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RIEKA It has been two days since I spoke with Drea, and over a week since I have seen or spoken to Aleksandr. The mate bond keeps tempting me to call Aleksandr or go to him. I want to desperately, but I’m stubborn and I hold out. I thought the distance would help, but the more I’m away from him the more stressed I feel. I haven’t slept well, I have been more easily irritated with my kids, and I have started to feel a bit depressed. I hate how much power this has over me. I wonder if he’s feeling it the same as I am, or if it’s even worse for him since he’s a werewolf. I have no more clarity than I did the last time I saw Aleksandr and now I’m wondering if Drea really was right. Maybe I do need to talk to Aleksandr to work through all of this. He has done such a good job of giving me space and respecting my wishes. He only texted me once to ask if I was doing okay. I answered with “yes” and didn’t say anything else. I was surprised that he didn’t follow up with additional messages but
RIEKA The constant darkness makes it really difficult to figure out how much time has passed, and my internal clock has never worked very well to begin with, but it feels like it has been at least 5 hours. I haven’t heard a single sound, and the quiet is starting to affect my mental state. Every time I think I hear something I jump, but then when I listen for more sounds there’s nothing. Either I’m losing my mind, or someone is playing games with me. I’m also shivering, and the dampness doesn’t help. The more time that passes the more time I have to think. Gina and Silas must be werewolves. They are both tall and beautiful, and it's the only thing that would explain why she reminded me of Drea, but I can't figure out what they want or why they would take me. I also feel sick with worry about my kids. They’ve already lost their dad. They shouldn’t have to go through this too. As my headache slowly subsided, I tried the door again, but it was obviously locked or blocked from
ALEKSANDR Sebastian and Asher look at Jericho with disgust and then their eyes slide over my direction. I’m sure they want to question what I’m waiting for, but they know better than to openly question me in front of a rogue. They wait patiently as I just stare at Jericho, but Jericho keeps his eyes on the ground in front of him. While I appreciate his submissive posture, I want answers. “Jericho,” His name comes out of my mouth sounding more like a growl, “explain yourself.” Asher’s jaw drops open, while Sebastian does a better job of maintaining his composure. Jericho takes a deep breath and I watch his shoulders rise and fall, but he doesn’t speak. I let out a low rumbling growl in warning. Jericho takes another deep breath, “They have Giovanna.” He whispers. I don’t need to ask who Giovanna is. The only way a wolf would go to the lengths that he has, is for a mate. They must be using his mate to get him to do their bidding. “Have you seen Rieka? Do you know where she
RIEKA The group standing before me looked rough. They were coated in layers of dirt and sweat. They either just finished some intense training, or they don’t have access to showers around here. I was certain they were warriors because most of them were covered in scars, but they were all lean and muscular. Not overly bulky like bodybuilders, but not scrawny by any means. As I continued to scan the room, I noticed it was mostly men, but there were a few women mixed in as well. Gina was by far the most glamorous looking of the women, but when I looked closer, under the layers of dirt and sweat, they all had a quality of otherworldly beauty. Even the men, with their scars and messy hair, possessed a level of attractiveness that isn’t common among humans. The more time I spend around werewolves the move obvious it is who they are. Pretty much all of them are tall, muscular, and attractive is some special way. Even the two men I referred to as cave men has excellent bone structur
RIEKA Silas seemed pretty upset about his group of rogues being forced to relocated because of Aleksandr’s expansion plans, but I was sure that Aleksandr wasn’t doing it to intentionally force them to move. I was confident that he didn’t even realize there was a group this large in the area. I still don’t trust Silas either, so I want to proceed with caution. I watched as Silas’ eyes glazed over in what I recognized as a mindlink. I thought rogues couldn’t mindlink without a pack. A minute later I saw Gina walk back into the room followed by the two cavemen who were following us earlier. In this room with brighter light, I realized that they didn’t look as much like cavemen as I initially thought, and they were just as attractive as the other werewolves. It must have just been the poor lighting in the hallway, but I find it ridiculously unfair that all of these people get to be so flawlessly attractive. Gina walks over to the table as Silas stands. He looks down at her and sa
RIEKA As soon as Silas walked out of the room I rush over to the window. The glass is frosted, so I can’t actually see outside, but it lets in a lot of natural sunlight. Of course, my first idea is to attempt to open the window, but as I expected it was sealed shut. I walk back over to the door and try to open it. Locked. I didn’t actually expect it to be that easy to escape, but a girl can hope, right? I continue to wander around the room, looking for any sign of a hidden door, or a way that I might be able to escape, but I can’t find anything helpful. Feeling defeated, I sit down on the bed and fight back the tears threatening to spill over. I’m exhausted, I’m worried about my kids, and I really miss Aleksandr. Why did I have to be so stubborn? Why did I insist on this time away from him? I know that I thought it would help, but now that I don’t feel any better, and I’ve been taken away from my friends and family, I feel foolish for even thinking it was a good idea to beg
RIEKA I turn the handle and gently pull the door. It opens just a crack before it comes to a screeching halt with the sound of a chain pulling tight. It’s chained from the outside, so it won’t open more than 4 inches. The sudden weight of my situation comes crashing back down on me and I feel as though I might suffocate. I’ve never felt so completely helpless in my life. All that work and effort for nothing. I’m just as trapped in this room as I was in the other. I begin to hyperventilate which causes me to feel light-headed. I need to pull it together. I can’t freak out now. I need to get back into my room so they don’t know I was ever gone. If they know I tried to escape they will increase security and it will be that much harder the next time I want to attempt an escape plan. I jump up and run back into the closet. Suddenly realizing that I can’t reach the opening without a stool, I race to the bathroom looking for one. This bathroom doesn’t have one. I swear under m
ALEKSANDR There is no way I will allow Rieka to be out of my sight again. I quickly signal Lucas to update the teams on the situation. They can move in to get Gina as soon as I know Rieka is safe. “I’m afraid I can’t let you do that. Rieka will be leaving with me, tonight.” I inform him as I step forward and my men all follow suite. The rogues all take a defensive stance and I hear the rustling of leaves behind us. Of course Silas would make sure to surround us up here to ensure he gets what he wants, but I still have more men down the hill. I know that Lucas is already sending out a mindlink to them that we need extra support. I just need to focus on getting to Rieka, and my warriors should have a path cleared for us to leave. Both sides pause for a moment, waiting to see who will make the first move. I prefer to be on the offense, so I’m usually the one to make the first move, but I need to be cautious. I don’t want Rieka to get hurt. I take a minute to examine all the