Free His Darkest Hunger by Juliana Stone Page B

own as she closed them tightly. He was so large, intimidating and angry, but she somehow knew he wouldn’t harm her. When he had first pulled her from the water, she was terrified—terrified of going back to the nameless monsters that chased her dreams every night.
    She’d truly believed that he was one of them, and if she’d had the chance, she would have jumped back into the water and let its gentle caress take her into oblivion.
    But she hadn’t jumped back in, and for that she could be grateful.
    A spark had been stoked and was slowly growing into a heated desire to live. For the first time in many weeks, Libby had the urge to look at herself. Really look at herself .
    She no longer wanted to be the victim.
    Her first memories were so very new, only months old.
    She had heard all the whispers from the towns-people of Winterhaven. Some were incredibly hurtful, while others had just been truthful. She’d been the poor little Raggedy Ann who showed up at the diner in Winterhaven two months earlier; a socially inept female with sad eyes and a broken mind. Petetook her under his wing, and for that she would always be thankful, but each day had been torture, and truthfully, most of the time she had no concern or thought for the future.
    But now, suddenly, it became vital that she survive. That she remember . Not only to lay to rest the demons that stalked her, but to answer the haunted look she’d glimpsed in Jaxon’s eyes when he brought her here only a few hours ago.
    Declan had said they were family once.
    Ana had said she was a murderer.
    Jaxon had said nothing.
    It was up to her to find the answers.
     
    Libby’s eyes flew open as the door creaked and slowly inched forward. She held her breath, feeling a small tug of disappointment when Declan returned with a tray of food. She sat up, wincing at the pain in her side and the shards of glass that seemed to be breaking inside her head. It felt as if tiny pieces of her brain were slipping away and hitting the side of her skull.
    The smell of food had her mouth watering, and spittle began to pool inside her cheeks as a tray of eggs, bacon, hash browns, and toast was set on the table beside her bed.
    Libby kept her eyes averted, not wanting to see the dislike Declan made no attempt to hide. She willed him to walk away, but as her luck would have it, the tall man had other things on his mind.
    “So, Libby, I’m curious. How much do you remember exactly? Can you at least share that with us? Can you tell me how far back your addled brain lets you wander?”
    The insult stung, and she swallowed thickly, wanting only to eat in peace.
    She paused for a moment and hoped if she answered his questions truthfully, Declan would leave her alone. Her eyes wandered toward the plate of food, set just out of reach, and she realized he was trying his own form of torture.
    She sighed, having no desire to play this game.
    “I remember riding on a bus. It was dark, and had rained recently. I could smell it in the air when I got off…the rain and the grass.” She closed her eyes, picturing the stormy night she’d arrived in Winterhaven.
    “Someone had just cut their lawn and it lingered. It smelled nice…the grass.”
    She paused, drinking in details that only now her mind was allowing her to see. The pain began to sharpen inside her skull, but she ignored it, clenching her teeth and willing the pictures to come.
    “I had to get off in Winterhaven because I had no more money left. It was as far as I could go.”
    “Where did you get money? Who gave it to you?” Declan’s hard words rained down on her, and she flinched at the heaviness of his anger. It was obvious he didn’t believe a word she was saying.
    “I don’t know. I mean, I had none with me. I just woke up on the bus and the driver told me to get off.”
    “Did anyone else get off with you?”
    “No. At least I don’t think so.” Her mind whirled into a vortex of images, and she pressed her hands against her head