The opulent hallway hummed with a chaotic energy. Full-blooded wolves, their powerful forms moving with a frenetic pace, created a cacophony that pressed in on Ryan from all sides. Their boisterous laughter and crude propositions filled the air, a constant reminder of the rampant, unbridled sexual indulgence that defined the house. Luxurious tapestries adorned the walls, depicting scenes of ancient pack life, yet their beauty
The opulent hallway pulsed with a desperate, frenetic energy. Full-blooded wolves moved with a hurried intensity, their boisterous laughter and crude propositions a suffocating reminder of the transactional nature of affection within these walls. Every glance, every touch felt weighted with unspoken demands, a currency exchanged for scraps of better treatment. Luxurious tapestries, depicting a glorified past of pack life, hung mockingly above the open bartering of bodies. Hands roamed with a forced familiarity, and the air hung thick with the cloying scent of mingled musks, a testament to the house's descent into something ugly and coercive, far from any true intimacy.
"Ryan!"
Ryan flinched, his head whipping over his shoulder as he navigated the bustling thoroughfare. Jonathan Myers, a figure he desperately wished to avoid, was hurrying towards him, a frantic glint in his eyes. Before Ryan could react, a massive, full-blooded wolf, muscled and unyielding, slammed into him, shoving him forcefully into the gilded wall. A sharp pain shot through Ryan's back as he hit it with a thud, his face scrunching in agony.
The passing wolf chuckled, a guttural sound of amusement, as he observed Ryan's easy displacement. Without a backward glance, he continued his journey down the hall, presumably towards Monica's room, a common destination for such casual encounters.
Jonathan reached Ryan, extending a hand to help him up, a hint of desperation, rather than smugness, about him. Ryan gratefully took the offered hand, quickly disengaging as soon as he was upright. He needed to get to Trinity's early; he still hadn't spoken to her, and he wanted to clear the air before they made it to the Warrior's School.
"We could use you," Jonathan pressed, his voice low and urgent. He was keenly aware of the scarcity of strong, brave, and capable defectives, and he needed every one of them on his side. He had a plan, but he just needed a few more people to join his cause.
"Are you out of your mind!" Ryan hissed, his voice barely a whisper, praying to the Moon Goddess that no one overheard them amidst the surrounding clamor. He wanted no part of whatever revolution Jonathan was planning. Ryan's sole focus was to mind his own business and keep his friends safe. Currently, they were both safe. He was the only one who still had to stay at the defective boarding house. As long as his friends were fine, he could endure some rough housing.
"I have shit to lose, and I'm not trying to get roped into… your thing." Ryan felt an oncoming migraine, trying desperately to avoid speaking the words that would most likely get him killed right alongside Myers.
Ryan wasn't as pessimistic as Jonathan. He knew he could survive pack life. The full-blooded wolves would be difficult, but he could deal with difficult. Dead was another thing entirely.
"My thing!" Jonathan retorted, his voice edged with a mix of frustration and incredulity. He couldn't comprehend how some of them could be so obtuse. This isn't his crusade; it was all of theirs. He knew Ryan was still one of the lucky ones—his faded mate was the beta's daughter. His life would always be far better than everyone else's. And because of that, Ryan refused to take a stand. Jonathan couldn't stand this kind of one-sided, idiotic behavior. At the end of the day, they were all defectives; all of them were expendable. And the second there was a new queen, she would probably have them all killed.
Just another blip, another massacre to be written down in a little book about how they had a small little goof that one year. No one would know their names. They would end up in unmarked graves like the rest of his friends, destined to be worm food.
Jonathan didn't care what it took. He wanted to get out of here. Even if it led to his death. He wanted to die free. He wanted to die where there'd be a tombstone above his grave.
"You'll beg for my help, when they start targeting your girl." Jonathan was certain that once all of them ended up staying in the Warrior Exam House, they were no longer safe. Not even Ryan's fragile mate.
"We'll see," Ryan tossed the words carelessly over his shoulder, already turning away. He truly didn't want to talk to this guy any longer. He needed to get to Trinity.
Throwing open the heavy doors at the end of the hallway, all he could hear behind him were the sounds of rampant sexual activity and Jonathan's continued ranting.
"Hey." Trinity's voice carried a hint of confusion as the cacophony of the hallway flooded into the open space with Ryan's arrival. She stood just at the bottom of a set of steps, having just arrived herself, eager to meet up with him.
"I'm sorry."
The words tumbled out of both their mouths simultaneously, a clumsy utterance that caused a shared moment of laughter to bubble between them.
"Umm… I didn't get it before. Alphas and what it means to go against them. I'm sorry, I can't expect you to have told me everything. When I didn't know anything," Trinity laughed awkwardly, a flush creeping up her neck.
"Even though I couldn't tell you anything, my parents, they helped get rid of Mickey. Ran him out of town."
Trinity's brows furrowed in confusion. She had always assumed that when she and Jess escaped that night, Mickey never found them or came looking for them because he assumed they went to the police, so he just skipped town.
Trinity couldn't help the shine in her eyes. She shouldn't care that they were in a weird place. With a sudden surge of emotion, she threw herself at him, wrapping her arms around him tightly.
Ryan groaned in pain, but decided to bear through it, his hands gently rubbing her back as a soft smile spread across his face, looking down at her.
"Come on, can't be late," Ryan mused, wrapping an arm around her shoulders as they began to walk.
"You know I love you." she laughed, wiping away her tears with the back of her hand.
"I know.!"
The pair found themselves in a comfortable silence as they walked through the forest. Towering pine trees, their branches reaching towards the clear sky, surrounded them. In the distance, majestic mountains, their peaks still capped with snow, pierced the horizon. The air was crisp and clean, carrying the invigorating scent of pine and rich earth. They walked deeper into the woods, the muffled sounds of the distant house fading behind them, replaced by the gentle rustle of leaves and the occasional chirp of a bird. A profound sense of contentment settled between them as they breathed in the fresh air, their lungs expanding with each deeper inhalation.
"I think I like it here!" Trinity found herself admitting unexpectedly, her voice soft and a touch surprised.
Ryan's brows pulled together; he didn't quite feel the same. The pack lands were undeniably beautiful, and the natural surroundings were amazing. But he had a family. If his brother wasn't here, this would never be home. It was still a prison cell for Ryan, just one he could live in.
"That's good," he murmured, a worry growing for her increasing optimism. Things were ever-changing in the pack. For now, it was required for all defectives to be in their home packs for safety concerns. But once those concerns were gone, he worried that she would be dragged back into the human realm, somewhere that it seemed she had slowly started to forget.
He didn't want to be the one to tell her that this was most likely temporary. The pack didn't truly want them here. Her father did, but the rest of them didn't.
As they got closer to the Warrior House, they noticed a small gathering crowd out front, a clear indication that most people had finally made their way there. Ryan and Trinity stuck together, their eyes scanning the faces for Jess. They wondered why it was so hard to spot the only person there with blue hair, but for some reason, they couldn't locate her to save their lives.