Subdue-X

Unlike Snow White

The wipers struggled to keep up with the relentless rain, the highway a blur of slick asphalt and towering pine trees. Thunder cracked overhead, echoing through the dense forest as lightning illuminated the world in stark flashes. Christian's grip on the steering wheel was iron-tight, knuckles pale as he navigated the treacherous road. The vehicle swayed slightly with each gust of wind, the storm making every mile a battle. The windows were stuck down more than half way. Water pelting down onto the leather seats and only our own skin. We both did a fine job ignoring it.

I kept my eyes closed, forcing my breathing to remain steady. Every muscle in my body was tense, pretending to be asleep as the atmosphere in the car thickened with each passing second. The rain was deafening, a relentless assault on the senses, but it was nothing compared to the tension between us.

Christian's phone buzzed, the vibration cutting through the noise, and I felt him pull it out with a sharp movement. He glanced at the screen smeared with rain, his jaw tensing as he answered the call.

"Where are you?" Pin's voice came through, low and controlled, but there was a dangerous edge to it, a barely restrained anger that simmered just beneath the surface. "And don't you dare lie to me."

Christian didn't answer immediately, his lips curling slightly as if he was considering how much to reveal. "We're on the road. Heading back."

"The tracker on Ana's phone hasn't been working," Pin said, his voice colder now, a lethal undercurrent slipping into his words. "Where is it?"

"It fell off," Christian's tone was flat, almost defiant. "She's not going anywhere."

Pin was silent for a beat, the tension crackling like the storm outside. When he spoke again, his voice was darker, the words precise and cutting. "She goes where I say, Christian. You don't own her."

Christian bit the inside of his cheek, his expression unreadable as he stared ahead, the headlights slicing through the rain. He didn't respond, letting the silence hang heavy between them.

"What the hell did you do to her?" Pin asked, his voice dropping to a menacing whisper. "Her stats have been all over the place."

Christian's grip tightened on the wheel. "She's fine. Just taking a nap."

Another silence, this one more dangerous. I could hear the faint murmur of voices on Pin's end, someone filling him in, their words barely audible over the storm. But I caught enough-"her face" and "grazed her temple." My stomach twisted, the memory of that close call of the bullets flying through the night, flashing through my mind.

Pin's voice returned, colder than the rain drenching the highway. "Her face was smashed?" The question was soft, almost too soft, but it carried a weight that made my blood run cold. "And a bullet grazed her temple? You let that happen?"

Christian's jaw clenched, his teeth grinding together as he kept his eyes on the road. The wind rushing into the vehicle getting more frigid the further we traveled.

"Do you understand what could have happened?" Pin's tone was venomous, each word dripping with a quiet fury. "Do you have any idea what I would do to you if something worse had happened to her? You're testing my patience, Chris."

Christian remained silent, the tension in the car nearly unbearable. I opened my eyes and shifted upwards as the weather began to cut through my clothes into my skin.

"You're going to stop," Pin ordered, his voice as dark as the storm. "Right now. My people will find you. If you so much as think about moving from your current location, I will order them to kill you on sight. Don't doubt me."

Christian slowed the car, the engine rumbling as the vehicle decelerated. But he didn't stop. Not yet.

"Have it your way, Chris," Pin said, his tone almost mocking, but underneath it was the promise of something far worse if he didn't comply.