Chapter 31

**Alexander POV**


My eyes went from left to right, looking at the three tunnels, trying to decide which one is the right one.
The noises of the beast coming closer and closer bounced from the walls of the tunnel, making us realize that we have no more time to waste, but we have to make a fast decision.
I knew that I could try to take down a Wayern being both dragons, but even so, we had differences between us.
Wayern’s are rare and outcasts in our community. The ones born as one would or die immediately or if strong enough they would lose more and more their minds as they grow older.
Being an offspring of two shifters of different species, one being a dragon, would give out a result such as an offspring that were called Wayern.
The ones Ryder and I encounter not counting this one were smaller, but all with the same vicious bloodlust hunger. They were all well known as vicious and violent and no one would like to mess around with them as they never fight fair.
Their dragons were not pleasing to the eyes, and they were mostly all when fully matured all the time in half shift stage.
The growls sounded closer this time, making Ryder nudge my arm as he asked, “Alex, which way?”
Silently praying to the Goddess to help me make the right decision, I looked at the far right tunnel, the only one that looked almost closed in, and said to Ryder, “Right tunnel. Let’s go.”
Ryder looked over at the tunnel and said, “The tunnel looks as it will collapse.”
“Just trust me, please,” I told him, rushing him towards the tunnel as we both reached its entrance and started to move a few rocks on our ways to be able to pass through a small passage.
Loud roar sounded behind me, making me look back and see Wayern enter the crossing standing for a moment as he searched around in the darkness, looking for us.
‘Fuck!’ I said to myself.
I pushed Ryder inside the tunnel fast and as I was about to move past the rocks at the entrance; the creature saw me and roared charged right at me.
“Alex, watch out!” 
I heard Ryder warning me as I watched the creature charging right at me.
Turning around, facing him, I took a stand, preparing myself for a fight.
I saw his talons slicing through the air as he took a swing at me, aiming at my chest, but I managed to move away from his reach and successfully avoided his attack.
Not wasting a moment, I charged at Wayern, swinging my fist right at his jaw, but he barely flinched as he stood there, right in front of me, giving me a nasty smirk, growling louder but I didn’t let him intimidate me.
‘Fuck, this guy is huge.’ I said to myself, thinking how I never saw any of his kind be this big and strong.
In the blink of an eye, Wayern jumped at me, making us both collide on the ground as we wrestled together, and at the same time, I tried to avoid his sharp teeth that were trying to bite down into my flesh.
With the corner of my eye, I saw Ryder heading out about to move past the rocks to come and help me, so I yelled out at him, making him stop as I said, “No! Get back in there and get out from here!”
Ryder stopped at the entrance near the rocks, looking at me with shock, saying, “But…”
“No fucking but’s! Get the fuck out of here and if I don’t make it out, you know what you need to do!” I yelled back at him as I managed to toss the creature off of me, reaching my hand in my pocket, I grabbed the bracelet and tossed it to Ryder, “Take it, and get her out if I don’t make it and keep her safe. Go now!”
Ryder grabbed the bracelet and took one last look at me as he silently nodded his head, turning around about to go back inside the tunnel.
Wayern had his eyes set on Ryder as he charged right at him, making me react fast and jump ahead at the creature, colliding my body with his, tossing us both aside, and giving Ryder enough time to make his escape.
I felt as I could breathe seeing Ryder was gone, but my small relief was short-lasting as the beast stood up from the ground, eyes narrowed pinned down right at me, making me see the fire burning inside of them as he said in a low, raspy voice, “I am going to kill you.”
I stood up from the ground fast, clenching my fists, looking straight into his eyes, I said, “I want to see you try.”
The loud roar sounded from his mouth, making the earth shake all around us as he took a step towards me, swinging with his talons, trying to injure me in the process.
We fought with full force, giving each other kicks anywhere we could manage.
His talons caught my side, digging deep inside, making me growl out in pain as my shift kicked in, making me half shift and pushing him away.
My side was bleeding heavily, but I ignored it. Taking a stance, I crouched down, targeting him with my eyes pinned down at him all the time.
Letting out my own roar, shaking the earth and the walls around us, I charged directly towards him, extending my own talons, and slicing his chest and right leg as I swing with my hands.
The creature growled out in pain as he took a step trying to reach me, but I moved fast aside, kicking his jaw, hard as I could, hearing the sound of bone breaking, I didn’t waste more time as I swing my hands cutting at the flesh of both of his legs, deep with my talons, making the creature roar out once more as he had fallen down onto the ground.
I looked down at him, seeing him breathing hard as blood was pooling out from his injuries.
He looked up at me as I raised my hand with my talons extended, readied myself to slit his throat, I looked at his eyes, silent as he said, “Go ahead, kill me. I deserve to die. I am a monster.”
I stood there for a moment longer, frozen, deciding upon what I should do. 
He was a monster, but then again his eyes were not anymore his dragons as he looked up at me. They were of a young, scared male, waiting for me to give him my final judgment.
I saw him shift back slowly into his human, seeing a male, a little older than me, I took a deep breath, cursing under my breath as I slowly took my hand down.
He watched me silently, fear clear in his eyes as I slowly shifted back to my full human form.
I stood there in front of him, eyes not leaving his as he asked me, “Why won’t you kill me?”
“Because I can see in your eyes that you are not mean. “I said, making his eyes grow wide as I continued, “You aren’t to be blamed for how you came to this world and I know this world thought you to fight and to be cruel to be able to survive, but there is more to it.”
I extended my hand, offering him to help him stand up as he looked at it for a moment before reaching with his own as I pulled him back up to his feet.
“I saw the room across the bathroom in your house and I know what is inside it was not an animal, but I will ask you once and if you lie to me I will leave you here to die, but if you answer me honestly, I will help you, ok?” I said to him, making him nod his head as he waited for my question.
“Did you kill whoever was that?” I asked him, watching at him intensely, searching for any sign of a lie.
He shook his head as he sadly said, looking me straight into my eyes, “No, it wasn’t me.”
Silently I scrutinized him and could tell he was speaking the truth, so I asked, “Who was it then?”
“It was Mikah.” He said to me.
“Who is Mikah?” as I asked him the question, a loud roar sounded from afar, making us both snap our heads in the direction from where we came from.
“T-that is Mikah.” He said to me, pushing me towards the passage where Ryder went through he said, “You need to leave now. Get away from here fast as you can.”
A loud crash sounded, making us realize that Mikah had landed inside the tunnel as the loud footsteps sounded, echoing through the tunnel.
I looked at the male and asked him, “What will happen to you?”
His eyes widened for a moment, making me feel pity for him as he obviously never had any gesture of kindness shown to him throughout his whole life. He said, “Don’t worry about me. I will try to give you both time so you can run away from here.”
At that moment it hit me as I said to him, “You're not the one that attacked the owner of the museum and took the items, weren’t you?”
Shaking away his head he said, “No, I don’t go to town and terrorize people that was Mikah.”
Nodding my head and before I could say anything, he pushed me towards the tunnel entrance and I saw his injuries bleeding heavily making me cringe as the sounds of Mikah approaching faster, I looked at the male and asked him, “Is he going to kill you?”
He looked towards the entrance and down to his injuries before looking up at me, “Probably yes, but I will try to buy you enough time for you both to leave this land. Go now.”
Turning away from him, I was about to pass through the rocks, but that little voice in my head wouldn’t let me go. 
‘Fuck! Ever since I met her I grew conscious.’ I said to myself, groaning loudly as I turned around and grabbed the male’s hand, pushing him in front of me as I made him move past the rocks.
He turned around to face me as he asked, surprised, “What are you doing?”
“I am saving your life and not leaving you here with him to be killed. You will go with us, but be warned if just once you cross me over I will kill you.” I said to him in a serious tone of voice, making him know that I was not joking.
“W-why?” he asked, surprised.
“Because you aren’t bad as obviously your friend is, so I am giving you a chance to have a better life.” I simply said to him as his eyes looked at me, trying to see if I was serious.
“But I am Wayern.” He said making me roll my eyes at him as I said, “Great, and I am still giving you a chance to prove me and others wrong about all we heard and knew about your kind, so either you will let me help you or stay here and die, which is it?”
He took my extended hand I gave him as I asked, to help him walk, saying, “Thank you.”
We started to walk further through the tunnel when he said, “My name is Cole.”
I wrapped his arm around my neck, holding him up as I helped him walk fast through the narrowed tunnel as the loud sounds sounded from behind us.
“I’m Alexander, but call me Alex,” I said to him as fast as we could rush through the tunnel. 
Seeing the light coming from the other side, we rushed our steps and got out of the tunnel.
I saw Ryder rushing towards us when he stood frozen, looking between me and Cole, asking, “Care to explain?”
“No time for explaining, we have to get out of here and Cole here is coming with us.” I said to Ryder who nodded his head, looking with narrowed eyes at Cole, I added, “Cole this is my Beta Ryder and Ryder this is our new companion, and if he turns out as I feel he is, possibly a new packmate Cole.”
Both of them said in the same voice, shocked at my last statement, “Packmate?!”
Rolling my eyes at their dramatics, I simply said, “Let’s go. We have no time to lose.”
We walked ahead towards the clearing, taking off our clothes. I looked over at Cole who was still bleeding, and said, “You can ride on me.”