Chapter 151

 Blood gushed up from the ragged wound. My shaking hands grabbed the strips of fabric and wrapped them tightly around the gash. I groaned in agony, all while telling myself I had to live through this nightmare, if only to find out who I was and where I came from.

I spat the twig out of my mouth and washed the remaining blood from my skin. With the last of my strength, I dragged myself across a grassy field, shivering uncontrollably. The moon had faded, leaving me in complete darkness, and a breeze had grown chillier.

Just up ahead I spotted a place to hide. I crawled to the large shrub, flattened its woody stems, and curled into a ball on the stem bed and wet grass. Then I tried to make sense of what had happened.

Did I have a name? I tried to recall it, but my memory abandoned me. So I focused on the people hunting me instead. Who were they and why did they want me dead? When I couldn’t come up with an answer for those questions either, I cried until there was nothing left. The release couldn’t erase my exhaustion, pain, hunger, and apprehension, but I felt a little better after crying.

I’d gotten away, and that was a big win. This small comfort soothed me as I fell asleep with the hopes of a better tomorrow.

Much too soon, a splash of sunlight spilled across my face. My eyes flashed open, my head jerked, and I stared into a hard, handsome, and masculine face.

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Suspicious shouts rose outside the tall, thick shrub where I lay hiding, sending a wave of blind panic through my system.

My first thought was that the hunters had found me, but the three men who stared down at me through the branches didn’t seem to be from that lot. They had clean-cut appearance and carried the air of disciplined warriors. They also dressed differently.

The hunters had worn robes, like from some kind of cult, which was probably true. But the men in front of me—two of them brushing aside the long stems on either side while giving the taller one the center position— wore blue-and-gray military uniforms.

Their garb stretched nicely across their broad chests, showing off their taut muscles. The taller one had more decorative stars on his uniform that also bore extra golden strips, which meant he ranked higher than the other two hotshots. How could I remember those seemingly insignificant details yet couldn’t remember my own name?

I returned the men’s quizzical stares while shifting my position into a crouch. It would be stupid to stand up; it’d only make it easier for the intruders to grab me.

It would also be stupid to open my mouth first and give away my vulnerable condition, so I resorted to quietly taking inventory of the trio while reevaluating my situation.

My guarded gaze trained on their leader, and I tried not to show that his handsomeness had an effect on me. His eyes were a distinct gray, like the sharp winter sky before it went dark. His nose was straight, his jaw was stubborn and strong, and his lips looked so carnal that one might connect him to a beast.