Page 63 of Dissent

I jumped out of my skin with the vibration of my tab. I had a message.

Chelsea:Head west 15 minutes.

It was all she wrote, but I felt an immense amount of gratitude right before it plummeted with guilt. I had doubted her. She agreed to help me, and at the first questionable moment, I doubted. Pressing my lips into a thin line, I sighed heavily. Next time, I had to give her a legit chance. I owed it to her.

Not wanting to waste any more time, I hurried in the direction I prayed was west. Despite trying to keep a brisk pace, I also attempted to be mindful of my surroundings. I ducked down low as I skipped over twigs, stepping on my tiptoes to make as little noise as possible while going as fast as I could. I didn’t know how far this facility was or if there were any Telvian scouts nearby.

After a few minutes, I moved pretty fast, gaining more confidence with every step I took. My eyes had adjusted well to the dark, enough that I could actually make out the terrain decently.

Skip. Leap. Step over. Skip. Skip. Leap.

It was almost like dancing, really. I was moving so easily and gracefully through the woods, skipping over twigs, leaping over branches, and stepping over rocks. A part of me was actually having fun, enjoying it. But I guess we all have to get back with the program, eventually. Because as I was skipping and leaping about, I forgot all about the time. I forgot I was only supposed to go west for fifteen minutes.

A quick look at my tab showed me it was ten minutes past midnight, which meant I hadn’t over shot them yet. But the look at my watch sacrificed two things for me. First, my vision, because when I looked up, I realized the light from the screen was enough to screw up my night vision. Suddenly, everything looked dark again. Second, looking at my tab meant I wasn’t looking where I was going. And that was the bigger problem, because my foot landed on a large rock that was slick with something, because when my boot hit it, I had absolutely no grip and I went sliding.

My feet were over my head, and I came crashing down, my back slamming against the rock I slipped on, sending a searing pain through my body. I didn’t get the wind knocked out of me, but I was definitely a little dazed. Motionless for a moment, I felt the throb in my back and a slight twinge in my ankle.

Damn it. I must have rolled it when I slipped.

I mentally scanned the rest of my body—everything else seemed all right. My back was definitely hurt, causing me to hiss as I sat up. Thank goodness I could move it, though it hurt enough to steal my breath if I moved too fast. Switching my attention to my ankle, I lifted my leg and turned my foot a little. A few twinges of pain fired through it, but I could move it too.

“You can do this, Mara. Up, up, up,” I chanted to myself as I shifted my weight to stand, trying hard not to put too much weight on my foot.

Snap!

My senses picked up on movement—noises.

Aw hell…

Mind racing, I searched the dark, listening intently. I was in no position to battle anything, and if it was another mountain lion, I’d—

I shoved the thought back, refusing to finish it.

Stunner. You have a stunner!The thought smacked into me, and from one heartbeat to the next, I reached for my hip. But before I could pull out the weapon, I found myself staring at the last three people I wanted to see—Matias, Wes, and Chelsea.

31: Caught You

Iwassuddenlyalltoo aware of the fact that I was sprawled on the floor, most definitely looking like an idiot.

“Mara?” Even in the dark, I could register the confusion on Matias’s face. I cringed.

“Great,” the words cut through, weighed down by spite. Wes stood stiffly, holding his stunner out, ready to fire. He relaxed his grip as he recognized there was no threat…yet. “What the hell are you doing here?” he snapped as he holstered his weapon.

“Nice to see you too,” I grumbled under my breath. I tried to shift my weight so I could get back on my feet, but a sharp twinge shot through my lower back. I tried not to show it, but I couldn’t help but wince.

Awareness flashed through Matias as he marched toward me and kneeled down at my side. “What hurts?”

“Nothing, I’m fine.” I tried to wave him off and shifted again when another twinge flashed through me. It wasn’t bad—better than the first one—but still caused me to hiss.

“What hurts, Mara?” He scrutinized me, and I realized that having him this close sent my stomach tossing in somersaults.

“Forget about what hurts. What are you fucking doing here?” Wes snapped. He was pissed. No doubt about it.

“I-I,” I stuttered, desperately trying to figure out how to respond. My gaze shifted from Matias, to Wes, and to Chelsea, who was staying true to her word and fading into the background as best as she could. She wasn’t going to offer anything, that was for sure.

“Out with it already,” Wes practically growled low in his throat. It tripped me out every time—how could he look so much like Chase but act nothing like him?

Matias looked over his shoulder, shooting him a glare before he turned back, eyes locking with mine. “Mara, why are you here?” His tone was soft and gentle, and there was safety in his eyes—a sense of calm and reassurance—like everything was going to be okay. It was those eyes that got me to talk, telling the truth. Because if there was anyone who I felt like I could trust, who I thought might actually get me, it was him.

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