AllFreeNovel
Share Us
When he looked at her, all she could see wassilver.
Until he turned and cut across the field, away from the barn. He didn’t motion for her to follow. This time his body language seemed to convey less of a command and more of a question.
Trust me? Then come on.
Loren hesitated until he was halfway up the hill. Only then did she follow, and she wasn’t surprised to find him waiting for her. Together, they neared the woods, with Loren only slightly behind.
Her mind raced as she struggled to keep pace with his long strides. Where on earth could he be taking her? The deeper within the forest they went, the taller the trees looming above became. The chilling wind didn’t help calm her building anxiety.
Before any fear could truly set in, the underbrush thinned, and they stumbled into an open field where the tall grass had been mowed down.
There, Officer McGoven turned to face her. “You aren’t like everyone else, Loren,” he began, letting his voice carry on the wind. “That’s your first lesson.”
Lesson?
“You need to trust your instincts. Learn to rely on them.”
Before she fully processed the advice, he lunged. The next second, she was lying on the ground, tasting dirt.
So much for instinct. Fear was a stronger impulse.Don’t move,it told her.Tuck. Curl into a ball—make yourself small. He’ll get tired of hitting you eventually, as long as you don’t move—
“Loren.”
Her hands were in front of her face.Reflex, she thought. Peeking through her fingers, she saw Officer McGoven standing over her. Not her father or any of the specters from her childhood. Rather than angry or aggressive, he looked…disappointed.
“Loren, get up. We can try again—” He paused with his hand outstretched, inches from her face. “I won’t hurt you.”
Shame flooded her cheeks. She could only imagine how pathetic she looked to trigger the concern in his voice. Warily, she took his hand, allowing him to pull her upright. The second she regained her balance, he let her go.
“You froze.” His tone resonated with disapproval. “You didn’t even see me coming, did you?”
She shook her head, wondering why he’d pushed her in the first place. He didn’t even have the decency to look guilty.
“You hesitated.” Confusing her further, his tone was softer, much like a teacher directing a student toward the right answer. “When I move, you watch me—don’t think. Just react. Try again.”
Though much slower, his arm swung out, giving her enough time to duck out of reach.
“Good.” He watched her carefully, sizing her up with a single glance. “Watch where I am. Don’t think. Let your body react.”
Suddenly, he pivoted, aiming for her head. Loren obeyed his instruction and instinctively feinted to the left.
“Good,” he praised. “You catch on quick. Maybe this isn’t such a long shot after all—”
He broke off and let out a deep, heavy sigh.
“Look, we don’t have the time for me to coddle you or hold your hand. This isn’t a game. This isreal, Loren. For whatever reason, there are people who want you dead, just to get to me. You have to be able to protect yourself, and I can only think of three ways for you to do that.”
He held up his hand and began to tick off the options on his fingers one by one. “One, you get on a bus headed far from here and never look back. Two, you submit to your fate and don’t put up a fight. Or three…” His voice deepened, almost into a growl.
“Three?” Loren pressed when he didn’t speak.
He advanced step by step until it was way too late for her to run. “Three,” he said finally when he was within arm’s reach.
He was right; this wasn’t a game.He caught her forearm in a bruising grip, forcing her to her knees. It hurt. Her free hand grasped at the muddy earth for leverage, and genuine fear ran down her spine. She tried to struggle, but he only tightened his hold. His strength was too much. She’d never overpower him.No!Her lips parted, readying for a scream.
But then another sound drowned out everything else.Submit!It was an order, echoing through her mind like a gunshot. His lips didn’t even move, but it was his voice. Commanding her.
Submit. Give in. Obey. You are mine.
