(Tyler's POV)The scene before me felt like something out of a nightmare. Mrs Harris was lying on the floor, blood streaming from her nose and staining the carpet beneath her. For a moment, I could only stare, my mind struggling to process what I was seeing.After what felt like an eternity, I finally regained my senses.“Ryder!” I yelled, my voice filled with panic as I rushed to Mrs Harris’s side. I lifted her onto my lap, but she was like dead weight in my arms, completely unresponsive. My heart pounded in my chest as I tried to feel for a pulse, but my hands were shaking too much to tell if there was one.I heard Ryder’s footsteps thundering up the hallway toward me. “Jesus Christ,” he muttered when he stopped in the doorway, his face pale as he took in the horrific scene.“Find Kate!” I ordered, my voice firm despite the chaos all around me.I couldn’t think about anything else right now. I needed to help Mrs Harris, and I needed to find Kate.Ryder sprang into action, rushing in
(Tyler's POV)The weight of everything that had just happened bore down on me as I helped Ryder get Mrs Harris into the back of my car. She moved robotically, like she was in a daze, barely acknowledging anything around her.I sped home with no regard for traffic signs or speed limits, the urgency of the situation making everything else seem unimportant.“Call Dad,” I ordered, trying to keep my voice steady.Ryder didn’t hesitate. He pulled out his phone, his fingers trembling slightly as he pressed the 'call' button.I could hear the faint sound of the call ringing through the otherwise silent car, the tension so thick I could barely breathe.“Dad!” Ryder exclaimed, his panic obvious. “Dad, Kate’s gone! Mrs Harris—there was an attack! Kate’s gone!”He was almost incoherent, and I could only imagine the confusion on the other end of the line as our dad tried to make sense of the tiny snippets of jumbled information.“Put it on speaker,” I said, needing to be part of the conversation.
(Tyler's POV)The night had turned into a chaotic blur, fueled by the fear and adrenaline that coursed through my veins like wildfire.Dr Kelly finally arrived to take a look at Mrs Harris. I had been right, her nose was broken. He managed to reset it and stitch it up, saying that it should heal straight.He was obviously filled in on all the necessary details of what had happened and when he was done with Mrs Harris's nose, he went on to suggest she take something to help her sleep.She protested though, her voice shaky as she insisted on joining the search for Kate."Mara, you're no use to anyone in this state," my mom had told her, gently but firmly.It took some convincing, but eventually, Mrs Harris relented, allowing Dr Kelly to administer the medication that would finally let her get the rest she so badly needed.She was moved to one of the spare bedrooms upstairs and my mom stayed with her, not just to care for her but also to be there just in case Kate somehow came back.Mean
(Tyler's POV)Shane barely had time to react before Ryder grabbed him by the collar, pushing him against the doorframe. His fury was palpable, and I could see the tension pulsating through every muscle in his body.“Ryder, let him go!” Dad’s voice cut through the chaos, firm and commanding.He hesitated, his grip tightening momentarily before he released Shane, who staggered back, his expression a mixture of shock and confusion.“Who did you tell?” Ryder repeated, his voice lower but no less intense as he pointed an accusing finger at Shane.Shane straightened his shirt, taking a deep breath to steady himself before he spoke. “Who... Who did I tell what?” he stammered, his eyes darting between all of us as he tried to understand what he had just walked in on.“Kate’s been taken,” I said, stepping forward. “We think someone may have known the truth about what she is.”Shane’s eyes widened in shock, and I could see the color drain from his face. “Taken?! Bu... But how?!”“There's no tim
(Tyler's POV)I followed Ryder down the stairs, grabbing him by the shoulder when we reached the bottom. "Where are you going? Are we going to Stanford?" I asked, assuming that must be Ryder's plan.He scoffed, turning to face me with a look of incredulity."Are you insane? That's like a 12-hour drive. We'd be better off just waiting until he wakes up and trying to call him again," he replied with frustration and annoyance.I shrugged. "We could fly?" I suggestedRyder shook his head. "How long is the flight? We'd still have to pack, drive to the airport, fly there, that's if there's even a flight available at this ungodly fucking hour, and then when we get there, we would still need to get a car, drive to the university, find this Dr. Prince guy, make our threats, then pick up the trail from there. It's too complicated, and it's not going to save us any time," he explained, clearly having already considered the option.I shook my head, refusing to believe that there was literally not
(Katelyn's POV)The world came back to me in fragments. I felt groggy and disoriented, as though I had been dragged out of a deep, dreamless sleep.I blinked my eyes open, searching the room around me, but it was unfamiliar. The light was dim, casting soft shadows on the dark wooden furnishings. The bed I was lying in was large, the crisp, white sheets cool against my skin.Everything about the room screamed luxury. Thick curtains, polished floors, plush decor, and a large, ornate mirror on one of the walls.It wasn't comforting though. I didn't know where I was and now I was trying to figure out how I had gotten there.I sat up slowly, rubbing my temples as a dull ache throbbed behind my eyes. Where the hell was I? My memory was foggy, the details slipping through my fingers every time I tried to grasp them.I climbed off the bed, my limbs feeling much heavier than I remembered them being. It almost felt like I had been sedated or drugged or something. The thought made me feel sick a
Harlan’s smiling face watched me from the doorway before he turned and closed the door behind him, casually locking it. The quiet click reverberated through the room and filled my heart with dread.As I watched him with wide eyes, the horrifying memories came rushing back to me in a disjointed torrent. It was him... he had been the one in my vision... in my dream. I remembered the way he had grabbed me, yanking me up by my hair. He'd been the one who had locked me away in some cold, dark room with a huge pregnant belly. Had it been his baby!? The thought sickened me and it felt like the room was spinning and I was going to throw up.On shaky legs, I backed away, my eyes wide with terror, but Harlan just continued to watch me with that same bright smile.He stood by the door for a moment, his gaze never leaving mine, and I felt my breath catch in my throat. What was he going to do? Panic clawed at my chest, but instead of advancing on me like I had thought he would, he turned and casua
(Tyler's POV)As I stared out the window of my dad’s office, watching the sun break over the horizon, it hit me that we had been at this for hours. The adrenaline that had fueled us through the night was wearing off, leaving behind nothing but fatigue and desperation.We had combed through the old ledger, page by page, searching for any lead, any clue that might point us in the right direction.At last, we reached the final entry without any further mentions of a 'Nathan'. At least not as a current listing.Ryder sighed with exhaustion, but he wore a pleased smile as he paged back to the spot he had marked earlier. "Then it has to be Nathan Flatly," he insisted.I looked at the entry, reading it over and over again as I tried to figure out why it didn't feel right to me. This was the only option. This was the only currently listed 'Nathan' and I wanted it to be the lead we were looking for, but it felt wrong."Hang on, let’s just take a minute to try and work this out," I said, trying
(Ryder's POV)Tyler's belief in me should’ve felt reassuring, but instead, it felt like a heavy weight pressing down on my chest.“No,” I said again, more forcefully this time. “I’m just… It’s not me...”The conversation spiraled from there and we ended up in a shouting match with him trying to point out how good I had been at things like art and creative writing, as if that just somehow magically made me a more capable leader than I was giving myself credit for.It all just kept going downhill from there..."Fear of what, Ryder?! What are you afraid of?! It's sure as shit not being a disappointment because you've prided yourself on that fact for years now. So what is it? What are you so fucking afraid of?!" he snapped, his frustration and patience finally reaching its limit.“Of letting people down!” I finally admitted, the words bursting out before I could stop them. “I’m just—”But Tyler wasn't having it. Before I could even finish my sentence he spoke over me, his words tumbling o
(Ryder's POV)My eyes were focused on the ripples from my failed stone-skipping attempt, but I could feel Tyler's on me, waiting for a response.His question hung in the air and I didn't know how to answer it. I didn't know what to say.With a sigh, I dragged my hand down my face. “I’m just trying to figure shit out.”The answer was a cop-out, but I didn't know what else to tell him. I was torn between letting every word and thought pour out of me so that I could just get it out in the open or shutting down completely and internalizing everything until I finally imploded.“Figure what out?” he pressed, his tone firm but not pushy.Jesus... Did I tell him? Should I just spill the fucking beans and let the chips fall where they may? Or did I keep my mouth shut and deal with it myself?The silence hung over us, heavy and awkward as I struggled to make a decision. Why did this feel so fucking complicated?!He looked like he was going to ask again, to press harder for an actual answer and
(Ryder's POV)I sat on the mossy log, staring at the still surface of the pond in front of me. The air was cool and damp, the smell of earth and pine heavy in the air. I looked up as gray clouds swirled overhead, the threat of rain imminent.This was Tyler's spot, but I'd come here a couple of times before when I needed to get some space to think about shit. Back home, everything just felt so... consuming... overwhelming. Not that it was much better here. It's not like the problems just magically disappeared as soon as I stepped out the front door. But here... I don't know. It was quiet. There was no chaos.This wasn't exactly what I had had in mind when I left this morning, and truth be told, I had no clue how long I had been here. I'd turned my phone off, not wanting to have any distractions or interruptions.Kate had probably messaged, but I just needed this time to focus. To focus on this one stupid problem. A problem that shouldn't have even been a problem at all.There had been
(Tyler's POV) Before I had a chance to put together some kind of response, Ryder continued, “You’ve always been better at everything, Tyler. You could always run that much faster. You were always that much stronger. You always scored that much higher. Everything you ever did... Everything you ever do... You just do it better than me. You can even skip a fucking stone further than I can..." he went on, scoffing at the absurdity of it but I could see that it weighed him down.I bit my lip, still not knowing what to say. To some degree it was true, but there was so much more to it."And I don't hate you for it or anything, okay?" he said, as if trying to set the record straight. "It's not like it's your fault that I couldn't measure up. It's just the way things panned out, and that's fine. I guess the pack needs a leader and that's you. You were always the one everyone looked up to and I guess I just figured that the best thing I could do was stay out of your way and not hold you back.
(Tyler's POV)Ryder hesitated for a moment before shaking his head again and replying, "I'm just... trying to figure shit out.”“Figure what out?” I pressed, trying to sound curious rather than forceful.He was quiet for a long moment and I was almost one hundred percent sure he was going to give me the generic 'stuff' reply again, but he surprised me.“That empty feeling I told you guys about after the marking? Well, it’s still there. I tried to ignore it, figuring that The Elders being here was more important. I thought that maybe it would go away if I didn't think about it, but it hasn’t. It's just gotten worse and with all the shit that asshole Simon was saying... I just... I think… I think I might know why I've been feeling this way...” he trailed off.I frowned. “Why?”He hesitated, his hands clenching into fists. “It's the Alpha thing, I'm almost sure of it. I’ve been avoiding it for years, telling myself I didn’t want it, that it isn’t who I am. But now? It’s like it’s catchin
(Tyler's POV)The Fortress was as busy as ever. People milled around the gym, sparring, chatting, working out, the usual. The faint smell of sweat mingled with disinfectant hung in the air.I scanned the room, hoping to see Ryder beating the shit out of a punching bag or leaning against the wall, smirking at someone’s terrible form, but there was no sign of him.He didn't come here often, so my hopes weren't high to start with, but it was still disappointing when he was nowhere to be seen.If he wasn't in the gym, he didn't really have much reason to be here otherwise. But even so, I figured I may as well make the most of it and do a thorough check of the building.Making my way down the hallway that led to all the meeting rooms and classrooms, I peeked into a few of the rooms where I knew I wouldn't be interrupting anything important. Along the way, I ran into a few familiar faces, but no one I asked had seen him around.With no sign of him here and no solid leads, I stepped back out
(Katelyn's POV)Two days had passed since The Elders had left, and the weight of their impending decision hung over us like a miserable storm cloud. Everyone seemed to be carrying it differently. Tyler busied himself with pack matters, his steady demeanor a calm anchor amidst the uncertainty. Liz had thrown herself into the house, preparing meals and cleaning each and every nook and cranny as if that might somehow scrub away the tension that had been building. David had been quieter than usual, which was its own kind of unsettling.And Ryder? Ryder had been... absent.At first, I didn't think much of it. Ryder wasn't one to stick to predictable routines. He moved at his own pace and showed up where and when he wanted, usually with some sarcastic comment or mischievous grin.But today was different. I hadn't seen him since the morning when he'd looked a little out of it and had just told me he had a lot on his mind. That was it. That was the last time I had seen him. It was late afterno
(Katelyn's POV)I stared at Helen, my mind spinning with her words. Each revelation felt like a hammer blow, shattering any illusions I’d clung to about where this was going.“So, then what’s the point?” I asked, my voice sharper than I intended. “What’s the point of learning to control my abilities if it won’t make any difference? If they’re just going to see me as some kind of… resource?” The word tasted bitter in my mouth.Helen sighed, her gaze softening as she looked at me. “It’s not that simple, Katelyn. I won’t lie to you, there will always be those who see you as a means to an end. A 'resource', as you put it. That’s not going to change overnight. But that being said, things are changing. Times are changing and so is the way people think.”“Yeah, not fast enough,” I sneered, the frustration bubbling inside me.“No,” Helen admitted, nodding. “Not fast enough. But they ARE changing. And people like you? People like us? We’re the ones who will push those changes forward. We're th
(Katelyn's POV)I heard the vague sound of hurried footsteps approaching us, but I made no attempt to lift my head from Ryder's chest to see who it was. In my mind, I had pictured Liz coming to offer me some comfort, but when Ryder spoke, I realized my assumption must have been off."I don't think she wants to talk to you," he said, his voice firm and protective as he still clutched me tightly."Please," Helen's voice begged, "I just need a minute. I just want to explain—"But Tyler cut her off. "Listen, Helen, we appreciate how you've tried to assist with Simon and all that, but I think she just needs some space right now. There's nothing you can say that's going to fix this. It seems pretty obvious that the Council of Elders has their own agenda here," he stated, trying to keep his words firm without coming across as hostile."Katelyn," Helen tried again, refusing to give up, but Ryder simply rotated me away from her, standing as a barrier between us with his back towards her.I hea