Rejected and Claimed by her Alpha Triplets

Chapter 310 - stop moving

310

~Belinda’s POV

I had been hiding for two days. Two long, endless days. My body ached, my wounds still raw, and my stomach gnawed at me like some cruel reminder that I was weak. I wrapped the dirty, tattered cloth around me as best I could, shivering under its thin layers. My head was hot, feverish, and my body screamed for rest. I knew the pack would be swarming with guards soon. They already knew I was here.

I curled up on the floor, my tears leaving salty tracks down my face. "Why... why did it have to be like this?" I whispered to the silence, my voice hoarse and broken. I felt so small, so helpless.

A sound, soft, tentative, made me freeze. The door creaked open. My heart jumped into my throat. I tried to steady myself, forcing my weak legs to move. I stood behind the door, clutching it, peeking through the narrow crack, scanning the empty hallway. Nobody. My chest heaved, and I almost let myself sink back to the floor, thinking maybe I had imagined it.

Then, the door opened again. My heart stopped. I braced myself, ready to scream, ready to fight, even though my body was weak. But what I saw made me gasp softly. Two young girls, not more than seven or eight, stepped in. Each of them held a small bundle in their hands, rice buns, warm and fragrant.

They froze when they saw me, eyes wide, small bodies trembling. For a moment, it looked like they might cry. I raised my hands slowly. "Shh... It’s okay," I whispered gently. "Don’t cry. Don’t shout. It’s okay."

The girls looked at each other, uncertain, then one of them bit her lip and nodded. I kept my hands raised, letting them know I wasn’t going to hurt them. My gaze drifted to the rice buns, and my stomach twisted, aching with hunger. My mouth watered.

One of the girls stepped closer, holding one of the buns toward me. "You... you can have this," she said softly, her voice barely above a whisper.

I nodded quickly, almost too eagerly. "Thank you," I managed, my voice hoarse and trembling. I snatched it from her small hands, clutching it like it was a treasure. I sank to my knees on the floor and started to munch on it greedily, the warmth and taste a tiny comfort in my misery.

The girls watched me for a moment, then whispered to each other. I huffed softly, forcing a small smile at them. "You don’t have to be scared. Go back to your mother after this, alright? And don’t tell anyone about me, okay?"

They nodded quickly and gave me another, smaller bun. I tried not to cry again as I ate, grateful beyond words. My body ached from weakness, and my mind raced with thoughts. I couldn’t stay here. I knew I had to leave, had to get away from this place before the guards or anyone else found me.

I stood slowly, clutching the last piece of bun in my hand, my wounds still smarting with each movement. I took a deep breath, trying to push back the dizziness and the weakness. I had to move. I had to get out.

But before I could take another step, I heard a woman’s voice calling sharply down the hallway. "Lina! Come back here!"

The two girls froze, eyes wide with panic. I cursed under my breath and started moving quickly, trying to make my escape. My legs felt like lead, every step a struggle. My wounds burned, my hunger clawed at me, my body shivering from exhaustion, but I forced myself forward.

I rounded the corner, thinking I could find another path out, another hiding place. Then, I ran straight into a wall of strength.

"Where do you think you’re going?" a deep, cold voice demanded.

I froze. My heart pounded in my chest. I looked up and saw him, Hald, the head of guards, looming over me. His eyes were sharp, calculating, and my stomach dropped. There was no way I could fight him, not now. I was too weak, too tired, too wounded.

"I... I... I..." I stammered, trying to find words, trying to think of an excuse, something to get past him. But he just looked down at me, his arms crossed.

"You have no idea how long we have been looking for you," he said slowly, almost patiently, though there was an edge to his voice that made my blood run cold.

I swallowed hard, my throat dry, my hands trembling. "I... I was... I was just... I..." My words failed me.

Hald’s gaze softened slightly, but only for a moment. "Listen. I don’t want to hurt you. So don’t make this difficult."

I tried to step back, to find some room, but my legs almost gave way beneath me. My body shook, my hunger twisting into nausea, my wounds flaring painfully. I knew I couldn’t run. I had no choice.

Hald bent slightly, lowering his voice. "Look... if you come with me quietly, if you cooperate, maybe this won’t hurt as much. Maybe you’ll even be safe."

I shook my head fiercely, tears welling up in my eyes. "Safe? There is no safe for me... not here... not anywhere..."

He sighed, almost with disappointment. "Then don’t make this harder than it needs to be."

Before I could react, he reached out and grabbed my arm. I stumbled, my body weak, and fell against him. Panic flared, my heart hammering. "Let me go! Please! I just... I just need...."

"Enough," he said sharply, tightening his grip. " Stop struggling."

I bit my lip to keep from crying out, swallowing back a sob as I realized I had no choice. Hald was strong. I was weak. I was trapped. And my hunger, my fever, my wounds... they all betrayed me.

I looked down at my hands, trembling. I had no idea what would happen next.

I tried to pull my arm free, stumbling back, my legs trembling. "Please... please, let me go!" I cried, my voice breaking.

Hald’s eyes didn’t soften. He shook his head slowly. "Belinda... the alphas will decide what happens to you. I’m just here to catch you."

My chest tightened. "No... no, please! You can’t... You can’t! You don’t understand... I just want..."

"Quiet," he said sharply. His voice was cold, cutting through my panic like a knife. "You’ll get your chance to speak... later. For now, stop moving."

I swallowed hard, trying to measure the distance between us. My body screamed at me to run, to escape. I bolted. My legs carried me as fast as they could, though each step was agony. My wounds burned, my stomach twisted with hunger, my head throbbed with fever.

Hald was faster. Of course he was. I barely had a chance to reach the corner when I felt a heavy hand strike my back. The impact knocked the wind out of me. I gasped, stumbling forward, and then everything went black.

I hit the floor with a dull thud. My body refused to respond, my limbs heavy and useless. Pain radiated through me, but I couldn’t even cry. I felt myself slipping further, the world dimming around me.