[Arissa's POV]

Everything hurt and my vision was hazy. How was it possible that Gillian was the same as me? Wasthis some type of joke? How was I supposed to kill him when he was damn near invincible.

"You aren't allowed to die.” Ivan's soothing voice drifted through my haze.

"Who said I'm dying?" I tried, causing pain to race through me.

Fuck, it really hurt and that was saying something given all the injuries I had suffered.

"That's the spirit. If you're able to argue, then you're going to be fine."

"Yeah."

I only managed to get the word out before my lungs began to feel as though they were filling withwater. Fits of coughing began to overtake me. Breathing became impossible and dark circles dancedbefore my eyes.

"Pick up the pace!" I heard Ivan roar over the ringing in my ears. "IF SHE DIES SO WILL YOU!"Despite my attempts to try to calm him, no words came. Any they may have was muffled by theblood that was quickly filling my mouth.

Shit, it seemed that Gillian had meant for me to die with his blow. And here I thought he wouldwant me alive to fulfill his ridiculous plan.

Feeling a laugh want to escape me, I tried to stay conscious as Ivan's muffled words drifted aroundme, along with an odd sensation that I had never felt before, but something about it was so damncomforting.

I don't know when it happened, but I suddenly found myself in pure darkness. The pain was goneand I couldn't sense Ivan around me at all. From what I could tell, I was completely alone.Confused, I looked around, trying to replace something, anything, that would give me an indication ofwhere I was.

"Am I dead?" I muttered in frustration.

Sure, since turning 8, all I had wanted was death. However, now that I was possibly experiencing it, Ifound that I felt hollow and like something was missing.

Deciding that staying put wherever I was wouldn't help me, I began to move. Maybe I would replacesomething at some point, or I would simply wander in the darkness forever.

As my feet took me further and further, I began to sense something familiar and foreign at the sametime.

Continuing to move, I made my way towards swirling red smoke that tried to hide a large whitecreature that seemed to glow. A powerful aura radiated from it, but it was easy to tell that thecreatures true power was being contained.

Quickening my pace, I moved closer and closer until I could see that the creature was a white wolf.A large white wolf, bigger than any wolf I had ever seen before. It was clear this wolf was meant tobe an alpha, but for some reason it was being contained here in the darkness.

Reaching out, I tentavely touched the creatures head, causing a growl to erupt from it's lips.

I watched in horror as it tried to move, but was stopped by black thorns that dug into it's hide,drawing fresh blood in patches of already dried blood.

“Easy,” I murmured, placing my hand on it's nose. "Don’t hurt yourself even more.”

A low growl escaped the wolf's lips, followed by a huff of frustration, but it did as I said. Relaxing itallowed me to begin to pet it's muzzle.

Letting myself feel comfort from the warmth the wolf was releasing, I examined the thorny vinesthat held it in place. They radiated a darkness that I had never felt before, and they seemed topulsate as the tightened and untightened around the wolf's body.

Using my free hand, I reached out and touched the vine. Inmediately, a surge of ice raced throughme, causing a gasp to escape my lips. Pulling away, I looked at my fingertips to replace they were frostbitten.

"What the hell?" I growled in frustration. "What is this?"

A growl drew me back to the wolf and somehow I felt myself getting lost in its eyes. It was almost asif something was telling me to keep trying to free it.

Unable to resist, I braced myself and reached out again, this time clutching the vine.

"Let's see who is stronger." I growled as a new wave of ice rushed through me. "I'm not one to giveup."

[lvan's POV]

I stared down at Arissa's unmoving form in my lap. The coughs had finally stopped, but the bloodcontinued to fall from her lips. Her breathing was shallow, but at least she was still breathing."Alpha," Hans hissed, from his place. "Why isn't she healing?" His eyes were fixed on the gapinghole in Arissa's stomach that was steadily pouring blood.

My men weren't aware that she was wolfless. That was a fact I kept to myself to avoid word gettingaround.

"She doesn't have a wolf." I sighed. "For all intents and purposes, she is just like a human, except shehas super strength and agility.”

At this point, it wouldn't hurt to tell my beta and delta about Arissa's secret. In a way I guess withGillian's attempt to rise to power, they would have to help me keep her safe anyway.

"No wolf?" Igor repeated with wide eyes. "What about..." He trailed off as a gasp escaped Arissa'slips, drawing all of our attentions back to her.

Staring down, I watched as a few more gasps escaped her before her eyes flew open and snarl ofrage escaped her. I didn't have to question what was going on here. Her blue eyes were glowing redand her canines were extended. It seemed now that her wolf side was too weak to continue on, thevampire side had awoken and it was starving.

Letting a smile play across my lips, I caressed her cheek, earning myself a snarl.

"Hang on a few more minutes.”

Even if I could feed her my blood here, I didn't want to do it in front of Igor and Hans.

Looking out the carriages window, I spotted the estate up ahead. Once we were there I would gladlyfeed Arissa and once she was out of danger, I would make my move against the double agents inmy midst.

"What should we do with her once we arrive?” Hans asked, drawing my attention to Tania, who hadbeen silent this whole time.

"Throw her in the dungeon.” I smirked. "It is about time she got a feel of what her daughter enduredfor so many years."

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