Synching With the Devil's Son

Chapter 9

Bella's P.O.V.

I don't know where I am. My head is fuzzy and I feel nauseous, but I'm slowly beginning to realize I'm alone...in the middle of the forest...at night. The panic that starts building neutralizes all the alcohol I've consumed, and settles in the pit of my stomach, spreading out towards my extremities. I should have just thrown up in front of Lucien and dealt with the consequences because that would definitely have been the lesser of two evils. Now I realize I am alone in the woods, lost in the dark, and my vision starts narrowing. It feels like my throat is closing in while my heart beats a staccato rhythm. I hear a sound behind me and whimper, my heart goes from skipping beats to racing in the blink of an eye. My attacker is back and I need to run...no...wait, he will be able to overpower me and catch me again. I need to hide. Trying to take deep fortifying breaths as silently as I can, I search for a good place to conceal myself. The brush, right there. If I can squeeze into it before he gets here, he'll never find me. I launch myself in the direction of the hedge and dive into it, ignoring the cuts along my face, arms and legs. I grab my legs tightly to my chest and lower my face so there is no chance light will reflect off my eyes. I hear another sound, yes, definitely footsteps, and they're getting closer. SHIT! Did he see me? If he finds me, I'm dead. I hold my breath, willing my attacker to keep on going while my panic reaches deep inside my body and starts squeezing my organs until I feel like they're shutting down.

I can see sneakers, men sized sneakers, and they've stopped right in front of where I'm hiding. The terror grips me and my brain short circuits. I need to run. He's back to finish off what he started three years ago, OhShit, OhShit, OhShit! What do I do? I tense, getting ready to flee when a hand reaches through the brambles and grasps my arm. I scream with the terror of knowing what is about to happen to me, swinging my arms wildly and kicking my attacker with everything I've got. I land a few good strikes, but my attacker isn't phased a bit. I'm about to have a massive coronary when I hear his voice.

"Bella, Bella, Bella," a gentle undertone pushes through my panic. "It's okay, you're okay. It's just me, Lucien."

When I hear the familiar name, feel his gentle tug on my arm, I start crying. The relief that passes through me is tangible, and once he's got me out of the brush, he pulls me into a gentle embrace. I grab him and cry hard, slobbering over his shirt and jacket. I can hear him murmuring gentle words to me, feel his hands softly tracing circles over my back, but I cannot stop crying. Then I begin to shake, violently and uncontrollably. My teeth chatter as if I was standing in a frozen tundra instead of in a humid Appalachian night. I'm a mess, and I know when this is all over I will be unbearably embarrassed, but right now being embraced and comforted by somebody I know is exactly what I need. I can vaguely hear voices to my right, I can feel the rumble in Lucien's chest as he responds, but I'm not listening to the content of his words, only the cadence. Soon the voices I heard are gone, and the only sound left is the strong beat of Luciens heart, but instead of letting me go, he holds me a little tighter. Eventually the steady rhythm becomes enough to start calming me down until I can finally take a shuttering breath and step away from my nemesis-turned-rescuer. I find it hard to believe he cares enough to comfort me, my brain is still in fight or flight mode, and I am having difficulty organizing my random thoughts.