Page 9 of Born of Blood and Thorns

"Get off me!" I shouted, struggling to break free.

Gideon's grip tightened, and for a moment, fear consumed me. The fire within me still burned, and I used it to fuel my actions.

"I'm going to bite you and fuck you in that order." He hissed against my skin before his teeth sunk savagely into the flesh just above my collarbone.

Red-hot rage boiled through my veins, and I kneed him so hard in the groin that he released his bite with a grunt. Without another thought, I pulled out my dagger and plunged it deep into his side. His amber eyes widened in shock as the trickle of blood seeped from the side of his mouth. The injured wolf growled possessively, "You are mine," before collapsing into the mud at my feet.

He would live, unfortunately.

I quickly searched for somewhere safe to hide before sprinting into the night. Howling wolves soon echoed around me, taunting me as I raced toward the forbidden woods. My only chance of survival lay ahead, but could I make it there before Gideon was back up?

I bolted down the alleyway, tears streaming down my face. In my haste, I knocked over a stack of empty crates, causing a loud crash that echoed through the night. I didn't dare look back to see if my pursuers had heard.

Gideon's enraged roar told me he was hot on my trail. I poured all my energy into my burning legs, sprinting for the forbidden forest.

Just as the trees came into view, a heavy weight slammed into me from behind. I crashed to the ground, all the air forced from my lungs. Struggling to breathe, I flipped over to find Gideon's hulking form above me, his eyes flashing amber with fury.

I clawed desperately at the ground, my fingers grazing a jagged rock. With a desperate prayer, I smashed it against Gideon's temple. He howled in pain and loosened his grip just enough for me to wriggle free.

I didn't look back this time as I raced for the shadowy forest, weaving between trees until his roars faded into the distance. Gasping for breath, I allowed myself a moment to grieve the loss of my weak mortal life. There was no going back now toward either my salvation or my brutal end. I ran into the dark and foreboding woods that bordered the village's south side.

The woods where the newspaper article said bodies had been found. The woods everyone knew never to go into. I hoped the fact no one went in there would give me some saving grace. If I swallowed my fear, I could use it to my advantage.

My heart hammered in my chest, and I knew Gideon would not let me go without a fight. I refused to be claimed by him or anyone else.

I'm not their possession, I thought fiercely, stumbling over roots and rocks as I plunged deeper into the forest. I'm my own person, and I will fight for my freedom, even if it kills me.

Which seemed likely.

The shadows closed around me, swallowing me whole as I fled, with Gideon's enraged howls echoing through the night behind me. The journey ahead would be treacherous, but one thing was clear: I would never stop running. Whatever it took, I would find a way to forge my own path.

CHAPTER 4

Bella

The icy gale ripped through my hair, howling a deafening tone that rattled my bones. I pressed my chattering teeth tightly together as the smell of pine and the sharpness of frost invaded my senses. Even this late into the night, the shifters were enjoying the last vestiges of the night. I glanced up into the sky, squinting at the pale sliver of the moon concealed behind clouds that hugged it in a winter's embrace. The slightest of outlines could be seen to prove it was full.

The curse of the woods was so powerful this night that it almost felt alive as snow began to fall, growing heavier with each step I took. I could taste the magic in the air, a thick feeling of dread that warned me to turn back or suffer the consequences. Still, I pushed forward, desperate and determined to outrun my fate. My feet were rooted to the ground, unable to move past the invisible barrier despite the ever-present desperation that drove me further into the darkness.

Driven by sheer desperation, I scrambled up a steep incline, jagged rocks slicing into my palms. The pain only fueled me, driving me further into the woods, away from the monster who sought to claim me.

As I reached the top of the hill, my foot caught on a hidden root, sending me tumbling to the ground. I cried out in pain as my body collided with the earth, fresh wounds blossoming across my skin. I tried to pick myself up, but my battered limbs refused to obey.

Gideon's treacherous plans hung heavy in my mind, serving as an inconsolable reminder that I never truly belonged here amongst these monsters—ones who twisted love and commitment into nothing but depravity and slavery.

They treated women like objects and used them for their own gain until they were exhausted and discarded like yesterday's trash. My heart ached at this injustice, thanking God each day that He had given me the gift of being born mortal. This curse would not have me.

At least vampires had the decency not to toy with people's lives just for sport.

I was determined not to let Gideon, who had forced his claim on me, find and use me however he pleased. The air around me seemed to be changing, almost as if warning me to stop, but I ignored it and forged ahead.

I had underestimated the wolves so determined to run me to the ground. Their growls reverberated through the forest, a new tone added as they barked viciously at me. One deeper, louder, more guttural, and primal. The sound had my back threatening to bend and me falling to my knees, giving the wolves the advantage as they gained on me. They surrounded me. Gideon's pale blond wolf was still covered in blood as he snapped his jaws angrily at me. I pulled out my dagger and waited.

My heart raced as the wolf lunged toward me, ready to tear out my throat. With every ounce of strength I had left, I shifted sideways, desperately trying to dodge its attack. Only to realize too late that my legs were numb from the cold, leaving them useless and dead weight. I knew I was dead, but I'd go down fighting. His wolf lunged, and I shifted sideways, stumbling as the cold numbed me into nothing more than dead-weight appendages as I barely was able to miss getting my throat torn out.

Gideon growled, stalking toward me like a predator closing in on its prey. His eyes blazed with triumph and something darker—something that made my blood run cold.

"Stay away from me!" I spat defiantly, even as my body trembled with exhaustion. I wouldn't give him the satisfaction of seeing me submit.

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