Song: Sweet Creature by Harry Styles
Words: 1645
Published: August 19th, 2020
Third Person POV
Rayna

11:30 P.M.

Four hours after she went to bed, Rayna is woken up by her alarm.

At first, she forgets why she set it, but then she remembers. She sits up slowly, turns it off, and then sits on the edge of the bed. Her heart starts beating fast with anxiety, so she takes a few deep breaths to slow it back down to normal.

Rayna gets out of bed and walks into the closet. She changes into a warm, thick, navy blue sweater and a pair of black leggings. She slips on a pair of thick socks and grabs a pair of shoes. It's summer, so it's warm, but it gets colder at night. She also has no idea where she'll be for the next twenty-four hours.

Next, she heads into the bathroom. She makes sure she has a hairtie on her wrist and brushes her hair out, leaving it down. She brushes her teeth and puts on deodorant before sitting down at Harley's desk and opening her sketchbook.

She sighs, thinks for a moment, and writes a few sentences down. She then rips out the page and sets it on Harley's nightstand. She sits at the foot of the bed and starts tying her shoelaces. As she does, Harley groans a little bit in his sleep.

She smiles.

She finishes tying her shoes and walks over to him.

"It's okay, babe. I'll be back soon," she whispers in his ear, petting his hair a bit.

He hums, and she gives him a kiss on the cheek, making him smile.

She sighs again and slips out the bedroom door.

*~*~*~*

Rayna approaches the border right as it reaches midnight.

Johnathan appears from the darkness on the other side, Circe a few paces behind him. He's visibly cautious--walking slow and looking left and right--but Rayna doesn't doubt that their witches and rogues aren't far behind them.

"I see you've made the right decision," Johnathan says.

Rayna, who already put on a cold facade, keeps it on. She takes a deep breath, not wanting her rapid heartbeat to give herself away, and walks forward until she's crossed to the other side of the border.

Johnathan smirks, walking up to her.

She keeps eye contact with him, not letting him visibly intimidate her. He had kept his hands behind his back. Suddenly, he grabs her shoulder and turns her around. She feels a sharp, painful pinch in her arm before everything goes black.

*~*~*~*

When Rayna wakes up, she has no idea where she is.

She backs up against a wall in surprise, realizing that she's in an enclosed space.

The room is small--only 6 feet by 12--and all four walls are made of stone. There's no sort of window, only a small vent high up in one of the corners and a steel door in one of the walls. There's nothing inside the room but a light bulb hanging from the ceiling.

Rayna shivers, realizing that she was stripped from her clothes to just a bra and underwear.

She quickly remembers that she gave herself up to Johnathan. She sucks in a breath and tugs her legs up to her chest, burying her face in her knees.

Don't cry, don't cry, don't cry.

She whimpers and takes a few deep breaths.

Think happy thoughts.

She starts thinking of Harley. She smiles, remembering that first toothy smile he gave her, the electrifying tingles she'd get at his touch, his low laugh, the feeling of his soft lips, his calming voice, and his warm chest.

She misses him, and she feels like shit, knowing that he's most likely worrying his ass off or worse right now. She'll see him soon, though.

She closes her eyes and does her best to think of anything she can to keep her mind off of who she's with, the cold room, her growling stomach, and her dry throat.

*~*~*~*

Sometime later, Rayna notices an odd smell in the air.

She opens her eyes to find that an odd, purple tinted fog is quickly seeping into the room from that small vent. She tries to cover her nose, but there's nothing she can do to stop herself from breathing in the fog as it fills the entire small room.

As it fills her lungs, she feels her wolf call out for her, but then slip away.

She starts to feel dizzy and lightheaded, so much so that she ends up falling onto her hands and knees from her fetal position.

Her vision doubles and her body starts feeling fuzzy as she looks up to see the door open.

Someone walks in, and even if she could make out a face, they have a mask on. They quickly pick her up by her neck, choking her, and then throw her across the room. She doesn't react. She can't feel the pain.

They put their hands on her parts, and everything fades into nothing.

*~* Harley *~*

Harley wakes up at 6 A.M., like he always does, but he instantly knows that something is wrong.

He looks to his right, and Rayna isn't there. She's always there now, ever since she moved in. He feels the sheets, and they're cold, meaning she's been gone for a while. His eyebrows furrow.

Where is she? he wonders, looking around the room.

That's when he notices a folded piece of paper on his nightstand. He picks it up, sits on the edge of the bed, and unfolds it.

'To: Harley

I'm sorry. I had to do this. I met Johnathan at the border. He gave me a choice. Go with him or let him attack the pack. I can't let anyone get hurt. I'm with him now. Don't worry. I'll be back soon. There's a plan. I'll explain later.

From: Rayna'

Harley is frozen in place.

Johnathan's back? She left? There's a plan? What the fuck is going on?

Harley growls loudly and stands up, crumpling the paper into a small ball and throwing it against the wall. He paces as a thousand thoughts run through his head.

Why didn't she tell me?
I could've helped her.
Why'd she do that?
Where is she?
Is she okay?
Has he hurt her already?
What does she mean by "There's a plan"?
When did Johnathan come back?
Is Johnathan the one behind the rogue attacks?
What does he want with Rayna?

Can he get Rayna back, or has he lost her forever?

He shakes off the last thought. He can't start thinking like that so soon.

He picks the paper back up before storming through the castle halls to his office. He mind-links the other leaders and calls an emergency meeting. They're there surprisingly fast, almost as if they were expecting this meeting. He doesn't question it, instead throwing the crumpled up letter at Keane, who catches it.

He desperately wants to break out crying, but he isn't willing to show such a weakness when his mate is in danger.

"Johnathan is back, and he took Rayna," he tells them, pacing behind his desk.

The three men share a knowing look, and then turn towards Harley, a look of solid determination on all of their faces. Harley pauses.

"Is there something I should know?" Harley asks in a growl, slamming a hand down on his desk, making everything on it jump up. It's no surprise that Hollow is rising to the surface, causing Harley's irises to darken. Every muscle in his body shakes with adrenaline.

"We're sorry, dude," Emmett mumbles as Keane leaps towards his left.

Harley backs away, but then Calum is at his right, the two trapping him between his desk and the wall. In his confusion, Harley doesn't make a move or attack. Keane and Calum quickly grab him by his arms, letting Emmett jump over the desk and inject the contents of a syringe into his bloodstream.

A sedative.

There isn't anything strong enough to make Harley pass out besides wolfsbane, as he's too strong, but there is a strong enough sedative to immobilize him for a few minutes. The sedative is so strong that it could kill a regular wolf.

He growls loudly, throws Keane and Calum off of him, and grabs Emmett by his neck, lifting him up slightly and choking him.

"What the fuck is going on?" he asks.

Quickly, his grip on Emmett weakens involuntarily. He lets go of Emmett and takes an unstable step backwards.

"It's okay, man," Emmett says, rubbing his sore throat a bit. "We have a plan with Rayna. We're gonna get her back tonight. Everything will be okay," he explains.

In those few moments of talking, Harley is brought onto his hands and knees, panting. He tries to speak, but his arms give out, causing him to collapse on the floor, and he loses control of his jaw.

Keane grabs him by his arm again, and Calum takes him by the other, lifting him up off the ground. Together, they carry their Alpha to the dungeon and lock him inside of his cell. 

In Harley's vulnerable state, Hollow takes control.

As soon as the sedative wears off, he's yelling at the top of his lungs and growling as loud as he possibly can at the guys. They stand helplessly outside of his cell, whimpering. They all are dying to let him out and tell him everything--Keane, especially--but they're under Rayna's command.

Hollow even tries to break the bars, which he doesn't try twice, as the burning of the wolfsbane-laced bars hurts like hell.

The guys leave after a few minutes, leaving Harley alone in his cell.

Hollow tries to yell after them, ordering them to let him out, but it's useless. Harley had already figured out that they must be under Rayna's command, as that's the only thing stronger than his.

Hollow only starts pacing, his wolf brain trying to think of what to do.

'What do we do now, Harley?' he asks.

Harley is silent.