I feel like I'm watching this from outside my body.I feel like I'm floating above the ground.I'm standing on the sidelines, waiting for the fight to be over.I tell myself not to worry about Parker.I tell myself he can win this, but the truth is I don't know that that's true.The two wolves finally stop fighting.They stand facing each other for a moment."I have to admit, you've got more fight in you than I expected," Lance says."I was born to do this," Parker says."Yeah, I'm sure your mother thought that when she named you.""What are you talking about?" Parker asks."I'm talking about your real name. Your real name isn't Parker. It's Xavier. Xavier Fuller.""That's not true," Parker says."Oh, but it is. You might've fooled your friends, but you didn't fool me. I always knew you weren't really one of us. That's why you could never be the true alpha. Even if your father was the alpha, you weren't his son.""And yet, here I am, beating you.""You didn't beat me," L
I wander through the woods, unsure where I'm going.It's colder than it has been in days--cold enough that I can see my breath.I wish it would snow. If it snowed, it would be beautiful.I would be able to hear the flakes of snow hitting the ground and see the light from the street lamps reflecting off of them.Back home, when it snowed, I would curl up by the fire and watch it, feeling warm and safe. I want nothing more than to be back there now.But I'm not.I'm out here, and I'm lost, and I have no idea what to do.Not without Parker.As I walk, I come across the edge of a cliff, and I look down into the water below.Nothing feels real or tangible.I keep thinking about seeing Lance kill Parker.It's like I'm still there.I don't want to have to relive that again.I don't want to see Parker die.I don't want to be here alone, but I am. And it's dark and it's cold, and if I'm going to survive, I have to make a plan."What would Parker do?" I ask myself."First, you ne
I awake in a cage in the midle of a clearing in the woods.It's a small cage, dirty and gross. I look down an realize that I am covered in dirt and straw and blood.It's dark, and I am incredibly cold.And I am struck by the realization that I am going to freeze to death. I am going to die.Just then, I hear footsteps, and I know they are coming for me. I brace myself for whatever he's coming to do. I know I can't stop him. I'm too weak to fight.I look up to see the wolf from before. The bounty hunter. He is holding food out to me."Eat," he says.I glare at him, defiant. "Eat," he says again. This time, he pushes the food into my cage. "You're hungry, and I'm not going to let you starve to death. Eat."I stare at the food for a long time. I don't know what to do. I don't want to take anything from him. But I'm starving, and eventually the hunger wins out.I reach out and take the food from his hand.He laughs. "That's a good girl," he says."I'm not a pet, you bastard
"Don't try to run," he says as I take my first step forward. "It was easy to overpower you, even when you were at your strongest. It would take nothing for me to do it now."I nod. I know he's right.We walk in silence for a while, and then he turns to me. "I'm Ryan," he says."Rachel," I reply.It's strange to think I've been with him all this time and am just now learning his name.It's quiet for a while, but then he starts talking again. "I know what you're thinking," he says. "I know you're wondering where I'm taking you, and if I'm taking you somewhere to kill you. "Maybe," I say."I'm not. Going to kill you, I mean.""Well, that's something." I say.We walk a while longer, and I decide to try and get more information one last time."What are you going to do with me?" I ask. "It's my life we're talking about. I have a right to know."I'm taking you to Lance."My stomach sinks. That's what I was afraid he would say."Why?" I ask, even though I'm sure I know the answer
Ryan's POVI lean against the tree and stare at her. I am filled with questions.Why did she come back for me?Why did she save me?I kept her in a cage. I was going to collect a bounty on her-- to sell her to a man she despises.But she risked her life to save me, and I don't understand it. Her eyes meet mine and I see the intensity of them, but I don't know what it means.She's afraid. But I'm not sure if it's of me or something else.She's looking at me as if she knows me. But I know I don't know her. I don't know anything about her.I don't know why she's here or what she's doing.And then, one thing becomes clear to me-- I don't care. I don't care about her name or her past. None of that matters now. I don't care about anything other than her. I want us to be together. To be happy forever.This is what I want, and I don't understand why.I look at her again, closer this time, and see she's hurt. She's pale and her eyes are closed. I can smell her blood, an
Everything hurts and walking is a struggle. I want to lay down. I want to rest more than I have ever wanted anything in my whole life.And I want Ryan to hold me while I do. And I want to not want Ryan to hold me. I try to shake the thought out of my head. I don't want to think about him. It's distracting, and not in a good way.So, instead, I focus on walking-- on forcing myself to put one foot in front of the other.I don't ask him where we're going. I don't have to. I know he hasn't changed his mind, though I don't understand how that's possible. I don't understand how Ryan could know what I know and still take me to Lance. I don't understand how he could do this to me.I am his one, true mate. I know it. And I know he knows it too.But he's not saying anything. He's not even looking at me. He's just walking, and being silent, and that's what hurts the most.He seems upset. And I don't know what I'm supposed to do about it. There's nothing for me to say. There's nothing fo
Running feels impossible, but somehow I manage. Fear is a powerful motivator.I take off, sprinting as fast as my legs will take me. I keep looking back at him. I want to make sure he's safe. I want to make sure that he's with me. We sprint through the trees, silently, completely focused. Every time I look at him, I feel overcome with relief. Suddenly, everything seems so simple. All I need is him.We run for what seems like ages. I am wounded and weak, and with every step it gets harder to breathe.I feel like I am going to throw up, or pass out, or both, but I know I can't let that happen. I have to stay strong; I have to keep running.Because Lance and his pack are still right behind us.*We come across a stable in the woods just as my legs are about to give out. Ryan approaches a horse. I can tell right away that he's good with them.He grabs the reigns and pulls it out of the stable. "Can you get on?" He asks.I nod. He offers me his hand, and I let out a smal
We set up camp deep in the woods. Ryan lights a fire."Are you hungry?" he asks.I nod."I'll go get you something" he says, and he disappears into the darkness.I try to follow him with my eyes, but I can't. I'm too tired. Each breath I take is harder than the last, and there's a sharp pain in my shoulder, like a knife, or a pin, or a needle-- anything except a wolf's teeth.I am distracted by the sound of Ryan crashing through the brush. He comes back with a small animal, with a large tail and sharp horns. I watch as he cleans it.I watch the way the sweat glistens on his skin--the way his muscles bulge as he works.He catches my gaze."Are you alright?" he asks.I nod. There are so many things I want to ask him, but I don't know where to start. Finally, I settle on why."Why did you do it-- save me like that?" I ask. "I thought you were going to give me to Lance.""I don't know," he says. "But I couldn't do it. Not once I saw the way he looked at you." He looks down a