Total pages in book: 120
Estimated words: 116263 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 581(@200wpm)___ 465(@250wpm)___ 388(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 116263 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 581(@200wpm)___ 465(@250wpm)___ 388(@300wpm)
The man froze, hesitating, wavering as he leaned forward, then back again.
Somewhere close, a door banged when it was pushed open, and one of the voices carried through the wall: “Did you need something, Ainsley?”
He jolted upright at that, malevolence rippling over his body as he stood in frustration before he finally turned and silently eased back to the door.
He paused there, and I could feel his hungry gaze rove over me again when he turned to look back once more.
He pulled open the door. It cast a wedge of light across the room.
From the edge of my blanket, I peeked out to where he faced away. He poked his head out into the hall and scanned both directions.
He filled the doorway, the mass of him blocking the light, a gory silhouette.
I could see well enough to make out the blue scrubs, the squatty shape, and the buzzed, light-colored hair.
When he found the hallway clear, he slipped out, leaving the door halfway open. His footsteps echoed down the hall, then died out the farther he went.
All the muscles that had been wound so tight in my body gave, and I slumped down in a puddle in the middle of the mattress. Relief and fear trembled through me.
Tears fell hot and fast.
Quick and uncontainable, though I tried to keep the sobs buried in my pillow.
Because this relief wouldn’t last for long.
I already knew.
Felt it in my soul.
The wickedness that had oozed from the man’s stance, in the quivers of malicious desire that had racked through the room.
He was going to be back, and I’d already read his intent.
I could already feel his hands around my neck, squeezing the life from me.
Even though I’d only seen him from behind, I could clearly imagine the smile on his face when he did it.
When I’d told Pax about binding the Kruen while awake, I’d been foolish enough to hope he’d tell me it was normal. That it was something they’d forgotten to tell me would happen around the time when I turned eighteen.
But that hope had fizzled when I saw the fear that had flashed across his face when I’d told him. His gorgeous face that I ached to see. One I ached to reach out and touch, the same way I ached to touch his body.
Just once.
Because I would fight it—with all of me—but I was sure my fate was already stamped and sealed.
The Kruen were going to hunt me, seek me out on this sphere, and they wouldn’t stop until I was dead.
I just never could have imagined they would find me so fast.
When I’d felt that dread sprout from the depths of my soul, sure that if my parents locked me away here again that I might die, I’d never anticipated how literal it’d been.
I buried my face deeper into the pillow to drown the sorrow.
A raspy scream ripped up my throat when a hand landed on my shoulder. I shot upright, reeling back until I was pressed against the wall.
Through the vapid shadows, Jenny’s blue eyes went round, and she pushed her hands out in front of her in surrender.
“Shh . . . shh, it’s okay, it’s just me,” she whispered, tossing a worried glance back at our door to make sure no one had heard and was coming to see what was going on.
Gasping, I tried to slow the way my heart ravaged at my chest. Banging through the disorder that I couldn’t quell, my spirit and flesh feeling as if it were being rent apart.
“I heard you crying.” Uncertainty surrounded her when she crouched down on her knees at the bed at my side. No doubt, she was wondering whether she’d made a mistake by coming to check on me.
She wrung her hands, then slowly lifted her chin to fully meet me in the eye.
Brave and kind.
Because I knew in that moment, she was truly afraid of me, and still, she took the chance.
Inhaling a steadying breath, I tried to clear the chaos from my mind.
“I don’t like it here, either,” Jenny whispered as she eased down onto her butt and crisscrossed her legs in front of her.
Empathy rippled from her in waves.
“I hate it, really.” She gave a small shrug, hesitating for a beat before she continued, “But I’m really glad you’re here. I somehow feel better just being around you.”
A deep gratification burned through my chest. Even though she didn’t know why she felt better, it meant something.
It meant something important.
And even if she was the only one whom I could help this way? If maybe, maybe the voices were cleared long enough for her to find healing? Purpose and hope and faith? Then it would be worth it.
I reached out and grabbed her hand. “You’re going to be okay, Jenny. I know you are. You’re an amazing person. I can feel it. So please don’t ever let anyone tell you otherwise. I promise you they have no idea what they’re talking about, because you are incredible.”