The Alpha's Lifeline

~Chapter thirty-six~

Rylan walked up the stairs on the hand side of the building. It hadn't been searched yet, two guards followed him.

He took a deep breath, trying to sense anything but Adeline's scent with was distracting him down the stairs.

"BRODY," Rylan called from the stairs. "Take Adeline outside. I can't smell anything with you downstairs, Beautiful." He called and he heard them walk out of the building.

He walked left but changed his mind and went into the room on the left, he smelt Adeline, but it wasn't Adeline. He opened a door that led to a bathroom, it was empty. He checked the other room and it was full of old furniture.

He came out of that room and walked down the corridor, following the scent. The corridor was dark and cold, the walls full of damp.

He stopped at the door placing his hand on the handle. He opened it slowly and a small body sat in the corner of the room, she was chained to the wall and was sitting on a dirty stained mattress.

"I'm sorry. Please don't hurt me again." She managed to speak, placing her head between her legs.

"Go and get me a blanket and a set of clothes. Loose clothes." Rylan said to one of the guards quietly.

"Sophia?" Rylan crouched down near the door. He took a deep breath, her scent was similar to Adeline's.

"I'm sorry" she cried, trying to cover herself, she was shivering.

"Sophia, I'm not going to hurt you. I've come to help."

"W-...what?" She raised her head, looking up at Rylan.

"Sophia, we're here to help you."

"No one is allowed to touch me, you have to leave. He'll hurt you." She cried, shuffling back against the wall. Her wrists were red and raw from the cuffs around them.

"He's been captured, Sophia. Tyson can't hurt you."

"You can't use his name... You must call him a master." She cried, clearly distressed.

"I know how you feel, I was in the warehouse. He took me too, Sophia. I know what you're feeling. Please, trust me." Rylan said gently. She looked up, she seemed to snap out of her trance.

"You're here to help me? You were tortured too?" She asked.

He nodded.

"We've got him restrained. He'll never hurt you again."

"Who are you?" She asked.

"Can I come closer? I won't touch you." He asked and she nodded after a few seconds.

"You have a sister? Do you remember that?" Rylan asked and she nodded.

"Adeline."

"That's right... I'm her mate."

"Mates aren't good." She looked down shaking her head.

"You've been told lots of lies, terrible lies, Sophia... Mates are a wonderful thing. I and Adeline are happy, and when you find your mate, you'll be happy."

"Tyson is my mate." She told him and he shook his head.

"No, Sophia. That's just what he's told you. It's okay." He turned to the door and the guards stood with some clothes.

"Here look." Rylan got up and reached for the clothes, placing them in front of her. "Let's put some clothes on, and we'll get you outside. You can see a doctor. He'll help you, you can meet your sister."

"Okay." She nodded.

"Do you want some help?" He asked and she shook her head. "I'll take these off. Stay still." He reached for her handcuffs and managed to pull them from her hands easily. She was extremely underweight.

"I'll turn around, okay? Tell me when you're finished."

She took quite a while, she hadn't stood up for a while, or worn clothes in many months.

"I'm finished." She said quietly.

"I'm going to pick you up to carry you down the stairs, alright?" She nodded and tried to stand up but fell again quickly. Rylan scooped her up gently into his arms and held her sideways.

He carried her through the corridors and down the stairs, taking her straight outside onto the steps of the building, she seemed to shy away from the light, and Rylan carried her into the shade, placing her down on the ground by a tree, calling one of the doctors to look at her instantly.

Rylan kept an eye on Adeline who was watching intently from the edge of the building.

"Hey, look Sophia." He pointed over to Adeline and Sophia looked blank.

Rylan beckoned her over and got up to talk to Adeline before she got to her sister. "Be gentle. She's very weak, and everything that she's been taught has damaged her. She might not react much. But she'll be okay I promise." He told her quickly, before letting her sit beside her sister.

Sophia looked at Adeline longingly. She didn't talk. As the doctors checked her out, she looked around intently, seeming very overwhelmed.

"When the last time you ate anything, Sophia?" The doctor asked and she just shrugged. "What about a drink?"

She looked down and the doctor nodded.

"Here.." He poured out a small glass of water. "Don't drink it too quickly."

"I'm allowed this?" She asked and he nodded. She took it into her weak hands, but she didn't drink from it for quite a few minutes. And only then she was taking small sips.

"We'll move you to the hospital later. Is that okay? You can come and live with your parents again, and your sister..." The doctor told her, he knew not to trigger anything.

"Really?" She asked. She didn't quite believe it.

"Really," Adeline spoke for him and she nodded, nervous.

"You can have some rest now, Sophia. We'll get you into one of these tents, and then later we'll take you home." The doctor told her, and she nodded.

Rylan picked her back up about an hour later, and moved her into a small tent, they kept the door open and the doctor sat with her while she settled down.

Rylan took Adeline with him away from the tent.

"She's so weak."

"She'll be okay," Rylan promised her, they watched from a distance.

"Are you sure?"

"I'm very sure. Look at me, I'm alright aren't I.... There's a possibility Tyson might have been using her... For... Himself."

"As in....?" Adeline knew what he meant but didn't want him to say it.

"He's probably been raping her... She mentioned something about calling him master... Everything that she's been told is a complete lie... but I promise you she'll be okay."