Page 81 of Fated to Her

Eli goes inside to retrieve the towels. The shower does nothing; nothing can warm the cold feeling that has settled over me. Even hopping in bed, the sparks of them hold no comfort. Eli is first to fall asleep; he has been up early every morning since taking over as Alpha. I have to fight to stay awake; I nearly doze off a couple of times before jolting myself awake in a panic. Glancing over at my mates, they are both asleep; now comes the tricky part of getting out of bed without waking them.

I carefully crawl to the bottom of the bed and step off it. I shiver at the loss of their warmth as I step on the cold stone floor before slipping my shoes on. I then grab my dressing gown as it is the only offer of warmth that fits around my swollen belly. I check again to make sure they stay asleep. I twist the brass doorknob and open the door before gently closing it. Walking into the living room, I stop in my tracks when I see Maverick sitting at the small table.

“Addie, dear, what are you doing up?” he asks.

“Thirsty and I need to pee,” I tell him, walking over to the sink and grabbing a cup before filling it with water. I rinse the cup.

He stands. “I’ll take you out if you want.”

“No, it’s fine. I’ll be quick.”

“You sure? I don’t mind.”

I shake my head.

“Okay, then. Make sure you’re quick. It’s cold outside tonight.” He stretches. “Night, Addie,” he says then heads toward his room.

I wait till I hear his door close before walking to the front door. I listen for any movement, knowing him being up has just cost me time. Cyrus and Eli will sense me not in bed eventually.

Getting outside, a chill runs up my spine at what I’m about to do. The village is quiet—no one awake at this hour—and the only noises are coming from the wind as it whistles between the houses, the sounds of the trees swaying in the wind. I walk through the small village before coming to the fields.

This place gives me the creeps at night, the trees eerie. I hate coming out here in the dark, especially when the only light is coming from the moon that sits high in the sky. I run, the long grass whipping against me as I try not to fall over my own feet, my hands clutching my belly. It doesn’t take long until I’m winded, my body aching from the sudden exercise. I clutch my knees, having to stop, trying to catch my breath which comes in short puffs.

I’m only halfway to the treeline. I glance back toward the village that’s in total darkness. I’m about to turn back when a pair of arms snakes around my waist. I tense as the they lock securely around my body, the hairs on the back of my neck rising.

“You weren’t thinking of turning back now, were you?” Sam’s menacing voice says next to my ear.

“You smell lovely,” he says, his tongue running up the side of my neck, and a tear runs down my cheek.

What have I done? The monster I’ve been running from now has me in his clutches, and I have no one to blame but myself. I thought I could do this, sacrifice my happiness for my family, but now I truly see how foolish this is. He rubs his hands over my belly. I fight the urge to cringe at his touch.

“I can forgive you for this, but it irks me that it isn’t mine. It should have been mine, Ada,” he says before his fangs graze my neck.

This time I do cringe away from him, a shudder running through me.

“You will be punished for this little disrespect, but I shall learn to love it despite it not being mine. Now, come, my love. It’s time to leave this horrid place, time to go home. You have no idea how much I’ve missed you.”

“My family?” I ask him.

“I’ll have her set free once I have you home,” he says. He turns me to face him then grabs my thighs, lifting me; I grab his shoulders to stop from falling backward, tears blurring my vision.

“Don’t cry, my love. It was always going to end this way. You were always going to be mine, and if I can’t have you, no one will,” he tells me, his red eyes peering back at me. He moves me higher, his grip tightening around me.

“Hang on, Ada. Be a shame if I dropped you. You don’t want to harm the baby, do you?” he says.

I fight the urge to break down.

He turns toward the trees and runs, forcing me to shield my face from the wind as I tuck it into his neck. I’m moving farther and farther away, hoping Eli or Cyrus will soon realize I’m gone, regret seeping into me. I should never have been so stupid as to leave the safety of my mates.

Panic grips me, and I scream, fighting to get out of his grip. I know what is coming and can’t go through with it. I’ll be condemning my son to a life of torture if they don’t find me. Sam drops me, my body hitting the ground with a loud thud, and I scream for Eli and Cyrus, hoping they can hear me being this far from them. Yet over the howling wind, I have my doubts. I force myself to my feet and sprint blindly into the forest.

Pain ripples through my stomach, and I feel something sharp stab into my hand when I hit the ground, tripping over something in the darkness and landing on my stomach, throwing me forward. I clutch my tummy, shooting pain radiating under it, and a stickiness runs down my legs, soaking my pants as I stand. The pain becomes torturous as I try to scream for my mates, the pain taking my breath away.

Sam growls loudly, and I pivot, looking for him in the darkness, only to feel the wind rush past me as he darts off somewhere. I stand as quickly as I can and continue to run, using my hands to feel for any trees, so I don’t run into them, my other hand clutching my aching stomach.

I know we’re close to the road leading here because we’ve been running for a while. In the darkness, I can’t even see which way I’m running, but Sam has been running for at least an hour before I chickened out, unable to go through with it. I know it makes me a monster, but I can’t do it, can’t sacrifice my son, not even for my family.

Air rushes past me, and I stop, trying to see in the darkness. It’s then I hear my sister’s voice.