Chapter 25

Alyson's POV

I woke up with a terrible headache. The strange sway of the wheeled cart where they'd thrown my body bumped over rocks. The wolfs bane still had effect so I was too weak to shift. My whole body shook in terror, thinking of all the traumas of my past life and how these men could be delivering me to a similar fate.

Had they discovered who I was? How could they? I had told no one. My whole body ached, burned and itched. The low quality of the wolfs bane they'd dosed me with was causing a reaction in me that I hadn't even experienced in my past life.

I sat up a little, but the capsule had a cover with slits in the wood that I could peek out. A group of men paraded around me, carrying knives. They were laughing and joking. My blurred mind tried to grasp what they were saying.

"That was much easier than expected," One of the men guffawed. "We will get rewards for this."

Rewards for what? What did they want with me? Who had sent them?

I pounded my fist on the capsule. "Who are you? Let me out of here!"

"Oh, you're awake," another voice taunted. "Keep quiet or I'll knock you out again."

"You'll be sorry if you don't let me out!" I screamed, wishing I had the power to rip apart their cage for me and tear them all. Ryan, I thought, please find me.

"You and what army?" they all laughed at me, totally unthreatened.

"He'll come for me." I said, infuriated by their dismissive jabs.

"Who? Some god will come to smite us down? We've been traveling a long way, there's no way anyone could find us this fast." They said. "Just shut up, or we'll shut you up."

I watched what I could of the forest passing. The time went by. No one would answer my questions, and I worried that if I didn't keep quiet, they might throw in more wolfs bane or something else to hurt me. I wanted to stay conscious.

The experience resonated with my previous life. I felt betrayed by the Moon Goddess again, especially if I would end up a prisoner or pawn in someone else's plan again. Even though I'd threatened that Ryan would come, I didn't know that he would. Still, I hoped he could find me.

Why had I left Ryan's cabin alone like I'd did? I thought I'd be fine, but obviously it had not worked out in my favor. I never should have done that. And by not telling anyone, I would have made it even harder for anyone to save me.

All of the sudden, I heard one of the men gasp and grunt in pain. There was a low snarl that I recognized. Ryan had come!

I peered out of the capsule. I had never seen anyone fiercer and more terrifying than Ryan's wolf Rupert. He killed three men almost without effort. His enormous wolf form tore into them, snapping their necks as if they were limp little rabbits.

Rupert, Ryan's wolf, was a savage. He appeared at least twice the size of an average wolf, with dense dark gray fur that spiked on top of his outline. His long nose held fangs that looks as large as small knives. Even from there, I could see flashes of his wild tawny eyes.

I was transfixed by his cold-blooded killing. Only once, did another wolf catch him, but someone else was there to prevent any harm before Ryan could kill him. I couldn't see too well, but I assumed he'd brought Michael with him.

I had never been happier to see anyone before this moment. He had come, he had killed them all. I was in a bit of a daze as if it were a dream where I was only a spectator.

Ryan shifted back to a man; he was looking around at the mangled corpses surrounding him. His frantic gaze searching.

Finally, I shouted, "I'm over here. Ryan!" I was crying with relief. I thought they had caught me, and they would torture me soon. "In here!" I pounded on the capsule walls.

Ryan was on the capsule. With his bare hands, he grappled the corners and broke the wood to splinters. I was able to sit up all the way, he reached in and grabbed me into a tight embrace, simultaneously pulling me out of my small prison.

I was crying harder with relief and happiness. At the same time, my hold on him felt weak due to the state I was in after the mistreatment. My head still pounded from being knocked out, and my body was reacting really badly to the wolfs bane, even worse than in my past life.

His counterpart was standing behind me. I turned to acknowledge him briefly, expecting to see Michael.

I was shocked to see Dylan Harris standing there a little awkwardly. He was breathing hard like they'd been sprinting. "I'm still trying to catch my breath." He put up a single finger, "Give me a minute and I'll greet you properly."

"Dylan, what are you?"

I was stunned, but Ryan pulled me back to face him again, hugging me as if he could not let me go. I leaned into him, allowing him this moment.

With my head tucked into his chest, I looked around at the bodies that Ryan had rampaged and destroyed so easily. How could anyone be this powerful? How many would it take to stop him? I imagined pressing my body into his till we molded together, and then I might feel safe forever.

I wanted to kiss him, but Dylan cleared his throat behind me.

Ryan let me go, mostly, although his hand trailed down my arm gently as if he couldn't stand any distance between us. His face had looked gently on me, but he looked angry again directed towards Dylan, and then towards me.

"I heard you invited him." Ryan said. I thought frantically towards all those moments where I considered telling him that, and then decided against it. It was all backfiring now.

"I did. I meant to tell you." I said.

"tell me? How about ask me?" He said.

"Look," Dylan rubbed his hands nervously. "Perhaps I came at a bad time."

"But he helped you. I saw it!" I professed. While usually I knew this was something we might fight about, I was much too happy that Ryan had come and saved me, I kept my tone soft and pleading.

"Barely." Ryan said, indicating all those corpses that he'd killed.

"I take no credit." Dylan said. "That was truly amazing, my friend. I might have been better help if I hadn't been so out of breath from sprinting. I nearly collapsed a lung!"

Ryan kind of huffed at the mention of friend.

I turned back, pleading eyes up to Ryan. I traced his face with my hand, and said, "Please, let him visit, and I will explain everything."

"I would love to see how you explain it," Ryan said.

"I will." I said, growing woozy as the world began to spin around.

While his eyes narrowed at me, indicating how much he didn't like this, he tilted his head in agreement.

My knees gave out. I felt so ill.

"Are you ok? What's wrong?" Ryan caught me before I fell.

"I don't feel well. at all. The wolfs bane." I said.

"You can never doubt that I wouldn't do anything for you." Ryan muttered as he gestured for Dylan to join us. "Let's get you home."