Chapter 44
Rylan’s POV
The morning air was crisp but my chest was still tight from the night before.
Lisa hadn’t slept. Not really. She lay close to the fire. Her eyes were wide open for most of the night. Even when she did drift off for a few minutes, it wasn’t restful. She would twitch and whimper. Her breathing would quicken and I knew that whatever had called to her in that dream wasn’t done.
Neither was 1.
I didn’t sleep either. I sat beside her the whole night, my back against a tree, my eyes on the shadows. Every snap of a twig made my wolf rise inside me. I was ready to tear into whatever dared to get close.
She was quiet during breakfast. She was pale and distant. She barely touched the food my Beta, Jared,
handed her.
“You alright?” I asked her gently. I crouched beside her as the others packed up camp.
Lisa nodded, but I could tell it was a lie. Her lips were pressed together. Her eyes darted around like she
was expecting something, or someone to appear.
“Lisa,” I said again, softer this time. “You don’t have to pretend with me.”
She looked up, and for a moment, I saw the truth in her eyes. There was fear, confusion and exhaustion. But she didn’t speak. She just gave me a weak smile that didn’t reach her eyes.
I hated this.
I hated seeing her like this…..haunted and hollow.
I wanted to fix it.
But I didn’t know how.
By the time we started moving again, the sky was overcast and the forest had grown darker. The trees here were thicker and older. The path was barely visible. It was just a thin trail worn into the earth by past
patrols.
Lisa walked beside me. I kept her close. One step behind me, always within reach.
I didn’t trust the silence. I didn’t trust the forest. And most of all, I didn’t trust the way my instincts were screaming that something was wrong.
Jared walked up beside me. “Alpha,” he said under his breath. “Something’s off.”
I nodded. “I know. Keep your eyes sharp.”
“I’ve already informed the scouts to stay vigilant.”
“Good.” I glanced behind me to make sure Lisa was still there.
She was. But her gaze kept drifting to the trees. Like she heard something the rest of us couldn’t.
Suddenly, a sharp whistle cut through the air.
We all froze.
My hand shot out and I blocked Lisa behind me. My warriors moved fast. They formed a loose circle
around us.
From the trees, figures emerged.
There were ten, maybe twelve rogues.
They were dirty and wild-eyed. They were covered in scars and old blood.
Cam
They stepped out slowly, weapons in hand. They held swords, daggers and a few held silver-tipped spears.
I growled low in my throat. My wolf itched to come forward.
“Easy,” one of the rogues said and raised a hand. “We don’t want trouble.”
“You’ve got it anyway,” I snapped and stepped forward.
The man smiled. He had a crooked nose and a long scar down his cheek. “We just want the girl.”
I went still. “What did you say?”
“The girl,” he repeated while pointing straight at Lisa. “Hand her over, and no one else has to get hurt.”
A cold rage flooded me. I bared my teeth. “You think I would give her to you?”
“She doesn’t belong to you,” the rogue sneered. “She’s not yours to protect.”
“She’s mine to protect because she’s under my roof. My pack.” I took a step forward, letting my power roll
off me like a wave. “If you want her, you’ll have to go through me.”
The rogue clicked his tongue. “Wrong answer.”
With a howl, the forest erupted.
They attacked.
The rogues lunged from every direction.
My warriors responded instantly. Swords clashed, growls filled the air, and blood began to stain the
leaves.
I turned to Lisa. “Stay behind me!”
But she wasn’t listening.
Her eyes were wide. Her breath was shallow.
I killed the first rogue that came at us with a clean s***h across the chest, then grabbed Lisa’s arm. “Run if
you have to. Don’t let them get you.”
“Why do they want me?” she whispered. “What did I do?”
“I don’t know,” I growled. “But I’m not letting them take you.”
Another rogue charged at her. I shoved Lisa behind me and caught the man’s wrist, breaking it with a sickening snap. He screamed before I threw him to the ground and finished him off.
Lisa screamed behind me.
I turned and saw three more rogues circling her.
“No!” I roared, running toward them but I wasn’t fast enough.
Lisa raised her hands in panic. “Stop!” she cried. “Leave me alone!”
And then it happened.
A blast of energy burst from her body.
It wasn’t fire.
It wasn’t wind.
It was pure force. A wave of light and power that exploded out from her like a shockwave.
I was thrown backward. The rogues around her were flung into the trees. Some hit the trunks with
sickening cracks. Others simply dropped unconscious or worse.
My ears rang. My head pounded.
When I opened my eyes, the clearing was still again.
The rogues were down.
Some groaned. Others didn’t move at all.
My warriors were on the ground too. They were staggering and struggling to rise.
Jared was bleeding from his temple.
But all I saw was her.
Lisa lay in the grass, motionless.
“No,” I whispered.
I crawled over to her, my chest aching.
“Lisa,” I said, my voice hoarse. I slid to my knees and pulled her into my arms. Her head lolled against my chest. “No, no, no. Lisa, wake up.”
She didn’t respond.
Her skin was warm, but she wasn’t moving.
Her lashes fluttered slightly but her eyes didn’t open.
I cradled her face with both hands. “Lisa, please,” I begged. “Open your eyes.”
Around us, my warriors were getting up, dragging the rogues into a pile, checking for injuries. But I barely
noticed.
All I could see was the girl in my arms.
The girl who had just released enough power to knock a dozen warriors off their feet.
The girl who didn’t know who she truly was.
And the girl who might not wake up.
“Please,” I whispered again, pressing my forehead to hers. “Don’t do this. Don’t leave me like this.”
But she didn’t stir.
And I didn’t know if she ever would.
