Arya was deep in conversation with a man in the main hall. When Lyle came in, Arya gave her a cursory glance and resumed conversation with the man. Lyle walked up to the dining hall and found that she was the only one dining. A servant came to lay the food for her and on an impulse she asked her, “Where is Dominique?”
“He asked me to pack food for him,” she replied. “He has left for his pack.”
Lyle jerked her head back in surprise. He had told her that he wouldn’t leave until her birthday. What changed overnight? But on the inside she was happy that he had left. His presence was making her stomach twist all the time.
The servant girl served her with sesame bread and chicken stew and in a low voice commented, “The guest sitting with our Alpha is from the How
“You have to come and see it, Alpha,” Conrad insisted with a sense of urgency.Anxious and nervous, Lyle froze in her place. She looked at Conrad with wide eyes feeling as if her knees would give in the moment she stood.Arya and Benito strode to where Conrad was and he pointed outside, as he whispered something in Arya’s ears. Arya nodded and they all started to leave when she called Lyle, “Come over!” It was an order and not a request. And Lyle knew why Arya was in such a foul mood. Her fists curled tightly. She rose to her feet and followed the group outside.Rain poured in generous water pellets from the dense gray clouds over the earth. The water was so strong that it felt like it was piercing her skin. Rather than being in a rain shower, it was like she was in th
Surprised, Ryder whipped his head in her direction and his mouth fell. He gave Elara an incredulous stare. His posture stiffened as all the muscles in his body froze. What was she doing in the Silver Crescent pack? “Elara?” he said in a voice laced with disbelief. Then he turned to look at Juan who was smiling. “Well, don’t look at me like that!” said Juan. “Elara meant to give us all a surprise!” He chuckled and pushed Ryder towards Elara. He whispered, “She has been waiting for you to return for the past two days.” A sudden coldness hit at his core as his thoughts became fuzzy. Elara frowned and her lips curved down. The beautiful blonde was wearing a soft silk beige dress. She had tied her hair in a bun and was looking like a mature woman. But the odd thing about her was in the ten years she
His Beta gave a tight nod. They watched Ryder leave for his room. Just before he was about to climb the stairs, he turned and said, “Keep my jeep ready. I will be leaving by evening.” He decided that he would leave Elara back to the portal where she would cross back to the human realm and then go back to Lyle. Of course he would give Nyter to Elara as a parting gift. With that thought in mind, he raced to his room feeling energetic.Bath was wonderful… filled with Lyle’s thoughts. Like a randy lad he had jerked himself off imagining her butts and the core in between it. He laughed at himself and couldn’t wait to be with her. He was eager to spend her birthday in his hunting lodge that is if Arya allowed it. If not, he would be happy to spend it with her in the Black Crest pack too. After taking a bath he dried himself and came out with a towel wrapped around his waist.
Ryder was dumbstruck. When did he get the jeep from Alpha Arya? And why would Arya come to give him the jeep? Why was he so confused? Did he drink too much the previous night?“Ryder,” Elara called him in a soft voice. “Won’t you be able to give me a tour of your pack?”He scratched his temple and in an uncertain tone repeated her question, “Give you a tour of my pack?” He tilted his head to the right and pursed his lips. Narrowing his eyes, he asked her, “Why do you want a tour of the pack?” He knew the question was stupid, but he was biding his time for all the confusion that had flooded his mind. His gaze grew cloudy and instead of looking at her he looked in the distance. Something nagged his mind like a persistent tick.Elara’s eyebro
Lyle didn’t hear from Grisha for the entire time she spent with Arya and others that evening. When she went back to her room to sleep, she started thinking about Ryder again. She missed him with every passing minute and somehow she knew that Grisha missed him too. Her loneliness was so intense that a thickness formed in her throat and her eyes stung with tears. She was conflicted between anger, bitterness and desire. Was she so unworthy that Ryder forgot her so soon? In only three days he had forgotten all about the connection they had?As the night grew, she became antsy. Her wolf started clamoring. Unable to sleep even for a minute, Lyle got up. She folded her knees, curled her hands around it and rested her head over them. She began to rock herself in order to allay her fears, nothing worked. ‘We must go to find him,’ Grisha said, withdrawing her from her angst.
Arya continued, “We tried to find the their pup, but the child was lost… forever.” Her voice trailed off. “When I saw you, I could see how much you resemble our mother. You have blue, almond shaped eyes and her nose. You got those raven black hair from father. Heck, even your style of speaking and a few mannerisms are the same. In fact the similarities are uncanny.”“Really?” Lyle said, feeling joyous on the inside. Her skin was lined with goose bumps.Arya brought her hand to her face and said, “Really.” She held her hand. “Come let me show you the photographs of our parents.”Her chest tightened as Lyle got up to accompany Arya to her room. All the way to her room she bounced her feet, as she was unable to hide her excitement. Ary
At first Lyle was pretty awkward and flummoxed by Dominique’s offer to go with her to the Silver Moon pack, but Dominique’s genuineness melted her heart. The man didn’t talk to her for the first hour of the journey and maintained his space. He walked behind her all the time as if watching her as if to protect her from dangers ahead. Although she was feeling reticent, the silence between them was deafening and she was flustered. After the incident in the woods, she had stopped talking to him, but then when he offered to walk her to meet Ryder, her emotions conflicted. Not able to bear the uncomfortable quiet between them, she stopped all of a sudden. He jerked his head when he came to a halt. Lyle turned to look at him. She put her hands on her hips and said, “Thanks for accompanying me, Dominique.” “You are welcome,” he said with a half smile.
Lyle went completely still and her mouth fell open. From the periphery of her vision, she saw Nina and Dominique coming to stand in front of her. She felt heaviness in her limbs and a knot formed in her stomach as shock numbed her mind. Dominique had been with her since the beginning and she had grown to trust him to the extent that she depended on him blindly for directions to the Silver Moon pack. So many thoughts bounced in her mind that she didn’t know how to segue them.“You must be wondering how this all happened?” Nina said. There was a thick rope in her hands.Lyle blinked her eyes as her gaze darted to the rope in her hands. She flinched. “What are you going to do with me?” she asked, not bothering to talk about the connection between her and Dominique. Her mind started charting escape routes.