by Lola Gabriel
Ryder had been born into the pack. His father had been the alpha before him, but he had passed his status on to his son when he was old enough. Ryder’s mother had died under mysterious circumstances, and it had broken his father until he couldn’t handle the responsibilities of leading the pack anymore.
“Did you ever find out what happened to your mother?” Lola asked.
“We don’t know to this day,” Ryder responded. “We believe it might have been a rival pack, or just some rogue wolf who decided he wanted to kill an alpha’s mate.”
Just hearing that answer broke Lola’s heart. “Why would they want to do that?”
Ryder shrugged his shoulders. “Who knows? When an alpha is mated to someone, it increases both of their strengths. They become like a shared alpha. But if one of them dies, then the other one becomes severely weakened. Sometimes it can kill them over time. Maybe that was the goal.”
Lola found all of this both fascinating and heartbreaking. Robin had never really told her any of this, but then again, her parents were not alphas, and they had never trusted a mortal enough to really tell them any of these closely guarded secrets. It might have also just been the way things were done in their particular pack. As Ryder had explained, each pack had their own ideas about the way things should be done. And there would be serious consequences for any member if they chose to violate any of their sacred laws.
As the morning sun came up, Lola suggested going out to breakfast. “It’s my treat,” she said with a smile.
“Well, I never refuse free food,” Ryder replied, smiling back at her.
Lola grinned and grabbed her car keys.
7
Ryder had been dreading this, but he figured now was as good a time as any to get it over with. Sitting in front of the Order of Elders, the four men who were in charge of making sure no one committed any kind of treason against the pack’s customs, he felt as if he were being placed on trial—in a way, he was.
Some of the laws and procedures that were part of his pack had been developed and implemented into doctrine so long ago that he really didn’t understand how they were still applied and followed. But as the alpha, he had to go along with them.
His status didn’t matter in these cases; he was still bound to a lot of the same rules and punishments as any other member of the pack. So here he was, being summoned to appear before the Order of Elders to discuss a very important matter. They didn’t tell him what it was all about, but Ryder had a pretty good idea of what they wanted to say.
“We understand you are helping a young mortal woman with a serious matter,” said Byron, the leader of the Elders.
“Yes,” Ryder said. “I’ve enlisted the pack to come to her aid. If we had not intervened on her behalf and offered her protection, she would be dead right now.”
“While the Elders do not condone getting involved in the affairs of mortals,” another Elder, John, interjected, “we are willing to let this slide. After all, the young woman is still alive, and we would never want to see an innocent person suffer if we can prevent it.”
“I was hoping you would see it that way,” Ryder said.
“But there is something that concerns us deeply,” Byron continued. “We feel that you are becoming too close… too attached to this mortal woman.”
Ryder smiled to himself. “Yes, over the past several weeks, we have become quite attached.”
“You are seeing each other socially,” added another Elder, Elias. “I understand it is moving beyond what would be considered a professional and platonic relationship. Are we correct in that assumption?”
Ryder paused and thought for a moment. He wasn’t quite sure how to answer the question at first, but he quickly realized that he had no reason to hesitate, nor he had any reason to lie.
“Yes, that is correct. We are in the beginnings of a romantic relationship, but my goal of protecting this woman has not changed. I would never put her in harm’s way.”
“That is not what we are concerned about, Ryder,” said last Elder of the Order, Amos.
“Oh? Then please enlighten me,” Ryder said. “I don’t fully understand your reservations.” He actually did, but he loved making Byron and the rest of the Elders uncomfortable by forcing them to clearly state what they really meant.
Byron glanced at his fellow Elders and sighed. “Do you hold any fantasies about choosing this mortal woman as your mate?”
Ryder was actually a bit stunned. He had been wrong; he wasn’t actually expecting that specific question to come out of Byron’s mouth. He took his time and thought of how to word his answer. He knew what he wanted to say, and he was not ashamed of it.
“Yes,” Ryder finally answered. “Over the past several weeks, I have started to fall in love with her. I know it’s rather quick, but I’ve never felt this connected to someone—”
“Ryder,” Byron interrupted him, “you know that this can’t be. This is against the doctrine that has existed longer than any of us.”
“I’m aware of that,” Ryder said. “And I really don’t care.”
The Elders looked as if they had been slapped.
“What do you mean you don’t care?” asked Amos. “You don’t care about the directives that have kept us all safe for so long? These rules are put in place for a reason.”
Ryder was about to say something else, but Elias spoke beat him to the punch.
“A mortal woman will grow old and die within the span of a hundred years, Ryder. But you won’t.”
“A mortal woman has close friends and family, human friends and family, that will now become close to you as well,” added John. “This puts you and the secret of who we are at great risk. You have to understand this.”
“I do understand,” Ryder assured them, and he did. “But I know her. She has known shifters before and has never divulged their secret to anyone else. Lola will keep our secrets, too, I assure you. In fact, I take full responsibility for making sure she does. And if she were to reveal them, then I take full responsibility for that as well.”
Byron sighed to himself, and Ryder feared that he might be fighting a losing battle. But, he was the alpha, and even the Elders couldn’t make this choice for him.
“I appreciate that, but you can’t know how someone connected to her might inadvertently find out about us,” Byron told him. “It might well be through no fault of her own. And you never know what that other someone might do with the information. Besides, Ryder, are you willing to watch someone you care about grow old and die in the blink of a cosmic eye?”
Ryder looked down at his lap for a moment. He’d thought about that before, of course he had, and the idea of something even natural happening to Lola in advanced age was heartbreaking to even consider. But it was a very real possibility. He had tried to make peace with it.
“Yes,” he said. “I understand all of that.”
“Well, do you also understand that, if you choose this woman to be with you, she will never actually be your mate as a human, unless you change her into a lycanthrope?” Byron asked him.
“I’m fully aware of that,” Ryder replied. “I don’t care if she is my alpha mate or not. If I love someone, then I’ll be with her.”
“Oh?” questioned John. “Love, is it? So soon?”
“I…” Ryder took a deep breath. “I don’t know. Maybe. It’s something special, and I’m excited to see where it goes.”
Byron sighed heavily again. “Well, you are the leader of this pack, and you will do what you see fit. But I urge you to consider the implications of your actions very carefully. You may be the alpha, Ryder, but you are a very young alpha. There is a lot of wisdom that you do not yet possess.”
Ryder nodded and left the room, dismissing himself. He knew that the Elders were right. And he cared about what they’d told him, they had incredibly valid points, but the rollercoaster of emotions were too exciting to just consider walking away from. At the same time, though, he did not want to do anything to upset the orde
r of the pack. Every single one of his actions affected them. And if he brought a mortal woman into the fold, then it might truly turn the whole balance on its head.
Of course Lola was going to die one day. Ryder was almost five-hundred years old, and he felt like his life was just beginning. Lola had barely lived twenty-three years. What would happen in sixty or seventy years, when she passed away from old age? Was that something he could deal with? Was it fair to her that he was going to stay young and she was going to age and die right in front of him?
Ryder got into his car and drove home. His mind was a mess, and the last thing he wanted to do was give the issue any more thought.
8
“Trust me, honey, call them.”
Lola listened to her mother’s words once again, and this time, they sounded like a good idea. She’d spent the past twenty minutes telling her everything that had happened. After her mother Pauline finished freaking out, she had grabbed a glass of wine and begun to relax. Lola didn’t really want her mother’s help, but she wanted to talk to someone about how she was feeling, and she’d rather tell Pauline about the break-in herself, instead of having her find out through social media and call her in an even bigger panic.
“I’m still not sure,” Lola said. “I mean, that’s a bit drastic, don’t you think?”
“It’s not drastic when your life might be in danger,” her mother replied. “That is what they are there for. Just call them.”
Lola sipped her coffee and sighed heavily. “I don’t know if I want someone following me around all day and watching my every move. You know how independent I am, I need my space.”
Her mother crossed her arms over her chest. “Oh, so you would rather just let this killer follow you around all day and watch your every move?”
Lola groaned. Her mother was right. But spending the money and the hassle of hiring a security professional just sounded excessive… It was against Lola’s nature. Besides, she had the best security she would ever need with Ryder and his pack.
“Is it the money?” Pauline asked. “I can probably get Chase to cut you a good deal. Like I told you, he and I go way back.”
“Now just how far back do the two of you go?” Lola asked.
Her mother gave her a sarcastic look. “We go back far enough. That is all you need to know.”
“Were you guys like love birds or something?” Lola teased.
Pauline shook her head. “We went out briefly, but we decided that we worked better as friends.”
“Why is that? Was he not cute enough?”
“Oh, dear,” her mother laughed. “That man was hot enough to make your face melt. He still looks great.”
Lola raised an eyebrow. “Still? You’ve seen him recently?”
“I’ve bumped into him a few times. The point, honey, is that he’s an old friend, and he could really help you.”
Lola rolled her eyes and grabbed her computer, pulling up Chase Security’s webpage. She browsed through it a few moments and was immediately struck by how attractive these men really were. But she knew the novelty of having a handsome guy taking care of her would wear off within a few days, and none of these guys could compare to Ryder.
Lola felt guilty even browsing this site. Her mother was concerned, though, and she was happy to humor her. Besides, it wasn’t like she could really explain to her that her new boyfriend was an alpha werewolf, and that he and his amazing pack were keeping her safe.
Boyfriend…
That was the first time Lola had said that word to herself, and she really liked the sounds of it.
Roger Myers had completely vanished for the past few weeks. Was it possible that they had scared him off for good? Lola could only hope, but she was not about to believe this was over. During that time, Ryder had stayed with her almost every night, sleeping on the couch. And they had gotten even closer, often staying up until the wee hours of the morning. Even though they had kissed a few times, that was as far as it had gone. Most of the time, they just talked. Of course, their late-night talks had taken their toll, and Lola had been like a zombie at work, but she was happy. Ryder made her happy.
“You should just try it,” her mother said, snapping her out of her thoughts. “If you decide it is not necessary after a few days or a week, then you can just cancel.”
Lola sighed. “Well,” she said, “I guess I have nothing to lose. I damn sure don’t want to spend my days looking over my shoulder and wondering if I’m about to be massacred.”
“Exactly! Pay a professional to worry about that,” her mother told her. “And don’t say those things, please.”
“Sorry, Mom,” Lola apologized. She should probably refrain from using words like “massacred” in front of Pauline. “Well, then, I guess I’d better give these people a call,” she said, knowing that she was never going to actual hire them.
Her mother smiled at her and continued sipping her glass of wine.
Lola hated lying to Pauline, but right now, it was for the best. Although it was nice knowing that her mother was aware of what was going on, she was glad to have this secret life of hers, too. It made everything all the more exciting.
Lola dumped the laundry from the basket out in the middle of her bed and began to fold. She despised doing laundry with a passion, but she loved the feeling of having it all done, the weight off her mind, and the sight and smell of the closet full of clean clothes and fabric softener. It was one of life’s odd little pleasures: something dreadful followed by something sweet.
She’d finished up at the diner about two hours earlier. Ryder had picked her up and grabbed some Chinese takeout on the way back to her house. It was ironic since she owned a diner, but sometimes Lola just craved the taste of something different. Besides she did get tired of eating at the diner twice a day.
They arrived back at her place and wolfed down their dinner. Ryder double checked the security equipment Lola had hired someone to install in her home the day after the break-in at the diner. In the meantime, Lola had decided to finish the laundry she’d started in the morning.
Now it was time for a drink and some television before bed.
After she put away the last bit of her laundry and came back into the living room, she noticed the newly-installed glass patio door. The air conditioning was brushing the shades back and forth, showing her a sliver of the world outside before it was gone again. It was hard to believe that, just a few weeks prior, she’d been so carefree and excited to start her new business. Now she was the target of a madman whose rage had no bounds. And he’d just disappeared into thin air. He could strike her at any moment…
Was he really coming for her? Lola felt it down in her bones, like a gut feeling that wouldn’t leave her alone. She’d been so terrified and had felt so alone that she’d scrambled to get any protection she could get. Now that she had that protection, though she was starting to feel silly about it. Maybe she was wrong, and this was just her overactive imagination feeding this fire of paranoia.
Or maybe she just felt safe and secure with Ryder in the house.
Ryder was every woman’s dream, really. He was sexy, cute, funny, charming, tough, had a great body, and he just had this bulletproof confidence that radiated from him in waves to everyone else around him.
He was an alpha male—a natural born leader. But he also gave Lola the feeling that he was reckless, immature, and impulsive at times. In short, he was the quintessential bad boy. But there was so much more to him, too.
After her last relationship had fallen apart, Lola had told herself she was done with bad boys. She was so over guys that felt like a project, guys who needed “fixing.” She didn’t have another fix-it-up in her. She just wanted a guy who was normal, who had his life together, someone who could offer stability, had great drive, and ambition to rival her own, but who also had a level head prone to practicality and quality judgment.
Then again, where was the fun in that?
She laughed as she poured herself a glass of wine. N
othing like a big glass of merlot at the end of the day to take the edge off. She hoped the wine would alleviate some of the guilt she’d felt earlier about even pretending to be interested in hiring some security firm to protect her. She would tell Ryder about it later, even though it had been nothing.
A guy like Ryder couldn’t be threatened. He couldn’t be controlled or even reasoned with.
And it was terrifying how irresistible Lola found that.
“So, have you got him naked yet?”
Lola almost choked on her wine. She’d sat down and called Lisa to chat with her for a while, and of course that was the first thing her friend wanted to know.
“You’re terrible!” Lola gasped.
“Oh, so why is that a shock?” Lisa teased on the other end of the line.
“What in the world makes you think I’d even tell you about that?”
“Because I know you just a little bit,” Lisa retorted.
Lola bit her lip to stop the smile from overcoming her mouth. “Well, it’s just not going to happen. Not now anyway… I have too much going on with my life.”
“Why not?” Lisa demanded. “You have this perfect specimen of a guy in your house, ready for the taking, and you’re going to do nothing? I just don’t get you at all.”
“Would you listen to yourself?” Lola replied. “You’re talking about my love life! Besides, did you forget there’s a psycho who wants to kill me over a building? If Ryder wasn’t guarding me, then I wouldn’t be alive.”
“Listen, if this guy is as dangerous as you say, you might think about hiring a professional team instead of having your boyfriend guarding you,” Lisa pleaded.
“Now you sound like my mom. I’ve considered that, but Ryder actually has a security background,” Lola lied. It seemed like a plausible story to tell her friends. She loved them dearly, of course she did, but that was not her secret to tell. “You really need to stop focusing on Ryder and me, okay? Right now, I just need to focus on the other things happening in my life.”