Prologue

PROLOGUE

E vangeline

“She can’t get very far. We will find her.”

The deep male voice sounded like that of my father-in-law. But given the denseness of the forest, the humidity in the air, and the number of hunters, I couldn’t be certain. I tried to control my breathing because they could detect anything.

They.

The neighborhood mob.

I’d been told leaving the fold wasn’t possible. I’d tried my best to live and thrive in a cutesy world where my parents still lived. They weren’t part of the tribe though. They were long-term residents, buying their home a couple of years before the cult wrapped their icy claws around the dozens of acres of property.

The neighborhood was pristine, every house perfectly painted to remind you of a gingerbread community where everyone was friendly, and every lawn was manicured. Oh, you didn’t dare have a single thing out of place. If you did, the council was like a community association on steroids. And the punishment? I’d heard rumors, stories but hadn’t wanted to believe them.

I knew now.

People disappeared. Some say banished. I say killed.

I’d thought my husband was different, a man who’d showered me with adoration. We’d talked. We’d been on the same page, but I’d been a fool. No longer. Joseph was just as much of a monster as the rest, perhaps worse.

Joseph and I had argued constantly, his overbearing ways destructive. So much so I hadn’t been able to take it any longer. So I’d packed up and left, but I’d quickly learned the entrances to the neighborhood were blocked, reports I was being hunted coming quickly. Every person I’d passed, outside of the workers treated like slaves, had stared at me. It was horrific.

I’d hidden the best I could, trying to make a plan.

Now it was dark. I’d abandoned my little car, one of the few personal items I’d kept after my marriage to a devil. And I’d run. Run into the darkened forest sitting in the middle of the property almost like Central Park. The area was serene with a lake and picnic tables, but I knew bad things happened here. I’d tried to ignore the mind-boggling rumors, stories that no one would confirm.

Joseph had laughed at me, telling me I had a fabulous imagination.

Now I knew better. Why hadn’t I followed my instincts? Why hadn’t I run far away from home?

Because my parents were here.

My best friends.

And my… husband.

All my money was tied up with his money, my access limited.

Now this.

I shifted in the dark, trying my best to keep from stepping on a twig. Every sound brought them closer. If I dared whimper, the mob would know they’d won.

My nerves completely rattled, I bit back the paralyzing terror, trying to make my way through the maze of trees. There was a single way out, a connection to another neighborhood. If I could make it, maybe I’d have a chance.

But I stepped on a twig.

“I think we have her. This way!”

The roar of men rumbling in my direction was horrifying, their heavy feet pounding on the ground. How could anyone hunt down a human, especially a member of their own community? I knew if I stopped now, consumed by fear, there would never be another opportunity. So I ignored the chants and tribal cries and the constant scratches, limbs hitting my face. Nothing mattered but getting out of here.

Suddenly, thoughts about my parents rushed into my mind. Would they be hurt if I managed to disappear? Would they be banished? Oh, God. I couldn’t think about that. I had my own life and safety to be concerned with. I’d warned my parents. I’d tried to get them to move away but my father had adamantly refused.

I was all alone.

My parents were a part of this. I had to accept that.

Go, girl. Run. Run!

“We need to corner her up here.” This time, I knew it was Joseph’s voice. He was leading the hunt, gleeful about doing so. He was gaining stripes with the core group of old men who ran the place with prison guards. No one could do anything. It was the Stepford Wives all over again.

I bolted, forced to head through an open passageway.

“There she is!” At least two men were so gleeful I was sick inside from hearing their voices.

“Corner her. Block her.”

“Do not allow her to leave this community.”

I continued running, but they were closing in.

Closing in.

Closing…

“My beautiful wife,” Joseph said as he jumped in front of me. “Now, where do you think you’re going? You already know there is no way out. You were chosen for me.”

“You know what to do, son.” One of the elders placed his hand on my husband’s shoulder. Given they were all in war paint, I wasn’t entirely certain which one was providing Joseph with suggestions. “That will keep her in your life.”

Whatever that meant, I wanted no part of, but the moment I tried to take off running again, Joseph was right there on me.

“Tsk. Tsk. Darling. I guess I’m going to need to teach you a lesson you’ll never forget.”