just a pup, to when my parents coddled me in the nursery.
What if I’m wrong? What if he’s not dead?
Papa?
Chapter Five
My thoughts whirl out of control and my questioning mind rac es a million miles an hour as I’m led toward Miss Kara’s suite at the far end of the hall, which suddenly seems to be closing in around me , causing my lungs to seize in the most painful way .
Could my father really be alive? Could he really be here? In the mansion? Or is this simply another sick way for the master to bait me . To break me.
My heart crashes hard against my chest and my insides reel as Lawrence nudges me along, my shoulder bouncing off the wall .
“What’s the matter with you ? ” he taunts tightening my chain in his hand as my rattled mind wanders back to the past, to the very bitter day the master removed my father from his cell.
It might have been a long time ago, and I might have been a mere pup, but I remember it like it was yesterday. Remember my mother’s hot tears running down her face, remember her valiant effort to comfort me when she was in desperate need of comforting herself. What I don’t remember , however, is being led t o the courtyard to watch the slaughter, nor do I remember he aring the gun shot s reverberate off the distant mountains.
The master force s us to watch when he ma kes a kill, to teach us puppies that disobedience comes with a price . But he didn’t bring us into the courtyard that day, which s uddenly has me question ing everything .
Is it possible that my father hadn’t been killed that fateful day long ago , that the master had a b igger purpose for him ? If he’s been alive all these years, however, why is he only resurfacing now, when the master is building himself an army to fight a threat I’ve yet to discover ?
With my legs trembling and my mind focusing on those I’ve loved and lost, I stumble forward and push down the pain I cannot afford to feel.
But how can I possibly stop thinking about my father’s scent? How can I possibly stop wondering if he’s really alive or if this is simply the master’s way of confusing my thoughts and keeping me off balance ?
Then again, after experienc ing freedom for the last three weeks, maybe being held captive again suddenly has me imagining things , conjuring up scents that aren’t here. Maybe I’m simply losing focus of what’s real and what isn’t.
Either way, a s Lawrence shoves open the double doors leading to Miss Kara’s suite, I know I must pu t all thoughts of my father out of my mind for the time being . And the only way I can get through the next few hours is by convincing myself that t he master planted his scent on purpose.
Otherwise, I’d be asking questions I might not want the answers to. Like why would my father have stayed away so long? Why wouldn’t he have tried to come for me?
Because there are things you don’t know , some inner voice whispers. Things you’re better off not knowing . I think of Stone, and remember his warning that I shouldn’t have come back, because it’s too dangerous for me now. Could he have been talking about my father?
Disliking the dark path my thoughts are taking, and knowing I need to keep my head in the game if I want to win the war , I gather myself and concentrate on my surroundings . I can’t let the master mess with my thoughts or shatter my hard - fought focus when survival dictates I look for a new way out of this prison .
I work to clear my head and tuck away my lingering worries as I step inside Miss Kara’s suite. Now that the storm has passed, w arm afternoon sunshine spills in from the big bay window overlooking her majestic mahogany desk but does little to chase the chills from my half naked body .
I take a small step into the room and the wood floor feel s hard beneath my blood ied feet as I’m a ssault ed with a medley of floral perfumes. My nose twitches as I examine the large suite, looking for any kind of change , anything that could
What if I’m wrong? What if he’s not dead?
Papa?
Chapter Five
My thoughts whirl out of control and my questioning mind rac es a million miles an hour as I’m led toward Miss Kara’s suite at the far end of the hall, which suddenly seems to be closing in around me , causing my lungs to seize in the most painful way .
Could my father really be alive? Could he really be here? In the mansion? Or is this simply another sick way for the master to bait me . To break me.
My heart crashes hard against my chest and my insides reel as Lawrence nudges me along, my shoulder bouncing off the wall .
“What’s the matter with you ? ” he taunts tightening my chain in his hand as my rattled mind wanders back to the past, to the very bitter day the master removed my father from his cell.
It might have been a long time ago, and I might have been a mere pup, but I remember it like it was yesterday. Remember my mother’s hot tears running down her face, remember her valiant effort to comfort me when she was in desperate need of comforting herself. What I don’t remember , however, is being led t o the courtyard to watch the slaughter, nor do I remember he aring the gun shot s reverberate off the distant mountains.
The master force s us to watch when he ma kes a kill, to teach us puppies that disobedience comes with a price . But he didn’t bring us into the courtyard that day, which s uddenly has me question ing everything .
Is it possible that my father hadn’t been killed that fateful day long ago , that the master had a b igger purpose for him ? If he’s been alive all these years, however, why is he only resurfacing now, when the master is building himself an army to fight a threat I’ve yet to discover ?
With my legs trembling and my mind focusing on those I’ve loved and lost, I stumble forward and push down the pain I cannot afford to feel.
But how can I possibly stop thinking about my father’s scent? How can I possibly stop wondering if he’s really alive or if this is simply the master’s way of confusing my thoughts and keeping me off balance ?
Then again, after experienc ing freedom for the last three weeks, maybe being held captive again suddenly has me imagining things , conjuring up scents that aren’t here. Maybe I’m simply losing focus of what’s real and what isn’t.
Either way, a s Lawrence shoves open the double doors leading to Miss Kara’s suite, I know I must pu t all thoughts of my father out of my mind for the time being . And the only way I can get through the next few hours is by convincing myself that t he master planted his scent on purpose.
Otherwise, I’d be asking questions I might not want the answers to. Like why would my father have stayed away so long? Why wouldn’t he have tried to come for me?
Because there are things you don’t know , some inner voice whispers. Things you’re better off not knowing . I think of Stone, and remember his warning that I shouldn’t have come back, because it’s too dangerous for me now. Could he have been talking about my father?
Disliking the dark path my thoughts are taking, and knowing I need to keep my head in the game if I want to win the war , I gather myself and concentrate on my surroundings . I can’t let the master mess with my thoughts or shatter my hard - fought focus when survival dictates I look for a new way out of this prison .
I work to clear my head and tuck away my lingering worries as I step inside Miss Kara’s suite. Now that the storm has passed, w arm afternoon sunshine spills in from the big bay window overlooking her majestic mahogany desk but does little to chase the chills from my half naked body .
I take a small step into the room and the wood floor feel s hard beneath my blood ied feet as I’m a ssault ed with a medley of floral perfumes. My nose twitches as I examine the large suite, looking for any kind of change , anything that could
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