Ryker Dare
“I allow you to come to my lands, Alpha Dare.”
“I, along with my men, will search the area of any rogues before meeting you.” I rumbled into the receiver.
“Thank you.” No more words were exchanged as we hung up the phone at the same time. Sighing, I stood up and set the device inside a desk drawer. I rolled my shoulders trying to loosen the tense muscles before three terse knocks were rapped on my door.
“Enter.” Almost instantly, the door swung open to reveal a tall man with dark blond hair. Clark Davis, my beta and second in command, stood and bowed his head before meeting my eyes.
“Alpha, the men are ready to leave anytime.” I nodded, and he bowed one more time before leaving. Cracking my neck, I was about to take my first step when I heard my phone go off in the drawer, the buzzing muffled. Pausing, I was going to retrace my steps before my wolf surprised me.
“No! We must hurry.” He almost sounded as if slightly panicked, causing me to frown.
“What’s the big rush?”
“Let’s just go,” was his tense reply, and I stood contemplating if I should answer the call anyway. Shrugging, I decided to just leave it. The long hallway was dim. Making my way through the winding corridors, I finally made it to a staircase and descended.
“Hurry.” Axel, my wolf, was pacing around in my mind, agitated beyond belief. Rolling my eyes, I made the last step and entered a spacious living room.
Walking on the plush carpet, I walked over to the front door and pushed it open to reveal the backyard of my house. Everybody’s voices ceased, and ten of my best men bowed their heads.
“Alpha,” ten synchronized voices echoed around me, and I simply nodded in acknowledgment. Walking past all of them with long strides and stopping at the edge of the tree line, I heard my men shift and stand beside me. I stared into the dark forest with a blank expression.
“Go,” and with that one word, they all pushed off their haunches and disappeared among the trees, not once making a sound. Standing one moment longer and Axel pacing with agitation in my head, I took a running start and jumped, shifting in midair. I landed swiftly and shot off like a bullet into the trees. I could feel my men already miles ahead of me, keeping alert of any signs of rogues.
Axel didn’t relax in the slightest as we got nearer to the Red Moon pack. Instead, he seemed even more restless.
“What is your problem?”
“You’ll see,” was his only reply, and I growled lowly before becoming silent. After a few minutes of silence between us, I could smell the air around us change, telling me that we had crossed territories. Slowing down, I sent a command through the link.
“All of you keep guard outside. I’ll go in myself.”
“Yes, Alpha,” was the instant reply. My wolf hummed in satisfaction with their obedience, and I rolled my eyes. His controlling personality was more suffocating than mine was and some days, gave me the urge to throttle him even though it was physically impossible to do so since we were one and the same. Suddenly, I felt my wolf growl not in anger but desire as we caught a whiff of a scent that sent tremors through me. I immediately stopped and stood erect, my head held high looking at my surroundings trying to find the source of this scent.
“It’s her.” He rumbled, and I felt myself freeze. Shifting abruptly, I stood in my faded dark blue jeans and button up navy blue shirt. I was still as my eyes scanned the surrounding woods, searching for something that I wasn’t exactly sure about, but soon, I found what I was looking for. My breath caught in my throat as a beautiful silver wolf stopped a few yards away, the fur glittering in the moonlight that escaped from the thick trees above us.
“Go to her!” Axel practically screamed in my head, but I stood still, not quite trusting this wolf yet. What really caught my attention were the wolf’s eyes. I watched silently as the vibrant green irises suddenly melted and turned into an electric red. I watched as the ethereal wolf took a step forward towards me. A growl suddenly ripped through my throat in warning.
“Stay where you are,” I commanded. The wolf studied me for a long moment, warming my skin under its gaze.
“It’s her,” Axel said, and I frowned.
“How do you know”? He never answered, and I sighed quietly in annoyance. Turning my attention back to it—her, I noticed how she was looking around me instead of actually at me.
“Shift,” I demanded, seeing her body shudder slightly. She didn’t, and I was becoming impatient. “I won’t say it again. Shift.” I growled. After one more second, the she-wolf shifted and what I saw left me shocked and breathless.
Standing just a few yards away from me was a beautiful woman, her silver mane of hair tamed in a bun and glittered just like her fur. My eyes traveled down her form slowly, noticing how the black yoga pants hugged her legs and as well as the white tank top that she wore, a pair of worn tennis shoes completing the look. I watched as she cocked her head, a few strands of loose hair falling on her face. As I inhaled, I tensed. The sweet smell of lilacs and cotton filled my nostrils, making my wolf rumbling in delight.
“Who are you?” I asked tersely, trying to understand why this woman was affecting me this way. She didn’t answer but instead, crept closer with smooth movements. I stood frozen, watching as she walked closer until finally, she stood before me. With a slender hand, she reached up and touched my cheek.
My eyes widened once I felt the electricity dance across my skin and sending pleasure throughout my body. I watched as her expression matched my own, and she let out a gasp. She started pulling her hand away, but I reached up and gripped her soft hand with mine without thought, feeling the tingles of electricity that meant only one thing.
“Mate,” I growled, my wolf howling with happiness. We stood frozen, staring into each other’s eyes. I couldn’t help but marvel how her eyes kept changing from green to red and back again.
She’s not just a werewolf, I thought.
“No, she isn’t. But she’s absolutely perfect.” Axel purred. I stared down at my mate.
“She is,” I said out loud. The woman stared up at me with awe and wonder, her perfect teeth grazing her bottom lip.
“No way,” she said softly, her voice husky yet strong. I found it absolutely irresistible. I smiled and cupped her cheek gently. “I can’t believe it.” To be honest, I couldn’t believe it either. I’d gone over two hundred years and then some without a mate, and now, I’d finally found her just by accident.
“What’s your name, mate?” She smiled a little at the name before answering.
“Kei Valancia,” she said in a quiet murmur.
“Kei.” I rolled her name on my tongue, already loving how it sounded off my lips. It seemed she liked it too, as she shivered. Smirking, I took a step closer, not so close that we were touching but close enough that I could feel her heat seep into my skin.
“What’s yours?” she asked as I bent down next to her ear.
“Ryker Dare,” I whispered, and her body froze. I pulled back to see her reaction.
“Ryker Dare, as in the Alpha King Ryker Dare?” Her voice held disbelief and slight awe. I chuckled before tucking her hair behind her ear.
“The one and only.” She laughed, and I was once again left breathless. It was if I was hit in the face with a bucketful of sunshine, the tinkling sound sweet and soft.
“You’re cute,” she said. I frowned and growled.
“I am not cute,” was my quick response. She smirked and tapped my nose.
“Of course, you are.” She suddenly slipped from my grasp to which Axel and I growled.
“Where are you going?” I reached for her, but she simply danced away with a giggle.
“I have to get back to the pack I’m currently staying at,” she answered.
“And where would that be?”
“The Red Moon,” she said without missing a beat.
“Good. That’s where I’m heading as well,” I told her. She cocked her head as she looked at me.
“Really? Why?”
“I’m here for their rogue problem.” She smirked and took a couple of steps back.
“Funny, that’s exactly why I’m here also.” I raised an eyebrow.
“You’re not actually part of the pack?” I questioned.
“Nope, in fact, I should be getting back now.” She looked behind her as if she had heard someone call her name before she turned back to face me with a smirk. “But a quick game wouldn’t hurt.” She turned on her heel and shifted, her skin sprouting silver fur and her wolf bigger than the average one. She was almost the same size as I was.
Turning her large head, she looked at me playfully, daring me for a race, and she shot off into the dark woods. I smirked and started running.
“Fine, I’ll play along,” I said out loud, shifting and chasing after her. I heard her yip ahead of me, and I felt my wolf smile. Letting our childishness come out for once after so many years was like breaking through a suffocating box.
I pushed myself until I spotted her just ahead of me. She turned her head to look back at me and winked before sprinting even faster. I growled and pushed myself harder.
I got close enough where I nipped her tail. She yipped and looked at me with a glare, and I chuckled. Rolling her eyes, we continued on like this for a couple of minutes until I could sense we were approaching the pack.
Slowing down, I was about to shift when a dark blur suddenly appeared from our right and rammed right into Kei. I heard her yelp, and my vision became red.
No one messes with our mate. I just got her and like hell will I let anyone take her from us.
Letting out a vicious growl, I got ready to pounce on the wolf when I was rammed to the side. The impact left me skidding until I finally regained my balance. Spinning, I growled even more loudly than before.
“I need everyone here now!” I snarled into the link. I felt my men instantly become stiff before my beta replied.
“We’re on our way.”
Snarling, the rogue and I circled each other. I quickly glanced over to see how Kei was doing but widened my eyes when I saw her lift the wolf with one hand and slam it down, making the ground around us shudder. My attention was snapped back to the wolf in front of me, however, as the snarl ripping through the air gave the only warning before he lunged towards me. With no hesitation, I sidestepped and clamped my jaws around his neck, tightening as he struggled and howled. I growled as he kept struggling between my teeth but relaxed as I felt a slender hand pat my head. I looked over to see Kei standing beside me, her eyes focused on the wolf trapped in my jaws.
“Can you let him go for a second? I need to have a little chat with him.” My response was instantaneous as I shook my large head as if I would let go of the rogue who would attack the moment I let him go. “Come on, I’ll be fine. Just let me talk to him for a minute.” This time as I stared up at her, I inhaled sharply as I took in the sight of her eyes. The colors kept switching from swirling reds and greens, and there was a golden glowing ring surrounding her iris while her hair even seemed to emit its own light. I couldn’t move even as she bent down, took the scruff of the wolf, and pulled him out of my slackened jaws. She grinned at me while the wolf in her hands struggled.
“Don’t worry about me. A small fry like him won’t do me much damage.” Almost nonchalantly, she tossed him off to the side with ease, and all I could do was stare, completely dumbfounded. The rogue shifted, and as he did, Kei put her foot on his chest, pushing down to keep him in his place.
“Hey, half-blood freak, long time no see,” the man said with a sneer.
“Shut your pie hole, rogue. What are you doing here?” Kei asked flippantly. The rogue laughed.
“You have the audacity to call me a rogue when you are one also. Seems hypocritical to me.” I stiffened and stared at her back. She was a rogue?
“Rogue? My pack didn’t banish me nor did I betray them like you did yours. No, mine was attacked and killed, but you already knew that, right, Christopher?” The rogue snarled in return, his brown eyes flashing red.
“Don’t you dare say my name!” He snarled, his hands reaching up to grip her leg.
“Oops, must have poked a sore spot. Sorry, but a little doggie like yourself should just stay put.” As his hands gripped her ankle, I growled and got ready to pounce, but Kei beat me to it. Lifting her other foot, she sent a hard kick to his stomach. I mentally cringed at the impact, and I wasn’t the one getting kicked. The rogue grunted, and his body flew twenty yards in the air before hitting a tree and landing on the ground with a loud thump.
“Alpha!” Just then, my men came hurtling at us, their forms tense. I shifted, and I noticed Kei looked completely unperturbed. Instead, she pursed her lips in a thoughtful manner. I nodded to my beta to shift, and once he did, I growled. His eyes darted over to me, and he bowed his head.
“Everybody, keep your eyes off of her. She’s mine.” I growled, letting my power seep through my words. Everybody’s heads mirrored my beta, and I felt a small hand touch my arm.
“Now, now, big bad King. No need to be so jealous,” Kei teased, a smile on her lips.
“I will not have other men look at you while you’re in front of me, not any time for that matter,” I said in a guttural tone. She smirked.
“We’ll deal with the trivial stuff later. Right now, I think you have some rogues to capture,” she said, sounding as if this was a regular occurrence that happens every day. With a wink, she strutted past me while nodding towards my men. “I’ll see you guys at the pack house.” I heard her chuckle quietly to herself before she shifted and disappeared into the trees.
“I can already tell she’s going to be trouble,” I grumbled to Axel. He only laughed.
“Alpha.” I turned to Clark who had a quizzical expression. I chuckled lowly before raising an eyebrow.
“What do you think of your soon-to-be luna?” His eyes widened.
“You found her?” I nodded, and a smile broke out on his face. “Congrats, man. Adeline is going to be ecstatic.” I chuckled lowly before becoming serious.
“Bring those two rogues with us,” I commanded. My men bowed before detaining the unconscious men. Without another word, we began to head our way to the Red Moon pack.