Unacceptable

Ryan.

The screams at the door can only indicate one thing—an attack from a rival pack. There were obvious suspicions about which pack but none of those things were going through my mind as I shifted to my wolf.

The doors burst open and five black wolves strut in. There are still some wolves fighting the guards stationed outside.

The ladies in the room who had come for the ceremony scream; they aren’t fighters. One of the two guards at the door reacts quickly and transforms, but the other gets his throat ripped out by a wolf before he can do anything.

I leap six feet into the air and grab a black wolf that had jumped to attack one of the ladies in the room.

I rip out its throat mid air and we both land hard. The other wolf can only writhe on the floor as his life’s blood spills out. I sustain minimal damage as his body cushions my fall.

My vision is tinted red as my wolf relishes in the savagery as an opportunity to release pent-up anger and display his dominance. I know subconsciously that I must protect the defenseless in the room, but I’m not even aware of what is happening behind the line of attack as I sight my next prey.

The body of one of my guards is being shaken in between the teeth of one of the attacking wolves and I bound straight for it. The wolf is taken by surprise due to my unusual speed and it flies to hit the wall from the force of our impact.

My wolf senses another presence—a female—approaching and I turn. I see the white wolf leap into the room and attack another guard. She quickly dispatches him and her white snout is tainted with bright red blood.

Both of our eyes lock. At that moment, I barely notice anything as my mind is completely focused on the she-wolf in front of me. Something unimaginable is happening.

My wolf howls in my mind and I feel a mate bond form between the she-wolf and I. I can see that the same thing happens to her and the entire fight pauses around us.

She is my mate.

The she-wolf shifts back into a human and the form of Isabella Lenovo is revealed. There is an unreadable expression on her face as she also tries to process what happened.

“It’s only fitting that my mate be the formidable Alpha of the pack of Loren,” Isabella says to herself as if in a trance.

I feel my wolf take a step towards her. I have been searching for a mate far and wide and I have finally found her, but I resist its will and stop in my tracks. I take over and shift back into a human.

This is unacceptable.

I am well acquainted with Isabella as she’s the sister of the Alpha of a rival pack; Pack Cordon. The Alpha—Ledger Lenovo—is also someone I’m very familiar with, as he used to be my childhood friend. Unfortunately, we are no longer friends and now he has initiated an attack with an unknown reason.

I have always taken notice of Isabella but her arrogant attitude usually pisses me off. Now I have seen her murder members of my pack without any hesitation.

I open my mouth to rebuke her when a hand grabs me from behind, effectively stopping me. I turn back and see my mother who simply shakes her head. I clench my fists, knowing that she’s right. By tradition, there is only one thing to do in this instance.

I see movement from the corner of my eye and turn forward to see Isabella boldly walking forward. Her body is still stained with blood, but she seemed not to care.

I raise my hand in a motion to stop her, and she abruptly comes to a stop five feet in front of me.

I feel my wolf yearn for her.

“Tell Alpha Ledger that I am summoning him. We need to have a discussion to come to a truce.” I say, feeling the grip of my mother’s hand on my wrist tighten, showing that she approves.

“But…” Isabella tries to talk but I immediately cut her off.

“Go now before I lose my temper.” I tell her, trying to stay calm.

Isabella frowns deeply and I can see her hold herself back. She simply turns and walks back out. The remaining Loren pack wolves in the hall turn and follow her outside with no words. A few of them glare at me but they make no moves.

“I’m proud of you son.” My mother says quietly.

***

It’s been a few hours since the attack and I am sitting in the same hall with Alpha Ledger, who is accompanied by twenty of his wolves. A round table was arranged in the hall for our meeting.

“Alpha, do you care to explain your actions?” Elder Lucius asks him.

“Ryan can speak for himself. Can’t you, Ryan?” Ledger jabs at me but I remain silent.

“Let’s remain civil please,” Elder Arne pleads.

“If you must know, it was simply retaliation.” Ledger says as he places his feet on the table and crosses them with a smile on his face.

I glare at him ready to jump out of my chair. He had killed members of my pack in cold blood.

“Ryan calm down.” Elder Lev said quietly from his seat beside me.

“You can tuck your tail in between your legs like always.” Ledger says.

I shoot up and slam my hands on the table. Elder Lev and Elder Lucius stand up at the same time to stop me, while Ledger stays seated with a smile. I was about to leap on the table and shift when a bang resounded in the room.

Everyone in the room turned simultaneously and saw that the door had burst open. A single person was standing in the doorway silhouetted by the sunlight.

It was Isabella.