Tasting

381–The Man In Chains

Nora:

Throughout the car ride, Clara kept trying to make small talk. She jumped from talking about the brothers to mentioning Brody, clearly hoping to get a reaction out of me. But I wasn’t in the mood. Returning to the place I once felt trapped in wasn’t easy for me.

A

More importantly, leaving my babies behind weighed heavily on my heart. It felt unbearable, and no matter how many times I repeated it in my head, it wouldn’t change the fact that nobody cared.

I let out a sigh, staring out the window as a strange haze settled inside me. It was going to be a long journey, and as always, we were covering it by car.

As we neared the border, I noticed a sudden shift in the weather. The sky grew cloudy, and a looming storm threatened to break.

“That’s strange,” I muttered, turning to see why Clara had gone quiet. She was fast asleep, her rabbit nestled in her lap.

The car came to a sudden halt, and I glanced at the driver, my brows furrowing.

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

“I’m not sure. Let me take a look,” he replied before stepping out of the car to inspect the problem. In the meantime, I slowly got out as well, savoring the fleeting freedom of being able to make small decisions on my own.

These were minor decisions, but they reminded me that I wasn’t becoming comfortable with this life of captivity. No one could ever get used to that.

0.00%

10:260

381–The Man In Chains

268 Vouchers

But I wasn’t resigned to it either.

I knew the moment I had a chance, I’d take my babies and show these people just how difficult it is to control me.

As I stood outside, scanning the surroundings, something caught my attention. It was a set of silver chains, muddied and tangled in the dirt.

Leaving the driver with the car issue, I approached the chains and followed them behind a large tree. To my surprise, there was a wounded man bound in those chains. His face was obscured by long, unkempt hair, and his beard had grown wild. His clothes had turned into one filthy layer of dirt and grime. I couldn’t figure out who he was or why he was chained near the border.

“Hey,” I knelt down in front of him, careful not to startle him with any sudden movements. But he seemed oddly calm. The way he peacefully opened his eyes to examine me sent a chill down my spine.

“You didn’t do it,” he said, his..

“Didn’t do what?” I asked, confused.

soft but accusatory. I frowned at him.

“You were supposed to look for me,” he muttered, looking offended as soon as I showed no sign of recognition.

“Huh? Do I know you?” I tilted my head, trying to get a better look at his face. There was something familiar about him, but I couldn’t place it.

“You were supposed to find me. That should have been on your mind all along. How could you-” His demeanor suddenly shifted, becoming aggressive. He sat up and grabbed my hands tightly, his grip raw and overpowering.

I thought I could fight anyone now, but somehow, his hold on me was so strong I couldn’t even wiggle free.

31.70%

10:260

“Hey! Let me go,” I shouted, struggling to break away.

“I said, let me go!” I screamed again, and he took it a step further, pulling me closer so I could look directly into his eyes.

“You need to find me.

”

That was all he said before I jolted awake.

“Fuck!” I gasped, hyperventilating and drenched in sweat. I glanced to my side, and sure enough, Clara was still asleep, the car cruising along just fine.

So, it was just a strange dream.

I shook myself fully awake as we entered the pack’s territory. Clutching my shirt, I tried to calm my nerves. It wasn’t going to be easy walking back into that mansion, pretending I’d been on a vacation and everything was back to normal.

van More can go back home. I am not

“We need to finish our job quickly so

going to stay away from my babies for too long,” I told Akira, who I could feel was growing emotional.

There were moments when I even wanted to let myself feel something, but I couldn’t. It wasn’t that I didn’t understand my state; it just didn’t bother me. As long as it kept me from feeling pain or getting hurt, I was okay with it.

Soon, the mansion came into view, and I took a deep breath, straightening my back and putting on a neutral expression. The large doors opened as our car rolled into the driveway.

Standing there, waiting for us with wide smiles and bouquets of roses, were Lord Atwood and Silas, their maids trailing behind them.