Chapter 130
The carriage rattled violently as it sped down the uneven dirt road, taking me further and further away. My heart pounded in my chest. I had no idea where they were taking me, but every second that passed put more distance between me and Rowan.
I hoped he would find me, it was all I could think about, him saving me.
Hours later, a sudden jolt sent me crashing against the wooden walls. We seemed to have hit something. Maybe a rock.
A loud crack split the air as the carriage tipped violently to the side. I barely had time to brace myself before everything went tumbling down.
The crash sent one of the guards flying into me, and I seized the opportunity. My fingers closed around the sharp bone I had hidden in my cloak earlier. With all the strength I had, I drove it deep into his side. He let out a strangled gasp, his eyes wide in shock, before collapsing onto me.
Warm blood poured into my hands and I struggled to get him off of me.
I shoved his body off and scrambled to my feet, ignoring the pain that flared through my limbs. The other guards were shouting, trying to regain their footing. I didn't wait—I ran.
The night air hit me like a cold slap, it was so cold, but I didn't slow down. My legs burned as I sprinted up the hill, pushing through the thick brush. Behind me, I could hear the men cursing and crashing through the undergrowth as they gave chase.
They were coming after me and I didn’t know where I was but I hoped I would be able to escape them.
I forced myself forward, my breath coming in ragged gasps. And then, through the noise of my pursuers, I heard something else—the distant howls of wolves.
Rowan.
I almost stopped out of relief. If wolves were close by, it meant Rowan’s men were after me.
It meant that they were coming for me. I almost cried out of exhaustion and happiness.
The guards hesitated, their movements growing frantic. They wanted to capture me before the wolves arrived. One of them was faster than the others, closing in on me. His hand latched onto my arm, yanking me backward.
I screamed. I tried to pull him away from me, but his grip was strong and he started dragging me with him. I knew if I went back into the carriage with him, I might not make it out. I had to prevent that.
The wolves were close now. I could hear their snarls echoing through the forest. I opened my mouth and started screaming, as loud as I could, trying to alert them. Panic flashed in the guard's eyes as he tried to silence me. In desperation, he slammed me against the nearest tree. Pain exploded in my skull, and my vision blurred.
Darkness swallowed me whole.
\-——-
When I woke up, I was lying on a bed, my head throbbing with a dull, relentless ache. Where was I?
I wondered as I looked around. The hut looked unfamiliar and the air was cold and dry. There was a small fire next to me, probably to keep me warm but it did nothing of the sort.
I was covered in what seemed to be a thick fir blanket. The scent of burning wood and cold air filled the air.
I blinked slowly, trying to focus. Where was I?
A shadow moved in my blurry vision, stepping closer. A bald-headed man with heavy fur clothing loomed over me. He had grey eyes and a scar running across his face. He was unlike any many I had ever seen before and I wondered who he was. His expression was unreadable as he reached down and grabbed a handful of my hair, tilting my head back.
His gaze flickered downward, and I saw something in his eyes change. He reached out and tugged at my hair, his fingers slowly separating the strands to reveal my forehead. His fingers brushed over it slowly, as if assessing what it might be, then quickly covered it again.
"Who are you?" His voice was rough, demanding.
I opened my mouth, but the answer didn't come. My mind was blank, empty.
Who... was I?
Panic crawled up my spine as I searched my thoughts, only to find a gaping void where my memories should be. My name. I had to remember my name.
"Ariadne," I whispered, my voice hoarse. "My name is Ariadne."
The man studied me for a long moment. "And where did you come from?"
I hesitated, trying to grasp at something—anything—but all I found was fog.
"I... I don't know."
The man's face remained impassive. He reached out, pressing a firm hand against my stomach. I flinched, but he didn't remove it. Instead, he murmured something under his breath, something I couldn't understand.
"I heard an extra heartbeat. So I had to check. Your baby is strong," he said finally, pulling back.
I stared at him, my breath shallow. "Baby?"
He gave me a sharp look. "You don't remember that either?"
I placed a trembling hand on my belly, my mind spinning. I was carrying a child? My child?
“My wolves and I heard a commotion down the hill, we were on a hunt. We came to check and saw you and four men. The men were dragging you into a carriage. Since they were in our territory, we had no choice but to kill them. But you didn’t look like you belonged and even with the commotion, you didn’t wake up.”
“The back of your head was bleeding. We managed to stop the bleeding, but it looks like it healed on its own. Do you remember any of that?”
The man asked as he looked at me pointedly.
Four men. Carriage. Bleeding head. It almost sounded like the man in front of me was speaking gibberish.
“I don’t remember any of that.” I murmured slowly.
Nothing made sense. I didn't know where I was, who this man was, or how I had gotten here. All I knew was my name... and that something—someone—was missing.
Somewhere, deep inside, I knew I was supposed to be with someone. Someone who mattered.
But I couldn't remember him.
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