Page 112 of Alpha's Redemption

What’s she doing? What did she have for breakfast? Was it Everly or Zoe who tucked her in last night and kissed her forehead? Gosh I miss her.

Time slips by as I stare at the roof.

My eyes move to the huge antlers above the fireplace. I wonder what they’re from and if the poor creature suffered?

I’m running out of time. He’ll be back soon; I’m no closer to escaping, and I have no idea if Kalen and John are looking for me. The girls will be questioning my absence. They know I would never leave Taylor.

For some reason, my eyes keep going back to those hideous antlers.

I just need to hold out a little longer, I think to myself. Carter’s words come back to me about having to mate with him and my entire body shudders with revulsion. A tear slips down my cheek. I want to go home—back to my daughter and back to my idiot boyfriend who thinks I don’t want him because he has a bad leg. Fool of a man; what use is his leg to me? I don’t care for his leg! Only his damn heart!

Once again, my attention is drawn to those antlers. But will they work?

I blink, my senses coming to me after my little pity party. How much time did I waste being a cry baby? How much longer do I have left? I’m not sure, but I have to try. So, with every bit of strength I have, I pull myself to my feet. My legs are feeling a little better, though the pins-and-needles sensation makes each step agony, and my muscles keep locking up, not wanting to cooperate.

I stagger to the fireplace, gripping the mantle to hold myself up. Reaching one arm up, I tug on the antlers, trying to unhook the damn things from the wall. I finally manage it, but I’m not expecting the weight, and it crashes to the ground with a loud a bang. I collapse along with it; the exertion was far too much. Yet now I have it down, how will I get it back up there? I’m getting more movement in my limbs, but nowhere near fast enough.

Shaking my head, I decide to figure that out later. For now, I need to find a way to break a piece off of this thing; this place has no knives, not even a damn spoon—it was terrible eating noodles with my fingers last night! Gritting my teeth, I use the fireplace to help stand before grabbing one side of the antlers and stomping on the end over and over, trying to crack one of the spikes off.

What feels like forever later, I manage to break off a chunk about the length from my elbow to wrist. As long as he doesn’t look too hard at it, he won’t notice I broke a piece off. I glance up at the tiny hook with a sigh. Now to get it back up there.

Getting it back on is another mission that leaves me staggering back to the bed covered in sweat. When I’ve caught my breath, I stare at the piece I broke off. It’s pretty blunt, so I could definitely brandish it as a weapon, but only in this state; I would never get enough force behind it while sedated. At least it’s something, and something is better than nothing. I tuck it down between the mattress and the headboard just in time, because it’s roughly ten minutes later that I hear noise from outside. I hold my breath as the door creaks open and Carter steps in with a backpack over one shoulder. He toes off his shoes and leaves them at the door.

“Did you rest?” he asks as he walks through the cabin to the small kitchen. He sets some stuff down before rummaging through the bags.

“I need to use the luxury bathroom we have here,” I tell him, and he glances over his shoulder at me.

“I see you are still in a mood,” he states, and I look away.

“How about we go to the stream where you can bathe before the sun goes down? I bought toiletries,” he says.

“Sounds splendid,” I drawl.

“Tone, Macey or I will wash your mouth out with soap, so don’t tempt me. I am being nice. I don’t have to be,” he growls, and I swallow nervously. He’s right. I have to keep the bitch from my tone. It will do me no favors here.

ChapterForty-Nine

Macey

“I’m sorry,” I tell him, yet those words taste like poison on my tongue. He smirks before turning back to rummage through the backpack. He pulls out a silky, slip dress and tosses it at me; it lands on the bed. I grab it and hold it up. Hardly practical, but better than a bra and underwear.

“Don’t suppose you bought underwear?” I ask him.

“You don’t need them,” he says, and I chew my lip. I suddenly wish I had a period. I bet he would change his tune then.

Carter comes over to me and passes me a granola bar. I try to unwrap it, however, my fingers are not cooperating properly. I have a good chunk of my mobility left, though I’m a little worried about trekking in the woods like this.

Carter takes it from me and opens it, peeling back the wrapper before handing it back to me.

“You should have all your feeling back soon,” he tells me as he kneels next to the bed. He pulls my legs to the edge, rubbing the sides of them before gripping my foot. After taking the key from around his neck, he undoes the padlock before rubbing my ankle as I watch.

If only he wasn’t a psycho, I could get used to the tingles from the mate bond—the way my heart races when he’s close, his intoxicating scent. If only he wasn’t responsible for destroying so many lives, I could have come to love him. The bond yearns for him, calling out for him despite my mind knowing I can’t keep him. That doesn’t stop me wishing things were different, so I could have my mate.

“Can you wiggle your toes?” he asks, and I try. They move to his satisfaction, and he smiles before leaning down and kissing the top of my foot.

“I can carry you. It isn’t far,” he tells me, placing my foot down before walking over and grabbing the backpack. After placing two towels and the bag of toiletries in it, he tosses it over his shoulder, then scoops me up and heads for the door.

Carter is right, it isn’t far. The moment he sets me down, though, he rummages through the bag and produces the handcuffs. I didn't see him slip them in the bag.

---