I Was Never His

"Thinking about running?" The man who had bought me watched me closely, testing me. After I was trafficked, I didn't cry or fight.

Instead, I married this handsome man and played the obedient, devoted wife every day. I smiled and promised him, "I'm yours in life and in death.

I'll stay with you forever, through every lifetime." At last, he let down his guard and bent to kiss me. What he didn't know was that I meant every word. He had destroyed my life.

Of course I would drag him down to hell with me. Chapter 1 Fate always seemed to save its cruelest jokes for decent people.

I had been trying to help an old woman find her missing dog when she lured me into an alley. A hand over my mouth. Something pressed to my nose. Darkness.

I closed my eyes, then opened them again. And my life fell into an endless night. I woke with a violent start.

It was as if my brain still carried the panic from the moment I had been drugged. By the time I fought my way back to consciousness, cold sweat soaked my body.

I couldn't tell whether the foul smell in my nose was making me sick or whether the terror closing around me was choking off my breath. My hands and feet were icecold.

For one moment, my mind went blank. "Well, look at that. Another one's awake." It was a man's voice. He seemed to glance over his shoulder, then gave a dry chuckle. "So she's awake.

Who cares?" A woman answered in a hoarse voice that sounded like an old duck. She slapped the man. "Why do you keep looking back? Watch the road.

They ain't going anywhere." The man laughed again. "That's right. Ain't none of them getting away." Little by little, my senses returned. I forced myself to stay calm.

Don't be afraid. Don't be afraid. But positive thinking is useless in the face of absolute terror. Tears were already streaming down my face.

My mouth was sealed, trapping my sobs in my throat. I whimpered like a captured animal. The terrible truth was that I wasn't much better off than one.

I closed my eyes and told myself with grim resolve: Yanan He, stay calm. You have to get out. Your mom and dad are waiting for you. You cannot surrender to this. You have to escape.

Crying rose and fell all around me. I looked over my surroundings, alert now, and understood exactly where I was. My hands and feet were tied.

I had been thrown into the cramped back of a cargo van. Ten other young women were packed in beside me. Some were still unconscious.

Others had awakened before I had, their eyes filled with the same shock and terror, their bodies trembling uncontrollably.

All eleven of us had been tossed into that narrow space like freight, bodies piled against bodies, heads wedged together, without an inch to stretch.

Black cloth covered the windows so completely that I couldn't see outside. I couldn't signal anyone on the road or track landmarks and turns to work out where we were going.

My heart sank even further. The van drove through the night, bouncing over rough roads and taking more turns than I could count. I had never seen the man behind the wheel.

But I would remember the woman's face for the rest of my life. She was the old woman who had begged me to help find her dog.

I had just left the old part of the city when she approached me.

The neighborhood was quiet, which was why I had chosen Cornerstone Study Center there while applying to graduate school for the second time.

I needed somewhere peaceful, somewhere I could study without being disturbed. That day, I had gone to collect my things from the study center before heading home.

Chapter 2 All those grueling days and nights had finally paid off. I had been accepted into the graduate program of my dreams. I was too happy for words.

A bright future seemed to be reaching out to me. I never could have imagined that the moment I walked out of the study center, I would step straight into hell.

I hadn't gone far, my books still in my arms, when I saw a stooped old woman crying nearby. I paused in surprise just as she looked up at me. Wiping her tears, she came over.

I instinctively took a few steps back. The old woman poured out a long story in halting English thick with a mountain accent.

I had to listen carefully for quite a while before I understood the gist of it.

She said she was from out of town and had come to the state capital to care for her pregnant daughterinlaw.

Her daughterinlaw had sent her downstairs to walk the dog, but it had pulled free and run away. She didn't know the area.

People couldn't understand her accent, and she didn't know how to use a cell phone. After hours of searching, she still hadn't found the dog.

Her son and daughterinlaw already disliked her, she said, and cared more about the dog than they did about her. If she lost it, they would make her pay. She wiped her eyes again.

I admit that my heart softened, though I still held on to a little caution. "How about this, ma'am?

I'll call the police, and they can help you look." She waved both hands frantically. "Ain't no reason to call the law over this.

If it turns into a whole big thing, they'll treat me even worse." I wavered. Seeing that, she rushed on. "Miss, please. Just look down that way for me.

If the dog's not in that alley, I'll quit looking. They can yell at me if they want. These old legs just can't go no farther." My resolve melted.

It was only a quick look down an alley, I thought. Two minutes, at most. So I agreed and hurried into the alley.

Keeping the old woman's description in mind, I searched every corner for the dog. Maybe I was too focused on looking. Or maybe they had simply done this too many times.

Either way, I never noticed the person behind me. A hand clamped over my mouth.

The shock ripped through me, but before my brain could even react, consciousness vanished and my body went limp.

When I woke again, I was here. "We're here." "Wake the fuck up, all of you!" The drive had been endless, day and night impossible to tell apart.

I had fought to stay awake, but hunger, cold, and exhaustion finally overwhelmed me. At some point, I had passed out.

Now, before I could even open my eyes, a foot slammed into me. "Goddammit! Wake up!" The pair stopped the van, opened the rear doors, and dragged us out.

My limbs had gone numb after being bound for so long. When they yanked me forward, my legs gave way and I hit the ground hard. The road was nothing but mud.

It had rained recently, and the raw smell of wet earth filled my nose. I lifted my head at once and studied my surroundings. Mountains closed in on every side.

A desolate settlement lay among them. Everywhere I looked, there was nothing but more mountain. I clenched my teeth, but tears betrayed me again.

A kick struck my waist. "What the hell are you dragging your feet for, you little bitch? Get up." Tears slid down my face.

I gritted my teeth, struggled upright, and found my balance. The man was about to curse and hit me again when an old man carrying a bundle of firewood passed by.

He peered over, then greeted him with delight. "Gerald, you brought in fresh stock?" Chapter 3 At the sound of his voice, the man turned.

A smile spread across his face when he saw the old man. "Sure did, Mr. Archer. Brought you folks a new shipment." The old man's interest sharpened.

He dropped his bundle of firewood and came closer. "How many hides this time?" The man chuckled and casually nudged one of the young women with his foot. "Eleven hides total, and every last one is good stock." "Well, now!

That's good, real good." The old man clapped and laughed. "The old bachelors around here sure owe you.

Gerald, you and that wife of yours are a blessing to this whole settlement." "Aw, it's nothing." Gerald grinned. "Somebody's got to keep the Archer Hollow family lines going." My whole body shook as I listened.

I wanted to rush him then and there and hack him apart with a knife.

The old man gave a leering smile and lowered his voice. "How many of those hides are gold stock, and how many are white?" "Haven't tested them yet. My wife is getting things ready.

Won't be long now." Gerald wore the same filthy smile as his gaze traveled over us. "But from the look of this batch, I'd say we've got more gold than white." Only later did I learn that these were their trafficking codes.

A "hide" meant a woman. "Gold stock" meant a virgin. "White stock" meant a woman who wasn't one.

Gold stock sold for more than white, and women they considered fit for childbearing brought more than thin, frail ones. "I'm ready," a woman called, leaning out of a small wooden house nearby. "Bring 'em in so I can check 'em." Gerald shoved us into the house.

One young woman finally broke down and began sobbing uncontrollably. He slapped her across the face.

Another tried to run in the confusion, but with her hands and feet tied, she could barely move.

She made it only a few steps before Gerald seized her by the hair and dragged her back. Once inside, I realized the horror had barely begun. The woman stood behind a hanging sheet.

There was a bed on the other side. She pulled each young woman behind it, stripped off her pants, and forced her fingers inside to check whether she was still a virgin.

The screams began almost at once. Those ragged, heartbroken sobs made my scalp prickle and sweat bead across my nose. What do I do? What do I do? I'm next. I'm about to be next.

Terror and panic closed around my throat. I stood frozen, hardly daring to breathe.

The young woman ahead of me stumbled out, limping and sobbing so hard she could barely catch her breath.

The trafficker's wife stuck her head out from behind the sheet and pointed at me. "You. Get over here." Think of something, Yanan He. Think.

Just as she was about to yank down my pants, I grabbed her hand in desperation.

She stared at me, caught off guard. "Ma'am, I'm afraid it'll hurt." I looked up at her through my tears, making myself seem meek.

She recovered and scowled. "Then grit your teeth." "Ma'am," I rushed on, "you must be tired after doing this for so long. I'm still a student.

I've never done anything improper, so there's no need to trouble yourself with checking me." She frowned and started to answer, then stopped. Her eyes narrowed.

Something heavy settled into her palm. She didn't have to look to know it was a bracelet. She raised her eyes to mine. I smiled at her. "See? I've always been a good girl.

I know what I should and shouldn't do. You don't have to worry about me." After a long moment, she gave a muffled grunt and waved me away. At last, I let out a long breath.

The tension that had held every nerve taut eased, if only for a moment. Chapter 4 I touched my wrist without thinking.

The expensive silver bracelet my mother had given me when I came of age should have been there. Now my right wrist was bare. I didn't regret giving up the bracelet.

But in that moment, I understood that if I wanted to stay alive and keep my body whole, I would have to give up more things in the days ahead. Things I had always treasured.

Things I had always defended. Things I had taken pride in and believed no one could defile. Circumstances were stronger than I was. Only by yielding could I keep myself alive.

And only while I was alive could I find a way out. When the examinations were over, they lined us up in two rows. The "gold stock" stood in one, the "white stock" in the other.

Gerald walked between the lines, spewing filth. He grabbed one young woman. "Pretty little thing like you, and already used up.

Here I was hoping you were gold and worth some real money." His abuse was vicious. At last, his wife reminded him, "Enough cussing.

It's time." Gerald paused and finally stopped. "All right. Perk up, all of you." He swept his gaze over us and ordered, "Take off your clothes." My heart clenched.

One young woman gripped her clothes and fought to keep them on. They picked up their whips. "You taking them off or not?" The whip cracked across her body and sent her staggering.

Crying. Screaming. The snap of the lash. Every sound stabbed into my ears.

Amid the chaos, I slowly undid my buttons and became the first to remove my outer clothes. "Well, here's an obedient one." My silence and compliance seemed to surprise him.

Then he turned to the other women, who were still crying and resisting. "If you were all smart like her, I wouldn't have to whip you, now would I?" Under the threat of violence, every woman eventually stripped down to her underwear.

Gerald nodded in satisfaction and waved his wife over. "You can take them out now." They led us to a broad, open patch of ground where a crowd had already gathered.

Every face I saw belonged to a man. More precisely, to an older man. They had clearly been waiting impatiently. Even from a distance, they craned their necks for a look.

The moment one of them spotted us and pointed, the crowd erupted, every gaze snapping in our direction. For the first time, I understood that a look really could kill. Greed.

Curiosity. Lust. Depravity. Eagerness. Their eyes clung to my body like pus. They inspected me with filthy intent. I was going to be sick. Pain throbbed through my chest.

As I stared at those faces, I knew that unless something unexpected happened, one of them was about to buy me. Then I would struggle and fail to escape.

I would be beaten, penned up, and forced to bear child after child until I became nothing but a breeding animal. Hell stood right in front of me, plain to see.

I closed my eyes in despair. "Gerald, finally!" "Damn right. I missed out on the last batch. Been waiting another half a year." "Me too.

Kirk's wife is already pregnant, and I ain't even touched a woman's hand." "Gerald Archer, you better let me pick first this time." The crowd dissolved into shouting.

Gerald narrowed his eyes with a smile. "Settle down, everybody. I brought plenty this time." Chapter 5 "Same rules as always. Pick whichever one you like.

If two men want the same one, she goes to the highest bidder. "White stock starts at one thousand dollars. Gold starts at two. "Archer Hollow is keeping up with the times.

Folks in the big cities call this an auction. "All right, start choosing!" Gerald swept out one arm. "You can touch the hides all you like.

Get a good feel before you decide." The men surged forward. Screams rose from the young women.

I dodged the first groping hand that reached for me, but people surrounded me on every side. When I escaped one, another pressed in. Despair and suffocation swept over me again. No.

I couldn't let them slaughter me like this. I had to find a way out. I studied the faces around me. Without exception, they belonged to weathered, middleaged bachelors. No.

Just as I was about to lose hope, I turned and noticed a ring of people watching from the edge of the crowd.

There were children, old people, and several young men who looked as though they had just come back from work.

They chatted and laughed as they watched, accustomed to the sight, as if nothing could be more ordinary. Something shifted inside me. Young men.

Between two evils, I had to choose the lesser. Compared with those old bachelors already halfway to the grave, these men were clearly my best option.

The settlement had poisoned them too, but perhaps the corruption hadn't gone bonedeep yet. Perhaps they could still be reasoned with. I might still have a chance.

Maybe the desperate will to live in my eyes was too intense to miss. One of the young men looked up from the conversation. Our eyes met. In that instant, I chose him.

I twisted free of the crowd and hurried toward him. Surprise crossed his face. I took his hand, lifted my tearfilled eyes, and made my voice soft and pleading. "Please, honey.

Buy me." He froze, plainly unable to process what had happened. Laughter broke out around us. The young men he had been talking with clapped him on the shoulder.

His face flushed instantly, red climbing all the way to the tips of his ears. He stood rigid, too nervous to know what to do. I pressed my advantage.

Gently swinging his hand, I begged in a pitiful whisper, "Please. I'm begging you…" I held his gaze. For one brief moment, he looked back, then hurriedly glanced away.

So innocent and shy that holding a woman's hand made him blush. At any other time in my life, I would have fallen hard for a man like that.

But here, in this hell, I hated every single one of them equally. His friends doubled over laughing. "Seth, look at you! Usually the men pick the hides.

Never seen a hide choose the man before." "Seth Archer, you're a grown man and you've never even touched a woman. Look how red you are!" "Might as well buy her.

Give your grandma a big, healthy grandson." The commotion soon drew Gerald and his wife over.

When they saw that I had left the auction and run to the edge of the crowd, their faces hardened. Gerald grabbed me. "Trying another trick, you little bitch?

I'm telling you, there is no way out." I had no outer clothes to protect me. His fingers dug directly into my flesh, making me gasp. Red marks bloomed at once across my pale skin.

As he started dragging me away, a low voice stopped him. "Uncle Gerald." Chapter 6 I looked up quickly at the man who had spoken, but he wasn't looking at me. "What is it, Seth?" Gerald waited.

Seth flicked a glance at me. It touched me for only an instant before he looked away. Then he said, "I want to buy her." Gerald stared.

So did the men who had been teasing Seth about buying me. No one had expected him to mean it. Not even me.

Gerald scratched his head. "What'd you say?" "How much?" Seth's voice was low and rough, with a solid weight behind it. "Hold on." Gerald laughed. "You that eager for a wife now?" Seth pressed his lips together and said nothing.

Gerald came over and clapped him on the shoulder. "Look at you, all grown up and wanting a woman. But around Archer Hollow, elders get first pick.

There are plenty of uncles still single. Your turn ain't come yet." He seized me again and started pulling me away. I fought him and looked desperately back at Seth.

Seth turned his head aside, avoiding my eyes. "Honey!" I called again, nearly begging. His hand curled into a fist. "Uncle Gerald.

Name your price." Gerald stopped and narrowed his eyes with a smile. "Never thought it of you, Seth.

Turns out you're quite the lovesick boy." He pointed at me. "You want to buy her?" "You've got a good eye, I'll give you that." Gerald wet his lips. "Aside from being a little skinny, she's the prettiest one here.

More important, she's gold stock. She won't come cheap." Seth stayed silent, his expression so heavy that I couldn't tell what he was thinking.

Gerald held up two fingers. "At least this much." Voices erupted around us. "Four thousand dollars?" A young man with a buzz cut bumped Seth's shoulder. "You couldn't afford that if you sold your house." "Seth, Uncle Eugene and his family saved for years before they could buy a wife.

You're still young. If you really want a woman, save up a couple more years." Advice flew from every direction. Seth lowered his eyes. He seemed to be wavering.

My heart turned colder by the second. My lips began to tremble. I was about to struggle again when an old man pushed through from the auction.

He grabbed me. "There she is." "I liked this one the second I saw her," he told Gerald. "Come on, give your old friend a better price. I've been single half my life.

Took me this long to save enough for a wife, and I'm hoping she'll give me a healthy boy next year." I threw his hand off my shoulder and recoiled in disgust. "For you?

Sure." Gerald smiled. "How about this, Randall? I'll knock off a thousand. Three thousand dollars, and she's yours." The old man hesitated, studying me from head to toe.

At last, he said, "All right. Three thousand it is.

I knew she was the one I wanted." "Always did have a good eye." Gerald's eyes nearly vanished in his smile. "Look how pale and tender she is.

Bet she'll give you a fine, healthy son." The old man gave a filthy chuckle. Revulsion swept over me. I tried to pull away, but Gerald held my arm tight and handed me over to him.

I struggled, but the people here were frighteningly strong. Chapter 7 "Got some fight in you, don't you?" The old man gave me a sinister grin. "Listen here.

I didn't pay all that money so you could give me attitude. Disobey me, and I'll break your legs." He started dragging me away. I knew exactly what waited for me.

I fought with all my strength, but residents rushed over and pinned me down. As the crowd hauled me away, someone spoke. "Four thousand dollars.

I'll buy her." The sudden silence left me too stunned to keep struggling. Every head turned toward the speaker. "Uncle Gerald, let me have her.

I'll pay four thousand." The crowd exploded. It took me two full seconds to understand what Seth meant. Gerald clearly hadn't expected it either.

He looked Seth up and down several times before answering. "Boy, there's a time and place for big talk." He clicked his tongue. "I'm not trying to put you down, but that sickly little sister of yours already drained every cent your family had.

Where are you supposed to get that kind of money? "Go on now." Gerald waved him off. "Wait a few years if you want a woman.

A goodlooking boy like you can build up some savings and find a wife easy enough." Before Gerald could finish, the old man holding me cut him off. "Why are you wasting time with this boy?" He turned to Seth and swore. "Don't start trouble for no reason again.

Always trying to cross me, ain't you?" Seth's gaze chilled as he stared at the man. He didn't say a word, but the pressure in that look was enough to silence him.

Then Gerald seemed to remember something.

He slapped his hands together with a cry of realization and pulled Seth aside. "Now I get it, Seth." He patted the young man's shoulder. "You're still sore at Uncle Randall over what happened last time, aren't you? "You already made a fuss and got even for your sister.

Randall said it was all a misunderstanding. Quit holding on to it. "A man buying a woman is serious business.

He needs her to carry on the family name." Gerald nudged Seth. "Don't be foolish. Don't interfere just to humiliate your uncle." Seth still said nothing.

His face was dark and unreadable. Randall grew anxious, afraid the prize already in his grasp might slip away.

He grabbed Gerald, snatched up the transaction record, and prepared to sign it. The moment Randall put pen to paper, someone pulled the record from under his hand.

Two quick scratches of a pen followed. "Done." The man who had signed shoved the pen and record back at Gerald, leaving Randall staring in disbelief.

Seth paused. "Uncle Gerald, I'll bring you every cent of the four thousand dollars." Gerald scratched his head, speechless for a long while. Finally, he nodded.

No one truly wanted to turn away money. Without another word, Seth walked away. Conversations died wherever he passed. I stood frozen, afraid to move.

After several steps, the young man realized I wasn't following. He looked back without meeting my eyes. "Come on," he said heavily. Oh.

I came back to myself and followed him in silence. Chapter 8 I kept three paces behind him. Since my abduction, I had moved through everything in a haze.

The endless drive, hunger, cold, and fear had weakened a body that wasn't strong to begin with. I swayed as I walked, as if I were stepping on cotton.

Seth, meanwhile, strode ahead as if the wind were at his heels. The few paces between us quickly widened to several yards.

The paths twisted in every direction, and every wooden house looked the same. Afraid I would lose him, I ignored my weakness, clenched my teeth, and struggled to keep up.

I had overestimated my strength. On an uphill stretch, my leg gave way. My foot slipped, and I fell. Tears gathered in my eyes, but I had no time to cry.

I only wanted to get back up. Silently, I prayed that he hadn't gone too far. If I lost him, I knew I would be left at the mercy of everyone here.

I was like someone sinking into deep water, moments from drowning, and he was a floating plank.

He wasn't a rescue boat, but in this place that devoured people, he might keep me safe for a little while. I needed his strength to stay alive. So I didn't wipe my tears.

I fought to my feet. In my panic, I stepped wrong again. Just as my strength failed and I started to fall, two broad, powerful hands caught me and held me steady.

I looked up into his eyes. The manners carved into me since childhood made the words automatic. "Thank you." He didn't answer.

He pulled back his hands, and an awkward flush crept over the tips of his ears. Afraid he would find me troublesome, I steadied myself and hurried to say, "I'm all right now.

Come on, honey." I gave him a sweet smile. His glance touched mine, then fled. Suddenly, he took off his outer shirt. My heart lurched. My scalp went numb. He couldn't mean to… Now?

Out here? Fear and shock sent me stumbling backward. He looked at me with a frown. He already seemed fierce when his face was calm.

With his eyes darkened like that, he made my heart jump, and I went perfectly still. He pulled me toward him. Cold sweat broke over me. I closed my eyes, lips trembling.

But he did nothing. Then something settled over my shoulders. I opened my eyes cautiously and realized he had draped his shirt around me. Relief loosened my breath.

Afterward, he looked away and wouldn't face me. The shirt was long and loose enough to wrap around my body and cover the underwear I had been left wearing.

I clutched it closed and followed close behind him. This time, he walked more slowly. He no longer rushed.

In fact, he deliberately shortened his stride and sometimes stopped to wait for me. The walk was long, and he remained silent the entire way. At one point, he stopped.

I thought we had arrived, but when I looked up, I saw a shallow creek ahead. I was deciding which stones to step on when my feet abruptly left the ground.

The world tipped, and he hoisted me over his shoulder. "Ah!" I cried out in alarm. He frowned slightly but offered no explanation.

Without a word, he waded across the creek in long strides. My heart pounded. Once we reached the other side, I waited for him to set me down. He didn't. He kept carrying me.

My face warmed. "I… I can walk," I stammered. He ignored me.

Chapter 9 Just as I resigned myself to being carried, his deep voice broke the silence. "It's just ahead." A fence enclosed a small yard.

A slightly larger main house stood in the middle, with one or two low outbuildings scattered beside it.

Most homes here followed the same arrangement, though this one looked more rundown than the others. He set me down in the yard.

Children who couldn't keep a secret had already raced through every corner of the settlement, telling every household that Seth had bought himself a wife.

Neighbors crowded outside, craning their necks to stare while chatter and laughter rose around us. I stood in the yard with my head lowered, avoiding their eyes in embarrassment.

Seth noticed my discomfort. "Come inside." He instinctively reached for my hand to lead me, then pulled back just before touching me. I had noticed. So I took his hand myself.

He froze. I smiled at him. "Honey, once I walk through that door, does that mean I'm yours?" His face blazed red.

After a long pause, he gave a muffled, "Yeah." I kept smiling, my voice sweet. "Then you have to be good to me." While he was still too flushed to speak, I added, "And I'll be good to you." Seth's entire face turned scarlet.

Even his steps lost their rhythm. He nodded hurriedly without daring to meet my eyes. Then a delighted shout came from inside. "Seth!

Seth's home!" It sounded like a young boy. "That's my brother," Seth explained, though he still didn't look at me. "Grandma, Seth's back!" Two people emerged from the house: a boy around ten and an old woman leaning on a cane.

For a moment, everything went quiet. "Seth," the old woman rasped. "Come here." He stepped forward. "Grandma." Without warning, she raised her cane and struck him hard across the back.

I jumped. Seth grunted in pain but said nothing. He stood there and took the blow. "Showing off! That's what you get for showing off!

Spending four thousand dollars just like that!" Her accent was so thick that I understood almost none of it. I could only guess at the meaning.

Four thousand dollars was probably everything the family owned. Buying a woman now made no sense, yet he had thrown away all that money merely to spite someone.

I didn't know what to do. I shifted uneasily where I stood. The old woman suddenly looked up and glared at me. Bracing herself on her cane, she started toward me.

Seth straightened at once. "Grandma!" She trembled, then muttered another curse. "Little bastard.

Get yourself a wife and suddenly you don't give a damn about your own grandma. "I'm gonna see whether this wife was worth four thousand dollars." She stopped in front of me, pulled open the shirt draped around my shoulders, and examined me from head to toe.

She shook her head, sighing again and again. "Skinny arms, skinny legs. Can't work worth a damn, and she don't look built for babies.

How's she supposed to give you a healthy boy?" She pinched my cheek and turned to Seth. "Pretty ain't worth anything by itself. Take her back.

In another couple years, Grandma'll buy you one that's good for breeding." Seth's expression darkened.

Chapter 10 "Archie," the old woman called to Seth's younger brother, "go fetch your Uncle Gerald.

This old woman will talk to him herself." The boy was about to step through the door when Seth barked, "Don't you dare!" Perhaps they had never seen him so angry.

Everyone froze in astonishment. "Grandma," Seth said coldly, "don't worry. Your grandson has plenty of strength.

I never let any of you go hungry before, and I won't start now." The old woman opened her mouth but couldn't answer for a long time.

At last, Seth looked back at me. "She's the only one I want. I'm not trading her for anyone." And