A search through all of the drawers in the house told Sloane the key for the padlock was not there. She frowned at it as if it would tell her where she could find the object she desired. After several seconds, the workshop sprang to mind. Bolting out the front door after shoving her feet into her sneakers, she ran to Carter’s work space and began to search through his tool boxes and drawers.

But still, there was no key.

Figuring a hammer would do the trick, she grabbed one and ran back to the house, panting as she stared at the padlock for a minute.

Do I really want to know what’s down there? Do I need to?

An unknown doubt overtook her body as she questioned herself. Feet planted in place, her breathing coming in odd spurts, Sloane decided that it was now or never.

With a few strides to the door, she lifted the hammer, ready to break the padlock. With all of her strength, she brought the tool down and heard metal hit metal. It took several more attempts before the lock broke.

Her hands shook as she opened the door, the hammer slipping to the floor. It seemed to take forever to make her way down the stairs and when she stood at the bottom door, she hesitated once again. Waves of nausea flooded over her as she worked up the courage to go into the room, to see what Carter had been hiding.

Shock hit her in the gut as she faced a woman, huddled on the bed she had occupied not too long ago.

“Please! Please! You gotta help me.”

Sloane couldn’t breathe. She couldn’t blink. All her body would let her do is stare at the other woman.

“Please hurry! I don't know when he’ll be back. And I don’t think he is really gonna let me go.” The woman had risen to her knees, her hands held out toward Sloane.

Still, all she could do was stare at the woman in disbelief.

“You gotta get me outta here!” The pleas were getting louder, more frantic.

“Uh…how…how did you get here?”

“I got hurt and this crazy man brought me here. He said he was going to get me healed up and then let me go. But I think he lied. I think he’s gonna hurt me. Please hurry. Please help.”

Sloane’s brain registered that the woman was wearing dirty, ripped clothes and the gauze around her leg appeared to be fresh. The tray she’d been searching for during breakfast was sitting on the bedside table with dirty dishes on it.

“Has he…done anything to you? Has he touched you?”

“No. I mean, yeah. But just to change the bandages and clean my wound. He’s mean. He tells me to shut up all the time. I don’t think he likes me which is why I know he’s gonna hurt me. But it really makes no sense. Why help me get better just to hurt me?” The woman rambled on and all Sloane wanted her to do was be quiet.

“Okay. What’s your name?”

“Megan.”

“Okay. Hold on, Megan.” She turned away and stumbled up the stairs. The woman’s cries for help continued to follow her. When she returned, she grasped the hammer in her hands.

“Oh, thank goodness. Hurry.” The woman sat down and extended her leg with the shackle.

“You’re gonna have to get on the floor so the lock can be against something hard.”

Megan scrambled to the floor and moved her at an angle she thought would help.

Sloane lowered herself to the floor, in disbelief of what was happening. She pushed Megan’s foot at an odd angle, gaining a yelp from the woman. But she didn’t move as she waited for Sloane to do something.

It was easier to break the padlock this time and Megan jumped away as soon as she was free.

“Thank you, thank you, thank you so much.” She struggled to get to her feet. “We gotta get out of here.”

Sloane watched as if it were all a dream as Megan grabbed her wrist and pulled.

“We have to get outta here. That man is going to come back and who knows what he’ll do to us.”

“Us?” Sloane felt like a heavy fog weighed her down. She couldn’t comprehend why this woman was in the cellar or why she’d broken her free or why she just stood there staring at her.

“Yeah. I mean, you’re his prisoner too. We have to go.” Megan pulled a little harder, turning toward the stairs. “Come on.”

“I’m not going anywhere.”

“What?” Megan faced Sloane once again, confusion clear on her face.

“I’m not going anywhere. But I suggest you go.”

“But…he’ll hurt you.” Megan grasped Sloane’s other wrist and stared her straight in the eyes. And then she straightened up. “You…you aren’t a prisoner.”

“No. I’m not. And I’ll give you ten minutes to get the hell out of here.” Her voice was eerie and low as she stared right back at Megan.

“Oh. Oh my…” Megan’s chest rose as she took quick, deep breaths. She let Sloane’s wrists go and she began to back away, toward the stairs. “Oh…”

“I suggest you get going. I am counting down.”

“Oh…” Megan cried out as she spun around. Her foot slipped and she fell. A quick look over her shoulder showed that Sloane watched her like a hawk. She continued to cry as she regained her footing and ran up the stairs as fast as she could.

Sloane felt the anger in her rise; anger at Carter and Megan. All she wanted in that moment was to rip the woman’s head off of her shoulders. She glanced at the hammer she had discarded on the floor and decided there were better weapons to use.

Taking her time, because she intended to give the woman the ten minute head start promised to her, she stomped up the stairs and headed to Carter’s workshop. There, she found a hatchet and weighed it in her hands. Something about it felt right.

With her weapon of choice, she walked out into the woods and listened. She could hear the faint rustling of leaves being disturbed. Following the sound, she grinned as heavy breathing could now be heard.

Dumb. Just plain dumb.

Knowing the woman was going to try and hide behind one of the hundreds of trees, she crept to the path Carter had created. Several feet away, she could hear small whimpers coming from behind her now.

It took all of her effort to not just run up to Megan and hack into her. Instead, she kept her footsteps light and slow as she came up behind the other woman.

“Oh my gosh. Oh. Please don’t find me.” Megan was muttering as she craned her neck around the tree, trying to see any sign of Sloane. When she felt somewhat safer, she eased away from the trunk. As she stood straight, she turned to find that Sloane’s wicked smile was only inches from her face. “NO!”

Before Megan could run, Sloane brought the blade of the hatchet down into her neck.

She watched in satisfaction as Megan screamed in silence, her gurgling blood the only sound coming from her. Before Megan could move, she gripped the handle to the hatchet and yanked. Blood spurted out and she swung again, the blade burying into her stomach. Sloane pulled the weapon out and more blood soaked the forest floor. She raised her arm to swing again and grunted as she forced the hatchet to split Megan’s face.

Even when Megan fell to the ground in a lump, Sloane used the weapon to hack at her prey, blood squirting everywhere.

By the time she finished, she was panting, sweat and blood rolling down her face and chest. After cleaning up her mess, she called out for her next problem. “CARTER!”

| ~ | ~ | ~ | ~ | ~ | ~ | ~ | ~ | ~ | ~ | ~

When he pulled up to the house, he had a feeling something was wrong. Sloane wouldn’t have left the front door wide open while she cleaned. He ran inside to see the padlock lay broken on the floor and the door stood open.

“What the…” Running down the stairs, he panted, unsure what had happened. At the bottom of the stairs, he saw the empty bed and the busted shackle, his hammer laying in the middle of the floor. “No.”

Groaning in frustration, he raced back upstairs and out of the house. At that moment, he heard a blood curdling scream. “Sloane!”

Heart racing, adrenaline pumping, he pushed his legs in the direction the scream had come from. It wasn’t long before he heard his name yelled out.

“Sloane!” He cried out, unsure what had happened and what he’d find.

Running through the woods, he avoided the traps until he saw Sloane, stalking toward him.

Murder glared him in the eyes. Her head was lowered and shoulders squared as if she planned to attack.

“Sloane! What happened? Are you okay?” He grabbed her by the shoulders and tried to find any sign of harm on her body.

“I took care of her. Just like you did with all the others.” Her tone shocked him and he realized that Sloane wasn’t hurt at all.

“What? What did you do?” His demand had a tinge of worry, even anger.

“I used this.” She raised the weapon, not sure why she still held onto it.

“Why?’ His eyes were wide with shock and he didn’t flinch at the sight of the hatchet.

“Why? WHY? Why didn’t you tell me you had a woman in our cellar?”

“Sloane, what did you do to her body?” It was evident to her that he was more concerned with Megan.

“I chopped her up. Threw her down the ravine.” The fire within her burned as she screeched the words at him. “You’re ready to replace me? After everything?”

Carter’s questioning expression morphed into one of understanding. “I’m not replacing you. I never was and never will.”

“Then why the hell was she down there?” She screamed, whipping the hatchet wielding arm to the side.

Carter stood still, his hands still on her shoulders. “All I was going to do was hunt her.”

“Why couldn’t you tell me?” Sloane seemed to relax a little.

“I don’t know. It was stupid of me. I should have trusted that you would understand.” His hands dropped and he looked at his feet in shame.

“You have to tell me these things. I thought you had lied to me all this time. I thought you wanted to get rid of me.” Tears threatened to spill as she tried to make Carter understand.

“I’m so sorry. I never meant to hurt you. I promise it’ll never happen again.”

“You’re right. It’ll never happen again because you’re going to tell me when you’re ready to hunt. We’ll do this together.”

Shock hit him just to be replaced by a searing need.

He lunged forward and he claimed her mouth, a hungry and passionate kiss. Sloane reciprocated, the hatchet making a thudding noise as she dropped it to let her hands have access to his body, anywhere she could reach.

Pushing her against a nearby tree, he pushed himself into her, gaining a moan.

"You don't know how hot you are." He growled against her neck.

She moaned in pleasure and yanked him closer to her, greedy for more.

Their mouths never parted from one another as Carter worked his belt and fly open. Sloane pushed her shorts down and reached out to grasp his swollen member. She slid her hand up and down a few times before guiding him to where she needed him.

She gasped as he rammed into her, lifting her up so she could wrap her legs around him. Gripping his shoulders, her head fall back to expose her neck to him.

Just as greedy, his mouth sucked at the flesh she offered as his hands held her close to his body. Sloane moaned and Carter grunted with every thrust.

Their cries of release mingled with nature followed by their heavy panting.

“I love you so much.” Carter clutched her against his body, his eyes locked on hers.

“I love you more.” She breathed, unclenching her legs from around his waist.

They were silent as they caught their breath. Sloane looked down at herself and let out a laugh. "We have blood all over us."

Carter shrugged, not bothering to look at his own clothes.

“What do we do now?”

“Start our happily ever after.” Carter answered with a smug tone.

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Banner photo found at https://www.gransforsbruk.com/en/product/gransfors-wildlife-hatchet/