Chapter 1 - Rose

I'm running as fast as my legs can carry me, but I have no idea where I'm going. It's the middle of the night, and everything looks the same in the darkness - just trees, trees, and more trees.

Something warm and wet is dripping down the side of my face. Blood, probably.

I can't stop, though, not even for a second. Those men...if they catch me...I shudder at the thought. They want to force me to marry one of them. Me! Just a nineteen-year-old. It's not right.

The cold air stings my lungs with each breath. Branches scratch my arms and legs as I stumble through the forest. This thin, see-through dress isn't made for running away.

It's barely made for anything besides....well, never mind what it's for. My teeth are chattering, and my whole body aches, but I keep pushing forward.

Finally, after what feels like hours, I reach a road. I pause, listening for any cars or people. Nothing. The road is deserted under the pale moonlight. I have no idea where it leads, but anywhere is better than back there.

With a weary sigh, I step out onto the cracked asphalt and begin walking. Please, I pray to whoever is listening, please let someone drive by soon. Let this road take me far away from those horrible men. I'll go anywhere and do anything as long as I never have to see them again.

I keep walking along the deserted road, praying for a car to come. My feet are bare and cut up from the asphalt, but I barely notice the pain.

Finally, in the distance, I see headlights approaching! A wave of relief washes over me. Surely, whoever is driving will stop and help a bleeding, half-dressed girl on the side of the road in the middle of the night.

I step closer to the road, waving my arms frantically.

"Help!" I scream as loud as I can. "Please stop!"

But the car just keeps going, speeding right past me without even slowing down. My heart sinks. So much for finding help.

Trying not to get discouraged, I keep walking. I'll find someone eventually, I tell myself. I must.

That's when I hear it - voices coming from the woods behind me. Male voices, rough and growling. Oh no. No, no, no. It's them. Those horrible men who took me. They've caught up to me.

I don't even stop to look. I just start running again, ignoring the screaming pain in my battered feet. My flimsy dress keeps getting caught on branches and twigs, but I don't care.

I must get away from here. Must find safety somehow.

Up ahead, I see bright lights—a gas station! There will be people there who can call the police and get me somewhere safe—just a little farther!

The voices are getting closer behind me. I can feel them closing in, but I refuse to look back. If I look back, I'll lose my nerve. So, I pour on what little speed I have left, blood dripping into my eyes, naked feet slapping the pavement.

I'm almost there. Just a few more yards to the gas station. To safety. To freedom. My fighter spirit burns bright, refusing to let me give up.

I will not be a prisoner again. I will be free.

I finally reach the gas station, my lungs burning and blood dripping down my face. But as I get closer, my heart sinks. The lights are on, but the place looks deserted - the pumps are roped off, and there are no cars around. It's closed.

"No! Please, someone help me!" I scream, pounding on the glass doors.

But it's no use. There's no one inside.

Suddenly, rough hands grab me from behind and spin me around. It's two of the men who took me - their cruel faces twisted in anger.

"You little brat! Did you really think you could get away from us?" one of them snarls, backhanding me across the face.

I cry out in pain and try to wrench free, but the other grabs my arm in a vicelike grip.

"You're gonna pay for this," he threatens, raising a fist.

I squeeze my eyes shut, bracing myself for the blow. There's no way out. I never should have run. They're going to beat me senseless and then drag me back. This was all for nothing.

That's when I hear the roar of an engine and the squeal of tires. My eyes fly open just in time to see a sleek motorcycle drifting around the corner right at us. It skids to a stop mere feet away, the rider's boots crunching on the loose gravel.

He's a big, muscular guy decked out in leather with wild dark hair and a bandana covering the lower half of his face. In one swift motion, he kicks down the kickstand and dismounts the bike, cracking his knuckles menacingly.

"I suggest you let the girl go," he growls in a deep, gravelly voice. "Unless you want to deal with me."

The two nasty men laugh.

"Well, well, what do we have here?" one of them sneers. "A little Rogue Rider out all alone?"

"We're Outlaw Riders," the other adds with an ugly grin. "This is our turf now. And that girl there is gonna be my bride as soon as we teach her a lesson for running off."

The big biker remains calm, slowly shaking his head.

"You idiots really have no idea what you're dealing with, do you?"

He turns to face me, lowering the bandana from his face to reveal a chiseled jaw and intense eyes.

"You alright? Don't you worry, I'll protect you now."

With deliberate movements, he begins stretching his bulging arm muscles. I can't help but stare, feeling a blush creep into my cheeks. This handsome stranger may have just saved my life.

"I'm giving you one last chance to walk away," he warns the two men in a dangerously quiet voice. "Leave the girl and go. Before I make you regret this."

The nasty men just laugh again, cracking their knuckles as they advance on the biker.

"Yeah, right! You're outnumbered, biker punk! We're gonna beat you to a pulp and then take you to our boss!"

Oh no. This isn't good. I have to do something! I can't let this brave stranger get hurt trying to protect me.