Chapter 2

DAWN:

My eyes were heavy as I tried to open them. The truth is that I am weak and I couldn't help but let a groan escape from my lips in a bid to stand up from wherever I was.

I could feel a throb in my head. Which is why I try to soothe the pain by pressing on it with my hand. But when I try to do that, I find something hindering me from pulling my arm and this forces me to open my eyes.

"What the hell," I mutter after realizing I have been tied up on both hands. Looking down, I figured that my legs were tied too. From the look of things, I've been held captive. But by who?

"Who are you?"

That was a bit of a shaky voice. I couldn't recognize it but it was certainly something that I could tell belonged to a man.

I try to twist my head a bit to have a look at the speaker. There was a bed in between which should be where I've possibly been resting my head on since. Still I did get a good look at the person.

"Who are you?" I had to ask in return as I assessed the broad-looking but frightened man that held a club as if to scare me with it.

"I'll be asking the questions here," he says authoritatively.

"Hmph."

I had to turn my head back forward because I was getting uncomfortable with the position I was in.

"How did you get in here? Are you a thief? A burglar? What are you looking for? Are you a runaway convict?" he throws all those questions at me and I couldn't help but feel exhausted. I hate being drilled especially when I'm confused.

"You do realize you won't be getting anything from me," I tell him.

"I don't have to. I'll call the cops on you and maybe they'll have some answers for me."

I frown. "And who are those? Some kind of warriors assigned to protect this place?"

"What are you saying?"

I briefly glance back at him before assuming my current position. "You tell me," I say. "And if you really want some answers, why haven't you called the so-called cops yet?"

"Because I'm not sure what to say when they find out there's a real hand in my room!"

A real hand? "What hand?"

"Look beside you."

My eyes linger about for a little while before I catch sight of what he's talking about. And right by my side is a hand once belonging to someone with dried blood spilled on it.

Taking me back to memory lane, I recalled instantly that there was a warrior who had attempted to prevent me from getting into the portal. This must be his hand because I felt him very close to me before the portal closed behind me.

Ignoring that, I ask, "Where is this place?"

"My room?"

"I know it's your room but where is 'here'? What region? What pack, perhaps?"

"A pack? What does that even mean?"

I snap, "Just answer the question!"

"This is the city of Filandel," he eventually responds to my question.

Filandel? I have never heard anything like that before. I guess the ring did lead me to the human world after all.

My mind races to the fact that I haven't seen the second ring yet. Bloody hell I can't afford to lose that one. How am I supposed to go back if I don't have it?

With my tied hands, I search through my pocket by touching on the surface of my pants. But I couldn't feel it and this sent me into a bit of a frenzy.

"What are you doing?" I hear that from the man that held me bound.

"Get me out of this thing!" I tell him.

"I'm not done with you. In short, let me get the cops," he states.

I was furious already. But I have to maintain composure because I wasn't here to hurt anybody.

Even as I was tied, I managed to get myself up on my feet. However I could only achieve that by resting my side on the wall. It gave me a proper look at the man who actually doesn't look like someone that should be scared at all of anything.

"Are you going to get me out of this or do I have to do it myself?" I ask through clenched teeth.

"There's no way you're getting out of that."

"Look, you might think I'm someone here to harm you. Maybe that's the reason you're acting this way. But I'm not. I only found myself here out of control so if you would just get me out of this."

I hope those words were able to get through to him. To be honest, I'm very bad at trying to convince someone and especially when it's someone I have no idea about.

He snickers. "You say that like I should be scared of a girl."

A smirk forms on my lips. "You should," I say. "You really should."

And right before his eyes, I jerk my hands off the rope I was tied with. I see the shock registered on his face when I bend to tear off the rope binding my legs as well.

"How..." he began to say but the words seemed hard to let out.

"I wasn't lying when I told you to be scared."

Slowly I begin to walk close to him. He had the door left ajar but behind him was a wall which means he has nowhere to go except he starts to run to the side. But I was fast enough to catch him even if he attempts an escape.

"Now I'm looking for a ring," I start to say while still striding over to him and with him moving backward. "Do you have it? Because that ring is very important to me and I'll be needing it back."

He looks like he's going to swing the club at me but he doesn't. I could tell that he was weighing his options. And one of them was whether it was okay to hit me.

"I didn't see any ring," he says.

I raise my brows. "You're really bad at lying, you know. Just hand over the ring to me and I'll be on my way."

I could tell he was going to be difficult with this. Which was why I decided to take matters into my hands.

Swiftly, I lunged at him. And even though he looked bigger than I am, I subdue him easily by pinning him to the wall with my hand on his neck and then taking the club from him before throwing it out of his reach.

From the way he stared down at me, he couldn't believe he just got bested by a girl smaller than he is. I added to his shock by putting my pressure on his neck.

"Give me the ring now," I say without raising my voice and he gestures toward his pocket.

With my free hand, I search through it, maintaining eye contact as I do so. And when I find it, I release him from my hold.

"I'm surprised you didn't put up a fight," I say after walking a bit of a distance away from him. "Most men your size would have taken the chance to showcase their superior prowess over a lady like me. It's either you were worried about hurting me or the human world already made you weak."

When I turn around to look at him, he's staring at me like I just spewed the biggest nonsense. But I know what I'm saying and I smirk just to let him know I wasn't playing around.

"You don't have to pretend because I already know who you are," I tell him. "The ring brought me where I should be. And from the signs I'm seeing, I truly am in the right place."

He takes his hand off his neck, his face still harboring confusion and possibly disgust at my supposed nonsense. "Have you gone crazy? I would suggest you leave here now because it won't take me much to invite the cops to take you out of this place," he barks.

I shake my head, widening the smirk on my face. "Russell Hondra. It's time to go home."