Chapter 45
Chapter 45:
“What is it about Lycans and how incredibly fast they can be?” I muttered to myself, frustration and anger welling inside me as I placed my hands against my throbbing chest.
Their pace had slowed down, and I was able to follow them from a distance without panting. As we neared a cleared area marked with a wire fence, I nearly tripped over my feet. The sight in front of me almost made me hyperventilate. Some parts of the fence were ripped, and about seven men in dusty dark outfits, armed with knives, moved stealthily toward Ryder and Kade, their expressions ruthless.
Fear gripped my chest tight, and I felt every muscle in my body weaken. This was not what I had signed up for. I’d never been so scared in my life. Now I felt stupid for ever thinking that I could handle this. I should have gone to my room and waited.
“Ryder, no!” I screamed, but he was already transforming into his wolf form, his body contorting and changing in a matter of seconds. His fur was snow white and thick with streaks of gray, his wolf over four feet in height. Its large paws flew through the air as he rushed toward the rogues, fangs sharp and as white as his very fur.
Lunging at the rogues, his teeth bared, his eyes sparkled with fury. I could only watch in dismay as he took down six rogues in mere seconds. The speed and power of his attack were breathtakingly gruesome, but also terrifying. I lost count.
Of how many rogues there were, and I wanted to run back to the safety of the pack mansion—I’d seen enough.
Turning around, my mouth dropped, my heart pounding hard against my chest. “No,” I whispered, taking slow steps backward.
One of the rogues, tall and burly with a long mark on his face, was already walking toward me, his hand wrapped around a knife in his pocket. His movements were calculated and frightening.
“Moon Goddess, please,” I muttered to myself, my heart racing with fear.
The rogue’s eyes were fixed on me, and I could see the hunger in them. I knew I was in grave danger. I tried to step back, but my legs were frozen with fear. I tried to scream, but no words came out.
Your imagination thrives at puntocom
My eyes darted to Ryder, but he was too busy fighting off the other rogues. I was on my own. The rogue took another step closer, his knife making a hissing sound as he unsheathed it. I shut my eyes.
I let out a shrill scream, my eyes shutting tight as I felt myself being violently lunged off the ground. One minute, I was praying to the Moon Goddess for my life, the next, I was weightless and dizzy. My eyes fluttered shut, and my vision went dark.
“Ouch,” I winced, muttering gibberish. Fluttering my eyes open, the bright light in the room flooded into my eyes, making them sting. I shut them again before snapping them open, staring blankly at the white ceiling, wondering how I’d ended up on a bed.
Scratching the sides of my face, the flashes of the morning’s events dawned on me. Breakfast with the Lycans, Ryder’s kiss, meeting Isabelle… and then the rogues’ attack. After the rogues’ attack, I didn’t remember more.
Rogues’ attack? I could almost feel that sharp knife on my skin. With a shriek, I jumped off the bed, my PTSD taking hold of me as my eyes scanned the room frantically.
That was when I saw him—Ryder, staring at me with an intensity that made my skin prickle. I frowned, expecting his usual stupid smirk, but instead, his turquoise eyes blazed with anger. Rolling my eyes, I wondered how long he was going to keep creeping on me. But I swallowed hard, backing down as my mind raced to piece together what had happened.
The only memory I had of that near-death experience was the rogue getting close to me, and then… nothing. Maybe I’d fainted; at least that would explain why I was on the bed, since everything after that was a blur.
I couldn’t even look him in the eye. I was too scared to see the anger in his eyes; I could already feel them drilling holes into my head. I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to say anything. The silence was making me uneasy. If only he’d shout at me or something—anything—rather than remain quiet.