RHYNA'S POV
"No, no, let go of me!"
"Fuck you! Leave me alone!"
I screamed and fought as hard as I could, but it was useless. His arm locked around me like iron, and before I could even understand what was happening, he lifted me off the ground and threw me over his shoulder. My stomach slammed painfully against his back as my legs dangled in the air.
I hit him with my fists. I kicked. I scratched. I cursed.
He did not even slow down.
It was like fighting a wall.
They say when two elephants fight, it is the ants that suffer, right?. I never truly understood that saying until now.
No one really knew how the war between my pack, the Moonbeam Claw pack, and the enemy pack started. We were only told that our land was threatened, that our birthright was at stake, that we had to fight.
So we fought.
But I was not a warrior. I was a healer.
I had been moving through the battlefield, helping the injured, cleaning wounds, whispering prayers to the Moon Goddess while chaos burned around me.
The stench of blood and smoke filled my nostrils, and screams of pain pierced my ears like knives. Then the ground shook, and before I could even react, his hand closed around me.
And now I am here.
Captured.
"Let me go!" I shouted again, my voice breaking. "Leave me alone!"
My words disappeared into the forest. No one answered. No one came running.
Why would they?
My clan was the lowest in the pack. The omegas,we were the least, the nobodies. We were replaceable. No one would risk their life searching for me in the enemy territory. The thought burned like fire in my chest. Was this really how it would end?
Alone, helpless, forgotten?
"Shut the fuck up."
His voice was deep, cold, and heavy. It sounded like thunder, sending fear straight into my bones.
I froze.
Then I continued hitting him, even though it clearly did nothing to his strong, unyielding body.
He kept walking, his steps steady and unbothered, as if I weighed nothing at all.
Tears burned my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. Crying would not save me. I would not give him the satisfaction.
After what felt like forever, he suddenly stopped at the foot of a tree.
Without warning, he threw me off his shoulder.
I hit the ground hard at the foot of the large tree. Pain exploded through my palms and knees as I gasped for air. I scrambled backward, my heart pounding wildly in my chest, my breaths coming in sharp, uneven bursts.
The forest around us looked strange. I didn't know this place,the air felt heavy, unfamiliar, damp with the scent of earth and pine. This was not Moonbeam land.
"Who are you?" I asked, my voice trembling despite my effort to sound strong.
"What do you want from me?" I demanded, forcing myself to stand even though my legs shook. "Will you let me go?"
My voice wavered, but I did not look away from him.
"If you're going to kill me, then do it now," I said, my hands clenching into fists. "Because I won't let you take advantage of me. I'll fight you with everything I have."
For a moment, everything went silent. The forest seemed to hold its breath with me.
Then he exploded.
His body stiffened, and something powerful slammed into me like a wave. My breath caught painfully in my throat. His eyes darkened, glowing a dangerous shade of green, and the air around him felt thick with dominance, it was suffocating and heavy.
"I said shut the fuck up!" he roared. "Who the hell do you think I am?".
He took one step toward me, towering over me, his presence crushing.
"You think I'd touch you like that?" he snarled. "I don't want to hear your voice again."
My knees nearly buckled.
He was an Alpha.
There was no doubt about it. His aura wrapped around me, heavy and terrifying. I had felt Alphas before, but never like this.
This was one raw power. He Controlled himself Violence by will alone.
Moon Goddess... What have I done wrong? I cried out softly.
"I, I'm sorry," I whispered, fear finally crawling into my chest. "Please. I didn't mean..."
I stopped myself.
I was just a healer. I had not been fighting. I had not hurt anyone. I had only been trying to save lives when he grabbed me like prey.
"Please let me go," I said quietly. "I'm not the type of person you're looking for. You gain nothing from hurting me."
My hands trembled as I spoke, my nails digging into my palms.
"I'm not going to hurt you," he said coldly.
I looked up at him, hope flickering weakly in my chest.
"Your Alpha has something that belongs to me," he continued. "I'm keeping you until he returns it."
My heart sank.
"No one cares about me," I said, the truth slipping out before I could stop it. "My clan is the lowest in the pack. No one will come for me. You took the wrong person. Please... let me go."
For a brief moment, his expression changed. I felt his face soften a bit. Something about his presence felt wrong... and dangerously familiar.
Hope surged through me. Maybe he would untie me. Maybe he would let me walk away.
Then his face hardened almost immediately.
"Shut up," he said sharply. "Get up. We're moving now."
My chest felt hollow.
He turned away, already walking, as if my life meant nothing.
That was when the truth hit me.
If I died here, my parents would cry. The elders would make empty speeches. Then life would move on. No war would be started for an omega like me.
I swallowed the lump in my throat.
No.
I refused to accept that.
If my fate was in my hands, then I would fight for it. I would not just sit and watch. I would wait for an opportunity. I would survive.
Even if it meant facing a ruthless enemy Alpha alone in the dark, with only the moon to guide me.
I lifted my chin, forcing strength into my shaking body, and followed him into the shadows, my ears straining for every sound, my senses alert to every movement.
Whatever he thought I was...
He was wrong.
And this war had only just begun.
