*Rion*
I woke up with Daphne in my arms, the most relaxed and worry-free I had been in all of my life. As she slept, I watched her chest rise and fall and listened to the sound of her breathing.
It was such a peaceful sight. She looked like an angel at rest and I dared not wake her. I rembered her words from last night, about feeling like we were sohow fated and possibly mates.
I let my body lt into her but as it did, my mind worked its way into the pesky realm of reality. There was no future for us.
I got up as quietly as I could so I wouldn’t disturb her, but there was no point in remaining there when my own mind had ruined the mont.
I left the room and walked down the stairs. The aroma of Katheryn’s breakfast cleared my head and helped focus on the present. I found Jasper at the bar with a cup of orange juice and so eggs and bacon.
"Good morning, Rion," Jasper greeted with a nod. "Sleep well?"
I shrugged, not wanting to discuss the thoughts that had plagued all night. "Yeah, fine."
He raised an eyebrow, clearly not buying my response, but he didn’t push the issue. Instead, he gestured to the seat opposite him. "Have so breakfast."
I sat down and waited for my food, trying to put aside my thoughts and focus on the task at hand. “No hangover today?” I asked.
He laughed off the light jab. “I couldn’t drink last night after the night before. Still had a good ti. Feeling a lot better today.”
“That’s good,” I said.
Katheryn set a plate on the bar in front of . I took the food and accepted the coffee she handed .
“You should get the crew together so we can be on our way,” I said. “I want to get ahead and finish that up as soon as we can.”
“What about you and Daphne?” Jasper asked.
“There is no and Daphne.”
He gave a doubtful look. “I can tell that she’s nothing like what you expected.”
I looked at him and asked, “What do you think about the idea of fated mates?”
His expression turned serious. “I’ve never really given it too much thought. I believe in choices. Whatever fate we have, there has to be a choice to make it important or worth anything. Do you think Daphne is yours?”
“A nobody criminal like being with a princess? It’s just an impossible fantasy,” I said. “I can’t imagine the king and queen welcoming . I can’t see Daphne on the run with either.”
“I am sure there is so common ground to be found between those choices,” Jasper pointed out. “But again, it’s a choice.”
Katheryn returned from the kitchen and looked at .
“I’ve received a response from the palace about the reward. Looks like it’s a go,” she said.
“So we should get going then,” I said.
Jasper finished up and said, “I’ll go round up the guys, then.”
They both left to finish my breakfast and stew in my darkening thoughts.
Between getting Eva back and having to part with Daphne, it was beyond bittersweet, and I felt crushed under the weight of what I needed to happen to get Daphne back ho and to keep Eva safe.
I tapped my finger on the table, irritable and tense. I drank the coffee but it didn’t help. My insides clenched. I knew that walking away from Daphne ant that I was giving up on what could be one of the most important things in my life... my mate.
“She’s just a princess,” I grumbled under my breath, but I knew it was a lie as soon as it escaped my lips. She was so much more to than that.
A faint banging slowly reached my ears, bringing out of my thoughts as Katheryn’s voice echoed through the inn.
“Daphne! What’s going on?! Daphne! Open the door!”
My heart raced as I stood from my seat and rushed up the stairs. I found Katheryn trying to open the door to Daphne’s room, but it was locked from the inside.
"Daphne, it’s Katheryn. Are you alright? Please open the door." Katheryn’s voice was laced with concern.
I took a few steps toward the door and placed my ear against it, hoping to hear any sign of Daphne. But all I could hear was the sound of my own heartbeat thudding in my chest.
I gathered all of the strength of my wolf and knocked down the door to see Daphne wrapped up in the bed sheets, bound and gagged on the floor. I was also face to face with three bandits shifting.
I recognized a fourth man who hadn’t shifted as soone from Brutus’s gang, and he had hoisted Daphne into his arms. Her teary eyes were wide with fear. My wolf flushed with fury and I jumped toward her, only to be tackled by the other wolves. The man holding Daphne broke through the window, carrying her away with him.
I howled for my crew as I shifted and fought the three wolves, praying that this ti my crew would co when I needed them most.
***
*Daphne*
I was sleeping rather well when a heavy body landed on . It jolted awake. The iron grip of whoever it was that landed on grew tighter as I struggled. My wriggling and stretching was no use, so I let loose a scream.
Within a few seconds, my scream was cut off by a hand that stuffed sothing into my mouth. Tape sealed my lips shut and I could only make muffled cries. Those sa hands wrapped up like a mummy in the bedsheets.
I kicked and wiggled to get free, but it was no use. Within a few monts, my hands and feet were bound together with thick, knotted rope that may as well have been solid iron for what little good struggling did to try to get loose.
Then, I heard Katheryn’s voice as she banged on the door. I scread as loud as I could. It was still muffled, but muffled noise was better than no noise at all.
“Shift and attack whoever cos through,” I heard a voice say.
It was then that I realized there were others in the room. I thrashed around on the bed, but the man at my ankles struck the small of my back. A flash of pain seared from my back and rushed up to the other areas of my body in a stinging wave.
I groaned but knew that if I struggled again, the consequences could be worse. Then, I heard Rion’s voice on the other side of the door. I let out more muffled screams.
In response, the guy who’d slapped my back grabbed by my hair and pulled up so I was forced to rise. My scalp scread in pain. When I was upright, he slung his aty arm around my waist and pulled into him.
My eyes watered, but I felt another arm going underneath the crux of my knees, and within seconds I was hoisted into the air and carried toward a blurry, rectangular light. That had to be the window, and I knew they were going to haul through it to make their escape.
I struggled again and scread Rion’s na through the gag. I kicked and used my abdon to do the work my hands and feet couldn’t. I felt the man’s fingers on the back of my knee and used the joint to squeeze his fingers as hard as I could.
The man groaned and dropped , and I landed on the floor with a massive thud. My butt broke my fall as all of the wind was knocked out of .
Tears of fright and pain spilled from the corners of my eyes.
Within the next second, the door exploded. I nearly cracked my neck looking over to see Rion rush in. My captor lifted up off the ground like he was lifting a doll off the floor. I was limp, and the pain in my lower back and head throbbed.
He threw over his shoulder and turned just enough so I could see the three wolves launch at Rion. I scread at him, but the gag made the effort useless. I tried to struggle, but it caused more pain to course through my back.
My captor rushed for the window and I was forced to brace myself. I closed my eyes as he made the jump. A jolt forced to open them and I saw that we had landed on the porch’s overhang.
He jumped again and we landed on the ground. Then he took off, and outside of the huff and puff of his exerted breath, I heard a car running. Its purr drew closer until he stopped and I heard a car door open.
Within a second, I was turned around and shoved into the backseat of a sedan. My captor sat next to slamming the door. The car soon peeled off away from the inn and onto the bumpy country road. The car took off so fast that I hit my forehead on the window. My head hurt even more.
I turned around in the rollicking car as it picked up speed. In the next second, the man next to forced the seatbelt around . I wriggled and moved back for montum to thrust forward, but it cinched even tighter.
I glanced out the rearview mirror, onto the dark country road, and saw another car chasing us. The driver revved their engine and sped up, but the car behind us picked up speed, jostling violently on the uneven road.
I looked back at my captor and saw a twisted, malicious grin on his face. Fear ran through like a bolt of lightning. Who were these people, and what did they want with ?
My mind raced as I tried to think of a way to escape. But my hands and feet were still bound, the gag was still in my mouth, and the seatbelt kept firmly in place.
Suddenly, the car swerved, throwing against the door. My captor laughed as I struggled to regain my balance.
“Don’t worry, princess,” he said, his voice filled with malice. “We’ll get you there in one piece.”
My heart raced as I tried to make sense of what he was saying. Where were they taking and why did they need to kidnap to do it?
I was unsure who was in the other car. I hoped it was Rion or Katheryn. I held onto that hope as the car throttled around. I closed my eyes and prayed that we wouldn’t crash.
The car behind us revved up and smashed into the back of ours. I scread as it did it again before our car swerved so that the other car was forced off the road and into a tree. I could see an explosion of glass shards twinkle in the rearview mirror.
All hope for rescue vanished as the sedan picked up speed.
Reviews
All reviews (0)