"No!" Ryan screamed, realizing he was in a difficult situation, torn between Mula and Dean as he saw Elena jump. He acted swiftly, grabbing her before she could fall.
He braked the car abruptly, ensuring Elena's safety as his top priority. The two Alphas, who would not hesitate to harm him if anything happened to her, were a constant threat.
As the car came to a sudden stop, Elena slipped from his grasp. Fortunately, she landed without injury, although her leg twisted causing her to fall. Despite this, she managed to protect her baby.
Ryan exited the car quickly and helped Elena to her feet as she breathed heavily, clearly in pain.
"Are you okay?" Ryan inquired, wanting to assist, but Elena recoiled.
"Keep your hands off me! Don't touch me!" she yelled, her breath ragged as she regained her footing.
Still covered in blood, she needed immediate attention to clean herself up. Having given birth only hours before, she should be spared from this additional stress.
"Why are you acting this way? Where is he? I saw both of you leave," Elena demanded, as Ryan stood with his hands on his hips, gazing at her.
He stood there, momentarily speechless, taking a deep breath and reaching out his hand, intending to speak, but Elena interrupted him once again.
"What did you do to him? Please, don't tell me..." Elena whispered, her voice filled with concern, moving closer to him.
"Elena, please, you've just gone through labor. You need urgent medical care," Ryan urged.
"That doesn't answer my question! Where is Mula, and why are you taking me back to Dean? Has he deceived you like he did to me?" she inquired, only to be abruptly cut off.
"No! Mula was the one who deceived both of us. He lied. Everything he said about Dean was false. He did it because he never wanted you to give birth to the baby. The potion proved it all," Ryan explained, while Elena shook her head in disbelief.
"Do you expect me to believe that?" she questioned, shaking her head.
"The potion was actually an abortion pill! That's why he hesitated to give it to you!" Ryan retorted, but Elena found his words rather amusing.
The same potion she had taken, yet she had selflessly given birth to her baby. His statement only strengthened her belief that he was trying to manipulate her thoughts.
"So, you mean the same potion I took that allowed me to give birth safely to my baby?" she inquired, leaving Ryan at a loss for words, unsure of how to convince her, as he himself couldn't comprehend what had occurred.
With nothing more to say, he looked up and down, letting out a sigh of relief.
"It's a miracle, I must say," he remarked, extending his hands and shrugging his shoulders, while Elena gave a pained and dissatisfied smile.
"You mentioned an abortion potion, so how did this happen? What's the name of the miracle that caused me to suddenly give birth, even though it wasn't time? yet after taking the abortion dose?" she asked.
"That's..." Ryan started to say before being interrupted.
"Where is he?!" Elena's voice rose, and Ryan realized he had to tell her the truth if he wanted to get her into the car.
"He's with Dean now," Ryan revealed, causing Elena to look at him in shock, tears streaming down her face.
She shook her head. "With Dean? As a prisoner, right?" Elena inquired, to which Ryan nodded.
"Why weren't you a prisoner too?" She pressed on, but Ryan remained silent, simply gazing at her.
The expression on his face conveyed everything she needed to know, and with a heavy heart, she pointed at him in anger.
"Because you betrayed him! You've been working for Dean all this time," Elena accused.
"No, you've got it all wrong!" Ryan protested, feeling she misunderstood the situation. He needed to clarify what had truly transpired, as he had been loyal to Mula as a beta from the beginning.
"I warned him not to go. I'm certain you persuaded him and he trusted you!" she shouted, prompting Ryan to take a deep breath as he tried to approach her.
"Wait, I..." He tried to speak, only to be interrupted by Elena's raised voice.
"Don't come near me! Betrayal! You should just leave me here. The only way I'll return to Dean's Pack is if you kill me!" Elena shouted, stepping back with tears in her eyes, cradling her baby.
"This is actually what I wanted to discuss with you. If you want me to go, I will. But how will that help Mula? Remember, his captivity won't change. You need to come with me. Perhaps you can find a way to help him escape if you still want to be with him," Ryan said, blinking and swallowing nervously.
"Until Dean has you, Mula won't be free. Come with me, and maybe you can assist him in escaping," he continued, making Elena realize the truth in his words.
Elena pondered, knowing she might be able to help Mula. She understood he would be suffering in that place.
Speechless, she gazed at Ryan, unsure of what to say. Her expression and movements hinted at a positive response, and Ryan eagerly awaited her words.
Elena then looked up at the sky, tears still falling, before meeting Ryan's eyes again.
"Please," he pleaded, locking eyes with her.
•
•
•
Alpha Dean's Pack.
Dean and the others were gathered outside the house, eagerly awaiting Ryan's return with Elena. However, as time passed, it became apparent that Ryan was taking longer than expected, fueling Dean's growing concern that something may have gone wrong.
"I believe we should go and bring her back! Why wait any longer? We already have their Alpha captive here. What harm could ordinary wolves possibly do to us?" Dean suggested, visibly troubled and anxious.
The news from Mula, that he might never see Elena again, weighed heavily on Dean, adding to his distress.
"I suggest we exercise patience, Alpha. Let's give him more time to return," Max advised, trying to calm Dean as he paced back and forth.
"What if he doesn't return?" Dean inquired, to which Max simply shrugged.
"In that case, we can proceed with a rescue mission and take action," Max declared, glancing at Athena, who stood nearby in silence.
Athena's subtle smirk in response to Max's statement indicated her agreement with the plan, prompting Dean to nod in agreement. Just then, a car pulled into the compound, catching their attention.
As the car came to a stop, Max and Athena, along with Dean, turned their gaze towards it. Dean took the lead, stepping forward towards the vehicle.
As he stepped a bit closer, the anticipation was palpable, their blood racing with the desire to see who was inside the car.
Ryan was the first to emerge from the vehicle, and it was immediately clear that Elena was not with him.
The selfless manner in which Ryan disembarked spoke volumes. He glanced at Dean and the others briefly, causing Max and Dean to exchange knowing looks as if communicating telepathically.
Turning his attention back to Ryan, they watched as he walked to the other side of the car and opened the door. Elena stepped out, cradling a baby in her arms. Dean felt a surge of emotion, goosebumps rising on his skin as he breathed heavily.
The surprise was evident on all their faces at the sight of Elena with a child. Dean knew in that moment that the baby was his, and a happy smile spread across his face as he finally laid eyes on her.