Page 53 of Swamp Kings 2

The Shunned.

Mabel couldn’t move. Couldn’t breathe.

“Where you headed, Sister?”

The deep voice seemed to come from the middle one as her panicked breaths filled the air with billowing white vapor. Sister. Did they think she was one of them? Would that be better for her or worse? If the half-civilized were barbarians, what would The Shunned be? “I’m… looking for the road out.”

The center one took steps toward her, and she went in reverse. He paused.

“I just want to leave,” she said, dread filling her at hearing her thick, non-Amish accent. “I don’t want to cause any trouble.” Her head jerked to the tree line when three more men in black came from behind.

She was trapped. Her breaths sharpened as she regarded the ones in front of her, looking to the forest on the other side

“You won’t make it,” the same man promised, his voice lower, deeper. Angrier. “You’ll freeze to death halfway down this mountain,” he went on in the same tone. “We’ll take you wherever you want to go in the morning. Tonight, you’ll be under our protection.”

Oh God, theydidthink she was one of them and they definitely took care of their own. Just one more night of pretending. She could do it. “Thank you,” she said, keeping her voice low. “Brother,” she added, her heart dropping when he seemed to angle his head at her.

“How old are you?” he demanded, the question a punch in her stomach.

How old did he expect her to be? Want her to be?

“And what family you belong to?” he asked.

Oh dear God. She swallowed. “None, now,” she hurried. “I-I’ve been… put out.”

He slowly came closer, and she fought not to cower or fear. When he stood just before her, she saw his long beard. Again, he angled his head at her then raised his hands and removed his hood. No hair. His sharp eyes assessed her from top to bottom, weapons of cruel judgment that ended on her face. She gasped when he took hold of her jaw in his hand, his fingers surprisingly warm and even careful as he turned her face left and right. “You’re one of the new ones,” he muttered, releasing her while those eyes studied every inch of her face. “My name is Gideon Voss,” he said, lowly. “I’m the leader of The Shunned. I’m sure you’ve heard of us. Or maybe we only exist in forbidden fictional stories and twisted fairytales.”

He seemed to be waiting for an answer, his sharp eyes now judging whatever he saw in her eyes. She sputtered around in her head for a sensible answer. “I have notheard of you. Brother,” she added.

She was imprisoned in his hellishly hot and crushing stare for endless seconds as she panted for her life. “Interesting,” he finally muttered, his hard expression pressing her courage into a pancake.

He raised his hood back over his head. “Brother Kaine, see this sister to safety.”

“Yes sir,” a deep voice said on his left as he headed toward the line of trees.

“Thank you,” she finally managed after him.

She froze when he stopped in his tracks and looked over his shoulder. “What’s your name?”

Her dread shot back up at hearing the suspicious demand. She really had no idea if she had an Amish name. “Mary,” she blurted, sure the mother of Jesus was in the lineage. She swallowed, then released her breath when he continued toward the woods again without a word.

“Follow me close,” the one called Kaine ordered, his mood seeming darker than Mr. Voss’s. Brother Voss.

“Thank you,” she muttered, minding her every manner as he took off at a pace that required her to half run after him.

Was this a trap? Were they going to lead her deep into the woods and have their way with her? She glanced back, seeing the road still through the trees, her instincts screaming to make a run for it. She’d rather freeze to death than get raped by a mob of men called The Shunned. She wasn’t sure how she’d managed to escape that fate up till now. Had her luck run out?

Oh God, I’m sorry for my sins, please forgive me, please help me!

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Voss hurried ahead to prepare a tent for the petrified woman. Mary. Pretty sure she’d lied about her name. But why would she? Maybe the answer was tied to her reason for leaving. Her surprise appearance saved him from having to push his way into the community just to learn what he needed. A lot of new blood had arrived recently, and he intended to officially make himself known to all of them. If they wanted him for an ally in this strange set of events ripping through the country, they’d have to meet his requirements, abide by his laws. They also needed to know he was only a guardian to their innocent. Not even a burning world would ever change that.

He removed a tent from the shelf and set it up closest to the community fire, mentally making a list of questions to ask her. How many were there, what were their particular beliefs. Since every Amish community had a set they lived by, he’d highly expected fights to break out, but not this soon. Passive fucks preferred to let problems fester before uttering a word about it.

Voss looked up when Kaine arrived with her, out of breath from keeping up. “Warm yourself,” Voss said, pointing to the log near the fire. He watched as she quickly did, reaching to the flames with her hands when she sat.

He pulled a fur pelt from her tent and draped it around her shoulders, getting her surprised eyes on him.

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