Sucking in a breath, I turn to face him.
“To the shop for some decent food so I can study.”
“Order it in,” he demands.
“Crisps and chocolate?” I ask, my brow wrinkling. “I’m just going to the corner shop, I’ll be like, ten minutes.”
“Callista,” he growls. “Just order it in.”
“No,” I state, for once not standing down the second he starts to get all authoritative. “I’m sick of this,” I hiss. “I’m sick of being treated differently from everyone else. I bet Stella and Emmie can walk out of their houses whenever they need a sugar hit.”
“You’re not Stella or Emmie,” he shoots back.
“No, because you’ve kept me locked up in my room while they’ve been out training to defend themselves. It’s bullshit, all of it.”
I storm forward and rip the door open.
“Wait, I’ll come with you.”
“Don’t bother. You don’t care any other day.”
“Just wait,” he demands. But I’m done, so over all this overprotective bullshit, and the second he turns toward the hallway to grab his shoes, I bolt.
Deciding against heading toward our closest shop, knowing that he’ll be following me, I race down an alleyway a little farther down the street and damn near run in the opposite direction.
In only a few minutes, I emerge a couple of streets over from our house, and with no sign of Dad chasing my tail, I slow my pace. The sun is still out, and I push my sleeves up as I start to overheat.
The illuminated shop sign emerges up ahead and I continue forward, mentally listing all the things I want for the next few days.
I pass a few people, but I don’t pay them any attention as I turn into the shop and grab a basket.
By the time I get to the till, it’s full to the brim with everything Mum would ban me from eating if she were here. But she’s not, and quite frankly, I don’t give a shit.
I pack it all into a bag, keeping one of the chocolate bars free to eat on the way home. I sense that I’m going to need the sugar hit to deal with the raging bull that will be my father when I get back.
I rip the packet open the second I step back out into the sun and reluctantly head home.
I probably handled that all wrong. But after dealing with Daemon and his hot and cold bullshit, and then the girls’ teasing about him and Alex all the way home, and then finding all my snacks banished… my patience at the way my life is going right now has all but run out.
Turning down the alley to lead me back, I take another angry bite of my treat when I sense movement behind me.
My heart jumps into my throat at the prospect of being followed, and a little voice screams in my head that this was a really stupid idea.
I twist around to see what, or who it is, all while praying that I’m just being paranoid. But I don’t get the chance to see anything, because hands grab my upper arms, something covers my eyes, and my screams are cut off by a large, strong hand.
Fear turns my blood to ice and I freeze when I know I should be fighting.
And the last thing I think before everything goes dark is that this might not have been the best time to disobey my father.