Savage Desire
Chapter 30

Ryan felt warm lips moving against his neck in a sensuous caress. He felt a hand moving under his t-shirt, gently stroking his skin. Jeremy? Ryan opened his eyes and lo and behold, his Jeremy was lying on top of him on the couch. "Oh god, Jer..." He breathed. It all felt so real, Ryan thought. But it was obviously a dream and nothing more. How else would Jeremy be there with him that very moment? When his gorgeous mate smiled at him, Ryan's heart literally missed a beat. "God, I've missed you." He gasped. Ryan couldn't believe it. He'd thought and fantasized about Jeremy so hard he'd managed to conjure him up in his dreams. Finally! He'd wished to see his mate in his dreams since his departure but had never dreamt about him. He'd finally given up, thinking he would never get that privilege, thanks to whatever the council had done to him. But from what was going on at that very moment, wishes did come true when a person wished hard enough. He had a lethargic feeling in his limbs though, which was rather strange but hey...in dreams, anything could happen, right? The most important thing was that he'd gotten his wish.

Before he'd slept after downing all that booze with Paige, his thoughts had been filled with Jeremy. He remembered it being so intense, he'd popped a boner. Well, all that sexy thought had clearly resulted in his mate coming to him in his dream. And Ryan planned on staying in that dream for as long as he could.

Ryan moaned when he felt Jeremy's fingers lightly caressing his stomach. That felt good. He arched his back and gave himself up to the sensations. He didn't close his eyes even once because he couldn't tear his gaze of his gorgeous mate. When Jeremy began to drop tiny kisses along his jaw, Ryan began to tremble in anticipation of the kiss that he knew was coming. He wanted to move his hands up and grab Jeremy's head so he could take that kiss that he craved but he couldn't move his arms. Once more it crossed his mind how weird that was but again, he ignored it.

"Kiss me." A whisper. But the desperation behind it was so intense it was palpable. "Please..."

Jeremy raised his head and looked down at Ryan. He had an odd look on his face...almost as if he didn't want to. But then he leaned down and began to kiss Ryan. Ryan thought he heard someone...Paige? Well, it sounded as if the person hissed, "don't", but Ryan ignored it. Although he couldn't feel the usual heat that was always present in his and Jeremy's kisses, he wasn't bothered because it was only a dream after all. One couldn't possibly expect a kiss in a dream to be as intense and real as it usually was in reality... right?

Again he thought he heard Paige hiss, "enough" but it was so faint, he thought he'd imagined it. Then Jeremy

broke othe kiss and raised his head to look down at Ryan. For a split second, Ryan thought he saw a sinister look on Jeremy's face.

"Jeremy?" Ryan breathed. "Why are you..." But he never got to complete his sentence because in a swift move, Jeremy leaned down and bit into his mark.

The pain slammed into Ryan so fast and so hard, he felt dizzy. What the fuck! And he'd thought that the bite Jeremy had given him on his first night in Stanwood Pack was agonizing? That was nowhere near what he felt at that very moment. The pain was so excruciating his entire body felt as if he'd been thrown into a tub filled with hot needles. And his chest felt as if it was going to explode. It was like no pain Ryan had ever felt. Ryan screamed!

The Jackal smiled with satisfaction when he heard Ryan's hair-raising scream. He'd always wanted to go out with a bang. Well, what a bang. He was finally ready to meet his maker.

His mission had been a simple one. With his gift of glamour, he was supposed to disguise himself as the Alpha of Stanwood Pack...Jeremy Stanton. Then he was to manipulate his mate, Ryan, to think he was having a dream. He wasn't supposed to say a word to Ryan. All he had to do was give him a smile, a light caress and a few pecks along the jaw. That was it. Although his powers had drastically diminished after the battle between the Wyatt Clan and the Stanwood pack, the Jackal wasn't worried at all because he was supposed to be in and out of there in not more than two minutes. That was a piece of cake. He was The Jackal after all.

But what the little bully didn't know was that he had his own plan. His plan was to stick it to the Stanwood Pack who had wiped out his clan, by taking out both its alpha and his mate at once. They were mated after all. All he had to do was break that bond. For whatever reason, the alpha was nowhere to be found. Although the pack seemed tight lipped as to his whereabouts, the Jackal felt there was more to it than what met the eye. Wherever Jeremy was, he wasn't going to come back anytime soon. Well, all the better for his plan. All he needed was one demonic bite. And thanks to that bitch, he was in the best position to administer that bite.

He'd been so pumped he'd almost given himself away. He'd seen the shock on Ryan's face at whatever expression he'd seen on his face. He knew he had to make his move at that instant. Chanting with all the strength he had...calling upon every dark magic that was left within him, he'd swiftly leaned down, pushed Ryan's t-shirt of his shoulder, exposed his mark, and bit into it...hard. He'd instantly severed the bond between Ryan and Jeremy. And if that scream from Ryan was anything to go by, he'd accomplished his mission. The Jackal rolled of Ryan and smiled evilly at a white-faced Paige. She looked almost frozen on the spot as she watched Ryan writhe on the couch. Her eyes welled up.

"What did you do?" An anguished whisper. "What did you do?" Paige turned her head to look at the albino she'd made a deal with.

"I told you as clearly as I could, that you don't wanna go up against me." The Jackal sneered. "Who's laughing now, you stupid, arrogant, shit..." The next sound that came out of his mouth was a horrible gurgling sound...

A still dazed Paige had torn out his throat.

The Jackal's death instantly released Ryan from his lethargic state. He shot of the couch and clutched at his chest. He gasped for breath. His eyes watered. He was actually surprised he was still alive. The level of pain he felt was absurd. Not only did his heart feel as if it was being ripped out of his chest, his whole body was throbbing with pain that was so excruciating he was literally going insane. Immediately after he'd been bitten, he'd felt his wolf go crazy inside him. The wolf had struggled to burst free....escape the agony... but then Ryan had felt him begin to weaken. And that was when Ryan felt something that scared the bejesus out of him... His mate was slipping away.

"Jeremy..." Ryan gasped, his face flushed with agony. "He's dying Paige..." Ryan couldn't breathe. He fought for air as a horrible sound ripped from his burning lungs. "He's...I have...Jeremy...what..." He couldn't seem to string a sentence together.

"Oh my god." Paige breathed, snapping out of the haze she seemed to be under. Her arms went around a trembling Ryan from behind even as she reached out to her father and brother on their mind-link. 'Dad, Lip, I've f****d up. Ryan is, oh my god...Dad...' She screamed. 'Slow down, baby girl.' Joel said softly, trying to get a sobbing Paige to calm down.

'Take a deep breath Slip! Phillip added even as he shifted and sprinted towards the mansion.

'He's dying!' Paige screamed. 'Oh god, I thought I was helping...' She sobbed. 'Jer...he can feel Jer slipping. Help!'

Ryan could hear Paige screaming but it seemed to be coming from a very faraway place. He wondered how he could feel her arms around him and yet her screams seemed so far. That wasn't normal at all. As for his wolf, he could feel it weakening by the second. Everything seemed to be slipping away. His mate, his wolf, his sanity, his life... Was he still dreaming, Ryan wondered. If he was, he needed to wake up from the nightmare. But somehow, he knew it wasn't a dream. It was real. Ryan just knew that death was near. He'd never been so scared in his life. And that was when he prayed. He didn't know whether the Supreme Being he'd known of since he was a kid, listened to the prayers of supernatural beings too. Ryan hoped for his sake and his mate's, he did. He'd never been one to pray but in that instant, he felt that it was all he had.

Ryan prayed for strength.

"What's going on?" Gloria asked worriedly, taking in Joel's flushed face.

The last of the alphas had just left. The briefing had gone very well and everyone was happy and grateful. The various heads, betas and elders which included the council members, were on the beautiful lawn outside the conference hall, staring admiringly at the enormous wolf fountain. The fountain had always been the pride of the Stanwood Pack. It was a dynamic fusion of architecture, sculpture and running water which gave birth to a spectacular display. The classically beautiful solid sculpture displayed an alpha wolf standing on top of a platform, with water flowing from its howling mouth onto about fifteen howling wolves that stood beneath him. The wolves, some of which were smaller than others, also had water spraying out from their mouths. Above the alpha wolf was a big brightly shining moon, at which the alpha seemed to be howling. The classic arrangement of colourful lights added a wonderful whimsical touch to the setting. The werewolves believed that there was something magical about the fountain and that Luna filled their hearts with peace whenever they stood around it. They therefore never passed up an opportunity to stand around the fountain after any major event. Burying their dead colleagues and having a successful meeting with powerful alphas was definitely a very big deal. The people standing around heard the worry in Gloria's voice and gave their full attention to Joel. They all waited for his answer.

"It's Paige." Joel responded grupy. He'd never heard his daughter sound so distraught. "She's not making sense but it had something to do with Ryan and Jeremy. Phillip is on his way to them. Whatever it is, it sounds bad."

Even before he finished what he was saying, Stan shifted and sprinted away towards the mansion.

"Deloris?" The High Priestess turned to the only warlock they had on their council. If anyone could get to Ryan faster, it was Deloris. "Check it out." She instructed.

"Right away." Deloris responded, bowed her head and then disappeared.

"Ryan?" Paige breathed through her tears as she watched Ryan's demeanor change right there before her eyes. Although she could still see the pain in his eyes, he suddenly seemed to have developed a...thick skin of sorts. He didn't seem as he had just moments earlier...as if he was about to die. He looked...dangerous. "Ryan..." Paige wasn't afraid of Ryan. She just felt uneasy. "I've called Dad and Phillip. I'm sorry for causing all this but we will fix it." She spoke softly, trying to calm Ryan. She didn't know whether it was working, but that was all she could do. "I don't know how but I promise, we..."

"Alpha?" Deloris called out softly when she appeared inside Ryan's study, cutting of Paige's tirade.

The warlock's eyes widened when she took a look at Ryan. Just one look told Deloris that something was very wrong. There was a wildness about him...almost as if he was having a hard time holding on to his control. He paced like a caged bull. The Ryan pacing before her looked nothing like the Ryan that she'd come to know and love. Even when he'd gone up against Reynard Wyatt, he looked grounded...in control. This Ryan...

"What's..." Deloris started to speak but trailed of when her eyes landed on the dead albino. "What is he...I thought he died on the day of the battle."

"I brought him here." Paige sounded like she had a thousand frogs stuck in her throat. And she looked terrified, regretful and defeated...she looked terrible.

"What?" Deloris screeched just as Phillip's wolf burst into the room. "We'll deal with that later, Missy. Now, tell me what the bastard did to him?"

"He broke Ryan's bond with Jeremy." Paige snied.

"What?" Deloris gasped even as Phillip's wolf shifted back to a very naked, very sexy human.

"What?" He roared. "How the f**k did that happen?"

"Not now, Phillip." Deloris muttered. "Something has to be done, and fast." She looked lost in thought. The warlock had a bad feeling. The council couldn't bring Jeremy back unless Luna willed it. And unless Luna wanted to communicate with them herself, summoning her wasn't an easy feat. It could take a minimum of two days. "Oh my god, this is bad."

"I need to get to him." Ryan suddenly growled. His eyes began to glow. It was obvious that he'd completely lost it. "I need to do it now." Ryan's voice didn't sound like his at all.

"Meet us at the conference hall, Phillip." Deloris said just as Stan's wolf burst into the room. "You too." She addressed the wolf as she grabbed Paige's hand.

Without another word, Deloris touched Ryan on the shoulder and then disappeared with him and Paige, leaving behind Stan's wolf and Phillip.

"Ryan..." Gloria gasped when Deloris appeared on the lawn with Ryan and Paige. Her hand went to her chest when she took in Ryan's glowing eyes. Everyone could feel the sheer force of power emanating from Ryan at that moment. "Honey?" But Ryan didn't even spare Gloria a glance. His focus was completely on the high priestess.

"I want my mate back now." Ryan's voice cracked like a whip, the sound reverberating through everyone present. That voice didn't sound human at all.

For a moment, the high priestess stared blankly at Ryan as if she hadn't heard him. Her mouth was opened in awed shock and her hands were visibly trembling. She knew that she was in the presence of a higher being. And the one person, who was seen as the most spiritual and closest to Luna in the pack, felt like bowing. She snapped out of her daze when Ryan snapped his fingers to get her attention.

"Err......wwe..." She stuttered, looking completely overwhelmed.

"Did you hear what I just said?" Ryan tilted his head to the side as he stared at the woman. "This is life and death." Ryan could feel the presence of Phillip and Stan behind him but didn't turn to look at them. Just knowing they were there was okay for him. "If I don't get to him now, he dies."

A collective gasp went up at Ryan's words. With the exception of Phillip, Stan, Paige, Ryan and the elders...eight of whom made up the council members, no other pack member knew about Jeremy and the Fort. But Ryan's words sent a shiver of dread down the spine of each person present. The feeling was so intense that the high priestess sprang into action. She didn't need to be Einstein to know that whatever was going on was very serious. And she sure as hell didn't want to go against the being standing in front of her. He definitely didn't look like someone who could be reasoned with. She valued her life too much to attempt to reason up with him anyway. The high priestess knew that she needed to consult with Luna immediately. And even as she turned and began to move towards the council quarters, which was opposite the conference hall, her high command was heard;

"All council members, to the quarters, now. We need to..."

But before she could complete her instructions, Ryan stretched out his right hand and pointed his index finger at nothing in particular. A purple ray of light shot out of the tip of his finger. And right before the eyes of the people gathered, the portal that appeared to take Jeremy away months earlier, reappeared with its dreadful whoosh sound.

Everyone present gasped. The high priestess stopped in her tracks when she heard that sound...that sound which only meant one thing. She slowly turned around and stared, her eyes bulging out to the extent that they looked as if they were going to pop out. Ryan slowly turned his head to look at the trembling high priest and uttered in a voice so guttural it was almost seductive;

"I don't think you understand the word, now." Then he turned to look at Phillip and Stan. "Ready?"

"Do it." Phillip growled whilst Stan grinned like a simpleton.

Ryan focused on the swirling portal. Then in a loud and authoritative voice that rumbled across the clearing like thunder...demanding instant obedience, he called out Jeremy's name.

A second. Two seconds. Three seconds. The answering roar...

Whoever was answering to Ryan's call, sounded damn pissed!