The Claiming

Chapter Twenty-One

Alec's father had put an X with a bright red marker over where we must be now, somewhere north below a series of lakes.

"Nice of you guys to join us," Mr. Bentley says humorously. He has a look on his face that says he knows something that everyone else doesn't. Of course, he knows nothing because the only reason we slept so late is because we spent all of yesterday and the day before running for our lives.

Clarissa stands and sits on the other side of Alec on the sofa. "So," she says as she leans back. Is she batting her eyes at Alec? "Tell me about you guys. How come I've never heard of you? I didn't even see you guys at the Claiming."

I exchange a confused glance with Alec and then say, "Well, I was claimed by seven guys, so I don't know how you could miss that..."

"Oh! You were that girl? Crazy... I had gone to the restroom and when I came back, one of my friends told me about it! So you chose this guy, huh?" She nudges him with her shoulder. "Too bad the prince divorced you guys."

I narrow my eyes at her. "That doesn't mean anything. We'll get remarried."

Clarissa shrugs and stands up. "Stuff happens! Don't get your hopes up."

Alec snakes his arm around my waist. "We'll be fine," he says sternly.

But the ignorant girl is already walking to the bathroom.

"There's something about her that I just don't like," I mutter to Alec.

"Me neither," he replies, and then he chuckles. "She's kind of a creep."

I laugh. "Alec!"

"She keeps staring at me!"

My blood boils with a tinge of anger. "I noticed," I growl.

"Don't worry, love," he says, kissing my temple. "I only have eyes for you."

"Good to know," I say, kissing his cheek back.

Mrs. Bentley stands up and heads to the cabinets over the sink and stove. "Who wants breakfast?" she asks cheerfully.

All of us raise our hands which makes her giggle. "Well, we have some pastries from home, but we're almost out." She glances at her husband. "We need to stop at an old grocery store and find some food if we can."

"There are grocery stores out here?" Riah says as she looks out the window, almost as if she expects us to pass one by.

"An old abandoned one, probably," Mrs. Bentley says, lifting some plates down from the upper cabinets. She opens the pastry packages and drops one on each plate. I watch as she passes them out with a little hop in her step. She's always been a cheery woman, and that is something I've always admired about her. Even in the darkest of situations, she always finds some way to be happy. I wish I could be that way.

We start to eat as Mr. Bentley makes his way down the aisle to tell Chance's parents about the new plan to find food. Clarissa exits the bathroom and finds her own plate resting on the table. Alec and I both avoid her eye contact. She sits across from Riah and Chance, next to Sarah. Mrs. Bentley joins her on the end. "Riah, how far along are you?" Clarissa blurts out.

Riah and Chance exchange questioning looks. Does she even know?

"Uh...a month? I'm not sure."

Mrs. Bentley reaches across the table and pats my friend's hand. "We'll know once you start showing, dear. Don't worry! Unless it's twins... I don't really know how that works..."

Riah's eyes round. Obviously, she does not want twins. How would she be able to take care of them out here anyway? Wait... how is she going to even give birth out here without doctors or medicine? Oh, gosh...

"Belle?"

I realize now that I've been making a face. I snap out of it and gaze up at Alec. "Huh?"

"You okay?"

I nod. "Yeah! Sorry, I was just thinking about... never mind."

His grip around me tenses as gives me a stern look that says, You're going to tell me later, right?

"I'll tell you later when we're alone," I mouth.

He nods, and then his arm around me relaxes.

***

Two more hours later, we feel the motorhome pull to a squeaking stop. It isn't snowing down here where we are now, and we're surrounding by a thick forest. All of us crowd around the windows to see why we stopped, but of course, all we see are trees.

"Why'd we stop?" Mrs. Bentley calls to Mr. Evans in the drivers' seat.

"Uh... the road stopped. There's a big wall in the way."

Another wall? Please tell me we didn't just drive in a big circle and now we're back at Bayfell...

Suddenly, a loud voice echoes through the woods on a speaker. "Stop! Don't move the vehicle! Get out slowly and drop any weapons you may have."

Alec and I look at each other from where we sit at the table with everyone.

"Come on, guys," Mr. Bentley says, standing up. He opens the motorhome door and all of us slowly file out of the vehicle, holding our arms up in surrender. But what did we just surrender to?

Before us stands a large brick wall that reaches halfway up the tall trees in the woods. In the center of the road and wall, what blocks our way, is a brass gate. I can't see what's on the other side, though, because the path turns sharply through the trees.

"State your business!" the voice says.

"We're refugees from the Kingdom of Bayfell."

The gates suddenly open automatically. "One person drive the vehicle. The rest of you will walk and follow our guards."

Two guards appear from either side of the gate and step forward. Both are young men, probably in their early twenties. One has a head full of curly read hair, and the other has black hair tied back in a ponytail. They show no emotion as the beckon us to come with them. Mr. Evans gets back in the motorhome and starts to drive slowly as we follow the two guards through the gate.

I take Alec's hand, not sure how to feel about this. We're either about to die or we've been saved.