Chapter 44

44–Attacked When Miserable

Madeline:

I gasped for air as he kept dragging me until we were out of the cave. For a moment, my mind went blank. I was only human.

My wolf had awakened the other day, but it failed to transition, so I didn’t have her. I was just a human fighting another human who was supposed to be old and weak.

The strength he showed told me that had been a lie.

I started coughing. My hands gripped whatever he was using to tie around my neck.

I could see my legs dragging across the ground, my back aching.

The old man groaned and finally let go after pulling me far away from the cave, deep into the mountain forest.

As soon as he released me, I gasped and tried to catch my breath. I turned toward the ground, planted my hands, and pushed myself up.

But before I could rise, a sudden kick struck my chin, sending me flying backward. I hit the ground hard and tried to get up to see him.

It was the same old man, but he no longer looked frail. He was strong and solid, and the thing he used to drag me was the same shirt he had taken off earlier.

“What the hell are you doing? We came here to save you!” I shouted as he strode closer.

I started crawling backward, but he grabbed my leg and yanked me toward him again. Then I noticed what he was doing.

There was a circle on the ground with no trees around it, a small cleared space he had chosen deliberately.

And that circle was where he kept trying to drag me.

“Quit fighting, you brat!” the old man hissed.

Once he spoke, I realized his voice still sounded old, even though his appearance had changed. That was when it hit me, his wolf wasn’t dead.

That explained why he could fight and drag me so easily.

I tried to pull my leg free and kick him, but I couldn’t move him at all.

When he pulled me back into the circle, he briefly let go of my leg to tie me down.

The moment I broke free again, I turned and pushed with all my strength to crawl out of the circle.

He yanked my head back by the hair, slamming me onto the ground again.

This time, I clawed at his face, trying to gouge out his eyes with my thumb, but he caught my wrist and forced me down.

Sitting on top of me, he grunted in anger.

“For someone without a wolf, you’re going to hurt yourself with all this struggling. Just quit!” he shouted in my face.

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44–Attached When Miserable

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For a moment, I stopped moving.

“Why are you doing this? Did I ever hurt you? Why are you calling the kids here?” I asked, my voice trembling with confusion.

“Oh, so you’re that human researcher they brought,” he sneered. “I was told you were coming p>

As he spoke in that groggy tone, mentioning someone who had told him about me, goosebumps rose across my

skin.

He noticed and began to chuckle.

“You humans are weak and pathetic as always,” he grunted. “As for the answer, you’ll never know, because I’ll never tell. I was promised freedom if I sacrificed at least fifty of those little ones p>

When he mentioned the children and the sacrifice, my eyes widened, and a gasp escaped me.

“But you ruined it all,” he snarled. “But fear not, I already got my freedom. I never break a promise. Once I get rid of you, I’ll bring those children and finish what I started p>

The more he spoke, the more I understood the cruelty in his words and that someone else was involved.

“You don’t have to do this. You’re already free. Just run away!” I pleaded as he grabbed my wrists and pinned them above my head, trying to tie them with the shirt in his hand.

“Grrraahaaam!” I screamed at the top of my lungs. The man chuckled, still busy binding my hands together.

Once he finished, instead of getting off me, he reached for a large nail and a hammer. That was when I realized what he planned to do.

He placed the nail between my hands, right over the knot made from the shirt, and began hammering it down to pin me to the ground.

“Calling for your beastly friend?” he mocked. “Well, he didn’t understand the assignment very well. When he jumped in, I was already waiting with a needle full of wolfsbane. So don’t worry, he’ll be asleep for quite a while p>

He chuckled, his laughter sending a wave of fear through me.

“You can’t fulfill the promise anyway. Because the kids-“I began to panic, my words breaking into short pauses. “The kids aren’t coming here. There are warriors everywhere and they are stopping them,” I hissed, forcing back my tears.

But he looked completely unbothered. After hammering me down, he stepped back and took a few deep breaths.

“Well, do you really think I’d use the same route?” he scoffed. “No. I’ve already changed the plan. Some of them will slip through. They’re coming from a completely different path. And some of them- they were already in the basement with me. So all I had to do was wait for them to come p>

He paused and gave me a grin.

“And while we wait, I’ll do what I do best.” he laughed and stepped back again.

When he raised his hands, I saw him moving them in circles, and then I remembered my child’s warning.

He waved his hands again, and fire burst from his fingertips, just as Gina had said. He threw his head back and let

out a manic cackle.

“Let me introduce you to alcohol. Where are my manners?” he laughed as he walked back toward the cave to fetch

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44–Attor Fad When Miserable

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the alcohol he planned to pour on me to set me on fire.

Once he stepped away, panic gripped me. I screamed at the top of my lungs, but it was useless.

“Oh no … once he comes back, I’m dead,” I groaned, kicking hard against the ground. My legs were the only part of me still free.

Then I felt a twitch in my finger. I snapped my head toward my hand, watching as my fingers began to move and my bones started to crack.

“If you’re trying to come out, you better not stop halfway,” I muttered to my wolf.

But as I spoke, I noticed how rough and raw my voice had become.

Then I heard her–my wolf’s voice.

“How could I let you die at the hands of such a disgusting man?” she growled.

Ruby Walker

Ruby Walker is a rising voice in the world of romance and spicy fiction. With a gift for weaving deep emotions, sizzling chemistry, and unexpected twists, her stories are a blend of passion and drama that captivate readers from start to finish. Ruby’s writing style is bold and irresistible—perfect for those who crave intense, addictive love stories.