AUTHORS POV

The grip on her arms tightened as Tessa squirmed. Pedro’s men were growing impatient, muttering vulgar threats under their breath.

The sting on her cheeks from dried tears and wind-battered sand made it difficult to focus—but something above them caught her attention.

A hive. An old, gnarled tree stood just a few meters away, and dangling precariously from one of its low branches was a thick, dark hive, buzzing faintly with dormant life.

She felt her stomach churn—not from fear, but from a sudden burst of clarity.

“I need to pee,” she blurted out suddenly, twisting her body.

The guards exchanged glances, one of them scoffing. “You serious...