Freed Wolf

21 Aftermath

"Umph," I groan as I hit the ground hard. I look around confused; one minute I'm sparring with Landon and the next I'm here. But where is here and how'd I get here?

I get back on my feet and brush myself off, while I scan the area, seeing no one else. The forest is completely different, the trees are massive, old growth and block out the sky. It gives the forest a dark, ominous feel even in broad daylight.

'Well, now what?' Ember asks.

'Got me, I've got no idea where we are or how we even got here,' I admit, looking around for a path or something.

"So you're her," a man muses behind me. I spin to face him, finding him not even ten feet away where no one was a second ago.

"Who are you?!" I snap as I practically jump out of my skin. Fuck I'm in workout clothes and don't have my Guardian blades.

"Lucian," he replies as he circles, evaluating me. He's a large, powerful male with a typical Alpha's build, piercing silver blue eyes, blond hair and a sharp, stubble covered jaw.

"That's your name, not who you are," I retort. He lets out a hearty laugh at that, but narrows his gaze further.

"I see why my brother chose you," he muses.

"What are you talking about and where am I?" I press on. He has a strange feel to him, there's no doubt he's powerful and dangerous, but he's not particularly malevolent.

"Feisty," he laughs as I glare. "This is the forest I grew up in. I don't have access to your memories to pick somewhere familiar for you."

"So this is a dream?" I ask, skeptically.

"So to speak," he replies, guarded. 

"Why?" I growl as my temper begins to bloom.

"What can I say? I wanted to meet you," he says with a crooked grin.

"But why?" I press. "I'm no one." He laughs harshly at that.

"You don't honestly believe that, do you Jess?" He asks, raising a brow.

'How does this fucker know your name?' Ember growls as my heart races.

"This fucker knows about you too, Ember," Lucian comments, sending a shiver down my spine. "So tell me Jess, has my brother mentioned me?"

"No!" Luca bellows, snapping into the picture. I look between men and sure enough the resemblance is there.

"I'm hurt, Luca," Lucian says with a dramatic pout.

"She's off limits," Luca growls. The energy rolling off of him is sickening and makes Garrick look like an omega.

"Relax, we were just talking," Lucian drawls, flashing Luca a bored look.

"Are you ok?" Luca asks, turning to me as I nod. "You have no right meddling-"

"Don't tell me about rights," Lucian snaps, cutting him off.

"What is going on?" I cut in, my temper flaring dangerously. I hate the feeling of being a pawn in someone else's game.

"Nothing Jess, I'll have you back in a moment," Luca says, lightly grabbing my wrist. Before anything can happen Lucian roughly grabs my other wrist, causing my heart to race out of control. I'm suddenly feeling like a kid stuck between feuding parents and it sets my panic off.

"Not so soon," Lucian growls menacingly. "It took some work to get here, I intend to get my message across first."

"Lucian," Luca warns, eyes locked on him.