Theron
had been right about Luc. She hadn’t moved until Luc’s voice echoed around the
clearing. “Run, damn it!”
* * * * *
She didn’t stop running. Her leg muscles cramped and burned
but she kept pushing forward. Her chest hurt. Her legs were giving out. Every
few feet she would stumble and crash to the ground, but she couldn’t stop.
Something came into sight and she ran harder until she could make out what it
was. Her heart fell. She was back at the bridge. The troll would never let her
pass. All the running was for nothing. She was trapped again. Rowan fell to her
knees and buried her face in her hands. Her shoulders shook as she sobbed.
Something touched her shoulder. She couldn’t help but flinch.
Anything or anyone who would touch her was her enemy. They all wanted to hurt
her. The voice she heard wasn’t what she expected. “Red, I’m not going to hurt
you.” Luc’s hand tightened on her shoulder. “We have to keep moving.”
“Why? So you can take me back to your father?”
She could feel his body next to hers. He must have crouched
down beside her. “I’m not taking you to anyone except to your grandmother’s
house. I was never going to hand you over to him.”
“That’s a lie. I heard you talking to that other person,”
she sobbed, “or wolf, or whatever you call yourselves.”
“I was being sarcastic and trying to buy myself some time to
figure out how close my father was. Why would I try to unlock your fighting
skills if I was going to hand you over to the Big Bad Wolf?”
She shrugged. It sounded right when Theron had convinced her
Luc was up to no good but now that her head was clear and Luc was pleading his
case, nothing seemed to add up. “I don’t know.”
“We can talk about this later, Red. Come on.” He pulled her
up to her feet and led her toward the bridge.
Rowan dug her heels in and fought against his grip. “No, we
can’t go that way. The troll, he works for your father.”
He smiled and pulled her onto the bridge. Each step they
took, she waited for the troll to appear but even as they neared the end of the
bridge, he still hadn’t appeared. “I am part of my father’s pack. He won’t even
bother you while I am with you. Which is why I was trying to catch up with you
this morning. If I had been with you, my father wouldn’t have had the chance to
grab you.” He looked away and whispered, “I’m sorry.”
Even when he looked away, his grip stayed steady around her
waist. She leaned into him, finally giving in to her fatigue. “I don’t know if
I trust you.”
“Understandable.” He led her to the continuing trail,
nodding toward the fork in the road. “We go left, but we’re going to have to
stop soon and clean your wounds.”
She shook her head. “I’ll be fine. We can’t stop.”
“Why?”
She looked up at him, wanting to lose herself in his green
eyes, but she knew she couldn’t. “Because every time we stop, you work your
magic on me and I give in to you a little bit more.”
He pulled her sharply to a stop. “Is that such a bad thing?”
“Yes. I don’t know if you are the good guy or not.”
“I never claimed to be the good guy. I just happen to be the
best guy for you.” He dipped his head down, letting his lips brush against hers.
“You know it’s true. There is no one in this world or the other who makes you
feel the way I do.” His tongue flicked over her bottom lip. “Your body ignites
when I am near. It can admit to me what you can’t. You want me.”
“I do.” The truth came slipping from her mouth before she
could stop it.
“Then you are going to have to trust me.” He pulled back and
took her hand again, leading her farther down the path. “We need to get you
patched up, but we can’t take any chances with the wolves tracking us. Hold
still.” Before she could protest, Luc had coated his hand in the blood dripping
down her chest. He pointed to a large tree. “Stay hidden. I’m going to lead
them
had been right about Luc. She hadn’t moved until Luc’s voice echoed around the
clearing. “Run, damn it!”
* * * * *
She didn’t stop running. Her leg muscles cramped and burned
but she kept pushing forward. Her chest hurt. Her legs were giving out. Every
few feet she would stumble and crash to the ground, but she couldn’t stop.
Something came into sight and she ran harder until she could make out what it
was. Her heart fell. She was back at the bridge. The troll would never let her
pass. All the running was for nothing. She was trapped again. Rowan fell to her
knees and buried her face in her hands. Her shoulders shook as she sobbed.
Something touched her shoulder. She couldn’t help but flinch.
Anything or anyone who would touch her was her enemy. They all wanted to hurt
her. The voice she heard wasn’t what she expected. “Red, I’m not going to hurt
you.” Luc’s hand tightened on her shoulder. “We have to keep moving.”
“Why? So you can take me back to your father?”
She could feel his body next to hers. He must have crouched
down beside her. “I’m not taking you to anyone except to your grandmother’s
house. I was never going to hand you over to him.”
“That’s a lie. I heard you talking to that other person,”
she sobbed, “or wolf, or whatever you call yourselves.”
“I was being sarcastic and trying to buy myself some time to
figure out how close my father was. Why would I try to unlock your fighting
skills if I was going to hand you over to the Big Bad Wolf?”
She shrugged. It sounded right when Theron had convinced her
Luc was up to no good but now that her head was clear and Luc was pleading his
case, nothing seemed to add up. “I don’t know.”
“We can talk about this later, Red. Come on.” He pulled her
up to her feet and led her toward the bridge.
Rowan dug her heels in and fought against his grip. “No, we
can’t go that way. The troll, he works for your father.”
He smiled and pulled her onto the bridge. Each step they
took, she waited for the troll to appear but even as they neared the end of the
bridge, he still hadn’t appeared. “I am part of my father’s pack. He won’t even
bother you while I am with you. Which is why I was trying to catch up with you
this morning. If I had been with you, my father wouldn’t have had the chance to
grab you.” He looked away and whispered, “I’m sorry.”
Even when he looked away, his grip stayed steady around her
waist. She leaned into him, finally giving in to her fatigue. “I don’t know if
I trust you.”
“Understandable.” He led her to the continuing trail,
nodding toward the fork in the road. “We go left, but we’re going to have to
stop soon and clean your wounds.”
She shook her head. “I’ll be fine. We can’t stop.”
“Why?”
She looked up at him, wanting to lose herself in his green
eyes, but she knew she couldn’t. “Because every time we stop, you work your
magic on me and I give in to you a little bit more.”
He pulled her sharply to a stop. “Is that such a bad thing?”
“Yes. I don’t know if you are the good guy or not.”
“I never claimed to be the good guy. I just happen to be the
best guy for you.” He dipped his head down, letting his lips brush against hers.
“You know it’s true. There is no one in this world or the other who makes you
feel the way I do.” His tongue flicked over her bottom lip. “Your body ignites
when I am near. It can admit to me what you can’t. You want me.”
“I do.” The truth came slipping from her mouth before she
could stop it.
“Then you are going to have to trust me.” He pulled back and
took her hand again, leading her farther down the path. “We need to get you
patched up, but we can’t take any chances with the wolves tracking us. Hold
still.” Before she could protest, Luc had coated his hand in the blood dripping
down her chest. He pointed to a large tree. “Stay hidden. I’m going to lead
them
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