He picked up the pace and was now running with her lying across his shoulder. He could feel the sting and blood dripping where she had bitten him. The thought of her biting him made him smile. He had kept this side of himself so well hidden all those years. She had no idea of his sadistic abilities. She would know soon. He sat her down at the tree, looking smug. She looked terrified and her cheeks were tear stained .. She spit in his face. “How dare you Jax! What the hell do you think you’re doing? You take me home!” She was screaming through her shaken voice. He just laughed, wiped her spit from his face, and then slapped her hard across the cheek. Her face instantly stung, but she spit in his face again. His body was trembling, her mind racing. “You are my best friend Jax! What are you doing?”
“I’m just getting started.” He shoved her through the opening. She stumbled back, landing hard on the ground. “On the ground, just where I want you.” Inside the trunk, the tree was dark. The ground where she lay was damp and the smell of Jax was burning her nostrils. A wild scent of man and animal radiated through the tree mixed with the moss that she felt beneath her hands. She tried to get up, but he knocked her down again. Her power was useless on him.
“Lay down whore, you have been tainted and it's time you learned a lesson.” She begged him to stop, but her crying only made him stronger. He took his time. He slapped her again, just because he could. He ripped her dress down the middle and was shocked to see that she wasn’t wearing any under clothes. This infuriated him more, leaving her feeling shame and humiliation. He slapped her breasts this time before taking them in his mouth. He sucked and bit until she bled. Every time she screamed or begged he became more aggressive. She stopped, lying there, as if she were dead. He continued his rampage on her body using his mouth to bite her neck, breast, belly, and between her thighs before shoving his face between her legs. He bit her in her most sensitive spot, but yet she did not cry. She prayed his rage would end before he entered her. She could endure all the slapping and biting, but she didn’t want Jax’s rage mixed with her love. Her lifelessness enraged him, he pulled his head out from between her legs and latched onto her nipple, twisting and pulling until she could take no more and cried out for him to stop. That’s when he entered her. He took her angrily and violently. She could feel the seed of James burying itself inside her womb. Then, she lost consciousness.
Annika woke feeling groggy and sore. She sat slowly, trying to remember where she was. There was a light shining through an opening revealing that she was inside a giant tree trunk. The rays of light were faint but still hurt her eyes. She lifted her hand to shield them and felt a lump under her right eye. She slowly explored her face with her hands feeling lumps springing up under her skin. Curiously, her hands drifted down to the other spot of pain, her breasts. She ran her hands over them she felt dampness. She looked down, finding her dress stained with blood. Her hands started to shake as the events of the night before flooded her mind. Much to her horror she found her dress was also torn down the middle. He must have tried to cover her after he’d had his way.
She stood trembling and felt an ache between her legs. She was too afraid to look down, as she knew what was to be seen, more blood. She steadied herself, and closed the front of her gown as best as she could. She walked to the tree opening, peeking out. Though the forest was shaded by giant trees, she could tell by the placement of the sun, it was morning. She slowly walked out, looking out for Jax. He was the last person she ever wanted to see again. He didn’t seem to be here anymore. She felt slightly relieved until she remembered she was in the Dark Forest, where dangerous creatures lived. A new terror ran through her bones. Just as she was ready to run, she noticed a note nailed into the tree.
Dear Annie,
I am sorry if I hurt you, but the pain you feel now is nothing compared to the pain in my heart. You betrayed me. That will never happen again. Your beloved James is dead, I killed him. You should have seen it. He called your name over and over. It really was touching, knowing his love for you. I told him you were dead too. His pain was amusing to me. I am making arrangements for our wedding. You will be my wife, I think after last night you know better than to cross me. We will announce it tonight. Go home Annie, clean up. See you soon.
Love,
Jax
He killed James. Her mind couldn’t get past the one line of the letter confessing his murder of James. She wandered aimlessly through the Dark Forest only mildly aware of the eyes watching her. She didn’t care. Her love was dead, and she would now have to marry Jax. In her heart, she knew she would rather die than marry him. She tried her best to think of a way out of this but her brain just wouldn’t function. It was clouded by the thought of James being tortured by Jax, of James being gone, of Jax raping her, of the child growing inside her.
~Chapter Seven~
Annika was so deep in thought and grief. She failed to see the woman standing right in front of her. She ran right into her. The lady didn’t move. She stood a foot taller than Annika’s five foot frame. Her skin was dark, and her hair cropped close to her head. Had Annie not been blinded by grief she would have been frightened by the exotic woman. Annie looked up at her, into her gray eyes. She saw a kindness there. Annie fell into the strange woman’s arms, sobbing, grieving. The woman lifted Annie in her arms and carried her through the Dark Forest. They came upon another giant tree. The woman passed through the opening. Once inside she gently placed Annie upon a bed of feathers. Annie didn’t fight or question this woman. She was too tired and worn to care where she was or who she was with. She fell into a fitful sleep within minutes.
The lady of the forest watched Annie toss and turn and cry in her sleep. This stranger had been witness to the horrors of the previous night. She had been wandering the forest, in search of a meal when she heard cries from inside one of the largest trees in the forest. She ventured a little closer. Close enough to hear the slaps, the threats, and the cries. She was too afraid to go inside and stop the violence. Instead, she stood at the entrance listening. She had the gift of camouflage, much like a gecko. She could blend into the scenery around her. When the evil man exited the tree, the stranger blended into the nearby bushes, watching. She followed him out of the forest to another house where she heard another man’s voice cry out in pain. It didn’t take him long before he left the house and ventured back into the forest. Again, she followed.
He made his way back to the tree and tacked a note above the opening. He peeked in at something, sighed and made his way out. Once she was sure he was gone, she approached the tree opening. Before entering she read the note. Horrified she quickly entered the trunk. She was saddened to see a clump of a woman lying on the ground, covered in dirt and blood. A tear ran down the strange woman’s face as she grieved for this beaten woman. She tried to cover her exposed body with the remnants of her gown before exiting the trunk. She walked away believing that woman to be dead.
She was shocked when the woman ran right into her in the middle of the forest. She couldn’t explain why, but she felt a connection with her, and decided instantly to protect her against the evil man. By some miracle Annie trusted her and did not protest when she carried her away to her own hole in the tree. She had been watching Annie sleep for nearly an hour when Annie cried out a name and woke covered in sweat.
The woman went to her and gently rubbed her face. “Ssshh, hush now darling, everything is going to be okay. The evil man is gone. He won’t get to you again.” She continued to rub Annie’s head until the sobs were quiet and Annie was no longer trembling. Annie kept telling herself she should be afraid, after all she was being consoled by a strange lady in the Dark Forest but Annie had never felt safer.
“Who are you?” Were the first words she spoke.
“My name is Akayleah, Queen of the Dark Forest.”
“Queen? Pardon me but I always thought the Dark Forest was full of frightening, disgusting, creatures. You are neither.”
Akayleah laughed. “Yes, there are many creatures
here that may frighten the average Neveahian, but we are mostly harmless. Some may look rather grotesque. Those are usually the kinder ones. We help protect the perimeter of Neveah. We choose to live here in the forest. Most are sensitive to the sunlight and the trees offer protection. We do nothing to dispute the rumors, because up until now it kept our forest safe and free of trespassers.”
“My name is Annika Levannah. Thank you for helping me. I am so sorry for the trouble I have brought here.” Annie began to cry softly.
“No,” Akayleah replied sharply. “You have done nothing wrong. That evil man has been using that trunk for months. We never bothered him because he never seemed a threat. Now I see we should have removed him long ago.” She spoke with a different kind of sorrow in her voice, but Annika was too wounded to hear it.
“It is I who should apologize to you, as I was there last night and did nothing to stop him. I just stood frozen with fear.” Both women cried, holding each other tightly for comfort. It was Annie who spoke next.
“He killed my beloved James.”
“Yes, I know. I followed him and heard the screams of what must have been your James.”
“Jax was my best friend you know? Not always evil, at least I never saw him as evil. I guess he fooled us both.”
“Yes, I think you are right, but you he fooled in the worse way Annika.”
“Please, call me Annie. That’s what my friends call me,” she said, offering a small smile. “I can’t stay here in the Dark Forest, in Neveah. I must go. Jax will always come for me. He will never stop. To him I am his property. I am carrying the child of James and must keep the child safe.”
“Where would you go?”
“In my home, there is a room. This room transports you to another world. In this world people look much like us only they are ordinary. Very few people know about the portal, and those few are my family. They will never tell Jax where I have gone. I must go live among the Ordinaries so my child is safe. Will you help me Akayleah?”
“Of course.” Was all she replied.
Annie felt stronger than she had in her entire life. She had a plan, and she knew it would work. She decided not to tell her parents everything as they would try to make her stay. They would promise protection, but they would fail. Annie was well aware of the brutalities Jax possessed. No, she could not see her family. She must go tonight. With the help of Akayleah, she washed the blood from her skin and dressed in clothes of her new friend. The dress was only slightly too big, but a knot tied at the bottom fixed the problem.
She informed Akayleah they would make their way to the house of Neveah while the sun was turning away. They could not wait for dark, as Jax was expecting her and she had to be out of Neveah before he came looking. She would leave her parents a letter of explanation and was counting on Akayleah to deliver it.
“Oh no, Miss Annika, I am going with you,” Akayleah replied in no uncertain terms. Annie had to think this over. It would be nice to have companionship in this other world, a friend to start over with. It could be dangerous though. Another problem struck her. “But, you’re the queen of the Dark Forest, how can you leave?” Akayleah giggled, “I may have exaggerated a tiny bit when I called myself queen. The rest was true, about the creatures being gentle. I do take it upon myself to watch over them, but I am no Queen and they don’t need my watching. I did it because they gave me purpose.” Annie thought this over. This would change her plans only a little. She could leave the letter for her family in her room where they would be sure to find it. Annie thought for only a moment before she answered, “I would love for you to travel with me and thank you, for everything.” Both women smiled, ready to leave Neveah behind.
Annie traveled back through the forest, towards her home, via Akayleah’s back. If Annie held close she would blend into the scenery just as Akayleah could. This gift was handy and helped lead them safely to the house of Levannah. Annie felt a rush of relief when they reached the house, finding it empty. Her parents must be over at Jax’s waiting for her. She quickly penned a letter telling her family goodbye and that she loved them. She apologized for leaving with no explanation, but insisted to them it was necessary. She considered briefly warning them of Jax and his apparent violent tendencies, but thought better of it. The less they knew the safer they would be. She left the letter on her bed. After the letter was written, she changed into her own clothes and showed Akayleah the way to the spinning room. Once inside, she looked to Akayleah for reassurance who offered it with a nod and smile. Annie pushed the wall closed and said a quiet goodbye to her old home.
In what seemed like moments Annika and Akayleah were safely through the portal. They exited the room, Akayleah much more cautiously than Annika. “It’s okay, this is my home here. We are safe, come on.” She walked into the room of books and was amazed. The room was bursting with them. Annika smiled at her friend. “Thank you for coming, I truly am grateful for you. We are going to be happy here, with the Ordinaries, I promise.” Still Akayleah said nothing. The entire trip for her had been surreal. She had never known there was a world beyond Neveah.
She followed Annika out of the room and down to the kitchen.
“I don’t think we should stay here long. With the portal being in this house someone could figure it out and follow us through.” Annika was calculating how much time they had. What felt only like a few moments of travel to them was actually a week's worth of time on Earth. She decided on just four days to choose a destination, pack up, and go. It was late Sunday night, they would leave Wednesday afternoon. Her mind’s wheels started to turn as she compiled a list of all that must be done. First thing, names. Annika and Akayleah were not common Ordinary names. “Akayleah, we will call you . simply Leah. It’s close to your name but more common here. And I will go by my nickname Annie. From now on we are Leah and Annie from the Northwest.” She looked to her friend for approval and she shook her head in agreement. “Good!” Annie pulled a paper, pen, and map of Oregon from the kitchen drawer.
She showed Akayleah. “We are here, Newberg.” Her finger pointed to their location. “We need to move away from this area, preferably someplace secluded and simple.” She studied the map. Annie wanted to be far away, but still close enough to drive to the house if need be. She studied the southern Oregon region. The town of Klamath Falls jumped out at her. “How about here?” She asked. “Sounds good to me,” Akayleah replied. It was decided. In just a few days they would leave this house, and the portal back to Neveah and Jax. They were headed to a new life, in a new world. Annie took a deep breath and set about making their plans.
~Chapter Eight~
Shep had been wallowing in heartache for nearly five days when he finally received the letter from Lilly. His heart skipped a beat when he pulled the envelope out of the mailbox and instantly recognized her handwriting. She may have been smart and creative but her handwriting resembled a child’s scribbles. The thought made him laugh out loud before tearing open the envelope.
There were pictures inside, but he chose to read the letter first, wanting to savor the moment. He read it three times, more than thankful she had made it safely, before putting it down and gently picking up the photos. There were three of them. One of her at a waterfall and one of the house where she had ended up. The last was of her smiling in front of the house, trying to look happy. Seeing her in those photos made his heart ache that much more.
What the hell was he doing here, holding only a letter and photos, when he should be with Lilly? He should have insisted on making the trip with her. His desire to keep her happy had left him agreeing to stay without her, regardless of the pain it caused both of them. He had been stupid. Now she was gone, and he was alone with only pictures and words to keep him company.
He pulled out of the post office parking lot with a heavier feeling of sadness than before. What had excited him beyond belief just moments ago now broke his heart in a million pieces. He didn’t want Lilly in photos or words. He wanted her in the flesh. His eyes
welled up with tears and he cursed himself for bawling again. It was a constant internal battle of being angry and depressed. He was in constant turmoil and there was only one way to fix it. Go after her. The thought struck him like a hammer to the head. He felt an overwhelming mixture of joy and fear wash over him as his mind’s wheels started spinning. He could pack and be ready to go by 3:00pm, putting him in Lilly’s arms by 8:00pm if he drove without stopping.
His heart was soaring when his brain interrupted, whispering in his ear. “She told you to stay for a reason. Do you really think she is going to just welcome you with open arms? Stay here, wait for her.” His heart and his mind were screaming at each other. He had been listening to his head since she told him she had to leave. He was going to follow his heart now. He did his best to shut his mind off and sped home to pack. He knew what he was doing. At least he hoped he did.
“Where do you think you’re going?” The question was asked by the familiar voice of his mother, always angelic, with a hard edge. It was asked as more of an accusation than a question. “I am going after Lilly,” he replied. He was too busy trying to pack. He didn’t have time for explanations.
“You sure that’s such a great idea son? From what you told me, she went after her mother. That is no place for you.”
Neveah Box Series (Neveah Box Set Book 5) Page 6