RYDER’s POV
I have been severely weakened and because of that, I am unable to break out of my chains. I tug at the chains, struggle with all my might, kick and yell, slam my feet against the ground but nothing happens.
Hayden shakes his head. He tells he has tried this many times before I was imprisoned here. These are the chains that only an alpha can break, but with the liquid silver impairing me, I am but an alpha in name. And I am only as strong as the average human.
Darkness had fallen on me several times before in my life, but none compares to this, none compares to losing the power that comes with my bloodline.
Just thinking of this fuels my anger and I yank even harder at the chains with only the sound of metal clanging against the brick wall to accompany my growl. I had my suspicions about Zion but I didn’t think he would have the balls to carry out this grand scheme of betrayal.
Damn Zion! That mother fucker son
RYDER’s POVEverything happens in a blur. I run out from the bushes and over the thunder of battle, I scream commands to my pack. Without my wolf, I cannot possibly be heard. I see Julianne raise a gun, aiming it at Zion who is still embroiled in a vicious fight with two rogues. Everyone else is caught up in the mass hysteria of the war to even notice that Julianne has a clear shot at taking Zion down.I know a lost cause when I see one. Zion will not be able to survive this day if I do not step in to help. A bullet through his head will be the nail in the coffin for Zion. He stripped me of my powers, locked up my Gamma and cast away Alina.He deserves to die.I see Julianne cock her gun at Zion and if I am right, her gun carries silver bullets, a werewolf’s most lethal enemy. Seconds tick by all too slowly. I hear her raging scream seeking final redemption as she places both hands to steady her gun.I realize right there
ALISA’s POVMOMENTS BEFORE ZION PULLS THE TRIGGERI reach the borders of Red Moon’s pack but strangely, no one stops me. Usually, Ryder’s defence team would be patrolling the perimeters of the land, guarding against any possible invasion from rogues or enemy packs. And normally, no one goes past them unnoticed.But as I gingerly set foot into the land of Ryder’s pack, I do not see a single soul guarding their land.I smell smoke though; thick, suffocating smoke. The kind that clogs your nostrils and sends you into a coughing fit with just one inhalation. Then I hear the pained howl of wolves and the blood-curling screams of the children and the elderly. These are howls and screams that will haunt me for life.Instantly, I break into a run and head towards the direction of the billowing smoke that is starting to blanket the sky in hues of crimson red and ashen grey. And with each step that I take, I pray t
ALISA’s POVAll my life I have been taught to live a life of forgiveness, to accept those who persecute me, and to let go of all the wrongdoings of others.And though it was hard, I had always abided by the teachings.But I will do this no more. It ends today.Julianne; the sister I never knew falls to the ground with a bullet embedded in her forehead. Blood trickles down between her still open eyes before it seeps into the already bloodied ground.“NOOOOOOOO!”My scream tears through the air and I struggle to run towards her, to hold her, to cradle her but even this, Zion does not allow.His men tighten their grip on me even as Zion laughs uproariously and I scream at him, rage coursing through my veins. I do not think I have ever hated anyone as much as I hate him right now.“YOU KILLED HER! YOU KILLED JULIANNE!”Zion will pay for this. I swear, I will abandon the heave
ALISA’s POVWe end up beyond the borders of the tall mountains, far away from Ryder’s pack and here, Alec tells us of how he had managed to convince the remaining rogues to aid him in creating a diversion.“They wanted vengeance just as much as Julianne did,” he says simply, his eyes wandering over to mine to see how I am. I give him a wane smile. The thought of Julianne saddens me. No one talks after that and we all move under the covers of the trees, each buried deep in our own thoughts.From time to time we stop when either Nana, Marlene or someone else tires but we never stay put in one place for too long, fearing that Zion might send his warriors after us. And once in a while, Ryder would carry Marlene on his back when she starts complaining of hunger but he never says a word.Zion’s betrayal and the loss of Ryder’s pack have affected him greatly. But I think the final straw for him is having to lose
ALISA’s POVThe rain has finally stopped but the night is far from over. A full moon hangs in the sky, casting ghostly shadows amongst the trees as Ryder and I make our way through the dense forest to reach the pond.I have no idea why I had the dream. Could it have been a memory buried deep in my mind from long ago? Or could it be a prophecy, showing me the way to the pearl? I do not know.I shake my head, willing myself to focus on the walk ahead but of course, me being me, I stumble over the protruding root of a tree. And I would most definitely have fallen had it not been for Ryder who catches me by my waist with his lightning-quick reflexes.“Careful,” he says quietly and I nod.He takes my hand in his, tightening his grip and leading me like how one would lead a child as we continue our journey. According to Alec, the pond is not too far off from the cave. It’ll take us at most a day to reach it; two if t
ALISA’s POVI am dragged under the water by a pair of hands and I trash wildly, trying to kick off my assailant. But my attacker is strong and does not loosen his grip on me.I open my mouth to scream only to swallow a mouthful of air, drowning myself further. Heavens! I need air!And that is when the assailant quickly yanks me out of the water. My eyes are clenched shut in fear and I swat the air until I touch flesh to feel Ryder’s familiar hands. He pulls me toward him and shouts, “Alisa! It’s me, Ryder! It was me, that was just a prank!”I cough violently, gasping for breath.“It wasn’t funny!” My voice is hoarse and I try to smack him only for him to grab my hand and pin them to his naked chest.“Sorry, not sorry. You need to loosen up Alisa.” He grins and for the first time since I met Ryder, I notice his boyish smile. It’s strange how I never noticed that.
ALISA’s POV This is a miracle. I stare at Ryder with my eyes unblinking and my mouth agape like a fish out out of water. He is standing in the middle of the pond where the whirlpool has subsided and is staring at his hands. “Ryder?” He looks up from his hands, our eyes meet and I gasp. “Your eyes….” His brows furrow and he cocks his head. “My eyes?” “They’re scarlet red…” “Scarlet red….” He frowns as if confused and slowly brings both hands to his cheeks as if he is having trouble believing me. Then suddenly, a smile appears on his face and he asks, “Do you know what that means Alisa?” I shake my head. The only time that Ryder has scarlet eyes is when he - “Oh...you’ve gotten your wolf back!” I jump to my feet and squeal. “Yes!” He strides back to me with a grace almost lyrical and with movements that scream strength and power and in a blink of an eye, he climbs out of the pond and
RYDER's POV Bane’s howl tears through the forest. Alisa sits on my back, clinging onto the fur of my neck as Bane races through the trees at breakneck speed. We move and weave through the forest, swift as a coursing river but with the force of the juggernaut himself. And with the force of a raging fire, we leap across boulders, never stopping even once to rest. It took us nearly two days to reach the village, but with the power of the pearl, it will take us less than a day to get back. The power of the pearl still eludes me, it is as mysterious as the dark side of the moon. Not that I am complaining. I love how strong Bane and I have become and this will put us at a great advantage when we come face to face with the traitorous Zion. Our journey will come to an end soon. In less than half an hour, we will reach where Hayden and the rest have camped out and from there, we will plan our attack to take back what rightfully belongs to us. Th