The Sweetest Obsession

9: blooded freedom

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ALANISE

The forest echoed with our footsteps as we ran, the wind tearing at our clothes, the ground uneven beneath us.

I could hear Maila's ragged breathing behind me, Jen sprinting ahead, and Shane pulling me by the wrist, urging me to move faster.

My lungs burned, and my legs screamed for rest, but we couldn't stop.

They're coming.

Behind us, the motorcycles roared again. Max had lost her gun, but we hadn't escaped.

Her rage was chasing us, and it was only a matter of time before she caught up.

Just when I thought we might make it, a deafening bang split the air, cutting through the night. The sound stopped us in our tracks.

A gunshot.

"Stop!" Max's voice rang out, furious and venomous.

We didn't stop.

We couldn't.

But then another shot was heard until I felt a sharp sting in my shoulder— again, followed by a white-hot pain that shot through my body.

The world tilted, and before I knew it, I was on the ground, my legs giving out beneath me.

The pain was excruciating, like a wildfire burning through my shoulder.

I gasped, clutching the wound, my hands coming away slick with blood.

Max had shot me.

"Alanise!" Shane screamed, skidding to my side. She pressed her hands to the wound, trying to stop the bleeding, but I could see the panic in her eyes.

I shouted when another shot bang was heard and Shane's hands aren't on my arm anymore as she screamed in pain.

Max shot her too, I watched how the blood dripped from her arm, daplis sa kaliwang braso. Maila and Jen ran back at us, quickly attending our wounded selves.

"Shane..." I cried as I scooted closer to her, crying too.

My breath came in short, painful bursts, the shock setting in.

Behind us, Max stepped closer, the gun still in her hand, her expression twisted with satisfaction and anger.

Her siblings weren't far behind—Cohen, Gideon, and Sage on their motorcycles, their faces dark with rage.

The low hum of their engines closed in, and I knew then—this was it. There was no running anymore.

Jen covered her body in protecting manner to Shane as Maila tried to help pull me to my feet, but I couldn't move. The pain was too much. My vision blurred as I struggled to stay conscious.

"Thought you could run, huh?" Max spat, her voice filled with bitter triumph. "Did you really think you could get away from us?"

"M-max please, stop this!" I hissed, sobbing.

"Walang titigil Alanise, you think you can outsmart us?" She darkly smirked.

She aimed the gun at Maila now, her eyes cold. "Move or I'll shoot you next."

Maila froze, her hands trembling as she held me up. Jen stood beside her, defiant but scared, her gaze darting between the gun and Max's face.

"We don't want to hurt anyone else" Jen said, her voice shaky but determined. "Just let us go."