Her Shadow Rogue Mate

Silent Forest

BRIAR’S POV

—

I don’t know what time it is, or where we really are, but I could feel the land calling my name, pulling me back to it— and it isn’t Greenvale.

It’s home.

I could hear my home calling like a bird’s cry in the night, and I wanted to scream and cry.

We were close to home.

Is that where they kept mom?

It has to be.

The leaves crawled over the ground around me as the wind pushed and pulled while I lay with my eyes closed, hands underneath my head, and heat that radiated off on either side of me. A larger source at my right, where Creseda was, and to my left, a smaller source. Fenrys.

I slowly open my eyes to a slither, and stare at the side of his face as he lay on his back, hands behind his head, eyes shut and breathing evenly.

He laid down a while after me, and I’ve been waiting for him to fall asleep, which it seems he finally had.

I stare at him, at his softened features due to relaxation, and find myself wishing to have the gift of forgiveness, to be able to wipe away all the bad he’s ever done with a wet cloth.

Well that’s just f*****g insane, Briar— I tell myself, slightly shaking my head.

I lay another few minutes before deciding to get up as slowly as possible, and as silent as I could be.

I stare at him as I raise to my feet, and then calculate each step, where I can and should walk to avoid crunching leaves and snapping twigs, and I take my time as I sneak away.

I’m sure they are keeping mom at home, I can feel it.

I can go there myself, and save her.

I hold my breath with each step, my stomach twisting into knots because of fear— fear that I’d make a sound and be caught.

Fenrys might be acting kind, but its all a fluke. He’s waiting for me to mess up so that he could show me his real, awful colors.

Loose them. Follow them. Get mom. Run.

I repeat that for focus and to keep my heart steady as I flee.

I can do it.

I can save mom.

I just need to watch them, study them, find out where she is and then get her and run.

An overwhelming sensation nearly knocks the breath right out of me, and I stop to lean against this massive tree. I hide in it’s shadow, listening to my own blood rushing in my veins. I inhale a calming breath.

You can do it, I keep on telling myself all the while my hammering heart calms down, and instead of hearing how my blood rushes through my own veins, I start to hear the crickets, the rustling bushes and the whistling of the wind all around me.

I pause, my mind blanking, and my breath catches in my throat.

Rustling bushes.

I widen my rage of hearing, tapping into Cora’s abilities, and there, in the far, I can hear footsteps.

Heavy footsteps.

My heart rate spikes, and my mouth becomes dry.

He wasn’t asleep.

Fenrys wasn’t asleep.

Oh hell.

I could hear his broad strides as he walked, gaining inch by inch on me, and if I run now, he’d know my exact location and find me.

Who knows what the hell he’s going to do?

Kill me after all?

Tell me he’ll kill my mother?

My eyes dart around, and I notice the flowers, bloomsbury flowers— they have a strong scent, and it’s exactly what I need.

I grab a bunch and start rubbing it all over my arms, my face, my hair and even my dress, plucking one after the other, piling it around me and then I curl into the tree, making myself smaller behind a bush and sit and pray.

I don’t know who would listen, because whatever God there is, has abandoned me.

He was close now, too close.

“Your mom said you were smart.” He announced as if he were speaking to a crowd, his voice thick with amusement.

He’s probably getting off on this little hunt.

My back pressed against the tree as I held my breath, my ears stinging with tears, and all I can wonder if my mother truly said that to him, and why.

Why would she talk about me?

Why mention me to him at all?

I heard Fenrys sigh, “But I guess I’m about to find out how smart.” he said, gaining ground on me.

Biting my lip, I stared ahead, and calculated.

If I ran…how fast could I get away?

Can I even get away?

I should have ran when there we more distance between us.

‘Yes, yes you should have.’ Cora chimed, but I shut her out as if slamming a door in her face.

I have no time for her snarky comments.

I’m fast. Like really fast. Dad always said its because my legs are long.

I can make it.

I can do it.

We can.

Shit.

‘Cora.’ I beg her to come back as I mentally yank on the door I shut in her face. ‘Please.’ I beg,

‘What?’ Cora snapped. ‘Let’s run.’ I tell her.

‘To where?’ Cora huffed, sounding as hopeless as a part of me feels.

‘Anywhere. Away from here.’ I beg. I need her help if I want to escape him.

I can dart, and she can take over, shift mid run.

Cora didn’t hesitate, ‘Fine.’ She grit out, but before I could hand her the reins, to give her the power to take her, I’m yanked up, a hand wrapped around my throat, my toes barely touching the ground as Fenrys held me up, pulling me closer, his face a breath away from mine, “There you are, Sunning,” he purred as if he were being kind, but his eyes were anything but kind. His hand around my throat wasn’t kind.

His other hand lifts towards my face.

Here it comes.

He’s going to kill me.

Instead, he brushes my hair out of my face, staring into my eyes with what looks like disappointment.

Fenrys tilts his head, tutting lightly, “Trying to run away?” He asks rhetorically— because of course I was, but I can’t admit that. I shake my head, eyes pleading with him. My lips part, but no sound comes out with his hand wrapping around my windpipe, and it seems he notices because his hold slackens and my feet touch the ground, but he doesn’t let go.

“I…My back is sore. I was looking for a plant to help.” The lie rolled off my tongue smoothly, and he looked like he was believing me. “You could have said something,” he raises his brows at me. “You wouldn’t have cared.” I sneer at him, my voice cracking and he lets go of my throat, but doesn’t back away. “I might seem heartless, Briar, but I do like proving my worth in this world— even if it’s just for a back ache because you can’t sit properly on a f*****g horse,” He snorted, and there was this glow on his face, in his eyes as he rolled them.

My eyes widen, “Excuse me?” I snap. “Look, I get that you are a woman…” I didn’t think as my hand raised and I slapped him across the face, causing his head to snap to the side. “I used to ride with my father, you know, the man that you killed.” I shove a finger into his chest, getting close to him.

Fenrys just stared down at me, and his gaze flicked to the finger digging into his chest. He remained looking at it, as if his mind went elsewhere, and when I blinked, he grabbed my wrist, twisting it backward. It doesn’t hurt, but it is damn uncomfortable.

He leans forward, eyes narrowed as his gaze locked on mine, “And I wouldn’t mind doing it to someone else, so watch your f*****g mouth.” He sneers, and the blood drains from my face.

He just threatened to kill my mom.

‘You called it.’ Cora chimes, but her voice is a soft echo in my head.

Fenrys is evil, if not the devil himself that could charm anyone with his looks.

Anger claws at my throat, my hands trembling with four years worth of rage.

“You sicken me.” I sneer, tears threatening to fall. Fenrys snorted, “Don’t make me prove you wrong, Sunning.” He whispered, and grabs both my arms, holding them together and he pulls something from his pocket, a leather strap and he bounds my hands.

“Your speaking privileges are revoked.” He says it so casually, as if he’d said it a thousand times before. My mouth opens to protest and he yanks me forward, shoving two fingers into my mouth and I choke around them, “Say one word, one, then something else besides my fingers are going to shut you up.” He warned, staring down at my lips that are parted around his fingers.

Tears spill as fear rips my chest apart, leaving me paralyzed.

“Got it?” He grins at me, and I nod.