We sprinted through the trees as fast as I could. Lou gripped my hand, pulling me behind him and helping me go faster. But I could hear footsteps behind us and they weren't getting further away.

My legs burnt and my lungs screamed. My head pounding with intense adrenaline that wouldn't let me

It wasn't long before I felt somebody seize my waist and throw me to the floor. But before I could even begin to start fighting, the man was dragged off me and his neck snapped.

Alpha Rivers then pulled me back to my feet and pulled me close to his chest.

"I couldn't hold them back," he said to Lou, "Dozens more showed up and-"

But before he could finish speaking, soldiers had leapt out of the trees towards us and we were both pushed to the floor.

I had two ontop of me, pinning me down and when I looked to the side I could see Alpha Rivers was fighting against five of them. Although he had managed to get up, he was thoroughly occupied.

"Lou," he said, through heavy breaths, "Get out of here. We can't fight them without back up."

Lou, who was still on his feet swallowed as he looked between us and the men we were fighting against. I could tell he was reluctant but as Alpha Rivers repeated his orders in a much deeper growl, he finally nodded and turned on his heel.

One of the men desperately helping to hold Alpha Rivers's arms behind his back began to follow him but a sharp command stopped him.

"Let him go," somebody ordered, "He's not important to us."

I looked up to see a fairly short but bulky looking man staring across at Alpha Rivers with a sly smile on his lips. He was older than most of the soldiers and stood by a huge black horse.

"The one we need is here," he said, "Good afternoon, Alpha Rivers. How are you?"

Alpha Rivers didn't reply and only kicked one of the men holding him in the crotch so hard he'd never have children.

"Hey, behave," he short man scolded as another few men stepped in to hold him still, "You don't want me to report back to Alpha Kane, do you?"

Alpha Rivers let out a low growl but the short man's eyes had fallen down to me. The men had restrained my arms and pulled me to my feet as I breathed heavily.

"Kill her. We only need him," he ordered.

My anxiety spiked again as I felt the hand of one of my captors reach for my throat. I glanced at Alpha Rivers who was now growling and putting his all into breaking free.

But with seven men now holding him, he couldn't help me and I felt the hand close off my airway.

Alpha Rivers was swearing and cursing the men to hell as I began to feel dizzy and my vision blurred.

"Get the fuck off her," Alpha Rivers growled, "You do not want to be responsible for her death. I will fucking kill you myself."

My knees were weak and I no longer had the energy to fight as I slipped into semi-unconciousness.

"I swear to the fucking Goddesses. You will suffer for killing her-"

"Actually spare her..." the short man interrupted.

My airway was finally freed and a gush of oxygen rushed into my lungs.

"Something tells me she could be more use alive," he added looking to Alpha Rivers who was glaring down the man who nearly killed me.

"Who are you girl?" he said looking back to me.

"Esme Brynn," I said nursing my throat with my hand.

"Ah...of course," he said with a nod, "One of the Nightingale bitches. And who are you to Rivers?"

"An ally," I said.

"Is that all?" he probed with pursed lips.

"Yes," I said sharply.

He examined me closer from head to toe, narrowing his eyes with a knowing look on his face. He then looked back to Alpha Rivers.

"Get on your knees," he commanded, "Both of you."

I was still weak from my run in with asphyxisyion so the two holding me easily pushed me to my knees but Alpha Rivers, as strong as ever, refused.

"On your knees or I will reconsider my decision to let your girlfriend live," the short man hissed.

With that, Alpha Rivers glanced at me and slowly got to the ground.

"Check them for weapons," he ordered his men, "Especially him," he added watching Alpha Rivers carefully.

The soldiers holding Alpha Rivers began to pat him down, lifting up his shirt to search his belt before checking his pockets, he knelt there compliantly with his hands up letting them discard his knives.

I had nothing on me but I still felt one of the soldiers running his hands all over me. I didn't make it easy for them but I didn't resist.

"Give us a smile, babe," the short man teased as they continued to search me, "Such a pretty girl shouldn't pout."

I gave him my most sarcastic smile before I finally shook the soldier's hands off me, "I think we have all established now that I don't have any weapons," I hissed. "You can stop touching me."

The short man laughed and beckoned the soldier to bring me over as he climbed up onto the large horse beside him.

"Give her to me," he said from his horse.

I was dragged over to the horse before the rider hauled me up so I was forced to sit in front of him on the saddle, pressed up close to his chest.

The soldiers were still searching Alpha Rivers but he looked up, a dark expression on his face as the rider placed his hands on my waist.

"Do you need to hold her like that?" he grumbled.

"Wow, you are full of surprises today," the rider replied as the soldiers found another knife up his sleeve, "Is that a protective instinct I see? So you care about her?"

Alpha Rivers swallowed and his eyes averted to the woods.

"Well in that case," he began suddenly pulling a knife from his person and pointing it at me, "You better walk nicely or I will kill her. Alpha Kane has only asked for you alive, Alpha Rivers," he snarled, "Your bitch is just a bonus and one that we can afford to lose if you do not cooperate."

Alpha Rivers glared up at him as the soldiers completed their search and he let them pull his hands behind his back to tie his wrists.

I sat pressed against that man's chest for hours. At first, his hands rested firmly on my waist but as the time dragged on, his hands slipped down to my hips before they began to wander up towards my chest and down to my thighs.

My mouth dried as I sat with my hands tied unable to do anything. He determined if I lived or died, the last thing I wanted to do was piss him off.

But when his cold fingers, dug underneath my shirt and clasped at my breasts, I finally snapped.

I twisted my body and lifted my feet up onto the saddle, pushing back on him desperately trying to force his hands off me. But he managed to steady his balance, keep me firmly in his grasp and control the horse with one hand as the other stayed under my shirt.

All I succeeded in doing was attracting Alpha Rivers' attention.

"Get your hands off her," he growled.

"Or what?" the rider asked squeezing me tighter so I couldn't move, "Remember your current position, Rivers."

A sly smile then slipped onto his face as he looked down at Alpha Rivers' fuming expression.

They held intense eye contact as the hand massaged my chest. I closed my eyes, my stomach lurching with the violation as I fought the powerful urge to fight back.

Considering I prefer my blood inside my throat, the last thing I wanted to do was provoke him more and escalate the situation.

But Alpha Rivers clearly had other ideas.

As the hand slowly retreated from my shirt, I let out a sigh of relief. One that was quickly retracted as I felt his fingers tug at the buckle of my trousers.

I took a sharp breath in and froze seconds before I felt myself suddenly plummet to the floor. I groaned and lifted my stomach up off the wet forest track.

The first thing I noticed was the rope that had been binding Alpha Rivers' wrists lying limp and frayed beside me. I then heard the whimper of a terrified wolf as I slowly looked up to see the Rider sprayed out on his back, being dragged by the ankle, having clearly just suffered the same fall as me.

The horse was neighing in distress and the other men that were restraining Alpha Rivers had cowered far back. Based on the red-hot look on his face, I couldn't blame them.

His eyes burned orange as his Alpha fangs and claws were exhibited in all their long, sharpened glory.

"You thought you could touch my mate?" he growled, seizing the rider's throat, "In front of me?"

"I'm sorry Alpha-" he pleaded but before he could even mouth the rest of the name, he was lying dead on the floor.

The other men fled in an instant but Alpha Rivers didn't bother to go after them.

Instead, he marched over to me and hauled me off the floor.

"I'm sorry if that was a little rough," he said brushing the pine needles out my hair as his eyes faded back to their usual colour.

"Why the hell didn't you do that hours ago?" I asked looking down at our lifeless captor.

"I didn't know I was capable until that idiot gave me the powerful surge of anger that my wolf needed," he said looking down at his fingers as his claws sunk back in.

He then reached forward and straightened my shirt.

"Are you okay?" he asked, his tone now softening.

I nodded and swallowed, "Just wasn't expected to be thrown off a horse quite so suddenly."

"You thought I was going to let him assault you, huh?" he said.

I smiled, "Thank you."

He smiled back before his face straightened and he looked around us.

"It's dangerous to be this close to the border alone," he said walking over to the dead man and taking his knives from his belt, "We've got to move."

He then reached forward and to the reigns of the horse before putting his foot into the stirrup and climbing up.

"We'll ride to save time," he said holding out his hand to me, "come here," he added beckoning me over.

I took his hand and he easily lifted me up onto the horse with just one of his arms so that I was sat behind him.

"Hold on," he ordered, "Unless you want to fall...again."

I obliged and wrapped my arms around his waist.

He let out a deep breath and paused for a second before he suddenly straightened his back again and kicked the horse to go.

He was an expert rider. We soon left the track and began winding through the trees, never even coming close to a collision.

"Why didn't they kill us?" I asked we rode through the trees, "Why did Alpha Kane want you alive?"

"It doesn't matter," he replied.

"Are you sure?" I said, "Only I get this feeling like there's something important that you haven't told us."

"There isn't," he said bluntly.

"You have history with him?" I probed, "With Alpha Kane? I can't think why on earth he wouldn't kill you when he had the chance. Why would he risk you escaping?"

No response.

"Have you met him?" I added. "You said he's a rogue. Was he born a rogue or-"

"That is enough, Esme," he suddenly snapped, "Drop it," he added in a low tone.

I let out a short frustrated sigh.

"I'm taking us South-East," he announced changing the subject before I could respond, "With any luck we'll find the patrol but Flynn suspected that your brother may be there if he and his Luna are still alive. Anyone is better than being alone. I also know a safe place over there that we can spend the night and rearm ourselves."

His words rang in my head.

If they're still alive.

"So do you have any more questions or can we stop wasting time, win this war and find your family?" he asked.

I shook my head, "No."

"Good," he said.