Page 27

His lips draw into a lopsided smile, revealing an oversized white canine.
“Fuck a duck.” That’s a new one for me.
I don’t even notice I’m reaching forward to touch it when my other wrist is grappled in his snug grip.
His smile fades and the corner of his mouth falls into a frown. “No touching.”
I can feel my eyes squint. “Wait, you’re planning on eating me, but I’m not allowed to touch the utensils? Seems a little uneven on this deal.” Tippy toes raise me until my nose almost kisses his and one of his whiskers tickles my chin.
The pale silver of his eyes have shards of opal dancing on the edges.
At least, I think I see that before he squeezes them shut and pushes me away.
“Can you walk?” His knuckles dig into my shoulders as he folds my arms against my chest.
Stumbling back a step, I twist out of his reach. “I’m good, Scooby. I’ve been trying to leave this whole time.” Jerking my wrists free, I turn on my heel and hope I run into that beast again.
He was nicer.
Beyond the shattered cockpit, sun filters through a smoky haze over ribbons of sparkling water.
Holy shit. I’ve never seen a lake. I was barely old enough to know what the sky looked like when I was taken to the institute.
It’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. Backed by tall pines, there isn’t a single man-made shape to be seen.
I didn’t know this existed. I always thought it was made up, like dragons and magic.
This is better than any fantasy. Even with the sooty burn of the air, it smells like freedom.
The earth raises to meet each rapid footfall as I run down to the edge of the bank. An icy grip hugs first my ankles then my calves with each step deeper into the clear water.
I can’t believe it. Tears sting my eyes and drip from my nose to mingle with the swirling surface.
Goosebumps raise on my arms, but the need to be enveloped by the cold depths drives me further.
I want to feel it, to immerse myself in the embrace of the chiling waves.
The shock of it covering my head pushes the breath from my lungs, but I don’t even notice the bubbles fleeing me.
Fish, bright pebbles, logs and plants. All foreign to anything I’ve ever witnessed. I want to touch everything.
Slimy? I didn’t expect the wood to feel this way. A minnow nibbles on my knuckle as I freeze near the bottom. In slow motion it dives its tiny body back into a dark recess of a boulder.
It’s so amazing. Peace settles over me. I’m melting into the slow ebb.
Something hot wraps around my arm and I’m thrust to the surface.
“What are you doing?” The hot man with the sexy eyes holds me so my toes can’t reach the bottom. “You could drown. Are you sure you didn’t hit your head harder?”
Does he actually look angry with me? “I’m fine. I told you! I’ve never seen a lake before, Pluto. I’m just taking a second.”
His brows furrow and one eye squints at me as he drags me back to shore. “What? How can you have never seen a lake?” His grip is like granite under my armpit.
“Us sheltered city kids, ya know?” I can’t help but notice how tightly his shirt hugs against his body, revealing the definition of his abs with every step.
Why am I noticing? It’s like I’m giddy with wanting to explore everything new around me, including him. I’ve never even had sex before. Well, I’ve used it as a lure many times to try and escape. One of the goons even managed to get me off with his fingers before I broke his neck.
What was his name?