Ryan's POV
I had not enjoyed the feast for even a second. I could not see Dylan Harris' table to make sure he wasn't touching her or acting inappropriately. He seemed like the type.
Michael was trying to be friendly, "I guess you get your she-wolf afterall, since she won."
My temper flared, normally I would know his humor, but instead, I grabbed him by the throat. He winced, and gagged. I threw him off.
"Shut up, Michael," I said. "Don't talk about her. Ever. This whole thing is your fault." If he hadn't insisted that she fight in the games, we wouldn't be here now, and Alyson would not be sharing a table with another man. She'd denied me, and
Ryan's POV It was the sweetest night of my life, although it was not easy to control my desires. Rupert was raging inside me to mark my mate, and unhappy that I blocked him. Still, as much as I wanted Alyson, I never wanted to hurt her or force her to do anything. I was able to sleep after watching Alyson fall into peaceful slumber, tucked up beside me, breathing peacefully. Everything about her smelt enticing and delicious. I felt the stirring as we woke up at the same time. We opened our eyes together, and looked over at one another. She was smiling, biting her lower lip in an incredibly sexy way. Her straight black hair was messy and she had little dark patches under her eyes that were endearing. I would have stayed
Alyson's POV We returned back to the Starstream pack's territory. I was so pleased to see Donna again, but Ryan disappeared till later that night. I wasn't sure how we would act now that we were back home after spending the night together, platonically. Especially with Donna around a lot. Ryan returned to his cabin late. His clumsy big feet seemed to trip over a few items and crash around. I got out of my bed and crept into the main room. The smelt of alcohol hit me first. "You're drunk?" I said. 
Alyson's POV With a twisted smile, he said, "yes, you look awful." And then he buttered his bread. "Hey," I sputtered through a full mouth, throwing what bread remained in my hand at him. But I knew it was true. I didn't know if it was because of exhaustion or sadness causing my mind to flip over, but it seemed so funny all of the sudden and we both laughed. Donna was sitting down then, "Now, let's get along, children." While her tone was sharp, it was all for the joke of the moment. She was pleased to hear less hostility from Michael even if he was mocking my pain, it was more playful.&
Alyson's POVHe was snoring slightly when I woke up. My head still hurt. I gazed around my room, surprise at first to see Ryan sleeping next to me the next morning. Then I remembered last night, how much I'd wanted him and pulled him into my bed. My face flushed with embarrassment. I knew that I was drunk but, at the same time, couldn't believe that I'd been so forward, and Ryan had calmed me and made me sleep. I wondered what he thought of me now? I looked down at his face, so peaceful with his eyes closed. He had gorgeous eye lashes, thick, long and dark. They fluttered as he opened his eye lids revealing flashes of the bright tawny of his eyes. He sat up abruptly awaking as if surprised too, but then his expression softened at me.
"Ryan, I want to be with you, forever," I said, hardly believing how happy I felt, hardly remembering who I was or my purpose. In that moment, even sweet revenge seemed like it would pale in comparison to this. He was still sleepy, but he opened his eyes a little to gaze at me. His lips were curved upwards in a happy smile like I'd never seen before that radiated from his usually bedraggled and strained face. His eyes were rich tawny and amber like yellow fire. His neck was thick and masculine with veins revealing all over the muscles of his body. I marveled at how large his arms and shoulders were, and how safe and small they made me feel. My small hand was folded into his large hands. I admired the width of his forearms, even the stretch between his hands and his elbows were sexy. Everything about him was so attractive,
Third person's pov Back at the Crowalt Pack, a parrot swooped down to an old man. Elder Fritz extended his arm to receive the bird. "Snapper, have you seen him?" The man asked in a gravelly voice. He peered at the bird on his forearm over a knobby nose and small spectacles. The parrot repeated, "I'm good. I'm good."He stroked the bird's head and beak, "Yes, you are a very good bird." Snapper rubbed his head up and down, enjoying the praise and pets. There was a small capsule tied to his leg, and Elder Fritz carefully removed it from the ties, opened it and retrieved a small note. As he unrolled it, his face grew red."Nonsense! Alpha Jacob is out of line!' he yelled, his voice echoi
Alyson's POVOne morning, Ryan had already gone off on some Alpha duties with Michael, and I was home alone. Even Donna had left to retrieve some meat order from the butcher. I hadn't thought of Dylan in a while, in fact, with all going on between Ryan and I, the fight games seemed like a distant past.I had almost forgotten about Dylan and those herbs for a few days.But finally, I remembered that I'd invited Dylan to visit, and I had not yet told Ryan about it either. I also had not heard from Dylan, so whether he'd take me up on the offer remained to be seen. I wondered about those herbs, and definitely couldn't wait to learn more. Secretly, I considered that they could also help me give blood to Ryan if only he would accept it.I was sitting in the main room for a while before it dawned on me that I could go out by myself and look a bit in the woods for herbs. I wasn't quite sure
Ryan's POV I smelled them. There were Crowalt Pack members on my territory. They'd found where Starstream Pack resided after all these years. Michael and I had been chasing their scent all day, but I was on the edge of my territory. I had found no one in reality, but I had seen them through the witch's ability. I knew they were here somewhere. Michael and I were covering a lot of ground as wolves. We split up occasionally communicating through mind images to keep in touch. He had not seen anyone either, but he also smelt them. He was the only one in the pack who knew about my indiscretions. I knew to expect trouble after killing Jacob's beta a few days ago. I had tried to ignore it after lashing out at Alyson, while I relished our sweet mome
Alyson The pain is insurmountable. I fight through it, thinking of the pups that need me, that are clinging to the hope that I will always fight for them, and I won't disappoint them now. I turn over, laid out on the floor of the bathroom, the healer working at the cramps in my spine. I grab the towels, grab my own shirt, desperate to get through this sooner than later. My wolf whines and my heart hurts. "RYAN!" I need him, I want him, and I fear I can't do this ordeal without him beside me. I lay out, exhausted from the agony, crying inconsolably until I hear heavy steps parading through the bedroom. Soon, they find the healer and I in the bathroom, my eyes dizzy as I spot Ryan, naked and drenched in rainwater. My breath catches, curious if I am dreaming. "Right here, Alpha, come help me with this," the healer grunts. I feel my mate hold my head, pushing deep into my spine as I straighten my back out in reflex, feeling th
Ryan "Damn this weather," I mutter. The storm has yet to let up and in fact, I believe it's started pouring down harder, with more vigor, and still shows no signs of slowing for my benefit. "Have you tried linking to the healer?" Olivera asks, his antsy attitude not helping my worried state right now. "I mean, if you can't reach through the link to her, she might just be asleep and everything is okay—that could be possible, right? I mean, if you think about—" "Hush," I beg. "You're rambling again." "I'm sorry that I'm flustered," he grovels. "I'm just trying to keep calm." I raise my brow, trying to stay focused on my mate but I can't seem to shake this infatuation Olivera has had for my mate. I should ignore it, as I have in the past weeks, but something about being stuck in this small cave with him has my mind tethering off too many emotions at once. "Enlighten me, please," I sigh, shaking my head out at the storm. "What is this weirdly possessive, sympathetic binding you thi
Ryan I fight through the winds, the rain cascading over my warriors and me. It wasn't the best idea coming out during this type of storm but we lacked one natural ingredient that grows just south of the waterfall trail and then the cure would be complete for the last facility of rogues. I have healed slowly in my weeks of developing the cure, but I could use a dose myself. Thankfully it hasn't affected my poorly mate, spending most of her days passed out in bed until I force her to get up and move around a bit. It's been exhausting for her, but she is the patriarchy of a new family, the strongest she-wolf I know who is capable of carrying these pups. "Dammit, lover boy! Where are you?!" I barge out of the mouth of the cave where my warriors have been taking shelter from the monsoon outside. I see that rogue alpha in the distance, throwing his hands up in a small fit of rage. It's almost amusing if he didn't also sport a petrified look of angst as well. "Over here," I call out. H
Alyson It's hard to feel not included in the cure development, but I watch Ryan and Olivera get along for many consecutive weeks. At least I have that peaceful energy around, watching them work with the palace pack healers to help the rogues locked up in the facilities, still sick. Thankfully there wasn't an enormous outbreak and everything seems to have worked out. I can't help the feeling of doom, though, thinking about every time things were perfect, something horrible happened. I thought once we defeated Jacob and sent away Jennifer, everything would have worked out forever. I was wrong, but if none of that bad stuff happened, I wouldn't be pregnant. I fear these pups won't be okay, the healer making a daily visit, sometimes twice a day, at least to check on my progress. I worry everyday he will say something bad has happened and they're hurt, or worse. I would give my life for these two pups but I hope I don't have to. "Morning, sweeth
Alyson "Relax," Ryan coos, brushing my hair back. He has finally come to my side, forcing my eyes to stay on his, even as he paces his attention back and forth between me and the healer. I squeeze my mate's hand, feeling pressure build in my abdomen. "There you go, he's done." The healer removes his gloves, my eyes catching a glimpse of Olivera in the hall, seeing him pace frantically fast back and forth in the hallway. I look at my mate now, glimmering with sadness as he peers down at me. I know he feels like I've grown feelings for the rogue Alpha, and I haven't, but I can be sympathetic to the wolf who lost everything; just like I had. "Are the pups okay?" I breathe. Ryan flinches. "More than—more than one?" He watches the healer as though waiting to hear so magical, good news. "What is going on? Are they okay? How many are there? I—" The healer settles his hands together before his body, like a man with bad news. "It's hard to tell
Alyson Whatever causes the fight, I'm not exactly sure, but it breaks out anyways. Every single wolf in the courtyard has shifted, the movements so fast that I don't even release that I've been thrown out of the hecticness, my side slamming against the brick wall and my head smacking right up against it until I feel the blood flow from a cut on my temple. I curl into a ball, my hands instinctively curling to my stomach, so dazed that instead of being able to see what has caused this fight to break out, I only spot wolves tearing into one another, biting into flesh and blood being poured. Ryan, I reach through the mind link, not capable of spotting him through the haze in my eyesight. What the hell is going on? Rouges came from the pack lands; they must have been waiting to ambush. Where are you, mate? Get out of here! Go inside, now! I aim to sit up, my head so discombobulated that I can't even dictate which direction would take me bac
Alyson It only takes a moment for me to catch my breath, and another for me to sprint across the hall, watching Olivera struggle to stand, instead melting to the floor where he slams his fist against the tile floor—it cracks instantly under his bold knuckles. I dare flinch, seeing him so angry almost a warning for me to be careful, but I instead charge forward anyways. I grab his cheek, forcing him to meet my eyes, and he relaxes ever so slightly. When he does, I drag my palm across his face in a single, sharp slap. He jolts upright, standing suddenly and staring me down with a pure look of surprise written across his face. "What the hell was that for?" "That's for doing something so stupid," I growl, my fists trembling at my sides. "You could have died from that cure, Olivera, how dare you try something that risky in my palace?" "You might be the Luna, but you're not my Luna," he says, snide. "I am free to make any decision I want if
Alyson I find myself sitting in the hallway between office and bedroom. In one, my mate suffers with an ill mark on his shoulder and back, and in the other sits an enigma of a wolf. He has kissed me, he has fondled me, and unknown to us both, he has poisoned me while I was newly pregnant. If anything, I should hate the rogue Alpha, but I don't have it in me to leave him completely. So I sit in the hall between them both, curled up with my hands resting on my stomach as if I have already blossomed outward, waiting for one of my favorite Alpha's to wake up. If I leave here to be with one, and the other wakes, I'll feel guilty forever. For now, I wait, hearing steps breach my silent mediation between Alphas. "My Luna, why are you out of bed?" I hear Fritz hum, my eyes watered and wide, shocked to see him here of all places. We didn't exactly part on the most amicable of terms. "You're still looking pale." I wave off his words and
Alyson I try to fight Olivera from going into the office, but he easily grabs my wrist, twists it, and nudges me out the doorway. He's too smart and too strong for me right now, my head blotted with the sleepiness that I can't seem to shake. I grab at his arm, at his shirt sleeve, and dig my heals against the ground. He drags me a few paces before finally stopping. "You're a persistent little bug," he snaps, releasing my hands off of his shirt and giving me a stern look. "We have to find out what this cure does to an Alpha and as it stands, I'm the one best capable here of verbalizing the aftermath of taking this cure. If it makes things worse, so be it." I feel my heart patter to a screeching halt. "What does worse contain?" He looks to the healer, the vial on the desk nearby, and then back to meet my eyes. "I could die, of course, or I could only loose my wolf. I'm happy to put both on the line to see if this stuff is worthy of fixing Ryan, fi