Before His Choice (Dark Romance Prequel) Read online

  So I lean over, and whisper, “We’re going to take a trip.”

  “Us?” she asks.

  I nod. “Together.” I hold out my hand. “C’mon.”

  She takes my hand but not before glancing over her shoulder at the woman who can’t stop crying while I whisk her away into the darkness.

  No one can see. No one can know what I’m about to do.

  I pull her with me through the forest, as far away as I possibly can from human interaction, and I stop at a tree I marked with a bit of moss.

  “Stay here,” I say as I go to my knees and dig as fast as I can until I’ve uncovered the trunk. It’s huge but just large enough to fit a girl of her size.

  I wipe off the dust and open it. Gazing at her, I say, “Get in.”

  “In there?” she asks, confused.

  “Yes,” I reply. “You have to.”

  She looks upset. “Why?”

  “What did your mother say to you?” I ask.

  She frowns. “That I should do what you say.”

  “Exactly.” I point at the trunk. “Now get in.”

  She reluctantly agrees and steps inside, curling herself up.

  “Don’t be scared … and don’t make a sound.” I place a finger against my lips to shush her before I close the lid.

  I haul the suitcase all the way back through the forest and onto the pavement. There aren’t a lot of people out before dawn, so hopefully, no one will notice me lugging this around. I never realized how heavy a human being could be.

  There are guards in front of the door to the temple, but they don’t ask any questions when they let me in. I quickly go inside and carry the suitcase all the way to the top of the stairs and into my room, where I place it on the floor next to all the other bags where I cover it with a blanket.

  “Where are we going?” she whispers through a tiny hole I created so she can breathe.

  “Shhh!” I whisper back. “Be quiet.”

  A few minutes later, an elder steps in. “Noah? Are you finished with preparing?”

  “Yes, I’ve packed all my bags,” I reply as I casually sit down on the bed. “When will we be leaving?”

  “In an hour, so get ready,” he replies, and he closes the door behind me.

  I quickly go down on my knees in front of the suitcase and whisper, “You can’t talk or make a noise. We’ll be going soon … and when you get out, you’ll be somewhere else. Somewhere … safe.”

  ***

  “That’s a big suitcase,” my father says, pointing at the one I’m hauling myself.

  I refused any help from the bell boys for this one, and for good reason. “Ahh … yeah, I wanted to bring extra clothes this time.”

  “Hmm … interesting,” he says.

  I swallow hard.

  I can only hope he won’t see through my lies. If he finds out what precious cargo I’m bringing, he’d probably strangle me himself.

  “This is your room. Mine’s across the hall,” he says. “Be on time tomorrow. Get dressed properly. But that shouldn’t be a problem, right?” He eyes the suitcase again.

  I nod, and say, “Of course. Good night.”

  He pats my back and walks into his room, shutting the door before I can say another word. But I don’t even care. I immediately go into my own room and shut the door behind me before I breathe a sigh of relief.

  It’s not often that I get to be outside the community, and it’s always scary to see how they do things here. But more importantly … I have a package that needs to be unpacked.

  I go through my things and pull out a long, hooded robe that I stole from home. I hope no one will recognize me like this.

  I open the door again and peer outside. No one to see. I quickly haul the suitcase through the hallway and go into the elevator. Right then, the door to my father’s room opens. I gasp and hide behind the doors while they close just in time before he spots me.

  I hope.

  My heart is racing, and the second I arrive on the ground floor, I rush out with the suitcase in my hands. It’s heavy, and I’m tired, but I won’t rest before this is done.

  I run through the hotel, ignoring any weird looks and questions I get. I slip out when the bell boy isn’t looking and make my way across the long grass. There’s a forest far beyond. I know because my father always stays at this exact hotel, and I knew he’d bring us here again.

  It’s the only reason I agreed to do this. The only reason I came up with this crazy plan.

  My feet sting with every step, but I keep walking, beyond the trees, until I’m right in the middle of a clearing.

  There, I place the suitcase.

  I sigh out loud, staring at it for a few seconds.

  Then I turn around and run.

  My lungs fill with oxygen, but my heart and head hurt. It’s the hardest decision I’ve ever had to make, but I have to make it. I have no other choice.

  She’ll never be safe with us, in that hotel, near my father … near me.

  She has to be on her own.

  Alone … in the dark …

  Where no one knows her name.

  Tears fill my eyes as I run back into the hotel without a trunk, sneaking past the staff so they don’t notice I’ve come back without luggage. I rush up the stairs, forgoing the elevator, quickly rushing into my room and shutting the door behind me so I can gaze out the window.

  And I wait.

  I wait … a long, long time …

  Until the little girl appears.

  Hands and face covered in dirt, hair filled with twigs.

  And a heart shattered into bits.

  I force myself to witness every ounce of her grief. Every single tear she sheds in fear. Even as she runs off, through the grass and onto the pavement, I pray she doesn’t come back into the hotel.

  “Run, little girl … run,” I whisper, placing a hand on the glass.

  And as she enters a tiny bar to the side of the road, I shed a few tears. Because I know I caused the misery she’s about to endure … all for the sake of temporary freedom.

  That little girl is all by herself, out in the cold, lonely world, without a mother … without a family.

  My fingers curl up into a fist.

  It’s better that way.

  The Family doesn’t treat girls like her nicely.

  The Family only has rules.

  And those rules are to be obeyed.

  Even if they end in pain, hardship, cruelty… and ruin.

  ###

  Click here to read more about Natalie & Noah in Under His Rule!

  Description: Under His Rule

  His Family. His rules.

  Some people have loving homes.

  Mine only has laws.

  And she will learn to obey …

  When I found Natalie alone and afraid, I knew she was the one.

  She came to me looking for answers to her past.

  But every dark desire has a price.

  Now she’s here in my domain, locked in the dark, waiting for me ...

  And I am more than ready to make her submit.

  Check out Under His Rule now!

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  ***

  About Clarissa Wild

  Clarissa Wild is a New York Times & USA Today Bestselling author with ASD (Asperger’s Syndrome), who was born and raised in the Netherlands. She loves to write Dark Romance and Contemporary Romance novels featuring dangerous men and feisty women. Her other loves include her hilarious husband, her cutie pie son, her two crazy but cute dogs, and her ninja cat that sometimes thinks he’s a dog too. In her free time, she enjoys watching all sorts of movies, playing video games, and cooking up some delicious meals.

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  br />   Clarissa Wild, Before His Choice (Dark Romance Prequel)