Chapter 6

"You should have just hid behind that Oak tree, Reyana," the woman said, her voice was as cold as anything Reyana had ever felt. It was almost as if she was standing before a supreme being.

The woman's lips began to move slightly as she began to mutter some words in a strange language.

Reyana tried to run away but her legs were stuck to the ground. She found herself gradually falling down to the ground,struggling for breath.

She instinctively pulled out a double-edged dagger she had in the sheath of her boot, and with the last strength she could muster, she aimed for the woman's stomach but she doubted it had any effect on the woman before falling unconscious to the ground.

***

Reyana winced in pain as she struggled to open her eyes. Her lids fluttered open as she squinted her eyes, trying to adjust to the excessive brightness of the room.

"Ahh..." Her head felt so hot and heavy as she carefully looked around her, observing the familiar environment she was in. "No... Not again," she jerked up from the wooden bed where she lay, struggling to stand to her feet.

"I keep telling you this, Reya, you can not run away from me," the familiar voice which had become a torment to her, echoed in her head.

"What do you want from me? Stay away from me!" The fright in her voice only earned her a burst of cold, sinister laughter from the person talking to her, who had his back turned against her.

The tall, imposing figure turned around, facing her. As usual, she couldn't see his face, except for his usual forest green eyes which always sent a chilling sense of familiarity coarsing through her vein. The only difference is that this particular pair of forest green eyes had an icy depth of darkness and mischief.

"You will always find your way back to me, Reya," The voice said as it faded into her subconscious.

Reyana felt subdued that she struggled to run but she couldn't. She closed her eyes and tried to scream but her lips felt heavy.

Just then, her eyes snapped open and she found herself in a whole new reality entirely, one different from the one she was in a few seconds ago... It was a nightmare... Same old nightmare she's been having since she turned eleven.

She frantically looked around, her breath heavy and her body covered in sweat. Her eyes fell on some familiar faces that made her feel safe... Not until she locked gazes with the angry eyes of the one person that made her wish she never woke up to this harsh reality... Alpha Randall.

Alpha Randall's green eyes looked down at her with anger and disgust as she tried to free herself from the chains that bound her hands.

"Alpha Randall..." She called out his name in fear as his huge frame stood over her, his dark, long hair loosely tied in a bun. The coldness of his stare told her all she needed to know - they had been found out.

Immediately, she feared for Aldric. Was he also caught? Is he safe? Questions ran through her mind as she also tried to concentrate on the man standing before her.

Klara sat beside her, tending to the wound on the left side of her temple. Reyana winced in pain when Klara administered a herb on the surface of the wound. That was when she realised she was hurt.

"The nerves..." Randall breathe out, still peering at her face.

Reyana tried to piece together the fragments of the events in her memory but everything was foggy and she couldn't recall how she got here.

"No... I..." She tried speaking when she heard someone walk into the room where she lay.

"Aldric?" She couldn't hide her confusion. "Wh..."

"Reyana. It's good to see you are finally awake. You got me worried," he stood beside her bed, his eyes unreadable.

Reyana had even more questions to ask but she was at a loss for words. Besides, she couldn't dare to ask those questions in front of the Alpha, not until she knows what's actually going on.

"Aldric... How did I..." She was about asking but Aldric's urgent words made her even more speechless.

"Do not attempt running away ever again, Reyana. You got us all worried," his voice was urgent but tender, which enraged Randall.

"We found you unconscious in the middle of the night out there in the woods. You obviously fell while running. What if something bad had happened to you?" Aldric went on, pulling her deeper into a web of confusion.

"What? Me? What do you mean?" Reyana attempted sitting up but the chains held her back.

"Enough!" Randall's voice thundered. He wasn't meant to care, but somehow, he was angry with the way Aldric spoke to Reyana. The care and concern in Aldric's voice made his blood boil.

There was acute silence in the room.

Reyana felt tears trickling down her cheek. She didn't need a witch to tell her what she needed to know - Aldric had made everything about her. She felt stupid for ever trusting him.

"Everyone, leave," Alpha Randall counted his words as he issued his command.

Everyone else let the room except Aldric.

"Now!" Randall thundered in authority, making Aldric leave the room without an argument.

Reyana felt as though the air had been sucked out of the room, leaving her gasping for breath as her heart pounded in her chest like a drum. Randall's eyes pierced into her with an intensity that made her skin prickle with unease.

Randall took calm, calculated steps toward the edge of the bed and sat quietly on it.

Their proximity made Reyana's eyes brim with unshed tears. Her throat felt tight, her voice barely above a whisper as she struggled to find the words to express her remorse. "I'm sorry," she whispered, her voice trembling with emotion.

"Shhhh...." He lifted his finger, gesturing for her not to say a word as he massaged his temples with his fingers - an exercise he always carried out whenever he feels like he's loosing control of himself.

"Why?" His voice was eerily calm as he adjusted himself to face her, his gaze penetrating into her soul. "Why do you insist on testing my patience, Reyana?" His hand moved slowly, reaching for her face with a touch as cold as ice, his fingers grazing her cheek with a tenderness that belied the rage simmering beneath the surface.

His cold touch sent chills as well as an electrifying sensation through her whole body. She didn't dare to say a word because she could see the effort her was putting in restraining himself from hurting her at that moment.

"Reyana?" He called softly as he brushed a strand of her hair away from her face with a gentleness that made her heart skip a beat.

"Answer me!" He demanded, his voice thundering in the small room as he angrily punched the wall just behind the headrest of the bed, making her flinch in fear.

"I... I was scared... I am sorry... I... Please, forgive me, Alpha," she stuttered between sobs.

"Reyana, you can never run away from me. I alone can let you go, and that is a privilege I will never grant," He steadied his trembling body as he spoke in a flat tone.

"I will ensure that you are confined to the four walls of this pack," he declared, his voice ringing with authority. "Never again will you set foot beyond the borders of our territory." He stated firmly.

Reyana who had been crying profusely spoke up, "why not just kill me already? You can never accept me as your mate... You have a woman you love so much... You hate me with every breath you take... Why hold on to me? Let me go and I promise never to return to your pack ever again, I swear by the Moon Goddess..." Her small voice bore the weight of her anguish as her sobs grew louder.

Randall felt a sharp pain in his heart at her plea for rejection. He hated her, but he was never going to reject her... Never!

She spoke again, breaking the silence that had enveloped them, "I swear with my life, Alpha Randall, I never asked Valerie to accompany me on that fateful day. If only you can give me a chance to tell you all I know about that day, you'd understand that you have a bigger enemy you never know you have... I..."

"You don't deserve to say her name, Reyana," he said in a dead tone before standing up and walking out of the room.

"Prepare an Arcane bind. It's time to teach her the hard way," Randall ordered Klara who was waiting patiently outside the door.

"Yes, Alpha," she bowed as he went out of sight.

***

Visha gingerly stepped out of the dimly lit bathroom, her face contorted in pain as she clutched her injured arm. The flickering candlelight cast eerie shadows across the stone walls, highlighting the severity of the deep cut she had sustained in the bathroom on her hand.

Blood trickled down her fingers, staining the rough-hewn floor beneath her feet.

With a grimace, she hurried across the chamber to her dressing table, the wooden floorboards creaking softly with each step.

Reaching the table, Visha rummaged through a collection of vials and jars until she found what she was looking for—a small pot of salve and a roll of clean linen bandages.

She winced as she applied the soothing ointment to her wound, the coolness of the salve providing some relief from the throbbing pain. As she wrapped the bandage tightly around her hand, she couldn't help but curse her clumsiness.

A knock on her door startled her as she quickly put away the bandages and ointment she was using.

She hurriedly threw on a long dress with sleeves which covered the bandage on her hand.

"Come on in," she said to whoever was at the door.

The wooden door creaked open and Randall walked in.

"Randall..." She called excitedly as she hurried towards him and wrapped her slender arms around him in a tight hug, "I missed you, Randall. I was worried when you left last night. I am sorry I got you angry," she had so much to say that she wanted to say them all at once.

Randall couldn't help but chuckle at her sweetness, "easy, warrior," he teased, planting a kiss on her forehead. "It's alright. You don't have to say too much."

She flashed him a beautiful smile which turned sour immediately, "How is Reyana?" she asked with a heavy voice filled with concern, "I heard you found her unconscious in the woods?"

"Yes. She is awake now."

Visha waited for him to say more, but that was all he was going to say, "What was she doing all alone in the woods?"

"She attempted to run away from the pack." He left her by the door and walked into the room, his eyes scanning the environment. He smelt something unusual.

"Poor Reya... I hope she gets better soon. I'll pay her a visit." she was lost in thoughts when Randall's question brought her back to reality.

"Are you sure about that?" he asked, wondering why she would want to pay her potential rival a visit.

"Of course. I feel bad for her. It's only normal for me to pay her a visit, to show her how much I care," she smiled and walked closer to him.

"You have such a good heart, Visha." he gently held her arm and playfully pulled her towards himself when she winced in pain.

"Visha? What is wrong?" he observed her carefully.

"It's nothing," she lied. But her lie caught up with her when Randall saw the blood stain on her sleeve.

"Blood?" He half-yelled, "What happened to you?" without waiting for a response, he rolled up the sleeve of her dress, exposing the deep cut on her hand. It wasn't looking good.

"What the hell happened to you, Visha?"

She stood silent, trying to find the right words to say. She hadn't prepared for this moment.