14

Damon

"Trey, I heard it again. Tell Robert to look where he wants, but we are staying here to figure this out."

Trey nodded and mind-linked Robert back and told him to investigate without us. I followed the knocking it was coming from the cave-like structure, but I had no idea how it was coming from there.

"I need your help to start tearing down these branches and leaves. I think the knock is coming behind here."

Trey and I started to tear down the branches. No matter how much we grabbed, there still was so much left. Part of me wanted to give up but right before I did, I saw something shine. I started to move faster and tear down more and more to find a huge metal door.

"What is this? And why is it here?"

I ignored Trey's question and I just had a feeling that Layla was here. I finally was able to move enough branches out of the way and found a handle, I pulled but found out it was locked. And that's when I heard the knock again, a little bit louder this time. It was coming from behind the metal door. She was here.

I started to pull and it wouldn't budge it was bolted tight.

"Trey I need you and your Lycan to help me pull this open."

Trey came and put his hands on the door and both of us used our strength and the strength of our Lycans. And just like that, we were able to pull the door wide open. I looked in the cave and all I saw was black, I was starting to think that maybe I was hallucinating the knocking, but Trey heard them too. Right?

I waited just a couple more minutes and still nothing. I didn't see anything. I didn't see or hear anything besides rocks below my feet. Maybe it was the rocks falling from above that created knocking.

But as soon as I was about to walk away I heard the slightest whimper and heard something moving towards me.

Then I saw her.

She still had her long black curls that were so long that they reached right above her hips. Her brown skin wasn't as brown it was lighter probably from the lack of sunlight. Her eyes were still as bright green as they were before, physically I could see she was around 5'10 you could tell that she was a Lycan.

Now Christina wasn't the only woman Lycan. Layla was here. She had cuts and bruises all over her body, I could tell Tyler to beat her and by the looks of it barely feed her too. She was chained by silver at her feet and wrists. She looked at me and her eyes were full of confusion, and then realization.

"Day? Is that you?" She said, her voice croaky and dry, I can tell she hasn't spoken in a few days. But the way she talked I could tell that Tyler just talked to her some bit, for her to sound so...mature.

"Layla." I ran to her and ripped off the chains as fast as possible without hurting myself too much.

I tried grabbing her and pulling her out, but she wouldn't budge. I stepped slightly and the last bit of sun that was still up shined onto her and immediately burned her skin. Layla hissed and retreated more into the cave hiding from the sun.

"We have to wait until the sun is gone, she is not used to the light. When the sun goes down we will take her to our pack doctor. Tell the others we found her." I yelled to Trey while I stayed in place and looked at her.

I took a seat by Layla in the cave. Looking at the sun's position in the sky I could tell it was about 2 in the afternoon so we had some time. Hopefully, tonight won't be a long sunset.

Layla and I stayed staring at each other, neither said a word. What do you say to your sister who you thought ran away from your family but was held captive by your brother this whole time? Exactly. I waited a little longer but I couldn't take the silence anymore, there was so much I needed to know.

"Can you talk?" I asked and I immediately regretted it. What kind of question was that? She just stared, it was getting kind of scary.

"Okay, you're right. I deserve that look. I should have asked a different question."

"Where's Tyler?"

That was all she asked and it angered me and it made me wonder why she cared. He put her here. "He's gone." Was all I said as I clenched and unclenched my fists.

"Good. Wait for the sun, then we can go."

"Yeah, of course, but I was thinking-" I stopped talking when I saw her get up and move to the back of the cave.

"Sh." She said as she faced the other way. Huh? Not really the welcome home wagon I was expecting.

I thought about maybe her running into my arms and there being tears but it was the opposite. Then I just sat there in silence. Just like she asked. This was the longest six hours of my life. The sun went down and I got up to grab Layla but she got up on her own accord and walked out like she wasn't covered in bruises and held up in chains.

"Let me help you," I said catching up as we walked out of the cave but she slipped put my grasp.

"Stop, touching me. You ruined everything."

She stomped off in the direction of the castle, and I followed her. Trey looked at me confused and I shrugged, I had no idea what the hell was going on.

"Layla! What the hell are you talking about? I just saved you!" I yelled at her and she stopped walking.

"Shut up! They can hear you." She ran back to me and covered my mouth. Her eyes were stern and intense.

"Who, you have to tell me who."

"The rogues, they'll report back to the rogue king you idiot! Don't you know anything?"

Confusion filled my mind in the worst way. How in the hell could I be King if I have no idea what's going on right under my nose?

"Tyler kidnapped you. And hid you here for years. And now I'm the bad guy for finding you? Here I was thinking you were in danger, and he was torturing you."

"Tyler was only trying to help me. Protect me." She scoffed and took a step back from me.

"Protect you from what?" I asked her.

"From you."

•••••

"Before you walk in, she is not well. She's not as fragile as you think."

I told my parents as we stood down the hallway from my sister's hospital room.

"What do you mean she's not well? Let me see my daughter Damon." My mother said sternly and tried to push past me but my father grabbed her and stopped her from going.

"What does that mean?"

"She believes Tyler was protecting her...from me." I expected a different reaction but what I got was silence. Like this wasn't a surprise to them.

"Damon..." My mother began talking but she stopped.

"What don't I know? Someone explain right now."

"Layla is a Lycan and a woman. Do you know how rare that is?" My father began speaking and I nodded.

"You have been gone for a while and I hoped that you learned a little bit of your Lycan history and family history. Son, Lycans are already a rarity, and being a female is the rarest. Now being a Lycan, a female, and of royal blood. That is unheard of. Now I am not saying Tyler kidnapping your sister was right. He deserves to be where he is. But, there are bad people in this world who want your sister. Who'd take her and use her to get to us? To get to the crown. It's easy to get a hold of rogues, your brother did it. What makes you think that someone else will?" My father said.

"What do you mean?" I kind of understood what he was saying but could this be my fault? "Are you saying I did something wrong?"

How could I try to bring my family together and end up me being so...ignorant?

"Son, we shouldn't talk about this here. Let's just go see how your sister is doing." My father smiled and walked away from me with my mother following. I turned and thankfully Trey and Robert were still there, but that means they heard everything.

"What the hell is going on man?" Robert asked.

"That's what I'm going to figure out."

The sooner I figure this out. The faster I can be with my mate.

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