#Chapter 30: Lavender and Sandalwood

I aimed for my body weight to land on his head and make him fall to the ground, but as my knees locked around his neck, he acted as if a mere squirrel attacked him from the trees. The man cried out in surprise but was not affected. I started throwing punches at his neck, not realizing I was yelling, and he ripped me from his neck. His strong hands tossed me off like he was flicking a coin; I went lurching into the dense vegetation. . I fell hard on my back, the landing winding me. A heartbeat passed before I could breathe, and I gasped, sitting up before he could shoot me or attack. “And here I was assuming you’d be happy to see me,” the man said in a familiar voice I had been waiting day and night to hear again. I looked at his face, my heart nearly combusting from out of my ribcage. “Aldrich,” I gasped out, using my hands to aid me in standing up. My legs suddenly felt like sacks of heavy skin devoid of any bones. “Are you mad