Page 106

A violent man.

I shiver and try to remember anything from my college self-defense classes that might help me, but my mind is blank. We didn’t cover how to escape from a cave on Mars when being held by a psychopath, so… I’m a little out of my depth.

My head spins, and I feel the darkness encroach again. I’m trying desperately to stay conscious, but it is so hard to keep my eyes open when everything is so heavy.

Blink.

Smack.

Pain.

“Don’t you go to sleep on me. You’re not allowed to sleep! You’re mine now. Mine to be happy with. That’s what I was promised and that’s what I want.”

He’s pulling at his hair, tears streaming down his face.

I don’t want to pity him, not when I feel on the verge of death, but he’s so pitiful it’s hard not to.

“Please take this off so we can talk,” I mumble through the gag.

He looks up this time, his features softening as he crawls back to where I am.

I try not to flinch as he comes closer. I want to show confidence. But he’s beaten me so badly my body is loathe to have him closer.

I freeze, holding my breath, as he raises his hand.

“If I take this off are you going to keep screaming?” He narrows his dark eyes at me.

I shake my head, my eyes wide and, I hope, innocent looking.

We can’t be close enough to base that he’s worried others will hear me. Can we? That would be foolish.

Looking at Buddy—crazed, starving, and cold—he doesn’t really seem like he’s working with all his marbles at the moment.

I brace myself for another smack to the face, but instead, he surprises me by pulling off the gag. I choke, spittle and blood dribbling out of my mouth.

He pulls back, a look of disgust on his face. “I shouldn’t have hit your face. I’ll just have to cover it when I take you. Until you heal.”

His words hit me like water turned to ice, slowly at first, and then with razor sharpness.

When he notices my expression, he smirks. “I was promised a mate. Mine died. You’re my consolation prize.”

Buddy stands and takes a step toward me.

I scream.

That doesn’t phase him. Not at first. He only stops...

When something deep within the cave screams back.

* * *

MAREK

Astrid and Declan form search parties to canvas all known caves in the surrounding area.

I leave in a rover with a thermo radar and Metis in my ear. I have studied the animal populations in the surrounding areas, so I know generally what the radar reading should present. I hope to come across a visual that stands out

One that could lead me to where Buddy has taken Azalea.