Page 41 of Claimed By the Alpha
Was it my family, my pack? Or someone else.
One thing I knew for sure. They made me unmarkable, but why?
What did they have to gain by ensuring no one could mark me? Was this why Liam also failed?
Isaac moved further away, almost out of sight, but when I tried to take a step forward, branches moved behind me. Before I could comprehend what was happening, a hand was placed over my mouth, stopping my scream to resonate around us.
My vision blackened, sounds of a fight around me, one we obviously had lost and that was the last thing I remembered.
Leaving me alone with my circling thoughts, always going back, replaying the same thing over again because I still missed something. Something that I desperately needed to make sense of all this.
I had no idea how much time had passed, how many hours, or if even Isaac had noticed already. I couldn’t feel him. I knew he was alive but that was it. Normally, I could sense the distance between us, feel him move towards me or away. But now, nothing. As if neither of us were moving. Maybe he was taken as well, maybe we were together.
I tried to wake up, forcing my body to move, but nothing other than a slight twitch of my fingers came.
Had they tied me down? It didn’t feel like that, more as if I was too heavy to move.
Witches?
If I could laugh I would. I didn’t even know why my mind was taking me there, but I had to keep my options open.
“I need you to remember this, pumpkin.” My father’s voice echoed inside my mind, a piercing pain came next, as if something tried to break free inside me but it never came.
I could almost taste it, it was so close but it disappeared as fast as it came. As if a shield, a wall was between me and my forgotten memories.
What was so important to keep from me?
Slowly, teasingly, my sense of smell returned. The ashy scent was joined by a hint of sweetness.
Cinnamon? Was that it?
Wait, cinnamon?
I inhaled deeply, savoring the scent and my eyes fluttered open, the harsh sunlight above made me squint until a shadow leaned over me.
“Good, you’re waking up.” That voice, I knew that voice, but the scent didn’t match him.
“Finlay?” My voice almost didn’t sound like my own. It sounded broken, hoarse. “What have you done to me?”
“You were waiting at the gate, I just brought you inside.” He moved back, and I whimpered when the light showed full force again.
“Where are the others?” I rolled on my side, noticing I wasn’t lying on a bed. My vision cleared and the sounds of my surroundings came back.
Birds chirping in the distance, water gushing not too far away, kids playing, and I scanned around, gasping at the beauty of this place.
Tall trees with red leaves cast a beautiful hue around us due to the sun shining through them. There was this extra freshness in the air that made me feel warm. I couldn’t truly explain it, but it felt right to be here, so right.
“We have waited so long for you; everything will be different now.” There was this hopefulness lacing his words that didn’t make sense to me.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” I grunted, and saw Conner lying unconscious not too far from me. Where are the others? Why only take me and Conner?
“You don’t remember?” Finlay brought me back from my thoughts.
“What am I supposed to remember?” I pressed. Did he think that I magically remembered everything once he brought me past the border, or whatever he had done? Yes, I felt it inside me, ready to show me everything, but it didn’t come, and I didn’t know if I should trust Finlay.
I trusted Shaffer and look how he turned out. Maybe I should trust Finlay, but he did kidnap me and bring me here. Was it really kidnapping though, if I was waiting by the passage?
“Who you are.”
