Page 91 of Dragon Unhinged

“I can’t. He’ll know.” She shakes her head, her tears falling harder now. “He’s going to know I gave you that. He’s going to know I tried to help you. He’s going to hurt me.”

“He can’t know. He’s not all knowing. There’s no way he could know you gave this to me. I’ll hide it. He won’t find it.”

He doesn’t even come in here. He doesn’t even interact with me anymore, not after that first night.

But Donna’s clearly terrified and clearly certain that Grey’s going to find out.

I reach for her, but she backs away. “I should go. I need to leave. I can’t be here.”

It’s like she can’t decide exactly why she’s leaving my room, why she’s leaving me alone again, but I can’t blame her. I’ve only been his prisoner for a couple days, and already I’m sure of just how evil he is, just how horrible he can be. I can’t imagine how much worse it is, being his captive for months. Even weeks seem like too long.

There’s no way I can let my baby end up as his captive. Not even for a minute.

I have to get out of here.

I have to get out, and I have to take Donna with me.

No matter how much I hurt, no matter how scared she is, we have to get out of here.

At this point, I don’t think there’s a choice in it for me. I don’t know how I’d get out of here, get anywhere safe from Grey, without help. I’m not entirely sure I’m even going to be able to walk out of here without someone else to lean on, someone else to hold onto with the intense pain and how out of balance and structurally unsound I am at the moment.

Closing my eyes, I wrap my arms around myself, holding my baby bump, and picture Declan in my mind. His smile, his voice, the way he held me, made me feel safe, made me feel loved.

I can almost feel him with me. Just like the night before, when my dream felt so real.

Declan, I miss you. Find me. Bring me home.

I don’t expect an answer. There’s no reason, no logical way I can think of, that would make him able to answer my thoughts.

Which makes the strange voice in my head that much more insane.

Brianna. Tell me where you are. Help me find you. Declan needs you.

I try to think through the people I met with Declan, his family, their supernatural friends, anyone who might know who I am. Anyone who might be able to help, not someone who just wants to torment me for Grey’s nefarious plans.

Finally, it hits me. His brother, Malcolm.

Malcolm?I think it so softly, so unsure, I really do feel like I’m losing my mind. Like I’m giving into something I shouldn’t, like I’m just falling for a trap.

Or like this potion that’s making my baby grow so fast, that’s making me suffer through this, is also driving me insane.

Thank the gods. It’s me, Brianna. I can help you. I can get you to Declan, but I need you to tell me where you are. I need something for us to find you.

I don’t know.I swallow hard, fighting to focus on Malcolm, not the tears I want to let fall. I’m afraid that if I let them fall, they’ll never stop.

Anything. Show me what it looks like outside your window, if you have one. If there’s a car you remember being in, a license plate, any detail you have. Anything.

My mind feels fuzzy, like I’m fighting to talk to him through a heavy blanket. Like I’m fighting against some wall in my brain.I’m sorry. I woke up here. I don’t remember a car. I don’t even know how long I traveled. Everything outside my window is forest. I could be anywhere. I need to get out of here soon. I don’t have many more days left.

What’s going on? Has he threatened you?

God, how do I explain? How do I even think to someone else that a vampire is forcing a potion into me and making my baby grow entirely too fast? That he’s undoubtedly planning on killing me, probably feeding me to this man my father once wanted me to marry?

But then, a few months ago, I wouldn’t have thought it possible to explain the fact that I’m in love with a dragon, that Iran away from home with him, for a chance at real happiness, a real life of my own choosing.

They have a potion. It’s speeding up my pregnancy, and when I give birth, they want to take her away. I’m sure I’ll be collateral damage at that point. I can’t let any of that happen.

Show me what the forest outside your window looks like. I’ll have Kash and Athena try to geo-locate you online. If there’s anything distinctive at all, if you can get any more information, just think about me. I’ll keep this connection open.

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