Penelope's POV
When the branch broke under my bare foot, I cursed in my head. Three days. Klaus's men continued to pursue me like a wild beast after three days of fleeing through this accursed forest.
As I leaned my back against the rough bark of an old oak tree, my heart pounded in my chest. The babies inside me kicked vigorously, as if they were aware of impending danger.
I attempted to soothe both them and myself by placing my hands on my enlarged belly.
"Quiet," I murmured. "Mom is going to protect you."
Yet, even while I uttered those words, I doubted my own belief in them. Everything was painful. I sprinted without shoes over shrubs and stones, and my feet were wounded and bruised. The remnants of my dress hung in shreds around my legs. And the most unusual part? At certain times, it felt like I was burning from the inside, while at other instances, I shook so intensely that my teeth chattered.
Something was occurring to me. Something I didn't understand.
