I did not know how long I had been unconscious, but when I finally woke it was to familiar surroundings. I was lying in my own twin sized bed in a room I haven't seen since I left for school. There were drawings pinned to the walls, and art books piled on the small desk across from me.
I couldn't remember how I had gotten there but was glad that somehow I was still alive.
I slowly sat up in the bed and groaned as my body protested. Everything was aching and it took me a moment to remember back to the events in the woods. I should have been dead. Not only was I fatally wounded, my bones were broken. So how was I not only alive but able to move without much issue?
I tested my hands and arms, which both worked like normal. As I inspected my hands they were dirty, covered in dirt and dried blood but there were no wounds.
I pulled the blankets off myself and noticed I was still dressed in the dirty and tattered remains of the suit that I was wearing the day of the bonding ceremony. Whoever brought me here had at least removed my shoes, as I spotted them in a heap on the floor.
I got up out of the bed and listened for any noise that would tell me I wasn't alone, but there was nothing but silence. I quietly made my way through the house to make sure I was safe and to check the breaker box. Surprisingly the electricity was still on which meant my father probably had someone come to take care of the house even though he no longer lived here.
As I walked back up the stairs to my room I felt a vibration come from the pocket of my pants. I still had my cell phone on me I realized. I fished the phone from my pocket and noticed the large crack in the screen, but other than that it seemed to still be operational. I turned the screen on to see that it was actually only the day after the ceremony and that I had quite a few missed calls and new messages. Most of them were from Peter.
'Riley where are you?'
'Are you ok? Why aren't you answering your phone?'
'You're scaring me man. Please call me back.'
'We saw the blood at the old ruins. Please don't be dead!'
I read through all the messages and was about to reply but hesitated as I thought this through. If they found out I was still alive Cynthia would try to come after me again, but my father and the pack needed to know what she was planning.
I didn't what what the right course of action I should take and after a moment of panic I decided to just do what I could for now.
I went to my closet and pulled out some clean clothes then made my way to the washroom. I needed to know what the extent of my injuries were and get myself cleaned up before I made any other decisions.
I pulled off the ruined jacket to reveal a blood soaked silk shirt beneath. There were gashes in the fabric where wolf claws tore through it and into the skin underneath.
I clenched my teeth as I peeled the shirt away from my skin, the blood had caused it to adhere to my body like glue but once the shirt was removed I was surprised by what I saw. There was no ugly gaping wound across my stomach, just a healing pink scar that I lightly traced with my finger.
This couldn't be right. I was human, and we don't heal from fatal wounds and broken bones in less than 24 hours. What had happened to me while I was unconscious?
The hot water from the shower felt good on my aching body. I had to wash my hair at least three times and scrub my entire body twice before the water was no longer tinged pink. Now that I was clean and dressed in jeans and a black tee I could finally start to make a plan.
I sat on the edge of my bed and grabbed my phone from the side table. I thought about contacting Alex but then changed my mind. He was my father's second and too close to Cynthia. So I opened my contacts and hoped that I could actually trust Peter to keep things quiet.
The phone rang three times before I heard Peter answer.
"I can't talk right now." I heard his voice. It was rough and sounded like he hadn't slept at all. Those few words told me what I needed to know. He was around people that could not know I was still alive.
"I'm home." Was all I said before Peter grunted in acknowledgement and ended the call.
I wasn't sure how long I would need to wait for a call back or for him to arrive at the house so I went to go look for something to eat. There was nothing in the fridge or freezer but I was able to find some crackers, canned food, and protein bars in the pantry. Not exactly the best meal ever but at least it was something.
It was dusk by the time I heard the quiet click of the lock on the front door. I had grabbed a knife from the kitchen as I watched the door open then sighed in relief as Peter slipped inside and locked the door behind him.
"You look like shit." I grinned as he walked across the room and pulled me into a tight hug.
"Don't you dare scare me like that again!" He gripped my shoulders and shook me as he spoke. "I saw the blood. Your scent was everywhere. I thought something killed you and dragged your body off." I saw the tears stream down his face as he continued to yell at me. I just took it, let him get out all the emotions he had been holding on to.
Once he was quiet I explained everything to him and watched as shock, surprise, and then anger cross his face.
"She can't get away with his." Peter growled. "Beta Alex and Alpha Michael need to be told about this."
I shook my head. "I don't think my father would believe you. He just bonded with Cynthia and she is very good at manipulating him." I replied with a sigh. "Now that you know you can relay the information to Alex. I'm sure he can at least delay her plans."
"And what about you?" Peter asked as he watched me pace around the small livingroom. "It won't be safe for you in pack territory and someone would eventually notice if you stayed here in the house for too long."
I stopped long enough to look at my friend. "I had been planning on going back to the college but I need a way to sneak off pack land without getting caught."
"That won't work. It's the first place anyone would look for you. Besides once your father thinks you aren't coming back he will get in contact with the school to get your things. I think you should go with Marcus."
"Marcus?! Are you out of your mind?" I turned to Peter, panicked at the thought of being taken away by that Alpha.
"Hear me out Riley. Marcus is a strong Alpha he can keep you safe until we can gather evidence on Cynthia and the Blood Dawn pack."
I ran my fingers through my hair as I tried to get a handle on my breathing. "I can't." I whimpered. "He will want to bond me, to trap me in his territory." My hands started to shake as I panicked. I knew what they would do to a wolfless omega, what all Alphas would do to me if I was caught and bonded. I did not want to live in a cage for the rest of my life.
"Calm down Riley." Peter said gently as he placed a hand on my arm. "I can arrange a meeting so that you and Marcus can talk things out. He is not as unreasonable as you think. If you can't come to an agreement then we will think of something else."
I just nodded as all the energy drained out of me. I sank to the dusy couch and wondered if dying in those woods would have been better than spending the rest of my life caged by an Alpha.