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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
RIEKA Aleksandr’s eyes rake over my entire body frantically, I’m sure he’s looking for any sign of injury to confirm Silas’ lie about punishing me. When he doesn’t see anything wrong, I recognize the combination of confusion and relief in him, but then he voices his concerns. I nod my head to let him know that I’m fine, but the concern in his eyes grows at my refusal to speak. I desperately want to ask Aleksandr about my kids, but I also want to get out of here as quickly as possible, so I want to avoid any unnecessary drama. If cooperating and not speaking will help speed up negotiations, then I can comply. Then, Silas opens his mouth again. “Maybe I underestimated my position here. It seems that having Rieka as my prisoner gives me more power than I initially anticipated. She’s even more important to you than I expected. Let’s take the rest of the night to think it over and meet again tomorrow. I think I’ll be increasing my demands.” My eyes go wide, and my mouth drops o
ALEKSANDR I know I could have sent Rieka back to her house with a few warriors to guard her so she could be reunited with her kids, but selfishly I didn’t want her out of my sight. I couldn’t even let go of her hand as we walked out of the cave. I just needed to be touching her. The sparks from the mate bond felt ten times stronger because of the separation and the adrenaline from everything that has happened tonight. Once we exited the cave, it dawned on me that the only way to travel quickly and easily from this location to the next would be if Rieka could ride on me in wolf form. I wasn’t sure how she would feel about it, so I quietly pulled her aside to discuss it. “Rieka, I know this might seem strange and I know I keep piling more on top of everything you’ve been through, but in order to move through the forest quickly I am going to need you to ride on my back.” She looked at me and nodded once showing her compliance. I didn’t expect it to be that easy. “… In my wolf fo
ALEKSANDR As soon as Asher cuts the mindlink I’m helping Rieka to her feet and we head back to the center of the grove so I can get more details and address the warriors. As we were walking, I glanced at Rieka, “It looks like we don’t have to track Silas down, he’s coming to us. I don’t know how many men he has left, but we outnumbered them to begin with, so I expect this to be over soon. I need you to be safe, so I’m going to put you in the hideout with Jericho, Gina, and the Luna’s Guards.” At the mention of Luna’s Guards her eyes go wide, and her mouth makes a small o shape. “You- You have… Luna’s Guards?” I stop and turn to face her. I know we don’t have a lot of time, but I need her to trust me, and I need her to trust them. “Yes, I hand-picked each one of them for you. I’ll introduce you to them, but when I am not around to protect you and your kids, they will be there. I know you haven’t fully accepted me or agree to any of this yet, and we can talk about it more later