Free Web NovelChapter 20: Chapter 20
Riley’s POV
With every ounce of control I have left, I yank my hands away from her neck.
She gasps loudly, stumbling back before collapsing to the ground, coughing and clutching her throat like she just escaped death. I stagger back too, staring at my palms like they belong to someone else. My heart is pounding so hard it hurts, my whole body shaking.
What the hell just happened?
I did not plan that. I did not even think about it. My body moved on its own, strong and fast and terrifying and that scares me more than the wolves ever did.
Did something possess me?
Before I can even process the thought, footsteps crunch behind me.
I whirl around, anger rushing in hot and sharp when I see him.
It’s the driver.
He walks toward me calmly, like he did not just abandon me in a forest full of wolves.
"What the fuck?!" I yell, my voice breaking with rage. "Did you fucking leave me so wolves could eat me or what?"
I am shaking now, from fear and fury mixed together, my chest rising and falling fast. He stops a few steps away, his face calm and almost emotionless.
He does not reply. That silence snaps something in me.
"Oh, so now you don’t talk?" I scoff bitterly. "You drag me out here, spy on me with cameras, dump me in the woods, and now you’re mute?"
He still says nothing.
I laugh sharply, wiping my face. "You know what? Fuck this. Fuck you. Fuck wherever you people want me to go. I’m done."
I turn away from him and start walking back the way I came, not caring where it leads. I do not even know if I am going in the right direction. I just know I am not following another order right now.
Behind me, his voice finally sounds.
"We’re here, ma’am."
I stop.
Slowly, I turn around.
My breath leaves my lungs in shock.
The forest is gone.
The tall trees and thick grass are no longer crowding around us. In their place is a massive open space, wide and bright, filled with people walking around like this is the most normal thing in the world. There are paths, buildings, lights, and movement everywhere. It feels like an entirely different place, like the woods folded in on themselves and revealed something hidden underneath.
"What the hell..." I whisper, rubbing my eyes hard. "Am I losing my mind now?"
I step closer to the driver, my heart racing all over again. "What is this place?"
I glance around quickly, searching for the three women who attacked me earlier, but they are gone. No wolves. No bodies. Nothing.
"What happened earlier," the driver says calmly, "is routine whenever a human steps into this part of Crescent Hollow. They are usually attacked by the Mane sisters."
I stare at him, disbelief crashing into anger. "Routine?" I snap. "What if I had been killed?"
"They wouldn’t have hurt you," he replies evenly.
I laugh harshly. "They literally tried to tear me apart."
"They were instructed not to kill you," he says.
"Then why did you leave me?" I demand, stepping closer. "Why would you disappear and let that happen at all?"
"I was only following instructions from the Alphas," he answers. "They instructed me to leave once I brought you there."
I facepalm hard. "Unbelievable. Absolutely unbelievable."
I drag my hands down my face and then look down at myself. My dress is dirty, my feet scraped, my hair a mess. I look like I crawled out of hell.
"Great," I mutter. "I look like shit too."
The driver starts walking again, and after a second of hesitation, I follow. Ahead of us stands a gigantic gate, tall and heavy, marking the boundary of this place. As we pass through it, heads turn immediately. Conversations slow and eyes follow me.
People are staring. A lot.
I feel exposed, like I do not belong here at all. freёwebnovel.com
"Is this some kind of village?" I ask quietly. "Another town hidden inside Crescent Hollow?"
"It is more than that," he replies. "This is the original residence of the werewolves before they spread out and merged with humans."
I swallow. "So this is... a pack?"
"Yes," he says. "One of the oldest."
"And everyone here is a werewolf?" I ask.
"No," he answers. "Not only werewolves reside here."
I stop walking.
"What?" I turn to him. "Are you saying there are other creatures?"
"Yes," he replies simply. "There are witches, vampires, and the Satyrs."
I blink at him. "Satyrs?"
"They are rarely seen," he continues. "Only the Alphas can see them. They are wild oracles."
My brain feels like it is about to short-circuit.
"So you’re telling me," I say slowly, "that all this exists and humans just... don’t know?"
"Humans know very little," he replies.
As we walk, the stares intensify. I hear whispers now.
"Why is a human here?"
"She’s not supposed to be here."
"Is she lost?"
My skin crawls at their words"No human ever comes here, do they?" I ask.
"No," he answers. "That is why they are curious."
We reach another gate, larger and more guarded. This one is open, but no one enters except uniformed guards. The driver hands over his ID. The guards study it, then look at me, their eyes sharp and assessing before stepping aside.
The moment we enter, murmurs ripple through the space again, this time more intense...
"What’s a human doing here?"
"Is she a prisoner?"
My heart pounds again as all eyes turn toward me, and I realize whatever brought me here is far bigger, far more dangerous than I ever imagined but just then someone grabs me from behind!
