Its him
Rylan’s POV
I felt my heart nearly stop as recognition washed over me, a cold sweat breaking out on my skin. The voice was unmistakable; it was deep and authoritative, sending chills down my spine. It belonged to someone I had once considered a friend, trained alongside during those grueling days of alpha training.
“Rylan,” Lila whispered, her breath hot against my ear. “What’s happening? Who was that?”
“It's him,” I said, barely able to keep my voice steady. “Marcus. He was—he was with us during training. He went dark...said he’d do anything for power.”
“Who?” Lila pressed, her eyes wide with fear.
“He was one of the strongest prospects,” I explained, recalling his fiercely competitive nature and the way he had pushed everyone to their limits. “But something changed. He wanted power, and I thought he’d fallen off the radar. Now… he’s here, leading the very intrusion that could destroy everything we’ve fought for.”
“Then we can’t get caught,” Daniella whispered urgently. “If he’s with Kellan…”
“If he’s working with Kellan, we need to be careful,” I said, my mind racing. “He knows how we think. He’ll have anticipated moves we’d make.”
“Who is Kellan?” Lila wanted to know but nobody answered her.
Footsteps grew louder outside, and I could hear the unmistakable sound of his voice barking orders. “Search everything!” Marcus growled, his tone demanding and chilling, echoing off the walls of our once-safe haven. “They can’t hide for long. I want them here altogether. They will be useless otherwise.”
“Shh!” I hissed, pulling everyone closer together in the cramped space. My mind was racing, piecing together a plan. “We need to get out of here while we still can.”
“Can we create a distraction?” Lila suggested, her brows knitting in determination. “Maybe make noise to draw them away?”
“Yes!” I whispered, glancing at the cluttered room around us, filled with broken furniture and discarded memories. “If we tip something over…”
It was then that I spotted an old wooden chair leaning against the wall. “If we make enough noise, they might investigate and give us a chance to slip out.”
“Do it quietly,” Enzo cautioned, his voice tight with anxiety. “We don’t have much time. We need to find Rio and Ed. I’m worried about them.”
With every sound that echoed outside, my heart thudded, knowing that our time was running out. We had to act fast and stay ahead of Marcus and Kellan before they closed in on us.
I motioned toward the chair, gesturing for Lila and Daniella to help me. Together, we moved carefully, sliding the chair toward the edge of the room. Enzo kept watch at the door, his body tense, ready for any sudden sound.
“On my count,” I whispered, adrenaline coursing through me. “One… two… three!”
With one swift motion, we tipped the chair over, the loud crash reverberating through the room. The sound ricocheted down the hallway, and for a moment, the world around us fell silent. Then, I heard Marcus shout, “What was that? Check it out!”
“Now!” I urged, dashing out of the closet and into the dimly lit corridor. We sprinted in the opposite direction, the crashing chair having drawn their attention away from us.
The air was thick with tension as we raced through the corridor, hearts pounding in unison. As we rounded a corner, I caught sight of familiar shadows, figures moving in the chaos, and I felt a pang of hope.
“There!” I pointed toward a door at the end of the hallway that led outside, away from all of this. “If we can reach that!”
“Rylan, wait!” Lila gasped, her energy fading as she leaned against the wall, wincing from the remnants of her chains. “I can’t keep this up—”
“We have to!” I insisted, glancing back as the footsteps of Marcus and his followers grew closer. “We can’t let them catch up! Just a little further!”
We pushed forward, adrenaline surging through our veins. Just as we reached the door, a voice called out behind us. “They went this way! Don't let them escape!”
Marcus’s tone was closer than I wanted, his voice cutting through the fray. I whipped the door open and pulled Lila and Daniella through, the fresh air hitting us like a gust of life.
“Quick! This way!” I urged, leading them down the path that wound away from the chaos, my heart racing with both fear and determination. But I couldn’t shake the feeling that we weren’t out of danger yet.
The sound of shouts echoed behind us, and I knew we had to go faster. “We can’t stop. We need to get to the others— find them.” I suddenly stopped when I saw Theron standing in front of the packhouse and he wasn’t alone.
“Eliza?” I gasped.