Chapter 9

Stella

They weren"t even running after me; they were walking. I glanced back and saw Uziah and Ken casually strolling, their smirks telling me they didn"t believe I could get far in my precarious situation. That situation being that I was an out of shape big girl who"d never moved faster than a quick stroll in a park.

I wasn"t in a park today. I was in mortal danger. So I picked up my feet and ran. And promptly fell flat on my face.

I could hear their laughter looming in the distance. It got closer slowly, slowly. There was no urgency in their movements to collect me. I was trapped. Where could I go even if I could run?

Something inside of me demanded I get up. It had the grit in Tori"s voice. It had the dare in Niamh"s. But mostly, it sounded like my mom.

On your feet, kitten.

I"d always been an obedient child. I did what my mother told me. I got first one, then the other heeled foot under me and stood.

You can"t let them catch you, baby girl.

I hated to disappoint my mother. They probably were going to get me. But they wouldn"t get me without a fight.

I took off again, my heart pounding in my chest like a trapped bird. The staccato rhythm of my footsteps echoed across the dance floor, the sound of my heels clacking against the floor as I tried to flee.

I had never been a runner, especially not in the kinds of shoes I was wearing now. They were more suited for sitting on a bar stool waiting for a guy to buy me a drink than fleeing from danger. I"d never been in danger a single day in my life. Which I knew was all kinds of first world privilege while living in a third world territory.

But I had no choice. I couldn"t stay with Uziah and Ken, not after what I had witnessed. They had been using me all along, manipulating my visions for their gain. Now that I knew the truth, I couldn"t stay.

I felt cheap. Like a prostitute. Even though it had been my mind and not my body that had been used. But they"d used my body to get to my mind. Now they would keep using me without any of the perks.

Fear clawed at my chest, making each breath a struggle. They wouldn"t play nice anymore. They wouldn"t treat me with the same faux affection they had before. They would see me as a threat that they had to contain.

I stumbled on the steps. I knew they were gaining on me, their heavy footsteps and angry voices closing in. I needed a plan, a way to disappear, to hide my unique gift and stay one step ahead. But I couldn"t even climb stairs properly. I was doomed.

My breaths came in ragged gasps. My legs were jelly. The ache in my side was unbearable. It hadn"t even been five minutes of running. Barely a couple of yards of fast movement. I needed to keep moving, to find a place to hide, to disappear.

As I reached the top of the steps, I straightened myself, trying to regain my composure. There was someone blocking my way. Another of Uziah"s many goons. Niamh called the men who worked for Uziah minions, but after seeing an old children"s film about adorable yellow workers, I could never use that term to describe the imposing men that did Uziah"s dirty work so he didn"t have to get his dark clothes… Well, dark clothes didn"t show off blood, did they?

The muscle blocking the door was also dressed in black. For some reason, he didn"t scare me. In my messed-up mind, this guy screamed safety.

It"s him.

I wanted to shout at my mother"s disembodied voice. What did she mean this was him? Was this the man who would end my life and bring on our ghostly reunion?

He reached for me, his hand outstretching toward me. I knew I should recoil, but the closer his fingers got to me, the slower my heart rate became. I thought I was supposed to see my life flash before my eyes before death. Instead, all I saw was the gold of his eyes. They looked like a window to forever.

They also looked like the eyes of a man I"d never seen inside of Bite Me. This wasn"t one of Uziah"s minions or goons or muscle.

Tall, dark, and handsomedid not do him justice. He was over six feet tall and built, but his presence felt like it was touching the ceiling and both sides of the wall. He moved toward me with a fluid grace, like a sleek panther stalking its prey on two legs. And I was pretty sure I was his prey.

I was supposed to be running. But my legs slowed and began to walk toward him, in no hurry to arrive or get away.

His sharp teeth were bared, radiating danger and primal strength. However, as his piercing gaze landed on me, it softened into something gentle and reassuring. I knew deep down that I could trust this man. Even after the gross revelation of what every other lover in my life must have thought of me, I knew that this one was going to be different.

It"s him!

I reached for him then. The moment my fingertips touched his palm, it all made sense. I was his fated mate. As he looked down at me, a sense of security washed over me. In his arms, I felt protected, wanted, and cherished. I knew that, no matter what, he would keep me safe.

"Come with me if you want to live."

Live? I could"ve died right there. This man was going to love me the way I deserved to be loved. He would never lie, cheat, or break my heart. Because he was my fated fucking mate.

I wanted to jump and cheer. But there was still danger behind us. And some kind of an earthquake going on outside.

I nodded my head, ready to be taken anywhere he was going. In the back of my mind, I heard Tori yelling at me to use my head and not my clit to make decisions. I heard Niamh saying to guard my heart and just have fun. But neither of them was here now. Neither of them was being held by the man that I was sure would never hurt me, never use me.

And so I let him clasp my hand, pull me close, and take me away. When we stepped out into the streets, it was pure chaos.