The Ripple Effect

Sophie's P.O.V.
I shifted uncomfortable in my chair, trying to swallow the rising groans of pain that threatened to all but spill out of my lips. All feeling had left my limbs, though I'm sure that was a good thing. A dull throbbing, however, in my arm persisted. I had been stuck like this for hours, even through the night.

Of course, if I could just find Regina, she could fix it. But my wolf was nowhere to be seen.

A low whimper of despair slipped past me, but no one was around to hear it. Daniel had slipped out the crumbling shack to go for a run because, apparently, his wolf was going stir-crazy. Gee, I sure didn't know the feeling at all.

He had left only five minutes ago, so surely he would be gone for a while more. I wiggled around until feeling returned to my legs, and then I leaned forward until my heels were firmly planted on the floorboards. With one big push, I hobbled onto my feet.

But the tricky part would be freeing my arms...especially with the horrible pain that would surely ensue. With Regina nowhere to be found, I would have to face this alone. I slammed my eyes shut and took in a deep breath.

Rex's P.O.V.
A shudder coursed through my entire body, and I threw my head back to howl in despair. Sophie was in pain—I could feel her horrible agony, but I could do nothing to help her. I had tried contacting Regina over and over... It was like she didn't exist anymore.

A whimper filled my throat. No, she had to be alive. This was surely that damn Daniel's fault—he was hiding her somehow.

But damn it! How had I not seen this coming? He had always offered to watch over Jonathan, and he was just as interested in Rein. I all but threw Regina and Sophie to him! I all but gave him my family!

How I hated this perfect hindsight!

Rex, remember Sophie, my human whimpered, pleading with me to forget my brooding. She's hurt, isn't she?

I didn't want to tell him what I already knew. Yes, she was hurt—but this pain was so incredible, so great, that it made my own arm throb with enough force that I had to grit my teeth against the intrusion. Thankfully I could shield Orion from this; it wouldn't help him to know how much pain she was in.

She needs us, I settled upon, picking up my pace. Do you have any idea where she might be? Where could Daniel have taken her?

Before Luca was kicked out, Daniel and him had a "secret place" where they would go to get away from their duties. Maybe they went there? But...only Luca would know where that is.

I turned around quickly, spinning around on my heels and kicking up dirt as I veered back for the dungeon.

Our good-for-nothing brother would be useful after all.

Sophie's P.O.V.
A few sobs reverberated inside my chest, and I cradled my useless arm in an attempt to ease the horrible pain to at least a tolerable level. To slip out of the ropes, I had been forced to twist it completely backwards...

I didn't dare look down at my arm, not when I could feel the very bone in my arm threatening to tear through the skin. Tears stained my cheeks and dripped to the floorboards. But it was over. And after putting myself through this, there was no way in Hell that I would let Daniel tie me up again!

I hurried to the window and slipped outside, cursing under my breath as I landed ungracefully on my rear. Moving while being mindful of my handicap was definitely more of an obstacle than I had previously thought.

There was also the fact that I had no idea where I was! I growled under my breath, though I had no choice but to just start walking.

So...phie...

My ears perked up. Regina?

So...phie...

Regina! Are you hurt? Are you okay? Where are you?

I'm...dizzy... The connection was faint at best, but I clung to it like an alcoholic to gin. Rex...

I want Orion, too. But I don't know where I am!

North, she whimpered softly before the connection faded completely.

Hopefully this meant the drugs were wearing off; I could really use her help with healing this bum arm of mine...

I continued heading northward until I finally emerged from the dense thicket that had surrounded me. My sigh of relief, however, was short-lived.

I was surely on a mountainous trail, surrounded by cliffs and impossible mountains. But that must have been Orion's territory, so what choice did I have but to traverse it?

My footsteps were mere shuffles as I forced myself to keep moving, and pebbles scattered harmlessly away from my shoes. I was tired, but I had to keep going before Daniel came back. The sunrise was on the horizon, so surely he had already returned and noticed my absence. There was no time for rest now. I let my thoughts drift to my family back home to keep my spirits up. I had to come home. Orion couldn't raise my boys on his own—especially not on popcorn and sandwiches!

A small, tired smile formed on my lips. My mate and my pups. I would get back to them.

I was lucky for the first hour, as the path was wide enough for me to easily to walk across. But then the path suddenly narrowed, and it became a tiny walkway overlooking a horrible drop into the bottom of the canyon. The sand and dirt was crumbling along the edges...

But what choice did I have?

I sidled carefully along the edge, holding my breath and not daring to look down at the certain death below me. Every time the ground crumbled and my footing faltered, I died for a fraction of a second. But I forced myself to continue, because each flash of death flashed an image of my boys. They were waiting for me, and I promised Rein I would come back.

I promised Jonathan we'd be a family... I promised Brian we would stick together. Determined, I continued on with painfully careful steps.

I cried out, slamming my eyes shut when the ground crumbled out from beneath me. My right arm dangled uselessly. My left hand was all that kept me from plummeting to my death. I looked up at the deteriorated path and wriggled, trying to squirm back up on the path from which I had fallen. I then tried to grab the ledge with my other hand, but the jolt of pain almost caused me to let go entirely!

"Help!" I screamed on the off chance that someone would be nearby. "Please!"

I heard dirt shift, and pebbles scattered. Footsteps, maybe?

Blue eyes suddenly loomed down at me, and I cringed away. Of course! Could this get any worse? Daniel had come to take me back! He grabbed a firm hold of my hand.

"Sophie, you're going to have to help me out here; I can't pull you up on my own."

My eyes shot to his face again. Luca? But he grabbed my other hand and pulled, and I screamed out as my entire body jerked away from him as my hand released the cliff's edge. His fingers grazed mine, and my wolf senses lunged back to life as if it were some magic trick.

But I couldn't reach his hand.