He hesitated, his jaw tight as he weighed his options. I held my breath, every second stretching into eternity, but just as I thought he might relent, the forest stirred behind me. A faint rustle, too quiet for a normal ear to catch, alerted him instantly.
He jerked his head toward the sound, his gaze hardening. “We’re not alone,” he muttered, his voice cold and clipped.
The exhaustion was bone-deep. Every step I took felt like dragging lead, and the night seemed colder, pressing against my skin like ice. I had nowhere to go, no one I could trust. I clutched my belly, feeling my child stir, reminding me of the life I was fighting to protect. But the weight of fear gnawed at me—I was out of my depth, lost in rogue territory with danger around every corner.
Suddenly, a faint sound echoed in the darkness, barely a whisper of movement, but enough to freeze me in place. I strained my ears, heart hammering. A shadow slipped between the trees, moving swiftly, purposefully.
Instinct screamed at me to run, but where? I turned, only to find myself cornered by another figure emerging from the shadows. My stomach clenched as I recognized the insignia on his sleeve—a mark of Daniel’s assassins. He’d sent his men after me, determined to drag me back or worse. Panic surged, and I backed up, but there was nowhere left to go.
“Going somewhere, Luna?” the assassin sneered, his eyes flicking over my pregnant belly with a mocking smirk. “You know he won’t let you leave so easily.”
I stood my ground, though every fiber of me trembled. “Stay back,” I warned, trying to summon strength I wasn’t sure I had. “If you come any closer, I won’t hold back.”
He only laughed, the sound cold and hollow. “You’re no threat to us, Olivia. Just make this easy, for both you and the pup.”
In a desperate burst of adrenaline, I reached for the dagger tucked in my boot, swinging it with everything I had. But the assassin sidestepped easily, grabbing my wrist and twisting it painfully until I dropped the weapon. I bit back a cry, the taste of fear sharp on my tongue.
“Did you really think you could escape?” he taunted, his grip tightening as he leaned closer. “The Alpha wants you back, Luna. Don’t make this worse than it needs to be.”