Page 46 of Nick
Vincent’s boot connected with Sarah’s side, and the world jolted.Pain splintered through her ribs, a white-hot lance that stole her breath.She hit the ground hard, the unforgiving stone floor of the cave biting into her bruised flesh.
The impact sent a shock wave of agony radiating through her battered body, but it also dislodged something vital from the chair—a loose nail, glinting dully in the dim light.
As she lay there, panting shallowly, Sarah’s gaze locked onto the nail.It was small, insignificant to any other eye, but to her, it was salvation—a weapon, a key, hope.
With every ounce of restraint, she suppressed the instinct to snatch it up immediately.Vincent and Gregory still loomed over her, their shadows cast by the flickering torchlight merging into one monstrous silhouette.
“Can’t take much more, can you?”Vincent sneered.Gregory’s throaty laugh echoed off the walls, a sinister soundtrack.
“Maybe we should let her wounds heal,” Gregory suggested, amusement curdling into strategy.“Wouldn’t want the fun to end too soon.”
“True,” Vincent agreed, his eyes never leaving Sarah’s prone form.“Let her stew in her misery for a while.”
As they turned to leave, Sarah allowed herself the smallest movement, pressing her cheek against the cool ground to cloak her motions.With meticulous care, she inched her hand toward the nail, her fingers brushing against the cold metal.
The door groaned shut behind Vincent and Gregory, and as silence settled over the cave, Sarah seized the nail with a quiet triumph.Just a piece of metal, but in her grasp, it became a declaration of war against her captors—against the cruelty of the Sunburst Pack.
She would not die here—not today, not at their hands.
The sharp edge of the nail bit into Sarah’s flesh as she clawed at her bindings, drawing the padlock up toward her hand.
Her body screamed in protest, but Sarah pushed through the pain.She shoved the nail into the keyhole of the lock.She began banging the lock against the floor, driving the nail in deeper and deeper, using what was left of her shifter strength until it gave way with a final, satisfying snap.The nail skittered across the floor as the lock broke, and she stifled a cry of victory, knowing all too well that the true challenge still lay ahead.
Carefully, she unwound the silver chain, ignoring the silver burning against her skin until she was finally free.
The nail had fallen out of the broken lock, and Sarah grabbed it, slipping it into her pocket, though she couldn’t have said why.
Rubbing the raw, inflamed skin on her wrists, Sarah rose unsteadily to her feet.Adrenaline pulsed through her.
At the last second, she grabbed a knife from the table of bloody instruments.
Just in case I need it.
She took a moment to steady her breathing before opening the door and making her way out into the tunnels of the abandoned mine.
Sarah assessed the shadows around her, seeking an escape.She had to move; she had to find a way out before Vincent and Gregory returned.
Creeping forward, Sarah kept her steps cautious, mindful of any noise that could betray her.The dank air of the old mine clung to her, musty and thick.It was disorienting, the way the tunnels seemed to stretch endlessly, each one more foreboding than the last.
Closed-in spaces had never been her friend.Even the thought was enough to constrict her chest, to claw at her resolve with icy fingers.But fear was a luxury Sarah could not afford—not if she wanted to survive, not if she wanted to see daylight again.
Keep moving, she told herself.You’re a wolf, not a mouse.
With every step, she risked losing herself in the labyrinthine tunnels.But she would survive, dammit—she would find her way out.
She pressed on, the nail clutched in her hand—a talisman against the despair that sought to drag her down.As the tunnel began to slope upward, hope kindled within her chest.
There was a way out; there had to be.
Ahead, the faintest hint of light beckoned.Sarah hastened her pace, ignoring the dizziness that swirled in her vision.
Every fiber of her being strained toward freedom.
Toward vengeance.
The light grew stronger, and with it, Sarah’s determination.
She would emerge from this hell, escape the torturous grip of the mine.
