Chapter 3. Little Bunny. Little Princess

Elisabeth’s POV

Muscles bulged all over their bare backs, tattoos twisting and snaking around their shoulders, necks, and probably further down their chests.

One had a high, messy braid running from his forehead all the way down his neck. The sides of his head were shaved to the skin, with tattoos resembling snakes decorating one side. The other had slightly lighter hair, a darker brown. His sides were also shaved, but his hair was twisted and secured with leather bands that ran down to the middle of his back.

I couldn’t see around them, but I guessed one or two horses were pulling us. It was a slow and steady pace like the animals were already worn out and tired. We wobbled and jolted a little through a sharp turn, and suddenly, a small town appeared.

No, not a town! This looked more like a wooden village from an old game or movie. But by the sounds I could hear in the distance—talking, shouting, kids crying, the distinct clash of metal against metal—a lot of people were living there. The whole thing seemed to be surrounded by a massive fence, like they had just cut off the branches of the biggest trees they could find and stuck the trunks together. Primitive but effective.

This was definitely a new level of crazy. With a little struggle and grunting, I managed to sit up on my knees. Thank god they only tied my hands and not my feet like the others. The blonde kept staring at me to the point where my temper got the best of me.

“What?”

“Nothing.”

She just rolled her eyes and looked away again as if she hadn’t been staring at me intensely for over five minutes.

I managed to turn around and push myself back toward the end of the carriage. It had a wooden plank across it, but a 10 cm plank wouldn’t hold me back! I kept my eyes on the men in front, but so far, they seemed too occupied watching the horse's ass in front of them.

“They will kill you, you know.”

My head snapped toward the blonde. She was still looking down at me. Yes, I was sitting on the dirty floor, but she was in the same boat as me! No need to be so smug. Money clearly couldn’t help her out of this—not from the looks of it.

“Yeah, but I’d rather die running than be part of whatever sick fantasy these creeps have planned for us! See you on the other side.”

I grinned, and with a push of my feet, I launched myself over the plank. I landed with a heavy thud on the rocky ground, my upper back colliding with the dirt. The air was forced out of my lungs, making me gasp. The pain made my stomach churn.

Clenching my teeth, I forced myself upright. As I straightened, I saw the carriage continuing on. The blonde’s wide eyes locked on me in disbelief. I winked at her, turned, and ran as fast as I could toward the edge of the forest.

My hands were still bound behind my back, but not for long! A sinister smile spread across my lips as I heard shouting and swearing behind me. It didn’t matter—I had already reached the dense forest.

I stopped between the trees and finally managed to yank my hands free. The thick rope burned against my skin, but I coiled it up and shoved it into my pocket. It could come in handy later.

“Fucking cunt!” a deep voice roared. Under different circumstances, I would have laughed, but I managed to hold back and just smile at the anger in his voice.

“Don’t kill her! Just bring her back!”

Good, he can’t kill me. That might be useful later, too. I turned and ran, dodging trees, bushes, and massive rocks. Eventually, I’d have to reach the city—or at least a road!

Sweat formed on my back and forehead as I pushed through the thick forest. The sun blazed above, making the air feel thick and hard to breathe. It was stiflingly still, not even the slightest breeze reaching through the trees.

My heart pounded harder, the pulse echoing in my ears. Someone was running not far behind me! I rushed between two trees and stumbled into a clearing. Looking back over my shoulder, I nearly tripped—his eyes were yellow!

I turned back around and felt my stomach drop as I realized where I stood—on the edge of a steep cliff. The grassy field ended abruptly, giving way to loose soil and small rocks tumbling down into the river far below.

“Hey, kitty, kitty! Nowhere to run now.”

It was the same deep, carnal voice from the previous night. My throat went dry as I hesitantly turned around. Every fiber of my body screamed at me to run—or jump. Whatever it takes!

He looked even more massive now. Tall, with black braided hair and tattoos twisting over his skin. His muscular arms were crossed over his broad chest, veins bulging down his forearms. Droplets of sweat glistened on his sun-kissed skin, running down his chest.

My breath caught as his gaze met mine. His eyes were still yellow—freakishly bright yellow. He blinked slowly, and for a moment, they flickered back to a cold, icy blue. He arched a brow at me, unimpressed.

Besides looking like a sweaty god carved from muscle, he seemed like he had walked straight out of a barbarian fantasy novel. The deep V-shape of his torso disappeared into low-hanging, rough-looking pants held up by a thick leather belt. His ankles were wrapped in leather cords, scrunching the pants tight just above his strange footwear.

Shoes? No—more like thick leather socks tied around his calves with more leather cords.

Did I just get kidnapped by a group of mentally disturbed cosplayers?

I had to admit, though—those lenses were amazing.

My gaze drifted back up to his face. God, he looks like the dark version of Jax from Sons of Anarchy. Ice-blue eyes, sharp features, and a beard slightly longer under the chin. Honestly, if it weren’t for the silver rings woven into his beard, I’d do him in a heartbeat—no questions asked.

“You satisfied now?”

My cheeks burned. I had been staring at him like a snack without even trying to hide it.

Involuntarily, I took a few steps forward, unable to tear my eyes away. But the ground beneath my feet crumbled, dirt and small rocks tumbling over the cliff’s edge.

His intense blue eyes never left me. Suddenly, I felt small. My cheeks were still burning, and my heart was hammering against my ribcage. I looked to the side, catching a slight movement in the bushes behind him. But there was nothing there—just the wind.

“You won’t make it, even if you try to crush my throat again.”

My gaze snapped back to him. So it was him! I searched his neck for a bruise—but nothing. How was that possible? I could clearly remember the coughing and gurgling sounds he had made as I ran.

His bored sigh pulled me out of my thoughts. I met his gaze without hesitation. This wasn’t a man I wanted to go up against, but I sure as hell wasn’t about to be his hunting toy, either. Rabbit, was it?

“I’m not going back. Whatever that was, and whatever you have going on there—thanks for the ride, but I’m good now. Bye!”

“Oh, so we have a little princess on our hands?”

I scowled, but he only made a theatrical, overly dramatic bow.

“Dear Royal Highness, follow me if you’d like to live.”