Loved by the Alpha (Wolf Destiny Book 2)

by Violet Ray

  “You know this? That a human is meant to be your mate?” Ilythia’s voice had an edge to it that was sharp enough to make Olivia quiver.

  “In all of our history, a human has never mated with any wolf, let alone an alpha. Why do you dare to think you are so different from the rest?”

  Blaize bowed his head. “I did not seek out a human mate. We have been drawn to each other, again and again, so much so that I couldn’t ignore the meaning. Our connection has been undeniable from the moment we laid eyes on each other.”

  Ilythia addressed Olivia for the first time. Her expression was not unfriendly. “Is this true?”

  “Yes,” Olivia tried not to stammer. “I have never known a wolf before. I don’t understand it. But I do think there is an unusual connection between us.”

  The silence stretched out until Olivia thought she would scream from her nerves winding up so tightly. There was nothing threatening her, and Ilythia did not seem unkind. But the weight of what was going to be revealed had even Blaize tensing up.

  “You may ask what you seek,” Ilythia said.

  Blaize stood up, his back ramrod-straight.

  “Ilythia. I would like to know if it is true that I am the chosen alpha leader of Fyryne,” he said. “And I would like to know if it acceptable that I mate with my intended human, that we may rule Fyryne side-by-side.”

  Olivia’s heart thudded in her chest. Blaize had never said a thing about her ruling with him. Oh, god. What had she gotten into? No wonder Blaize was anticipating resistance to her being with him. It wasn’t just that they didn’t like humans. It was that she might be ruling over them. The implications took her breath away. She almost didn’t hear Phyr’s words.

  Phyr stood next. “Ilythia. I would like to know if I am to be the chosen alpha leader of Fyryne.”

  “You may stand,” Ilythia said to Olivia. Shakily she rose. For a thin woman with long, straight grey hair, the power, strength and authority radiating from Ilythia was intimidating.

  “I will have your answers for you at dusk. Return then.”

  Without a second’s hesitation, Blaize and Phyr turned to stride out, Blaize’s hand on Olivia’s back hurrying her along. No-one spoke until they were outside, many feet from the cave’s entrance.

  “Is that it?” Olivia asked softly. “What happens now?”

  “We wait. She will consider our history and what has been foretold in light of what we asked,” Blaize said.

  “And then our futures will be clear,” Phyr added. He was more subdued than she had ever seen him. Perhaps he was rethinking what the outcome might be.

  “We will go collect more food,” Blaize said to Phyr.

  “I want to come with you,” Olivia told him. “I can help.”

  Phyr grunted with impatience.

  “We won’t be going far.” Blaize shot him a look. “You should come along. I will show you what is edible and what is not.”

  They walked back the way they came, Blaize pointing out the different types of moss and berries. For all the times she had been in the forest now, she hadn’t ever taken notice of everything that it had to offer.

  The three of them collected as much as they could carry, sitting down to eat in a big clearing.

  To her utter surprise, Olivia had to admit she was developing a taste for it. Moss and berries. Who would have thought?

  They hadn’t been eating for very long when Blaize and Phyr suddenly sprang up, instantly on the alert.

  With the tiniest hand gesture in her direction, Blaize stopped Olivia from asking what was up. They were clearly tracking something, and she watched them nervously.

  Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the smallest movement, inhaling sharply when she realized what was happening.

  Two wolves were stalking them. Turning her head slowly, Olivia glimpsed at least three more.

  “Olivia,” Blaize said, his voice barely audible. “Run back to the Elder’s cave. But only when you are sure none of them will chase you. Until you have a good chance of getting away unnoticed, don’t turn your back on any of them.”

  A chill ran up her spine. She moved to face away from Blaize and Phyr, scoping out what they were up against. They were surrounded by at least six wolves who were circling around ominously. Did they mean to attack?

  Blaize and Phyr had shifted and they were on alert, teeth bared, ready for action.

  Blaize stepped forward, as did a single member of the other group. These wolves were Raynere. That was unexpected.

  For them to come into Fyryne’s territory without warning was bad enough. To approach threateningly was unacceptable.

  “You are on Fyryne land. State your purpose,” Blaize commanded. He didn’t recognize this other wolf who simply stared back at him, his followers unmoving but ready to strike.

  Blaize saw the look in his eye change an instant before he lunged, so he dodged him easily enough. The other wolves advanced towards Phyr and Olivia.

  Blaize charged away, hoping to draw at least three of them with him so Phyr could take on the others. They had to drive this group away without killing any of them. Even though this attack was unprovoked, a death could easily be used as a reason to start a war between the packs. He was beginning to suspect that was exactly what Rohan wanted.

  The three that followed him were only decent fighters, and he had no trouble keeping them at bay. Blaize outclassed them by far in skill and experience, but he had to stay focussed to keep all of them in line.

  He caught a glimpse of Phyr, who was fighting three wolves too. But where was Olivia? Looking away just for a couple seconds to try and locate her, Blaize was blindsided by a blow to his right side. It knocked him off balance and the wolves dove onto him.

  Phyr saw what happened to Blaize but he couldn’t help him. He was keeping his own three attackers from doing any real damage to him, but it was nearly impossible to get enough traction to drive them away. As soon as he delivered a blow to one, the other two would come at him at once.

  After a struggle, Blaize was able to get out from under the three, but not unscathed. For the first time, it occurred to him this might not end in his favour. He had figured this for some sort of encounter designed to show how tough the others were, but none of them were backing down. They had something they wanted to prove, and Blaize was not interested in helping them out with that.

  And then an opening presented itself. One of them rushed him while the other two weren’t quite close enough to join in right away. Blaize dealt the first one a crushing blow, biting hard around his neck.

  It should have been enough to warn them all to back off, but it wasn’t. At least the other two were much easier to handle now.

  Still fighting the other two, Blaize realized the wolf he had struck and bitten hard was gone. A blind fury rose up in Blaize when he spotted that wolf running toward Olivia.

  Chapter 10

  Olivia was inching her way backwards, moving excruciatingly slowly so as not to attract any attention to herself. The wolves were intent on fighting Blaize and Phyr while she went unnoticed. If she got back to the cave, maybe Ilythia could help. Perhaps there were others nearby that she could call on for backup. No matter how good Blaize and Phyr were, the odds of six against two weren’t promising.

  Far enough away that she was about to turn and make a run for it, Olivia looked over at Blaize. He had extracted himself from the pile of wolves he had been caught under, and he seemed to be okay.

  Then one of the wolves broke away from the others, heading straight for her.

  There was no way she could outrun a wolf. Steeling her nerves, she sprang into action.

  It took her three jetes to reach the trees at the edge of the clearing. She scrambled around the forest floor, grabbing the first fallen branch that looked strong enough for what she needed, brandishing it in front of her like a weapon.

  The wolf reached her and slowed down, clearly not expecting her to be more than something to toy with. He faced Olivia, stepping back
slightly when she wielded the branch like a staff, swinging it at him to keep him back.

  He didn’t strike out, but he didn’t back off either. He started circling her and she turned with him, never letting him get behind her as Blaize had said.

  But she had to do something more. There was only so long she could hold him back before he made a move to jump her anyway.

  Adjusting her stance, she readied herself. The wolf was closing in with every few steps he took. One step closer and she took off, running towards him, branch by her side for balance.

  Leaping into the air, Olivia jumped right over him and ran as fast as she could back towards the clearing. It was her only chance.

  The wolf was gaining on her, nearly at her heels. Blaize had their leader down underneath him, snarling and attacking him viciously until the other wolf called out something guttural. All the Raynere wolves stopped, including the one after Olivia. She kept running until she was close to Blaize.

  A few tense seconds passed. No-one moved until Blaize did, releasing the wolf he had pinned.

  With a final cry out to his cohorts, the lead wolf took off, the other five disappearing into the woods after him.

  Olivia started to collect their scattered clothes as Blaize and Phyr shifted back into human form.

  “Are you hurt?” Blaize was by her side in an instant, taking hold of her arm and looking her over, his eyes full of concern.

  She shook her head mutely, not quite able to speak over her still-pounding heart. Her eyes widened in shock at his appearance.

  Phyr appeared beside them, looking even worse for wear.

  “What was the cause of that?” he asked Blaize, examining his wounds.

  “Unknown. I only recognized two of them, and not the group’s leader. Rohan will be held accountable for this,” Blaize said, anger flashing in his eyes.

  “You’re injured,” Olivia said, feeling sick to her stomach as she took in the sight of him. Blaize hadn’t put his shirt back on. His bare torso and arms were a mess of cuts and bites. His flesh was torn in several places, two cuts on his arms deep enough to be bleeding profusely. “Those wounds need to be covered.”

  She went outside of the trampled area of their skirmish, scooping up as much clean snow as she could carry. Arriving back, she found Blaize and Phyr tearing their shirts into strips.

  Olivia cleaned Blaize’s worst cuts with the snow as best she could, wrapping the torn cloth tightly around his arms to stem the flow of blood from the deepest gashes.

  Leaving him to finish with the cuts he could attend to himself, Olivia went over to Phyr. He was awkwardly trying to bandage one of his own arms without much success.

  “Let me help you with that,” she said. He hesitated, then handed her the cloth he had been trying to tie.

  Lowering her head so he couldn’t see her surprise at his acceptance, she washed out the slash and bandaged it up.

  When the worst of their injuries were taken care of, Olivia sat down beside Blaize. He was still on alert, and angry.

  “Why did they attack?” she asked him.

  “An unprovoked attack was a bad move on Rohan’s part. Either they went against his wishes, or he is planning something hostile,” Blaize said, shaking his head. “This doesn’t bode well for Raynere, or our negotiations with them.”

  “How did you fight off that one who targeted you?” Phyr asked Olivia. “You ran and jumped like no human I’ve seen.”

  “I was a dancer. That’s how I used to move all the time. It still comes naturally to me,” she said, reddening a little under his inquisitive gaze.

  “You danced with tree branches?” he asked.

  “No. But I studied martial arts too, whenever I was able. Before I came back here, when I lived in the city.”

  Phyr looked interested. “What is that? A type of combat?”

  “Yes. And the training included learning to use a staff. It was my favorite part, and I practiced a lot on my own.”

  Blaize leaned over to nuzzle at her neck. “I saw you flying through the air. Just like you used to. Good work.”

  “Darkness is coming soon. We must return to the Elder,” Phyr said abruptly.

  They walked back through the trees, single file with Olivia between the other two, all of them on high alert.

  Just as before, Ilythia was in her chair. Blaize and Phyr approached her the same way, Olivia joining them too this time.

  Ilythia furrowed her brows at their ragged appearance, but said nothing.

  “I have looked far back to determine the answers to your questions. My word is binding and may not be disputed, now or in the future, by any member of Fyryne.”

  They waited, unmoving.

  “As to the question of who is chosen to lead Fyryne in the coming days. At this juncture in time, the leadership of our pack has been chosen long ago. Lineage does not apply in this generation. The new leader had truly been chosen, long before your birth and for reasons that will yet become apparent.”

  Ilythia’s eyes roved between the three of them, her gaze stopping on Blaize.

  “Blaize. Your destiny is to be the alpha leader of Fyryne, and to take us into a new future.”

  “As for you.” Ilythia turned to Olivia. “As you know, it is unprecedented for any wolf to mate with a human. And yet, you are also chosen to mate with Blaize and rule alongside him. It is indisputable.”

  Rising to stand in front of them, Ilythia continued.

  “There is more. Phyrros. Although you are not chosen as the new leader, you will play a key part in the upcoming changes and in leading the new direction of our pack.

  “You will also work alongside Blaize and Olivia, and you will be the bridge between Fyryne and Raynere.”

  “Why is that for me to do?” Phyr burst out. The words had hardly left his mouth when he drew back, as if already regretting his own outburst.

  Olivia hardly dared to sneak even the tiniest glance at Ilythia to see her reaction. Her eyes had narrowed, turning steely. The atmosphere was thick with new tension.

  “Phyrros. You will not question me.” Ilythia stared at him so intently Olivia wanted to squirm on his behalf.

  “You do not know, do you,” she said. “Phyrros. You are the child of both Fyryne and Raynere. And so you will be a link between both.”

  Phyr tensed at her words, his mouth opening slightly in shock. Clearly this was news to Blaize as well. He said nothing but his demeanor changed visibly.

  “Phyrros, your path will become more clear to you as the upcoming changes unfold. While Blaize is the chosen leader, and as such has final authority, all three of you will work together in leading Fyryne. Phyrros and Olivia, you will leave now. Blaize will stay behind.”

  When they had gone, Ilythia spoke again.

  “Why do you come before me in this manner? What is the meaning of your wounds?”

  “We were attacked by six members of Raynere. They gave no reason,” Blaize said, anger sparking up in him once again.

  Ilythia was silent for a moment. “Then it has started. You came not a day too soon. The future of Fyryne and Raynere lies in your hands. You are young to take this on. As you know, leadership does not normally pass from one to the next until the new leader has more experience. But it is time.”

  “What has started?” he asked.

  “The way things progress in the near future will determine whether Fyryne will survive, or fall. The conflict that is coming will change the course of history.”

  Ilythia paused, regarding him seriously.

  “Blaize. What I am going to tell you, must not be revealed to the other two yet.”

  Chapter 11

  With nothing more than a curt nod, Phyr peeled off the path, walking swiftly through the trees.

  “Where is he going?” Olivia asked Blaize.

  His expression was quizzical. “Home. Do you not see where we are?”

  “It looks the same to me. I can’t see any landmarks,” Olivia said.

  “We will be
near your home soon enough,” Blaize said, and she stared at him in wonder.

  It wasn’t just the maze of trees they had woven through that all looked alike to her. Her leg, although aching, had fared so much better on the return trip that she hadn’t even realized just how far they had come.

  A short time later, they reached the only cave that was familiar to Olivia. Neither of them said a word, but they both slowed down at the entrance.

  “Are you in a hurry to get back?” Blaize asked her. Up until that moment, she couldn’t wait to get home. All she could think about was having a nice, long soak in her tub, surrounded by candles, soft music playing in the background. And a huge glass of wine. Or three.

  But Blaize’s darkening eyes chased all other thoughts out of her mind. She smiled, shaking her head.

  Taking her hand, he led her inside.

  “You did well travelling so far, with your injured leg. How are you feeling?” Blaize asked after he checked the cave. It was empty. All theirs.

  “I’m good,” she said. “My leg’s getting a lot better.”

  Blaize strode to her, gripping her arms, his lips crushing against hers. His usual intensity was even stronger now.

  Reaching over, tugging the back of her head, her wide smile told him she wanted this as much as he did, that she needed him.

  “Good to hear,” he murmured, his hands roaming around her body. Oh, yes. She was feeling just fine.

  Except for the clothes that kept his hands from her skin. But even her thick coat wasn’t enough of a barrier between them to stop her whole body from tingling, just from having his solid weight pressing against her.

  They kissed until Blaize leaned back to undress her, pushing her coat off her shoulders. Olivia tugged her sweater off while he worked at the fastenings on her pants. When she was down to only underwear, he pulled her back to him, fondling her breasts through her bra, teasing her stiffening nipples.

  Olivia ran her fingers down his chest, over his abs. They almost rippled with strength and she could never get enough of touching them. He was incredible. This was it. This was what she wanted. Being with this man. And not just for now.