Page 11 of Snatched Up By the Cartel

"You have to help him!" Rylan's voice was laced with desperation. "He needs proper medical attention!"

It wasn't even needed to be said. Just by looking at me, one could tell that I needed a doctor, or maybe several.

The guard, a burly man with a scar across his cheek, shook his head, his expression indifferent. I knew who he was. He wasn't friendly towards me. To be honest, he probably hated me so much he wanted to kill me himself.

"Not my problem," he said callously. "He brought it on himself."

"But he'll die if he doesn't get help!" Rylan's voice cracked, his eyes pleading. "And if somebody dies here, it will be on you."

He had a point. It was a very good one. The guard didn't like me, but he didn't want more trouble than he already had, and my death would add a lot more to the pile.

The guard sighed, his gaze flicking to me with a hint of reluctance. "Fine," he relented. "But only because you asked, Nightfang. You've got a way with words."

Chapter 5

Rylan

Something began to happen after Mateo was saved. I was relieved. He was saved because of me. Without him, I didn't know what would have happened. Probably not anything good. I didn't think I would ever feel this way about him, but here I was and this was what I thought about him. I actually couldn't imagine my life without him. I chuckled just thinking about that. So much had changed.

I began to have dreams about me and him. They started not long after Mateo's fight with Vance. Something was connected to it, but I didn't know what it was. Not to mention, it didn't matter what it was. What mattered was that I was having those dreams and it could only mean one thing — something that made me equally terrified and excited at the same time.

The dreams were vivid, haunting my sleep and lingering in my mind long after I woke. Every time I woke up, I felt like I had just finished running a marathon. And, I also had to lie to Mateo about them. I didn't want him asking me questions regarding what I was dreaming about.

In those dreams, Mateo and I were different, free from the confines of the prison walls. It was crazy and unbelievable. After spending so much time in the prison, I actually couldn't imagine myself living anywhere else. I knew I'd had a job and hobbies before all this, but they might as well have happened in another life and I was reborn into the person I was today.

Mateo and I ran through forests, our wolf forms graceful and powerful, the moon guiding our path. We could be ourselves. We could be anything we wanted. We could transform and be the wolves we were.

In one particular dream, we stood atop a cliff, the wind ruffling our fur. The view was spectacular. I could keep looking at it for the rest of my life.

Mateo turned to me, his golden eyes glowing in the moonlight. "We are meant to be, Rylan," he said, his voice deep and rumbling. "You are my fated mate."

I shivered as his words resonated within me, stirring something deep in my soul. Somehow, as much as I didn't think it was possible, I knew he was right. There had to be a reason why we were put together in the prison.

"I know," I whispered, my own eyes reflecting the moon's silvery light. "You are mine as well."

I was different in the dream. I felt like I knew everything and wasn't uncertain about anything. I know he was my fated mate and I was happy we were together. But it was just a dream and not reality.

He stepped closer, his presence overwhelming, yet comforting. Some things about him never changed. I felt the same way in real life.

"Then let us be what we are meant to be," he said, his voice a low purr. "Let us embrace our bond."

I wanted him to say the same thing in real life, but he never would. He saved me and recently was becoming more friendly towards me, but it still didn't mean anything. When we were out of here, he wouldn't seek me out.

I felt a pull, an irresistible force drawing me to him. I shouldn't be feeling this and yet, here it was. It was a weird feeling, but my body welcomed it.

Our bodies moved as one, our muzzles touching gently, our tails entwined. I had always imagined that happening. It was something I had always wanted to do.

A rush of warmth spread through me, a sense of completion, as if a missing piece of my soul had finally been found. Could it really be? Could it really be that he was the one meant to be with me for the rest of my life?

The dream ended there, leaving me awake, my heart pounding, my skin tingling with the memory of Mateo's touch. I lay in the darkness of our cell, my eyes fixed on his sleeping form.

This time, differently from before, I woke up happy I was still here. I was fearful it was all nothing more than a nightmare. It wasn't. I was here and he was with me.

Mateo stirred, a soft grunt escaping his lips, and I wondered if he, too, was haunted by dreams of us. If he were, it would explain everything. My suspicion would be confirmed.

As the days turned into weeks, the dreams persisted, each one more vivid than the last. I was glad they didn't stop. If they had, it would mean he wasn't my fated mate. I didn't know what I would do if that had happened.

In our dreams, we spent so much time together, our connection growing stronger with each passing night. We hunted together, played, and simply existed as the wolves we were meant to be.

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