The Imprinted Maiden (18+)

Chapter Forty-Four

Once the gate was out of sight, James seemed to ease his pace. The mob seemed to relax enough to start talking among each other, as if this was a regular thing.

I was terrified. Were they going to kill me? Hurt me? I didn't want a slow and painful death, but I was too scared to ask James what he was going to do.

The longer we walked, the more nervous I became. The cold was biting at my skin, but it didn't bother me as much as not knowing what was going to happen to me. Finally, I took a deep breath and asked, "J-James? Sir? Where are we going?"

He stared me down, causing me to shrink somewhat. He then looked ahead him, and then behind him, before stopping. I flinched when he reached out to me, expecting the worst.

Instead, he petted my head once, twice, before pulling out a knife and cutting the rope off.

I stared at him, my mouth almost hanging open. "S-sir?"

He sighed before waving someone over. "Don' question it. I doubt we're far enough to be safe." A dark skinned male who looked similar to Nick, but with short dreadlocks tied up, approached me and reached for the shackles. I watched he pulled it apart, freeing my hands as the shackles fell to the floor.

The man grinned, looking satisfied with my shocked expression. "Much better, ain't it?" he said, his voice a bit deeper than what Nick's would be.

James took off his coat, resting it on my shoulders as he said, "We got a bit further to go. Don' ask questions and don' stop us again, ya hear?"

I nodded, rubbing my wrists as I followed him. As confused as I was, I was grateful that he wasn't trying to kill me. Still, I didn't understand why he needed so many people to come and get me. The male who had helped me earlier gave me his soft gloves for my hands. I nodded my thanks, putting the gloves to good use.

We had walked down the barely visible trail before James suddenly stopped. "Er, which way again?"

The male pointed to the left and said, "That-a-way."

I giggled at his playful tone, keeping close to the group as we left the trail into thick woods. I stayed close, not wanting to get lost with how dark it was.

The trek lasted a lot longer than I thought it would be, and soon enough I felt sleepy enough that I tripped over my foot. The strong man kept me upright and asked, "Sleepy?"

I nodded before stifling a yawn. "I'm alright. I've gone through worse."

The man nodded, allowing me to walk on my own.

We continued to trek through the woods, occasionally changing direction before coming to an open area. I looked around, finding trees surrounding a large cabin I'd never seen before. The cabin was lit up and I could see silhouettes moving about inside.

James finally stopped and said, "We got camp a little ways from here. Jericho will take ya inside."

I nodded, looking for the man in mention. The strong man grinned and raised a hand, revealing to be Jericho. "Let's get you to some warmth, yeah?"

I smiled softly, allowing him to lead me to the cabin. After a few knocks, the door opened to reveal Nick himself. He grinned at the sight of me and hugged me tightly. "Ain't you a sight for sore eyes!"

I was beside myself with happiness, relieved to find a happy face in a sea of unfamiliar people. When he finally let me go, he pulled me inside and asked me many questions. "Are you alright? You're looking a little pale, more than normal. Did you eat anything? Where are the brothers, are they good?"