The Unwanted Wolf
The Hunted Wolf – Chapter 32

“My apologies,” I muttered, still trying to get my head on straight. I knew it was rude, but I didn’t want to talk to him. I ducked my head down and tried to walk around him.

Reyland blocked my path, holding his hand out. “Adira, you don’t need to run away from me. I don’t want things to be awkward between us.”

I took a deep breath and swallowed hard. “Things are going to be awkward. How can they not be?”

Reyland didn’t break eye contact with me as he spoke. I could feel his alpha power radiating out. “Avoiding me isn’t going to make things less awkward. We should face this head on, talk it out.”

I scoffed at his words. “No thank you. I appreciate your help here. I really do. But at this point in time, I don’t have an interest in rekindling this relationship. I have too many other things going on, and I don’t have the energy to discuss this with you right now.”

I pushed past him and went straight into the pack house. My heart was racing as I walked in. I had to stop and take a moment to catch my breath. I was proud of myself for standing up to him like that, especially when he was trying to use his alpha influence on me, but part of me was still terrified. I leaned against the door and closed my eyes, taking a few deep breaths.

“Are you okay?”

I opened my eyes and saw Mason standing in front of me. Rie was by his side, their hands intertwined. I pushed a smile on my face.

“I’m fine,” I quickly said.

Mason’s head tilted, and I knew he didn’t believe me. “Have you eaten dinner yet? We were about to go get some food.”

I was relieved he didn’t push into the topic further. “Not yet, but I have some things I need to get done.”

Rie reached forward and grabbed my hand. “Nope. You need to eat. Stop pushing yourself so much. It’s okay to relax for a little.”

She started dragging me towards the kitchen, still holding Mason’s hand. I didn’t feel particularly hungry at the moment, but I hadn’t eaten much today, so I knew I should eat. The food was set up buffet style, and even though dinner had started almost an hour ago, the dining hall was still filled with people. I shouldn’t have been surprised. There were now over fifty people at the pack house, which was a huge jump. Our kitchen wasn’t normally prepared for that large number of people eating.

The three of us all grabbed some food and found a table in the back corner as a few warriors were leaving. I picked at my food, my mind still occupied with Reyland. I didn’t understand why he would ambush me like that. Mark said he knew clearly that providing us with help didn’t mean our relationship would be repaired.

“So where’s Alpha Mark?” Mason said, breaking the silence between us.

I looked up at Rie and Mason, seeing both of their eyes on me from across the table. “Oh, he’s running the first patrol. He wanted to make sure he was there to help everyone learn the routes.”

“That’s unfortunate. I was hoping to finally meet your mate. I want to learn more about the man who was able to win Addy’s heart.” There was a small glint in his eyes, and I knew he enjoyed teasing me.

“How many times do I have to tell you to not call me that?” I glowered in his direction. My appetite started returning as my mind focused on something else.

“I don’t know why you bother. You know I’m never going to stop,” Mason laughed.

Rie looked between the two of us. “So how long have you two known each other exactly?”

“I saw her diapers,” Mason smirked.

My eyes widened. “Did not! And even if you had, there’s no way you would remember. You’re my age after all.” I turned to Rie, deliberately not looking at Mason. “Mason was my best friend growing up.”

Rie smiled. “Best friend, huh?” She looked over at Mason, taking a moment to take him all in. The smile on her face grew.

Rie smiled. “Best friend, huh?” She looked over at Mason, taking a moment to take him all in. The smile on her face grew.

“Yeah, so if you need any dirt on him, I have plenty.” I looked back at Mason and winked at him. It was my turn to tease him. “Let me just tell you, you’ll have your hands full with this one.”

Mason reached over, trying to smack me, but it was easy to dodge. “Don’t give her a bad impression before I’ve been able to wow her,” he whined.

“Don’t worry. I can tell she’s head-over-heels for you already. I don’t think it’ll be hard to impress her.” I took another bite of my food and leaned back, looking at the two of them. Even just looking at them, I could tell they would be a great couple. They would make each other very happy.

“Adira!” Rie gave me a dirty look that only made me laugh.

“Why did we invite you to dinner again?” Mason asked.

I stuck my tongue out at them. “Because you love me. Seriously, though. I’m really happy that both of you found each other. It’s a good reminder that something good can come out of all of this madness.”

The two of them grew quiet, and I saw their cheeks turn a soft shade of pink. They made eye contact with one another and grabbed hands under the table. Rie was the first one to break eye contact, looking down in embarrassment. I knew it wouldn’t be long before the two of them mated. I had never seen two mates fall faster for each other.

There was a sudden shift in the buzz of the dining room, so I looked up. I saw Alpha Lyna walk into the room, which explained the shift in noise and laughter.

I took one last bite of my food before standing up. “This has been a blast, and I appreciate you two making sure I ate, but I need to get going.”

Mason followed where my eyes were locked, and he looked back at me, tilting his head.

Rie stood up after me. “Is there anything we can help with?”

I shook my head. “Ginger is here, and there are some things I need to talk to her about.”

“Ah, okay. Well, if something else comes up, just hollar,” Rie said, sitting back down.

Mason watched our interaction, but he didn’t question it. I wasn’t ready to tell him all of the gory details about what had happened in my life. He didn’t even know about what went down between my family and I, and I didn’t want to dive into my magic and the threats that were looming over my head. It felt a little strange not telling him about everything, but I didn’t know how to broach the subject with him anymore.

It had been a long time since we were close friends, and even though it was easy to fall back into the same patterns with each other, we were different people than we were five years ago. I wanted to rekindle that friendship, especially knowing Rie was his mate, but that would have to come with time.

I cleared my plate and made my way out of the dining room, avoiding any possible contact with Reyland. I needed to talk to Ginger about the next steps, but I knew it was just an excuse to get out of the same room as my former father. My steps were quick as I searched for the old sorceress.

I found her upstairs in Daniel’s room, to no surprise. I peaked in and knocked on the door, making my presence known.

“There you are. I finished laying down the salt,” I announced, entering the room. “What’s next?”

Ginger smiled. “Next, we train more. We need to make sure you are ready for anything.”

–

MARK

I shifted back into my human form as I finished up the second shift for patrolling. I was only supposed to do one round of patrols, but after completing the first one, I felt the need to do another. There were too many new werewolves involved, and I wanted to do my due diligence to get to know the people who were protecting my pack. I needed to get a real sense for the warriors around us if I was going to trust my pack’s life in their hands.

I would have done a third round of patrolling, but the moon was already high in the sky and it was late. I needed to get some rest so I could start fresh in the morning. Luckily, I knew Darian would be taking over for me for the night shifts. I trusted his judgment, so I knew I would be able to get some sleep with him supporting me.

I miss our mate, Conall said in my head. He had protested greatly when I decided to take the second shift as well. He was feeling the effects of not being around our mate greatly. It made it even harder to stay away from Adira. I understood where he was coming from. I wanted to be by Adira’s side, too. I wanted to support her in any way possible, since I knew none of this was easy on her. But we both had responsibilities to attend to.

She had spent the evening training with Ginger to help improve her magic abilities. She told me about it in the brief moment we were able to link when I checked in with her before taking the extra patrol shift. She assured me it was okay, since she had to train anyway. The pack came first, she insisted. She was right, but she was also so wrong. No one could come before her in my heart, not even myself. I knew what my responsibilities were, though, and by ensuring the pack was safe, I was also ensuring she would be safe.

I practically crawled up the stairs to our bedroom. My body ached from the long day, and all I wanted was to be by Adira’s side. The pack house was quiet, which was a drastic change from the rest of the day. Almost everyone who was not on patrol had retired to their rooms already. I’m sure everyone was tired from the long day of adjustments and preparation for the next few weeks of their lives.

As I approached our room, I made sure to step lightly. I opened the door slowly and peeked inside. Sure enough, Adira was fast asleep in our bed. I shut the door as quietly as I could, and I just took a moment to look at her sleeping form. Her chest rose up and down slow and steady. Her hands were tucked under her head, and this was the most peaceful I had seen her in weeks. There was something comforting about watching her sleep, so I stood there for a moment longer, taking in my beautiful mate.

Tiredness started to overtake me, and so I stripped my clothes until I was just in my boxers. I made my way across the room and climbed into bed, trying not to wake Adira. I curved my body around hers and draped my arm around her waist. I nuzzled my face into her neck and took in her mesmerizing scent. I instantly relaxed, knowing she was safe in my arms.

She started shifting underneath me, turning so she was facing me. Her eyes opened, still heavy with sleep.

“Mark?” she muttered.

“Shh,” I hushed. “Go back to sleep.”

She cuddled into me more, but she didn’t close her eyes. “I missed you.”

“I missed you, too. You need your rest though.” I kissed her forehead and held her face.

She still looked at me with big doe eyes. Instead of saying anything, she leaned forward, kissing my lips. Instantly, a fire was ignited, and I could feel her need in the way she pressed into me.