Chapter dedicated to Ferretlove6. Thanks for reading and voting, my friend! ps...I adore your user name...so true...so true...lol.

Chapter 70 – Alarm – Raine's POV

I couldn't seem to stop my uncontrollable shaking. If I hadn't already been sitting on Loki's back, I was certain I would have dropped to the ground, completely unable to support my weight.

Talon was distraught, "Mistress, you cannot go with him!!!"

I stared numbly off into space and mumbled, "It's okay. Alaric will take care of you."

"I am not concerned about my well-being! I am saying you cannot go with that monster! There must be another way!" he insisted, a look of cold hard determination settling on his features.

But I knew there wasn't. Armand had done it to me again. He had given me away. I wondered how much Marku had to pay for the privilege of using me up and throwing me away when he was done.

I couldn't survive that.

I suddenly came to my senses, and knew exactly what I needed to do.

I gasped, "Talon, I want you to kill me!"

"What?!" he hissed, staring at me as if I had lost my mind.

Unfortunately, I had lost so much more. I ground out, "I'm serious, Talon. As your owner, I order you to kill me! Right this instant!"

"Mistress, I cannot do that! Please let's just talk this through..." he pleaded.

"I don't have time to talk it through!" I had no idea how quickly Marku would wrap up whatever arrangements he referred to before he came looking for me.

Talon begged me to listen to reason and suggested, "What about Master Alaric? Let me call him! He can help!"

"He can't help me now," I said bitterly. I understood why Talon thought that, but I knew better. There was absolutely nothing Alaric could do at this point.

"Then leave! Get as far away from here as you can!"

I blinked. Could I escape?

Overwhelming disappointment washed over me when I realized the answer was a resounding no. I replied, "Talon, it would be impossible for me to escape. The compound is a fortress, with security everywhere.

"There has to be a way!" he cried adamantly.

Suddenly, I remembered Hayden's offer in the garden a few days ago! He had given me a phone to reach him! Somehow, he had known I would need to escape. My heart raced in my chest. I didn't know if I could make it out in time, before Marku caught me, but I sure as hell was going to do everything in my power to try.

I hissed, "Talon, listen to me! I cannot tell you the details because I do not want to put you in danger, but I might have a way out. I need to go right now! I'm sorry for leaving you like this. If there is any way in my power to get you out of here, once I am free, know that I will do everything I can!"

A single tear rolled down his cheek as he said gruffly, "Goodbye, Mistress."

"Goodbye, Talon," I whispered with difficulty, choking back my own emotion.

I gripped Loki's sides tightly with my thighs and tutted, giving him instructions. He took off, racing back toward the animal enclosure. I held on for dear life as his soft paws barely made contact with the earth. When we neared the enclosure, I decided to have Loki take me all of the way to Alaric's residence. I prayed fervently that Alaric would not be there, because if he was, he would have to detain me. He wouldn't have any other choice.

When we arrived, I told Loki to wait for me, and then ran through the corridors, grateful there were no vampires in sight. My chest hurt painfully from the exertion and my out-of-control fear. I burst through the door, and breathed a prayer of thanks. Alaric wasn't home. Racing up the steps two at a time, I ran to the bedroom closet and threw the clothing aside in a small drawer where I had hidden the phone.

My fingers shook.

There was only one contact listed.

I hit the call button and held my breath. Suddenly, Hayden answered!

I gasped, "Hayden, please help me! Armand has given me to Marku! He is here to collect me any minute. I need to get out, and I need to get out right now!"

"Where are you?!" he hissed.

"Alaric's residence," I answered quickly, unsure if Hayden even knew where it was located.

"Okay, how quickly can you get to the southeast border of the compound? There is an abandoned building. If you can get there, I can get you out!"

With Loki's help, I guessed, "Maybe five minutes."

"I will have someone meet you there!"

The line went dead.

I shoved the phone into my pocket and dashed out of the closet to Alaric's desk. I snatched up a pen and hastily wrote him a note on a blank piece of paper: "Alaric, I'm sorry for not saying goodbye in person. Love, Raine."

I dropped the pen and hurtled out of the building, back down to Loki. There was no time to collect any clothing or supplies. I would just have to make do with the jeans, T-shirt and boots I was wearing.

Loki was practically vibrating with anxiety. He knew there was something very wrong. The instant I landed on his back, he took off again at a furious pace. I battled between my anxiety to get away as quickly as possible, versus my worry in causing alarm if a vampire were to see Loki running like hell, with me on his back. In the end, my devastating need to be free of this place won. I laid low on his back, keeping my head tucked against his shoulder, and let him run as fast as he could.

For just a moment, I experienced an extraordinary calm brought on by the incredible feeling of Loki's massive muscles moving beneath me and the steady thrum of the wind in my ears. It was as if the entire world faded away, and only he and I remained. But that moment lasted only a second, before my horrifying reality crashed back into my consciousness.

Within minutes, we had reached the southeast border. I snapped my head around, my eyes ravaging the landscape, until I found the building Hayden had referred to.

That was when I heard it!

The alarm!

Fuck!

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I know you guys are eager for these next chapters and I am just as eager to give them to you, so hopefully, I can continue at a good pace. We'll see.

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