Ryan's POV
I remain standing right by the door, staring at the broken window. She was right here. Standing in front of me. Her presence made my wolf happy. something that hasn't happened in a long time. But then, she chose to run away from me.
My heart was pained when I noticed the blood oozing from her ankle. My mate is stubborn. She does not think about what she's doing. I'm going to have to teach her a lesson once I see her again.
“You better find her.’’ The words of my wolf only bring goosebumps to my clear and unscarred skin. He was angry. I could feel it. While I could control my emotions and I was patient with my mate, my wolf was not.
“I will.’’ I answer as I turn around and walk out of the bathroom. But something catches my eye. Under the sink is a bracelet on the floor. A smile creeps up my features at the understanding that my mate has left something behind. "It ought to be important to her." I thought to myself.
Marching towards the sink, I pick up the bracelet. I could already feel a connection to her when it danced on my fingers. The smile on my face does not disappear. I have something that belongs to her and she will want it back.
When she does, I'm going to be dictating the situation.
“Ohhhhh… hey, handsome.’’ A girl calls out to me as she enters the washroom. She sashayed forward with a smile that she would assume was seductive and she stretched her hand in an attempt to touch my face. My fingers are quick, and I grab her wrist before it attains its destination and slap it back.
“I was just about leaving.’’ I can see the hurt in her eyes but I don't care. There are much more important things I needed to figure out. like why my mate just ran away from me to begin with.
Walking towards the bathroom door, I found my beta, Philip, standing in a skeptical position staring at everyone that passed the hallways.
“Alpha, did you talk to her?’’ Philip asked, wanting to know more from his facial expressions.
“She did not let me.’’ My words are short and straight to the point. I feel that talking too much about my mate right now will get my wolf more agitated, and that is the last thing that I wanted. I have managed to keep my identity a secret for all this time. No one was supposed to know that I am the next alpha. If they did, then, my life would be in danger.
While I had convinced my father a hundred times that I could protect myself, I agreed to this secrecy so that I could protect the throne that is waiting for me. A lot of wolves are against my father. The leadership position of our pack has always been in opposition. Despite the fact that it has been in our family for millennia now, there are opposing parties that feel leadership would be better off in their hands, rather than ours.
“I need you to do something for me.’’ I glanced around. I make sure no-one will listen to our conversations. Part of being an Alpha’s son meant that I would always be vigilant and careful about everything. I constantly walk while looking over my shoulder. To make sure I wasn't being followed or spied on.
“You're going to find out who she is.’’
“But I didn't see her.’’
“She's short. Not that short though, and you can never miss her hair. she has vermillion red hair.”
I noticed the way his eyes shine as he realizes something instead and I cannot help but smile. Thinking about her almost makes me hard. Everything about her turns me on. Unlike anything I have felt before.
“Yeah… I have seen her in school countless times but she never talked to anyone. She's the quiet and invisible type.’’
“Then you're going to find her for me, Philip. Find out as much as possible about her; her name, her address, her parents, and whether any male has taken the liberty of engaging her. I'll be going after anyone who went after my mate. no one touches what's mine.’’ Just thinking about another man touching my mate edges me.
I find myself unconsciously clenching my fist, and gritting my teeth. My wolf is also on the edge too. The image of that doesn't sit right with us. How she was scared of us, I haven't seen such before. And the idea that something like that could have happened, paralyzes me. I want to get to the bottom of this. I want to understand why she would run from me and why she acted so afraid of me.
“And Philip,’’ he stopped in his tracks and turned around, “she knew who I was. she knew me when she saw me.’’
The statement brings fear in the eyes of my beta. Sometimes I understand his emotions and the reasons to be cautious. Philip is my best friend but yet again, he was in charge of my security. especially when in school.
There was always a risk of people recognizing me. The human world was filled with werewolf hunters. Some kill us for what is presumed as fear, an ache for survival. Other’s hunt us down like animals for fun.
I have lost my own people to the deadly poisons and the silver bullets of hunters. Humans are supposed to be weak and helpless. They should not fight, especially not when they’re hardly attacked.
The war between wolves often exists among ourselves; we never took it out on the humans.
And it is a shame that the same courtesy is not extended to us.
“Then to be honest, Alpha Ryan, I believe that there is more to her identity than we think, and I think that that can be figured out. Are you ready for-’’
“Just do what I've told you to do.’’ I dismiss him before he finishes his statement. I noticed the hesitation in his eyes as he walked away. My mate could very well not be the only person who knows my identity. And that could open a new window of danger inside the institution I'm supposed to be the safest in here. My eyes dance around the premises of the school.
Everyone is a threat.
Everyone that walks across the hallways and the girls that throw furtive glances towards me.
Anyone can be an enemy.
Anyone could be a spy.
And any one of these students may even be rogues.
Now I'm extra careful. If this fuckers try anything funny, they won’t know what would hit them.
Taylor's POV I won't stop running. My legs are giving out, but I won't transform. All I see is my mate's face, his ember eyes, the way his lips move when he tells me not to run. His words echo in my head. My wolf is excited, but I don't understand why. 'Give him a chance,' my wolf says. But chances are what got us here. Every day, my wolf convinced me to give my father a chance and not say anything. But it never did chang anything. A thousand chances and I'm still like this." “He may be kind, Taylor. Not everyone is like-’’ “Like dad?’’ saying that alone, brought tears to my eyes. Finally, I found myself on the riverbank. At least the territory that was close to home would help me unwind all these troubles and have some peace of mind. “You don't understand this, Hazel. If we let another man into our life, all he's going to do is hurt us just like Father does.’’ “You are not sure about that. I can feel it inside me, Taylor. He is our mate and he wants to protect and cherish u
Ryan’s POV “Principal Bradford, what a lovely surprise.’’ “Ryan, what are you doing standing there?’’ The words of the principal do not shock me. I am quick with my movements, shaking his hand as I pull him away from his office door. “My father told me something quite alarming, and I thought it best to run it by you.’’ I watch the expression of Fear in his eyes. The principal didn't know who I was. None of the teachers or students did. But my father had given him a corresponding explanation that would play the perfect role. I am the son of a rich and wealthy man. And my father had made a significant donation towards the school's funding. The last thing that the principal wants is having a problem with the man that can aid this school financially. “Oh.. ofcourse Ryan, why don't we go to my office and talk about it. I believe…’’ “No.. no.. no… it's not that big of a deal and we can finish the conversation in the cafeteria. I want to show you something.’’ I do not let him respond
Ryan’s POV “Taylor Brooke, daughter of David Brooke, lives on the east side of the riverbank, an Old settlement between the forest, where a cabin was built during human revolution. Street 1247.’’ Brooke. That's not a name I have heard. Yet I know all the families of wolves that live across this area. And the name Brooke does not ring any bell. I pick up the documents from Philip and I decide to glance at them myself. The information is perfectly stated. The land that she lives in is owned by her father. I fail to understand why she and her father will choose to live on their own in the middle of a forest. It's unsafe. Something about it just doesn't sound right. Not even a mad man would be willing to live in the middle of nowhere, unless they had something to hide. Something wasn't adding up and I was going to figure out what it was. “Any other family?’’ “That's the only thing that was stated in the other documents. All she has is her father. But we never truly know the truth.
Ryan’s Pov We Stand on the forest floor woven with ancient tree roots. I can hear the distant river and breaking tree branches from a distance. The car cannot go any further. Philip and I decided to walk. The drive from school appeared to be longer than I expected. All I can wonder is how she managed to get to school every single day without a car. Did buses really come all the way here? The forest is silent yet again. There is a direct pathway that leads inside. All I can ask myself is why I had not taken the opportunity to visit nature once again. Everything looked breathtakingly beautiful. Nature has always been part of the Moon goddess. And it ought to be the responsibility of every werewolf to take care of it. Perhaps that's why my mate lives here to begin with. I can only assume that she is a lover of nature. “Do you think she's home right now?’’ “She has nowhere else to go; you saw her class records. She hardly ever misses any day. She has perfect attendance at school. She i
Taylor’s Pov “What the fuck did I do?’’ I hear the sound of my father's voice as soon as I enter the room. He seems to be conversing with himself. Something he hardly ever does unless he is having a nightmare about the day my sister died. Today however, he's standing in front of the mirror in our living room, reprimanding himself or something. “What did I fucking do? I should have told them that…’’ Suddenly, his head flips in my direction and the color of his eyes direct to darker ones. His wolf is almost emerging and I haven't seen my father in this state of anger before. “You little bitch, I told you countless times to mask your scent. I told you to be careful and no one should know who you are or where you live.’’ he clenches his fists as he approaches me. I can see the hatred in his eyes. His emotions are much different from his normal ones. He is looking at me like he could tear me apart any moment now. It scares me. My father is capable of doing anything cruel and inhuman. “
Ryan's POV All my life I have learnt to keep my emotions in check. To understand them and to balance them resourcefully. But with her, I find myself losing control, letting my emotions run wild, and it is the most beautiful feeling in the world. Each day with her feels like a blessing, and I am grateful for every moment I spend with her by my side. I cannot help but feel that the universe has brought us together for a reason. I will be honored to be her partner, her protector, and her lover. I will spend the rest of my days cherishing her, loving her and making her happy. That was why, when I stared at her in that broken and painful situation, it crushed my heart. It took everything in me not to tear her father apart. “Son.’’ the voice of my father resonates over the room as he enters. There is a curious expression plastered on his face as he moves towards me and embraces me. “Father.’’ “I heard what happened, is the girl okay?’’ he asked the question with a hint of worry lac
Taylor's POV When I open my eyes, the first thing that intrudes is the sharp light that almost blinds me. I have a splitting headache but yet there is a feeling that this is the least of my worries. I'm laying on a warm surface, my wolf is suddenly awake inside me and I feel that I'm in danger. Using what little strength I feel I have left, I kick and fight against the person holding the hands down. “Easy there, little one.’’ the masculine voice says with almost a hint of mockery and laughter. My struggles and attempts to save myself are in vain. I am weak and feeble, unable to move and unable to do anything for myself. It only reminds me of who I am. How pathetic am I? Is this one of my father's main games? Is this his idea of getting rid of me now? “The alpha assigned me to take good care of you because he trusts me the most. I think that should be enough to get you to understand that I'm not here to hurt you, Taylor.’’ The man holding me down is a wolf just like myself. I ca
Ryan's POV I knew that it was going to be difficult. I expected a challenge from her. I understood why she didn't trust me. Yet at the same time, I had expected that she would feel the bond between us and she wouldn't have this much doubt. When she asked me that question however, nothing broke my heart as much as that. The very idea that my mate would think of me as a person that would harm her. As werewolves we are taught that the only people who we can rely on and depend on are the mates whom the moon goddess has blessed us with. I have lived my life thinking about how I'm going to love and protect my mate and want to meet her. I would burn down the whole world if she was in danger. But she thinks so low of me. The idea of even poisoning her or lacing her food would never cross my mind. Not in a thousand light-years. “I am hurt that you think so low of me.’’ her beautiful blue eyes as she looks into mine makes me feel like I'm connecting to her in ways that are not possible. Ho