Free Rylan's Heart by Serena Simpson Page B

the alley. No one stopped to help her.
    “You look like you like it rough.” The male laughed and shoved her against the wall. “I’m taking my hand off your mouth, don’t scream. No one out there cares.”
    He took his hand off her mouth and she screamed. He hit her with all his might, bruising one side of her face.
    “Scream again and I’ll hit you somewhere else.” He put his hands on her breast and squeezed.
    She wanted to close her eyes, block it all out, and pretend it wasn’t happening. Her eyes wouldn’t close; she needed to find a way out, an escape. That wasn’t going to happen if she couldn’t see.
    He ripped her top pulling her bra up to expose her breasts. He bit her on one nipple causing her to whimper in pain.
    “Please, let me go,” she said softly. Then with more force she screamed. “Get the hell off of me.”
    The man backhanded her.
    “You’ll pay for that.” He balled his fist up to slam it in her stomach.
    “Get the hell away from her,” a voice screamed from the end of the alley.
    Aviana turned to look at her hero only to find him more intimidating than the man who held her. His eyes blazed a stormy blue as his long legs ate up the ground between them. The muscles in his arms bulged and his legs were so thick, she thought she could sit on them without hurting him.
    It was the dark aura around him that scared her, making her want to retreat.
    The stranger pulled her attacker off and knocked him off his feet. Her attacker grinned at the other male like he was crazy, and pulled a knife. Aviana quietly eased around them and hurried down the alley before the one saving her finished beating the other male.
     
    *~*~*~*
     
    “Are you done beating him?” Voyager asked, leaning against the wall.
    Rylan let the guy drop. Seeing him touch Aviana made him lose his cool. Both his darkness and his bitterness ate him up until he was unable to control it.
    “Where’s Aviana?”
    “She ran. She took one look at you and was terrified. I do not blame her.”
    “How could she be scared of me? I’m her mate; she knows I would never hurt her.”
    “Maybe she lost her memory when she came in here,” Voyager said with a shrug.
    “What do you mean she lost her memory and why didn’t you stop her?”
    “You told me I could not have her, so it delights me that you cannot have her either.”
    Rylan moved up to him, hands balled into fists.
    “Do you want to try to hit me, too?” Voyager flexed a hand and looked at him.
    “What am I going to do?”
    “Besides admitting you are not male enough to bond? Or were you asking about the nearest door so you can hightail it back to the city where no one needs you?”
    “I’m not leaving here without her.”
    “Suit yourself. I am going to find her now that you are no longer in the picture. I am pretty sure I have a shot. The women love me.”
    Rylan followed Voyager on silent feet. This isn’t what he was expecting. He listened when Cal talked about his trial, it was nothing like this. Aviana was lost somewhere in this city that seemed never ending. How would he find her?
    A memory he hated surfaced. The day his life changed. He had been outside playing with Gabe and Cal. The day was sunny and bright. There were no charms at that time to keep children safe. They simply had to be vigilant.
    A small shiver shook his body but he wasn’t able to identify it at first. As it crawled over him he knew something was wrong. Looking around, he headed off into the trees. The feeling became like a live wire under his skin; he turned and ran, screaming at his brother and Cal to run as well. He had to force them to run by lying, telling them it was a game and he was it.
    Both of them ran laughing towards the house but he knew he wouldn’t make it. He thought it would be ok as long as they got away. The thought of them unharmed helped him to keep his sanity most days.
    When that Sudir hovered over him, “Stupid boy,” it had said. “I wanted one of the other