Chapter 15

Desiree. “Would you come with me?” the man asked as I stared up at those intense hazel eyes that felt like an unspoken invitation to a world where I knew no danger. “Yes.” I slowly whispered, not tearing my gaze away from his. “Tell me to save you,” he commanded and the plea escaped my lips almost immediately. “Save me, please,” I said and a small smile filled his lips. “Desiree!” I heard my name called out from behind me, I felt chills run down my spine as I turned in the direction. My senses were on high alert as I peered through the dark trees. I recognized the voice that had called out to me but I didn’t see the person it belonged to. “Please take-” I started to say as I turned back to the man I had been talking to expecting his hazel eyes to be staring at me but he had vanished into the darkness leaving me behind to face the man I hated the most. I looked around fearfully, there was no way he would have left without a sound and so quickly, but I found no one lurking around. I reached for my hair when I felt a small note in my hand and I frowned as I opened it. “Meet me here tomorrow.” It said and I knew it was from him. A small smile filled my lips as I stared at the letter before Maddox's voice screamed in the forests again. “Desiree. Don’t make me come looking for you, I can scent you from a mile away.” I heard him say and I heard the sound of his footsteps coming closer so I tucked the note in my chest and looked around for a way of escape. The echoes of Maddox's shout reverberated through the woods and the rustling of leaves as if his presence made them uncomfortable filled my ears. I could feel the fear slowly creeping its way to my bones as anger surfaced too, fueling whatever feeling I had left. I stepped forward prepared to run again when a pair of hands grabbed me and I let out a small scream, biting down my lips angrily before turning to my captor. Maddox's green eyes held a beam of amusement as I realized they were the same shade of green as the leaves. His firm hand held onto my arm when I struggled but he did nothing to let me go. “Not so fast. You’ve caused enough problems as it is.” He uttered, his voice a low murmur that resonated through the still forest. I felt a strange sense of anger and irritation at his presence and I wanted to smack that smirk off his lips. As much as I hated it, his hands provided a sense of warmth as I realized I had goosebumps all over my skin from the cold air. “Let me go!” I said through gritted teeth as Maddox chuckled. “And why would I do that? You escaped?” “Or you set me free because you can’t control yourself. You see it’s so easy, you can’t control your instincts so you try to control me so you can get some sort of sick satisfaction isn’t that right?” “You don’t know anything about me,” Maddox said as he drew closer to me squinting his eyes and I pushed his head away. “Back off!” I screamed at him but he paid no mind to me, sniffing the air beside staring intently behind me as if to find someone lurking around. “Someone was here,” he declared, his eyes narrowing and my heat quickened its pace as I tried to distract him by wiggling my arm away from his so he turned back at me. “N-no one was here.” I stammered, feeling the lie at the tip of my tongue as the piece of paper poked my chest. The last thing I needed was Maddox knowing that I had someone coming to save me and get me out of this hell hole. The man was my only option and I wasn’t ready to blow his cover. “Don’t lie to me,” Maddox growled, a low menacing sound that reverberated through the air and I felt a chill run down my spine as his eyes bore into mine. “Who was it?” he asked again and I swallowed hard, the weight of his gaze compelling me to admit it because I knew he wasn’t going to let me go not until I gave him something. “Fine. Someone was here.” I started watching his emotions flicker between anger and concern. “Who?” He asked, his voice edged with frustration and I shrugged absentmindedly trying to appear as calm as possible. “I don’t know,” I admitted through gritted teeth before I sighed and turned to meet Maddox’s green gaze. “I didn’t see anyone. I was running for a while so I decided to rest that was when I heard something in the woods but it was gone before you came. Your voice must have stopped it.” I lied perfectly as I watched Maddox's features soften . “It could maybe be one of the patrols.” He said and I nodded gently before he sighed and pushed me slightly forward. “Come on, you’re coming with me.” He said as I frowned and tried to get away again but he walked and dragged me along painfully. “Do you not understand the concept of no?” I asked as Maddox flashed me a smile. “I do. But not from my prisoners.” He said before he started walking forward leaving me no choice but to follow him. We walked in silence through the woods and I could feel my legs getting weak. I’d been walking and running for hours and I was already tired, the food Diane had given me was good enough to sustain me for a while but it didn’t last long. I was dehydrated too. “Why do you hate me?” Maddox suddenly asked and I looked up to see his black hair ruffled around his head due to the cold air but he didn’t seem fazed by it as he kept his back to me and continued walking ahead holding me behind him. “Well, let me guess.” I feigned thinking as I looked up at the night sky. “I don’t know heart to start from but maybe kidnapping?” I said as Maddox chuckled slightly that I almost imagined I had heard it. “I didn’t kidnap you.” He said and I laughed loudly feeling the bitterness at the edge of my voice before I glared at the back of his head. “Oh really? Then what would you call randomly coming to a woman’s house and taking her from her own home without her consent?” I asked as Maddox stopped before turning to me and I stepped back at the attention. “You left me no choice.” He said, his eyes traveling so briefly to my neck. “Was it after you bit me or after you barged into my home?” I asked and he sighed. “Look, I don’t want to go back and forth with you right now. I’m not taking you back to the cell. I’m taking you to my place—” “Yeah, as if it’s much better,” I said, cutting him off before he sighed and ruffled his hair with his other hand. “Come on,” he said as we headed down a different path and I didn’t understand why there were sudden butterflies in my stomach at the thought of Maddox taking me to his home. This man was dangerous and it was better I got that through my thick skull.