Page 22 of Guided by the Stars (Creating Destiny #1)

I back up slowly, and they take steps towards me.

I know I am about to end up in shreds. I turn around and take off running as fast as I can, at this point it’s flight or fight, and I know I’m no match for those things, especially handcuffed.

The Hellhounds smell of death and decay and the smell lingers in my nose as I run away.

I don’t bother to look where I am going, too focused on getting away, when my foot hits something hard and I go flying, face forward.

I don’t even want to pick my head up and look because this is it, I’m a goner.

I’m sorry, Nora. I tried, I really, really did.

This is so cliche. In horror movies the girls are always running and fall over, but this isn’t a horror movie, it’s real life.

My pulse pounds so hard that I can hear my heartbeat in my ears.

I feel a hand on my shoulder and honestly, I’m scared to even look.

But I smell him again, cedar and smoke. Kai.

He flips me over, his eyes are tight with worry and I can tell he is pissed.

“Adriane, what the hell were you thinking? Those hellhounds would have torn you to pieces.”

“I…I…where did they go?” I ask, looking around, but they have disappeared. It was as if they had never been there.

Kai sits down beside me on this cold, hard ground.

It’s almost like the ground on Earth, except the grass here is rather gray looking.

I noticed this in the field we went through, this whole place is bleak.

“I used a lot of energy today, so I fell asleep to replenish it and when Jax woke me, you weren’t there,” he trails off and I look over at him, his face is pinched with worry, yet he also seems relieved.

“Thank you. Believe it or not, that’s not something I say often.

Growing up the way I did, I didn’t have a whole lot to be thankful for.

Honestly, it was mostly do-it-for-yourself or have nothing.

So, why and how did you save me?” I ask softly, because I want the answers.

I need to know why I’m here, and in this moment I see a war going on behind his eyes.

A war that I too am fighting, the need to push, and the need to give into the pull.

What the hell is getting into me? I’ve never shared any part of my past with anyone and there I went and just gave out information about myself.

He rubs the back of his neck with his hand and I notice his jacket is off.

He is in a simple black t-shirt and he has a tattoo on his forearm that says ‘but I’m not an angel’ .

“Your blood is powerful, Hades wants you and that brown-haired girl, Nora. So I went to get you both. To answer your second question, I called them off. Some hellhounds are easier to control, and these ones patrol the Underworld. There are some that are trained by certain people, those ones are harder to gain control of.” He stands, holding his hand out.

I put my hands in his, allowing him to pull me up.

His eyes go hard again and I know the moment of kindness is over.

“So don’t thank me for saving you, sweetheart, I was only doing my job. ”

He pulls his hand roughly out of mine and I shake my head.

I feel like we take a small step forward and then a huge leap back.

What is going on with him? Like the fucking flower he stuck in my hair, that he followed up with a rude ass comment.

I roll my eyes at the back of his head. Could my life get any worse right now?

I am so attracted to him, I feel it with every ounce of my being, then again, I want to slap him and punch him in the face for a second time.

“I take my thank you back, asshole,” I shout at him as I catch up.

Now that I know there are hellhounds running around, I need to be smarter about what I’m doing.

So for now I’ll stay put, but I’ll learn what I can to get out of here.

I only hope Nora is faring better than I am.

When we arrive back to the hut, Jax stands there waiting for us with a smirk on his face.

I only glare at him as I walk in ahead of him.

Once we’re all inside again, Jax hands me some water.

“I figured you might be thirsty after that run,” he says.

I begrudgingly take the water because he’s right, I am thirsty.

I go to look for my phone but Jax’s words stop me, “You lost it and no way are we going back for it.”

“What?” I ask, because he said it so matter-of-factly. I still reach down and touch my pocket, shooting a death glare his way.

He smirks at me and I look over at Kai. He lays back down, putting his hands behind his head, and closes his eyes.

“Don’t even ask. The answer is no, if you had stayed put you wouldn’t have lost it.

But you will never need it again. Phones, if you haven’t noticed, won’t work here.

We’re in the Underworld, Red. It’s not like you’re going back to Earth, so the answer is no. ”

My eyes prickle with heat and my body shakes.

I’m so pissed off. The phone might not work down here, but it holds treasured memories with Nora, and I will definitely need it for when I eventually make it out of here.

I’ll figure that out later, because I won’t be staying here.

No way in hell am I giving up, they don’t know who they messed with.

I am Adriane fucking Douglas. I have survived so much and I won’t be going out like this!