Her Return As An Alpha

Chapter 12 : Crossing Enemy Borders

Liana’s captivity was a living nightmare.

Bound and starved, she was kept in a state of semi-consciousness, disoriented by the sedatives the rogues injected into her system. Liana had heard rumours of a herb called wolfsbane that caused a wolf shifter to suffer, that weakened the body until they begged for the sweet mercy of death. But wasn't wolfsbane supposed to be painful for a wolf shifter, causing them to recoil with the burns that circulated the bloodstream due to it?

She doubted that whatever they had injected into her bloodstream was actual wolfsbane. She didn't feel any physical pain or suffering, just an extremely inconvenient headache and a body numbing weakness that prevented her from moving or doing anything of actual value. The injections left her weak and compliant, her world reduced to a haze of minimal pain and extreme confusion. Liana had never been intoxicated before, but she imagined substance abuse to feel the same.

The rogues untied her only when necessary, their rough handling adding to her growing list of bruises. Time lost meaning as the days bled into each other, her sense of reality distorted by the drug-induced highs. She counted what felt like days, but in truth, it could have been more.

The rogues treated her politely, at least, as politely as they could to a starved hostage. At least, they hadn't worked on their threat to use her body. She shuddered at the thought of the three large shifters and their bukky human forms. She wouldn't be able to resist them either, not with the effects of the drugs.

Liana could see the wariness and slight approval in their cold eyes, their heads nodding subconsciously and their eyes averting when she met their gaze. She assumed that it had to do with her display of strength. Even she had been stunned by the leaps that her body achieved during the chase.

If only her wolf had become stronger too. She wouldn't have been in this predicament. She supposed that even her luck wasn't so good that her wolf would undergo an earth shattering advancement immediately and destroy the rogues in a ball of fire. She sighed.

One night, as they carried her through the darkened forest, the rogues began to argue. Their voices, usually a source of fear, now held a note of panic.

“We’re taking too long,” the scarred wolf growled. “Azriel’s getting impatient.”

“We can’t just waltz through pack territories,” another hissed back. “The Alpha King’s vigilance has increased. Every single pack that falls under his protection has emerged from the sidelines.”

Liana listened through the fog, her mind struggling to grasp their words. They were taking too long? Huh. Their leisurely pace, born of overconfidence, was now their downfall. Azriel, whoever he was, his call had shaken them, forcing them to reconsider their strategy.

“We’ll move past the borders tonight,” the leader, the scarred wolf decided. “No more delays.”

Soon it was dark. The scarred rogue tied her to his body when they shifted into wolf form, her limp body jostling against his harsh fur as they ran. The rough terrain was a blur beneath her, the world spinning in a dizzying whirl. They treated her carefully, trying not to cause any lasting or permanent damage. She was to be presented to Azriel, their leader, as a potential future subordinate—a twisted honor in her desperate situation.

As they made their way through the forest, Liana felt a sudden change. The air cleared and the sound of the night heightened. Her chest buzzed with renewed energy, and, despite the haze of the sedatives, Liana's eyesight sharpened.

Deep within herself, in a place that reached into her soul, Liana heard a low growl. Her eyes widened.

Her wolf! Her wolf was awakening.

The rogue carrying her flinched, a low growl rumbling from his chest. “What is it?” she heard one of the others ask.

“Someone’s coming,” he replied, his voice tense. “We’re being followed.”

Panic set in among them. The leader shifted into a wolf abruptly, grabbing Liana roughly and causing her to bleed. “We need to move faster,” he snarled. “Now!”

They took off at a breakneck speed, the terrain growing more treacherous with every step. Liana’s world was a blur of pain and motion, her consciousness slipping. She heard the sounds of pursuit—the heavy footsteps of their pursuers growing closer.

"I told you to scale the borders, dumbass!" the scarred rogue snarled.

"I did just that!"

"Then why, Gods forbid, are we being chased through Golden Arc territory?!"

Liana gasped as pain stung her from every possible surface. Somehow, she had recovered enough to fight back, but the constant movement restrained her from freeing her ropes.

Please, Moon Goddess, please...

The growling within her soul turned into an elated howl. Despite the strong sedatives in her system, Liana's fingers twitched, momentarily turning into huge claws before settling back to human fingers again.

Please.

The sound of running currents floated to her ears, and she felt the rogues make an abrupt turn towards the sound of a river. They reached a clearing, outlined with a thick stream of strong currents. Tall trees reached the starry night sky, and silver strands of moonlight glittered from between the dense leaves above them. The rogues, knowing they were cornered, made a desperate decision.

“Dump her by the stream,” the leader ordered. “Move up stream against the water currents. They should mask our scents. We’ll lose them in the water.”

"Wait," Liana panicked. At least if they were to hand her over to their leader, Azriel, to join his ranks, then her safety would be guaranteed. She would be given a chance to survive. But now that she was a lone rogue herself, there was no prediction of her fate at the hands of an official pack. "Don't leave me here! Please, they might kill me. I will be executed-"

With a rough shove, they left her by the stream’s edge, her body hitting the ground with a thud. She cried out, her voice weak and pained. “Help... please...” she managed, her vision fading.

The other two rogues hesitated. "But we're the reason she's defenseless against them-"

"Fools!" The scarred rogue snarled. "She's weak, anyway. Of what use will she be with her weak wolf? Do you want to get ripped to shreads by the Golden Arc pack for the sake of this wasteful shifter?"

That line dealed the deal. The three rogues jumped into the stream and crossed the river, before running upstream. Liana was left on the grass, moaning in pain and fear.

Through her haze, she heard howls and the thunder of approaching footsteps. The ground shook as the wolves closed in. She forced her eyes open one last time, her vision filled with the sight of several wolves surrounding her. They were different from the rogues—larger, more formidable, their collars encircled with a ring of gold.

The last thought she had before darkness claimed her was a mix of hope and fear. She was in the hands of the Golden Arc pack, her pack’s rivals. As her world went black, she wondered what fate awaited her in their territory.