Page 145 of Rot In Knotty Pieces

I’m tempted for a moment because fate knows we love this alpha more than we love anything, but being with us is death. For him and for us.

“I’m fine. We didn’t get him. Go, we’ll meet up soon,” he says. “Just run, be safe.”

“I love you, Rose,” Raven and I whisper.

“What? What does that mean? Why do you sound strange?” Rose coughs weakly.

“Raven, wait!”

I end the call and rip Raven out of the seat, allowing Merle and her panic to drown us out.

The stolen children have disappeared, and there is only me in the dark. He will come back; he will search for us, for them, for me. I need to lead him away. He must not find them. I won’t let him hurt another child.

I walk up to the door, and I push it closed, locking it with the gold key that hangs around my neck, and then I whisper to Merle to run.

I stare at the house with the little girl who is laughing and smiling. She is bigger than she was, she’s put on weight, but she has gotten taller. She is laughing and smiling, a light of normalcy vibrating in her aura.

She looks beautiful. Like a happy child.

Raven is with me, and she purrs with pleasure. We have checked all the girls, and they are all doing well.

I turn and walk into the forest. Hours of stomping has me on edge. It took me a long time to be easy in the sunlight, to sleep with the massive, open sky above my head. Winter was hard. It’s been almost a year since we escaped, and while the kids are doing great, I am aware I am too thin, struggling to find food and money to eat. Living in the forest has become the only sure way of evading Father.

But I don’t know how to hunt, and sometimes, I catch things and end up sick.

I think I might be dying. If I don’t find help soon, I will die.

Why is that thought not a sad one?

It’s almost comforting. While I’m walking, I lock the memories of those children up, hiding them from even me.

I stumble my way through the forest, ignoring the branches that grab at my tangled hair. My legs shake, and breathing is difficult.

Where am I?

I realise I’m lost and turn in a slow circle, but everything looks the same. It’s beautiful. If I died out here, I could be happy.

“Merle!” The adult male voice startles me.

I freeze, terror licking my insides. No. Please no. I don’t want to go back.

“Merle?”

Merle pushes to the surface, stealing control, and she does what she does best. She runs. We don’t see the car. Not until it’s too late.

Raven and I look through our eyes briefly and see Roseland. We look up into the face of the most beautiful omega we’ve ever seen. He’s not even looking at me.

“My name is Pix.”

“Why are you crying, little blackbird?”

I lift my eyes to his and sneer. This piece of shit. He’s not even worth a tenth of my alphas. He’s not even worth anything of my omega. Father is nothing.

“Show me your face.”

He laughs.

“Why, in all these years, have you never shown your face? Are you scarred? Are you frightened? Why?” I taunt him, pretending I don’t remember that day. He killed Robin because she bonded him. He’s a monster.