Stronger as One (#1, Completed)

18. A night like no other

RILEY

I kept thinking about it, over and over again. The smell of burnt rubber. The deafening silence once the car came to a stop. The pain in my shoulders as I was tossed around in my baby car seat. And then one hand reaching inside, trying to get me out. I thought it was someone trying to rescue me- oh, how wrong I had been.

I could suddenly hear the voices.

"Shit, he ran away!"

"Are you fucking serious? The boss will be mad when he finds out that we killed Alpha and her Beta before we could get their wolves and then the boy runs away. We are fucking dead!"

"What are you doing, man?"

"What does it look like I am doing? This one is alive and I don't want to risk her shifting and running away as well. Pass me the extractor!"

My wolf was going crazy inside my head; growling and jumping, trying to protect me. But she couldn't, I knew that now. I had never seen her before- at 2 years old I was way too young to shift. Hell, I was still learning how to go about as a human, let alone be a wolf. Yet, at that moment I knew she was there. I could feel the strength and comfort she was giving me, her protective and fierce nature.

I was a confused toddler who just wanted mummy to reach from the front and scoop her in her arms. I started crying to get my parents' attention- I could see them sitting still in the front seats. No matter how much I cried though, they just wouldn't move. So my wolf stepped in to comfort me. Her presence was like a warm, soft blanket wrapped around me, even as she got into a defensive stance when the hand with the flying eagle on the wrist reached for me.

"Come on, man. She is just a kid, practically a baby still. Taking her wolf away would probably kill her, especially at this age."

I heard commotion outside before they continued. "Listen up, fucker, do you want me to give boss your wolf instead? You know he has to deliver, so it's her or us!"

Next thing I know, the now familiar hand reached for me again but this time it was holding a strange ball that was glowing and was whispering something to my wolf, enticing her to leave me and join it in the darkness. My wolf tried to fight it but the more the ball whispered, the more I saw the beautiful white wolf fade away until she was nearly a ghost. Suddenly, I heard sirens and voices in the distance.

"Shit, we can't finish this. Fuck!.... We have to go. We can't let the humans find us! She is practically dead anyway!" The voices disappeared and all I could hear were the whimpers of my wolf inside my head. Be strong, Riley! I will always be in your heart.

Her presence was weakening and with that my cries started again, getting stronger the less I felt the calming presence of my wolf.

I heard new voices coming from the outside. "Sir, there is a baby in the back. The parents are dead but she is alive! We need to get her out!" I cried and I cried until my cries became whispers as my energy was running out. I wanted my mummy. I wanted my wolf. I wanted Lucien and my dad. But they were all gone. I was alone, left in this big scary world. Suddenly my sensitive toddler eyes felt the light outside as I was pulled out of the car. I looked up and I saw a bearded man hold me in his arms. He reached for my neck and touched something.

"Riley! You're going to be okay, baby girl, you are going to be okay!"

***

"Riley! Can you hear me? Riley? Came back to me, baby girl!" I opened my eyes and found myself curled on the floor in a hallway. I looked up and couldn't figure out who the man kneeling next to me was. Was it the fireman? Did he save me?