Page 95 of Dragon Unhinged

Child’s play, really, when it comes to getting unlocked.

I bend the bobby pin so that I can use just one side of it, and I insert it into the lock. It takes just a little bit of wiggling, but I hear the pop of the button lock giving.

One down, one to go.

I take a deep breath, focusing on the deadbolt lock just above the handle.

A cramping feeling rips through my stomach and I drop the bobby pins all over the floor, gripping the sides of my stomach as I scream.

DECLAN!The thought seems to echo through my head, as loud as the scream coming from my mouth. Everything hurts, and it feels like my body is ripping apart from the inside out.

The pain starts to subside, and all I want to do is curl up in a ball and die. It’s not supposed to be like this.

I’m not supposed to be alone.

I’m not supposed to be a prisoner. Not anymore.

I’m supposed to be with Declan, surrounded by people who love him, people who will help me, help us.

I’m supposed to be somewhere safe.

This baby is supposed to have a father. We’re supposed to be doing this together.

Like nine months from now.

Mate. Mine.

Two words. Two words to remind me that I’m not alone.

That I never have to be alone again.

I groan as I try to pick up a couple of the bobby pins.

As I try to refocus on getting out of here.

I don’t know how far I can run, not when my body feels like it’s trying to kill me, but I don’t care. I’ll keep fighting, keep running, as long as I can. I will keep this baby safe and out of Grey’s hands.

My fingers finally snag on two bobby pins, and I quickly get to work reshaping them into tools I can use.

I grimace against the pain, likely another contraction starting as I get my tools into place.

One tumbler. Two.

And then the pain spikes again.

There’s no way I can get out of here now. Not if I can’t even hold my tools long enough to unlock a fucking deadbolt.

It’s not even a complex lock.

The sound of a dragon roaring echoes through my head, and I can’t tell if it’s real, if it’s here, or if it’s in my head. Or if it’s just my imagination, wishing my dragon was here.

As I work to refocus on the lock, I hear the mechanism clicking into place.

Shit. Shit, shit, shit.

There’s no way to hide what I’ve been doing. No way to even get far enough away from the door to pretend like I wasn’t trying to escape.

“Ah, I’d wondered how you managed to sneak down to your dragon all those nights.” Grey’s voice is like ice. Sharp, cold, bone-chilling.

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