"Fate is a thread without a second end..."
Adrianna backed away, until she crashed into elder Jael, who had also come out to greet the rebels.
"Everyone in this little camp have been saved in one way or the other by them. We owe them our lives, that's why everyone's so excited to come greet them." He explained, grinning from ear to ear.
Adrianna watched as the rebels lifted the children into the air in a carry, as the rebels offloaded the sacs of grains from the wagons, rationing them out to the awaiting spectators.
Flashes of her burning carriage and Eira's unfortunate demise burned her memory. She covered her mouth, resisting the urge to throw up.
One of the men on horses galloped over to them, his sights fixed on the old man, "Elder Jael! I see you're in better spirits than when we left. That tonic must've cured your cold." He said.
Jael bowed his head, "I feel guilty you lot had to make the trip to Moonstone just for my sake."
"Don't be silly!" he jumped off his horse, "As if we would let one of our own perish-" he was saying, only for his eyes to linger to Adrianna.
He frowned, "Jael, who is she?" he asked, "I don't think I've seen her around."
Adrianna gulped. She took a step back, bracing herself to make the escape. But Jael, held her by the wrist and said, "I found her by the river, passed out and on the brink of death. She was travelling with her sister, but they were attacked by Lycans, and now separated from each other."
Wren crinkled his brows, "Jael, you know how Ryker feels about outsiders, we should send her back."
Ryker?
Adrianna made a mental note of the name, certain that he had to be someone important to the rebels.
"But, she's weak and defenseless, we can't send her back into the snow. What if the Lycans come after her again?" he defended.
Wren stared at her ginger hair and sighed, "Jael, she isn't-"
"I know." He quickly inserted, "But, if I can help it, I'd make sure it doesn't happen a second time." His grip on Adrianna's wrist hardened, she cast a glance at his face, his eyes were fierce, and unwilling to back down.
Wren flung his head back and let out a deep groan. "Fine. But you're the one who has to tell him, someone he won't beat the shit out of."
Jael peered behind Wren, "I don't see him anywhere."
"On our way back, we were attacked, so he stayed back to finish things. He'll arrive come midnight." He replied, looking at Adrianna while he spoke.
Adrianna turned away, avoiding his gaze.
He narrowed his eyes, "You haven't spoken a word this entire time, don't tell me you're afraid"
"She's just shy-"
Adrianna cut him off, "Those rations you're handing out, where did you get them?" she asked in a prickly tone.
Wren's eyes hardened, "So you do talk, and quite a lot for someone who was rescued just recently." He said, sizing her up. "You should be more grateful when speaking to me."
Adriana folded her arms, "There's no village around here for a good distance, and judging by the state of your clothes, I'd say you lot were out for nothing less than three days." She took a step forward, drawing attention to herself.
"A roundtrip from here to Moonstone should take nothing less than a week. So, how were you people able to come by this much food, with such little time?" her blue orbs sized him up, from head to toe, earning a scowl from Wren.
"You bitch-"
Jael stood in front of Adrianna, his hands stretched out in front of her. "Please, Wren! The girl's confused and doesn't know what she's saying."
Wren laughed, "Oh, I think the little wretch knows very well what she's implying."
Adrianna huffed, "Am I lying? Why don't you tell these people where you got the rations you're handing out." She lowered her voice, her eyes sharpened into a glare, "And how you got them."
Wren hissed, "That's it!" He yanked her by the wrist, and dragged her across the camp, ignoring Jael's pleading.
"Let go of me!" she yelled, scratching and clawing at his hand, but his grip did not loosen. He led her to a lone tent, with two men guarding it, each holding a long sharpened spear.
He dragged her into the tent, and tossed her body on a sac of corn. He reached for the nearest rope and tied her wrists behind her back.
In-between grunts he said, "Until Ryker returns and says what to do with you, you're going to wait right here, where I don't have to put up with your bullshit." He picked up a piece of corn, and examined it.
Adrianna yelled, "Release me-"
"Suck on this!" he cut her off, stuffing her mouth with the corn, using it as a gag. He ripped off his sleeve and tied it round her mouth, then knotted it at the back of her head.
Next, he ripped the next sleeve and made a blindfold. "There, much better." He curled his lips into a smile.
Adrianna's muffled moans erupted from the tent, luring more of the people to her.
Wren swiftly marched outside to the crowd of worried faces.
Jael stepped forward, "Wren, she's just a girl-"
"Rules are rules, that's why we have them. No outsiders are allowed, that's the way things have always been, the reason why we've been safe all this time." He reminded him.
"But-"
"Ryker makes the final decision on what to do with her. And by the looks of it," his demeanor dampened, "It won't be what you hope for."
In a loud voice he announced, "No one is allowed near the intruder! Until Ryker gets back, those are the orders!"
Jael parted his lips to refute, but Wren marched past him to meet with the rest of the protectors.
For hours, Adrianna sat in the snow, her legs damp and swollen. Red hue painted the ropes, from her failed attempts at forcing her way out.
'If only I could shift-' she thought, wishing it was a full moon night. Then, she would've become her wolf, and escape from the camp no problem.
As the night dragged on, so did her stamina. She stopped resisting fully and waited, waited through the hunger and thirst, for Ryker- goddess knows who, to show up and decide her fate.
She rested her head against the pole behind her, and inhaled sharply.
'First, I'm given as a bride to the Lycan King, a man I strongly detest. And now, I'm at the mercy of the rebels, what a joke.' She thought, trying to keep herself awake.
Her eyes watered when she thought of Eira. A part of her forced herself into believing that she had somehow survived that fall and was looking for her too. It was the part of her that hadn't given up hope that she would escape this place and return home.
To Moonstone.
Heavy footsteps crunching against the snow, and a strange scent penetrated Adrianna's thoughts. She straightened her back, and closed her eyes, relishing the sweet smell coming from outside.
'This smell, what is it?' she could feel her body temperature rising as the smell grew stronger. Her body tried to move closer towards it, yearning to be near its source.
It was a raw desire that Adrianna had never felt before.
The sound of the footsteps grew louder with each crunch, the scent fanning stronger, quelling the tiredness in Adrianna.
Filled with strength, she let out muffled moans, calling out for help.
The tents doors were roughly pulled apart and the footsteps marched furiously towards her. Adrianna's heart skipped a beat when she felt a hand graze against her skin.
She felt someone's body close in, and in seconds the gag on her mouth fell, and so did the corn.
Next, the hand went behind her head, loosening the knot. Adrianna's heart pounded loudly, as the knot came undone and the cloth slowly fell from her eyes.
The moment she lifted her lids, she found herself gazing into a deep pair of brown orbs, mesmerizing green orbs.
Her wolf spirit screamed the word, 'Mate!' in her head, and a spark coursed through her body, emanating from her spine.
He must've felt the attraction too, because his large veiny hands reached for her cheek, his pupils dilated.
"Ryker!" Wren called out, stepping into the tent, snapping the man out of his trance. "Why did you rush out of the strategy meeting? You know we can't conclude without you, without our leader."
Adrianna watched as her mate turned his head, confirming that he was indeed, Ryker.
A rebel.
Not just any rebel.
Adrianna gasped when she realized that her mate was the leader of the rebel army.