Love Me Back (Amelia and Daniel) novel Chapter 334

Ruby wanted to call out to him, but fear stole her voice—her throat felt closed off, not a sound could escape, and her limbs were frozen in place.

The wind rustled through the trees, a soft, ominous whisper. Terrified, she broke down and started to cry, her sobs small and plaintive, almost like a kitten’s. In the dark, empty woods, her cries sounded heartbreakingly fragile.

As soon as Mogan answered the call, he was greeted by that pitiful, kitten-like crying.

He frowned. He’d already formed his own opinions about this child he’d never met—Amelia’s daughter, after all, probably just as useless as her mother.

The tiny sobs stuttered on for several minutes before a small, delicate hand swiped across the camera lens, as if wiping away tears. Then came a young, unsteady, but determined little voice.

“Ruby’s not scared.”

“Ruby remembers the way in.”

“Ruby can make it out.”

A pale beam of light flickered in the video feed as the camera shook. She’d started walking, slowly and carefully.

Mogan wasn’t sure how to describe what he was feeling. He’d expected this kid to be a complete coward, but she was tougher than he’d given her credit for.

More than tough, really. In a moment like this, to calm herself down, think things through—he hadn’t seen that coming.

Creak—crunch—

The sound of twigs snapping underfoot came through, the flashlight beam bouncing with every cautious step she took.

Beyond the circle of light, everything was pitch black—like the yawning jaws of some monster lurking in the shadows, ready to swallow her whole.

Ruby glanced at the darkness just once before quickly looking away. She fixed her eyes on the light ahead and kept whispering to herself, “Ruby’s not scared, Ruby’s not scared…”

Mogan leaned his chin on his hand, watching the screen, a strange feeling brewing inside him.

The woods were smothered in darkness, the wind howled, leaves shivered—honestly, even an adult would be scared out of their mind in a place like this, let alone a little girl. But here she was, wiping her tears away and trying to find a way out.

Truth be told, she reminded him a little of another girl from his past—small in stature, but brave beyond belief.

The camera now tilted slightly left, bouncing as she hobbled along.

Her left ankle throbbed with pain—she avoided putting weight on it. When her flashlight caught a sturdy branch, she picked it up to use as a cane.

The woods grew darker and darker. At night, they felt like an entirely different world, and Ruby started to lose her sense of direction. Was she even going the right way?

Suddenly, there was a crunch behind her—a twig snapping, but not from the wind. Something—someone—was there.

Ruby spun around, and her flashlight caught a pair of glowing yellow eyes. A dog—but not quite. Its fur was red, and it looked much fiercer than any dog she’d ever seen.

Goosebumps raced along her arms. Even Mogan, watching from afar, sucked in a sharp breath and jumped to his feet.

The wild animal didn’t attack right away. It just stared at her, motionless, like a hunter sizing up its prey.

Sweat slicked Ruby’s back and palms. Her legs trembled as she tried to back away, but she tripped over a tangle of roots and crashed to the ground. The camera at her collar tumbled loose, and the wild dog’s ears instantly pricked up, alert and ready to pounce.