pain pierced my skull, forcing me to wake up. The room swirled around me like a carousel, blurring the unfamiliar surroundings into a disorienting mess. I blinked in an attempt to clear my vision, but the pounding in my head only intensified.
“Where am I?” I muttered as I carefully got up from the cold, hard floor. My limbs, heavy and uncooperative, seemed to belong to someone else.
Hints of light filtered through the dark curtains drawn across the windows just enough for me to make out the antique furniture—a large wooden wardrobe, an ornate vanity mirror, and a plush velvet chair—but nothing looked familiar.
“Think, Liza, think.” I rubbed my temples to try and ease the aching in my head, willing myself to remember what had happened and how I had ended up here, but my memories were shrouded in a thick fog, leaving me grasping at fleeting images.
“Ty.” The name slipped past my lips like a lifeline. My mate, my rock, my anchor. If anyone could find me, it would be him. The mere thought of Ty made me a little braver, a little stronger. He wouldn’t stop until he found me.
I had to believe that.
“Focus.” I inhaled deeply. If I couldn’t remember how I got here, maybe I could at least figure out whereherewas. I stumbled over to the window, the heavy drapes rustling reluctantly as I pulled them back.
Outside, the world was a sea of darkness, broken only by the silhouettes of towering mountains and dense groves of trees. Wild and untamed. Something about the landscape was strangely familiar, like it was calling to some distant part inside me.
“Well, I’m in Texas.” I stared out at the vast expanse before me. The terrain definitely looked like that of my home state, but beyond that I had no idea where I might be, or who had brought me here.
I jumped when a soft, familiar voice suddenly echoed in my head.
Holy shit.
“Easy, Liza,”he said soothingly, sending an involuntary shudder through my body.
“Who are you?” I said out loud instead of inside my head. “What’s going on? Why am I here?”
“Please, calm down.”His voice was gentle.“You’re safe here, I promise. No one is going to harm you.”
“I’m having conversations with a voice in my head that’s telling me I’m safe. You’ll have to forgive me if I find that a little hard to believe.”
“I understand how strange this must seem, but trust me when I say you’re not losing your mind,”he assured me.“I can’t explain everything right now, but soon, I will.”
“Who are you?” I asked again with mounting frustration.
Again, there was no response, and my anxiety only grew.
“Listen,” I said, about to lose control. “My mate is going to find me. Ty won’t stop until he does, and when he does, you’ll all be sorry.”
The voice in my head remained silent, leaving me with nothing but my own thoughts. No comfort there. They were nothing but a jumble of worry, anger, and fear. I couldn’t stay trapped in this room any longer. I needed to get out, find answers, and get back to Ty and my family.
Hoping for a quick and easy exit, I inspected the windows first, but tugging on the handles only proved they were locked tight.
“Of course,” I said under my breath, rolling my eyes. Why would my captors make it easy for me?
Next, I turned my attention to the door, which was just as locked as the windows, naturally. I ran a hand through my tangled hair, but I refused to give up. Therehadto be some way out of this place. I searched the room more thoroughly, checking every nook and cranny, even the floorboards, for hidden exits or weaknesses. So far, nothing.
“Why am I here?” I asked myself out loud, resting my forehead against the cool glass of the window, willing the answer to come. The world outside remained stubbornly silent, offering no clues.
A short distance away from the window, I spotted an odd-looking tree branch that seemed out of place, almost like it was beckoning me. Maybe I could use the branch to escape? It was a long shot, but I was desperate.
“’Kay, then. Windows it is.” I cracked my knuckles and gave the locks another determined look. “Let’s see if you can stand up to a pissed-off wolf shifter.”
I backed away from the pane, giving myself enough room to charge forward with all my strength. If I could break the glass, I could climb out onto that branch, and make my way down thetree. It wasn’t much of a plan, but it was all I had, and I clung to it.
“Here goes nothing.” I launched myself at the window.
