Chapter 26: Brewing
Silas
“This is no longer a ranked tryout. Last night we found our pack Gamma. It will, however, determine who our lead warriors are.” A mummer is rising at Sydney’s words. “As many of you know, we are already facing an outside threat from a group of rogues. We don’t know when they will strike, but we know they will.” Sydney glares down at the pack members assembled. “Are you ready to defend your home!” She yells and pushes out her Alpha aura, and it would be extremely sexy if I weren’t so pissed.
“Yes, Alpha!” They yell back.
Sydney looks at me out of the corner of her eye and gives me a nod. I step forward, “White Ridge, starting today, we will be evaluating your skill level and your combat readiness.” As I look out, I’m sizing them all up. Who will I make an example of? Who can I let off some steam on? “It doesn’t matter if you are the strongest or the fastest. If you can’t handle yourself
Chapter 27: A Fight or Make-up Sydney "How dare he embarrass me like that in front of all the warriors and the pack at dinner." I put my fist through the wall. He didn't come back for dinner, so I sat alone the day after being marked. The whole pack saw it. I looked like an idiot just sitting there waiting for him. What the hell. "Our mate was upset." Thora was defending him, which made my already bad mood worse. "I don't care. He should have sucked it up and swallowed it down, and dealt with it later. We have a pack to run and don't have time for feelings." Why did he leave me? He's supposed to be my mate, and he just walked away like it was nothing. I hear footsteps coming down the hall, and I can smell him. I ready myself and my weapon. Silas walks in the bedroom door. I launch the pillow from my hand as hard as I can at his head—the impact pushing him back for a second. "Oh, you fina
Chapter 28: A Dark Night Coming to Light Silas I stand in my usual spot next to Syd at her desk. It may seem odd, but I feel like if I don't stand next to her, she might just disappear. The office is filled this morning. We have Beta Lucas, Beta Ambrose, Gamma Kyler, and the Elders, along with Syd and myself. Six in total now that Joseph has been stripped of his elder title. We needed to move past the Joseph issue for now and focus our time on other pack matters. "Thank you all for coming today," With Joseph no longer a part of the elders, Sydney was more relaxed. Just looking at the six Elders gathered today, I would say they look more comfortable as well. "Of course, Alpha, what is it you wish to discuss?" Elder Mimi sipped on her tea and smiled wide. Mimi felt like a wise grandma, loving and full of wisdom that she would covertly give you while snacking on milk and homemade cookies. There was a warm history
Chapter 29: One and the Same Sydney "Mmmm… what? Oh, did the elders leave? I should call Alpha Gideon." Silas snapped me back to reality. "OK, are you calling him now?" Silas' had a note of worry for some reason in his voice. "Yeah, I want to see if he found anything out about Drystan after he left… was kicked out of the pack." I pull my phone out and call Gideon. There were so many missing pieces. Gideon picks up on the third ring. "Hello, Alpha Sydney." "Hello Gideon, I have you on speaker. I am with my ranked members and Beta Lucas." I set my phone down on the desk; everyone came and huddled up around it. "Congratulations on finding your ranked members. I was expecting your call." We heard him sigh into the phone. "Have you read through the file I sent over this morning?" Gideon sounded cheerful in his congratulations but talking about the file turned his mood. "No, I haven't checked my email yet. What did you find?"
Chapter 30: Cries and Screams Silas "Hey, Syd," I yell from our bed. "What?" She yells back from the bathroom. She just got out of the shower. "What were your parents like?" I don't want to tiptoe around it, but I don't want it to feel extremely serious. If I brought it up casually, I figured I would get the real Sydney. Sydney walks out of the bathroom in one of my t-shirts. I usually would pounce at the sight, but I wanted to know more about my mate after the day we had. She looks deep in thought as she climbs in bed. Once next to me, a sad smile tugs at her lips. "They were amazing." I don't fight the urge to pull her to me. She doesn't fight me but instead settles in with her head on my chest. "Tell me more." "What do you want to know?" She looks up through her curls at me. I know the loss of her mother is still fresh, so maybe I should ask about her dad first. "The E
Chapter 31: Rogues and Red Silas “I’m coming to you. Just hold on.” I’ve never run this fast in a dark forest before. “I’m trying. I need you.” The pain and desperation in her voice stab me in the heart. “Bram, we need to get to her.” We are putting everything we have into going as fast we can without slamming headfirst into a tree. I can feel Bram pulling on the mate-bond, trying to soothe our mate. “Ambrose, Sydney’s in heat. Keep everyone away from her.” I need to protect our pack. “What! We have eight rogues to deal with, and now our Alpha might attack.” It was a harrowing situation for sure, but I need Ambrose to stay calm. “I’m almost there now. Just keep our pack away from her. She can handle herself with the rogues.” I was sure that the rogues didn’t stand a chance against Sydney. I’m close; I can feel it through the bond. I can hear the fighting and smell blood. I catch a glimpse of the fight between the trees.
Chapter 32: Our Bond, My Feelings Sydney I can finally breathe. Being in the middle of a fight was the worst time for my heat to start. Thora was completely out of control, and it was terrifying. It took everything I could to hold her back. Keeping her under control was the only thing I could focus on when I felt Silas with me; Thora’s rage became a yearning that was even more intense. I couldn’t keep a hold on her any longer, and control over my body was yanked away. “Sydney, I’m here. It’s OK.” I could feel Silas pulling me into the bond; it was oddly comforting. Thora and Bram were going at it in the shower, but I was disconnected from what was happening. “I’m an emotional mess right now.” My spirit is shacky, and I honestly just want to scream, but at the same time, I want Silas to hold me close as he did hours ago. “Focus on me. Let it all go. I’m not going anywhere.” I search through the bond till
Chapter 33: Where to start Silas "Alright, guys, I don't have a ton of time, so let's get right to it. How's everyone healing up after last night?" I sit down on one of the sofas in Syd's office. Ambrose plops down, as is his style. "Well, everyone survived. Even Brian, but it was touch and go for a bit. Are you sure you should leave the Alpha?" Ambrose looks at the door. "Syd is asleep. I told her I would come and check on things while she rests." I can see there's some hesitation on his face. "My mom told me that a female's first heat takes a lot out of her." I chuckle awkwardly, "If I don't give her a report, she'll have my head." I hope my joke will cut the tension. "We could have dropped a full report at your door." Kyler flips open his laptop, flipping it around to show me the medical report on the fighters from last night. "True, but you guys know how Syd is. I didn't want to make her fee
Chapter 34: Before the Ceremony Sydney It was like déjà vu and an out-of-body experience at the same time. The rushing around me, the poking a prodding, the crying and giggling. It’s just like before but with a different set of nerves tearing through my body. This mass chaos swirled around me, and I couldn’t focus on any of it. It was like I was watching someone else’s life. I just needed to get my mind right. I just finished my first heat, which started at the worst time possible. I’ve kept myself away from everyone for fear of accidentally hurting a pack member. Being forced to spend all that time with Silas wasn’t as bad as I thought. Especially the moments we got to be in the bond space together. I’ve never experienced anything as claiming and peacefully before. Now it’s back to reality. I am more nervous about the Lumiere ceremony than I was my own. This ceremony was significant to our pack’s recovery. It