Chapter 10

Renna's POV

"Renna!”

A voice called out my name. The voice familiar, and almost like it came from my mind.

My eyes fluttered open almost instantly, startling me in the process. My heart hammered frantically against my chest when I suddenly heard strained sounds coming from outside the room I was locked in.

What was this? What the hell was going on?!”

Low, pained guttural sounds echoed outside, and I could feel my blood turn cold. The air had shifted, thick with shrill cries, and for a second, I thought this was a dream, or an hallucination.

But, the door swung open, slamming against the wall. I jerked up where I lay as panic surged through me. 

My eyes widened in shock as a silhouette formed at the entrance, crimson eyes staring back at me.

“Kay…Kayden?!” I rasped, my voice brittle with disbelief.

His chest heaved when he walked in, barefoot. He had slacks on, and he was soaked in blood. But somehow, I knew they wasn't his. 

His gaze softened when they found me where I sat, curled up in a ball, and scared out of my wits. I scrunched my nose when metallic smell of crimson filled the air.

“Renna. I–”

“No!”

 I shrieked. Scrambling back against the bedframe, even as the shackles restrained me. This wasn't right. Was it?! Kayden was dead! Father confirmed it and-

“Renna, listen to me. We need to leave, now!”

“Stay the hell away from me! Whatever it is that you are!” I cried out again. Was this some sort of sorcery to trick me? Or was my mind starting to play games on me?! “You're not Kayden…Kayden is…. he's dead.”

“I'm not dead, Renna. But I will be if we don't leave, right now.”

“Don't fucking come close to me!” I screamed out again as hot and cold shivers chased themselves down my spine. I fought back the tears that threatened to spill when thoughts of how father had killed Kayden filled my mind again. “I don't know if you're a ghost, or not. But please stay away from me.”

“A ghost?” Whatever it was that now took the form of Kayden, kneaded his temples, his lips pursed in a grim line. “Do I look like a fucking ghost to you? Tell me you don't feel my heart beating through the bond. Just as I feel yours.”

My lips parted to speak as I continued to stare at him in disbelief. But for some reason, the bond that tethered me to him, sprang to life.

He-whatever it is, was right. I still felt the bond, vibrant and alive at the back of my mind, so this wasn't right. Was it?

“But…But I saw–”

“—You saw wrong, Renna.” He sighed, glancing outside as he paced. “Yes, Leia did try to have me killed, but I'm not dead. It'll take more than that to kill me. And I know you can already tell that I'm not an Omega.”

I blinked. My gaze darted to the blood dripping from his hands, down to the cut on his shoulders. I stared in bewilderment as the skin knitted together, and the cuts vanished almost instantly.

“How?” I breathed out. Trying to make sense of whatever this was. “How did you survive? How are you not dead? Because father and Leia were sure that they killed you.”

“I'll tell you everything the minute we're out of here.” He growled. “My Beta should be at the border with some pack warriors by now.”

“Your Beta?” I muttered. Confusion evident on my face. “Pack warriors? What are you talking about?”

“Would you just stop asking questions, Renna?” He grunted. Walking towards me, but I flinched. “I know you're scared, and confused but we don't have time for this. I need to get you out of here. This minute. Do you understand that?”

“Well you can't just show up like this, covered in blood, after you just reawakened from the dead, and expect me to go with you.” I whimpered. “I don't even know if this, if you're real or not.”

“I'm real. It's me, Kayden. In flesh and blood.” He muttered, raking his fingers through his hair, “Look, I just killed your father's Sentinels, and I'm sure they would have sensed that something's wrong by now. Unless you want to live the rest of your life as Leia's blood bag, then please let me get you out of those cuffs, and stop running from me like I'm some plague.”

My eyes widened again for the umpteenth time, as I realized that the screams I heard outside belonged to the Sentinels. I should have been mad, at Kayden. That he'd infiltrated our pack, and wasn't what he claimed he was, but at this point, I couldn't seem to care.

“My father won't forgive you for this. What if the Sentinels come after you and he kills you for real this time? What if–”

“Oh, for fuck's sake–” he cursed under his head as he closed the space between us, as I dropped back on the bed, he curled his arms behind my back, pulling me closer. “I can take care of myself, Renna. I had this much planned out before coming to your pack. It's you I'm worried about.”

He moved forward, reaching for the cuffs around my wrist.

“No! Wait. I–”

Before I could protest, his hand slid beneath my chin and he lifted my face to his when he pressed his temples to mine. His hot breath fanned against my face when he spoke. He grabbed my hand, flattening it against his chest. Somehow, feeling his heart thumping against my palm was enough to calm me.

“As much as I want to remain this way with you, we don't have time. Renna?” 

“Huh?” I whispered.

“I want you to trust me.” He responded. “Can you do that for me?”

I nodded in response.

“Yes. I trust you.”

Without a word, he brought out a key from the pockets of his slacks, shrugging into the keyhole. He fumbled with the cuffs, his jaws clenched. 

My heart hammered frantically against my chest when his ears preened and he growled as the cuffs clicked open, dropping down on the bed.

Yes, I hated Leia and her mother. And honestly, my father didn't fail to disappoint me. But never had it once crossed my mind that I should run away. 

Was I ready for this? To leave with this man that I knew next to nothing about?

“They're almost here.” He rasped. “ I can sense them.”

In one swift move, Kayden grabbed me by the waist, throwing me over his shoulders like I weighed nothing.

“Kayden!” I shrieked. “Put me down!”

He chuckled. Almost like he was enjoying this whole thing. Like he hadn't just started a war by killing my father's men. The air shifted as everything suddenly blurred around me, and the only thing I could hear was the sound of his feet thudding against the ground.

I had no idea where we were going, but the mere thoughts of leaving with Kayden thrilled me. But my joy was short-lived when Kieran's voice suddenly rumbled through the air as Kayden came to a halt. A jolt of panic surged through me when Kayden's shoulders tensed.

“Put her down, you bastard!” 

Kayden hummed. He hesitated for a while, the out me deon gently on my feet, keeping his arm around me to steady me.

“You traitor. You think you'd get away with infiltrating our pack, then try to leave with the Alpha's daughter?” Kieran hissed. “I see the Sentinels failed to kill you, but this time, I won't. I'll make sure you stay dead, for good!”