Then they suddenly heard a branch snap, and their heart dropped to their legs. Anastasia pulled the arrow, reading to kill again.


    Luckily, it wasn’t a human she saw. It was a white bunny. When the creature saw her with the bow, it stiffened, as if identifying the object in her hand to be a threat to its life.


    Anastasia slowly lowered the bow, still high on alert for any sound as she watched the bunny hop away.


    Then she nced around, assured no one was nearby before she released a sigh of relief.


    "I’m an orphan, and I don’t have anyone who could be waiting for me outside this fence. Unless myndlord, because my rent is due and I suddenly disappeared." She chuckled lightly at the end of her words but Anastasia didn’t find anything funny. "As ugly as it may be, getting sold to a man here is the only way I can find happiness."


    Anastasia froze, unable to believe what she was hearing from Angelina.


    "You can’t be serious." Anastasia wished Angelina could be joking but the girl didn’t chuckle as she’d silently hoped she would. "You know what it’s like to live in that house. They treat us like animals, and they’re currently hunting us down like one."


    "I’m aware," said Angelina, wiping the tears that’d subconsciously flowed down her cheeks. "But...." She suddenly drawled, her eyes strained on a tree behind Anastasia as she tried toe up with a word that would exin her decisions. "I don’t know what the future holds for me, but if this is how my life will turn out for me, then I might just ept it. I might get chosen by someone who has a good heart, and he’ll take care of me."


    "Do you think any of these men have the conscience of treating you like a human?" Anastasia questioned her hands on Angelina’s shoulder now, resisting the urge to shake her back to her senses. "Look around, they’re hunting us like animals."


    "But....I just can’t..."


    Anastasia sighed. It was obvious Angelina had made her decision and it seemed there was nothing else she could do to convince thetter, but only hope she got the man she wanted even though it was impossible since they were being hunted by these same men.


    Anastasia sighed once more, patting Angelina before heading to the forbidden area where she was supposed to meet with Avery.


    Then all of a sudden, she heard the shriek echo in the forest. One of the girls had been caught and if blood had already been drawn, she would get killed.


    Anastasia didn’t stop in her tracks, instead, her speed only increased.


    She looked behind her to be sure no one was chasing her and also to be sure she wasn’t leaving any steps behind for tracing when she suddenly collided with something solid, forcing her butt to kiss the muddy ground.


    "You should watch where you’re going Ana."


    That voice sent shivers down her spine, and she was forced to grit her teeth silently before raising her head and making eye contact with Julian De Luca.


    He nced at the quiver behind her back and a smirk stretched on his lips.


    "You killed one of them?" His expression was etched with amusement—something Anastasia didn’t think he should be feeling at that moment. "I’ve always known you were different. From the very first day, I just knew you were tough."


    "Tough enough to kill you?" She asked, scowling at him as her hand clenched her bow and arrow.


    While Samantha was exining the rules, she’d never mentioned the hunter and the hunted could engage in a conversation. Now, she wondered why Julian wasn’t pulling his arrow and shooting her dead.


    Despite his weird behavior, she was d he hadn’t shot her dead yet.


    Julian scoffed at her remark, and Anastasia noticed his grip loosen on his arrow. "You could try, but I won’t guarantee you would seed."