Chapter 3

"Whatever happens. I want you all to live your best lives. There's no Red Blades pack anymore... We don't have the luxury of choosing. Fighting or defying isn't an option for us anymore. Even if not for us, let's think about our children. The little ones that need to survive"

I arrived just in time to hear those heroic words. I didn't need to strain to know who said them because i recognized the voice very clearly. It was as soft spoken and soothing as i last remembered.

I didn't say anything at first, instead, i looked at the gathered group, squeezed up in the same cell Zed was in. His hair, bright red, making him stick out from the rest of the group. In all those years, he hadn't changed at all. Not one bit. He was still small, almost fragile.

"How very touching!"

I mused and a smirk appeared on my face. When Zed got up and turned to look at me, i sighed deeply.

Zed's blue eyes lit up for a moment when he recognised me.

"Ryder?" He called out and i almost choked out from the building emotions.

"𝐎𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐢𝐦? 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐢𝐬𝐡" I heard Max's voice, my wolf, taunting me and i frowned.

"I heard you wished to speak to the alpha. What can i do for you?" I asked, moving my hands behind me and leaning a little closer to the bars.

"You're....you are the alpha of Silver moon?" He asked and i leaned back, straightening my composure. I didn't answer him. I didn't feel like i owed him anything. Not after the way we had left things the last time we saw each other.

Zed seemed to figure it out all on his own and he gripped the bars that were keeping me outside and him inside. My eyes dropped to the way he gripped the bars before i looked into those blue eyes.

"Ryder. Please. We have children here. Some aren't going to make it through the night. If they can atleast get something to eat. We've been walking all day under the hot sun..." He pleaded softly.

The helplessness in his tone tugged at the strings in my heart. Something i wasn't sure i had anymore.

"Please Ryder....please?" Zed's big and round eyes pleaded and Ryder found himself in a position where he couldn't refuse him. It was just like when I was a teenager again.

"Alright, fine. Gather the kids together. I'll have someone come get them in a while-" I declared before i turned around to leave. I had barely taken a step away when i felt something holding me back. I looked over my shoulder to see Zed tugging on the hem of my shirt.

"Ryder. Thank you-" He said and i grunted in response. I didn't want to be there anymore. I couldn't be around Zed without thinking about kissing him. It wasn't just me, i could sense Max reacting to Zed's wolf. He wanted to come out and Max in charge would ruin everything for him.

"Yeah. Now stop yelling so my men can get some rest" I ordered, moving my hand over Zed's. For a moment, i felt the electricity jolt right through me but i didn't flinch. I couldn't show any weaknesses. Instead, i pulled his hand away from my shirt and let it go. I didn't bother looking at him as i walked on.

My steps came to a halt when i heard gasps behind me. Suddenly overwhelmed with worry, i looked behind in time to see Zed on the ground, coughing up blood. I rushed back and crouched near the bars where Zed was. "Zed? Are you hurt?" I asked, oblivious to his situation.

"No...no..." Zed's attempts to talk were masked by his bloody coughing. "The kids. It's the kids.." Zed said and i completely ignored him. If anything wasn't done soon, I knew i would loose Zed. As much as i hated him, i couldn't stand the thought of losing him, now that i had found him.

I stood up and looked at the chains that locked the cells. Without thinking, i grabbed the chains and ripped them off. It felt like something had torn open inside of me but i didn't mind. I couldn't afford to care. I crouched down and scooped Zed into my arms. His lips were bloody and his eyes were hazy, almost out.

"Keep your eyes open Zed. Look at me dammit!" I roared, in an attempt to keep him awake. Seeing him drift off fast, i rush past the door and within a short moment, i had brought Zed back into my residence. With so many of my men injured from the battle, i practically had the doctor dragged to my residence to care for Zed.

"It's been well over an hour? Shouldn't Marcus be out already?" I asked as i paced outside my bedroom door. The doctor had been tending to Zed for a while now and i was beginning to get agitated from not getting any news at all.

"I'm sure nothing is wrong, Ryder. Calm down-" Charlie, my best friend who was also my right hand man and a beta, said. Being told to calm down though, only irritated me even more. I stopped and just as i was about to say something, the doors suddenly opened, grabbing all of my attention.

"Marcus? How is he?" I asked, though before the door was closed, i could see Zed sleeping on his stomach on my bed. He didn't have his shirt on and i could see the whip marks on his back. Even from where i stood, i could see how deep they bored into his back then the door closed. I frowned deeply.

"Are you sure he's a werewolf?" Marcus, the pack doctor, asked and i continued to frown.

"Yes. What sort of stupid question is--"

"I don't think he has his wolf-" Marcus said, cutting me halfway from the cuss i was about to finish. I frowned at first before i laughed. It was short but i realized that Marcus was being serious.

"He's not healing Ryder. The wounds on his body that were supposed to have healed, haven't. His wounds have been infected, that's why he is weak. I had to do treatment the traditional way and it should be so until they heal" Marcus said before he looked behind at the closed doors.

"He's one of the rogues, right? Do you know him?" Marcus inquired curiously and i glared at him.

"Get out Marcus. I'm sure lots of other people need your help" I simply said and walked to my bedroom door. My hands hesitated at the door knob..

"I left some drugs on the table and some instructions on how to clean his wounds," Marcus said from behind me. I turned the knob and the door opened. My eyes settled on Zed's sleeping form but from the expression on his face, i could tell that he was in so much pain.

I had barely taken five steps inside the room when his eyes opened and he looked directly at me. For some reason, his gaze left me frozen…