~ NYSSA

I woke to a pounding in my skull. It felt like someone had knocked me off my feet with a fucking truck.

I groaned low, listing my hand to my head with a curse as I blinked my eyes open slowly, trying to make out the scene in front of me.

The first thing I realized was that I was moving... or at least, I was inside something that was moving. I looked around me, frowning when I was met with darkness all around. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

The air smelled stale, like chemicals and dirt. It took me a while to realize that I was lying down in what seemed to be the trunk of a car.

"Shit," I hissed.

The first thing I did was try to mind link Rowan but I was met with foggy darkness. It was as if something was hindering my ability to reach him and it was unlike anything I had ever experienced.

I could not tell if it was distance or something else, but I knew I had to find a solution... and fast.

I felt around me, trying to find a weapon or anything I could use to get out but the trunk was empty. I knew enough safety tricks to know that I should aim for the taillights so I turned onto my back and kicked as hard as I could.

There was a satisfying crack as it popped out and light flooded the small space. I found the emergency latch then and tugged it hard letting the trunk fly open.

I was greeted by empty darkness, and the car immediately pulled to a stop. I knew I didn’t have time so I jumped out, nearly falling flat on my face in the process and took off running.

I had no idea where the fuck I was or where I was going but I knew I needed to get as far away from that car as possible.

"I knew we should have fucking tied her!" I heard an unfamiliar male voice hiss. "Well don’t just stand there, get her!"

I ran down the empty road and took a sharp left, disappearing into the trees ahead. I shielded my face as I dashed through the trees, spurring my legs to go as fast as they possibly could.

I heard them behind me; their heavy footsteps and heavy breathing and I cursed as I pushed myself harder, all the while trying to reach Rowan.

A rush of wind blew past me and I froze in my tracks as a body materialized in front of me. The man was bald, with pale skin and when he smiled, there were rows of sharp teeth.

"Hello, girl," he grinned.

I turned on my heels, intending to dash in the opposite direction only to stop short when I noticed another man standing behind me. He was of a similar build as the first, with short brown hair and red rimmed eyes. He stared at me hungrily, his eyes tracking my movements as if daring me to try and run.

I was surrounded, without any idea where I was going and I was in no way at full strength. The odds of me winning against two adult vampires were slim to none.

"We don’t want to hurt you," one of them began slowly. "Just come with us and—"

I ran to my left, hoping to at least get a few seconds head start. I only made it a few feet before I was tackled roughly to the ground.

"Should have known she’d pull some shit like that," one of them hissed as I felt something rough being wrapped around my wrists.

I hissed when he pulled too tight. "You’re going to break my arm."

"Good," he snapped. "Maybe then you won’t run so far."

Once my wrists were bound, they bound my ankles next and I was thrown unceremoniously over a shoulder like a sac of potatoes.

They walked back towards the car and I was fucking disappointed when I realized that I didn’t even get so far. The whole time I was thinking I at least gave them the slip meanwhile I’d only gone a few minutes into the woods.

They approached a dark grey car and tossed me into the backseat like I weighed nothing before slipping into the front. My face hit the hard seats and I growled low but all I got was a bark of laughter.

I suppose I wasn’t so threatening when I was tied up.

"Don’t worry, girl, we’re almost at your new home. The King will be excited to see you."

With a huff, I turned onto my back and craned my neck to the side so I could watch their faces through the mirror. "He couldn’t get me himself? He had to send the two of you to do it?"

"The King has more important things to do than waste his time with a wolf," one spat. "Besides, why would he bother when he could just get the other girl to do it for him? It’s a shame how easy it was to convince her."

I felt my insides drop.

I tried to avoid thinking about Aria and the weight of her betrayal, but it was like someone took a hot stick and shoved it down my throat.

"She was compelled," I argued. "She would never have done it of her own free will."

They laughed cruelly, the sounds echoing through the small space. "Compulsion doesn’t work like that sweetheart, we can only make suggestions and amplify your feelings. She already felt some type of way about you. She wanted you gone. All he did was make that happen."

My insides twisted and bile crawled up my throat but I refused to believe him. "You’re lying."

"Am I?" he asked, head cocked to the side. "The truth is right in front of you sweetheart, even your own people don’t give a shit about you."

The other man chuckled. "Get comfortable, girl, the king is going to have a lot of fun with you.""