The Truth in Pain | Book Two of the In Pain Trilogy

Why You So Obsessed With Me?

"Jasmine, calm. Down." Jacey gripped her shoulders, shook her lightly. "I know this is a lot to process right now, but you have to keep it together. It's going to get a lot worse before it gets better."

That didn't make her feel any calmer at all.

"I managed to slow them down a bit but my powers are not what they used to be so I don't know how long that will last. I can't slow down all the supernaturals out there so here's what I want you to do. I have to take care of those three. You," she shoved her car keys into Jasmine's hand, "take my keys and get to my car as fast as you can. It's parked right outside your building."

"Wait, what? What about you?"

"Don't worry about me. I'll be fine. You're the one they're after. Once you get in the car, go to my most recent GPS location. Get there as fast as you can. Don't slow down for anything, don't stop for anything. Get there, speak to the woman in the house. Okay? You should be safe."

"Mommy, I can't leave you."

"You don't have a choice." Jacey leaned up and kissed her on the forehead. "Stop freaking out, okay? Once I open this door, start running and don't look back. I'll meet you there."

Not able to say anything else with tears burning her throat, Jasmine nodded. She clutched the keys to her chest like it was her life line. Jacey nodded and stepped away. In that moment, Jasmine saw another woman in her. She was a protector. She looked like a woman about to give her life to save someone else's. Jasmine didn't like the comparison she was seeing but it was too late. Jacey had pulled the chair from beneath the door.

Jasmine took a deep breath and watched as her mother gripped the handle. Jacey counted to three then, suddenly, she swung the door open. Jasmine shot it outside.

Jacey was right on her heels but she didn't last long. Right outside, Rich, Wendy and Mason crawled around, sniffing everything they could see. Once the door opened, their heads snapped up and their eyes latched onto Jasmine. She managed to catch a glimpse of Rich's face when he spotted her but she was gone before she could see anything else.

She kept on running. No one was running behind her. Soon, all she heard were her footsteps and her heavy breathing. Even when she looked behind her, there was nothing.

Out of nowhere, she heard a woman's scream. Jasmine halted in her tracks, whirled on her heels. That ... That couldn't be her mother, could it? Was she hurt? A chill ran through her. The keys dug into her hand the harder she squeezed, listening to the silence that resulted. Should she keep running? What if something happened to her mother?

The scream sounded again, but this time it came with words. Jasmine didn't know what language that was, but what she did deduce was that her mother was fine. She had to keep running.

Jasmine turned to keep going. She didn't get very far when she ran into someone. She froze. The person was breathing on her neck but she refused to lift her head. She could see his shoes, his pyjama pants and the bottom of his bare chest. She started shaking.

A hand clamped around her throat. Her feet no longer touched the ground. Jasmine's hands clawed at the one enclosed around her throat, but it was too strong. It belonged to a lycan man with evil dark gold eyes and very long hair. He squeezed even harder and Jasmine could have sworn she saw stars.

Trying anything, struggling to breathe, Jasmine stabbed the keys into his hand. It did nothing but anger the lycan man even more and he flung her to the side. His claws were out and it ripped against her skin.

Her head rapped nastily agaisnt the wall but, despite the black dots in her vision, she didn't plan on staying to down for long. Jasmine shot to her feet, ignoring the trail of blood running down her neck and bolted. The lycan man grabbed her by the hair and pulled her back. Jasmine swung her hand behind her, stabbing him with the key again. What did nothing but irritate him before dug a deep burning gash into his face that had him crying out in pain.