Page 6 of Three's A Wrap
I bring it to my face to see better, and a bright blue light shines from the gem in the center. My arm rises on its own, jerking and pointing at the sandstone rock face.
Oh, my gods.
Jaw dropping, I watch in rapt attention as a doorway forms in the rock bed, giving way to a long, dark tunnel with old sconces lining the walls.
“Oh, nope. We aren’t going in there,” I announce, only to squeal in panic as I’m forcibly dragged inside, the bracelet tugging me along whether I want to go or not.
The second I cross the threshold, the stone door slams shut seamlessly behind me, locking me underground. Fear makes my hands tremble as the blue light of the bracelet casts shadows on the walls.
I guess I’m going in after all.
I take a step, and torches blaze to light farther along the path, but I can't make out an end. I glance down at my feet, and my brow furrows at the buildup of dust around the soles of my trainers.
There’s no sign of any other footprints, like no one has been in here for years. The air is damp and cool, but musty. A chill crawls up my spine, true terror registering as it dawns on me that I’m alone in a faintly lit tunnel.
Trapped.
“Hello?” I call out, cringing when it echoes ominously into whatever weird pyramid-like place I’ve found myself in.
I pull out my phone from my back pocket and tug at the collar of my shirt.No service.
I whimper, wincing when the sound reverberates.
Okay, don’t panic. I will get out of here. Someone has to be around, right?
I glare at the walls long enough to convince myself there aren’t any scarabs or scorpions, knowing full well that if anything moves in here, I’ll be needing a straitjacket as a companion for life.
“Okay, I can do this.”
I suck in a deep breath before I take another step. Except when I do, the bracelet jerks me forward.
I cry out, the thing pulling so hard I almost trip and fall, fighting to keep upright. I have my phone in a death grip, praying I don’t drop it as I careen down the fire-lit corridor. Deeper and deeper it leads me, almost forcing me to run through the smooth-walled tunnel like I’m in a maze runner game.
Please, gods. Let there be someone here.
Nervousness churns in my stomach so hard I want to vomit, as I envision a large stone ball on its way to flatten me. This passage is so narrow, it’s not that hard to imagine.
“Where are we going?” I ask the bracelet, looking like a ridiculous mummy doing a zombie power walk with my arm stretched out ahead of me, speaking to an inanimate object.
My neck begins to perspire and hot sweat trickles down my back as the weird shackle tows me deeper still down the tunnel. Suddenly, it picks up speed, my chubby little legs really sprinting, and I wince, hoping I don’t chaff. A sharp gasp leaves me when I notice the passageway ends straight ahead with a solid wall.
I pull back with all my might, and still the bracelet won’t let go. Whatever power yanks me along is far stronger than I am, the tips of my shoes scraping across the dust-covered floor.
My heart thundering in my ears, I squeeze my eyes shut when I gain momentum and quickly send up a prayer to the goddess.
This is how I die,I think. The next instant, hard hands snatch my waist, and I’m saved from being flattened against the wall.
My eyes snap open at the sudden escape from certain death. The smell of frankincense and the feel of a hot, hard male invades my senses.
“Oh, my gods. Thank you,” I whisper, my heart now pounding for a whole new reason.
Blonde tussled curls, a rugged jawline, piercing blue eyes, and lashes a girl would kill for look down at me in shock.
The man stiffens, his hands biting into the flesh of my hips and abdomen where he still touches me, and my stomach gives a flutter. His hand trembles as he reaches out to touch my face, like I’m something precious and, when the pads of his fingers meet the skin of my cheek, his features morph into the most handsome grin.
My mate.
“You finally came,” he says, the deep cadence of his voice sending tiny shivers down my spine.
