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Funny. Her actions so far prove otherwise.
“What did I ever do to you?” I whisper the question, followed by a violent coughing fit. Blood fills my mouth from where I bit my tongue earlier.
“This has nothing to do with you, believe it or not,” Bree whispers as her gaze travels to her hands. She sucks in a deep breath and shakes her head. “I just need Talon back. I’m not asking for much. That’s all I need, and Corbin wants you. I never intended for this to happen. I know I sound sick, but I really didn’t plan this.” Bree tries to explain herself, but nothing she says can convince me that there aren't other hidden agendas.
I struggle to keep my eyes open. I am pretty sure I have a concussion. Fighting the insane exhaustion, I want to question her about the claim she made earlier. She said I am her sister. I want answers. I need them, but when I feel the cold seep in and my body start to ache, I know I can’t stay awake for much longer. I’m fighting against time before my body gives out.
Thanks to that creep Vadum, I’ve lost too much blood, and my head is pounding even harder than before. Against everything, I try to remain awake, yet as the car sways in a comforting motion, I am sucked into oblivion.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Harlow
Slap… Slap
The sound echoes somewhere deep in my mind until silence overtakes wherever I am. Now, I feel like I can keep sleeping. I deserve this rest.
… Slap …
Apparently rest is only for the fucking wicked. I don’t want to wake up. I want to keep drifting in nothingness, drifting in peace.
… Slap …
Yet, at the same time, I feel the urge to return, or more accurately, feel something forcing me to return.
“Wake up!” someone shouts from what seems like miles away. “Wake up!” The distant voice invades not only my hearing, but also my senses. My cheek feels warm as my eyes barely flutter. I don’t want to open them.
“Wake up!” I hear the distant shout again. It’s somewhat annoying, and I almost keep my eyes closed out of spite, until I feel panic through the bond. The fear is so strong I fight the urge to drift back to sleep, but the pull sucking me under is strong. Almost too strong.
That is until I feel my head whip to the side. My cheek starts burning furiously from the force of someone’s hand connecting with my face again after who knows how many times they’ve already slapped me. I hear the voice again, and this time I can recognize it as Bree’s.
“Come on, you useless piece of shit. Give her your blood! You know as well as I do that she is no good to either of us dead!” I hear Bree snap.
A loud, pained groan leaves my lips as I force my eyes open. My vision blurs, and relief flits through the bond from my mates. I don’t have time to examine it before I am thrust back into the nightmare I thought I escaped from. I’m still in the car with my tormentors. A man who stole my blood and tried to rape me, and a woman who claims she isn’t a monster but kidnapped me from my home and tore me away from my newborn daughter and mates.
Sadly, this isn’t just a bad dream. A whimper escapes me as I’m forced to abandon the hope that this was never real.
The car stops suddenly, and Bree leans closer to pry my eyelids open.
“Why isn’t she healing? Aren’t werewolves fast healers or is that just bullshit? Is it only Alphas that heal fast?” I hear Vadum’s disgusting voice echo around me.
I feel like I am floating. Like my body is about to lift into the sky and settle on a fluffy cloud.
“Oh, so smart to think of that! Maybe it’s because you took too much blood, you imbecile! You said you just wanted a taste, but no, you had to go overboard and forget there’s this thing called limits. She isn’t a never-ending fucking juice box! She just had a baby, you idiot. She wouldn’t have shifted yet. Not while she’s breastfeeding!” Bree screams at Vadum.
I don’t hear his voice or any stupid remarks, and despite the throbbing pain, I’m pretty sure my body jolts when I hear a ripping sound.
My lips are suddenly pried open, and instinct takes over. Despite how weak I feel, I thrash as Vadum presses his bleeding wrist to my lips. I cough and sputter, refusing his blood and spitting it out. I don’t want it. I refuse to accept any part of that vile man inside me, even if it ends up costing me my life.
“Stop being so stubborn, Harlow! Do you want to die? You just stopped breathing a few seconds ago! Think about your daughter and drink his fucking blood!” Bree snaps at me.
She pinches my nose as Vadum forces his blood down my throat. I can feel the wound on my head closing. The pounding slowly fades, leaving behind nothing but a dull ache as my vision clears.
Bree finally lets go of me and lets out a breath of relief. How can she think it is okay to act relieved when she is the one who fucking did this to me?
Well, technically, it was Vadum, but it isn’t like she tried to stop him from sucking on me until he nearly drained me.
“She’s fine now,” Bree mutters to him. “Keep going. Corbin said he will be waiting for us near the service station. He just needs to figure out how to get off the mountain, then we can follow him from there,” she explains as Vadum gets back in the driver’s seat and starts the car.
