Page 34 of Seal My Fate

“I can’t wait.”

Suddenly, a high-pitched alarm sounds, blaring through the piece of the cottage. Wren startles, dropping a dish in the farmhouse sink. It cracks against the porcelain, smashing loudly.

“What’s going on?” Saint demands.

“I’m not sure,” I look around, my heart racing at the noise. “The alarm just went off.”

Wren meets my eyes, looking terrified.

“It’s probably just a fox,” I tell her—and myself. “Imogen said they trip the alarm sometimes, didn’t she?”

“Go check the cameras,” Saint instructs me. “She has the feed set up on her main TV. Tell me what you see.”

I hurry back to the living room, with Wren trailing behind. My hand shakes as I grab the remote, the alarm still wailing, too loud.

“Found it,” I report, as I bring up the security app. There are four camera views, positioned around the cottage. “They all look clear. I can’t see anything.”

Saint exhales in audible relief. “False alarm,” he says. “Damn foxes.”

I hit a few buttons, and the alarm stops. “Phew, drama,” I give Wren a comforting smile. Then her face goes slack with fear.

“Tessa…”

She point at the screen again. I turn—in time to see a shadowed figure rear up towards one of the cameras. He has a ski-mask over his face, dressed in camo fatigues. For a moment, he’s frozen there, reaching for the camera. Then suddenly, it cuts to static.

The rest of the cameras all go black.

“What’s going on?” Saint’s voice rings out, but I can’t answer. Wren and I look at each other, frozen in silent panic.

Someone’s found her. They’re here.

Then the sound of smashing glass comes from down the hall, and Wren lets out a terrified scream.

Chapter9

Tessa

Ipanic. Wren’s scream breaks through my shock: This is really happening.

Someone’s come for her.

“What’s happening?” Saint’s voice demands in my ear. “Tessa? Tessa!”

“Intruder!” I manage to blurt, looking wildly around. The sound of the break-in came from the front of the house. The main door. What the hell to we do now?

Saint curses. “Get out!” he yells, as the sound of heavy footsteps come in the hall.

Wren grabs my hand, and drags me in the other direction, racing up the narrow staircase. I stumble on the wooden treads, dropping my phone as I reach to grab the railing.Fuck. It skitters down the stairs, out of reach, and I pause, wanting to dive after it—

BANG!

Plaster explodes by my head. I turn, and to my horror, I see the masked man at the end of the hallway—with a gun in his hand. He raises it again—

Wren hauls me up. “Go!” she screams, as another bullet flies, the gunshot cracking like thunder in silence of the cottage.

Oh God.

I bomb up the stairs after her, and into a bedroom. I look wildly around. “The cabinet!” I blurt, pointing to the tall display case by the door, filled with cute China curios. Wren gets what I mean right away, and together, we shove and drag, toppling it to block the door.

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