Episode5
1344 Words
"Save her!"
Alpha Rylan's voice echoed across the square.
And then it all came to a head.
My warriors rushed around me, a wall of solid bodies, another arrow whistling through the air.
The sound of thump!
It dug into the ground I was standing on a second ago.
The crowd yelled.
People pushed and shoved, desperate to get away.
The children wept.
The warriors drew their swords.
Chaos consumed the square.
I froze.
Someone was trying to off me.
Nope...
The message had said something else. “Bring us the Hidden Luna...”
Who was Luna the Hidden?
What was everyone looking at me for?
Rylan moved in front of me, his broad shoulders shielding the crowd. "Stay behind me.
His voice was not high.
It didn’t have to be.
It was power, pure and simple. "I don't understand what's happening," I whispered. "You will."
He never looked away from the roofs around the square. 'But not here.
Another arrow shot out of the shadows.
This time Rylan caught it.
He plucked it out of the air with one hand.
The whole square fell quiet.
Even Damian gaped.
No Alpha normal could do that.
Rylan broke the arrow in two and threw it away like it was nothing.
His dark eyes wandered over the roofs.
I know you're watching.
No answer. One shot, and one shot only.
His voice got colder.
"Go.
The silence continued.
Then....
Three hooded figures showed up on the roof of the council hall.
They wore black cloaks that covered their faces.
They all wore a bow.
The one in the middle laughed.
“You’ve gone soft, Alpha Blackthorn.
His voice boomed in the square.
I expected more.
Rylan didn't move. "You came before me."
The hooded man shrugged. “We’re here for the girl.
My stomach knotted up.
Me? "Nobody here is yours," said Rylan.
The stranger nodded his head.
You don't even know what she is.
Rylan's jaw tightened.
"Enough. I know enough.
The hooded man laughed again. "No."
His eyes went to me. "You've only smelt her.
There was a strange silence.
Then he said the words that made me shiver. "You don't know what she carries.
I scowled. "What do you mean?"
No one replied.
The stranger raised one hand. "Kill anyone who gets in the way.
The three wolf hoods sprang down from the roof.
They got down without incident.
Before they had even touched the ground—
Rylan shifted.
Never had I seen anyone move that fast.
One minute he was standing up next to me.
The following:—
He was in the middle of the assailants.
A sickening c***k rang out in the square.
The first assassin was thrown backwards into a stone pillar.
The pillar broke.
The wolf didn't rise.
The second attacker stabbed with two daggers.
Rylan grabbed his wrist.
Screwed.
Bone broke.
The assassin yelled.
He jabbed his elbow in the man’s chest.
Another c***k.
Quiet.
The body crumpled.
The third assassin went still.
Fear flitted across his hidden face.
He spun to run.
Rylan's voice cut across him. "You picked the wrong target.
Rylan was right behind the assassin as he took two steps.
One stroke.
The man fell to the ground.
Unconsciousness.
It had been less than thirty seconds of fighting.
Nobody breathed.
I looked at Rylan.
Blood was on the sleeve of his black overcoat.
None of it was his own
The warriors around him looked at him with something like worship.
At last I understood.
Stories didn't scare people of Alpha Rylan.
They were afraid of him, for they had seen him at work.
He turned slowly to me. "Are you hurt?
I blinked. "No."
He gave a single nod.
Fine.
As though nothing out of the ordinary had happened.
Damian stepped forward.
His face was inscrutable. "You murdered my prisoners." ""That ended their status as your prisoners when they attacked my mate."
The word settled oddly in my chest again.
Friend.
I still couldn't take it.
Damian glanced at the unconscious assassin. "He'll tell us what we want to know.
Rylan shook his head.
No. "My warriors will ask him questions.
It happened within the walls of Silvermoon."It was Blackthorn's problem the minute they went after Serena."
The tension between the two alphas deepened.
I saw something else.
Damian was not angry.
He was worried.
His eyes kept drifting over to the unconscious assassin.
So close...>
As though he feared what the man might say.
Before I had time to think any more the assassin laughed suddenly.
The sound was faint.
But unmistakably.
Blood dripped from the corner of his mouth.
"You're..." he coughed.
...are outdated already."
Rylan crouched beside him. "Who sent you?"
The killer smiled. 'You know the answer,
“I asked a question.”
"The King.
My heart missed a beat.
King?
It had been generations since there had been a Werewolf king.
That was known to all.
The kingdoms had vanished long before I was born.
Rylan’s expression was unreadable. “What king?”
The assassin’s gaze flickered to me. "The one..."
He coughed, violently. "...who has waited twenty-two years..."
Twenty-two.
My age. “...for his daughter back.”
I held my breath. "No...
He couldn’t be talking about me.
It couldn't be. "I have no father.
Words came out.
"My parents died."
The killer laughed again. "Did they?
Before he could be stopped...
He sank his teeth hard
There was a horrible grinding.
His mouth was pouring blood.
Venom.
Rylan grabbed him. "Don't!
Too late. "
The assassin's body went slack.
Gone.
And then silence fell on the square.
Nobody moved.
I looked at the dead body.
He'd died to protect a secret.
A secret concerning...
I .
My knees suddenly went weak. "What is happening to my life?
No one replied.
No one could because.
Or maybe...
Nobody wanted to tell me.
Rylan got up.
He glanced at Damian.
“I’m taking Serena.
Damian's eyes blazed.
“You have no authority—”
I have complete power.
Rylan’s voice sliced through the air like a knife. “Someone crossed pack borders.” “They tried to kill my mate.” “They talked about an unknown king.”
And they had secrets your own council didn’t tell you.
He stepped forward, slowly. "Silvermoon no longer has my trust to keep her alive.
The elders looked at each other with concern.
Damian balled his fists. “You can’t just take one of my pack members.
Without flinching, Rylan met his stare.
“I can.”
Silence.
Heavy stuff.
Suffocating.
Then Rylan looked at me.
His expression softened. A little. "Serena.
It was the first time he'd spoken my name and there was no anger between us. "Will you come with me?"
I was stunned by the question.
Nobody had asked me what I wanted in years.
Everyone else made the choice for me.
Where I have slept.
What I had eaten
How I was punished.
Whether I was alive.
Or died.
Now...
Someone was asking,
I looked about me.
No face was friendly.
No one looked sad at my going.
This was never my house.
Nope.
Slowly...
I nodded. "Yeah.
Rylan held out his hand.
For a long moment I just looked at it.
Powerful.
Solid.
waiting
My shaking hand I then put in his.
The moment our skin touched—
A blinding silver light went off between us.
A mighty gust of wind passed over the square.
Every wolf staggered back.
The earth shook beneath our feet.
Somewhere beyond the clouds a wolf howled, a haunting sound.
Everyone gasped aloud.
Then Elder Miriam dropped to her knees.
Her eyes filled with tears as she watched the glowing symbol form above our joined hands. "No...
Her voice trembled. "It can't be...
Rylan glanced down at the light.
For the first time since I saw him...
The mighty Alpha appeared genuinely surprised.
Because burnt into the air about us...
No sign of common mates.
It was the old royal link.
Bond legends that had been lost hundreds of years ago.
- Writer
