4

~Dawn

The restaurant was beautiful.

It has been too long since I have had a taste of what civilisation looks like, but wealth? This place may be simple and quaint, yet I still see the little things that make it worth more than I could ever fathom. From the richly coloured table and classic art work strung on the wall. It made sense that this is one of Rylan's favourite places to go.

The warmth from blazing, crackling fireplace to my left makes me aware of how warm it is in here. Shackles of heat wrap around my wrists, making me increasingly nervous.

I feel Rylan's hand on the small of my back. "Shall we sit?"

The queasy feeling building in my stomach wants to be expressed, however, I keep my mouth firmly shut. If I say something, I may anger Rylan, and that isn't going to get me any closer to Lucy. My poor little sister must be freezing outside, and hungry too. Guilt fills the place where luscious food may go.

"You look worried," Rylan notes, as he pulls a chair out for me to sit on. I do so quickly, making sure my outfit fit perfect under the table.

Rylan sits in front of me, gently pushing a vase of pretty purple flowers out of the way, so he could see me properly. Every time I look at him, I see an Alpha who has never had to fight for what he wants. He has never been exposed to the horrors of life outside a Pack, and how a lack of family can do so much to impact you.

I have to keep reminding myself that it was my fault. My decision to leave them.

"I wonder why," I mutter, looking down at my hands bunched in my skirt. Meeting Rylan's gaze may just tear a hole through the facade I have been wearing tightly around me.

He sighs. "I'm willing to compromise."

At his words, I decide to look up. His silvery blue eyes are like a veil, hiding something behind them, that I wish to uncover. The steely expression on his face matches the colour of his irises, yet, he still manages to seem indifferent. What would he do if I slapped the impassiveness form his expression. Would he slap handcuffs on me again?

Is he afraid of me?

"I don't believe you," I say confidently, placing my hands on the table in front of me. "I don't believe you can change your ways."

Rylan seems to think carefully about my words. When I first met the Alpha, he was strict in his ways of possession and protection. His belief in the Moon Goddess made him all the more hardened and forceful about his way, which made me especially uncomfortable. He's even shy about touching me, as if I might give him the worst form of sin like some disease.

"I'm trying," he says hoarsely. "I really am trying."

I don't really believe him. "If you really wanted to change, you wouldn't have corned me, and kidnapped me. You would have accepted that I don't need you anymore. That I am better on my own."

Rylan sits forward on his seat, looking torn. Had I not seen it in his eyes, I would have been worried by the lack of expression on his face. He's good at wiping that away like a whiteboard.

"I did it for your own good, don't you see that?" he says almost desperately. "You are sick, and getting worse. I can handle it, as an Alpha, but you on the other hand...Do you really want your sister to have no one when you eventually waste away? I would have been happy to bring her in, however, I would follow not long after you."

I shake my head at him. "I don't think you understand. I am not willing to be held captive here. I can't even begin to believe in your religion. If it means I get sick, then so be it."

My stubborn side has been released, and Rylan is left to simmer it down. My hands ball into fists on the table.

"At least tell me where your sister is," Rylan says softly, biting his lip distractedly. "So I can save her."

Fate pulled his strings at that exact moment.

A loud crash sounded from behind me, that was almost deafening. The sound of shattered glass skittering across the floor had me turning in fear, the beautiful restaurant we saw originally had been destroyed, to be replaced by destruction. The sight of it would have previously frightened me, but the shards of glass were like glittering stars of hope, as I realise who had caused them.

Lucy. My precious sister

Standing on the other side of the broken window, in all her ten year old glory, was my sister clad in dark, leather clothes, which I had never see her wear before. Her light blonde hair was slung up in a braid, her eyes glaring furiously over a black cloth that she had tied to cover half her face. She had used a brick to smash the window.

Neither me, nor Rylan had a chance to move, before Lucy was behind me, the blade of a knife pressed threateningly close to my neck. I sucked in the deepest breath, my gaze finding Rylan.

He looked indifferent at what he was witnessing, not saying a word.

"Put the knife down," he says calmly, looking as if he isn't fazed by this at all. I know that this is really his Alpha like experience coming out. He didn't want Lucy to make a move to hurt me. He clearly had no idea that this strange, small girl is my sister. To him, she could be someone out to hurt the Alpha's mate.

Lucy has a short amount of time to get out of here before the staff who tuck behind the tables call the police.

She doesn't say a word, not wanting to give Rylan any further hints of her age.

"This girl is innocent. I suggest you stop before you do something you might regret," Rylan continues, slowly standing, keeping his palms flat against the table. In any other situation, I would be glad for his negotiation skills, but now, I want far away from them.

Lucy's voice weren't her own, as she says, "Move another inch, and she's dead."

The painted look of fear across my face is like an alert symbol for the Alpha, which is stopping him from doing something he might regret. As I see the flash of fear in his eyes, of losing me, and guilt set heavy in the pit of my stomach. Lucy didn't know any other way to get me out of here, but it still made me a little irritated that she had to threaten my life in front of him.

Slowly, with Lucy's body prompts, I was forced to my feet. Rylan only watches, eyebrows creased. He feels powerless, I can see. If he moves, he believes it may get me killed.

"I'm sorry," I choked out, unable to stop myself.

I could feel the bond between us protest. It was a strange, painful feeling in my stomach I dealt with for an entire week, before I could feel better again. Now, the disgusting, incriminating feeling crept back with every step I had to take backward. Instantly, I tried my best to suppress it back where it had come from.

Lucy may have been shorter than me, but the boots she wore gave her enough height to match mine, which was enough to lead me over the glass window. My foot almost caught on the sharp shards that stuck out dangerously, but I didn't look down.

There was no way I would have been able to take my eyes off Rylan. Especially his darkening eyes, as he remained sitting at the table in the middle of the room.

"I'll get you back," he says softly, knowing there was no way to get out of this. "I'll tear the world apart."

And that was the last sentence I heard from my mate, before Lucy and I escaped into the the darkness of the streets.

***

"What was it like inside?" Lucy asked, her inquisitive smile wide.

We didn't say a single word to each other, until we had made it back to our original camp. It was too dangerous, as we kept close to the walls, until we made it out over two hours later. Unfortunately for my weakened legs and awkward dress, the walk was painful, but Rylan's house was on the other side of the Pack, and we couldn't change that.

"No," I dismiss carefully, stoking the fire with the edge of a blunt stick. "You have to tell me how you found me."

Lucy is strong; I've always known that. Yet, I had no idea she was capable of organising such a successful rescue mission from an Alpha. The poor girl should be in school right now, brushing other girls hair and doing their makeup. Not living in a forest with her messed up sister every night.

She sits in front of me in the dirt, her legs stretched in front of her, covered in a tattered blanket we have had since we first ran away. The firelight licks up her pretty features, darkening her already almost black eyes. Her hair has darkened since we have been out here, but it has always been so golden and beautiful.

"I followed you," she tells me smoothly. "I knew you were going to meet with him. You couldn't help yourself."

Sometimes Lucy makes me feel inferior to her. She slowly chews on the edge of a loaf of bread we stole from a closed market stall on our way back, staring at the dress I wore.

"You know me too well."

"Yes, well...Now you can tell me what it's like-"

"Hold on," I say, holding my hand up to stop her. "You followed me to Rylan's estate? Where did you sleep that night?"

Lucy seemed irritated at my lack of answers for her question. "Slept in his wine cellar."

"Alright, well, inside his home is amazing. He is very wealthy, and owns some amazing things. You would have loved it, had it not been the most security runned place in this entire world. You would have dug a hole through the wall soon enough," I tell her.

She seemed crushed at my words, but she expected it. I know for a fact, that she doesn't want to live Rylan's life as much as I don't. It's the biggest reason why I haven't handed myself to him.

I stand, while Lucy watched me. Slowly, I unzip my dress from the back, and shrug it off.

During these cold nights, I could do with the extra fabric. Right now though, I want a symbol to thank Lucy with, so I stand, taking the dress I took off, to throw into the fire.

The flames swallow it in a second, sparks flying up, as the fire hungrily engulfed every inch of the expensive fabric. Lucy watched it silently, a content smile on her face, as what was once beautiful slowly turned into nothing but ashes.

"He won't ever find us. It's over now," Lucy murmurs.

For some reason, I don't believe her. She mustn't have seen the look in his eyes in those last moments.

And at that moment, I couldn't be so sure.