He moved closer, and I could smell unwashed bodies and old blood. It made my stomach turn. “You know what I think? I think you’re looking for someone.”
My mind raced through terrible options. If I ran, they’d catch me—I was exhausted, they were fresh, and they clearly knew this forest better than I did. If I screamed, there was no one around to hear. If I tried to fight—
The scarred man grabbed my arm before I could finish the thought, his grip like iron. “Let’s take her back to the den. The boss will want to know why she’s sniffing around our territory.”
“No!” I tried to pull away, genuine terror overriding any remaining pretense of calm. “Let me go!”
He laughed, and the sound was uglier than his smile. “Hear that, boys? She wants us to let her go. Should we?”
“Maybe later,” one of t
