Chapter 12: Left Unsaid
Silas
I want to make her smile again. “I don’t know. You seem to know how to kiss pretty well.”
There is my sweet mate shying away, hiding her blush from my gaze. “Shut up; we have to get going.”
Her hair is over her shoulder, exposing the back of her neck, and it’s turning a lovely shade of red. There’s an innocence about her when it comes to her and me. It just makes me want to tease her more. Her reactions are so cute. I hope that never goes away.
“They are all ours. Thora is beautiful and powerful, the perfect Alpha female, and she’s only mine.” Bram was pining for his mate, and so was I. This whole day was a storm, and I just wanted to relax and spend time with her.
“I couldn’t agree more. I don’t mind walking behind her. Look at that ass and those legs. So perfect I want to sink my teeth into them.” It was a perfect view. She might find all her pants cut into shorts
Chapter 13: Elder Issues Silas I step out of the SUV into a dimly lit curved driveway in front of a cabin-style packhouse. It’s smaller than the Amaris packhouse, but it fits. It’s almost quaint. This will be my home now. This is where my children will grow and become Ranked members. This is where my new life will begin. I shut the door to the SUV. Sydney and Gideon are immediately rushed by a gaggle of what I guess are about seven elders. Beta Lucas is close behind, shaking his head. He looks exhausted. A few of them are completely ignoring her and only addressing Gideon. They are just interrupting each other, and you can’t really make anything out. Every time she tries to say something, she gets cut off, and I can see the frustration in her eyes. She is trying her best to be respectful, but she’s not getting the respect she should for them. I walk up behind Sydney and simply place my hand on her back. I want her to
Chapter 14: Our Fight Continues Silas “What?” I seemed to already in one day have the affinity to piss Sydney off and not even know how. “You know what! Don’t play dumb! I wasn’t done talking about the rogue attack and the letter.” Even when she’s mad, she’s cute. “We should get some sleep. It’s been a long day, and we haven’t even had the time to get to know each other.” I lean on the desk and look deep into her eyes. For a split second, they looked like they got brighter. It must be her wolf pushing forward. “It doesn’t matter I wasn’t done, and you don’t get to dismiss my meetings. It doesn’t matter if we are mates or not.” I see that lighter amber flash again. She must be fighting with her wolf as well. I know Alphas are stubborn, but she was on another level. “Nothing is going to be resolved tonight anyway. Everyone is tired, and the portal is in the hospital anyway. You need sleep.” I lean d
Chapter 15: Our First Night Sydney "Damn." This is the only word I can get out as Silas walks out of the bathroom with a towel slung dangerously low on his hips. This was the first time really seeing my mate 'fully' in the light. It was dark before in the forest, and I was looking away. He was more than attractive. He was perfect. His hair was still wet, and tiny droplets fell and rolled down his perfectly sculpted chest. I was mesmerized by these small droplets and watched with envy as they seemed to touch the same places I wanted to before being soaked up by the towel. I caught myself ogling him and tried to check if I was drooling discreetly. I have never wanted to be with anyone. I never really experienced sexual desire until right now. Oh, goddess, what have you given me? Si stood there, a satisfied smirk on his face. His hands are resting on each hip, proudly placing himself on display for me. "Did you want somet
Chapter 16: Good Morning Sydney The early fall sun breaks through the curtains and hits my eyes. I bury my face into my pillow. My senses are filled with the warm, calming scent of sandalwood and lavender. I pull my pillow closer, and it's so heavy. Wait, did my pillow move? I slowly open my eyes and find myself lying on a firm chest with arms wrapped around me. I look up, and I'm pulled into the deepest eyes smiling back at me. A stray curl is brushed from my cheek, and I realize this is not a dream. I freeze, the heat starts to build in my cheeks, but I can't look away from his profound gaze. "Good morning, beautiful," Silas cranes his neck to plant a kiss on my forehead. Will all my mornings be like this? Do I deserve this luxury? I feel Silas' hand run up my thigh and skim the bottom of my butt, and I remember I didn't put pants on last night. I jolt up and look down, letting my bed head curls cascade down
Chapter 17: Our Work begins Silas I let the cold water run over my body. I need to cool my body and mind. I don't know how long I can hold back from marking Syd. Everything is new to her, and her reactions are so intense. I can't say that the mate bond isn't adding to it. It's not new to me, but it feels new every time she reacts to me. If she will just let me in and trust me. She is more like a cat than a wolf. One minute she's all fangs and claws, the next purring and rubbing herself on me. I know I caught her off guard just now. I didn't scare her. I don't think that's actually possible to scare her, but I surprised her for sure. I didn't even mean to. Only the medical staff back home have touched my scars. It just brings their faces to mind. I don't want that memory associated with Sydney at all. I know she went through her own hell that night, and I don't want our nightmares to take over. As I'm standing u
Chapter 18: Try Outs Sydney It's only 10 AM, and I'm already exhausted. I don't know how much more of this weird tension between us I can take, add in all the training and pack work, and I'm fried; at least I can work out some of this frustration on the practice field. I quickly change into my standard training attire, sports shorts, and a sports bra. It's easy to move around in, and there's not a bunch of extra fabric for someone to grab and use as leverage. I step out of the female locker room, and Silas is waiting for me, leaning against the wall. I stop in my tracks, and I don't know if I'm excited or upset at the sight I see in front of me. Silas is shirtless only in shorts. Silas looks me up and down as I do him. He grunts out, "That's all you're wearing?" My arms fold across my chest, and my eyebrow raises, "I could say the same to you!" "Fine, but I don't like it." He huffs. I ro
Chapter 20: A Trader's Family Sydney I take a seat behind my desk. Silas and I are still in our workout clothes from tryouts. Elder Joseph is glaring at me. His two adult sons, Ralph and Vance, are glaring at him. Ralph's son Ambrose is standing at attention like a soldier waiting for orders, and of course, Vance's daughter Amber is cowering behind her father like a wet dog. At least that horrible perfume has been washed off. Si stands next to me, as seems to be his style. I don't know if I like it or just getting used to it. Gideon hasn't left yet, and he and Lucas have made themselves comfortable on the sofas waiting for the show. Well, I guess I would have to deliver. "Thank you all for coming so quickly. It has come to my attention that Amber attempted to seduce my mate. I say attempted because she almost got herself killed in the process." I stay as calm as I can. I feel like this is some kind of test. Si
Chapter 21: Unexpected Faces Silas Our day seemed to dizzy by me. The only thing I could focus on was my Lumiere ceremony. Tonight, I would be accepted into the White Ridge Pack, and in four days, I would officially become the Lumiere, the only mate to the Alpha. I just met Sydney yesterday, and now my whole world revolves around her and this pack. "It's not much different than before. Our life revolved around the pack." Bram wasn't wrong. "This feels different." I couldn't put my finger on it. "Before it was someone else's duties, we were the substitute just helping out. Now the pack looks to us as one of its leaders an example to follow." I guess Bram is an Alpha wolf for a reason. "You are probably right. A part of all this feels bittersweet. Changing my pack mark tonight puts everything into perspective." I rub my shoulder where my pack mark is. "This is where we belong now. Give it
Chapter 44: Lupus ConstellationSydney“The same reason you didn’t leave, family. My father knew if he tried to run with us, my mother and I would be the targets, not him. So my parents devised a plan, one that saved many in our pack from the curse.” Pearl’s words hit me hard. My dad could have taken us and ran, and I could have run away, but family kept us anchored to the pack.“What was the plan? How can you avoid a curse?” More than the sting of being held hostage by family obligations, my curiosity about how they avoided the curse was higher.“My mother being a human, did not have the same obligation to the Alpha as us wolves. I was part of the pack already and had found my mate. She didn’t want to lose her family, plus she was getting older. She did reading after reading about pack members searching for anything for years. She started to piece some things together. Out of all the families in the pack, only 11 had futures of not being corrupted.” Pearl rubbed the back of her neck
Chapter 43: The Alpha Curse Silas “I understand now.” Syd’s voice is tender and soft as she looks into Pearl’s eyes. It makes me wonder if this is how she was with her mother. Pearl turns to look at my parents with a charming smile, “Beta Youngbloods, do you mind if I have a moment with the Alphas.” Before anyone could say a word in response, Syd replied, “they are family. If it’s important, I would like them to hear it.” I was shocked. I expected to be kicked out of the room myself for a second. In a gentle voice, I asked, “Syd, are you sure?” She didn’t answer in words, just a shy smile; I could see her eyes were glassy. “If that is what the Alpha wishes, I will oblige. I must warn you this is not a happy story, nor should it be shared outside of this room.” Pearl’s ominous warning sucked the air out of the room. We all took a deep breath. “Please, Elder Pearl, continue.” Syd sat up straight. If I couldn’t feel her emotions, I would think she was calm and regal looking, but I
Chapter 42: The Moon and the Stars Sydney I can’t believe what I just heard. Silas said he loved me and said it in front of his parents. I need to control my face. I know I’m grinning like a mad woman, but I can’t help it. This is not what an Alpha acts like. Ugh, why do I get like this around him? “Thora, help fix our face.” I plead with her because I know I look crazy right now. “I can’t. Do you feel that… coming through the bond? Hehe,” My wolf was making it worse. I’m in front of a high-ranking Beta couple, and I’m acting like a love-sick kid. “Get a hold of yourself,” I scream to Thora and me. Now I was just feeling embarrassed that I, an Alpha, was acting so ridiculous over a simple word. I stare at the bowl in front of me, focusing on the mashed potatoes. “Does it taste alright, dear?” I look up and see everyone staring at me. “Yeah, it’s great.” I quickly put my fork in my mouth. I feel like I’m going to explode from em
Chapter 41: What is that feeling Silas “I’m not ready,” Syd yells out; she has this deer in the headlights look on her face as she stares at Dad and me. The room is quiet for a moment, and Syd quickly turns a lovely shade of red. Dad lets me out of the headlock. I can tell mom and dad are linking each other because mom shrugged. I’m about to link Syd when mom strikes first. “Sydney dear, what are you not ready for?” Again, we all look at Syd, and I didn’t think she could get this red. “Ummm… ahhh…Ummm.” Syd looks at me in a panic. I link her, “You, OK? What’s going on?” “No.” She snaps back. “Well, answer her?” I’m not a mind reader, and if she wasn’t going to tell me what was going on, I could help. Her emotions are all over the place; there’s confusion, panic, and embarrassment, but I have no clue why. “Ummm… I’m not ready for you both to leave in a few days.” I feel a sense of relief coming off of Syd. I hone
Chapter 40: Monster Cookies Sydney “Is this really a good idea?” I whisper to myself as I slow my steps walking toward the packhouse kitchen. “Hurry up. Why are you so slow?” Thora tries to take over for a second. “Hey, knock it off. You just want to eat. Whatever she made is not going anywhere.” I push her back and maintain control. “You don’t know that. Beta Christine is nice, and she could have already given the good stuff away.” My mouth starts to salivate as Thora pushes forward again. “You are acting like a starving pup. We eat all the time.” I stop walking and stand still in the hall, taking back complete control. I’ve never put myself on a diet. With the consistent training and shifting, the need for calories was immense. Now with the added workload of the pack, I was eating even more, as they call it, brain food. “This is different. This is special. Just calm down, alright. Ever
Chapter 39: Father-Son Silas I clap my hands and yell out. “Alright, everyone, that’s it for now.” I start walking back up to the front where my dad is standing. “Remember tonight we are running drills in the forest.” Everyone groans. We need to run rogue attack simulations, so we don’t have the same thing happen again. No one died, but it was too close for comfort. Something catches my attention out of the corner of my eye. “Brain, I guess you decided to stop milking that near-death injury and come to training.” I chuckle and take a few steps over to the onlooker. “What can I say? The ladies love to nurse an injured hero back to health.” Brian gives me a smirk. I wanted to rip his head off when I got her, but that battle changed how we saw each other. “Seriously, how are you healing?” I place a concerned hand on his shoulder. Brain lifts his shirt, and I see stapled flesh. “Staples come out tomorrow. Doc said it was so deep and seriou
Chapter 38: Finding the definition Sydney “Alpha, aren’t you going to join your mate and his father at the training grounds?” Kyler looked up from his laptop. I sink back into my chair and let out a sigh. “No, I need to get caught up on pack business.” I’m behind on pack work because of my heat and the Lumiere ceremony. Now that the other Alphas have left, I can focus on cleaning this up again. Why did Silas’ parents decide to stay an extra few days? I always feel like I’m walking on eggshells around them now. “What was all that noise about at the after-party, Alpha?” Ambrose cranes his neck backward over the sofa to look at me. A sucker stick poked out between his lips. I know he’s being nosy and trying to act casual about it. “It was nothing. Don’t worry about it.” I don’t want to bring it back up right now. It still bothers me. I focus on the reports in front of me. “Nothing? You sure rushed out for nothing then.” Ambrose knows how
Chapter 37: A Family Matter Silas “Put a shirt on already. I’m sick of looking at that creepy mate mark.” Cody scoffed. "Shut up, Cody." I snarled. His attitude toward Sydney and I is really getting under my skin. "What are you, the little bitch's, bitch now?" Cody continued to mock and down his drink and slammed the glass on the table. I jump to my feet. "Cody, if you forgot, I outrank you now, so I mean it when I say shut the fuck up." I feel Bram pushing forward and my Lumiere Aura pushing out. "Uhhh... You!" Cody slumps down in his chair, trying to fight the pull. "Cody, bro, seriously knock it off. You are not just Silas' brother but the Gamma of our pack. So as your Beta, I'm telling you to stop now." Davy steps between us. Him being the oldest always trying to keep the peace. My blood is boiling. I’m doing everything I can to hold Bram back, but a big part of me wants to let him loose. "Grrrrrr..." Cody’s eyes fl
Chapter 36: Brothers Sydney “What?” Silas keeps trying to look at his own back. “Goddess, help me. I think his ceremony fired his damn brain.” I raise my head to plead with Selene herself. Watching him, I let out a sigh. “You look ridiculous. Stop it.” “Well, you said I had a star. I want to see it. Take a picture with your phone.” He spins around, and I swear Bram’s tail is out wagging. “Yeah, this damn dress has a place for pockets. I’ll do it later, but we seriously need to figure this out.” I pinch his arm to bring him out of his happy daze. “Ouch!” Silas rubs his arm. “What the hell.” “Silas! Focus!” My temper is starting to show. “OK. I’m sure it’s just part of the connecting pattern, and it doesn’t mean anything.” Silas waves me off. “I don’t think it’s part of the connecting pattern. I don’t know what it means if it means anything.” I sigh and turn him around to take a good look at his mark. It is pretty