Ryker Dare
As my men and I entered a yard to a dreary looking house, fully clothed and still on high alert for more rogues, two men stood tall waiting for us. I noticed with slight disappointment that Kei was nowhere to be seen.
“Alpha Dare,” a man with light brown hair said while bowing his head slightly.
“Alpha Hale, it seems your rogue problem has gotten worse.” He frowned deeply when he caught sight of the two unconscious men.
“Who are they?”
“That’s why I brought them here instead of killing them. I thought it would be a nice present to greet you with.” I smiled sardonically at him before he continued to frown while letting out a gut-wrenching sigh.
“All right. I’ll have my men bring them to the cellars.” He nodded, and two young men appeared from the shadows, threw the rogues over their shoulders, and disappeared back from where they came. “Let’s discuss further matters in my office.” I nodded, and he turned with me following behind him into the house. Everybody took this as a sign to disperse and to get into his or her own position guarding the pack house.
The two of us were silent as we made our way through the back door, entering the kitchen. We walked through the dim room before going out into the hall with a staircase at one end and another room at the other. I followed with silent steps as we went up a staircase before going down another hall. He opened the wooden door to the right and walked in before stopping with an annoyed growl.
“Why are you in here?” He growled to the person that I couldn’t see. I walked in and stood beside him but stopped. Kei grinned from the couch, her shoes kicked off while her sock-covered feet dangled off the side of the couch that she was lying on.
“Come on, Brad, aren’t we the best of friends already?” I stiffened at her familiarity with him as he shook his head, but his lips turned up in a small smile.
“I swear, you’re going to kill me instead of actually saving,” he remarked dryly. She smirked and fluttered her hand in a dismissive manner.
“You have to be near death for me to save you,” she pointed out, her eyes twinkling. He grunted, and I stood to the side watching silently as the two exchanged a few more words before I had had enough.
“Alpha Hale, we have some business to attend to,” I said rather roughly. His shoulders straightened, and he nodded.
“Kei, I think you should—” She held her hand up to cut him off.
“Save it. I know why the Almighty King is here, so it won’t hurt for me to stay.” He growled at her slight attitude, and my wolf snarled in my head.
How dare he? I shook my head just barely but didn’t answer him.
“You know I’m going to have to tell him,” Hale said rather abruptly. This put me up on alert immediately. She shrugged, but her gaze filled me with heat as she gazed at us.
“Then why don’t you two sit down so I can tell him.” It wasn’t a question but an order. My wolf didn’t like her commanding us at all.
“I would watch who you’re ordering around, my little lune.”
“Is that some fancy word meaning luna?” she questioned. I walked over and sat beside her on the couch, Hale watching us with amusement.
“More or less,” I told her vaguely.
“Hmmm,” was her only response.
“I’ll let you take the stage,” Hale finally said. She shook her head before looking at me, but like earlier, I noticed her attention wasn’t on me but around me.
“So, King, I assume that you have figured out by now that I am not a full-blooded werewolf, am I correct?” I nodded, and she cocked her head to the side. A stray silver strand brushed her cheek, and she swatted it away with annoyance. “Of course, this is only part of what I wanted to discuss.”
“Come on, just spit it out,” I said with impatience. She winked and wagged her finger at me.
“Patience, my adorable king, patience.” I growled at the word adorable, but she kept on as if I did nothing. “The point is: I’m blind.” Blunt and straight to the point, I see. However, that didn’t make the news anymore less impactful.
“What?” She grinned and poked my arm.
“I am blind, King.” I stared at her for a few moments. She’s blind? My mate and soon-to-be luna is blind?
“So you can’t see me,” I said, more of a statement than a question, but she nodded anyway.
“In a sense, I can’t. But I do see other things.” I stared at her to continue when she paused. She grinned right at me while staring me right in the eyes. How could she do that if she was blind? “The thing is: I see auras.”
“The things that surround people?” Hale piped in. I gave him a look, and he shrugged. “She never told me this either.” The two of us turned back to Kei who was braiding her hair.
“Yes. Granted it’s a bit more complicated than that, but that’s the general idea,” she explained.
“So what do these auras mean?” I asked, keeping my tone even. I watched as she finished her braid and tied it off with a hair tie before answering.
“Hmmm, let me start with the basics of it.” She tapped one slender finger to her bottom lip. “Everything gives off energy unless it’s an inanimate object like this couch for example. That’s when I don’t see anything unless something living influences it.”
“Influence it how?” Kei shot Hale a glance as he asked this.
“This house is a prime example of this.” Hale raised an eyebrow.
“Oh?” She raised her hand up palm upward, and a dark swirling ball appeared. We froze at the sight, and Kei’s expression turned solemn.
“This is the kind of energy surrounding this place: dark and angry yet full of absolute terror and grief.” She brushed her fingertips along the surface, the ball swirling more erratically before calming. I watched with rapt attention the twirling sphere seemingly palpitating with its own angry energy.
“The cause of this is from the occupants inside. I can’t really blame all of you, though.” With a flick of her wrist, the ball of energy dissipated. “Enough of me. Tell me something about you, King.” I studied her for a moment, her expression relaxed and seemingly carefree.
“My name isn’t King, Lune.” I tapped her nose, and she frowned at me.
“Well, Dare, my name isn’t looney.”
“It’s Ryker, love, not Dare nor King, and it isn’t looney. It’s Lune.” She quirked an eyebrow.
“It sounds like the same thing to me.”
“Am I missing something here?” Hale looked between the two of us with suspicion.
“Oh, I forgot to mention, Brad, we’re mates,” she said with lazy grace. Hale’s eyes turned to me sharply.
“Is this true?” I nodded and wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her to my chest.
“It is. So tell all of your male pack members that if I catch them looking at her, I’ll rip off their heads—” The rest of my words became muffled as a small hand covered my mouth.
“Now, now, no need to be violent about it. I get you’ll be extremely possessive with you being an alpha and all, but you need to just stay chill. M’kay?”
“What else do expect me to say?” I said as I bent down and stuck my nose in the crook of her neck, inhaling deeply.
Lilacs and cotton, such a strange but pure smell. I wrapped an arm around her waist and hugged her close, feeling her melt against me. I heard the door shut with a quiet click, leaving the both of us alone.
Keep it clean, got it? Hale said through a mind-link.
No promises, I replied and cut off communication. I peppered light kisses up her neck, the electricity shared between us almost too shocking. I felt her become rigid beside me as her hand came up to grip one of my shoulders.
Mark her, Axel demanded.
Not a bright idea, I replied. We can’t rush her.
He grumbled with annoyance but agreed with me. I looked up at her to see her watching me with furrowed brows and biting her lip with a small amount of vulnerability in her eyes.
“Ryker.” My name was just a breathless sigh on her lips, and I pulled back. I knew that my eyes were black as I stared at the beauty before me, her eyes hooded but bright.
“Yes, Lune?” I smirked at her flushed cheeks. I stiffened when her hands cupped my face in a soft caress, her fingertips trailing the planes.
“It’s times like these that I hate that I can’t see,” she whispered. I sat still as she continued to trace my face, lingering on my lips. “I feel like a lot of arguments will be started by the words that leave your mouth. The same goes for me as well.” I raised an eyebrow at her.
“Why do you say that?” I asked. She smirked and let her hand fall while I instantly began to miss the softness of her touch.
“Oh, if anything from earlier gave me any clue, we are going to butt heads like two stubborn adult bulls that have nothing better to do,” she said with a light laugh. “And King, you do not know yet how annoying and thickheaded I can be. I think it’s a gift.”
“I guess you will get to see my pigheaded side as well. I think that should be interesting, wouldn’t you agree?”
She laughed, and it made me soften at the sound.
“I have no choice but to. Now—” I had to blink as one moment she was sitting beside me, and with incredible speed, she was suddenly standing in front of the door.
“I would really love to stay and chat, but a girl like me has a very busy schedule.” I couldn’t even utter a sound as she disappeared with a wink. I stayed in the exact same position for a whole minute, letting my mind finally catch up to what had happened. I grinned wryly.
She was quite the sly one, and it was making everything only more interesting the longer I was in her company. Standing up with a quiet sigh, I walked with long strides and opened the door. Just as I took the first step out into the hall, an earsplitting scream pierced the air.
Without hesitation, I sprinted down the hall and back into the kitchen, bursting out of the back door. I, however, stopped dead in my tracks at the sight before me.
My mate stood tall before a looming rogue, his eyes blood red and his canines bared in a snarl. I didn’t notice the girl lying on the ground beside Kei, whimpering with fear. Before anyone could move, I appeared beside Kei and let out a ground-shaking growl. I knew without a doubt that he wasn’t alone as I caught the scent of five others in the woods behind him.
“I do not take kindly to rogues setting foot upon my territory so freely.” I didn’t turn to look as Hale came barreling towards us with fury. The rogue shifted and stood before us with a snarky smile.
“Alpha Brad Hale, I’m honestly surprised that you’re still up and kicking.” Hale snarled, and I tried to push Kei behind me, but she wouldn’t budge.
“What is it that you want?” Kei asked calmly. The man gave a roguish smile before turning his attention to Kei. I let out a threatening growl and wrapped an arm around her. He saw this and surprise fluttered across his face until it burst with delight.
“Well, well, if it isn’t the Alpha King, and it seems he’s found his mate. Oh, what fun that he will have,” he said gleefully, and I had to resist the urge to roar and rip him to shreds.
“What is it you want, Will?” Kei said with an icy tone and cold eyes. Hale and I turned to look at her sharply, but she ignored us. He let out a low chuckle.
“Oh, little Kei, do you think he doesn’t see what you’re doing? He has let you have your fun for years now, but it seems he’s about ready to collect his dues.”
I was surprised as a vicious snarl ripped through her, her body trembling with anger.
“Go tell him to put a sock in it and die.” The rogue tsk-ed.
“I would rein in that attitude of yours. You know how he hates disobedience.” The rogue seemed absolutely delighted as he watched my furious confusion with this conversation.
“Do I look like I care? No. Now, go before I actually put your head on a stake,” Kei retorted. He laughed at her response.
“So feisty. But I suppose that’s why he wants you. I guess he still sees you as a valuable plaything.” I noticed with growing anger his eyes raking up and down her body. I’ve finally had enough. With a loud roar, I charged and shifted midair. The rogue’s eyes had widened before I landed on him with all of my weight.
“What are you all doing? Help me!” he screamed pathetically to the woods behind us, but no one came to his aid. I growled and bit into his shoulder, his blood tasting of spoiled fish.
I leaned back and spat it out on the ground beside us. The man lay underneath me white as a sheet and eyes full of terror, no longer filled with the cockiness he had seconds ago.
“Please,” he begged. “I’m just the messenger.”
I snorted and gave him one last glare before baring my teeth and ending his life with ease. His face was frozen in a silent scream as he bled to death on the ground, the air around us deathly still. Once I was satisfied that he would never get back up, I felt the presence of the other rogues leave.
Should we follow them Alpha? Clark asked.
I shook my head.
No, just let them go for now.
“Ryker.” I turned and watched as Kei looked at me with a distant expression. I shifted and hurried over to her.
“Lune, are you all right? He didn’t touch you, did he?” I looked at her worriedly for any injuries, but she shook her head and smiled.
“I’m fine. But I need to get her back home.” That’s when I finally noticed the small girl clinging to her leg, burying her face into her jeans.
“I’ll come with you,” I told her, and she shook her head.
“I am capable enough to take a little girl home. But with you, however, it may seem to others that you would be a creepy pervert walking with a little girl all alone in the dark with something else in mind.” She smirked as I stared down at her, stunned. In my moment of surprise, she took that chance to take the hand of the little girl and walk away.
“Oh, Goddess, she is going to be the death of me,” I mumbled while Clark suddenly appeared beside me and had a similar smirk on his face as my mate.
“That sure was a blow to the ego.” His eyes twinkled as I frowned at him.
“You better hope I’m in a good mood when we get back,” I growled back at him, jogging to Kei’s retreating back.
“But it’s true!” he yelled at me, and I simply ignored but gave a silent promise that I would get him back at some point in time.
I followed her as she made her way to the front yard and walking down the gravel driveway. As I glanced back at the main house, I noticed how it still looked as dreary and sad.
—They wouldn’t have made it without any longer without help.
—Well, it’s a good thing that we came in the nick of time, isn’t it? I said.
—Yes, however, if Kei was here just by herself, I feel that they still would have been fine without us, Axel commented.
I stared at her back as I noticed how she chatted to the little girl in her arms, the early morning sun just peeking over the horizon and lighting her figure.
Yes, that is true, I said gently.
Feeling my eyes on her back, she stopped and looked over her shoulder.
“Aren’t you coming or what? I want to get back before the day truly begins.”
“Don’t worry, I’m right behind you. Actually, I guess you could say I am just enjoying the scenery better from back here,” I called after her.
“Your pervy side is showing, King. I don’t find that very attractive at all.” She faced forward once more and trekked along the driveway.
Oh, way to go. Now, she thinks that we are some old creeper, Axel scolded me.
I think she was just joking, I said drily. I hurried my strides to catch up to her, and when I did, it was in the intersection of the driveway and the main road. Most pack territories have a main house or what is commonly known as the pack house, located at the end of the main road. This is where the alpha and his family stay and where most of the pack business takes place. Surrounding it is where the pack members in the pack live, and these are all connected by one strip of road.
“Do you know where she lives?” I asked her.
“Yeah, Brad told me.”
I stiffened at the mention of the other alpha but made no comment as we continued walking the street.
“So how old are you exactly?”
“Old enough where it could classify me as a pervert I suppose,” I mused. “But my look is stuck at the age of twenty-five at the moment.”
She raised an eyebrow and tilted her head towards me, the sun rising higher in the morning sky.
“Wow, you must be old. Let me guess. Are you a thousand years old?”
I grunted and shot her a look to which she didn’t react to, and it hit me once again that she was blind.
“Not quite that old. I am still in the hundreds.”
She stopped and fully faced me this time, the little girl asleep in her arms.
“In the hundreds? I mean, I figured you would be old, and I was teasing about the thousand thing, but I didn’t figure that you were in the hundreds.”
I looked at her calmly. “Kei, I’ve been alive quite some time now, and it is widely known as well.”
“Look, I’m only twenty, and I’ve been living under a rock. What do you expect?”
Now, it was my turn to gape at her. She was twenty?
—For some reason, I pegged her to be eighteen, not twenty. Now, I feel a little less like a creepy old man.
—Axel, twenty is still considered young.
—But not as young as eighteen, he pointed out.
I rolled my eyes and stared at the young woman in front of me. “Well, then it should come as a surprise that I am two hundred and fifteen years old. One hundred and ninety-five years your senior might I add.” I waited for Kei’s reaction, but instead, she took a step towards me and lifted her free hand to my face, poking it and rubbing her fingers down my cheeks.
“It feels wrong that you have a smooth and perfect face while I am picturing an old, withering man with wrinkles that can be seen for miles.”
“Like I said, I am stuck at the age of twenty-five.” I gently took her hand as she continued to rub my forehead and held her hand in my own. “I’ll tell you later about the aging process, but I imagine we should get her home.”
Kei sighed but nodded. “You’re right. I imagine her parents are worried sick.” She made moved to pull her hand away, but I held it tighter, and she didn’t resist. Instead, we walked down the road with our hands woven together between us. It was only a few minutes, but it was one of the most peaceful minutes of my life, walking beside my mate with the morning air filling my lungs while the birds chirped their morning song. You could even say it was one of the happiest moments of my life.
“It’s up ahead,” Kei said abruptly, disturbing the peace.
I gave her a sideways glance, a question on my lips, but before I could speak it, I saw a couple standing up ahead in front of a medium-sized white house, holding onto each other with identical worried looks. Once they caught sight of us, though, the worry turned into relief and joy.
“Blaire!” The little girl’s parents came rushing over to us, taking her from Kei’s arms. “Thank you so much for protecting our little girl. We can’t thank you enough.” The woman had tears streaming down her cheeks as gratitude shined brightly in her eyes.
Kei shook her head and smiled at her warmly.
“You don’t need to thank me. That’s why I’m here, to begin with,” she told the couple.
“Still, if you need anything, you can come to us for help.” This came from the man, and Kei smiled at him before nodding.
“Thanks, I’ll remember that.”
He nodded before his eyes slid over to me. He bowed his head as did his mate once they knew that their daughter was safe.
“Thank you as well, Alpha King.” I simply nodded in response.
“It was nice meeting you, but I suppose we should be off. I hope to see you around,” Kei told the couple.
They nodded and smiled brightly at her. “Of course. Goodbye, Kei Valancia.”
Kei seemed slightly surprised to hear her full name, but she smiled one last time, and we turned and began the trek back.
We walked in peaceful silence until questions began to appear in my mind, nagging at me to ask. Finally, I couldn’t contain any of them any longer.
“Who was the man that the rogue was talking about?” I finally asked.
She sighed heavily. “Let’s start that story for another day. What do you say?”
I glanced at her before nodding. “If you want, then I will wait.”
In response, she gave me a small smile. “Thanks, King.” She reached down and gripped my hand.
I didn’t comment but only tightened my hand around her smaller one, letting the morning stillness be the only thing between us.