Rue
I think I fell asleep at a point. I jolted awake by the sound of shouts echoing around me and I gasped as my eyes tore open.
The cloud was filled with what seemed like smoke. It was thick and curling in the air, and all the guards positioned outside here all began to drop down in an unconscious heap one after the other.
My eyes widened In confusion while fear made my heart hammer hard against my ribs. I didn't know what was happening, or what to make of this.
As the thick smoke started to get into my lungs, on realizing that I was starting to lose consciousness, I realized this thing in the air was something that was supposed to put people to sleep. I quickly held my breath but in the next moment, a soft cloth was pressed around my nose and mouth.
My eyes widened and I jerked hard, my panicked sounds muffled by the cloth held against my mouth. I was still panicking when a voice said into my ear.
"Shh. We're rescuing you." Those words washed over me and my eyes widened while I struggled to comprehend those words. I remained frozen as I was loosened from the stake, then I was being ordered to hold the cloth over my nose and mouth. I glanced up at the man who claimed to be rescuing me, he had the lower part of his face concealed by a black cloth, with only his eyes revealed.
I blinked in confusion, completely unsure of what to make of this. Who was this person? He was here to rescue me? How?
I held the cloth against my throat, jumping from panic then yelping as I was pulled behind backward by my latest savior, just as men poured out from the palace, arrows pointed in our direction while their leader ordered for me to be released at once.
I was trembling with fright and I inched closer to this person who just saved me. It was stupid. I didn't even know who he was or what he looked like, if he was lying or not, but right now, he at least wasn't trying to kill me, so he was the safer option.
"In your wildest dreams!" The man yelled, fully shielding me with his back, then he whipped out something from his pocket while pointing his hand at the rows of guards still pointing arrows at us.
"Shoot!" My rescuer ordered and at once, all the men who were dressed almost like he was, with half their faces hidden behind matching white clothes, lifted up identical, black objects. They all pulled something underneath it with their thumbs at the same time, and loud bangs echoed through the air as the tips of those objects released tiny flying nuts that flew straight to embedd themselves into the guards bodies.
Instantly, the guards all began to crumble one after the other like flies, blood pooling underneath them till none was standing. I gasped in shock and disbelief, unable to believe what just happened and how that was possible.
"We don't have time, let's get out of here right now!" The man yelled at his men who nodded and instantly began to retreat. I stood awkwardly as my rescuer peered down at me for a moment, eyes warm as he spoke.
"I know you're confused and have so many questions. I'll answer them all as soon as we get out of here, because we're currently in a lot of danger."
~~~
I was beyond shocked. I was yet to take in all what I've just discovered.
This man- my rescuer, was my brother.
I would have questioned that if we didn't look so alike. We looked so identical aside from my weird features. After he took off his mask, I gasped in shock and disbelief because it had instantly clicked. After that, we hugged tightly while I cried, because I never imagined that I had a brother.
That was the first hug I've ever gotten in my entire life, and I clung to him as I sobbed.
Apparently, my mother birthed him for the alpha of a different pack, so he was the prince there, and that's where he's taking me to. He said our mother was thrown out of his father's pack when he was young, because our mother had only been a concubine, and his father's real wife wanted her gone after framing her for murder. I was shocked as he explained how he searched for my mother for years before discovering she temporarily lived in our pack where she had me. And apparently after he found out our mother died and I was left, he promised himself to set me free no matter what.
"We also have a sister too. Elena." I pointed out, voice still wobbly from the tears of happiness I was still shedding.
"Our mother had another child?" He asked and I nodded.
"Before me. You probably didn't know because she wasn't brought up as a slave. She was brought up as the princess of the pack."
I don't bother pointing out now Elena made life worse than it already was for me while growing up. He didn't need to know that. He was so happy to discover he has another sister, and he promised me to find a way to get her out too.
I hugged him tightly again, breathing in his warm scent. I couldn't believe I had a family that actually cared about me this whole time.
"My scent, isn't it affecting you?" I asked tentatively after a while, feeling beyond mortified. We were still traveling to his pack, and it wasn't in a carriage, it was in what Landon called a car.
"No, it's not. It's cause we're related." He explained and I let out a relieved sigh on knowing I wasn't inconveniencing him.
"But we'd definitely have to do something about this scent of yours. I know someone who can help with it." He revealed and my eyes widened as hope bloomed in my chest.
"You do?"
He nodded and hummed. "Of course. I'll arrange for you to meet him."
I thanked him throughout the rest of the night because of that.
~~~
We stopped to stay in what Landon said was a hotel. The design of the building, or the rooms, were nothing like the inns back home. Everything feels more— advanced. I was given a room for the first time in my life, and I fell asleep almost immediately.
I was awoken by Landon, and I instantly grew panicked at the worried expression across his face.
"What is it?" I whispered as he grabbed my shoulders.
"Rue… people are searching for you, so many people."
"What?" I screeched, almost falling off the bed.
"The lycans whom I stole you from, and some other people. Even the pack that sold you seemed to want you back. News has gotten out, and now everyone wants their hands on you." He explained and I felt more horrified the more he spoke.
"Why?! What did I do?"
"It's not what you did. It's what they believe is inside of you." He explained and my brows furrowed.
"What's inside of me? I thought that Lycan king wasn't making sense." My voice was weak this time.
"I- I don't know either. All I know is that they believe something strong is inside you, and by how they're all willing to fight for you right now, it means they're not bluffing. And most of them are tracing your scent. My men have scattered your scent all over, but it won't be long till they find us. You're not safe here, and you won't be in my pack." His voice broke at the last part and I gripped his hand for strength while my heart raced hard.
"Oh," I whispered, feeling too dumbfounded and disappointed.
"Yes. But, don't worry about a thing, okay? I'll take care of everything, so don't fret." He promised me, and even though I was going crazy with panic and worry, I nodded numbly while my limbs tremble from fear.
Landon didn't return till about a few hours. He returned with different updates.
Like he promised, he had really taken care of everything. All he had to do was call in a favor, and the person promised to help with keeping me hidden. I couldn't thank him enough, but he assured me I didn't need to thank him.
"You'll have to hide. Those people after you are really dangerous," he pointed out and I nodded in understanding.
He left after a bit and returned with another man who had a dog cradled underneath his arm, all warm smiles and soft words as he was introduced.
"This is a warlock, Rue. He'll help with your scent and your heat."
I jerked up, eyes widening as my eyes widened.
"Really?!?"
Landon nodded as he smiled softly at me. "Yes, Rue." He responded and I wanted to engulf him into a hug right away from how grateful I feel.
This is something I struggled with since I clocked sixteen. It completely changed my life and turned me into an abnormality. But Landon was already helping me with that when It's barely a day since we United.
This warlock gently explained to me that he'd be putting a pin over my heat, which would completely cloak my scent. I'd become scentless and won't have the unique heat anymore.
"Till when? Forever?" I asked, hoping he'd say forever. I never want to experience it again after he conceals it.
"Not forever, till probably whenever you get bitten by your true mate." He explained and I grimaced. I wasn't sure i had a mate since I was wolfless, but I didn't bother pointing that out. This technically means forever, and I was beyond happy about that!
He touched a hand to my forehead after I closed my eyes, then I felt hot liquid moving through my veins. After some minutes, I felt lighter before tentatively opening my eyes. That constant cramping of my stomach was gone, and I didn't have a scent anymore.
I didn't smell like anything for the first time since I clocked sixteen, and I almost burst into tears from how emotional I suddenly felt.
Once again, I thanked Landon profusely and he hugged me tightly.
Since I didn't have a scent anymore, we could safely travel for a bit. So at night, we were transported in something that flew through the air. Landon said it was a private plane sent by his friend that owed him a favor, and he said we were going to the country his friend was currently in, which is where I'd be hiding away in.
We were welcomed by a matured man that hugged Landon, and revealed to me that Landon once saved his life, so he was gonna help me wholeheartedly.
We were driven to his house, and I was given a room and fed like a princess.
However, that night, while the three of us sat together, he presented a bunch of papers to Landon who frowned as he went through them.
"What are these…?" Landon asked and his friend, Elias shrugged almost apologetically.
"This is the best I could work with. I tried to be very logical about it. It's the last place people searching for a girl would look in." He said to Landon and I peered between them in confusion.
"So my sister has to disguise as a boy?" Landon asked and my eyes widened a little, especially after Elias nodded.
"Till all of this passes, at least. She'll act like a boy and get enrolled into Syrulix. It's an all boys school for supernaturals. The school is known to have a very good reputation, and the students there only care about good grades and upholding peace. It's logical to keep her hidden there cause people would never remember it when searching for places a girl can be hidden in." The man explained.
"But since she has no scent anymore, she's technically gonna be regarded as a human. She won't be let in" Landon pointed out.
"I already took care of that. In the forged documents, I've included that she's from a rare line of werewolves, whose wolves wake up at age twenty five."
There's some more exchanges between them, and as I quietly listened, I realized the plan was indeed logical. It would be fairly easy for me to blend into somewhere like that, right?
This promise of a completely new life sounds exciting. I'll not have to live as a slave here. I won't have to be locked away while people treat me like I contaminated a dangerous disease. I'll be able to live like a normal person— even though I'd be disgusting as a boy, it still feels like it would be fairly easy.
I have a very good feeling about what's to come.