Page 16

Lux

M y breaths came in uneven, shallow bursts. Each one caused the dizzy feeling in my head to grow. Hot, sticky liquid poured from between my fingers. I didn’t need to look down to know what it was, not with Seth standing in front of me.

His eyes were wide and wild, glazed over with an emotion I couldn’t place, and dark sanguine splatters decorated his chest. I had no way of knowing how deep he’d bitten me, but I swore I could taste copper, and it felt like my lungs were slowly filling with liquid, making it impossible to draw in enough oxygen.

He didn’t move. Fuck, it barely seemed like he was breathing. All he did was stare at me, and part of me thought he might have been in shock, and if he was, the feeling was mutual.

Keeping my hand on my neck, I looked toward the crashing sound from moments prior. I’d assumed Ronan finally caught me, but oh, how wrong I’d been. He was there, but Solomon and Cassian flanked his sides. None of the men wore masks, and two of them brandished wounds I’d created.

Time seemed to slow as we all entered into a staring contest. Then, what little sense I had left returned. My chance of survival felt slim right now, but if I wanted it to be a nonzero chance, I had to run .

And that’s exactly what I did.

My legs moved without the help of my brain, and the world around me spun, making it impossible to choose a destination, even if I wanted to.

My bare feet slapped along the tiles until I came across a staircase.

One so massive that I had no idea where it could possibly lead.

Something in me said it was a bad idea for me to climb the stairs, but as I stopped and tried to collect myself, a thunder of steps caught my attention.

I couldn’t stop to breathe, no matter how desperately I needed it.

Because if I tried, they’d catch me, and if they caught me, I’d die.

I bounded up the stairs, two at a time, gripping the banister as if I was trying to rip it out of the wall.

Each step sent a bolt of agony through every last overworked muscle.

The edges of my vision started to vignette like an old photo, but still, I didn’t stop running, not even for a second.

I blinked, and suddenly, I was somewhere strange. The floors were unfinished wood, and boxes littered every corner. Tall, gothic windows stood behind me, allowing me to look out into the landscape around the manor. More importantly, I could see the sky.

The night was no longer black, and there were no stars to count. Instead, a purple twilight greeted me. My shoulders slumped for one second of beautiful relief. My face tingled, and I thought maybe I had a fighting chance to wait out the last few minutes of the game.

Then, the floor behind me creaked. I didn’t have to look, it was like I could feel them.

My heart lurched and my skin crawled, as if begging me to find another escape.

But, I’d cornered myself. Worse than that, I was slowly losing control of my body.

My knees transformed into jelly, and I spun around–not because I wanted a last look at the men who’d shortly take my life.

But, because I wanted to lean against the windows in hopes they’d prop me up.

The men of the Red Lace Manor may have won, but I would be going out with my dignity.

The glass stuck to my bare back, and made me acutely aware of the sweat decorating my skin.

My lips parted as the world continued to blur.

Pre-vomit saliva collected in my mouth, but I swallowed it down.

Four predators stared me down as they formed a semi-circle around me–shoulders squared and knees bent.

A sleepy blink clouded my vision for one second as I searched for Ronan.

It wasn’t that I favored him or anything, but he was the one man I’d yet to see maskless in person.

Tawny hair, square jaw, and scars just like the rest. His face wasn’t as perfect or sharp as the others; instead, his features were boxy in an almost charming way. His nose had a few bumps, like it’d been broken a few times.

So that was the face of the blood-hungry beast prowling for me all night.

I forced a smirk as I started to involuntarily slide down the window.

“Cute.” The word came out warbled. I coughed twice, causing something hot and wet to rush over my lips. I ignored the feeling as well as I could. “It’s rude that the last man I’ll ever see isn’t better looking.”

My ass met the floor and a few splinters poked into me, but I didn’t flinch. I barely had it in me to blink right now, let alone react to the barely-there pain. My eyes burned with the desire to shut, possibly for good now. My head lolled back, smacking into the glass with a dull thunk .

Cassian was the first to move. His boots whispered across the wood with feather-light steps, and I tensed, preparing for him to stab me to make us even for earlier.

My gaze shifted to Solomon just in time to see his jaw tense.

His silver hair matted to his forehead, blood darkening a few of the strands.

I’d put up a hell of a fight tonight, and if they thought I’d let it end like this–they had the wrong bitch.

My limbs moved like molasses as Cassian crouched near me.

It was like he didn’t know what to do with me now that I had stopped running.

Eventually, I got the bag to my lap and unzipped it.

Cassian’s emerald eyes widened, but I didn’t bother to look at the other men.

Clumsily I shoved my hand in the bag as I searched for just a moment before meeting the cool metal of the gun.

My fingers encircled the grip just as Cassian reached for me, but he yanked back when I pulled the weapon from the bag. It was heavier than I remembered it being at the start of the night, or maybe I was just weaker.

Either way, it wasn’t like it mattered.

The gun shook in my grasp, and despite my body’s protests, I pressed the barrel to my chin.

“Lux, you don’t have to do this.” Seth’s voice seemed completely disembodied to me. I couldn’t pinpoint where he was, and I didn’t care to look.

If I were going to die, it’d be on my terms.

My only response was pulling the hammer of the gun back. I exhaled, closing my eyes, and wondered what was going through the men’s heads. With how quiet they all were, I wondered if this was yet another first for a bride .

My finger wrapped around the trigger, but just as I went to pull it, heat smashed into my back. Golden sunlight filled the dusty room, and the predators around me shrunk away into the shadows. And though I had no idea if the sun had actually risen, it felt like I’d won.

The gun fell to my lap, and I didn’t have the strength to lift it again. Masculine voices came from around me, but they were distorted, as if I were trying to listen underwater. And, while if I wanted to, I could have fought against the current and potentially risen to the surface.

I was so tired , plus, those sick bastards probably wanted to see me struggle.

So, instead of continuing to fight, I let myself go numb and vanish into a deep, blissful, painless sleep.