Page 61 of Mastering their Maiden

My girl already recognized her master.

A smile curled my lips as I strode forward, forcing myself into her space. “Don’t worry, Princess. I already chased you down once; I don’t mind doing it again.”

She shoved me back and darted away, every muscle in her body taut and ready for battle. Ready to flee. Ready to see if we would follow…

There was only one way to find out.

Aria sucked in a breath when I smiled again, already anticipating the order before I let it fall from my lips. Not a long command. Just a single word.

“Run.”

CHAPTER 22

Aria

Run.

I was going to anyway. I didn’t need Zander to give me permission.

But my feet didn’t move until the word left his lips.

There was an opening in the fence, and I used all my strength to shove the boards aside and push myself through. I stumbled when the heavy slat fell back into place, landing hard on the ground, but I was on my feet before I took my next breath. My heart pounded so hard it ached, but I pushed through low-hanging branches, thick underbrush, and the agony of my own burning muscles and ran into the darkness.

This was the plan all along. To get away. From them, from the village. From my life. But I’d gotten distracted. Frayne had distracted me. He’d stopped me from leaving. They’d stopped me.

But now I was running again. Though this time it wasn’t to leave a life behind. It was to escape the four of them, along with the horrible confession I’d let slip from my lips.

The last time I cowered in a building during a Skepna attack I lost people I loved. I wasn’t just going to sit there and watch it happen again!

I didn’t let it happen again. This time, I wasn’t powerless. I’d stopped that bastard from murdering Kaiden. I’d stopped Dex from falling to a Skepna’s blade and helped prevent another from crushing Umber and two of his men. I wasn’t a scared little girl in a shed anymore. I was brave. I was strong.

But my heart? It was terrified.

I didn’t bother turning back over my shoulder, already aware that Zander was chasing after me. Kaiden, Dex, and Umber weren’t going to be far behind. I heard them shouting to spread out, and that whoever caught me could go first. Zander was cackling like a madman, but I focused on my path forward and tried to listen for heavy footsteps. For breathing. For any sign of movement.

There was rustling to my left, and I almost screamed when a figure burst out from behind a large tree. Not Zander. Umber.

He matched my pace, arms extended, but I skidded to a stop and watched him tackle nothing. Before he could get up, I gave him a shove, and darted off in the opposite direction, listening to his angry shouts and the peals of laughter that followed. A second later, Dex was in front of me, but I darted to the side, ducked under his swiping arm, and sprinted away.

“I’m going to fuck you so hard when I get my hands on you!” he roared, the words laced with irritation and amusement.

They were going to catch me. It was only a matter of time.

The night air was cool on my skin, and for some reason I thought back to the night Esme was taken. Kaiden told me she’d run from them but hadn’t made it far. Lavan saved her from being taken captive by a group of Skepna.

But the Skepna were gone now. Whatever monsters remained had fled. There was nothing the four of them needed to save me from.

Nothing but my own fear. The terror that lingered in my heart. They’d left me behind, but when I’d tried to do the same, they’d hunted me down. They were chasing me now.

Because they were sorry. I knew that.

Even so, I wasn’t going to make it easy for them. If they truly meant to claim me, to prove that I was theirs, they were going to have to follow through on their promise to master and tame me.

That was the last coherent thought I had when I slowed my pace, distracted by the feel of soft grass brushing against my calves. I’d made it to the meadow, so close to the creek where, if I wanted to, I could wash away my scent and make myself harder to track.

But there wasn’t time to make it there, not with the heavy footfalls approaching from my left.

I turned just as Zander raced into the clearing, his eyes wild, hair a mess, bloodied shirt discarded somewhere in the woods. I expected him to stop and square off with me, but it seemed he was tired of that game. I darted away but he was too fast, and his body slammed into mine so hard it stole my breath. We both went down, but he cradled me close to his chest as we fell, taking the brunt of the landing on his arms. Shielding me from harm.

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