Raelynn's feet moved before she could stop them. The moment Axel's grip tightened around her wrist, pulling her forward, she didn't even think—her legs just followed. She could feel her heart racing, pounding in her chest with each hurried step they took away from the estate, away from everything she'd known, everything she had been so afraid to leave behind. But now, as the cold night air bit at her skin and the world blurred around her, the fear didn't feel like a weight—it felt like a lifeline.
She wanted to scream at Axel to stop, to turn back, to think this through—but the words wouldn't come. It was as if her body had already made the decision for her. Her breath came in ragged bursts, her legs protesting the sudden burst of speed, but she kept up with Axel. He was fast, determined, like a man who had made up his mind about something far more important than his own safety.
