RALPH
I looked down at her, feeling a mix of amusement and hurt that he had accepted Zac’s offer. It was clear that Zac was the one she was referring to. I stepped close to her, close enough to hear the rhythm of her heartbeat. I stared into her eyes. “Why would you do that to your mate, Keilah Rivera?” I queried, taken aback by my own admission of accepting her as my mate. Yet, despite my astonishment, I reassured myself that it was the right thing to do for the time being.
Her eyes widened at my question, clearly taken aback that I called her my mate or that I said her name. Swiftly, she concealed her surprise, clearing her throat before responding.
“I didn’t see any problem in that,” she admitted, her voice tinged with resignation.
“But that doesn’t mean I’m on his side. I know he’s not a good man, just as you are. I’m just trying to survive in this dangerous house where everybody wants my demise.”
“Are you oblivious or just reckless?” I asked. “If you made a deal, you shouldn’t be confiding in me about it.”
She shrugged nonchalantly.
“I thought you should know,” she replied calmly. “So you aren’t caught off guard when I shadow your every move. I need information to relay back. Is that an issue for you?”
I couldn’t help but laugh, the absurdity of the situation washing over me.
“I don’t mind at all,” I responded evenly. “Feel free to do as you wish. You have my permission.” With that, I made my way to the shower.
As the water cascaded down over me, I couldn’t shake off the hurricane of emotions swishing inside me. Keilah’s confession had stirred something within me, something I wasn’t entirely ready to confront. The realization that I had accepted her as my mate, even if just in words, echoed in my mind.
But there was no time to dwell on that. The situation was dire, and I needed to stay focused. Wrapping a towel around myself, I stepped out of the shower and crossed to the closet, and began to dress.
As I emerged from the closet, I found her still in the same spot, almost frozen in anticipation. “Is there anything else you want to tell me?” I inquired casually as I walked past her, preparing to head out.
Her response was hesitant. “Not really,” she muttered, but then added, “There’s something I want to understand from you.”
I paused mid-stride and turned to face her. “I’m all ears,” I said, my tone indicating my readiness to listen.
“Am I… am I now your mate?” she asked, her words stumbling over each other. “I mean, I’m already your mate, but you never-”
“Do you have a problem with it?” I interjected sharply, cutting her off before she could finish. Without waiting for her response, I continued on my way out the door.
As I descended the last staircase step, a commotion coming from the backyard grabbed my attention. Hastening my steps, I pushed open the door and was met with the mingled scents of Andrew’s pack and my own. Stepping outside, I found Andrew and his pack locked in a heated confrontation with members of my own pack.
“What the fuck are you doing here, Andrew?” I asked him through the mind link.
Andrew’s wolfy eyes narrowed as he faced me, the tension palpable in the air between us. “Just came to say hi,” he replied, his tone defiant. “No need to get your fur in a twist.”
I snorted, the anger bubbling inside me threatening to spill over. “Just came to say hi? With a fight breaking out in my backyard?” I shot back, my voice edged with frustration. “You know better than to bring trouble to my pack at this time.” “Couldn’t you come in daylight?”
Before Andrew could respond, one of his pack members lunged forward, teeth bared in aggression. In an instant, my pack reacted, meeting the attack head-on. The sounds of growls and snarls filled the air as the two groups clashed.
I stepped forward, ready to intervene, when a familiar voice echoed in my mind. “Alpha, we need you,” came the urgent message from Jay, one of my pack members.
Turning my attention away from the brawl, I focused on the source of the communication. “What’s wrong?” I asked.
“It’s the eastern border,” he replied, the urgency in his tone unmistakable. “We’ve detected the rogues.”
My heart sank at the news. With Andrew’s pack causing chaos in my backyard and rogues at our borders, it seemed like trouble was closing in from all sides.
Pushing aside my frustration with Andrew, I turned to him. Get the hell out of my pack, Andrew. I commanded, gesturing towards the woods where they came from.
Andrew’s gaze hardened, but he didn’t protest. With a curt nod to his pack, he turned on his heel, leading them back into the woods.
With Andrew’s pack gone, I quickly surveyed the aftermath of the confrontation in the backyard. There were injuries on both sides, but thankfully nothing too severe. My anger simmered beneath the surface, but there was no time to dwell on it now. I turned my attention back to the urgent matter at hand.
“Gather the pack,” I instructed Jay through the mind link. “We’re heading to the eastern border immediately.”
Without hesitation, Jay relayed my orders, and soon the pack members were assembling, their expressions determined and ready for whatever lay ahead. I shifted into my wolf and set off as they followed behind me.
The wind whipped against my fur, carrying with it the scent of the rogues that had dared to encroach upon my territories.
As we approached the border, the tension in the air grew thicker, the sense of danger looming ever closer. And then, we spotted them – a group of rogues prowling along the edge of our territory, their eyes gleaming with malice.
“Stay together,” I commanded, my voice low but firm. “We’ll drive them back, whatever it takes.”
I charged forward, a primal growl rumbling in my chest as I confronted the rogues.
“State your business,” I demanded, my voice echoing with authority.
The leader stepped forward, his gaze meeting mine with a mixture of arrogance and hostility.
“We’re just passing through,” he replied, his tone dripping with contempt. “We didn’t realize we were crossing into your territory.”
I narrowed my eyes, unconvinced by his words.
Before I could tell him to get out of my territory, he ordered the other rogues to charge forward but we were more than ready. With a unified growl, my pack surged forward too, meeting the rogues head-on in a fierce clash of fangs and claws. The sounds of battle echoed through the forest as we fought.
Despite the odds stacked against us, we held our ground, driving them back until the last of them, which is their leader, fled into the shadows of the woods.
I turned to my pack. “Well done everyone.” “Let’s return to the pack house.” With purposeful strides, I led the way back.
As we neared the pack house, I noticed Dahlia sprinting towards us, her white wolf form a blur of urgency. Fear tainted her breath as she skidded to a halt upon seeing me. Sensing something amiss, I struggled to maintain composure.
“What is it, Dahlia?” I inquired, striving to maintain an air of calm despite the growing uncertainty that gripped me.
“It’s your mate, Alpha,” she responded, her voice tinged with apprehension.
My heart skipped a beat at her words, dread clawing at the edges of my consciousness.
“What about her?” I pressed, a sense of foreboding settling over me like a shroud.
“She was found in the backyard, badly injured from an attack by some of the pack members,” she explained, her eyes reflecting the gravity of the situation. Without waiting another second, I dashed towards the pack house.
The scent of blood lingered in the air as I reached the backyard, where my pack had gathered around her. I shifted into my human form and pushed through them, my eyes fixed on her prone form, lying motionless on the ground. Kneeling beside her, I gently brushed my muzzle against hers, seeking any sign of response. Her eyelids fluttered open, revealing pain-filled eyes that pierced through me. What are you looking at? I expect you to go bring isabella. I yelled.
“Stay with me,” I murmured, my voice trembling. Without another word I carefully carried her into the house and into one of the empty rooms.
I paced back and forth, the seconds dragging like centuries as I awaited Isabella’s arrival. She was never one to dawdle, especially when it came to matters concerning the human. Yet, she seemed to be taking an eternity today.
Finally, Dahlia entered the room, Isabella in tow. “Thank God you’re here. Can you do something?” I implored Isabella, noting the distant look in her eyes. But as her gaze fell upon the bloodied human’s figure on the bed, she started crying, calling out my mother’s name with anguish. “What did you do to Athena?” she asked me.
“Fuck me,” I muttered under my breath, frustration bubbling up within me like a tempest.
“Take her back to her room,” I instructed Dahlia, who nodded in understanding and led Isabella away.
“This can’t be happening,” I muttered to myself, staring down at the human’s body before me. The temptation to let her die clawed at the edges of my consciousness, but the thought of losing my wolf and my pack outweighed the temptation.
With a resigned sigh, I shifted into my wolf form, drawing near to her and started licking her wounds. After meticulously tending to each open gash, I stepped back and waited, but her wounds remained open. She wasn’t healing.