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
Chapter 35: The Lumiere Ceremony Silas I can’t seem to move my feet for a moment. My eyes are fixed on the back door; beyond that point is everyone waiting for me. I take a deep breath and gather myself. My hand is shaking as I grab the handle. My head is a mess; my stomach is in knots. I know I can’t run away. I turn the knob and step outside. “Announcing the male of the hour Silas Youngblood-Eld.” Ambrose bellowed. I nod and make my way down the central aisle to the raised stage. Everyone stood and bowed their heads out of respect. Every step closer, my heart pounded louder and harder in my chest. My eyes are fixed on the stage. My palms are sweating; what if I don’t get my Lumiere mark at the end of the ceremony? “This is our destiny, our goddess-given duty.” Bram’s commanding voice echoed in my head. “You’re right. It just still doesn’t seem real sometimes.” I straightened myself to my full
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
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