Cara’s pov
The creaking sound of the carriage jolted me awake. My eyes fluttered open, heavy with exhaustion. As I looked around, the reality of my situation hit me like a slap. I was bound in a makeshift carriage, being dragged along a rugged path. Panic gripped me as the memory of my capture came rushing back, I was to be delivered to a mysterious man by dawn. I struggled franctically to free myself, but I learned the hard way about that.
“Aahhhh”, I screamed in pain as the rope burned against my skin. the rope was laced with wolfbane.
I gritted my teeth, as memories of my past encounters with wolfbane in my previous pack flashed in my mind.
“Sorry, love, forgot to mention the ropes’ stings,” the leader said with a twisted grin. His towering figure loomed over me, his dark, unruly hair framing his cruel face.
“Please, you don’t have to do this. I’m just a weak, orphaned Omega,” I begged, my voice trembling. But he didn’t even glance in my direction.
“Must be mistaken, I’m not the person you’re looking for,” I tried again, desperation creeping into my voice.
“Shut up, you conniving bitch,” the leader snapped, spinning around to face me. His eyes glinted with malice. “You keep talking, or shed any crocodile tears, and I won’t care about the instructions to bring you in one piece. I’ll silence you myself.”
Terror silenced me, and the rest of the journey passed in oppressive quiet. The bond I once felt, the connection to Brian that had given me hope, was gone. The warmth of his presence, the link between us, it had vanished.
“We’ve arrived,” the leader’s voice cut through the silence. He raised a hand, signalling his men to spread out. “Bring her. The boss is waiting.”
My heart raced as they dragged me toward a cabin, far more exquisite than the dilapidated hideout where I’d been held. The silver chains around my wrists burned with every step, their searing pain a constant reminder of my helplessness.
Inside, a man sat casually on an armchair, his presence dominating the room. His late-30s frame exuded power and danger. A long scar ran down the side of his face, giving him a menacing look that made my blood run cold. This was the man behind my kidnap.
“Pardon my manners for the rough journey, darling,” he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “I am Ryder, your soon-to-be owner.”
Ryder’s eyes gleamed with sick amusement as he watched me struggle. I could feel the malevolent energy radiating from him, his twisted grin enough to freeze my blood.
“You look worried,” Ryder mocked, his tone dark. “Don’t be. Your precious Rogue mate will be here soon to join the fun. And when he arrives, I’ll make sure he watches as I break you.”
“What… what are you talking about?” I asked, confusion flooding my mind. Before Ryder could answer, screams echoed outside.
Ryder chuckled, a cold, bone-chilling sound. “speaking of the devil himself, . I told you he’d come, always predictable like always”
The bandits leader’s face drained of colour as he heard the dying screams of his men. “What’s happening out there? Ryder, what have you done?” he demanded.
Ryder only smirked. ” it’s the angered alpha that is happening, can’t you see already”
Panic filled the leader’s eyes. “You promised our freedom!”
“yes, and I will honour my words, but our deal is not yet complete, Ryder replied with a smile.
The final scream outside was followed by a deafening silence.
“What is going on, Ryder you bastard, what is going on…” the leader shouted with fear evident in his eyes.
“We are waiting for our guest, just a little more and…”
Suddenly, the door to the cabin was thrown open with a force that shook the walls. Brian stood in the doorway, covered in blood, his eyes glowing with fury. His chest heaved, and every muscle in his body was tense with barely-contained rage. His eyes, glowing with fury, locked onto Ryder. and I could feel the surge of his emotions ad the dormant bond wired to life immediately.
Brian was here. he was real, he came to save me. I could feel his anger, his desperation, his overwhelming need to find me. But there was something else, something darker, more primal, driving him now.
“Hi am Asher, Brian’s wolf, ” a voice spoke through the bond.
His wolf
I had never felt Asher before, but now his presence was undeniable, filling the bond between us with raw power and rage. The sensation was overwhelming, almost too much to bear,
“He was real. He was here” the words kept repeating in my head.
“You’re done, Ryder,” Brian growled, his voice low and lethal. “This ends now.”
Ryder’s lips curled into a sneer as he stepped closer to me, his hand brushing against the silver chains that bound me. “Does it, old friend? I don’t think you understand your position, Brian. You’re in no place to make demands.”
Brian took a step forward, his fists clenched, every muscle in his body coiled and ready to strike. “Let her go.”
Ryder’s scarred face twisted into a grin. “And if I don’t? Will you destroy my pack? You’re nothing but a shadow of the king you once were.”
Brian’s gaze flicked to me, softening for a moment before he turned back to Ryder, every inch of him radiating fury.
“I suppose that’s what you do best, destruction,” Ryder continued, his voice dripping with venom. “But today, I’ve come to collect a debt, a debt of blood for your betrayal. ”
“Wait, I am sorry to barge into any tension between two of you but I need my money” The leader, desperate and terrified, interjected,
“Ryder, we had a dea…” the leader could not finish what he was saying, with a flash Ryder reached him and Without a word, snapped the leader’s spine with a swift movement. The sickening crack echoed through the cabin. I gasped, my heart hammering in my chest.
“Useless trash,” Ryder muttered, stepping over the lifeless body.
“Now, where were we, old friend?” he asked, turning back to Brian. “Ah, yes. I heard you have a unique Omega in your pack, and you’re keeping her all to yourself. That hardly seems fair, does it?”
“hand her over, and for old times sake, I might spare your life” Brian growled
“Why do you care about her, she is just a stupid slave with a special blood, is it worth your packs destruction?, they are coming for her.”
Brian growled low in his throat, his wolf fighting to break free. “She means nothing to me, she is just my slave” he said coldly, though the words felt like a knife to my heart.
Ryder’s eyes gleamed with sadistic pleasure. “Then you won’t mind if I do this.” His hand trailed down my cheek, then lower, tracing my body in a way that made bile rise in my throat.
“You don’t have to deny it, you feel something for her” Ryder taunted “You can join me friend, let’s reminisce on our good short old days, or you can turn around and leave, like you always leave your friends. Either way, I win.”
The tension in the room was suffocating, and for a moment, it seemed like everything had frozen in place. Brian’s gaze darkened, his wolf that I recently met was lurking just beneath the surface, ready to tear Draven apart.
And then, without warning, Brian move
He lunged forward, faster than my eyes could follow him, his body a blur of motion as he closed the distance between him and Ryder. Ryders eyes widened in surprise barely had time to react before Brian’s fist connected with his jaw, sending him crashing to the ground.
The sound of the impact echoed through the cabin, and for a split second, everything went still.
Ryder scrambled to his feet, blood dripping from his mouth,
” You bastard, how are you so fast…” Ryder asked in surprise for a moment before he sneered ” “So, you’ve found your wolf again, have you?” Ryder sneered, wiping the blood from his lips.
“Let’s see if it’s enough.”
They collided again, in a whirlwind of violence, fists flying as the two Alpha wolves fought for dominance. The cabin trembled from the sheer force of their battle, their auras clashing, suffocating the air. Ryder was fast, ruthless, countering every strike Brian threw his way.
My heart pounded as I watched the brutal exchange, fear gnawing at my insides. Brian slammed Ryder against the wall, his hand tightening around his throat. “You should’ve stayed away,” Brian growled, his voice barely human. “Now, you’ll die for what you’ve done.”
Ryder’s eyes gleamed with hatred, even as Brian tightened his grip. “Kill me friend, silence me, protect the Omega, but you will never have peace, she will bring your pack destruction”.
Brian hesitated, and in that split second, Ryder took his chance. He lashed out with a silver blade, catching Brian across the side. Brian roared in pain, stumbling back as blood poured from the wound.
“Noooo!”