Chapter 21 The Test

• The first breath of freedom didn’t feel real, not at first.
• My leg, finally healed, still held the ghost of pain from that night—Evan’s teeth, the relentless pull of his jaws as he dragged me back, a reminder that escape was a fantasy, one that I’d barely lived out for a few fleeting moments. But now, as I stood outside the cabin, my feet sinking into the cool dirt, it was different.
• I wasn’t tied up. No ropes biting into my wrists, no heavy chains weighing me down. Paxton had freed me, his voice full of pride as if he had gifted me something precious. He hadn’t said much this morning, but the look in his eyes was enough: a mix of satisfaction and control. He was giving me freedom, but not really. He’d said he trusted me now, that I’d earned it. But I knew the truth.