What They Truly Wanted

H E R A

Dale screams at me, his anger evident in his voice, as he forcefully kicks me in the stomach. I clutch onto my abdomen, tears streaming down my face. The impact was so strong that I feared for the life of our unborn child. I collapse to the floor, my forehead pressed against the cold surface, desperately trying to catch my breath.

Inhale through the nose, exhale through the mouth.

"Just tell us!" Dale threatens, his voice filled with malice. "Or I swear to God, I'll find your children and harm them right in front of you." He lifts me up, his eyes burning with hatred, and I nod in response.

"Outside. In the greenhouse. In the pots," I manage to wheeze, my voice strained from the pain.

"You better not be lying," he warns.

"Why would I lie?" I cough, tasting the metallic tang of blood. "You're going to kill me anyway."

"You're surprisingly clever," Thomas's brother remarks with a sigh. "I like that. Maybe I'll spare you. We'll dispose of the pups, but you can be mine."

"If you da