Pride's Pursuit by Cat Kalen

Author:Cat Kalen
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Published: 2015-08-12T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eight

A tremor moves through me as my father drives the vehicle along the winding driveway leading to his estate. I briefly shut my eyes and when I open them again, I glance over my shoulder to catch one last glimpse of the world I’m leaving behind, and I try to fight the strange sense that I’ll never see it again.

An ominous feeling settles in the pit of my stomach as the heavy metal gate clangs shut behind us. The site is so hauntingly familiar that it brings back horrific memories of my dark days in captivity.

Beside me, Stone squeezes my hand tighter, and even though I keep my expression blank, vacant, he’s still fully aware of the knot weaving itself tighter and tighter in my stomach.

“It’s going to be okay,” he whispers inside my head, but from the tension in his body, I know his stress levels are every bit as high as mine.

Floodlights ignite the compound and bathe the huge expanse of lush, green lawn in artificial brightness. When I get my first real look at the impressive house where my father once kept shaders under his strict command, I suddenly feel a little nauseous, a little overwhelmed.

As my mind shifts and sorts through this unexpected turn, mental images of all the cruelties that took place in this compound play out in my mind’s eye. Working to push down my emotions in an effort to keep all my wits about me, I draw in a fortifying breath to calm myself. But then I think about the first time Logan saw my battle-scarred body and I remember what he said. His master wasn’t cruel like mine.

As that last thought settles me slightly, I eye the perimeter and wonder if the high-voltage gate locking the world out—and us in—is still powered with electricity. If we have to get out in a hurry, will we all be electrocuted?

I mentally catalogue the area and search for an escape route. While I believe my father isn’t out to harm us, it still doesn’t stop me from approaching this change of plans with caution.

He parks at the top of the twisting driveway, and after he slams the SUV into Park, we all pile out and wait for my father to make the next move. A bird takes to the sky as he circles the vehicle to meet us on the cobblestone walkway leading to the front door. I breathe deep and catch the sweet scent of berries on the breeze. The familiar aroma elicits a shiver from deep inside me.

Looking tired, weather-beaten, and emotionally battered, my father’s shoulders slump slightly when he announces, “There are enough bedrooms upstairs for everyone. Take your pick. We can talk in the morning after everyone is rested.”

With that my father steps ahead of us all and we follow him to the front entrance, where he punches in a code to open the door. I listen to the beeps and commit the numbers to memory. I don’t miss the concentration on Stone’s face, an indication that he is doing the same.

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