Page 9 of Damian

“One of them you will leave at a fire station,” she continues, her stare locks onto mine, willing me to understand the gravity of the situation. “The other one, outside of this address.”

I sear the address into my mind, even though I don’t know how I will find it. I don’t know what an address or a fire station is. I’ve never left the labyrinth, which has been my prison for as long as I can remember. The thought of navigating the outside world fills me with both anticipation and dread.

“How can we know the family at that address will take her?” I ask, my voice trembling with uncertainty.

“Before I was taken, they’d come to me for help. They’d paid me to mix a potion to help them conceive,” Hallie explains, her timbre steady and calm despite the dire situation. “I never made the potion.”

My brow furrows in confusion. “If they want a child of their own, they won’t want mine.”

“As soon as they look upon her, they will believe she is theirs,” Hallie reassures me, her gaze softening with empathy. “They will never know otherwise.”

My heart shatters even more, knowing one of my babies will never wonder who I am and why I had to give her up. But I’ll do anything to save her, even if it means breaking my heart more than it already has.

“As soon as it’s done, leave and never look back,” Hallie instructs, her expression firm and unyielding.

“How will I survive or know where to go? I’ve never been to the outside world,” I confess with the fear of the unknown gnawing at me.

“I’ll include a beacon in the spell to the home of the family. Just like finding your mate works, you’ll know where to go,” Hallie explains. “As for survival, that’s all on you. I can only do so much.”

“What if Basil finds them?” I whisper as I speak my deepest fear.

“I’ll include a warning in the spell. Your heart will burn in agony if any from this herd comes near either of the girls,” Hallie says. Her words are of comfort and caution.

Hallie’s thought of everything, and I have nothing to give her in return. “Thank you. I wish I could get you out of here,” I say with a lump in my throat.

She smiles, a sad but genuine smile. “You are,” she replies. Her eyes glisten with unspoken gratitude and victory.

What does that mean?

She mouths the spell under her breath without asking if I’m ready. It doesn’t matter if I’m ready. It’s now.

I watch her until the last word leaves her lips. Her body goes limp. With shaking fingers, I check for a pulse. She’s gone. Is that the sacrifice she made? Her life for me and my daughters.

There’s no time to mourn or ponder. I rise and head for the exit. Technically, I’ve been outside once. It’s part of the control the herd enacts over us. They want us to see that we are in the heart of the mountains with nowhere to go. In every direction, there are trees and more trees. Certain death awaits anyone trying to find a path to freedom.

I choose to trust that Hallie gave her life for us, and because of that, I’ll find my way through the mountains to civilization.

As soon as my feet touch the ground, I somehow know which way to walk. The sun is setting. I square my shoulders and move where my feet carry me. I must get as far from here as possible before the search begins.

Chapter 7

Damian

Present day

“She keeps me at a distance but hasn’t rejected me. All my hope lies in this.” ~ Damian

“What are you doing here?” Emjay inquires when she sees me with the group going to visit her former herd.

I stifle the smile her presence always elicits. “I’m going. Deal with it.”

I expected an argument, but she just rolls her eyes and climbs into the van we rented for the journey.

The van is old but reliable, with worn seats and a faint smell of pine from the air freshener. The engine hums to life as Jayce starts it, and we pull out of the parking lot. The scenery changes from marsh wasteland to an interstate bustling with cars, heading to work. The sun filters through the trees, casting shadows on the road. The tension in the van is palpable, each of us lost in our thoughts about the journey ahead.

She walked into Twins and my heart beat again. The mates’ call is strong. Tick-tock plays on repeat like bad tinnitus. Only two things can make it stop. Consummation or her rejection.

Her lack of rejection gives me faith. I’ll listen to the annoying sound for as long as it takes.

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