Lochlan left, and Sage was terrified of all the new things surrounding her. The machines she was connected to, the sounds, new people. She felt timid and afraid but had known that pretending to be fine until the morning so Lochlan wouldn’t get into more trouble was the right thing to do.

Sleep was impossible due to all the sounds. The voices through the speakers at odd hours was the worst. At one point, she’d heard rushing and cursing followed by a loud banging and that had nearly sent Sage into a panic.

When she finally managed to fall asleep close to dawn, it wasn’t long after that her parents came barging into her room. Accusations flew, and the insults being hurled had her in tears.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered for what felt like the hundredth time and likely was.

“How could you bring that heathen to our home, Sage?” The censure in her mother’s voice had her cowering back into the bed.

“I didn’t know he was coming. It’s not as if I had access to a telephone being locked away in my room for days.” Her resolve to be stronger, to fight back, was rearing its head.

“Don’t you dare talk back,” her father warned. “We’ll discuss your disobedience and punishment once we’re home.”

Pure terror froze her body. She couldn’t go back. Morgan would likely beat her to within an inch of her life. She didn’t want that.

Clearing her throat, she tried to speak. “I won’t go back.” Her words were so low, she didn’t think anyone had heard her.

“You’ll do as I say.”

Before Sage could respond, a nurse came through the door. “Sorry for the interruption. It’s time for Sage’s medication and vitals check.” The woman was oblivious to the tension in the room, or she was good at ignoring it.

“Where’s the doctor? I’d like to get her signed out of here as quick as possible.” Watching her father stand superior to the nurse who brushed him off, had her inching back again.

“I’m sorry, that’s not possible.” She didn’t even turn to look at him. “Sage has a nasty infection, her heart rate is still low, and her wounds need to heal in a sterile environment.” Relief relaxed her tense muscles.

“You misunderstand. Sage is coming home today.” Gideon’s voice was overpowering, frightening Sage.

The nurse turned to look at him. “I understand your worry.” Sage couldn’t stop the cough lodged in her throat at the absurdity of that statement. “However, Sage still needs medical care. She will remain here for at least another week.”

“No.” He refused to listen.

“If she leaves, she could very well die.” The nurse was shocked by her parents. It wasn’t the first time in recent weeks Sage had seen that reaction to them.

“Then so be it. If my child is to die, it will be God’s will. No medicine will halt what He wants.” Disbelief rattled Sage. He spoke of her dying like it was no big deal.

“Being that Sage is under eighteen, I can, and will, get a court order mandating she stays until she’s healed or eighteen, whichever happens first.”

Her father was turning red in the face, and his eyes got that cold look in them before he did something genuinely disheartening.

“I’ll charge you personally with forcible confinement and kidnapping,” he snapped.

“And the state will charge you with child endangerment and medical neglect,” she shot back.

Sage didn’t know whether to laugh at the shock on her father’s face or cry from relief because someone was fighting for her. She’d never had anyone stick up for her before.

As much as she didn’t want to go home, her fear of conflict forced her to say, “I’ll go. It’ll be fine.” It took everything she had to push those words past her lips.

“No, you darn well won’t, young lady. You’re not strong enough, and you need IV fluids and antibiotics for a few days, at least.” The nurse scolded her with a confused look.

Without Lochlan, Sage felt trapped. Forced to make a choice she didn’t know how. Pulling on the nurse’s sleeve, she asked quietly, “Can you call him?”

“Call who?” her mother asked suspiciously.

With a cold look, her ally said to them, “Someone who cares about her well-being,” before leaving the room.

“After everything, you’re going to sin with that man? You’ll let him take your soul to hell?” Her father’s words were harsh.

“Lochlan makes me feel far more than I ever have before. Shouldn’t true love trump anything?”

“Love is nothing.” His hand swiped through the air with the same force as his words. “God trumps all. He will carry you through life.”

Gathering all the resolve she had, Sage replied, “I…I…I don’t believe that.” The silence to follow was pungent with shock and disbelief.

Storming forward, Sage watched in horror as his hand reached out to grab her chin so forcefully that she knew she’d have bruises in no time. Snarling in her face, the man chided, “You’re the devil’s child!” Pulling her off the bed, he proceeded to growl out, “You are no bastard of mine. You’re destined for hell and damnation!” He slammed her back on the mattress so hard she felt the welts on her back crack open and begin to bleed as he dragged her mother from the room.

Tears streamed in soft rivulets down her cheeks in the same rhythm she felt the blood seep from her back. Ripping the IVs from her hand, Sage stood, wrapping the blanket around her shoulders and sunk in the corner between the wall and window. A perfect view of the sky and her Lord.

She wanted to pray for solace.

She wanted to be forgiven.

She wanted to be accepted.

* * *

Loch was on his way to the hospital when his cell phone rang. After having picked up Sage a light breakfast of juice and a muffin, knowing that hospital food wasn’t always the best when they chose what you ate, he hoped she’d be satisfied with what he brought. Clicking the Bluetooth button, he answered with a gruff, “Hello?”

“Mr. Hogan? This is nurse Kirsten from UC Health. Sage asked me to call you.”

“Is she alright? I’m on my way right now.” He was panicked, suddenly grateful he’d thought to leave his name with the charge nurse.

“She’s fine, no need to worry. Her parents are here, and she’s feeling stressed. I can let her know you’re on your way?”

“Yes, I’m only a few minutes away.”

Hanging up with the woman, he drove as fast as the busy traffic would allow. He’d hardly slept all night with the stress and worry about Sage. Was she comfortable, was she scared of her new surroundings? Did she need anything?

His mother, Lorraine, had thankfully agreed to meet him at the hospital since he hadn’t had time to visit her in person. Which worked out well because he knew as soon as she was introduced to Sage, she’d love her.

After finding a parking spot, the short ride up the elevator seemed to take twice as long as it did when he’d left late—or rather early this morning. As soon as the ding sounded, Loch was pushing through the doors before they were completely open.

As he rounded the corner to Sage’s corridor, there was a lot of commotion coming in and out of her room. Hurrying his steps, he stopped a nurse to ask what was going on. “Is Sage worse?”

“Lochlan?” Someone called from behind.

Turning around, he saw the woman’s name tag read Kirsten. “I spoke to you on the phone. What’s going on?” He was getting more and more upset the longer they took to answer him.

“Her parents were here. I came out to call you like Sage asked, and well…come with me.” Her tone and the look in her eyes weren’t as calm as he’d expect from someone in her position.

Following behind her, there were two other nurses in the room as well as an older female doctor. The sight of Sage curled in the corner shaking, stark fear written in every tense line of her body had him shaken.

“Sage,” he whispered. “Angel, look at me.” His voice was low, pleading.

When their gazes connected, he felt her agony soul deep. It was more than physical; her heart was hurting. “I feel like I’m dying inside, Lochlan.” Her words vibrated with her misery.

Pushing through the nurses crowding her, he looked to Kirsten for help. “Privacy?”

Shaking her head, she said, “I need to see her back first. She’s ripped the stitches and her IV out.”

Cursing, he pulled Sage gently into his embrace. Blood had nearly saturated the back of the gown completely, so he understood the worry.

“What did they do to you?” he murmured.

“He damned me to hell.” She cried against him. Her tiny fists clenched at his chest.

He didn’t know what to say. How to proceed to make her feel even a small amount better. This was unchartered territory for him.

“Can Kirsten look at you, sweetheart? Your back, it’s bad.”

Nodding her head slightly, Loch helped her climb onto the bed. After getting her comfortable on her stomach, he grabbed a chair and pulled it up to the side her head was facing. With her hand firmly entrenched in his own, he nodded for the professionals to work.

“Talk to me, Sage,” he encouraged, hoping to distract her from what was happening behind her.

“I don’t know what happened to them.” She didn’t have to clarify who the them were that she was referring to was. “They changed. Almost overnight.” Watching her face scrunch with pain as the doctor and nurses worked was hard. “One day we were joyful, and I was allowed to tell stories and dance in the wildflowers. I could stay up late and count the stars with Joss and Kaidence. Porter and Trusen used to take some of the younger boys on adventures in the trees.” Her smile at the memories was mesmerizing. “Our way of life, our beliefs, they weren’t for everyone. But for as long as I could remember, we were happy. Life was good, Lochlan.”

“What changed?” he asked quietly. “When did it change?”

Sage was thoughtful for a moment. “About five years ago. There was a young girl in Adna that went missing. I remember praying for her. Hoping she would be returned to her family.” Sorrow flashed in her eyes. “A man raped and murdered her.” A lone tear escaped her eyes, and Loch wiped it away, cradling her cheek in his hand. “I don’t think anyone was the same after that. My father, he was so angry. His sermons became more and more about fighting urges and temptations. He’s worried about sinners.”

“He became stricter with you?”

“Yes. Everything was very structured. Curfews were enforced. We were no longer able to explore. Teaching became a chore. We’ve always grown our own produce and wheats. We have cows for milking and sheep for wool. But it was like he amped it up. Gave us no reason to ever leave the compound.” Contemplating her next words, she told him, “I suppose his fear could have been that great for the other children and something happening to them. But then, why the beatings? The snake pit became a form of punishment for those wanting to leave.”

“I don’t know what to say, Sage.” He was truly stunned. The others in the room seemed to be listening to her raptly as well from the shock on their faces. “Fear is a great motivator to protect the ones we love, but it doesn’t excuse hurting them in the process.”

“Sometimes, I wish I’d never been allowed to accompany my mother that day. That I hadn’t pushed to see the outside world. We were free to before, but I’d never had any desire to. For some reason that day I was restless, I needed to know what else there was. I met you and then Ashley later in Denver. She made me see that things weren’t quite as they seemed.”

“If you hadn’t, I wouldn’t have found you,” he replied softly, unable to think of not knowing her. Even if they hadn’t spoken more than a handful of words to each other until the night before.

“That’s the single reason I don’t regret any of it, Lochlan. When I look at you, when we’re in the same room, my whole world lights up like sunshine. I feel so much more when I’m with you than at any other time.”

He was speechless. She described everything he felt and more. Running his free hand through her soft white hair, her eyes closed, and for the first time since meeting her, Sage looked content. Not stressed or fearful. Simply at peace.