Prologue

His beautiful sienna brown eyes stare back at me, and if they catch the light just right they look red. I kiss the corner of his lips as we lay on the autumn ground.

"I want to stay like this. Forever." I whisper in Aaron's ear. "Just you and me." I feel his hand wrap around my stomach protectively, and he pulls me closer to him.

"It'll always just be, you and me." He whispers back, kissing my forehead. "Nobody is going to change that."

I smile at his words, because reassurance is better than most things now-a-days.

"I lo—" I start to say I love you but Aaron puts one hand on my mouth and flips us so he's on top of me.

I try to pull his hand away but he doesn't move. "Shh." He says. "I hear something."

He pulls away his hand and I stay under him, listening for whatever he thinks he heard.

I'm silent for at least a minute before I finally hear it.

Dogs. Hunting dogs.

"Get up, and run." Aaron says. He stands and pulls me up, and we run deeper into the woods, away from the dogs. "Run, Taura. I'll stay here. I'll hold them off."

I shake my head at him, pleading him with my eyes. "Aaron. No. Please, c'mon." I tug at his hand.

He kisses me deeply and passionately, and I can feel him pouring everything into the kiss. It's a goodbye gift, I realize. He leans his forehead on mine and says, "Just you and me, Taura."

And that saying isn't some cute thing. It's a promise to put each other first, to always focus on each other. To love each other indefinitely.

"Were in more trouble if they find us together anyways. Go. Hide." He pushes me away from him and I follow his orders, running from him.

It's something I never saw myself doing in the future. Running from the one I love.

What am I doing? I'll never outrun dogs.

I face the pine tree to my left and grab the highest branch I can reach, and slowly start my ascent up the tree.

Pine needles jab me from every angle, but I don't even care. If they don't find me, they can't get Aaron in trouble. They can't get me in trouble.

I watch below me as four men in white suits face Aaron.

One of them steps up and holds out a flip wallet. "My name is Gerald Everly and I'm looking for Aaron Manning?"

Aaron nods once. "That'd be me," he says, "what do you need?"

Gerald nods to his mean and Aaron is suddenly surrounded. "You will remain silent. Anything you say or do will not be used to help you beyond this point. You're attorney has been notified that his or her client will no longer be working with them. No attorney will be present during this execution."

Gerald holds up two fingers.

As soon as he says execution, Aaron gets up to run, but two men in white suits hold him down, their brass buttons shimmering the setting sun.

A man steps behind Aaron, holding a gun to his head.

"Ready. Aim—"

"STOP!" I scream, clambering down from the tree and running to Aaron. I slide to his side and wrap my arms around his neck.

Unwanted tears slide down my cheek like droplets or rain, landing on his leather jacket.

Guards place their hands on my arms, trying to rip me from Aaron, but i hang on to him like my life depended on it.

"Please!" I scream, latching onto Aaron like a leach. "Just let us go. Please."

Aaron's grip around me strengthens to the point the men have just stopped trying.

"Sir, do we just shoot them both?" One of the guards to my left starts talking and the voice sounds familiar.

Why would an Elder's Officer's voice sound familiar.

"No." Gerald surprises me by denying him. "This is the kind of couple we need. Bring them in, we'll show them to Gortheaux. He'll want to see them."

The guards press their guns to our side, telling us to stand up.

I'm not standing, and neither is Aaron.

"C'mon, we don't have all day Taura." One of the guards says, and I instantly know where I've heard that voice from. "I know you're a Taurus but you don't have to be this stubborn."

"Why? Why can't you just leave us alone?" I plead.

Martin scoffs at me, holding the gun to my head. "You're a disgrace, Taura. Get up. At least we're not killing you."

I'm surprised when Aaron jumps up and punches Martin square in the nose, I swear I heard something break. "She's not a disgrace."

Martin backpedals and covers his bleeding nose. "Get him!" Martin yells, rushing at Aaron and tackling him to the ground.

But Aaron is stronger. Aaron flips Martin onto the bottom and they wrestle.

Punches, kicks, scratching, and even spitting. Everything they can do to hurt each other is being pulled.

Someone grabs my arm and I see the Elder Rubidum holding me.

"Rubidum." I say. "You're— you're—Elder Rubidum."

Rubidum smirks and throws me onto the ground. He flips me over and slaps on a pair of handcuffs. "It's never a good thing to meet me, Darling."

A body is thrown down next to me and I see Aaron passed out, barely breathing.

And everything goes black. Everything.